Ravi Shastri supported me after my father passed away: Mohammed Siraj

Dinesh Karthik harbours hopes of India return, says can captain KKR if the team wants

India wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who recently celebrated his 36th birthday still has hopes of playing for the country in white-ball cricket. The right-handed batsman believes that there is still a place for a finisher in the Indian middle order and he can be that guy. "India need a batsman in the middle-order who can be a finisher and I believe I can do that job," Karthik was quoted as saying in an interview with TOI. Karthik has so far played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 32 T20Is for the Indian team, scoring a total of 3173 international runs. He also has 153 dismissals including catches and stumpings to his name. The Tamil Nadu skipper, who has captained Kolkata Knight Riders before, said that he has no qualms in captaining the side in Eoin Morgan and Pat Cummins’ absence during the UAE leg of the IPL in September-October this year. "Pat Cummins has himself said that he will not come. But when it comes to Eoin Morgan, there are still three months to go. A lot can change from now till September,” he said. “But if I am asked to lead, I will be ready for it," Karthik added. While Cummins would most probably like to spend some time with his family with his partner being pregnant, ECB has disallowed its players from IPL participation before the all-important T20 World Cup.

I am better off as a player: Rashid Khan denies Afghanistan captaincy

Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan has declined the offer to take up captaincy of the national team in T20 format, stating that it might affect his performance. “I am very much clear in my mind that I am better off as a player. I am good in the role of vice-captain and help the captain wherever I am needed. It’s better for me that I stay away from this position,” Rashid told ESPNcricinfo. The right-arm leggie further added that his performance as a player is more importnat for the side. “I want to do well for the team as a player and my performance is a bit more crucial for the team rather than me thinking about different things being a captain.” The 22 year old also pointed out that the World T20 is round the corner and it would take time for him to get into the groove if he takes up the role. “Also, it takes time, and right now the most important thing is the World Cup which is quite near and I feel it is too much for me to have,” he said. “If you have a year or two, you manage yourself and understand things only then it’s easier to deal with the role,” Rashid added. Afghanistan recently sacked their skipper Asghar Afghan across all formats following an investigation conducted by ACB's Investigative committee. The side suffered a defeat against Zimbabwe in the first Test of the two-match series but managed to win the second encounter to level it. Hashmatullah Shahidi was handed over the captain’s band for the ODIs and Tests while Rahmat Shah was appointed as his deputy. Rashid though has led the side for a short period of time after the Asian team had a dismal run in the 2019 World Cup under Gulbadin Naib’s captaincy, but was later removed after a disappointing outing against the West Indies, later that year.

Azam Khan recieves maiden Pakistan call up as PCB name squads for England and West Indies tour

Quetta Gladiators’ hard-hitting middle-order batsman and son of former Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Moin Khan, Azama Khan has received his maiden Pakistan call up as the Pakistan Cricket Board announced squads for the team’s England and West Indies tour. The selection committee headed by Muhammad Wasim also recalled Middle-order batsman Haris Sohail, spinner Imad Wasim and fast bowlers Mohammad Abbas and Naseem Shah to various ODI and T20I squads as well. Among other important players in the side include Zahid Mahmood, who retained his place as Yasir Shah’s availability is still subject to fitness. Along with Zahid, left-arm spinner Nauman Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan have also remained in the squad for the two Tests in Jamaica. Among uncapped players, Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha have been named in the squads as well. “We have remained consistent in our selection and kept the same core of cricketers who have been in the set-up for a while,” Wasim said in a press release on the announcement of the squad. Talking about the return of various players, the selector further added, “Mohammad Abbas has regained his form, Naseem Shah and Haris Sohail have reclaimed the required fitness standards, while Imad Wasim has been recalled considering the T20 World Cup is likely to be held in the UAE and he enjoys an excellent record there.” The team will depart from UAE on June 25 after the completion of the PSL’s sixth edition. It will depart on its return journey from Jamaica, after completing both tours, on August 25. Squads (in alphabetical order): ODIs: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Shadab Khan (vice-captain) (Northern), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Haider Ali (Northern), Haris Rauf (Northern), Haris Sohail (Balochistan), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper) (Sindh), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Usman Qadir (Central Punjab). T20Is: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Shadab Khan (vice-captain) (Northern), Arshad Iqbal (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Azam Khan (Sindh), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Haider Ali (Northern), Haris Rauf (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Imad Wasim (Northern), Mohammad Hafeez (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper) (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sharjeel Khan (Sindh) and Usman Qadir (Central Punjab). Tests: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) (vice-captain) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Haris Rauf (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Imran Butt (Balochistan), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper) (Sindh), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh), Yasir Shah (Balochistan, subject to fitness) and Zahid Mahmood (Southern Punjab).

ENG vs NZ | 1st Test Day 2: Rory Burns-Joe Root stabilise hosts after Conway's historic double ton

A solid half-century from Rory Burns and an equal in control innings from Joe Root stabilised England at the end of the second day’s play at Lord’s. Burns batted with assured footwork and awareness about his off stump and showed signs of coming back to his best at the international stage after a slump in the winter overseas. Joe Root found himself in the middle yet again with the opener Dom Sibley and the number three Zak Crawley going back to the pavilion fairly early in the piece but he provided his side with a much-needed calm head. Sibley could not recover from the slump and was undone by a nip backer from Kyle Jamieson, who was sharing the new ball with Tim Southee in the absence of Trent Boult. Crawley, on the other hand, was drawn into driving a fuller ball that was not pitched in his half from Southee in a manner that former England skipper and now a notable voice of the game Michael Atherton termed as ‘intelligent bowling but naive batting.’ Burns was up to the task from the word go and having scored a decent amount of runs in the county championship leading up to this Test was clearly visible in his confident front foot strides against Southee and Jamieson. As innings progressed and he grew in confidence, he took on the short ball off Neil Wagner as well. New Zealand bowlers were there and thereabouts but and asked continuous questions of English batsmen. The day though once again belonged to Devon Conway, who went from strength to strength and converted his hundred on Test debut to a double hundred with an equally disciplined display of batting around the off stump and flair against balls he believed he could latch on to. The day started on a dream note for the Blackcaps as the unbeaten pair of Conway and Henry Nicholls carried on from where they had left on the last day. Nicholls was as watchful as he was on the first day and reached an attritional half-century before Mark Wood brought England back with a superlative display of pace bowling. He first sent Nicholls back to the pavilion on a rising short delivery that beat him for pace while attempting to glide it between the fine leg and square leg fielder. He followed it up with a classical full-pitched at pace delivery that found BJ Watling playing from the crease and New Zealand looked shaky after a formidable start to the day. Ollie Robinson joined in the party trapping Collin de Grandhomme in front of the wicket and bouncing out the tall man Jamieson with a well-laid trap set in cohesion with Joe Root. Conway needed someone to stick around with him and he found a partner in Wagner but he was not defensive by any means. He played some crisp shots that beat some of Conway’s shots as well and a drive on the up off Stuart Broad for six was all that the bowler required to realise the first bowling effort of the summer has not gone well at all. At the end of the second day, the game is perfectly poised and the first two sessions tomorrow should dictate the flow of the game and should also decide which side will take their noses ahead in the first Test of the English summer.