James Faulkner pondering on whether to play in BBL or ply trade in other T20 leagues

My resignation has nothing to do with Hasan Ali: Younis Khan

Former Pakistan batting coach Younis Khan has clarified that his resignation had nothing to do with the altercations between him and Pakistan star bowler Hasan Ali. The former captain alleged that the entire episode has been blown out of proportion. “Let me make it clear that the reason for my decision to step down as batting coach is not the incident with Hasan Ali. The entire episode has been blown out of proportion,” Khan was quoted as saying to the ‘Jang’ newspaper. Agreeing to the fact that he and Hasan had an argument, Younis said that it was resolved and was not of the proportion as is being portrayed in the media. “Yes the trainer, Yasir Malik, had asked me to speak to Hasan and convince him that he should take an ice bath. There was an argument but Hasan apologized to me about it and we embraced and the matter was closed,” Younis said. Saying that he respected the privacy of the board and the players and that’s why chose not to speak on the matters, the 43-year-old maintained that he has never run after money or positions. “I have never run after money or positions. My only concern was to do something for Pakistan cricket and ensure the players could take advantage of my experience,” said the man with more than 10,000 Test runs at an astonishing average of 52. “In future also if I have to serve Pakistan cricket and work with the board I will ensure matters are made more transparent and clear in our agreement,” he added, giving indications of the fact that he would be interested in working with the PCB again. Hasan Ali is currently touring with the national team which is in England for a three-match ODI and T20I series.

2nd ODI Preview: In battle of bowlers, England eye series, Sri Lanka seek retrieval

There was a post on social media site Twitter which said, “The Sri Lankan batting genuinely needs some help with immediate effect and how the efforts from their bowlers are just going in vain.” Well, this user was on spot in his observation as the Sri Lankan team has had a dismal run with the bat on this England tour. The visitors witnessed a batting collapse in the T20I series and the ODI series didn’t really bring much changes for the Kusal Perera-led side. They were bundled out for 185 in the first ODI of the series in less than 43 overs with just three players crossing the three-figure mark. The visitors were forced to make a few tweaks in the playing XI but that didn’t help either. Barring Perera and Hasaranga, none of the batsmen showed any intent and this has been the case for Sri Lanka for quite some time now. While the batsmen miserably failed to fetch any runs, the bowlers have put in a lot of effort. They gave some tough fights during the second T20I and were up against the challenge in the first ODI as well after picking some wickets in quick succession. With the series on stake, the Lankan lions need to fix their batting woes before they take the field in London on Thursday. On the other hand, England are looking pretty stable at the moment but the middle-order batting is still a concern for them as well. The instance of the same was seen in the first one day against the Lankan team when there was a flurry of wickets despite a steady start. But it was Joe Root’s experience that didn’t let the game slip away from England’s hands and the Test skipper anchored them to a win. Match Details: England vs Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI Venue: Kennington Oval, London Date & Time: July 1st, at 5:30 PM IST and 1:00 PM Local Time Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network Pitch Report The two sides will move to Kennington Oval, London for the second ODI of the series. The track here would have something on offer to the batsmen and some high-scoring encounter is expected. So, the team that wins the toss should bat first and put runs on the board. Team News England: England had a decent start as far as their batting is concerned in the first match but it was only their middle-order that required some fine tuning before walking out in the middle on Thursday. The presence of Joe Root in the ranks served a vital role in England’s successful run chase in the first ODI and his experience surely holds a lot of importance especially when the team is in some tricky position. Wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow looked good and went all guns blazing in the first encounter. If the right-hander continues to do his job in this manner considering the kind of pitch that Kennington Oval has to offer, he can give a hard time to the opponents. Fast bowlers Chris Woakes, David Willey and Mark Wood peppered the Lankan batsmen with some short deliveries and express pace. The trio didn’t really let the batsmen settle and the team management would want them to stick to the basics in the second match. In all, the hosts are in some good form and would seek to continue momentum in this clash as well. Sri Lanka: The Sri Lankan team are facing some trouble both on and off the field. While nothing really has gone their way on the field on this tour, they have suffered some major blows off field. Three players Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, and Niroshan Dickwella were earlier suspended and were asked to fly back home for bio-bubble breach. The three players are likely to face a one year ban. "They are likely to get a minimum one-year suspension if found guilty of several breaches of their contract," an official from the Sri Lanka Cricket said in conditions of anonymity while talking to AFP. The miseries are way too much on the field. The batting collapse is becoming a major concern for the Sri Lankan team management as there has been no instance except for that partnership between Perera and Hasaranga in the first ODI where the batsmen have taken the onus and responsibility. The shot selection is as dismal as it could be while the problems against short deliveries have been persistent. The scoreline of the series might look pretty disappointing if you are a Sri Lankan cricket fan but the way the bowlers have fared on this tour, the batsmen only need to compliment their efforts and stick to the basics. This would probably do the job. Probable XI England: Jonny Bairstow (wk), Liam Livingstone, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera (c & wk), Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Praveen Jayawickrama Fantasy XI Kusal Perera (vc), Jonny Bairstow (c), Eoin Morgan, Dasun Shanaka, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, David Willey

Watch: Marnus Labuschagne keeping himself busy in self-isolation

Marnus Labuschagne, the star Australian batsman is currently undergoing a 10-day quarantine along with his Glamorgan teammate Michael Neser for being one of the potential close contacts of Nick Selman who has been tested positive for COVID-19. In a video posted by the batsman on his Instagram account, Neser and Labuschagne engaged themselves in a small cricket session in their room to occupy themselves in these tumultuous times. Neser was bowling at a good pace with Labuschagne leaving a few and defending the others quite solidly. The premier Australian middle-order batsman has been the leading run-scorer for Glamorgan this season. So far, he has scored 294 runs in 6 games with three half-centuries and an impressive average of 58. He will miss four games for his county before joining them back. One of the biggest finds of world cricket in recent years, Marnus Labuschgane has established himself as one of the most prolific run-scorers for Australia in all formats in a very short time. Touted as a Test specialist at the beginning of his career, Labuschagne has evolved himself as an all-format player having performed for Australia in both T20Is and ODIs. He also had a productive season for the Brisbane Heat in the previous Big Bash League. The Australian limited-overs team has landed in West Indies for a three-match ODI and a five-match T20I series. However, Labuschagne is not part of the squad along with several big names. He had to miss the series due to logistical complexities owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Labuschagne was not happy with his exclusion from the squad but that was the best way going forward according to national selector Trevon Hohns. “Anyone who knows Marnus understands he would give absolutely anything to play for Australia and he is deeply upset to miss out due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. We worked through numerous options in conversations with Marnus to find a workable solution but ultimately came to the conclusion it was more practical for him to remain in the UK. Had we not been in the middle of a global pandemic Marnus would be on this tour as a well-established member and important part of the one-day side. It's an unfortunate circumstance of the many challenges the world is facing right now,” national selector Trevor Hohns said in a statement.

Marnus Labuschagne & Michael Neser self isolate for 10 days, to miss next county game

Premier Australia batsman Marnus Labuschagne had to miss Glamorgan’s T20 Blast match against the Middlesex after it was learnt that he and Michael Nesser were two of the potential close contacts of Nick Selman who tested positive for COVID-19. The 25-year-old Selman who has been awarded the youth representative honours for Queensland at both cricket and Australia will need to spend 10 days in self-isolation. "Batsman Nick Selman has tested positive for coronavirus following the results of a PCR test. He will now spend 10 days in self-isolation," Glamorgan was quoted as saying in a statement. As close contacts of Selman, both Labuschagne and Neser have to isolate themselves for 10 days and was removed from the match squad as mentioned by the Glamorgan statement. "The club also identified Labuschagne and Michael Neser as potential close contacts and are taking the precautionary measure of removing them from the matchday squad. All other team members, coaches and staff returned negative results,” the statement further read. Labuschangne has been a prolific scorer for Glamorgan in this season so far scoring 294 runs in 6 games with three half-centuries and an average of 58. He is currently the top scorer for Glamorgan. Meanwhile, Michael Nesser is also part of the county but is yet to get a game as Glamorgan have preferred Colin Ingram as their other overseas option.