Shubman Gill likely to be ruled out of Test series against England: Report

Cricket to return in full crowd capacity in upcoming Australian summer, MCG to have 85% crowd

Cricket in Australia will return with full capacity in the upcoming Ashes slated to be played in Australia later this year. All the Ashes Tests will have 100 per cent crowd capacity barring the Boxing day Test which will initially begin with an 85 per cent crowd attendance. The upcoming 2021-22 international calendar in Australia will be a packed one with as many as 59 days of cricket. The season will comprise of the inaugural Test match between Australia and Afghanistan followed by the Men’s and Women’s Ashes. The Indian women’s team will also travel Down Under for a multi-format series while the men’s ODI and T20 teams will lock horns against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Tickets will be fully refunded if the capacity has to be reduced due to the ongoing pandemic. "The 2021-22 summer of international cricket promises to be one of the biggest ever. The anticipation around both the men's and women's Ashes is building, especially as we have witnessed some incredible Test cricket in the UK. The Ashes rivalry is one of the biggest in world sport, and we hope that conditions will allow as many fans as possible to attend," said CEO of Cricket Australia Nick Hockley in an official CA release. "In addition to the Ashes, we're incredibly excited to host international cricket across 11 venues and seven states and territories, ensuring fans all across the country have the opportunity to see the best players in the world. We continue to work closely with venues and governments across Australia to ensure that events are held safely and greatly appreciate their support," he further added. Speaking on the ticket pricing and refund, Hockley said, "In the event that capacities are reduced due to government restrictions associated with the pandemic, we of course guarantee fans full refunds."

James Faulkner pondering on whether to play in BBL or ply trade in other T20 leagues

Out of favour Australian all-rounder, James Faulkner is pondering his options of whether to return with the Hobart Hurricanes in the 11th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) or target other domestic T20 leagues across the world following his exceptional performance in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL). The left-arm pacer had a sensational time with the ball during the PSL and bagged played six games for the Lahore Qalandars in the second leg of the PSL bagged 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.50. He also chipped in with 90 crucial runs in the lower order which came in just 53 balls. With the BBL clubs still under a contracting embargo and with several offers from foreign T20 leagues in line, Faulkner might choose the latter. During an interview with cricket.com.au, Faulkner said that he will be sit down and discuss with his manager on his future decisions. Last year, Channel Seven had threatened to withdraw as the broadcasting partner as it was expected that several big names will miss out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While that was solved for the last year with the tournament being conducted as planned, all the clubs are again under a contracting embargo. Speaking on his prospect of playing other T20 leagues Faulkner said, "It's something my manager and I will sit down and look at with all the leagues going on around the world.” The medium-pacer is currently going through his 14 day mandatory quarantine period after the PSL. "(Joining the T20 circuit) is probably the most realistic thing for me to be doing, I know I'm not going to be playing Test cricket again, or four-day cricket either. "There's potential for one-day cricket but after having a couple of months off after the last Big Bash, then going into the PSL and playing six games in 10 days and performing reasonably as well, I got a lot of confidence out of that. "That's probably the angle that I'll go at. I've got to weigh up what offers are on the table and map it out,” Faulkner said. The all-rounder last played a BBL match in December against the Brisbane Heat. He had to limp off the field only four overs into his second over at the Gabba. Having aggravated the injury at training, Faulkner was ruled out of the rest of the tournament.

My resignation has nothing to do with Hasan Ali: Younis Khan

Former Pakistan batting coach Younis Khan has clarified that his resignation had nothing to do with the altercations between him and Pakistan star bowler Hasan Ali. The former captain alleged that the entire episode has been blown out of proportion. “Let me make it clear that the reason for my decision to step down as batting coach is not the incident with Hasan Ali. The entire episode has been blown out of proportion,” Khan was quoted as saying to the ‘Jang’ newspaper. Agreeing to the fact that he and Hasan had an argument, Younis said that it was resolved and was not of the proportion as is being portrayed in the media. “Yes the trainer, Yasir Malik, had asked me to speak to Hasan and convince him that he should take an ice bath. There was an argument but Hasan apologized to me about it and we embraced and the matter was closed,” Younis said. Saying that he respected the privacy of the board and the players and that’s why chose not to speak on the matters, the 43-year-old maintained that he has never run after money or positions. “I have never run after money or positions. My only concern was to do something for Pakistan cricket and ensure the players could take advantage of my experience,” said the man with more than 10,000 Test runs at an astonishing average of 52. “In future also if I have to serve Pakistan cricket and work with the board I will ensure matters are made more transparent and clear in our agreement,” he added, giving indications of the fact that he would be interested in working with the PCB again. Hasan Ali is currently touring with the national team which is in England for a three-match ODI and T20I series.

2nd ODI Preview: In battle of bowlers, England eye series, Sri Lanka seek retrieval

There was a post on social media site Twitter which said, “The Sri Lankan batting genuinely needs some help with immediate effect and how the efforts from their bowlers are just going in vain.” Well, this user was on spot in his observation as the Sri Lankan team has had a dismal run with the bat on this England tour. The visitors witnessed a batting collapse in the T20I series and the ODI series didn’t really bring much changes for the Kusal Perera-led side. They were bundled out for 185 in the first ODI of the series in less than 43 overs with just three players crossing the three-figure mark. The visitors were forced to make a few tweaks in the playing XI but that didn’t help either. Barring Perera and Hasaranga, none of the batsmen showed any intent and this has been the case for Sri Lanka for quite some time now. While the batsmen miserably failed to fetch any runs, the bowlers have put in a lot of effort. They gave some tough fights during the second T20I and were up against the challenge in the first ODI as well after picking some wickets in quick succession. With the series on stake, the Lankan lions need to fix their batting woes before they take the field in London on Thursday. On the other hand, England are looking pretty stable at the moment but the middle-order batting is still a concern for them as well. The instance of the same was seen in the first one day against the Lankan team when there was a flurry of wickets despite a steady start. But it was Joe Root’s experience that didn’t let the game slip away from England’s hands and the Test skipper anchored them to a win. Match Details: England vs Sri Lanka, 2nd ODI Venue: Kennington Oval, London Date & Time: July 1st, at 5:30 PM IST and 1:00 PM Local Time Live Streaming: Sony Sports Network Pitch Report The two sides will move to Kennington Oval, London for the second ODI of the series. The track here would have something on offer to the batsmen and some high-scoring encounter is expected. So, the team that wins the toss should bat first and put runs on the board. Team News England: England had a decent start as far as their batting is concerned in the first match but it was only their middle-order that required some fine tuning before walking out in the middle on Thursday. The presence of Joe Root in the ranks served a vital role in England’s successful run chase in the first ODI and his experience surely holds a lot of importance especially when the team is in some tricky position. Wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow looked good and went all guns blazing in the first encounter. If the right-hander continues to do his job in this manner considering the kind of pitch that Kennington Oval has to offer, he can give a hard time to the opponents. Fast bowlers Chris Woakes, David Willey and Mark Wood peppered the Lankan batsmen with some short deliveries and express pace. The trio didn’t really let the batsmen settle and the team management would want them to stick to the basics in the second match. In all, the hosts are in some good form and would seek to continue momentum in this clash as well. Sri Lanka: The Sri Lankan team are facing some trouble both on and off the field. While nothing really has gone their way on the field on this tour, they have suffered some major blows off field. Three players Kusal Mendis, Danushka Gunathilaka, and Niroshan Dickwella were earlier suspended and were asked to fly back home for bio-bubble breach. The three players are likely to face a one year ban. "They are likely to get a minimum one-year suspension if found guilty of several breaches of their contract," an official from the Sri Lanka Cricket said in conditions of anonymity while talking to AFP. The miseries are way too much on the field. The batting collapse is becoming a major concern for the Sri Lankan team management as there has been no instance except for that partnership between Perera and Hasaranga in the first ODI where the batsmen have taken the onus and responsibility. The shot selection is as dismal as it could be while the problems against short deliveries have been persistent. The scoreline of the series might look pretty disappointing if you are a Sri Lankan cricket fan but the way the bowlers have fared on this tour, the batsmen only need to compliment their efforts and stick to the basics. This would probably do the job. Probable XI England: Jonny Bairstow (wk), Liam Livingstone, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood Sri Lanka: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Perera (c & wk), Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Praveen Jayawickrama Fantasy XI Kusal Perera (vc), Jonny Bairstow (c), Eoin Morgan, Dasun Shanaka, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, David Willey