ENG vs PAK | Haris Sohail yet to recover from leg injury, MRI scan on July 6 to decide fate

BCCI chalks out IPL expansion plans; fixes player retention to four, increases salary purse: Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has chalked out forward-looking plans for the Indian Premier League that includes the addition of two new franchises, provisions of player retentions and increment in their salaries and broadcasting rights among other things, as per a TOI report. The Board will release a formal tender in the period between August-September later this year and the bidding processes for the two more teams in the tournament will commence in October this year, the report further stated. The BCCI has also decided to increase the salary purse of each franchise by Rs 5 crore starting next season and the value will be increased incrementally every year from the next season. The current salary purse available to each franchise is 85 crore which will be increased to Rs 90 crore next year and up to Rs 100 crore leading up to the 2024 edition. The BCCI has also earmarked the provisions of retention of players by each franchise. All the eight currently existing franchisees will be mandated to retain a maximum of four players in two possible combinations such as either three Indian and one overseas player or two India and two overseas players. The report also indicated that the BCCI is looking to utilise the month of March to accommodate an increased number of matches with the number of franchises increasing to 10 and hence aiming for an increased value of broadcasting rights by up to 25 per cent. The BCCI came under stern pressure in hosting the 14th edition of the IPL in India while the country was grappling with a severe wave of Covid-19 pandemic and ultimately had to postpone the event for an indefinite period then. The IPL 14 will resume in the UAE in the month of September.

West Indies Women Chinelle Henry and Chedean Nation recover from on-field collapse, join team

West Indies women players Chinelle Henry and Chedean Nation, both of whom had collapsed during the second T20I against Pakistan Women at Coolidge Cricket Ground, have recovered and joined the team outfit for the third and last game of the series with an aim for a 3-0 clean sweep. In a video released by the Windies Cricket on their official Twitter handles, the two women said that they were not hospitalised and nd no restrictions on playing was applied to them and also thanked the ‘Maroon’ fans for their prayers and support. "I just want to thank you guys for all your concern and well wishes, and I am doing well. No hospital stay, no restrictions. Now I'm just focussed on going out there and getting the series 3-nil," Henry said in the video. While Henry has been rested for the ga5me, Nation has made it to the playing XI of the third game. West Indies have already taken an unassailable lead of 2-1 having won the first two games by 10 ruins and seven runs (DLS method). In the last game, Pakistan Women won the toss and have decided to bat first. At the time of writing this, they were 60-4 in the 11th over.

Mohammed Azharuddin reinstated as HCA President after Ombudsman calls removal illegal

Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin has been reinstated as the President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association by the order of the Ombudsman of HCA Justice (retd) Deepak Verma. Justice Verma termed the removal of Azharuddin as President of HCA by the Apex Council of the Association as illegal and unlawful. The Ombudsman also temporarily disqualified the HCA Apex Council members K John Manoj, Vice President, R Vijayanand, Naresh Sharma, Surender Agarwal, Anuradha till the time they prove the complaints against them attain finality. "Apex Council on its own accord cannot take such a decision. Therefore, I deem it appropriate to set aside the resolution (if any) passed by these five members in suspending the duly elected President, issuing a show-cause notice and direct them to refrain from any subsequent actions against the President of HCA, Mohammed Azharuddin," Justice (retd) Verma was quoted as saying by PTI. "Therefore, I direct that Mohammed Azharuddin shall continue as President and all complaints against office bearers shall only be decided by the Ombudsman,” Justice Verma added in his decision. Since the Apex Council did not follow the due procedure and used power not vested to them and also failed to recognise Justice Verma as the Ombudsman even after a High Court order, the members were disqualified till further notice. “It is clear from the above, that these members have malafide intentions and do not want smooth functioning of HCA. I hereby direct that these members are temporarily disqualified from performing their duties as office bearers of the Apex Council till the time these Complaints attain finality," the Ombudsman said. Azharuddin, who played more than 300 ODIs for India and has been HCA President for a long was unceremoniously removed by a meeting of the Apex Council on June 17. He challenged that order later on.

We are two different bowlers: Mitchell Swepson hopes to play alongside Adam Zampa as an asset for Australia

Australian leg spinner Mitchell Swepson, who played only his second game in the first match of the three-match T20I series against India last December is hopeful of playing alongside Adam Zampa in the upcoming West Indies series. The leggie who made his debut in international cricket against England way back in 2018 but didn’t get the chance to play more believes that he and Zampa could lay together as both of them are two different bowlers altogether. “I remember Zam saying time when I got picked for my first series against India last summer. He was excited, he said, ‘I love two leggies playing. And yeah it’s great, I think the more leggies the better.’,” Swepson said in a video posted by cricket.com.au on their official Twitter handle. “We are two different bowlers and are not trying to be like each other or use each other’s skills. It’s a weapon in itself that we have got two different leg spinners, trying to bowl differently and do different things,” added the 27-year-old, who has picked up seven wickets in the four T20Is that he has played so far. A Brisbane Heat player in the Big Bash, Swepson knows what to expect from the batters very well and according to him, the fact that Zampa and he don’t bowl similar lengths and line acts as an asset for Australia. “At the end of the day in T20 cricket, it comes down to serving variety. You usually go the journey when the same thing is being bowled. So having two different spinners is a bit of an asset for us (Australia) and hopefully, we can play together,” Swepson said. Having seen the success of Tabraiz Shamsi in the recently concluded West Indies South Africa series, it would be interesting to see if Australia fields two leggies and Swepson does get a chance or not in the first T20I on July 10 at the Daren Sammy Stadium in St. Lucia.