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S Sreesanth Misbah Ul Haq Confirm Participation In Legends League Cricket Season 2

S Sreesanth, Misbah-ul-Haq confirm participation in Legends League Cricket Season 2

The second edition of Legends League Cricket (LLC) is going to be a star-studded event with the likes of retired legends Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, and Muttiah Muralitharan already confirming their participation in the T20 tournament.

Meanwhile, to make the contest more intense and fascinating, the veteran pacer S Sreesanth has now confirmed his participation in the league.

Apart from him, Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien and former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq will also be seen in action in the upcoming T20 extravaganza.

Raman Raheja, the Co-founder and CEO of Legends League Cricket, confirmed the development, stating that the participation of these legendary players will make the competition more intriguing.

"These players like Sreesanth and Misbah are iconic in cricket. With great pleasure, we welcome them to the Legends family and look forward to witnessing their magic on the field at LLC Season 2,” the CEO of LLC confirmed.

Raheja further added that the organisers of the LLC will keep coming up with 110 more iconic names, who would be included in four teams through a "Players Draft" process in early August 2022.

"As I mentioned earlier, we have 4 Franchisees owned teams, playing 15 matches between September 20 to October 10, 2022, at Oman. We will keep announcing the names of 110 Top class players who will be put in 4 teams through a Player Draft process in early August 2022,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sreesanth, a member of the two times World Cup-winning team has expressed his gratitude and said he is excited to be a part of the Legend's tournament.

“I am super excited to be back on the ground, to be part of the Legends, and looking forward to playing in LLC Season 2,” Sreesanth said.

Notably, the former India pacer was given a seven-year ban by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for his alleged involvement in the popular 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing scandal. He was recently seen in action for the Kerala team in March earlier this year.

The former Ireland all-rounder, Kevin O’Brien, who played for World Giants in the first season of the tournament is also looking forward to being a part of the second consecutive season of the Legend's league.

“We had a great Season 1 at Oman as part of the World Giants Team. Now with the new format, I look forward to being a part of one of the franchises and playing Season 2,” said Kevin O’Brien.

Notably, Legends League Cricket (LLC) is a unique concept for all cricket fans of the 2000-era, that brings the retired legends to the playing field again.

The second edition of the tournament will kick off on September 20, 2022, while the final of the tournament will be played on October 10, 2022. Like the previous season, this edition, too, would feature 4 privately owned franchisees.

Apart from Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan, the likes of Pravin Tambe, Naman Ojha, Yusuf Pathan, Monty Panesar, S. Badrinath, Stuart Binny, and Asghar Afghan have also confirmed their participation in the second edition of the tournament.

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Reports: Team India to tour Australia twice in the next FTP cycle from 2024-2032

In recent developments, Team India reportedly is set to tour Australia twice in the next Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle, starting from 2024-2032. The report states that both the teams will play five-match Test series instead of the usual four games. The full FTP is expected to be announced formally later this month, around the ICC's annual meeting in Birmingham, which is scheduled to take place on July 25 and 26. According to 'The Age', the reports further added that Australian cricketing body Cricket Australia (CA) had informed domestic and international broadcasters that both India and England would tour the Down Under country for two full Test tours in the upcoming cycle. The ongoing ICC FTP, running from 2018, will finish with the men's 50-over ICC World Cup in 2023, which is set to be played in India in October-November next year. "[Cricket Australia] recently informed a range of broadcasters, both domestic and international, of the fact that it has secured two full Test tours by each of India and England over the next FTP, with India's tours increased from four to five-match series," the report stated. Team India last toured Australia in 2021, where they swatted the mighty Aussies 2-1 in the four-match Test series. The visitors went on to clinch the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), drew the Sydney Test and in a terrific turnaround, they scripted history by defeating the Aussies at their fortress – The Gabba. The Indian team has always been a monetary hub for fellow struggling cricket boards and hence it did not come as a surprise when Cricket Australia (CA), at the end of the last four-match series, acknowledged the efforts and sacrifices BCCI made to ensure a steady conduct of the series amid Covid-19. Notably, the lucrative four-match Test series, which turned out to be the blockbuster series Down Under against India, helped Australia earn a projected revenue of AUD 300 million. "Seasons without Test-match visits by England or India generally mean a reduction in crowds and broadcast audiences - part of the reason why CA itself works on a multi-year financial model to balance fluctuations in the international schedule," said the report in the leading Australian daily. The Men in Blue, both in 2018-19 and 2020-21 won the Test series against Australia on their soil. Prior to 2018, India had never won a Test series Down Under.

SL vs AUS | Sensational Smith ends 17-month century drought with a majestic ton at Galle

Australian spearhead Steve Smith finally ended his century drought on Friday (July 08) as the New South Wales cricketer smashed a brilliant unbeaten 28th Test ton on the opening day of the 2nd match against Sri Lanka at Galle. Smith remained unbeaten on a patient 212-ball 109 as Australia finished the proceedings at 298/5. This is Smith's first Test hundred and his first international ton since registering a three-figure score against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) during that historic series back in January 2021. The 32-year-old had to wait for over 500 days (544) for another Test hundred. Still, he'd be happy that he has finally broken the dry spell and at a time when Australia is nearing another historic Test series win in Asia following their 1-0 triumph in Pakistan earlier this year. 'Smudge' smoked Lankan pacer Kasun Rajitha for a boundary through the extra-cover region to bring up the feat and his teammates were a cock-a-hoop as he raised his bat for the 28th time in the longest format of the game. It has been an interesting last few days for Smith. The former Australian captain and current Test vice-captain was tragically run out following a horrendous mix-up with Usman Khawaja during the 1st Test. It did not go down well with Smith and he made sure he let Khawaja know about it with his angry gesture. The former Aussie skipper's reaction was met with fierce criticism from former cricketers like Mark Taylor and Adam Gilchrist. Meanwhile, captain Pat Cummins absolved him and also made it clear that he'd have to step in if such a thing happens next time. On Friday, Smith did what he did for a living between 2014-19: grind the opposition attack to the tune of another match-defining score in an away Test. It was his 14th Test ton away from the comforts of Australia. He got an able company in the form of Marnus Labuschagne, who notched up his maiden Test hundred away from home with a counter-attacking 156-ball 104. "Both of us felt like we'd left some runs out there for the last few Tests. So it was nice to cash in when we got an opportunity," Labuschagne said after he and Smith brought up their milestone in Galle. "From last week I was very disappointed. Probably just going away from my process rather than the dismissal," Labuschagne added. "And obviously Smudge got run out (in the last Test). The boys said this morning when he rocked up to the ground, he was in the Smudge (Smith) headspace and he looked locked in," he added. Smith will look to pick up from where he has left when he takes guard tomorrow.

Shikhar Dhawan opens up on the challenges of being a one-format specialist

Being a one-format specialist has its own merits and perils. While a one-format player gets ample rest to switch off and on, the lack of game time can be a huge deterrent. Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan knows that better than most. Now an ODI specialist, the southpaw returns to the scheme of things with the upcoming three-match series in England. With India playing only T20Is and Test matches these days, Dhawan has barely got any game time in recent months but the marquee opener has been preparing for it, keeping himself fit and adhering to the process during his time away from limelight. Apart from these three ODIs, Dhawan will also lead the 50-over team in the West Indies, a role he performed last year in Sri Lanka. Ahead of the ODI series against England, Dhawan recently opened up about his preparations and how he keeps himself in prime shape during his off days while interacting exclusively with News18. "I keep myself prepared. I know that I have to prepare well before the tour so I always focus on my process and follow a system always. Now I've gotten a chance to play ODI in England, so I've been preparing for this. Playing more and more matches in the best possible way is the key so that you are in touch with the game." Dhawan added: "Apart from IPL, I keep my fitness on track and keep practicing so that my body works accordingly when I want it to. I feel fresh too, in that way, my body has enough time to recover and enough time to gain strength when I'm going to a tournament and these things benefit me during the matches." Dhawan's best format has always been 50-over cricket as he is well versed in pacing the innings, according to the requirements. "I've been playing ODIs for quite some years now and that has helped me gain a lot of experience. It's a beautiful format, there are 50 overs and you have to play aggressively and mellow it down according to the situation and understand the game. I feel that my basics have been strong since the beginning, I trust my technique and keep a calm mind while playing, and as an opener, it is very important. I know how to build my innings and convert them into a big score," said Dhawan. 'Gabbar' has thus far represented India in 149 ODIs, scoring 6284 runs at 45.53 apiece with the help of 35 half-centuries and 17 hundreds. The first ODI of the three-match series will take place at the Oval on July 12.

India to tour Zimbabwe for three ODIs for next month, series to be a part of the Super League

Team India is slated to tour Zimbabwe for a three-match ODI series in August. Further details about the tour, including the dates, are yet to be finalised. Reports suggest that three games that are a part of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League have been tentatively scheduled for August 18, 20 and 22, respectively. India's tour to Zimbabwe will be their first in the last six years. Last time around, the MS Dhoni-led Indian team visited the African nation to feature in three ODIs and as many T20Is in June-July 2016. However, this time around, India will not be playing any T20Is as the Asia Cup is scheduled to begin after just a week following India's third ODI. The Asia Cup is slated to commence on August 27 in Sri Lanka. Given the limited time frame between the two series, India may again field two different sides simultaneously. The ODIs are of utmost importance to the Indian as crucial points for the qualification to the following year's ODI World Cup will be up for grabs. They are, however, not as important for India, the hosts of the event, as the Indian team had directly qualified for the pinnacle event next October. Moreover, the six ODIs that India will be playing back to back, starting with England followed by the West Indies, will not be a part of the Super League. "We are absolutely delighted to host India and we look forward to a competitive and memorable series," a Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) official told Cricbuzz on Friday (July 8). As of now, all the matches are to be played at the Harare Sports Club in the capital city. The Indian team is expected to arrive in Harare on August 15. "It's a big opportunity for the players to play against the Indian players and for the cricketing fraternity in Zimbabwe. It will create a lot of interest amongst the younger generation to take up this game. Overall, the series is very good for Zimbabwe cricket," said Lalchand Rajput, the former coach of the side, who has now been re-designated as the Technical Director. Dave Houghton is the head coach of the Craig Ervine-led side.