UAE 'out of equation' for PCB even as England, New Zealand pull out from Pakistan

The Ashes | CA sends fresh proposals with 'better' Covid protocols to ECB

In a welcome sign for cricket fans who would have been worried over the fears of star England players pulling out of the Ashes series, Cricket Australia has sent the ECB proposal for the series that has a lenient bit of Covid-19 containment protocols than it was initially feared, ESPNcricinfo reported. However, the report did not indicate the level of relaxation CA brass has been able to negotiate with the Australian government but it suggests that a lot fewer players should pull out based on the fresh proposal. “The ECB has also now received a proposal from Cricket Australia (CA) detailing their plans for England during the Ashes. While the details at this stage are unclear, it is understood the plans - which include details of quarantine arrangements and the requirements for bubbles throughout the tour - are better than had been feared,” said the report. The fate of the Ashes series scheduled for the end of the year hangs in balance as England players have shown strong reluctance to tour Australia and go through stringent Covid protocols after spending considerable time in biosecure bubbles during the ICC World T20. However, both the ECB and CA have always been confident of the Ashes series taking place as per the pre-decided schedule.

India to play one Test in next England summer, likely to be decider of abandoned series: Report

India and England have agreed to play a Test match the next summer which was initially supposed to be a tour of white-ball games, ESPNcricinfo reported. Although there were no hints from either BCCI or ECB on whether the only Test between the side next summer will be a standalone game or a decider of the series that was left incomplete earlier this year, the report suggested that it will be a continuation of the series that India are leading 2-1. Notably, the Indian players had refused to play the final Test of the series scheduled to start on September 10 in Manchester after scores of Covid-19 cases in the camp. There were confusion on the fate of the Manchester Test and subsequently around the result of the series as the ECB flip-flopped between forfeiture and abandonment by India. Earlier, the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had suggested that if India were to play a Test next summer, it will be a standalone game and not the series decider before making a U-turn on his words. Irrespective of what value the game will bring to the teams in terms of winning or levelling the series, a Test match at Old Trafford will help the ECB and Lancashire county to recover some of the financial losses they incurred after the cancellation of the final Test.

If Saha is the best you can do at the top, you’re in big trouble: Mark Butcher

Former England batsman Mark Butcher has pointed out a major issue in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting unit. Butcher is of the opinion that if SRH has Wriddhiman Saha at the top of the batting-order as their best option then the side is in “big trouble”. “As an IPL franchise, if the best you can do is Wriddhiman Saha, who is a terrific wicketkeeper, decent batter. But if that’s the best you can do at the top of the order, then you are setting yourself up for big trouble,” Butcher said. The former cricketer further added that David Warner’s lean patch and Kane Williamson’s struggle is also a major cause of SRH’s dismal show in this edition. “Not scored many runs through the middle as well. Kane Williamson has struggled, Warner hasn’t scored any. It’s been a big shocker for them. As far as Punjab Kings are concerned, just changing your name is not going to help. I’m afraid you’ve got to do something more fundamental than that,” he further added. The Sunrisers have only managed to win one match in the competition when they defeated Punjab Kings by 9 wickets in the first leg. They will now meet the same opposition on Saturday in the second clash of the day in Sharjah.

AUSW vs INDW | 3rd ODI: India seek consolation win, Australia eye clean sweep

It was a sheer lack of concentration in the field from the Indian women’s team after they let go off a win that could have helped them equalise the three-match ODI series against Australia in Mackay. Australia needed three on the last ball of the match where Jhulan Goswami bowled a full toss to Nicola Carey who just swung the bat but only managed to give a catch to the fielder stationed around the square leg. But to India’s misfortune, it was later called a no-ball for waist height and the equation now came down to 2 off 1. Carey eventually completed a couple of runs on the last ball. But it wasn’t just the last-ball drama that led India to a defeat but it was also about some bad fielding efforts in the middle. The fielder let the Australian batters steal away runs with sloppy fielding. The home side now has taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series while the Indian team would be looking for a consolation win. Match Details Match: Australia Women vs India Women, 3rd ODI Date: 26th September 2021 Time: 05:35 AM IST Venue: Harrup Park, Mackay Pitch Report The batters would have something on offer on this track while the bowlers will face some problems in getting the breakthroughs. Though, the pacers have been a bit successful at this venue. So, if you win the toss, bat first and try to put a good total on the board. Team News India: The Indian team were off to a decent start in the match after they posted a good total on the board and picked up early wickets to reduce Australia 52/4 but let the match slip away from them eventually. The fielders have been sloppy in the field and have let the opposition take upper-hand. Another aspect that the team management needs to take a look at is Mithali Raj’s scoring-rate. The right-hander has been among runs barring the last encounter but has been scoring runs at a slow strike-rate. But there were some positives as well from the last clash. Openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma gave a steady start to the proceedings of which the team management has been striving for while the middle-order also chipped in with some valuable contributions. Australia: Beth Mooney played a match-winning knock in the second game against India after she struck an unbeaten 125 while Tahlia McGrath’s all-round performance was something to watch out for. Apart from these two Carey too played an important role after she steadied the ship for the hosts alongside Mooney and then took the team over the line. The Australian team is in some good form and would be looking to extend the winning streak. Probable XI Australia: Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy (wk), Meg Lanning (captain), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner, Sophie Molineux, Annabel Sutherland, Tahlia McGrath, Hannah Darlington, Darcie Brown India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Mithali Raj (captain), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Pooja Vastrakar, Deepti Sharma, Jhulan Goswami, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Meghna Singh, Poonam Yadav Fantasy XI Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Mithali Raj, Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Verma, Tahlia McGrath (C), Pooja Vastrakar, Sophie Molineux, Darcie Brown, Jhulan Goswami