Big setback for Australia Women as Georgia Wareham gets ruled out of World Cup, Ashes

Tamim Iqbal eyeing international return in Test series against Pakistan

Bangladesh star opener Tamim Iqbal is ruled out of the home T20 series against Pakistan scheduled right after the ongoing T20 World Cup and instead is gearing up to return in the longest format against the same opponent, Cricbuzz reported. Tamim had opted out of the global event after his long streak with injury leading up the tournament and chose to play the Everest Premier League to get his way back on the field. However, he suffered a fresh injury in the form of a left thumb fracture that ruled him out of the game for another significant period of time. "I met the doctor and they have advised me to start my batting from November 7 against spin and now I am eyeing to play in the fifth round of NCL. Haven't yet recovered from the thumb injury. I have completed three weeks of rehabilitation and there is one more week to go before I can start batting again,” Tamim said to Cricbuzz. Bangladesh are all set to host Pakistan for a three-match long T20 series starting November 19 and the entire series will be played in Dhaka. The teams will then move to Chattogram to play the first Test of the two-match Test series before travelling back to Dhaka for the second and final Test of the series and tour.

T20 World Cup | India were unaware about the extent of Hardik Pandya's injury, alleges former selector

The series of allegations and blame games are coming thick and fast after India lost to New Zealand in their last game and now face the prospect of an early exit from the tournament. Hardik Pandya’s fitness was one of the major concerns for India coming into the tournament and former selector Sarandeep Singh has come down heavily on India’s team management for not having a clear idea about his injury and recovery. In an interview with Sportskeeda, Sarandeep Singh said that Hardik Pandya’s injury seems to be a major one as he is not bowling albeit showing clear eagerness to roll his arm over. He said that neither the Indian team nor Mumbai Indians—his IPL side, knew the exact extent of his injury and hence there is silence from players such as Rohit Sharma over his availability. "Hardik definitely wants to bowl, but since he isn’t, means his injury is a big one. He doesn’t go to the NCA, he treats himself to the Mumbai Indians staff. So nobody really knows and nobody is saying anything. The reason why Rohit Sharma is not able to say anything in press conferences is because even Rohit doesn’t really know," Singh said. Hardik Pandya had bowled in the nets before the game against the Blackcaps and he bowled two overs against them although India did not have enough runs to enforce any sort of pressure on the batsmen. No bowler other than Jasprit Bumrah could take wickets and Hardik Pandya’s bowling as the sixth bowler could not have come on a more insignificant occasion for the men in blue.

T20 World Cup | Former selectors question Chetan Sharma over selection of 'half-fit' Hardik Pandya

As India have suffered two heavy defeats in the ongoing T20 World Cup and are staring at elimination without making it to the semi-finals, the battle lines are being drawn by former cricketers and analyst over what went wrong for Virat Kohli’s men in the tournament. While failure with the bat and lack of penetration with the ball have been emphasised in nuanced analyses, personnel have also been under stern scanners. One of the biggest talking points before the selection of India’s squad for the tournament and also during the tournament has been the fitness and form of Hardik Pandya. Pandya did not bowl in the Indian Premier League and simultaneously lost form with the bat from the first phase of the tournament. Former national selector Sarandeep Singh has now questioned the claims made by the current chairman of the selection committee Chetan Sharma in which he had said that Pandya was fit and would be bowling a full quota of overs in the T20 World cup. He questioned the lack of transparency from the current selection committee and said that during his tenure, players’ availability and fitness were made public appropriately which he says has not happened in this case. He said that the all-rounder has found himself in a needless controversy and that it’s Chetan Sharma’s job to explain what happened to the squad and why he was picked without full assessment of his injury and availability with the ball. “Hardik Pandya’s fitness issues are being talked about for a while now, but why don’t you ask the selection committee about this? We used to answer all questions during our tenure – if someone was unfit or anything – everything used to be open. But why isn’t it the same anymore? Chetan Sharma addressed the media just once, and he spoke something strange and walked away,” Sarandeep Singh said to Sportskeeda. "When the chairman of the selection committee said he’s fully fit and he will bowl in the World Cup, so the chairman needs to be questioned now where is the fitness. He needs to say something – he is injured, he is not able to bowl, something. It’s unfair on Hardik as well, a quality player is stuck in controversy for no fault of his. If the injury is there, it’s okay, can’t do much about it.” Another former selector, Sandeep Patil, who was the chief national selector before the selection committee comprising of Sarandeep Singh, had questioned Chetan Sharma on similar lines. He had also fixed the responsibility on the head coach Ravi Shastri and skipper Virat Kohli for playing Pandya in the playing XI. “His (Pandya) selection in the XI is up to the captain and the coach, and only the BCCI will know about it. But basically, if a player is not fit, then it comes to the selectors. If he didn’t bowl in the entire IPL, the selectors should have taken a call. They should have asked for a fitness test before including him in the team for the World Cup,” Patil had said to Times of India.

T20 World Cup | Shakib Al Hasan ruled out of remaining games due to hamstring injury

Bangladesh star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing T20 World Cup after sustaining his hamstring during their last game against West Indies. "Shakib sustained a left lower hamstring strain while fielding during the match against the West Indies. In clinical examination it was diagnosed as an injury of Grade 1 intensity,'' said chief physician of the BCB, Debashish Chowdhury. "He is ruled out from participation in the last two matches of the tournament and until further review.”