BCCI wins appeal against Arbitration Award in favour of Deccan Chargers

Pumped to be in the WTC final: BJ Watling

New Zealand wicket-keeper BJ Watling will be featuring in his final Test when he takes the field in the final of the inaugural World Test Championship against India. Watling has said that he is excited about the match and just wants to take it as just another game. “I’m just looking forward to playing another test match. It is an exciting one, and I’m certainly pretty pumped to be in the final. I’m just going into it how I do with every other test going through the processes of trying to win a test match,” the 35-year-old was quoted as saying by stuff.co.nz. “I’ve certainly enjoyed the time I have spent with this team playing cricket for New Zealand. It’s been a hell of a journey,” he added. New Zealand will lock horns with Virat Kohli’s India in Southampton beginning on June 18. Talking about the final, Watling said that it is a massive opportunity and the side would look to continue the form. “It’s obviously a massive opportunity to win a title, but I think what we’ve been doing leading into this, winning the games at home this summer, and then obviously winning a test series against England, it’s certainly been fantastic,” he said. “We’ll try and do our best and try to carry on the form that we’ve been playing in for a reasonably long period,” Watling added. The Blackcaps are coming into the title clash with a 1-0 win in two-match Test series against England away from home.

Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin should play together in WTC Final: Sunil Gavaskar

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is of the opinion that the Virat Kohl-led side should play both R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the final XI as the spinners might get some help as the match progresses during the final of the inaugural World Test Championship against New Zealand in Southampton beginning on June 18. “In Southampton, it’s been boiling hot over the last few days so the pitch will definitely be dry and help spin as the match progresses, so yes both Ashwin and Jadeja will play,” Gavaskar told PTI in an exclusive interview. Gavaskar further added that both the players would provide depth in the batting as well. “That (Ashwin and Jadeja together) also gives depth to the batting as well as give a fine balance to the bowling attack. For the series later (vs England) much will depend on the weather and pitch conditions,” he said. The Indian team recently announced the 15-man squad for the WTC final. Shardul Thakur and Mayank Agarwal didn’t find a place for themselves in the side. Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma would be opening the innings for India while Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj form the pace attack. India made a cut into the WTC final after beating Australia 2-1 in a four-match series away from home while thumped England 3-1 in a four-Test bilateral tie on home soil.

David Warner, Pat Cummins opt out of WI, Bangladesh tours

Australia opener David Warner and fast bowler Pat Cummins won’t be featuring in limited-overs fixtures against West Indies and Bangladesh away from home. Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Jhye Richardson and Kane Richardson are the other four players who have opted out of the tours while former captain Steve Smith has been left out on medical grounds as he has an elbow injury. National selector Travis Head expressed his disappointment after the players opted out of the tours. "We are naturally disappointed not to have all players available for the Australian team at this time however the NSP (National Selection Panel) respects the decisions of those who have opted out of this tour," head selector Trevor Hohns said in a statement. "Steve Smith was unavailable for selection due to an elbow injury and will now be able to use this time to fully recover ahead of the World Cup and home Ashes series. Steve was disappointed to miss the tour with the decision made on medical grounds." The side would be led by Aaron Finch and has Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Riley Meredith, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade and Adam Zampa as some of the prominent names in the line up. Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Nathan Ellils, Tanveer Sangha.

PSL 2021 | PSZ vs KRK: Hazratullah Zazai, bowlers help Zalmi make easy work of Karachi Kings

Hazratullaz Zazai, playing his first Pakistan Super League game made sure that it would definitely not be his last, rather there would be many more to come. The left-hander hit eight fours and four sixes to lead Zalmi to a comprehensive six-wicket win and climb to the second spot in the PSL Points Table. Be it experienced Mohammad Amir or domestic pace bowlers in Aamer Yamin, Abbas Afridi and Wasqas Maqsood, the talented Afghan didn’t spare anyone as he dealt in boundaries to make a scintillating 26 balls 63. Even when he got out, it was only while trying to hit the winning runs quickly that he missed straighter delivery from Karachi Kings skipper Imad Wasim. Peshawar was chasing a small target of 109 and Zazai made sure that there were no hiccups even as experienced opener Kamran Akmal departed in the second over of the innings. The 23-year-old paired up with Haider Ali and added 84 runs in just 38 balls for the second wicket. The Afghan, who hit the fastest fifty by an overseas batsman (17 balls) and joint fastest for any batsman in PSL, was chosen as Man of the Match for his brilliant performance. Hadn’t it been for the three quick wickets within just one run, most likely Zalmi would have won it by nine wickets and a few more balls to spare. Imad picked up two wickets in his first over of the game as Shoaib Malik once again fell for a duck trying to hit a six to finish the match early. Haider was stumped scampering out of his crease as Noor Ahmad bowled it wide outside off for wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton to remove the stumps. Two West Indians Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford stayed till the end to watch Zalmi through. Karachi captain Imad was clearly upset with the loss but showed his determination by saying, “Nothing to lose now, we have our backs against the wall, and we just have to win now.” “If we think we can't make it, there's no point in playing, so we'll give it our best shot. Let's see how it goes,” he added in his post-match interview. Earlier in the night, Zalmi skipper Wahab Riaz won the toss and took the new ball himself. In the very first over he struck with a toe crushing inswinger to Babar Azam who was removed for a golden duck. Sameen Gul, another player playing his first PSL 2021 game then bowled two brilliant swing deliveries to get the wickets of Martin Guptill and Walton. While to Guptill it was an unplayable outswinger, Walton had no answers to an angling inswinger that hit the new man’s pads even before he could react. From there on wickets just kept falling as a third first timer in PSL 2021 for Zalmi, Abrar Ahmed helped himself to three dismissals. In fact, he was the pick of the bowlers for Zalmi with figures of 3-14. At 73-7 in 16 overs, Karachi were staring at getting bundled out under 100 but for Abbas Afridi, who with the help of his lusty blows got the Kings past 100. He was the top-scored for the blue brigade with an unbeaten 27 from 18 balls. Reacting to the win and promotion in the Points Table, Zalmi captain Wahab was happy with the win but cautioned his batsmen against their attitude. “The way Zazai batted, he took the pressure off, and he made the opposition-run out of bowling options,” Riaz said during the post-match presentation. “In the last three games we have been losing wickets in clumps and we have to work hard and think about it. The batsmen who are playing have to carry it through, otherwise, good teams don't let you make a comeback,” he added. Both these teams will be in action once again on Thursday, June 17. While Zalmi would be up against Shadab Khan’s men from Islamabad who have already qualified, Karachi would look to bounce back from three defeats in a row when it takes on Lahore Qalandars, who themselves have been struggling for the last two games. Both these games would be played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.