Australia to experiment with Mitchell Marsh at number 3

Aussie head coach Justin Langer said on Friday, 9 July, that as a part of the experiment they will try out new combinations ahead of the T20 World Cup slated to be played in UAE later this year. The veteran batsman stated that as per their plans, Mitchell Marsh will be seen batting at No 3 instead of his usual role in the middle order.

Marsh who can hit the long ball has been mostly given finishing roles in the Australian line-up and has hardly batted at the top order. However, with several first-choice players opting out of the series, the experience of Mitchell Marsh at the top of the order could come in handy. He can also play the role of the 6th or the 7th bowler with his effective medium pacers having the knack of breaking partnerships.

“We see him as a bit of an enforcer up there, he faces fast bowling as well as anyone around the place. He hits the ball with brutal power and we’re looking forward to giving him a chance at the top of the order," Langer was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

The former opening batsman hinted at the prospect of playing Moises Henriques and Ben McDermott for the major part of the series. He mentioned that Josh Philippe will be slotted at the middle order with Matthew Wade opening the batting with skipper Aaron Finch.

Langer doesn’t want to remain rigid in his previous model. He felt that the 6-5 batsmen bowler combination has worked very well but he is ready to change it going forward keeping the T20 World Cup in mind.

“The six batsmen and five specialist bowlers — it’s certainly a model I’ve gone with throughout my whole head coaching career, there’s no surprise to anyone with that. And it’s been a very successful model. But if you look ahead … We might look at this 7-4 model, where you have a couple of all-rounders. Different teams do it differently around the world," said Langer.

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Sri Lanka to sack Kusal Perera, Dasun Shanaka to be new captain: Report

Sri Lanka ODI skipper Kusal Perera is set to be sacked by the Sri Lanka Cricket as a result of a payment dispute between itself and the players, as per an ESPNcricinfo report. Perera, who was appointed as the leader of the side only two months back, is likely to replaced by Dasun Shanaka, the report added. The report claimed that Perera was the lynchpin of the players’ protest against the new payment structure that the SLC claimed would have benefited the more players at large while Shanaka was the first one to sign the agreement leading to the end of the dispute. Some of the Sri Lanka players including Shanaka signed the contract after SLC threatened to field a lower-string side in the upcoming series against India if they won’t close the loggerheads. Shanaka has had a brie experience of leading the national side in the T20 series against Pakistan where the island nation emerged victories 0-3. Shanaka will be the sixth Sri Lankan captain in the last four years after Dinesh Chandimal, Angelo Mathews, Lasith Malinga, Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Perera. The ODI series between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled to start off on July 13 in Colombo and a major shakeup such as this will weaken an already struggling Sri Lankan side.

Michael Neser's contract with Glamorgan extended by two years

Glamorgan has renewed the contract of Michael Nesser for two more years until 2023. The Australian fast bowler who has had a brilliant start to his county season has been rewarded for his recent heroics. He has bagged 19 wickets in just 4 matches at an exceptional average of 14.89. The speedster will now join his countryman Marnus Labuschage who has already struck a deal to play for them until next year. Meanwhile, Nesser who has been part of the county earlier said it is a delight to play in Wales and he didn’t have a second thought in his mind to commit to Glamorgan. "I've absolutely loved playing in Wales this season and it was a no brainer to commit my future to the club," Neser said. "When I was first approached by Glamorgan, Marnus said what a fantastic place this was and how welcoming the people were and that's exactly how I've found it. Cardiff is a beautiful city, and I couldn't think of anywhere better to play over the next two years. Neser hopes to add variety and experience to the squad and help out the young blood to ensure that they stand a chance of winning the championship. Glamorgan are currently 4th in Group 3 with only two wins under their belt in 9 matches while losing 2 and drawing 5. "As a team, we've played some really good cricket this season and there's plenty of young talent which bodes well for the future. Hopefully, I can bring my experience to the table to help them out and continue to contribute to more wins so we can push for silverware,” Neser said. Meanwhile Director of Glamorgan cricket, Mark Wallace was excited with the extension of Neser and is hoping that he along with Marnus Labuschagne, he can take Glamorgan to new heights. "He is a world-class cricketer and a real role model to our younger players who will only get better with him around the dressing room," Wallace said. "Through him and Marnus re-signing over the last year, it shows that we are not only a very welcoming club but also a very ambitious one who can attract top players,” he said.

Rubel & Shamim Hossain miss flight to Zimbabwe due to visa issues

Bangladesh pacer Rubel Hossain and the uncapped Shamim Hossain have not been able to join the Bangladesh ODI and T20 squads due to visa-related complications, Cricbuzz reported on Friday, July 09. However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board showed confidence that the duo will be on the flight to Zimbabwe as soon as possible and that both for them will be available for selection in the T20 and ODI series that will follow the ongoing Test match in Harare. "Lot of flights have been cancelled in the recent past so we didn't want to take any risk and decided to send them as quickly as possible. Rubel and Shamim could not join their teammates due to visa complications but we are confident that we can send them soon and they will be available for the upcoming ODIs and T20Is against Zimbabwe,” Bangladesh Cricket Board's cricket operation chairman Akram Khan told Cricbuzz. Rubel Hossain has been an integral part of Bangladesh’s success over the last few years in ODIs and the team management would be desperate to have him to unsettle the Zimbabwean batsmen. The ODI series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh is scheduled to take off from July 16 while the T20 series will commence on July 23.

He's finally worn me down: Justin Langer praises Dan Christian ahead of Windies clash

Veteran Australian all-rounder Dan Christian has returned to the national squad after a span of five years and will be hopeful of cementing his place ahead of the T20 World Cup slated to be played in UAE later this year. Australian head coach Justin Langer is hopeful that Christian can solidify his position in the team for the all-round attributes which he can lend balance to the relatively inexperienced team. "He's finally worn me down, Christo. I've been in the job three years and every time he gets some runs in any game or competition around the world, he texts me and says 'coach I'm ready to go, pick me I'm the best all-rounder in Australia'," said Justin Langer. "So he's so good to have around the team. He's a fantastic bloke, he's got an amazing set of hands in the field, he's, you know he's clever with the ball - his experience, and we've seen throughout the Big Bash and all around the world actually - he hits the ball as cleanly as anyone,” Langer was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. Christian scored a quickfire 47 of 31 deliveries in the intra-squad game and has been a consistent performer in T20 leagues across the globe. He was a star performer in the Big Bash League and the selector had no other options but to give him an opportunity to rediscover his international career at almost the twilight of his career. Langer is excited to have him in the squad and can’t wait to see him replicate his heroics in the international arena. “He's got an incredibly easy swing of the cricket bat - so I'd love to have him in the team. It's almost becoming an urban myth, isn't it? You know wherever he plays, we win, so yeah, it's great to have him in the team. It's a bit like having in the past we've had senior players like Brad Hogg, who have come in really late and had an impact, and I can't wait to watch Chris,” Langer said. Australia has named a new-look squad for the T20I series against West Indies after several of the first choice players opted out of the series citing fatigue issues. While Steve Smith is injured, Pat Cummins has been given rest by the board to manage his workload. Meanwhile skipper Aaron Finch has made it clear that the players missing out on this series won't make an automatic return to the squad and stands a chance of missing out on the World Cup ticket later this year.