Shai Hope recalled for first Test against South Africa, Gabriel ruled out due to injury

ENG vs PAK series won’t air in Pakistan: Minister

The limited-overs fixtures between Pakistan and England won’t be broadcasted by Pakistan television, federal minister for information Fawad Chaudhry said. The reason behind this is that the Indian companies hold broadcasting rights in South Asia. Pakistan will be playing three ODIs and as many T20Is against England in July. “Indian companies hold the rights to broadcast [matches] in South Asia …. and we cannot conduct business with any Indian company,” Chaudhry was quoted as saying by Geo News. The minister admitted that the Pakistan Cricket Board and PTV will suffer major losses but has also said that the board will approach the ECB and will try to get a solution. Sony Pictures Network India (SPN) has the right to telecast and stream matches played in England. Pakistan will play the first ODI in Cardiff on July 8 while the T20I series will begin on July 16 in Nottingham. The Pakistan players are presently in Abu Dhabi as the PSL is set to resume on Wednesday (June 9, 2021). The tournament was suspended after there was a rise in Covid-19 cases within the franchise teams. While the competition will restart on Wednesday, the final will be played on June 24 which means the Pakistan players who will be featuring in the limited-overs series against England will take the flight to the UK on June 25.

Trent Boult returns for second Test vs Eng, Williamson's injury being monitored: Stead

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson had sustained an elbow injury during the second Test against England at Lord’s and is now being monitored by the medical team. The decision on Williamson’s availability would be taken on Wednesday (June 9, 2021). Apart from this, spinner Mitchell Santner has been ruled out after he sustained a cut in his left index finger. Fast bowler Trent Boult will be available for the selection for the second encounter scheduled to begin on June 10 in Birmingham. ‘BlackCaps’, the official twitter handle of New Zealand Cricket posted a video of coach Gary Stead who gave the update regarding the same. The Kane Williamson-led side is battling it out against England in a two-match Test series. The first match at Lord’s ended in a draw after rain played spoilsport on one of the days. But both the teams had a lot of positives to take from this game. New Zealand debutant Devon Conway scored a fine double-hundred while pacer Tim Southee scalped a six-for for the side in the first innings. Southee got his name on the Honours board for the second time. For England, it was opener Rory Burns who took on the visitors and notched up a hundred in the first innings. Apart from Burns, Ollie Robinson who was playing his first Test for the English side picked up seven wickets in two innings. But he has been suspended from the second match after his racist and sexist posts resurfaced on social media that he tweeted a few years back when he was a teenager. New Zealand will play the final of the inaugural World Test Championship against India after the conclusion of the on-going Test series. The WTC final will be played in Southampton scheduled to begin on June 18. India will then play a five-match Test series against England in August.

Ollie Robinson apologised in front of the group, he has team's support: Anderson

England fast bowler James Anderson has said that the team has unanimously accepted Ollie Robinson’s apology. Robinson who made his Test debut for England at Lord’s against New Zealand in the first match was suspended from all forms of cricket by the board after his racist and sexist tweets had resurfaced that he had posted a few years back. “He stood up in front of the group and apologised and you could see how sincere he was and upset he was, and I think as a group we appreciate that he is a different person now. He’s done a lot of maturing and growing since then, and he’s got the full support of the team,” Anderson said during an interaction with the British media. Robinson had an impressive debut after he picked up seven wickets in two innings against New Zealand in the match that ended in a draw. Devon Conway who was capped for the first time in Tests for New Zealand struck a fine double-ton while fast bowler Tim Southee bagged a six-for in the first innings to have his name on the honours Board for the second time. The two teams will now play each other in the second Test scheduled to begin on June 10 at Edgbaston. The two-match Test series will be followed by the WTC final where the Blackcaps will lock horns with India in Southampton. The title clash will commence on June 18. England, on the other hand, will play a five-match Test series against India in August.

Notts Outlaws suffer blow as skipper Dan Christian pulls out on eve of Vitality T20 Blast

Nottinghamshire Outlaws have suffered a major blow to their Vitality T20 Blast campaign as their skipper Daniel Christian has pulled out of the group stage of the tournament after getting selected in the Australia T20 squad for the tour of West Indies. Christian has been the pillar of Notts’s success over the last many years. He began his journey for them in the 2014 edition before taking over the captaincy in the 2016 edition. Since then, he has led the Notts to four out of five finals and championship on two occasions in 2017 and 2020. In his absence, Steven Mullaney will lead the Notts in the T20 Blas scheduled to start tomorrow in Manchester. Nottinghamshire coach Peter Moores conceded Christian’s departure has changed the dynamics of the team ‘late in the day’ but at the same time, he expressed the proud feeling for helping him get back into an ‘as strong a team’ as Australia at the age of 38. "It changes things for us late in the day ahead of the tournament, but first and foremost you can only be really pleased for Dan. To be called up again by a nation as strong as Australia, and for that to come on the back of playing some of the best cricket of his career and at the age of 38, it's a great achievement for him. We're proud, as a club, of the role we have played in that,” Moores said. He commended Christian’s longevity and said that life without him with the Notts will be ‘strange’ after led the side to brilliant performances in the past. However, he put the onus on ‘other players’ to fill in the void created by the all-rounder. "It's going to be strange not having Dan around. He's been here for every Blast campaign since 2015 and he's led the side brilliantly as well, but what it will do is create opportunities for other players to step up." The development has come in the backdrop of Australia selecting backups for the players selected in the original squad for the tour keeping in mind imminent pull out of players due to ‘bubble fatigue.’