No Ajit Agarkar! CAC choses new selection committee for Team India

I have always admired the way he operates: Williamson praises Dhoni

Kiwi captain Kane Williamson was in awe of the former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni during his recent interview with Sports good, especially cricket bat manufacturing company Gray Nicolls. In the interview, the Blackcaps leader who has captained the side to a 50 Over World Cup final and a T20 World Cup Semi-Final, said that he admires the way MS Dhoni operates in the game. Answering the question, “Is there a captain from history you would have liked to have played under/learned from?” Williamson 31 said, “MS Dhoni is someone I've always admired in the way he operates.” The Tauranga born also lavished huge praises on his former captain Brendon McCullum saying, “I was fortunate to play under Brendon McCullum for a number of years who did amazing things with the team. You're always influenced by your surroundings, so I do appreciate the things I could learn under Brendon.” New Zealand will play Pakistan in what would be their last series part of the inaugural World Test Championship and if the Kiwi team wins it 2-0, it would pose a great threat to India as it’s 2-0 sweep would mean that India would have to win at least five of its next seven games to qualify for the finals in Lord’s in June 2021. “We know how good Pakistan is, we have to be at our very best right from the start,” Williamson said at the ve of the first Test at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman roped in by Middlesex for 2021 Natwest T20 Blast

Afghanistan mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been resigned by Middlesex and he will be seen playing for them in the 2021 T20 Blast. Still, a 19-year-old, Mujeeb has made rapid strides in international cricket and T20 leagues across the world as has made himself an integral part of the Afghanistan national team and all the franchises for whom he has plied his trade so far. Mujeeb had represented Middlesex in the 2019 edition of the tournament. Despite bagging just 7 wickets in 10 matches, Mujeeb’s ability to contain batsmen in the powerplay and the middle overs made him an integral part of the set-up. His performances helped Middlesex progress to the knockout stage and he will be looking to make a mark when he takes the field for them in the upcoming edition. Expressing his delight at rejoining Middlesex Mujeeb said that he had a great time representing them in 2019. "I had a very enjoyable time at Middlesex in 2019 and I am pleased to be coming back to play, especially at Lord's. Let's hope we can do well," Mujeeb said. As per reports, it is learnt that Mujeeb will be available for all the group games for Middlesex and also the knockout games if the team manages to qualify for the next phase of the tournament. After representing Middlesex in 2019, Mujeeb has made a name for himself especially in T20’s and is currently the 2nd ranked T20I bowler in the world just behind his Afghanistan teammate Rashid Khan. Mujeeb is currently plying his trade for the Brisbane Heat in the ongoing Big Bash League and made a big impact with the bat during the 13th game of the tournament against the Adelaide Strikers. During the last IPL, Mujeeb just played a couple of matches for the Kings XI Punjab owing to the team combination. He has also played for the Comilla Warriors in the Bangladesh Premier League and the Jamaica Tallawahs in the Caribbean Premier League. Middlesex head coach Stuart Law expressed his delight at having Mujeeb back for the 2021 edition. "It's great to have Mujeeb with us again for the Blast. He's the number two ranked bowler in T20 cricket, behind his countryman Rashid Khan, and brings great variety to our attack. A great bloke to have in our dressing room as well, we are really looking forward to welcoming Mujeeb back next season,” Stuart Law said.

MCG emerges as backup venue for 3rd Test due to new COVID-19 cases in Sydney

Amidst the fresh outbreak of COVID-19 virus in Sydney which is the original venue for the 3rd Test between India and Australia, the Melbourne Cricket ground has emerged as the frontrunner to be the backup venue for the 3rd Test of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy. Cricket Australia is still hopeful of staging the match in SCG as scheduled but if it becomes indefensible due to the new COVID-19 cluster in New South Wales, they could be forced to shift the match to Melbourne. While stating that they are still committed to the original schedule, CA added that "should the public health situation in NSW render playing in Sydney untenable, CA's preferred contingency plan is to work with the Victorian Government to play the third Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground followed by the fourth one at the Gabba," Currently both the Indian and the Australian contingent are in Melbourne preparing for the Boxing Day Test slated to start from 26th December. While the 3rd Test and the 4th Test is originally slated to be played in SCG and the Gabba, fresh COVID-19 cases in the northern beaches of Sydney in the past week or so has forced CA to forge a plan out in case it becomes untenable. Meanwhile, the border restrictions imposed by the local authorities have made things difficult for CA. Speaking on the same, CA Interim CEO Nick Hockley said that a final call will be taken only during the Boxing Day Test. If Sydney does manage to retain the 3rd Test, CA has made necessary requisitions that would allow the players, media staffs, broadcasters and match officials to move safely from Sydney to Brisbane for the 4th and the final Test in case New South Wales remains under lockdown during that point of time. "We have always maintained that scheduling a full summer of cricket during a global pandemic would require agility, problem-solving and teamwork like never before," Hockley said. "We continue to place the safety and wellbeing of everyone involved as our number one priority. "The record testing numbers and the drop in new community transmissions in NSW have provided cause for optimism, however, if the situation in Sydney deteriorates, we have strong contingency plans in place. We are working constructively with the Queensland Government and have been encouraged by the positive nature of discussions with them," he signed off.

BCCI approves 10 teams in IPL 2022; Nods for cricket in Olympics

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has approved the expansion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) into a 10-team tournament. BCCI has ratified the addition of teams starting the 2022 edition of the league in its AGM held today. Another agenda up for the discussion was taking the game to the Olympics on the line of request for proposal from the International Cricket Council. BCCI has supported the idea of bringing Cricket in the Olympics’ fold but will decide on the course of action in consultations with the ICC. There was a lot of debate on the conflict of interest issues related to BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, but as per a PTI report, no member associations put forward any questions regarding the endorsement deals of Sourav Ganguly.