Shakib Al Hasan set to miss New Zealand tour as BCB grants him leave

New BBL rule to allow bowlers free hit at stumps, Siddle dreads becoming 1st bowler to miss

Although in force since the start of the Women’s Big Bash League, but the new rule which allows bowlers a free hit at the stumps if the batter doesn't make to the crease in the 75 seconds time limit from the dismissal or removal (by retirement) of the last batter at the strike, might have been used in the very first game of the BBL 11. Melbourne Stars’ Syed Faridoun had to sprint his way to the wicket at number 11 and he just beat the clock by a few seconds otherwise the Sydney Sixers bowler Steve O'Keefe would have been given a free shot at the stumps. Although the rue has been applied to save time in the game and also to benefit the bowling unit thereby, former Australia international and Adelaide Strikers’ veteran and stand-in captain Peter Siddle dreads becoming the first bowler to miss the free hit. "I guess you do (fancy a free bowl at the stumps) but you don't want to be the first guy to do it and miss," he said in a press meet on Monday, December 06th. However, the 37-year-old was sure that the batters wouldn’t be giving any such opportunity any time soon to bowlers. "We all know how much batters love having a hit and not missing out, so I can't imagine there'd be too many guys taking it slow this season,” he added. According to the rule At the fall of a wicket or retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must be ready to face the next delivery within 75 seconds. If the batter fails to arrive in time, then they must stand to the side of the pitch for the first delivery of their innings and allow the bowler a free ball at the stumps. If the ball strikes the wicket the batter is out bowled. If the ball misses the wicket it is counted as a dot ball and a ball faced. If the bowler delivers a no-ball, the next delivery is a free hit. And if the new batter is the non-striker (the batters crossed while the ball was in the air, the wicket fell at the end of the over or there was a run out at the bowler's end), then the same process is followed when they get on strike to face their first delivery.

Yorkshire appoint new Managing Director as sacked support staff plan legal action against club

Darren Gough, the former England all-rounder has been appointed as the new Managing Director of cricket at the Yorkshire Cricket Club. The North England club and its new Chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel and ECB in support are trying to bring back the people to support it once again after the Azeem Rafiq fiasco. This appointment comes in days after the entire coaching and support staff being sacked by the club as a reaction to Rafiq’s claims. The 16 members of the support staff, who were sacked unanimously by the YCC on December 4 after its former skipper Rafiq made claims of racil abuse before a Parliamentary Committee, have now decided to file a legal suit against the club. They have jointly written a letter to the Yorkshire Board which is headed by chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel, who was appointed after Martyn Moxon, the director of cricket of Yorkshire was sacked along with other board members. In the letter, the sacked support staff which includes head coach Andrew Gale, a club legend, have written that Rafiq's claims have done immense damage to the club and further accused him as a man on a mission to bring the club down. Ever since Rafiq’s case came in the limelight, major sponsors cut off their ties with one of the famous English cricket clubs and the England and Wales Cricket Board also barred it from hosting international matches in the near future. Gough pledged to bring back the glory to Yorkshire in his first press statement as Managing Director of Cricket. “Yorkshire County Cricket Club has been part of my life since my earliest days in cricket when I made my debut in 1989, and I spent 15 happy years at the Club. Like many, I have followed how the Club handled the recent racism allegations with sadness and anger,” said Gough who represented England in 58 Tests and 159 ODIs from 1994 to 2006. “I want to play my part in rebuilding cricket in Yorkshire and I am looking forward to working with the exceptionally talented group of players here. I share Lord Patel’s vision for Yorkshire County Cricket Club, and the collective determination to face the issues head-on with a series of positive actions. The change will not happen overnight, but I am certain that we can make Headingley roar again,” he added.

Test careers at stake as Rahul Dravid hints at 'difficult selection decisions' going forward

Between the conclusion of the series against New Zealand, where players sitting on the bench took their opportunity to shine bright and underperforming senior players sank deeper in trouble to the tour of South Africa scheduled to start towards the end of the year, India have to deal with a lot of selection conundrum but the coach Rahul Dravid is not at all worried about what he called “good headache”. The headache would have been there during the series against New Zealand as well if Ajinkya Rahane would not have suffered injury as in that case the team management would have to give up on one among Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Shreyas Iyer to accommodate captain Virat Kohli in the playing XI. Iyer scored a splendid century in his debut Test and earned a good case for himself while Mayank Agarwal brought back his best with the bat to score a splendid hundred on a tough pitch in Mumbai. To accommodate both on the tour of South Africa, India will have to look beyond the duo of Cheteshwar Pujara, who has not scored a century in the last three years and Rahane, who has scored runs at an average of 24.39 in the last 16 Tests. Both Dravid and Kohli gleefully accepted the “good headache” they have to deal with in the coming days and months while the former went on to concede that India may well be headed towards taking “difficult selection decisions”. However, he also outlined that clear communication and giving proper assessment to players on why the team management took a particular decision would make life easier for all the people. “It's a good [selection] headache to have, see young boys perform well. There's a great desire to do well and everyone's pushing each other. There might be some difficult selection decisions to take going ahead, but as long as we communicate why we do it and what we expect from players, it should be fine,” Dravid said to Star Sports after the conclusion of the second Test against New Zealand. If Dravid’s words are any hints to go by, India could well move beyond Rahane and Pujara, if not immediately, then at some point in the near future if they don’t pick up their form quickly. Whatever call they take with respect to their place in the side and playing XI or introduction of young players who are in form, this call will set the stage for the Kohli-Dravid era of Indian cricket.

IPL 2022 to have 20 games in neutral venues to support state associations

The Indian Premier League will have 10 teams from the upcoming season and utilising that factor, the Board of control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to host at least two home games of each team in neutral venues to support the state associations who do knot have an IPL team. The idea came up in the board’s Annual General Meeting in Kolkata on Saturday, December 04th. The decision will be made soon. The idea developed when BCCI asked all state associations involved in the meeting to build international quality stadiums. “A small association hosts international games every three or sometimes four years. A few state associations argued that they have built stadiums and are not getting any competitive games,” a member of the state associations was quoted as saying by Indian Express. It will be better if the BCCI decides to have IPL games in these smaller venues too so that they can get some revenue at the same time generate interest [among the locals],” he added further. Reasoning as to how the IPL games would help, another member that attended the AGM said, “If these ten teams decide to play two games each then 20 matches can be played in a neutral venue. It will help states to generate revenue and at the same time, help state associations too. The Indian board has informed us that they will look into it and speak to the IPL franchise.”