Pakistan rejects Kaneria and Malik’s pleas to help lift bans

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“Pakistani cricketer Danish Kaneria, whose plea to the PCB for help in lifting a match-fixing ban was rejected. ©AFP” /> Karachi (AFP) – Pakistan’s cricket board Friday rejected pleas by two former national players for help in overturning lifetime bans for charges related to match-fixing. Former spinner Danish Kaneria was banned by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2012, while ex-skipper Saleem Malik was struck off in 2000 by the Pakistan board on the recommendation of a judicial commission. Kaneria, charged for inducing his Essex county team-mate Mervyn…

Windies skipper Holder says he has more to do after six-wicket England haul

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“Leading from the front – West Indies captain Jason Holder took a Test-best 6-42 against England at Southampton on Thursday. ©AFP” /> Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – West Indies captain Jason Holder said “my Test is far from over” after he rocked England with a career-best six-wicket haul on the second day of the series opener at Southampton on Thursday. Holder, the world’s top-ranked all-rounder, took 6-42 as England were dismissed for 204 to surpass his previous Test-best of 6-59 against Bangladesh at Kingston two years ago. It was the…

Broad reveals ‘anger’ at England Test axe

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“Angry – Stuart Broad said he was hurt at being dropped by England for the first Test against the West Indies. ©AFP” /> Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) England paceman Stuart Broad said he felt frustrated and angry at having “my shirt” taken away after he was dropped for the first Test against the West Indies at Southampton. Broad was in England’s 13-man squad for the series opener, the first major international cricket since the coronavirus lockdown. The paceman is second only to long-standing new-ball colleague James Anderson in England’s all-time list…

Proteas’ Ngidi in Black Lives Matter controversy

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“Lungi Ngidi made his ODI debut in 2018. ©AFP” /> Johannesburg (AFP) – A remark about Black Lives Matter in a Zoom press conference has made South Africa discuss once we are together in person,” said Ngidi. “We have spoken about it and everyone is well aware of what’s going on.It’s a difficult one because we are not together, so it’s hard to discuss.But once we get back to playing that is definitely something we have to address as a team.” Ngidi pointed to South Africa’s history of racial discrimination which…

Moeen, Bairstow in England training squad for Ireland ODIs

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“Moeen Ali (left) and Jonny Bairstow have been included in England’s training squad for the one-day internationals against Ireland. ©AFP” /> Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow were included in a 24-man England training squad named on Thursday for the three-match one-day international series at home to Ireland. Wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow and off-spinning all-rounder Mooen were left out of the squad for the first Test against the West Indies, taking place in Southampton this week. But with England still planning to complete a full programme in a…

Australia must tour Engand for ‘health’ of cricket: Langer

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“Head coach Justin Langer says Australia are duty-bound to tour England this year. ©AFP” /> Sydney (AFP) – Australia must tour England in September “for the health of world cricket”, and players should then be released to join the Indian Premier League, coach Justin Langer said Thursday. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Langer said Australia had to play its part in getting cricket moving again, even if it meant enduring quarantine, biosecurity restrictions and time away from family. “My personal view is we have to go.For so many reasons,” Langer…

Holder takes six as England slump to 204 all out

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“West Indies captain Jason Holder was the star man as England collapsed in the first Test. ©AFP” /> Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – West Indies captain Jason Holder returned Test-best figures of 6-42 as England slumped to 204 all out on the second day of the series opener at Southampton on Thursday. Holder, the world’s top-ranked Test all-rounder, surpassed his previous Test-best of 6-59 against Bangladesh at Kingston two years ago, making full use of overcast conditions at the Ageas Bowl. His haul, the sixth time in his past 10…

Rain delays international cricket’s return in England-West Indies Test

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“Rain delayed the start of the first Test between England and the West Indies. ©AFP” /> Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Rain meant there was no play before lunch on Wednesday’s opening day of the first Test between England and the West Indies at Southampton, the first international cricket match since March. The eagerly anticipated fixture marks the sport’s global return from months of coronavirus-enforced lockdown. The last Test match, between New Zealand and India, concluded on March 2, six days before the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup in…

Cricket returns as England bat in first Test against West Indies

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“England’s Ben Stokes won the toss against the West Indies. ©AFP” /> Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – England captain Ben Stokes decided to bat in the first Test against the West Indies at Southampton on Wednesday as international cricket resumed after the coronavirus lockdown. Stokes was leading England for the first time, with regular captain Joe Root missing the match to attend the birth of his second child. For the first match of the three-Test series, England left out veteran paceman Stuart Broad, their second most successful Test bowler behind James…

England, West Indies take a knee as international cricket resumes

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“West Indies players take a knee at the Ageas Bowl. ©AFP” /> Southampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) – International cricket resumed after a four-month coronavirus shutdown on Wednesday as England and West Indies players took a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement under grey skies in Southampton. England stand-in captain Ben Stokes won the toss following a rain delay and opted to bat but just three overs were possible before the weather intervened again. The players gathered in a semi-circle on the pitch before play started to observe…