WI vs SA: Shai Hope, Roston Chase return as Jyden Seales earn maiden Windies call up

PSL 2021: Top 5 run-getters so far

The Pakistan Super League that was suspended earlier this year due to rise in Covid-19 cases within the franchise teams is now slated to begin on June 9 in Abu Dhabi. The first match after the resumption will be played between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United. While Islamabad were sitting at number three spot in the points table, Lahore were at four before the tournament was halted. Karachi Kings were placed at the helm of the tally while Peshawar Zalmi followed them at two. We now take a look at the top five run-getters in this edition of the PSL 2021 before the competition had to be stopped. Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan is slowly making a name for himself at the top level and has performed consistently well for his PSL side Multan Sultans in this edition so far. While the Sultans haven’t had a great tournament as they have managed to win only one out of the five matches that they have played, Rizwan is placed at the top of the chart for the highest run-getter in the PSL 2021. In five matches that he had featured in, the right-handed batsman amassed 297 runs at a brilliant average of 59.40 and a strike-rate of over 140. Rizwan has also notched up three half-centuries with 76 being his personal best in the competition. Rizwan’s 76 came in a winning cause for his side against the Qalandars after he helped them chase down a target of 158 runs in just over 16 overs from a tricky situation. The Multan captain stitched a stand of 110 runs with Sohail Maqsood who remained not out on 61 to take the team over the line. Babar Azam (Karachi Kings) Table-toppers Karachi Kings’ Babar Azam is following Rizwan at number two with a total of 258 runs in 5 matches at an average of 86. Babar has so far struck three fifties including an unbeaten 90. The right-handed batsman is pipped to be the next big thing in world cricket and he is proving his worth with every passing game. Babar recently attained the top spot in the ICC Rankings for ODIs surpassing India captain Virat Kohli. Azam’s 60-ball 90* which involved 13 boundaries and a maximum came against Multan Sultans and anchored his side to win by 7 wickets while chasing a mammoth 196 with more than an over to spare. The Pakistan skipper stitched a stand of 97 runs with Joe Clarke to take his side over the line. Clarke too completed his half-century and remained not out at 54 off 26. Sharjeel Khan (Karachi Kings) Another Karachi Kings batsman has made a place for himself in this list. Opener Sharjeel Khan has so far accumulated 200 runs in 5 matches for the team at an average of 40 and an aggressive strike-rate of over 170. The left-handed batsman had a decent start to the campaign after he notched up a ton in his second match against the United team. Sharjeel scored 105 and had a partnership of 176 runs for the first wicket with Babar Azam before the Pakistan captain departed for 62 off 54 in the beginning of the 19th over. Karachi, though looking to put up a huge total at one stage were eventually restricted to 196/3 by the United bowlers. The Islamabad side didn’t really have a great start to the chase as they lost a couple of early wickets during the course but a late surge from Iftikhar Ahmed and Hussain Talat helped them chase the target by 5 wickets and with five balls the spare. Sharjeel followed his hundred with a 27, 64 and 0 before the competition was suspended. Fakhar Zaman (Lahore Qalandars) Pakistan and Lahore Qalandars opener Fakhar Zaman take the fourth spot in the tally of batsmen with most number of runs in the PSL 2021 so far. In four matches that Zaman has played for Lahore, he has scored 189 runs at an average of 63 and a strike-rate of over 143 including a couple of fifties to his name. Fakhar Zaman’s highest individual score of 83 in PSL 2021 came against Karachi Kings in a winning cause. Chasing 187, Lahore suffered few early blows before Zaman and Ben Dunk joined hands and steadied the ship for his team with a 119-run stand for the fourth wicket. Dunk remained not out for 57 as Lahore chased down the target by 6 wickets in the final over eventually. Fakhar has been a consistent performer for Pakistan especially in the ODI format and also became the first batsman from the country to score a double-century. He struck 210* against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 2018. The left-handed batsman has also scored 193 against South Africa in 2021 but in a losing cause. Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is at number five spot in this list. He has so far scored 185 runs in 5 matches at an average of 37 and a strike rate of 146.82 including two half-centuries. The wicket-keeper batsman had been in some good form before the tournament was stopped. Sarfaraz’s highest individual score of 81 off 40 came against Peshawar Zalmi. Gladiators rode on the skipper’s knock to put 198/7 in 20 overs on the board but his efforts went in vain as Zalmi chased down the target by three wickets and three balls to spare. Sarfaraz has arguably been one of the most successful Pakistan captains apart from Imran Khan. He has lifted the U19 World Cup while leading his side to victory in ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 against India. But the right-hander faced a lot of criticism after his side didn’t have a good time during the 50-over World Cup in 2019 in England he was subsequently sacked from the captaincy. The PSL was earlier scheduled to resume on June 1 in Karachi with all the matches to be played at the same venue including the final. The title clash had to take place on June 20. But citing the Covid-19 conditions in the country, the PSL franchises requested the Pakistan Cricket Board to move the competition out. The final will now be played on June 24 in Abu Dhabi.

Certainly a challenge for Root: Kiwi coach expects de Grandhomme to keep troubling English captain

Shane Jurgensen said that wily swing bowler Colin de Gradhomme would be much more than just a challenge on an overcast Saturday morning at Lord’s. After the third day getting washed out completely due to rain, the Kiwis would be hopeful to wrap the English innings up inside the registered 98 overs to be played on day four. “Colin certainly presents a challenge for Joe. Joe’s such a fantastic player … a very good captain, and it’s a great battle, and me personally, I love watching it from up on the balcony,” said the Blackcaps bowling coach. Jurgensen, a skiddy customer himself during his playing days for Western Australia and Tasmania, believes that de Grandhomme might not be express quick but packs a punch while bowling a heavy ball. “On the speed radar you may see 115-125 kilometres per hour, but as you see when he hits the cricket ball, and he hits it a long way, he’s extremely strong, so he does bowl a heavy ball and I think that’s what you say yesterday, he had the ball either jumping up or down and was getting some movement,” the 45-year-old said. Testament to Jurgensen’s claims was the bowling performance by the right-arm medium pacer who conceded just 12 runs in his nine overs on day two. In fact, of the 30 balls that Root had to face off de Grandhomme, 29 were dots. The Zimbabwe born all-rounder would be on the cards as the Blackcaps would take the field to break the 93-run partnership between Root and Rory Burns, who is on 58, with England 111-2 in reply to the visitors’ first-innings total of 378.

Amol Muzumdar's Mumbai coach appointment unconstitutional: Former MCA President files stay petition

Former Mumbai Cricket Association President Ravi Savant filed a plea in Bombay High Court to put a stay on Mumbai Cricket Association’s appointment of domestic legend Amol Muzumdar as Mumbai coach. Savant is of the opinion that the process to appoint the coach was unconstitutional and hence must be challenged. "I have nothing against Amol who has been a Mumbai legend and Ranji Trophy-winning captain. It’s just the appointment was unconstitutional,” Savant was quoted as saying by the Times Of India. Savant alleged that MCA’s dissolution of the previous Cricket Improvement Committee headed by T20 World Cup-winning India manager Lalchand Rajput was mala fide and arbitrary. Muzumdar, 46, who played 171 First-Class games to score more than 11,000 runs at a scintillating average of more than 48 was appointed the coach by the new CIC. The decision, however, hasn’t gone down too well with two Apex Council members of the MCA as well. Umesh Khanvilkar and Ajinkya Naik wrote to MCA secretaries Shahalam Sheikh and Sanjay Naik enquiring as to what was the hurry to appoint the coach at a time when domestic cricket’s future for this season stands at a crossroads due to COVID-19.

ENG vs NZ | 1st Test Day 3: Continuous rain plays spoilsport, dents chances of result

The third day’s play of the first Test between New Zealand and England has been abandoned without any bowled as continuous rain poured down in the city of London. The next two days of the Test will have 98 overs in a day to compensate for the loss of play on the third day. The game was poised interestingly on the back of a brilliant half century from Rory Burns and assured batting from England skipper Joe Root while New Zealand new ball bowlers Tim Southee and Kyle Jamieson rocked the hosts early. At the stumps on day two, England were 111/2 and trailing New Zealand’s first innings total of 378 runs by 267 runs with Burns and Root unbeaten at the crease. The abandonment of the third day’s play has more or less dented chances of a result in the Test except for some dramatic turn of events on the fourth and fifth day of the Test. For New Zealand, the star of the game was Devon Conway, who struck a sublime double hundred on his Test debut and Henry Nicholls while for the hosts, the pair of Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson put their hands up to bring them back in the game.