All posts by csb10.top

Doubts need to be allayed nearly every day in the IPL, but Ajinkya Rahane made a good start to his captaincy stint at Kolkata Knight Riders, scoring 56 off 31, but KKR failed to capitalise on the breathtaking partnership between him and Sunil Narine. Put in, they were 107 for 2 in ten overs when Narine was dismissed for 44 off 26 but added only a further 67 in the second half. The death overs went at under a run a ball.Krunal Pandya led the comeback of Royal Challengers Bengaluru with the wickets of Rahane, Rinku Singh and Venkatesh Iyer in an overall analysis of 4-0-29-3. Suyash Sharma, the former KKR player who got off to a poor start, made a big contribution in his final over with the wicket of Andre Russell with a wrong’un.The drying up of the runs in the end was not too different to how Josh Hazlewood forced KKR into a slow start. The first three overs brought just nine runs and the wicket of Quinton de Kock. The new ball stopped a little and went a little up and down.Once Rahane got started with a gift on the leg side, the next seven overs produced 98 runs. Rahane was brutal, putting a low price on his wicket and taking risks every time he could. Narine went from 1 off eight to score 43 off the next 18 balls he faced. It involved taking down his former team-mate, legspinner Suyash, whom he played like an offspinner.Krunal, though, pulled things back once Narine got out to Rasikh Salam. He even tried a bouncer in a spell in which he kept changing the pace often. Two of his three wickets were bowled, which was a tribute to his accuracy.Hazlewood and Yash Dayal closed out superbly for RCB to give them what looked like an easy target provided Narine and Varun Chakravarthy didn’t cause much damage.

Moeen Ali intends to retire from English domestic cricket after the T20 Blast and will skip the Hundred in 2025, ESPNcricinfo has learned.Moeen, 37, has remained active on the franchise circuit since announcing his international retirement in September. His decision to quit English cricket will enable him to take up further opportunities overseas as he heads into the final stages of his career, with the ECB’s policy on No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) otherwise limiting his movement during the English summer.Now in the third and final year of his contract with Warwickshire, Moeen will accelerate his move into coaching during the T20 Blast this year with a player-coach role at Birmingham Bears and has decided to skip the Hundred. It is understood that he will not be available to play in the knockout stages in September, should the Bears qualify.Moeen has captained Birmingham Phoenix across the first four seasons of the Hundred but will not play for them in 2025. The eight Hundred teams had until 1pm on Monday to finalise their retentions for 2025, keeping hold of up to 10 players in both the men’s and women’s competitions at a mutually-agreed salary band.Related

• Tim David signs with defending champions St Lucia Kings for CPL 2025

• Ben Stokes to miss Hundred ahead of legacy-defining Ashes winter

• Hales to miss Blast, Hundred after signing Knight Riders deal

• Vince: Why I quit red-ball cricket – and others will follow

• 'Felt the time was right' – Moeen retires from international cricket

Moeen joins his long-time England team-mate Alex Hales in skipping the Hundred this year as a result of the ECB’s hardline stance on NOCs, which is designed to stop players picking and choosing which leagues they play in during the English summer. James Vince, Hampshire’s captain, recently spoke out about the stance in an interview with ESPNcricinfo, after confirming his retirement from red-ball cricket ahead of this season.Hales confirmed last week that he will not play at Trent Bridge this year, and has instead signed with the Knight Riders franchises in Major League Cricket and the Caribbean Premier League. Moeen’s decision could see him return to Guyana Amazon Warriors in mid-August, having represented the franchise in the CPL and the inaugural Global Super League last year.Warwickshire confirmed ESPNcricinfo’s story on Monday afternoon. “This is a big decision for me and not one I’ve taken lightly,” Moeen said in a club statement. “But I’ve reached a decision in the last few days, taking into account what I feel is best for me and my family at this stage in my career.”I’m still passionate about the game and want to play as much as I can. I still love playing. I still have passion for the game and I love being in a team environment. “I also enjoy talking to players about cricket, the tactics, and I think that’ll help me move smoothly into coaching after my playing days are over.”I came back to Warwickshire with an aim of trying to help them win the Blast and I still want to play a role this year. I’ll be available to play throughout the Blast group games, and would love to be involved as a player-coach.”Moeen has stayed active on the franchise circuit since his international retirement•Getty Images

Moeen is not the only England player set to leave the Phoenix, with Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes also departing. ESPNcricinfo understands that London Spirit have lined Smith up as their designated centrally-contracted player, while Welsh Fire are thought to be interested in bringing Woakes in.The Phoenix’s men narrowly missed out on the final last year and have retained a strong core. Jacob Bethell, Liam Livingstone, Ben Duckett, Dan Mousley, Will Smeed and Benny Howell are all staying put, while Dan Vettori’s side will field an all-New Zealand pace attack comprising Adam Milne, Tim Southee and new direct signing Trent Boult.At least two other Hundred teams are releasing their men’s captains. Lewis Gregory, who captained Trent Rockets to the 2022 title, is set to head back into March’s draft, as is Dan Lawrence, who captained London Spirit for the last two seasons but will be replaced in the role by new signing Kane Williamson.Moeen, who is studying for his ECB Level Three coaching qualifications, will form part of a new-look Warwickshire coaching staff during the Blast, with Ian Westwood replacing Mark Robinson as head coach and Matt Walker joining as batting coach after leaving Kent. The Blast starts on May 30, soon after Moeen returns from his IPL commitments with Kolkata Knight Riders.2.45pm GMT – This story was updated after confirmation from Warwickshire.

Head coach Aaqib Javed promised that Pakistan could prepare a spin-friendly wicket anywhere in the country, and the first day of the second Test against West Indies in Multan demonstrated he had kept his promise. Spin ran riot once more, as 20 wickets fell and both sides wrapped up within nine runs of each other. A hat-trick from Noman Ali, the first by a Pakistani spinner in Tests, saw Pakistan tear through the visitors in the morning session.West Indies were reduced to 54 for 8 at one stage, before a remarkable recovery from the last three batters dragged them to the relative safety of 163. It became clear that two of them could play the spin game when West Indies got the ball in hand. Kemar Roach ripped through Pakistan’s top order, while Jomel Warrican and Gudakesh Motie split seven wickets between them. Only Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel offered resistance as Pakistan folded for 154.West Indies got their wish in the morning when they won the toss, allowing them to bat first. But they took little time running into trouble when Mikyle Louis poked behind to Rizwan, and got Pakistan up and running in the second over. Debutant Amir Jangoo was struck plumb in front by Sajid Khan five balls later, and Pakistan were on their way.Related

• Noman Ali paying no heed to pitch criticism as second Test becomes 'a one-innings match'

• Stats – Noman Ali first Pakistan spinner to take a hat-trick in Tests

• Shan Masood defends spin-it-to-win-it strategy

• Aaqib Javed says Pakistan's spinning pitches are here to stay

Kraigg Brathwaite and Kavem Hodge put together a brief partnership that saw off fast bowler Kashif Ali, and initially held off the spinners. But once that stand was punctured, bloodletting followed. West Indies lost five wickets in the next 13 balls that reduced them from 32 for 2 to 38 for 7.Three balls at the start of the 12th over from Noman got him his hat-trick with a mixture of deliveries. Justin Greaves’ edge came as a result of a touch of extra bounce, while Tevin Imlach missed a sweep to a straight one. With just about everyone crowding around the bat for the hat-trick ball, Noman pushed it in at pace and found a bit of turn off the pitch. It was much too good for Kevin Sinclair’s tentative prod, and Noman had his hat-trick.However, what transpired in the final hour before lunch showed that while the wicket was highly conducive to spin, it wasn’t necessarily unplayable. West Indies’ bottom three had made history last Test when they became the three highest scorers in an innings for the first time ever, and they repeated the feat in this game. Motie, Roach and Warrican produced a canny mix of resolute temperament and entertaining flair to somewhat steer West Indies out of troubled waters.Jomel Warrican got 4 for 43•AFP/Getty Images

Roach and Motie put on 41 for the ninth wicket before a missed sweep from the former gave Noman his fifth wicket. But Motie and Warrican linked up for another substantial contribution. It was a mix of good-cop, bad-cop as Motie shut the spinners out while Warrican gave them whacks from the other end. Lunch was extended as the final stand went on, and against all odds, went past 137 to get West Indies to their highest score of the series.A whack down the ground from Warrican brought up the 50-partnership before Motie brought up his own half-century. It was only at the stroke of lunch that Motie missed a slog sweep off Noman that rattled his off stump, and a session that began with total Pakistan dominance ended on a rather more neutral tenor.West Indies had, in Roach, a fast bowler they trusted even on this surface, and in the first hour, he showed why. Getting the new ball to nip both ways in the air and off the seam, he drew Mohammad Hurraira forward before rapping him on the front pad with one that seamed in, to draw first blood. It was the first of three wickets inside 14 balls.Babar Azam was beaten by the lack of bounce from Motie as he tried to slice off the back foot and missed a cut that saw the ball crash into off stump. The stumps were disturbed once more when Shan Masood played all around another Roach delivery that came back into him, and 163 suddenly seemed a long way off.Jomel Warrican and Gudakesh Motie added 68 runs for the final wicket•PCB

Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam dug in, playing survival cricket in a passage of play that spelled danger for Pakistan. They drew the sting out of the game over the next half an hour, halting West Indies’ momentum and taking the pressure off themselves as the partnership inched up and got Pakistan to 50.After Ghulam’s forward defensive shot to Motie hit him high on the bat and Alick Athanaze took a sharp catch, Shakeel and Rizwan took over. They looked more assured than any batter from either side all day: Shakeel absorbed pressure while Rizwan transferred it back on to the opposition. Providing the clearest template of how to bat in trying circumstances, Rizwan’s use of the feet, manipulation of the fields, and the sweep shot got the runs ticking along, bearing down on West Indies’ first-innings score.But a bit of brilliance in the field, and then with the ball, saw West Indies wrest control back. When Shakeel looked to jab Warrican through midwicket, his mistimed shot interested Roach at long-on. The veteran seamer dived forward at full extension to take a catch that injured him in the process. The wind in his sails, Warrican removed Rizwan soon after with a beauty, as one spun prodigiously to leave Rizwan high and dry halfway down the crease, giving Imlach all the time in the world to whip the bails off.West Indies had none of Pakistan’s problems when it came to running through the lower order. Pakistan went on to lose their last six wickets for 35 runs, the 20th of the day coming courtesy of a mix-up between Sajid and Kashif that resulted in a run-out. It was a gift to the bowlers on a day they had no need for such generosity.

Afghanistan were down at 45 for 4 after seven overs in their pursuit of 128 to beat Zimbabwe in the third T20I, and with that, win the series. That could have been the point at which the game went Zimbabwe’s way. But Faraz Akram then bowled an 11-ball over with five wides to give Afghanistan the breathing space they needed, and the fifth-wicket pair of Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib eased into the repair job.Later, Akram’s bowling colleagues worked hard enough to dismiss Omarzai, Naib and Rashid Khan, and leave Afghanistan needing seven runs in the final over to win the game. But the first ball of the 20th, bowled again by Akram, went for four, and Mohammad Nabi wrapped the chase up with three balls remaining.A sloppy Zimbabwe eventually ended up giving away 17 extras, and have now lost all six of their bilateral T20I series against Afghanistan.[File photo] Brian Bennett has been Zimbabwe’s best batter of late•AFP/Getty Images

Bennett continues to score

After contributing in the T20Is against Pakistan prior to this series, Brian Bennett ended as the highest run-getter across the two sides against Afghanistan with 107 runs. He slapped and sliced Naveen-ul-Haq for fours in the third over, as Zimbabwe went on to put up 31 in four overs despite losing Tadiwanashe Marumani early after being asked to bat.Bennett was the third to fall when he swung Omarzai to Naveen at deep midwicket, having hit four boundaries in his 24-ball 31. Zimbabwe were 57 for 3 one ball into the ninth over, and the slowdown had begun.

Rashid runs through lower-middle order

From being 78 for 3 in the 11th over, Zimbabwe found themselves at 106 for 9 after 17. Rashid bagged four of those six wickets.But the slide had started with Sikandar Raza running out of luck. After a leading edge went over point and a top edge fell short of fine leg in the 11th over, Raza holed out to long leg off Mujeeb Ur Rahman.Mujeeb then had Wessly Madhevere caught for 21, after which Rashid weaved his magic. He trapped Akram in front, had Tashinga Musekiwa pulling to midwicket, saw Richard Ngarava chip to cover off a googly, and pinned Blessingh Muzarabani in front. The last three of those wickets all fell in the 17th over, as Rashid finished with 4 for 27. Although Wellington Masakadza scored 17 not out and added 21 with Trevor Gwandu for the last wicket, Zimbabwe’s 127 was below par.[File photo] Rashid Khan picked up four wickets, including three in one over•Getty Images

Bowlers give Zimbabwe a chance

Ngarava and Muzarabani got some extra bounce with the new ball, leaving Afghanistan at 9 for 2 three overs into the chase. Muzarabani struck first, when he had Sediqullah Atal tickling behind to Marumani. Ngarava then had Zubaid Akbari slashing behind to Marumani, as the ball kicked up from outside off.Rahmanullah Gurbaz then cut and clipped Muzarabani for fours in the fourth over, and he and Darwish Rasooli picked 11 runs off the fifth. But Muzarabani, bowling his third over in a row, found Rasooli’s leading edge, as the ball looped up to point.Raza then brought Gwandu into the attack, and some luck went Zimbabwe’s way immediately. A short ball skidded through without bouncing, and got Gurbaz out lbw. Afghanistan were 44 for 4, but Zimbabwe couldn’t capitalise.

Omarzai, Naib and Nabi take Afghanistan home

The over in which Akram bowled five wides went for ten runs, and Afghanistan hardly looked in trouble after that. Omarzai cut and pulled for boundaries during his stand with Naib, as they otherwise ticked along steadily – they added 48 for the fifth wicket, with the required rate below six runs an over.That is when Raza turned one into Naib, and had him lbw for a run-a-ball 22. Omarzai and new batter Nabi kept going mostly with ones and twos – although Nabi drove Ngarava for four on one occasion – but Raza got a simple return catch from Omarzai, who scored 34 from 37 balls.Afghanistan were left needing another 12 runs from nine balls as things got tight, but Nabi dabbed Gwandu for four behind point to settle the nerves. When he got the boundary to start the final over, bowled by Akram, victory was all but sealed.

Ben Stokes is missing from the list of 1574 players who have registered for the IPL 2025 mega auction to be held on November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.The long list of registered players, which will be pruned by the IPL after receiving input from the franchises, contains all the marquee Indian players who were not retained by their franchises. Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer – who were captains of Delhi Capitals, Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders, respectively, but were not retained – are listed at a base price of INR 2 crore, along with R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal, who were both released by Rajasthan Royals.Mohammed Shami, who hasn’t played any cricket since the 2023 ODI World Cup final in November last year because of various injures, is also listed at a base price of INR 2 crore after not being retained by Gujarat Titans.Related

• IPL 2025 mega auction to be held on November 24, 25 in Jeddah

• IPL 2025 – MI retain their big four; Klaasen retained for INR 23 crore

• Indians and batters dominate retentions, and a major captaincy refresh

• How Mumbai Indians kept their Fab Four for INR 75 crore

The other Indian players with the maximum base price of INR 2 crore are Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Venkatesh Iyer, Avesh Khan, Ishan Kishan, Mukesh Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, T Natarajan, Devdutt Padikkal, Krunal Pandya, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav.Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan, who was unsold in the previous auction, have registered at a base price of INR 75 lakh.Stokes had opted out of IPL 2024 as well to manage his workload and fitness. During the Hundred in August earlier this year, he had suffered a hamstring injury, which sidelined him for two months. According to the IPL rules that were revised this year, an overseas player who does not register for the mega auction will not be allowed to register for the subsequent mini auction, with exceptions only made in case of injuries and/or medical conditions confirmed by the player’s home board. This change was made to discourage players from targeting mini-auctions, where bids for marquee players are typically higher than at mega auctions.Mitchell Starc, who became the most expensive player in IPL history when he was bought for INR 24.50 crore by KKR in 2024, is back in the auction pool at a base price of INR 2 crore. Jofra Archer is also on the list at that same base price, having not played in the IPL since 2023, when he appeared in only five games for Mumbai Indians because of injury issues.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

England fast bowler James Anderson, who has not played a T20 since 2014 and never been part of the IPL, has registered for the auction at a base price of INR 1.25 crore. Anderson retired from international cricket during this English summer and took up the role of bowling coach with the England team.The long list also includes a player from Italy, Thomas Draca, who played from Brampton in the Global T20 Canada. Draca, 24, was more recently picked by MI Emirates for the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE.Each franchise can build a squad of up to 25 players, which means there are 204 slots available at the auction after 46 players were retained across the ten teams from last season.Each team has a total purse of INR 120 crore to build their squads, but following the retention, Punjab Kings have the biggest purse remaining (INR 110.5 crore) to spend at the mega auction, followed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (INR 83 crore), Delhi Capitals (INR 73 crore), Gujarat Titans (INR 69 crore), Lucknow Super Giants (INR 69 crore) Chennai Super Kings (INR 55 crore), Kolkata Knight Riders (INR 51 crore), Mumbai Indians (INR 45 crore), Sunrisers Hyderabad (INR 45 crore), Rajasthan Royals (INR 41 crore).The IPL has allowed teams to retain up to six players this time – of which a maximum of five can be capped and a maximum of two can be uncapped. The six players can either be retained outright ahead of the auction, or can be bought back using Right-to-Match (RTM) options at the auction, or a combination of both.If a player has been bought by another franchise at the mega auction, the franchise that he was part of in IPL 2024 can step in at the end of the bidding process and buy back their player using the RTM option by matching the highest bid. After that, the franchise that made the winning bid will be given another opportunity to raise the bid to whatever amount they wish. In that case, the player’s previous team will have to match the increased bid to buy back their player.Having retained just two players, PBKS have the most RTM options (four) at the auction. RCB, who retained three players, have three while Delhi Capitals, who retained four players, have two. Five teams – MI, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Titans, SRH and LSG – retained five players each and have just one RTM option at the auction, while RR and KKR have no RTM options.There is of course no limit on the number of players a franchise can buy back if they place the highest bids for them during regular bidding at the auction.

Tayla Vlaeminck dislocated her bowling shoulder just moments into Australia’s T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, deepening her shocking run of bad luck with injuries.Vlaeminck was attempting to stop a boundary off Muneeba Ali’s fine edge on just the fourth ball of the match in Dubai on Friday. Running back from short third, Vlaeminck slid but her knee got stuck in the turf as she reached for the ball and flicked it back before tumbling over the rope, crying out and clutching at her shoulder as she did so.Lying on the boundary’s edge clearly in distress as Australia team medical staff rushed to her aid, captain Alyssa Healy looked visibly concerned.Vlaeminck’s shoulder was later relocated and the extent of the injury will be known following further assessment in the coming days.She had come into the side for the big-hitting Grace Harris, adding pace in what Healy described as an “impact for impact” swap in Australia’s first match of the tournament at the ground, having opened their campaign with wins against Sri Lanka and New Zealand on a slower pitch in Sharjah.It is the latest in a long line of injuries for 25-year-old Vlaeminck, playing her first World Cup match since 2018, Australia’s group game against India, and only the second of her career.Vlaeminck dislocated her left shoulder playing for Victoria in the 2017-18 season. Then, during the Australia A tour of England which coincided with last year’s Women’s Ashes, she dislocated the same shoulder again while bowling, which led to corrective surgery.Before she made her debut for Australia, in 2018, she had undergone two ACL reconstructions. Stress fractures in her foot also forced her to miss the 2020 home T20 World Cup as well as the 2022 ODI World Cup, the Commonwealth Games later that year and the 2023 T20 World Cup. Her foot injuries led her to spend time training with professional dancers at the Australian Ballet as part of her rehab work.

Ireland 155 for 7 (Lewis 72) beat England 153 (Beaumont 52, A Maguire 5-19) by three wickets (DLS)Ireland’s women held their nerve in an exhilarating finish to their ODI series in Belfast, as Alana Dalzell overcame a team hat-trick in Mady Villiers’ final over to strike a last-ball four, and seal her team’s first victory over England since 2001.The winning moment was aided by a terrible misfield from Hollie Armitage at long-on, who ran past her attempted gather while looking into the sun, with nothing less than a boundary needed for victory.Up until that moment, Ireland’s cruise towards victory had seemingly been derailed by a collapse of five for 13 in 22 balls – including three in three, as Villiers bowled both Alice Tector and Jane Maguire for first-ball ducks after Una Raymond-Hoey had been run out coming for a second run.And yet, Ireland’s result was richly deserved, not least after the efforts of Aimee Maguire, who landed a five-wicket haul just two days after her 18th birthday, and Gaby Lewis, who top-scored with 72 from 56 balls, and whose dismissal at 137 for 3 was the cue for her team’s jitters.After a four-and-a-half-hour rain delay, the skies cleared sufficiently for a 25-over contest, which was then reduced to 22 a side after a further interruption early in England’s innings.As it transpired, Ireland needed only 20.5 overs to roll England aside for 153, with Maguire – the left-arm spinner – claiming career-best figures of 5 for 19 in 3.5 overs.England had won very comfortably in the opening two fixtures, with their senior pros, Kate Cross and Tammy Beaumont, the stand-out performers with 6 for 30 and 150 not out respectively.And though Beaumont was once again England’s stand-out batter, with 52 from 42 balls, the support proved to be lacking from the rest of the order, and Maguire was primed to take advantage.Emma Lamb was the first wicket to fall, brilliantly caught by Maguire’s sister, Jane, at cover, to end a disappointing series with scores of 4, 18 and now 11. Hollie Armitage then over-reached on a sweep to be caught behind for 15 (65 for 2), but England still seemed well placed when Beaumont reached her fifty from 39 balls, the fastest of her career.However, Jane Maguire made the key breakthrough three balls later, as Beaumont holed out to deep midwicket, before her sister launched her killer spell with the first-ball dismissal of Freya Kemp, who ran past a slog to be stumped for 3.Paige Scholfield had been badly dropped in the deep on 16, but Orla Prendergast’s error was not costly, as Aimee Maguire lured her into a big swipe across the line to be bowled for 21. Freya Sargent continued the spin dominance as Bess Heath top-edged to short fine leg, and the collapse had reached crisis proportions at 118 for 7 as Cross dragged on for 3 to give Aimee Maguire her third.Ryana Macdonald-Gay stopped the rot with a cameo of 17 from 13 before falling to Prendergast, whereupon Aimee Maguire picked off Mady Villiers and Lauren Filer in the space of five balls to complete her superb spell.In reply, Lewis set the tempo in emphatic fashion, dominating the powerplay with five early boundaries to set Ireland on their way. Aimee Hunter contributed a run-a-ball 18 before she was bowled by Kemp at 51 for 1 after 6.2 overs, and though Prendergast was kept to 11 from 14 before falling lbw to Villiers, Lewis’ 41-ball half-century had her side in total command going into the back-end of the innings.When she was caught behind off the extra pace of Filer, however, the rest of the chase didn’t prove quite so straightforward.

It’s not the money. According to Andre Russell, premier West Indian cricketers are “just not interested in playing Tests.”The issue has been simmering forever, with cricketers popular with T20 leagues around the world – like Russell – often staying away from West Indies cricket, particularly the longest format. Sometimes, they have been called mercenaries. Most recently, in December 2023, Jason Holder, Nicholas Pooran and Kyle Mayers turned down West Indies central contracts, but made themselves available for T20Is. Holder, though, has since played Tests.Even though observers say that is due to the lack of money in West Indian cricket, Russell disagrees. “I don’t think it’s the money, I don’t think money is the issue,” he told recently. “Based on the amount of T20 and leagues around the world, I think a lot of players are just not interested in playing Tests.”Russell’s remarks came after West Indies – placed bottom of the nine-team World Test Championship table at the moment – were swept 3-0 in England. They have since drawn the first Test in Port of Spain against South Africa, a Test they were behind in for the most part but, following rain and an attacking South Africa declaration, got to a competitive position when time ran out.Related

• Andre Coley: 'We proven in England that we can compete'

• Johnny Grave to step down as CWI CEO in October 2024

Russell, Shimron Hetmyer, Pooran, Rovman Powell and Kieron Pollard were among the West Indians playing in The Hundred when the last Test against England was being played in late July. Among the highest-paid players in the league, they are still playing The Hundred while the Test series against South Africa is on. Pollard, Powell and Pooran have never played Test cricket. Russell played one, in 2010. Hetmyer has played 16, the last of them in 2019.”I’m always excited watching the other West Indian batters, especially when they’re hitting boundary after boundary,” Russell said. “As long as you can do well from contracts outside your nation I think they are going to grab that opportunity but everyone wants to play on the big stage.”So, if the big stage comes in Test cricket, I know youngsters will be happy to play. I just don’t think it’s about money or anything like that.”Russell, now 36, has managed to stay at the top of his game in short-format cricket despite a succession of injuries over the years, especially in the legs. A knee injury forced him out of the 2019 ODI World Cup after a few games. Test cricket, he said, was not on the table for him.”Red-ball cricket is not my cookie, I don’t think my body will keep up with Test cricket,” he said. “But those in the team at the moment are fit enough and taking on the challenge. They had a few moments in the Test series [against England] where they could have turned things around. Playing England at home is always going to be hard for the West Indies.”

Jonathan Trott has been announced as the new head coach of Pretoria Capitals in the SA20, replacing Graham Ford who left the role last month.Trott is currently head coach of Afghanistan, a post he has held since 2022, and had his deal renewed in January to run through to the end of 2024. At this stage, there is uncertainty as to whether the 43-year-old will continue. With the SA20 taking place in January 2025, there is no real clash between the job and his international commitments. There is no confirmation yet on whether Trott will renew his contract which is due to expire in December.The Capitals are amid a broader shake-up after Ricky Ponting was let go ending his seven-year association with the Delhi franchise. Pretoria’s decision to move on from Ford came after a difficult second season in which they won just three matches and finished fifth. They were losing finalists in the competition’s first edition in 2023 after topping the table.Trott’s time at Afghanistan has been a success, with a drastic improvement in the team’s results at global events. Despite their talent in the shorter formats, they had won just one match in an ICC tournament – both 50-over and T20 – before beating Australia, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Bangladesh in the last nine months across the 2023 ODI and 2024 T20I World Cups. They made it through to the semi-finals of the latter, losing to South Africa.Trott may also be in consideration for England’s limited-overs job but is thought to be an outside bet with a decision to be made in the coming days on the future of incumbent head coach Matthew Mott. Trott earned 127 caps for England, and has previously coached on the pathway, both for the Under-19 and Lions teams. He is currently working as assistant coach of Trent Rockets in the men’s Hundred.

Cricket Scotland’s attempts to conclude independent investigations into allegations of racist behaviour have been overshadowed by an escalating row with John Blain, the former Yorkshire and Scotland fast bowler.Blain, who last week declared that he had been “exonerated”of racism allegations dating back to 2007, pre-empted Cricket Scotland’s formal conclusion of the process on Tuesday afternoon by issuing a further statement threatening legal action against the board. He accused Cricket Scotland of “a craven, disingenuous and despicable attempt… to rewrite history a week after I was forced to go public to clear my name.”Blain was sent a letter in January this year by the board in which they said allegations of racism against him had been “unfounded”. The letter, sent by then interim CEO Peter Fitzboydon, was the basis for Blain to go public saying he had been cleared of the allegations and that the investigations “fully exonerate me”.Related

• Cricket Scotland under renewed fire after alleged racism cover-up

• Cricket Scotland chief exec: 'I'm determined to find a way through this for everyone'

• Cricket Scotland's CEO calls Blain's public comments 'very disappointing'

• John Blain calls for Cricket Scotland inquiry after being cleared of racist behaviour

But a letter sent by Cricket Scotland to one of the complainants against Blain reveals that he has not been exonerated. The letter was made public by Running Out Racism, the anti-racism advocacy group that has been advising complainants through the process. In it the board explain why disciplinary proceedings were not being initiated against Blain but make clear: “This procedural inability to progress these matters to a Conduct in Sport Panel is not a statement of exoneration.”The identity of the complainant has not been made public, but ESPNcricinfo has confirmed and verified with the former player their account of the allegations as well as the letter they received.In its own statement, issued on Tuesday afternoon after Blain’s, Cricket Scotland said that Blain’s cases “were not progressed further due to a combination of insufficient evidence, a lack of an applicable rule at the time of the complaint, and/or a lack of jurisdictional remit or authority to take formal action” – a subtle but clear distinction from its communication of “unfounded” in January.Blain’s case was the only one specifically referred to within Cricket Scotland’s statement. Though the board said it could not comment publicly on the reasons for Fitzboydon to present Blain with the outcome of his cases in the manner that he did, it is believed significant welfare concerns around Blain had been raised at the time Blain confirmed as much, alleging that the board’s “preposterous position now appears to be that they in fact lied to me out of consideration for my welfare!” Blain has previously spoken about the toll the case had taken on his mental health.”This latest Cricket Scotland letter is a desperate attempt to reinvent history and to row back from an unequivocal exoneration,” Blain said, adding that Fitzboydon was not the only CEO to tell him the allegations were “unfounded”.”Not only did Pete Fitzboydon, the CEO of Cricket Scotland, write to me in January to say that all of the claims against me were unfounded, that I had no case to answer, and my case was closed, but that position was clearly confirmed by his successor Trudy Lindblade in a phone call with me in February.”She reiterated on the call that the claims against me were unfounded and the case against me was closed. I am sure that, if asked, she will publicly confirm that to be the case.”Blain said he was now exploring legal options. “I will now confer with my lawyers and take all steps necessary to protect my reputation in light of this extraordinary and unsustainable about-turn.”On Tuesday the board officially closed investigations into the series of referrals stemming from the ‘Changing the Boundaries’ report in 2022 that found Cricket Scotland to be institutionally racist. But since Blain went public, pressure had been building on the board to clarify that he had not been exonerated but that the board were unable to progress with disciplinary proceedings against him.Blain’s statement prompted the investigating team to issue the only public utterance they have in two years, in which they made it clear nobody had been exonerated. And in a further illustration of their unhappiness with Blain’s statements, ESPNcricinfo is aware of a letter the investigating team sent to Cricket Scotland strongly urging the board to correct Blain in writing as to the outcomes of complaints against him.That correction appears to have been made, at least in the redacted letter they sent to the complainant, a copy of which is available with ESPNcricinfo.”None of these outcomes take away from the feelings that you have as a result of the incidents you reported, but they do impact on Cricket Scotland’s ability to take formal action,” the letter to the complainant reads.”We are keen to stress that none of the above seeks to undermine the belief that you had regarding the way that you were treated, but sets out the reasons why we will not be bringing disciplinary proceedings against John Blain.”Running Out Racism said the letter confirms “a contradictory account provided by Cricket Scotland to one of the complainants… and demonstrates that the allegations made were not ‘unfounded’, but not investigated due to them not having rules or jurisdiction at the time.”Cricket Scotland has sent communication to complainants and respondents in all the referrals that have now been concluded, including to Blain. He is expected to receive in his letter clarification around the correspondence he was initially sent by Fitzboydon, in which it has been made clear the reasons for disciplinary proceedings not going ahead.The board also apologised once again to all victims of racism and discriminatory behaviour as it concluded what has been a long and complex two-year investigations process. Fifty-three referrals ultimately emerged from the ‘Changing the Boundaries’ report, of which 51 have now been investigated and stand concluded. Two referrals have not begun being investigated for external legal reasons.Only five of the 51 completed referrals have, however, proceeded to disciplinary action. Cricket Scotland said the others had not met the criteria to be taken further, which included not demonstrating “sufficient evidence”, a “clear breach of a rule that had been in place at the time of the offence”, and the “requisite jurisdictional remit to proceed with the case”.The rest of the referrals have concluded with a series of learnings – over 250 – for Cricket Scotland to take on board as it attempts to move on from the central finding of the report that it was institutionally racist.”It is clear that there are no ‘winners’ from this damaging and divisive period for cricket in Scotland,” Lindblade, the current CEO, said in the statement. “Since joining in February this year, I know for a fact that Cricket Scotland has been driven to learn from mistakes of the past to ensure they do not happen again.”The legacy of the referrals process will be the wholesale restructuring of Cricket Scotland for the benefit of all within our sport.”The board has asked complainants to consider seeking mediation as a next step. “It is the Board’s wish that reconciliation and where necessary, independent mediation is accepted by those involved, for the good of individual personal relationships and for the good of the sport in Scotland,” said the Cricket Scotland chair Wilf Walsh.