Pakistan To Send Security Delegation To India To Inspect WC Venues: Report

Pakistan is set to send a security delegation to India for inspecting the venues before giving clearance for the national team's travel to the neighbouring country for this year's ICC ODI World Cup. An official source in the Inter-Provincial Coordination (Sports) Ministry said that the government, including the foreign and interior ministry would decide when to send the security delegation to India once the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board was elected after the Eid holidays. "The security delegation will go with representation from the PCB to inspect the venues where Pakistan will play and also the security and other arrangements made for them in the World Cup," he said.

He said the delegation would visit Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, the venue for the marque India-Pakistan match on October 15.

"Before any tour to India it is standard practice for the cricket board to seek permission from the government which normally sends a delegation to India," the official said.

"The delegation will interact with the officials there and discuss and inspect with them the security and other arrangements for our players, officials, fans and media, who will go for the tournament," he said.

He said if the delegation feels it would be better for Pakistan to play at some other venue instead of a designated one, it will mention that in its report.

"The PCB will share the report with the ICC and BCCI if the delegation has any concerns," he added.

A source in the PCB confirmed that when last time Pakistan went to India for the T20 World Cup, the government had sent a joint delegation to the inspect venues.

"It was on the recommendation of the delegation that Pakistan's match at Dharamsala against India was moved to Kolkata." The source maintained that Pakistan's final confirmation of participation in the World Cup would only be announced when the government gives clearance to the PCB.

"This is not unusual and it is standard procedure for all tours to India. Even in other sports the respective national federations have to get clearance from the government to send their teams to India for any competition." Pakistan Hockey Federation is awaiting clearance to send its team for the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai in August, while recently the national football team played in the SAFF Championship in Bengaluru only after getting last minute NOC from the government bodies.

The ODI World Cup will be played across 10 Indian cities from October 5 to November 19. PTI Cor SSC SSC SSC

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Watch: "Batting Without Brains" - Eng Great Left Distraught During Ashes

Legendary England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott was left deeply disappointed by the performance of Ben Stokes and Co in the second Ashes Test against Australia at the Lord's. England lost their last six wickets for under 50 runs to hand Australia a massive advantage in the match and Boycott's expression during the game has gone viral. In a video posted on social media, the England great can be seen burying his face in his hands during the England innings. Boycott himself responded to the picture on social media saying - "Yes it does, batting without brains. Chatting to my captain Mike Brearley."

Yes it does, batting without brains. Chatting to my captain Mike Brearley https://t.co/gJMmUEPrbn

— Sir Geoffrey Boycott (@GeoffreyBoycott) June 30, 2023

England's commitment to 'Bazball' is testing the patience of former players and fans after another careless batting display left their Ashes hopes hanging by a thread.

Captain Ben Stokes and Harry Brook walked out to bat at Lord's on Friday with the second Test nicely poised despite a chaotic final session the previous evening.

But the home side slumped from 278-4 to 325 all out, giving Australia a precious first-innings lead of 91.

Throwing every away. #Bazball. #ECB. #England #Ashes #cricket. pic.twitter.com/t4ZXbxGzq3

— TonyNyman (@Tony_Nyman) June 30, 2023

Once again, England were the architects of their own downfall.

On Thursday, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett and Joe Root all gifted their wickets to Australia, even though the visitors' short-ball plan was blindingly obvious.

England had a nightmare start on the third day when Stokes, who had played responsibly the previous evening, was dismissed by Mitchell Starc off the second ball.

England, in their previous incarnation -- and most sides in Test history -- would have taken stock and re-built. But not this team.

Brook, who made 50, threw way his wicket after an ugly swipe to a Starc delivery ended up in the hands of Australia captain Pat Cummins.

"Shocking shot," former England captain Michael Vaughan told the BBC. "England clearly like losing. Yesterday they gifted Australia three wickets. 

"They arrive on day three, the pitch is doing a bit more. To see that wicket and Australia now know they are bowling to the tail."

Again England did not learn.

Jonny Bairstow, the last recognised specialist batsman, chipped the ball tamely to Cummins off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood. Ollie Robinson charged down the track to part-time spinner Travis Head and got an edge. Stuart Broad missed a sweep against the same bowler. 

Alastair Cook, who skippered England to two Ashes series wins, said there was "a sense of shock around the ground". 

"We keep going back to that spell, how precious Test match runs and sessions are," he said. 

"We've all watched enough cricket, when you get in positions, it is so precious and you have to realise how precious that is and treasure it."

A gung-ho England went into the Ashes with 11 wins under their belt from 13 Tests under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, playing a thrilling brand of attacking cricket dubbed 'Bazball' in reference to the former New Zealand captain.

Questions were asked over whether they could keep up the pace against the recently-crowned world Test champions, who boast a battery of high-class quicks.

England came agonisingly close to winning the first match at Edgbaston last week.

An inspired display by Cummins, this time with the bat, hauled Australia over the line by two wickets.

Even so, England made Australia's task in the fourth innings far easier than it should have been by tossing wickets away cheaply earlier in the match.

(With AFP inputs)

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'Won't Listen About Mom Sister': Jaiswal's No Non-sense Take On Sledging

Yashasvi Jaiswal is one of the rising stars in Indian cricket. He made his IPL debut in 2020 but the 2023 season turned out to be a career-defining edition for him. Playing 14 matches for Rajasthan Royals, the batting southpaw scored 625 runs at a superb strike rate of 163.61. His average in the season was 48.08. Stats could not depict the complete story, so is in this case as Jaiswal looked way better than what his stats would speak.

From the word go, he dominated the opponent bowlers during his batting, irrespective of their stature.

However, it is not only on the game front that Jaiswal will not bog down in front of his opponents. In a recent interview to The Lallantop, Jaiswal was quite vocal to say that he would not take any slang when he gets sledged during a game.

During the interview when the interviewer says sledging doesn't take place in IPL, Yashasvi replies: "Who says that? It happens with everyone. But not everybody gets to know it."

"If anyone says me anything about my mother and sister, I would not listen to it," added the youngster.

It is worth highlighting that Jaiswal has got a maiden Test call-up for India's upcoming two-match series in West Indies, starting July 12.

Moving out of his comfort zone in Bhadohi, spending early teenage years at Azad Maidan tent and doing hard yards in Maximum City for nearly a decade, India cap wasn't everything for Jaiswal but the only thing he aspired for.

(With PTI Inputs)

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"India vs Pakistan Bigger Than Ashes": Windies Great's Massive Comparison

From the time the 2023 World Cup schedule was announced, one match which has expectedly grabbed the limelight is the India-Pakistan clash. The two archrivals will face each other on October 15 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India and Pakistan only play cricket against each other in international tournaments, most recently during the T20 World Cup in Australia last year. Any match between the South Asian neighbours therefore becomes one of the most-watched events on the global sporting calendar.

When they do play, cricket fans around the world are glued to their TV screens in a multi-billion-dollar bonanza for broadcasters. The 2019 50-over World Cup clash between India and Pakistan drew 273 million viewers.

All that makes West Indies great Chris Gayle feel that India-Pakistan is bigger than the Ashes. 

"India-Pakistan is bigger than the Ashes. That's humongous. At the world stage, with billions of people watching. Let's see what happens on October 15. I will be watching," Gayle said on timesofindia.com. 

"Who are the two player who can turn things around for India in the World Cup?" Gayle was also asked. 

"Jasprit Bumrah for sure. I am sure he going to be back. Him and Suryakumar are going to be key players for India," he replied. 

India and Pakistan have not met on either side's soil in a bilateral series since 2012.

They have also not played a Test against each other since 2007, instead meeting only in the shorter versions of the game.

India last won the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2011. Since then, Australia and England have won the title in their own backyards in 2015 and 2019 respectively.

With AFP inputs

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Duleep Trophy: Saurabh Triggers East Collapse Central Close In On Win

Central Zone's Saurabh Kumar bagged four wickets to reduce East Zone to 69 for 6 and placed his side on the doorstep of a victory on the third day of the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal in Bengaluru on Friday. Chasing an improbable 300 to win, East now need 231 runs more with four wickets remaining. Along with Saurabh, the East Zone should be thankful to their batters too for this position of strength. In the second innings, they made 239 all out to construct an overall lead of 299 runs.

Starting from their overnight 64 for no loss, Central moved ahead in the match through openers Himanshu Mantri and Vivek Singh.

Mantri (68, 153 balls, 7x4) and Vivek (56, 120 balls, 4x4, 2x6) milked 124 runs for the opening wicket, giving a clear edge to their side.

They departed in quick succession and the Central could not sustain the steam for the rest of the innings.

However, cameos by Saransh Jain (32) and Shubam Sharma (23) ensured that Central would not lose the momentum given by the openers.

East failed to take the cue from Central batting, though.

Their batting malfunctioned for the second time in the match against left-arm spinner Saurabh. Riyan Parag was batting on 6 at close but the target seems too tall for a one-man effort.

North Zone move closer to victory

North Zone hurtled ruthlessly towards a crushing win over North East Zone while rattling up 259 for 6 in their second innings, pathway to their giant 665-run lead on the third day of the Duleep Trophy quarterfinal. Once that strong foundation was set, the North bowlers made optimum use of it to reduce North East to 58 for 3 at close. NE trail by 607 runs.

But before their batsmen came into the party for the second time in the match, North bowlers led by Siddarth Kaul bundled out NE for 134 to gift them a lead of 406 runs.

Despite that massive first innings lead, North opted against enforcing follow-on. The thought, perhaps, fuelled by the desire to give some hopefuls another chance to impress with the bat.

However, the plan did not fructify in its entirety. Dhruv Shorey and Nishant Sindhu, the first innings centurions, fell cheaply for 11 and 3 respectively.

Jotin Singh bowled a peach of a delivery to evict Shorey. The ball pitched on the middle and leg before moving to hit the top of the off-stump, to leave Shorey a stunned man and it was the ball of the day by some miles.

The dismissal had put North in a minor trouble at 23 for 2, but Ankit Kalsi and Prabhsimran Singh allayed all that with a fine 83-run stand for the third wicket in a little over 15 overs.

Both Prabhsimran and Kalsi batted at a good clip bringing out their natural flair. Just when they looked set for a bigger haul, Kalsi was ousted for 49 and later Prabhsimran too fell for 59.

At 146 for 5, North East might have dreamt of bringing quick curtains to their opponent's innings but it did not pan out that way.

North captain Jayant Yadav (55 no, 78 balls, 8x4) and Ankit Kumar (70, 101 balls, 8x4) further punished their rivals with a 113-run alliance for the sixth wicket.

Jayant, who led North in the place of injured Mandeep Singh, made no harm to his aspirations batting with poise to nullify a failure in the first innings.

Jayant's previous appearance for India was in the Mohali Test against Sri Lanka in March 2022. The pair was in extreme comfort in the middle till Ankit was stumped by Prafullmoni off left-arm spinner Kishan Singha.

The dismissal also brought forth declaration from North and they would be eager to take this match to its logical conclusion at the earliest on Saturday.

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Ashwin's 'Ridiculous' Retort To "Can India End ICC Trophy Drought?" Query

It has been more than 10 years of India's ICC trophy drought. In 2013, the side won the Champions Trophy and since then it has struggled to finish things off. India lost to Sri Lanka in the final of 2014 T20 World Cup before the side lost the 2015 ODI World Cup semi-final at the hands of Australia. In the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final, India were defeated by West Indies. They then suffered a loss against arch-rivals Pakistan in the final of Champions Trophy in 2017.

Two years later, New Zealand beat India in the semi-final of ODI World Cup. Things got worse for India as the year 2021 saw them failing to advance to the knockout stage of T20 World Cup. An improved show in 2022 saw India entering the semi-final of the mega event where they lost to England.

India have also missed the ICC titles in red-ball cricket too after losing the finals of World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023.

A question that keeps popping every now and then is that 'Can India end the ICC trophy drought?'. India's veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has shared his opinions regarding this.

"... India do start as favorites ahead of this 2023 World Cup," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

"Of course, the whole social media buzz will be about whether India will be able to get an ICC trophy. We have been following this theme for so many years now of asking, 'Can India end the ICC trophy drought?' If you ask me, this is ridiculous, guys.

"India is a strong team. Except for a few factors, India has a great chance this time around."

The 2023 ODI World Cup will be taking place in India across 10 venues. The tournament will kick off on October 5 with the final scheduled to take place on November 19.

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Zimbabwe Move Closer To World Cup With Oman Win In ICC Qualifier

Zimbabwe claimed a tense 14-run win over Oman on Thursday to start the Super Six stage of the World Cup Qualifier on a high, after Sean Williams' third hundred of the event. The African side racked up 332-7 from their 50 overs batting first in Bulawayo before a brave chase from Oman came up just short on 318-9. The hosts moved top of the table after adding to the two wins over the West Indies and the Netherlands they carried over from the group stage. "When I first saw the wicket, I thought 270 would be a very good score," said Williams. "Thankfully everyone chipped in there and we got up to that total."

Zimbabwe are bidding to qualify for the global one-day showpiece following an eight-year absence after missing out on the 2019 edition in England and Wales. The top two sides in the Super Six standings will secure places at the World Cup.

Oman are all but out of contention in the race to reach the main tournament to be held in India from October 5 until November 19. The underdogs, who started the match on zero points in the Super Six, pushed Zimbabwe all the way in a dramatic chase.

Opener Kashyap Prajapati crashed 103 off 97 balls to help them stay within touching distance. Blessing Muzarabani's three wickets appeared to have put Zimbabwe on the brink of victory, helped by some brilliant fielding including a remarkable catch by Luke Jongwe as he juggled the ball on the boundary while repeatedly hopping over the rope.

But some late blows from the lower order left a manageable 39 needed from the final 17 balls when Fayyaz Butt was trapped lbw by Tendai Chatara. Captain Zeeshan Maqsood hobbled back out to join Mohammad Nadeem at the crease having earlier retired injured.

Richard Ngarava's excellent penultimate over which conceded just two runs and a bye left Oman with too much to do as Maqsood fell to Chatara from the final ball. Nadeem ended 30 not out from 18 balls as Muzarabani finished with 3-57 from nine overs and Chatara with 3-73 from eight.

Earlier, Williams' wonderful 142 off 103 deliveries, featuring 14 fours and three sixes, provided the backbone of Zimbabwe's innings. Sikandar Raza added 42 and Jongwe some late impetus with a 28-ball 43 not out.

Zimbabwe, depending on other results, could secure a place in India when they face Sri Lanka on Sunday. Oman are next in action the following day against the Netherlands.

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KL Rahul "Should Be Made To Play Domestic Cricket": Ex-India Star

With Asia Cup and ODI World Cup set to take place later this year, Team India is reeling with injuries to key players like KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. While Pant is recovering from a road accident suffered last year, Rahul and Bumrah have been out of action due to a thigh and back issue, respectively. Rahul got injured during a match in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), and missed the World Test Championship (WTC) final earlier this month due to the same.

However, reports have emerged that Rahul, who is currently undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, is set to resume batting practice in a couple of weeks time.

Responding to reports of Rahul's comeback, former India spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan feels that batter should first test himself by playing in the domestic circuit.

"He should be made to play domestic cricket to assess his match fitness and batting form. Getting back into the Indian team should not be so easy, you bat in the nets and ready for international competition," Sivaramakrishnan replied to a tweet.

He should be made to play domestic cricket to assess his match fitness and batting form. Getting back into the Indian team should not be so easy, you bat in the nets and ready for international competition

— Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (@LaxmanSivarama1) June 28, 2023

The cricketer-turned-commentator also urged the management to look at someone like Sai Sudarshan, who enjoyed a breakthrough season during IPL 2023.

"People like Sai Sudarshan need to be looked at, Left handed middle order batsman," he wrote in another tweet.

People like Sai Sudarshan need to be looked at, Left handed middle order batsman

— Laxman Sivaramakrishnan (@LaxmanSivarama1) June 28, 2023

Last month, Rahul that he had gone through a successful thigh surgery.

"Hi everyone, I just got done with my surgery - it was successful. A big thank you to the doctors and medical staff for making sure I was comfortable and everything went smoothly. I'm officially on the road to recovery now. I'm determined to get back to my best and get back on the field. Onwards and upwards!" he stated in a post.

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"Two Best Rival Batters": Internet Reacts As Tendulkar 'Bumps Into' Lara

India legend Sachin Tendulkar met West Indies great Brian Lara. The former India opener shared pictures on social media in which he could be seen spending quality time with Lara. Both Tendulkar and Lara are among the greatest players cricket ever witnessed. Tendulkar has scored the most runs (34357) in international cricket. He has also hit a record of 100 international centuries (49 in ODIs and 51 in Tests) besides having numerous other records to his name. On the other hand, retired player Lara still holds the record of having the highest individual score (400 runs) in a single Test inning.

"Casually bumped into another keen golfer today!" wrote Tendulkar while sharing his picture with Lara on Twitter on Wednesday.

Casually bumped into another keen golfer today! @BrianLara pic.twitter.com/uA38X0kIkj

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) June 28, 2023

"Where are you? Can I please get an autograph?" wrote a fan. "That's being too casual...legendary partnership continues to blossom!! Heavyweights....," wrote another fan.

"Two absolute greats of the game", "Whole cricketing shots are covered in both of the legend... The mutual respect is the greatness", "Two Cricketing Legend in one picture" were some of the toher comments.

Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara joined Donald Bradman in April this year in having a set of gates named in their honour at the Sydney Cricket Ground, with all visiting players passing through them to access the field of play. The gates were unveiled to mark Indian great Tendulkar's 50th birthday and 30 years since West Indies legend Lara's 277 at the stadium -- the first of his 34 Test centuries.

"The Sydney Cricket Ground has been my favourite ground away from India," said Tendulkar, who played five Tests there, averaging 157.

"I have had some great memories at the SCG right from my first tour of Australia in 1991-92."

Meanwhile, Lara said that he was "deeply honoured".

"The ground holds many special memories for me and my family and I always enjoy visiting whenever I'm in Australia," said Lara, who played four times at the ground, with his 277 the highlight.

(With AFP Inputs)

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"Heavy Lifting": Ashwin On Bairstow Carrying Pitch Invader Off The Ground

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin came out with a hilarious comment after England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow wrestled a protester off the ground as climate activists briefly interrupted play on the first day of the second Ashes Test at Lord's on Wednesday. Just before Stuart Broad bowled the second over, two protesters from Just Stop Oil -- an environmental activist group which wants an end to new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea -- ran out of the Grandstand and onto the outfield, sprinkling the group's trademark orange powder on the square but not on the pitch.

Bairstow grabbed one of the demonstrators and carried him off the playing surface, with the other apprehended by stewards. A third demonstrator was tackled before making it onto the outfield. Spectators booed the protesters as they were led away by stewards.

While uploading the video on Twitter, Ashwin wrote: "Good start to the 2nd test. Bairstow has done some heavy lifting already."

Good start to the 2nd test.
Bairstow has done some heavy lifting already#Ashes2023 pic.twitter.com/f0JcZnCvEr

— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) June 28, 2023

Metropolitan Police later said that they had arrested three people, reported AFP.

Following a delay of several minutes while the orange powder was removed by ground-staff, play resumed with Broad bowling from the Nursery End.

Just Stop Oil has disrupted a series of sporting events, including the British Formula One Grand Prix and Premiership rugby union final.

Protesters have tied themselves to goalposts during Premier League football matches and thrown orange powder on the green baize at the World Snooker Championship.

Just Stop Oil also delayed the England team bus taking the side to Lord's for the lone Test against Ireland earlier this month.

(With AFP Inputs)

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"Win The World Cup For Virat Kohli": Virender Sehwag Tells India Players

The countdown for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 has begun, with the schedule for the mega event out. Having last won the World Cup when the tournament was held at home (partly), India would look to pounce on a great opportunity to end their ICC trophy drought. As the preparation for the tournament gets serious, former India star Virender Sehwag wants the team to try and win this World Cup for Virat Kohli, much like the 2011 team had done for Sachin Tendulkar.

In a chat on Star Sports after the announcement of the schedule of the World Cup, Sehwag highlighted how Kohli isn't just a great player but also a person who always tries to help others.

"Everyone needs to win this World Cup for Virat Kohli. The kind of great player he is, a great human being also, he always helps other players", he said.

Sehwag also drew similarities between Kohli and Tendulkar, explaining how both always gave their 100 percent on the pitch.

"Virat Kohli is similar to Sachin Tendulkar. The way he plays, the way talks, the way he approaches the game. His passion, and his dedication is unbelievable. He gave his 100% all the time. He helped cricketers, he is great in everything".

"Whenever Virat Kohli plays big tournaments he gave everything and more than everyone in the team. I'm sure he will be excited for this world. And whenever he goes in this world cup and people will cheer and supports him a lot".

When asked if Kohli could go on to break Tendulkar's record of scoring the most number of tons in ODI World Cups, Sehwag said that it was quite possible.

"Possible, I always tell youngsters and my children to learn from Virat Kohli. He never throws his wicket and plays till the end", he said.

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2nd Test Day 1: Smith Stars For Australia Before Root Revives England

Star batsman Steve Smith's unbeaten 85 was the centrepiece of Australia's impressive 339-5 on the opening day of the second Test against England at Lord's on Wednesday. But off-spinner Joe Root, better known as the number one-ranked batsman in Test cricket, took two wickets in four balls late in the day. His double strike ensured Ashes-holders Australia, 1-0 up in the five-match series after a thrilling two-wicket win at Edgbaston last week, did not have things all their own way at the 'Home of Cricket'.

Australia were in a commanding position at 316-3, despite being sent into bat by England captain Ben Stokes in overcast conditions and on a green tinged-pitch that promised to aid his five-strong pace attack.

But dashing left-hander Travis Head, scoring at better than a run-a-ball, then charged down the pitch only to be beaten by a sharply turning Root delivery with Jonny Bairstow, whose wicketkeeping had proved fallible in Birmingham, completing an excellent stumping.

Head was out for 77 following a stand of 118 with Smith where England were given a taste of their own 'Bazball' medicine.

But three balls later, Australia's 316-4 became 316-5 when Cameron Green fell for a duck, slicing Root to James Anderson at mid-off.

At stumps Root, the only spinner in the attack after England dropped Moeen Ali, had figures of 2-19 from eight overs.

Fast bowler Josh Tongue, recalled in place of Moeen, removed Australia left-handed openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner, who made a valuable 66, in a return of 2-88 in 18 overs.

The match was briefly halted before the second over when two Just Stop Oil protesters ran out of the Grandstand and onto the outfield, sprinkling the environmental pressure group's trademark orange powder on the square but not on the pitch.

Bairstow grabbed one of the demonstrators and carried them off the playing surface, with the other apprehended by stewards.

A third demonstrator was tackled before making it onto the outfield, with the police making three arrests.

Pope injury scare

England's aggressive 'Bazball' approach had come under scrutiny in Birmingham, but missing several chances was a bigger factor in their defeat.

On Wednesday, Stuart Broad, who has long troubled Warner in Ashes contests, had him edging into the cordon on 20, only for fourth slip Ollie Pope, who later went off injured with a shoulder injury, to drop a two-handed catch.

Warner cashed in with a 66-ball fifty completed when he pulled Tongue, in just his second Test, for six.

But off what became the last ball before lunch Tongue bowled Khawaja fresh from his hundred at Edgbaston, playing no shot.

Warner also fell to Tongue, bowled between bat and pad by a ball that cut back sharply off the pitch.

England for all Australia's playing and missing, did not help themselves by giving away 36 runs in extras, including 12 no-balls.

Smith stuck Stuart Broad through the covers for two fours off successive balls then successfully overturned a caught-behind decision off the next delivery on his way to a 102-ball fifty.

Broad also had Marnus Labuschagne lbw, playing no shot, before another successful Australian review indicated the ball would have cleared the top of the stumps.

Stokes brought himself on in the hope of a breakthrough but it was not long before Smith confidently flicked him through midwicket for four to go to 9,000 runs in Test cricket.

Smith and Labuschagne, until recently the world's two top-ranked Test batsmen, had managed just 35 runs between them across four innings at Edgbaston.

But on Wednesday their century partnership was ended when Labuschagne was caught behind for 47 off an excellent full-length delivery from Ollie Robinson to leave Australia 198-3.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Zimbabwe Sri Lanka Target World Cup With West Indies In Danger

Hosts Zimbabwe and former champions Sri Lanka are in prime position to clinch the final two qualifying spots for this year's Cricket World Cup, while two-time winners the West Indies risk missing the tournament for the first time. With four wins from four group matches, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka head into the decisive Super Six stage of the qualifiers with four points apiece -- carrying over the rewards earned for beating the teams that also advanced from the first round.

Backed by strong batting displays, which included making a national record 408-6 against the USA, Zimbabwe will be confident the runs will continue to flow as the stakes mount from Thursday.

"We have found our momentum and we are looking forward to carrying it," said Sean Williams, who scored 174 in Monday's 304-run rout of the USA.

Williams is comfortably the top run-scorer with 390, hitting an unbeaten century against Nepal and following it up with 91 against the Netherlands.

Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza have also struck hundreds, the latter's off-spin accounting for eight wickets as well to boost an attack spearheaded by left-arm quick Richard Ngarava.

Zimbabwe will relocate from Harare to Bulawayo for their games against Oman, Sri Lanka and Scotland, but the home support remains in their favour.

"It's a different venue, and everything about it is different but still having that crowd behind us is always like having a 12th man," said Williams.

Sri Lanka, world champions in 1996, eased through group play largely untroubled but face a Dutch side on Friday buoyed by their astonishing victory over the West Indies in a super over.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga has bagged 18 wickets, emulating Pakistan great Waqar Younis with three consecutive five-wicket hauls in ODIs.

"He's a champion. Whenever I throw him the ball, he delivers for me," said Sri Lanka Dasun Shanaka.

West Indies near 'rock bottom'

While the future looks bright for Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, the West Indies are in dire straits after successive defeats to the hosts and the Netherlands.

The fallen giants, who won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, realistically need to beat Scotland, Oman and Sri Lanka to stand a chance of qualifying.

"I understand the journey I have to take with this team," said coach Daren Sammy, who captained the West Indies to a pair of T20 World Cup titles.

"Sometimes you've got to reach rock bottom to come back up. I understand the challenges ahead and I also understand that things will not change overnight.

"It's a true reflection of where our cricket is at the moment. We have a lot of work to do."

The Netherlands and Scotland will both start on two points. The Dutch have not featured at the finals since 2011 while the Scots missed out four years ago after a controversial lbw decision.

"We're good enough to compete against the best teams in the world; we're just getting better," said Logan van Beek, whose heroics in Monday's super over stunned the West Indies.

"The more we play the best teams, the better we get. And more fun we get, the more players we get, and we deserve to be on that level."

Rank outsiders Oman complete the Super Six line-up for an event which concludes with the final on July 9.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Ben Stokes 'Sorry' After Cricket Report Exposes Racism And Sexism

England captain Ben Stokes said Tuesday he was "deeply sorry" to learn of the scale of discrimination in the sport after a damning report revealed "widespread" racism, sexism and classism in the game. His comments followed the publication by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) of its much-anticipated report, "Holding Up a Mirror to Cricket". The commission, set up by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), makes 44 recommendations, including that the board makes an "unqualified public apology" for its failings.

The ICEC was established in 2021 following a racism scandal centered around the treatment of Pakistan-born bowler Azeem Rafiq at Yorkshire.

In a separate development the ECB said the county club should be fined 500,000 pounds ($638,000) and given points deductions over their handling of the case.

Of the more than 4,000 individuals interviewed for the ICEC report, 50 percent described experiencing discrimination in the previous five years, with the figures substantially higher for people from ethnically diverse communities.

Women are treated as "subordinate" to men at all levels of cricket, the report found, adding that they receive an "embarrassingly small amount" of pay compared to their male counterparts.

It recommends that match fees for the men's and women's teams be "equalised with immediate effect".

The ICEC report also states that not enough has been done to address class barriers in the game, with fee-paying private schools dominating the talent pathway.

'Unequivocal'

"Our findings are unequivocal," said ICEC chair Cindy Butts. "Racism, class-based discrimination, elitism and sexism are widespread and deep-rooted.

"The game must face up to the fact that it's not banter or just a few bad apples. Discrimination is both overt and baked into the structures and processes within cricket."

Stokes and England women's skipper Heather Knight gave evidence, along with racism whistleblower Rafiq.

Stokes reacted to the publication of the report on the eve of the second Ashes Test against Australia, which starts at Lord's on Wednesday.

"To the people involved in the game who have been made to feel unwelcome or unaccepted in the past, I am deeply sorry to hear of your experiences," he said. 

"Cricket is a game that needs to celebrate diversity on all fronts because without diversity this game would not be where it is at today."

He added: "Everyone has a different story to tell. I am Ben Stokes, born in New Zealand, a state-educated pupil who dropped out of school at 16 with one GCSE (qualification) in PE. 

"I need help with the spelling and grammar in this speech and I am currently sitting here as the England men's Test captain."

'Opportunity'

The report praised the ECB for being brave enough to open itself up to "uncomfortable independent scrutiny".

ECB chairman Richard Thompson, who took up his post last year, said the organisation would "use this moment to reset cricket".

"On behalf of the ECB and wider leadership of the game, I apologise unreservedly to anyone who has ever been excluded from cricket or made to feel like they don't belong," he said.

"Cricket should be a game for everyone, and we know that this has not always been the case.

"Powerful conclusions within the report also highlight that for too long women and black people were neglected. We are truly sorry for this."

Rafiq welcomed the findings and acknowledged the "extraordinary work" that had gone into the inquiry.

"There is no doubt now that the game we all love has suffered from institutionalised discrimination, including racism," he said.

"This report is an opportunity to fully reflect on what has happened and for the sport's governing structures to work out a way forward."

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman said the report "makes for difficult reading".

The ECB's sanctioning recommendations relating to Yorkshire were made to the independent Cricket Discipline Commission on Tuesday.

Yorkshire admitted four charges in February while six former Yorkshire players were sanctioned by the CDC last month after being found guilty of using racist language.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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"We Rejected...": Sehwag On Virat Lifting Sachin On Shoulders After WC Win

After 2011, India will again be hosting the ODI World Cup starting on October 5. The Rohit Sharma-led hosts will start their campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai and will face Pakistan on October 15. The tournament is a great chance for India to end its title drought in ICC events. Since 2013, the Indian cricket team has not won any ICC event. For stars like Rohit, Virat Kohli and others, the 2023 World Cup presents a great opportunity to emulate what the MS Dhoni-led India achieved at home at the 2011 edition by winning the marquee event. Kohli was part of that campaign and celebrated the triumph in a unique fashion as he lifted Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders. 

On the famous visual of Virat Kohli lifting Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders and taking him around the Wankhede Stadium, Sehwag gave an interesting reason.

"Because we rejected, Sachin was so heavy, we couldn't lift him. We were old. We have shoulder injuries and MS had knee problems, somebody else had other problems. We gave the burden to the youngsters. You go and pick up Sachin Tendulkar and give him a round. That's why it was Virat Kohli," Sehwag said with a smile on his face at the ICC 2023 World Cup fixture event on Tuesday. 

The Indian team led by Rohit Sharma will be the most travelled team among top contenders in the upcoming ODI World Cup, covering a distance of approximately 8400 km while crisscrossing nine cities for nine league games in 34 days.

In case India reaches semi-final and then the final, the distance covered would be close to 9700 km for 11 games in 42 days.

While 8400 kms in 34 days might not seem a lot, considering that Indian players will finish their games around 11 pm and will have a flight to catch every third day, it indeed becomes very tiresome after gruelling 100 over games.

With PTI inputs

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ODI World Cup: ICC Sends 'Participation Agreement' Reminder To Pakistan

International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday that Pakistan had signed a participation agreement to compete in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup this year in October-November. Notably, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday that it is currently liaising with the Pakistan government for guidance and clearance to tour India for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 and will communicate the outcome to ICC. "Pakistan have signed a participation agreement to compete and we expect them to be there and have had no indications to the contrary," said a statement from ICC on the matter.

"All Members have to abide by the rules and the laws of their country and we respect that. But we're confident Pakistan will be in India for the Men's Cricket World Cup," added the statement.

PCB's statement came after the schedule for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 was announced.

"The PCB requires the Government of Pakistan's clearance for any tour to India, including the match venues. We are liaising with our government for guidance, and as soon as we hear something from them, we will update the Event Authority (ICC). This position is consistent with what we had told the ICC a couple of weeks ago when they shared with us the draft schedule and sought our feedback," said the statement from PCB.

PCB's participation in ICC CWC 2023, to be held entirely in India for the first time ever, has been a widely-debated subject ever since Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary and Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president Jay Shah announced last year that Asia Cup 2023 will be held at a neutral venue instead of being hosted by Pakistan.

PCB expressed numerous times since then that it could pose a threat to Pakistan's participation in the 2023 CWC under threat.

PCB proposed a hybrid model for the Asia Cup where India gets to play all of its matches at some neutral venue, which later turned out to be Sri Lanka.

Asian Cricket Council (ACC) earlier in June announced a hybrid model for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023, with Pakistan set to host four matches out of 13, while the remaining nine games will be played in Sri Lanka.

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal will compete in 13 exciting ODI matches from August 31 to September 17, 2023.

ACC released an official statement to announce the dates and reveal that the competition will feature two groups, with two teams from each group qualifying for the Super Four stage. The top two teams from the Super Four stage will then face off in the final.

"We are delighted to announce that the Asia Cup 2023 will be held from 31st to 17th September 2023 and will see the elite teams from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Nepal, compete in a total of 13 exciting ODI matches. The tournament will be hosted in a hybrid model with four matches being held in Pakistan, and the remaining nine matches being played in Sri Lanka," ACC announced in a statement.

The opening match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, featuring defending champions England and runner-up New Zealand, is set to commence on October 5 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Ten teams will feature in this biggest Cricket World Cup ever, to be played across 10 venues from October 5 to November 19, with the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad hosting the tournament opener and the final. The event will feature 48 matches to be played across 46 days.

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"Our Type Of Conditions...": Akram Reacts As ICC Announces ODI WC Schedule

Pakistan great Wasim Akram believes his former side has enough quality in their ranks to be a major player at this year's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. Wasim was part of the famous team that helped Pakistan claim their only World Cup title at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 1992, and the legendary pacer thinks a second trophy can be clinched if their best players can remain fit and in form. Pakistan are led by the No.1-ranked ODI batter in Babar Azam and have an experienced group of players to support him.

ICC on Tuesday announced the schedule of the One Day international (ODI) of the World Cup, with the first match to be played between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat's Ahmedabad on October 5.

India and Pakistan will square off at the same venue on October 15, the ICC announced.

The final will also be played at the same venue.

Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman will be among the key batters, while Pakistan can turn to a pace attack that includes Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.

All the ingredients are there for Pakistan to be among the favourites to claim a second World Cup title this year and Wasim expects the conditions that teams will face in India during the tournament will also favour his former side.

"We have a good side...a very good one-day side and are led by one of the modern-day greats in Babar Azam," Wasim Akram told the ICC.

"As long as they are fit and as long as they play according to the plan, they will have a chance of doing well in that World Cup because it is played in our type of conditions in India on the sub-continent," the former Pakistan captain said.

Pakistan won five of their nine matches at the most recent edition of the 50-over World Cup, but narrowly missed out on qualifying for the semi-finals of the 2019 event due to inferior net run rate.

Their form since that tournament has been excellent, with Babar's side having lost just nine 50-over contests since then to currently be ranked second on the ODI team rankings.

Babar has been a model of consistency during that strong run, with the right-hander having scored eight of his 18 ODI centuries since the 2019 tournament to maintain his stranglehold on the premier position in the ODI batter rankings.

Wasim is a massive fan of Babar and would not be surprised to see the inspirational Pakistan skipper raise his game even further during the World Cup.

"I think he can (get better) as he is the best player we have," Wasim noted.

"The whole country follows him, everything he does. He gets people into the stadium and it doesn't matter whether it is T20, one-dayers or Test cricket and, in my opinion, he has the most beautiful cover drive in the world."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Sri Lanka Down Scotland To Bolster Cricket World Cup Hopes

Sri Lanka defeated Scotland by 82 runs Tuesday to advance to the Super Six stage of the Cricket World Cup qualifiers with maximum points, while Ireland secured a consolation win over the United Arab Emirates. Opener Pathum Nissanka made 75 and Charith Asalanka scored 63 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 245 in Bulawayo, with Scotland spinners Chris Greaves (4-32) and Mark Watt (3-52) combining for seven wickets.

Scotland slid to 73-5 in reply and were eventually dismissed for just 163 after two run outs in the same over sealed their fate despite an enterprising 56 not out from Greaves.

Sri Lanka, the 1996 champions, go through as winners of Group B and will start on four points in the next round ahead of matches against the Netherlands, Zimbabwe and the West Indies.

Scotland carry over two points following Sunday's win over Oman, the third team to qualify from the section. The next phase of the tournament begins Thursday when hosts Zimbabwe play Oman. The top two finishers in the Super Six will qualify for the World Cup in India in October and November.

Paul Stirling clubbed 162 off 134 balls as Ireland romped to a 138-run victory over the UAE in the other group game between two eliminated nations.

Stirling's knock comprised 15 fours and eight sixes but arrived too late for an Ireland side who lost their first three matches in Zimbabwe.

Captain Andy Balbirnie added 66 and Harry Tector struck a breezy 57 to lift Ireland to a total of 349-4 after they were put in to bat. UAE skipper Muhammad Waseem made 45 before he was bizarrely run out after wandering out of the crease having been hit on the gloves. 

His wicket triggered a collapse that spelled the end of the UAE's hopes despite resistance from Basil Hameed (39) and Sanchit Sharma (44) as they were all out for 211.

Ireland and the UAE head into the play-offs for seventh to 10th place with the United States and Nepal.

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ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Schedule LIVE: Final Likely To Be Held In Ahmedabad

ICC ODI World Cup 2023 Schedule Announcement: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to make a big announcement during an event in Mumbai today (Tuesday, June 27), pertaining to the forthcoming ODI World Cup which is scheduled to be held in India. Certain reports suggest that the schedule for the highly-anticipated event will be released at the event. But, for that to happen, the logjam between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over certain venues would have to be resolved. The PCB has reportedly asked for a few of their matches to be held at different venues. But, the request is unlikely to be entertained by the ICC and the BCCI. 

Here are the LIVE updates from the ICC Cricket World Cup Schedule Announcement from Mumbai:

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Watch: LSG Apologise To Kailash Kher. The Reason Is Shreyas Iyer's Singing

India batter Shreyas Iyer is one of the most prolific players of the current time. Making his international debut in 2017, the 28-year-old has played 42 ODIs, 49 T20Is, and 10 Tests and scored 3,340 runs for Team India, so far. Currently, Iyer has been out of action since March due to injury. Apart from shining with the bat, Iyer has also got another talent that was left undiscovered till now. IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants have showcased the singing talent of Iyer and also issued an apology.

Taking to Twitter, LSG posted a video, showing Iyer taking up the viral Instagram "Saiyaan" trend. In this trend, he was joined by DC batter Aman Khan and Mumbai Indians and LSG players Hardik Tamore and Suryansh Shedge. 

We're sorry, Kailash Kher pic.twitter.com/U88ueEaRkd

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) June 26, 2023

"We're sorry, Kailash Kher," the caption of the video read. Notably, "Saiyaan" is popular song, sung by Bollywood singer Kailash Kher and it has been viral on Instagram as people make reels on it. 

According to ESPNCricinfo, India's ace bowler Jasprit Bumrah and batter Shreyas Iyer are looking to mark their comeback in India's squad for the Asia Cup 2023. 

Bumrah has been out of action since September 2022 owing to a back injury and as a result, missed the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. He has been notably out for the last eight to nine months due to a back injury. In April, Bumrah underwent surgery on his lower back in New Zealand. 

While Shreyas, in April decided to opt for back surgery for his recurring lower-back injury. He was constantly troubled by a bulging disc in his lower back. Due to this, he had to abort playing the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in March in Ahmedabad. He then underwent surgery in London in May.

He was advised to rest and is continuing his rehab. The injury had first ruled him out of the final Test against Australia during the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy and he also missed the ODI series against the visitors.

(With ANI Inputs)

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"Virat And...": Amir Names 2 Indians Among 3 Favourite Batters. No Rohit

While there is intense competition between India and Pakistan on the cricket field, there is often huge adulation shared between cricketers of both the sides. The same is the case with Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir. Ex-India captain Virat Kohli has often lauded the fast bowler and the Pakistani has also admitted his respect for Kohli, the batter. In a recent video, Amir mentioned that he considers Virat Kohli and Babar Azam among his top-three favourite batters. Surprisingly, for his third choice he picked up the young Shubman Gill.

"Virat [Kohli], Babar is my favourite apart from T20s. He is my favourite in Tests and ODIs. Finally, Shubman Gill, as I feel he will be the next big thing for India in future, if he maintains his current form," Amir was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan on his YouTube channel.

As far as bowlers were concerned, Amir named New Zealand pacer Trent Boult as his number one choice.  "[Trent] Boult, he is number one for me, then Naseem Shah. These are bowlers, who I feel are complete bowlers and can play all formats. And third would be Mitchell Starc," he added.

The Indian cricket team will embark on a tour of West Indies next month. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has questioned the selectors over the appointment of Ajinkya Rahane as vice-captain of the Test team for the upcoming tour of West Indies. 

While Rohit Sharma will lead the team in both formats, Rahane's appointment as vice-captain has raised several eyebrows. Rahane was recalled to the side for the WTC Final against Australia, and was India's top performer with the bat in the match.

"There is nothing wrong in having him [Ajinkya Rahane] as the vice-captain, but a missed opportunity to groom a young player. At least, tell a young player that we are looking at you as a future captain. So, he starts to think as a future leader," Gavaskar said on Sports Today.

The legendary batter picked not one but three players who can replace Rohit in the future. "One is Shubman Gill and the other is Axar Patel [as future captains] because Axar comes in leaps and bounds, he just gets better every match. Giving him the responsibility as vice-captain will make them think. So, these are the two candidates in my view. If there are others, somebody like Ishan Kishan, once he cements his place in the team. He can come in the reckoning as well," he added.

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"Won't Get A Game...": Australia Great's Explosive Take On England Star

Former Australian cricket team skipper Michael Clarke was extremely critical of England fast bowler Ollie Robinson and said that he needs to concentrate on his bowling more than on-field antics. Robinson received a lot of flak for giving a send-off to Usman Khawaja during the first Ashes Test in Edgbaston. The visitors were able to power through on the final day of the match and register a brilliant two-wicket victory. In a recent interaction, Clarke said that Robinson is currently playing for England because bigger names like Jofra Archer and Chris Wood are out of action while suggesting that he needs to prove himself more before losing his temper on the field.

"He needs to shoosh," Clarke said on the Big Sports Breakfast.

"If England were fully fit you wouldn't even get a game, Ollie. If Jofra Archer was playing, or if (Chris) Wood had been playing and was fully fit, old mate - I don't know what town he plays for - he'd be back playing clubbies. I actually don't know what he's doing. If James Anderson is saying all this, he's got street cred. He's played 180 Test matches , he's got a lot of wickets. This dude has been around for five minutes."

"He needs to concentrate on taking wickets .. Ollie, just keep taking five-fors and then you can say what you like," he added.

Meanwhile, veteran fast bowler James Anderson on Saturday vowed England would be "more positive, more aggressive, more entertaining" when they look to level the Ashes series at Lord's next week.

Australia won the opening Test at Edgbaston by two wickets after England skipper Ben Stokes had declared his team's first innings at 393 for eight.

Some critics said that decision allowed Australia to keep a foot in the door of the match which they then gratefully exploited.

"I think we'll go more positive, more aggressive, more entertaining," said 40-year-old Anderson who endured a tough first Test in which he took just one wicket.

"We want to try and make sure people go home happy as they did each day at Edgbaston," he added.

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Pak Board Elections Delayed 2 Ex Committee Members Approach Court: Report

The process to elect the new Pakistan Cricket Board chairman might be delayed with two members of the former management committee approaching the Lahore High Court. The Lahore High Court will on Monday head two petitions filed by former PCB management committee members Shakil Sheikh and Gul Zada against the election process to bring in Zaka Ashraf as the chairman and the legality of the Board of Governors which will elect the new chief. The petitioners have requested the honourable judge to stay the elections of the chairman and suspend the BOG until it gives a verdict on their petitions.

“It is a tricky situation because the election commissioner and acting Chairman of the board has set June 27 as the date for holding election for new Chairman after the changes made to the Board of Governors,” one source in the board said.

Ironically, when Ashraf had become PCB chairman way back in 2012, he had faced similar legal challenges from his predecessor, Najam Sethi, and was even ordered to vacate his position once by the Supreme Court.

The PCB patron-in-chief, who happens to be the country's Prime Minister, nominates two candidates to the BOG and one of them is elected as chairman.

This time after incumbent Sethi had withdrawn from the election race, the premier nominated Zaka Ashraf and Mustafa Ramday as his candidates on the PCB's BOG.

The uncertainty in Pakistan cricket comes at a time when the ICC and BCCI are set to announce the schedule for the ODI World Cup on Tuesday.

“It will be a bad situation for Pakistan cricket if the Lahore High Court issues any stay order on the petitions today. Because at a time when the PCB is faced with many challenges from the ICC and BCCI, it is important to have a proper elected chairman,” a senior official of the board said.

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Zimbabwe vs United States Live Score Updates ICC World Cup Qualifier

Zimbabwe vs United States, ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifiers, Live Updates: Zimbabwe will be going up against United States of America in last Group A clash of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifiers on Monday at the Harare Sports Club, Harare. Zimbabwe are currently at the top of the points table with three victories in all the three matches they have played. They have also qualified into the Super 6 stage of the tournament. On the other hand, United Stated have lost all the three matches they have played so far and are eliminated from the race of Super 6. (Live Scorecard)

Here are the Live Updates from the ICC World Cup Qualifier match between Zimbabwe and USA from Harare:

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West Indies vs Netherlands Live Score Updates ICC World Cup Qualifier

West Indies vs Netherlands, ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifiers, Live Updates: West Indies will be taking on Netherlands in their last Group A clash of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifiers on Monday at the Takashinga Sports Club, Harare. Both West Indies and Netherlands have qualified for the Super 6 stage of the tournament. The Shai Hope-led team will be coming to this match after facing a 35-run defeat against Zimbabwe. On the other hand, Netherlands registered a victory by 7 wickets against Nepal in their previous match. (Live Scorecard)

Here are the Live Updates from the ICC World Cup Qualifier match between West Indies and Netherlands from Harare:

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Not MS Dhoni! Sunil Gavaskar Calls India Legend 'Original Captain Cool'

MS Dhoni is widely regarded as ‘Captain Cool' for his calm and composed demeanour on the field even in the toughest of conditions. Over the years, his captaincy style has been praised by experts and fans alike with the nickname becoming almost synonymous with the former Indian cricket team skipper. However, legendary India opener Sunil Gavaskar believes that there is another contender for that nickname. In a recent interaction with Times of India, Gavaskar said that Kapil Dev is the original ‘Captain Cool' and reminisced about his all-round performance in the 1983 World Cup.

"Kapil's performances with both bat and ball were dazzling to say the least. Not to forget his catch of Viv Richards in the final. His captaincy was dynamic, exactly what the format required, and his ready smile even when a player dropped a catch or mis-fielded makes him the original captain cool."

India started the 1983 World Cup as underdogs but they went on to claim the title after defeating the defending champions West Indies in the final. Kapil Dev performed brilliantly with both bat and ball and his catch to dismiss Viv Richards has gone down in the pages of history.

Gavaskar also joked that the moment India won the 1983 World Cup could have made for a great advertisement for a toothpaste as all the players and staff were constantly smiling.

"It's hard to put in words what those moments after the win felt like. It would have made a great advert for toothpaste as everybody around us were laughing and smiling and to see that was simply heart-lifting," he added.

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'Show Your Presence Like Kohli...': Ex-Pak Star's Strong Message For Rohit

With India set to tour West Indies next month, the BCCI announced the squads for the Test and ODI series earlier this week. Rohit Sharma will lead the side in both formats, while Ajinkya Rahane and Hardik Pandya will deputise him in Tests and ODIs, respectively. In another big development, veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara was axed from the team, following his poor outing with the bat in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. While analysing India's squad, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal shared his views on the upcoming tour.

Akmal said that while India captain Rohit Sharma has done well during his short stint as India's Test captain so far, he needs to show a bit more authority on the field, just like his predecessor Virat Kohli.

"It's a balanced team. Indian team needs to have a good start. I want Rohit Sharma to do better with captaincy. Show your presence on the ground like Virat Kohli used to do. He has got a chance. (Having said that), Rohit Sharma has done a decent job so far after what went down with the Kohli saga," Akmal said on his YouTube channel.

Despite praising the selectors, Akmal questioned the exclusion of Sarfaraz Khan and Umran Malik.

"There is always a debate regarding one or two players. One player which comes to my mind after seeing the records is Sarfaraz Khan. Playing him wasn't possible but he should've travelled with the team. You could've given him a single that we are not ignoring you and there's always a chance of you coming in in the future. There was the perfect tour to put him in the squad. Also, Umran Malik, with the pace he has got, could've been lethal. The pitch is dry in West Indies and with the Dukes ball, there will be reverse swing," he added.

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"Kohli Has Same Average...": Ex-India Star Questions Pujara's Exclusion

After Cheteshwar Pujara was dropped from India's Test squad for the side's upcoming two-match Test series in West Indies, former India cricketer Akash Chopra pointed out that his average has been same as that of Virat Kohli in the past three years in the longest format. The announced team for the Tests and three-match ODI series against West Indies has put the selectors once again under the radar of critics. The snub of Pujara from India's Test squad has not been taken well by many former cricketers and Chopra is also among them.

"Now that Pujara is not there in the squad. The question is 'is the decision right?'. I am not going to make an opinion. I'm only going to show a few numbers of Indian batters in Test cricket in the last three years. Rohit Sharma has scored the most runs with an average of 43 in 18 matches. Shubman Gill averages 32 in 16 matches and KL Rahul 30 in 11 matches. Pujara has an average of 29.69 in 28 matches. Kohli, during the same period, also has the same average as Pujara. Kohli has played three matches more than Pujara but their averages are identical. Ajinkya Rahane, who has played 20 matches, has the poorest average, which is 26.50," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"So these are the numbers based on which I think Pujara has been axed. You should never say never because when Ajinkya Rahane has come back like that. Cheteshwar Pujara was also dropped in between, and his performance was amazing in county cricket due to which he was given a place again in the team. He did well too but now it seems, the next WTC cycle is starting, he is not getting younger by the day and maybe the Indian team has started to look into a different direction," he added.

India's first Test against West Indies will be starting on July 12 at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica. The second and final game of the series will kick off on July 20 at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad.

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"Changing Venues... Advantage For Pakistan In WC": R Ashwin's Blunt Take

India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has shared his views after reports emerged that the Pakistan cricket team is not "comfortable" playing some of the participating teams at specific venues during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, including Afghanistan in Chennai and Australia in Bengaluru. The deadlock over the Asia Cup staging has ended and now Pakistan are expected to travel to India for the World Cup in October-November. Talking about Pakistan's reported request for a change in venues, Ashwin opined that it would be considered by ICC only if the side makes any "valid security reasons".

It is worth noting that ICC is yet to announce the schedule of World Cup 2023.

"Pakistan's interesting request to switch venues. The fixture now is, Pakistan playing Australia in Bangalore and Afghanistan in Chennai. They want the venues interchanged. Only if there is a security reason, ICC will consider these requests," said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.

"Pakistan, in their request letter itself, have mentioned that conditions will favor Afghanistan in Chennai. So, by changing venues, it plays into an advantage for Pakistan. So, I highly doubt that ICC will heed to this request. Maybe if Pakistan have given some valid security reasons, then it might be shifted," added the veteran India player.

Playing Afghanistan in spin-friendly Chennai would mean facing the likes of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad, who did well for Gujarat Titans in the 2023 Indian Premier League. Meanwhile, conditions in Bengaluru are usually batting friendly and it is hard to understand why Pakistan would have reservations playing Australia at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

(With PTI Inputs)

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"Wild Arrogance On Part Of England...": Ex-Australia Star's Startling Take

Former Australian pace bowler Brett Geeves believes England's ultra-aggressive approach is likely to backfire during the Ashes, adding that the declaration on day one of the first Test at Edgbaston was a sign of "wild arrogance" on the part of Ben Stokes' side. England had declared their first innings on 393 for eight despite Joe Root batting on an unbeaten 118, and the home side could have easily scored a few more, which could have given them a psychological advantage. The decision to declare was criticised by several experts and Australia went on to win the thrilling Test by two wickets.

Geeves, who has played one ODI and two T20Is for Australia and has been a successful first-class bowler, said 'Bazball' -- the term coined for England's overly aggressive and result-oriented style of play -- is unlikely to work against Australia.

"It (Bazball) sets them (England) up to fail and to me it kind of feels like 'even if we lose we're playing the best cricket and we have won anyway," Geeves told Sen Radio on Saturday.

"That's not how it works. Particularly against Australia in the Ashes," opined the 41-year-old.

He said it was "disrespectful" on the part of England coach Brendon McCullum to tell his players that he was proud of them despite the defeat. Geeves opined, the coach was undermining the efforts of the Australians by saying this.

"There was (an) article that I was reading that quotes Brendon McCullum in terms of their loss, they're in the changer rooms and Brendon spoke first and he says; 'Lads, I am immensely proud of the effort you put in. We have made the game what it was. We were so close to pulling off an unbelievable victory. We played all the cricket in the game. If it wasn't for us the Australians wouldn't have even had a chance to win'." "It is just a really disrespectful approach to the performances of Pat Cummins and the performance of the run chase and their ability to hold England to 276 in the best batting conditions of the game." Australia skipper Cummins scored an unbeaten 44 and partner Nathan Lyon struck 16 not out, when the chips were down, to take the visitors to the winning target of 282 set by England.

Geeves indicated Australia have a few tricks up their sleeve and they will continue to improve as the five-Test series progresses.

"Australia's still got some improvement. They'll get a little bit more out of their batting list as the series progresses and strategically if they can get their mindset right from a fielding and strategy standpoint, I think they are going to do very well.

"In particular if England have this mindset of wild arrogance and that's what that declaration was. It was wildly arrogant to think that (8/393) was enough in the first innings on a very flat wicket.

"And yes, absolutely, they (Australia) won the game on the back of the English's ridiculously dumb declaration. There is no doubt that England played a part in their win." He said that had England not declared and scored another 50-60 runs, they could have batted Australia out of the contest.

"They (England) could have come back the next day and tried to bat for another 50 or 60 runs which would have batted Australia out of the game, only one team would have been able to win the game had they made 450 or 460 and that was England," he said.

"It's because of the arrogance surrounding their approach to the game. 8/393 declared, you don't do that in Test match cricket. You don't do that across a five-day game when Joe Root is 118 not out." The second Test begins at Lord's on Jun 28.

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Zimbabwe vs West Indies ICC World Cup Qualifier: Live Score And Updates

Zimbabwe vs West Indies, ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifier LIVE: West Indies and Zimbabwe, the two table-toppers in the Group A, square-off in a decisive ICC World Cup 2023 qualifier match on Saturday at Harare. Both West Indies and Zimbabwe are yet to lose a single contest in the qualifying campaign but only one will emerge victorious in the contest. Zimbabwe's Sean Williams and West Indies' Shai Hope are among the top-scoring batters in the World Cup qualifiers. Stopping them will be crucial for the respective opponent teams today. (LIVE Scorecard)

Here are the live score and updates from the ICC World Cup qualifier match between West Indies and Zimbabwe from Harare:

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"Future In All Formats": Sunil Gavaskar On India Star Snubbed For WI Tour

Left-arm India pacer Arshdeep Singh, who had a decent IPL 2023, failed to find a spot in the Indian team's ODI squad for the upcoming tour to West Indies. The Rohit Sharma-led side is scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against the Caribbean side with the matches on July 27, July 29 and August 1. While Delhi Capitals pacer Mukesh Kumar got a maiden national call-up, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik were rest of the pacers India selected for the 50-over matches vs West Indies.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that the omission from India's ODI squad could be a blessing in disguise for Arshdeep as it would encourage the pacer to improve his game and give back-to-back impressive performances to regain his spot into the nation's ODI squad.

"Sometimes maybe being left out of the team is also great incentive to try and pick up heaps of wickets. Maybe that is what Arshdeep needs to do. He needs to pick 5-fors continuously and then he will be automatically picked for the team," Gavaskar told Sports Today.

Meanwhile, Gavaskar also put his trust in the left-arm pacer and claimed that he is going to play a crucial role for Team India across all three formats.

"He is the future in all formats. He has already started to do little bit well in England in county cricket. Just like Jaspreet Bumrah came on as a T20 bowler and went on to spearhead the Indian bowling attack. Arshdeep Singh is somebody who can play all formats of the game and you need to encourage him to do that," said the legend.

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"The Franchise Route...": Indian Star's Subtle IPL Dig At BCCI Selectors

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is arguably the most lucrative T20 league in the world. The IPL has been a great talent breeding ground in the Indian spectrum. While picking-up white-ball players with IPL performances as reference makes sense, should Test selection also be made on the basis of IPL performances? As the India Test squad for the West Indies tour was picked, Yashasvi Jaiswal's inclusion became a subject of intense chatter on social media. While there's no denying that Jaiswal was in superlative form in the IPL for Rajasthan Royals, many feel it's his performances in the T20 league that earned him a spot in the Test team.

Indian batter Abhinav Mukund, taking to Twitter, questioned the selection committee's process of picking players. He took a subtle dig at the selectors for giving more weightage to IPL performances than First Class cricket.

"Unable to understand these selections- too many thoughts in my head to compile into a tweet. But what is the incentive for a young player to take pride in playing for his state anymore? Clearly, the franchise route is a faster way to scale the grade," he tweeted.

Unable to understand these selections- too many thoughts in my head to compile into a tweet. But what is the incentive for a young player to take pride in playing for his state anymore? Clearly the franchise route is a faster way to scale the grade. #INDvsWI

— Abhinav Mukund (@mukundabhinav) June 23, 2023

Abhinav's comments come in after there's been plenty of debate over the absence of domestic stars like Sarfaraz Khan and Abhimanyu Easwaran from India's Test team.

The likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad, on the other hand, were picked for the West Indies tour after a prolific season in the IPL with their respective franchises.

Much like Mukund, former India cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Aakash Chopra have been left baffled over certain selection calls that the BCCI made for the West Indies tour. The absence of 'Test specialist' Cheteshwar Pujara is also one.

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Watch: When Virat Kohli Gave Ollie Robinson A Taste Of His Own Medicine

England pacer Ollie Robinson has been a constant subject of chatter on social media ever since the Ashes 2023 started. His on-field duels with Usman Khawaja were well documented. Some of the words he used on the field for the Australia batter earned him plenty of flak. But, it isn't the first time Robinson is being a 'big mouth' on the field. Even during India's tour of England in 2021, the seamer had drawn flak for his antics on the field. The then-India skipper Virat Kohli even got into a verbal duel with Robinson, and fair to say that Kohli emerged victorious.

During the second Test of the India tour, Kohli decided to give Robinson a taste of his own medicine.

How boring was your innings? How boring was your innings? (Indicating at Robinson) - Maybe, that's how you survive in a test match," Kohli said, before adding: "Come on, big mouth (Robinson), Gonna bring your sheets today?" Here's the video:

I want to see Aussies do this to Ollie Robinson in the next test pic.twitter.com/Nskmp5dzBz

— ABBA Fan (@_Blindinho_) June 23, 2023

The emotions on the field changed among Indian palyers after Jasprit Bumrah bowled a few bouncers at James Anderson in the first innings.

During the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston, Robinson used some avoidable words for Khawaja, and backed up his stance saying former Australia captain Ricky Ponting also used to sledge players in this manner.

Unhappy to see his name being dragged in the controversy, Ponting gave a sharp reply to Robinson.

"As I said after Ollie Robinson said what he said, this England cricket team hasn't played against Australia, and they'll find out pretty quickly what playing Ashes cricket and playing against a good Australian cricket team is all about," Ponting said. "And if Robinson hasn't learned that already after last week, then he's a slow learner."

When Robinson was asked about his episode with Khawaja, he said he didn't mind how the Australians were taking his actions as he has come to "provide the theatre of the game".

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"Didn't Make Sense...": Ex-Pak Batter Critical Of 'Arrogant' Stokes And Co

England won a number of fans with their ‘Bazball' approach to cricket but it was not enough against Australia as they were beaten by two wickets in the first Ashes Test in Edgbaston. Even the decision by England skipper Ben Stokes to declare the first innings towards the end of Day 1 was met with a lot of criticism. Former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt said that it was ‘arrogant' of England to declare the innings early and that came back to haunt them in the Edgbaston Test.

“You have to adapt according to the situation. There are no guarantees that all of your batters will score in every match just because you have batting depth. If you're set, you have to score big. You can't rely on others to make up for the failure. Everyone is aggressive in this England team, some are even overly-aggressive. A batsman is playing on 130, he's set, you have 10-odd overs, you're on 393, have a chance to add 50-60 runs more, so why did you declare?” Butt said on his official YouTube channel.

Butt also expressed his views on ‘Bazball' and made it clear that England should not underestimate Australia at any point of the ongoing Ashes Test series.

“It didn't make sense. You have a five-day Test. They thought they will dismiss Australia early. I think they underestimated the opponents, it was an arrogant declaration. Australia aren't walkovers. In Pakistan, our bowlers were inexperienced. Even if it was our best bowling, even they didn't have that much of experience in Tests. We had three debutants in bowling attack, our emphasis had been on shorter formats. On the other hand, Australia are Test champions, they prefer Test cricket. They are ready to leave IPL for Tests. You can't take that team lightly,” he further said.

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"Wonderful Opportunity Missed": Gavaskar On India's Test Team For WI Tour

Cheteshwar Pujara, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami missed out as Team India named squad for the two-match Test series against West Indies, starting July 12. Jaydev Unadkat kept his spot while Delhi Capitals pacer Mukesh Kumar received his maiden India call-up. Navdeep Saini too was called into the team in the longest format. While some youngsters have been called in for the two matches, the team is more or less the same with Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel forming the core.

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that Team India has missed a "wonderful opportunity" by not giving chance to more youngsters for the Tests against West Indies. The cricket veteran suggested that the players who are certain to play ODI World Cup in October-November this year should have focussed only on playing white-ball cricket onwards.

"The World Test Championship is gone. We missed out over there. Now the next big thing really is the (ODI) World Cup in October and therefore I would have wanted for the big boys to be given a complete break from Test cricket. Now look only at the white-ball cricket, not red-ball cricket. Give them a complete break who are certain to play World Cup. They have been playing non-stop cricket for 3-4 months. They barely had a break," said Gavaskar on Sports Today.

"Had they given break to every senior player and played a few more younger players, that would have done Indian cricket a world of good. But that sadly hasn't happened. I think a wonderful opportunity was missed," he added.

The West Indies series begins a new chapter for the Indian team, as they prepare to go the distance in the WTC 2023-25 cycle.

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