PAK vs SA: Nauman-Yasir, Fawad Alam script Pakistan's win in Karachi Test

Watch: Ben Laughlin takes a ripper to remove Michael Neser in the BBL Eliminator

Brisbane Heat fast bowler Ben Laughlin caught a ripper of a catch off Marnus Labuschagne’s bowling to remove a dangerous Michael Neser in the Eliminator of the Big Bash League against the Adelaide Strikers. Neser, 30, hit the very first ball that he faced in the game as t was a low full toss from Labushagne, the ball travelled a lot of distance and Laughlin, who was stationed at long-on came running from there and pull out his one hand while being in the air to complete the brilliant catch. This was the third wicket for Labushagne in the game and ninth overall in the tournament. Strikers, after winning the toss at Gabba and choosing to bat first, could muster only 130 at the loss of seven wickets in their dedicated 20 overs. Apart from Marnus, the other spinner Mitchell Swepson took two wickets while Morne Morkel, the X factor picked Danny Briggs' wicket. The Heat would require 131 to book a date with the Thunder in the Knock Out at the Manuka oval.

Jofra Archer downplays Indian spinners' threat; says India can't 'outspin' England

Although the upcoming Test series between India and England is set to throw intense battle between Indian spinners and England batsmen, pacer Jofra Archer has downplayed the threat of Indian spinners and said that the tourists have enough spinning options to challenge the hosts. Writing a column for the Daily Mail, Archer said that if the pitches will offer turn and bounce, English spinners can challenge Indian batsmen as well and that they will not be outdone in the spin department by the home spinners. Archer is banking on his experience of playing IPL in India but he also sees completely different challenges in Tests where batsmen have the time to wait for the bowlers to commit mistakes and hence the pacer said if the pitches will be placid, it would not make a great contest between the bat and ball. He hoped to get pitches that will have a good amount of bounce that can assist bowlers in the series that otherwise is to be dominated by batsmen. "I’ve played lots of Indian Premier League here but nothing in terms of first-class cricket, so the challenges of bowling with a red ball will become clearer. In the IPL the batters have to come at you, whereas in Test cricket they can sit on you for a full session if they want and if the pitch is dead there is nothing you can do about it." "So let’s hope we get some good wickets with a little bit of pace for the bowlers. Or even some turn, because if they spin, the matches will not be one-sided. We have good spinners in our squad and India won’t out-spin us," Archer wrote for Daily Mail. Archer missed the Test series against Sri Lanka preceding the series against India and came directly to India from the UK along with Ben Stokes and Rory Burns. He made the most of the break and arrived in India feeling ‘refreshed and recharged’ having visited his home in Barbados where he enjoyed more freedom from Covid-19 restrictions than in the UK. Archer will walk into the playing Xi after the selectors rested Mark Wood for the first two Tests of the series against India while the senior pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad were played only one game each on Sri Lanka in order to maximise the resources and keeping everyone fit and ready given the covid-19 related protocols and subsequent biosecure bubble arrangements. Archer said that the rotation policy being adopted by the team management is pragmatism and said if he is given the opportunity to play only two Test against India, he will be happy as it will give him a chance to give his best and then pass on the baton to someone who will be higher on energy and fitness. “I know that Stuart Broad talked about playing two of six Test matches this winter because the conditions do not necessarily suit fast bowlers and, similarly, if I play two against India I will be happy. As an attack, we must get used to more rotation and it feels good that any one of us can walk away from the team knowing that whoever comes in as our replacement will perform,” Archer wrote. “I guess for years it has been a big thing for bowlers to strive to keep their places in the team, but now it’s more like you are passing the baton over in as strong a position as possible.” The England team has arrived in Chennai for the Test series against India and will begin training starting February 02 while Archer, along with Stokes and Burns will be permitted to start their outdoor training a bit earlier because of their early arrival in the country.

Top five bowlers in BBL 2021

Here's compiling a list of five masterminds in BBL 10 who are always a step ahead of the pinch-hitting demons

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Lokuhettige found guilty of corrupt practices in T10

Former Sri Lanka all-rounder Dilhara Lokuhettige has been charged with three offences under the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. It was an independent Anti-Corruption Tribunal that found the 40-year-old Lokuhettige guilty under the following articles and clauses of the ICC rules of conduct. Article 2.1.1 - for being party to an agreement or effort to fix or contrive or otherwise influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or other aspect(s) of a match. Article 2.1.4 - Directly or indirectly soliciting, inducing, enticing, instructing, persuading, encouraging or intentionally facilitating any Participant to breach Code Article 2.1. Article 2.4.4 - Failing to disclose to the ACU full details of any approaches or invitations received to engage in corrupt conduct under the Code. This comes after the ICC's own Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) had already charged him under the anti-corruption rules in April 2019 and November 2018 respectively. Earlier an Al Jazeera documentary has also caught on camera, the all-rounder being part of a conversation with a bookie and that is when ECB decided to look into the matter pertaining to charges of corruption in the 2017 T10 tournament, to which Sri Lanka had sent a team. Apart from Lokuhettige, former fast bowler Nuwan Zoysa, Jayananda Warnaweera, and most notably Sanath Jayasuriya have been found guilty of being indulged in corrupt practices off late. Lokuhettige played nine ODIs and two T20Is for Sri Lanka between 2005 and 2013, making 101 runs and picking eight wickets.