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SL vs AUS | McDonald awaits the possibility of Maxwell’s Test return

Andrew McDonald, the newly-appointed Australia coach, has left the door ajar for star performer Glenn Maxwell for him to make an extraordinary return to Test cricket during the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka.


Maxwell joined the white-ball squad last week for the month-long tour of Sri Lanka but missed out closely on making the cut on coming back for the Test format of the game. This limited-overs specialist has played only seven Tests, and the latest of those was back in 2017 against Bangladesh in Chattogram.


While talking about the maestro all-rounder, McDonald versed in Maxwell’s expertise with bat and ball and how great Maxwell can perform in the sub-continent. 


“It is always a contemplation (to include Maxwell), and I think with 32 players being there (in Sri Lanka) at the one point in time, all options are still open,” the head coach pointed out on SEN radio.


“So you never know what is going to happen. He has got a great record in the sub-continent, and in India in particular with that hundred in Ranchi, and he can also give us an off-spin,” McDonald commented. 


McDonald expressed that selectors needed to stay loyal to the team that performed so fine and secured the narrow ‘1-0’ series triumph against Pakistan away from home in March.


“There was a small discussion about what it (including Maxwell) potentially looked like, but (we felt we needed to) reward the team that went to Pakistan and how that squad went about its work,” he stated.


Australia have picked Nathan Lyon and Jon Holland as front-line spinners for the Lankan tour, but their batting calibres can be questioned. Among batting all-rounders - who can roll their arms as spinners - there are Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Travis Head; however, no one is at par with Maxwell. 


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IPL 2022 | 'Pressure nahi lena, bass run mat dena, wicket ayega' - MS Dhoni's pep talk to Mukesh Choudhary

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary is living his dream of playing alongside his childhood hero, legendary MS Dhoni. After all, it was Dhoni's exploits against Sri Lanka in the 2011 ODI World Cup final that inspired the then 15-year-old young boy from Rajasthan to take up the sport. "Whenever I see that winning six, I get goosebumps. The moment Dhoni sir hit that winning six and hugged Yuvraj Singh, I decided I would also aim to play for India someday. I used to play cricket, but I began taking the game more seriously after that historic moment. The 2011 World Cup team inspired me a lot. I spoke about that triumph with Dhoni sir. He has an abundance of knowledge," Choudhary told TOI. Last season, the left-arm seamer was part of CSK as a net bowler and was picked at a base price of INR 20 lakhs at the mega-auction earlier this year. With Deepak Chahar getting ruled out due to injury, the onus of leading the attack fell on his young shoulders. Choudhary did not have a great start as he leaked many runs in his first four outings while managing just four wickets. However, a pep talk with MSD ahead of the fixture against the Mumbai Indians worked wonders for the young lad as he claimed three wickets in what turned out to be a match-winning performance. "Dhoni sir's guidance has helped me a lot. I have been bowling in the powerplay and got wickets and controlled the flow of runs. I swing the ball and don't let a batsman score. I create pressure. A batsman will try to score under pressure, he will play some rushed shots and lose his wicket," the left-armer said. "Dhoni sir has asked me to prepare for the death overs now. He said you have been bowling in the powerplay and now be ready to bowl in the death overs. He said - 'pressure nahi lena, bass run mat dena, wicket ayega' (Don't take pressure, just don't leak runs, wickets will come). I am learning each day under Dhoni sir," Choudhary revealed. The southpaw backed it up with a match-winning four-wicket haul against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last game and he'll hope to continue with the good work in the upcoming fixtures.

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Nicholas Pooran appointed new captain for West Indies in white-ball cricket

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced wicketkeeper-batter Nicholas Pooran as their new ODI and T20I skipper. Pooran's appointment came in after ex-West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard surprisingly announced his retirement from international cricket. Pollard had hinted in the past about his endorsement of Pooran to be skipper when he was serving as the team's vice-captain. Pooran has already captained the West Indies Men in Pollard's absence, leading them to a CG Insurance T20I Series win at home against Australia in 2021. Commenting on the appointment, Pooran said, "I am truly honoured to be appointed captain of the West Indies team. I am following the footsteps of several giants of the game who have created an amazing legacy for West Indies cricket." "This is indeed a prestigious role, a pivotal position in the West Indian society, as cricket is the force that brings us all West Indians together. To be named captain is indeed the highlight of my career so far, and I want to drive the team forward to accomplish great things on the field for our fans and loyal supporters," the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter further added. Also, top-order batter Shai Hope has been recommended to stand as vice-captain of the ODI team. "Shai Hope has been recommended to stand as vice-captain of the ODI team," said CWI's press release stated. CWI President Ricky Skerritt congratulated Pooran on his new role by saying, "Nicholas Pooran is a specially gifted cricketer and the right person to take over the white ball captaincy. We are confident that he will continue to climb the leadership learning curve speedily, and successfully. I appeal to all West Indies cricket stakeholders to give Nicholas the support and encouragement that he deserves." Pooran first burst onto the scene representing the West Indies Under-19 team at the 2014 ICC Men's U19 World Cup. He smashed 303 runs from six matches in the tournament. After making his debut for West Indies in 2016, he has played 37 ODIs and 57 T20Is, scoring 1121 and 1193 runs, respectively. The 26-year-old Trinidadian's first assignment as the full-time captain will be the three away ODIs against the Netherlands in Amstelveen starting May 31, which form part of the ICC World Cup Super League.