Amid Taliban situation Afghanistan Cricket Board add new teams, hopes to host extended Shpageeza T20 league

Rachin Ravindra feels honoured being named in New Zealand squad, wants to win games with bat and ball

Wellington all-rounder Rachin Ravindra is excited to be named in the New Zealand squad that would be touring Bangladesh and Pakistan in September. The all-rounder believes that representing one’s country in any format is a moment of pride for any player. “It’s like a dream of mine to be able to play all formats for New Zealand. And any format you get selected in is an absolute honour to represent my country,” Ravindra said in a video uploaded by the New Zealand Cricket on their official Twitter handle. On touring the subcontinent, Ravindra feels that he can bring in some of his experience from the 2016 Under-19 World Cup he played as part of the New Zealand team in Bangladesh. “I have spent a bit of time in India and been overseas a few times. So I will just focus on using those experiences and try to have some conversations to try and adapt to what an English surface might be and to what the surfaces would be like in Bangladesh and Pakistan,’ said the 21-year-old. The Blackcaps would be going to Bangladesh first where they will play five T20Is starting September 01 in Dhaka and would then turn to Pakistan to play three ODIs in Rawalpindi and five T20Is in Lahore ahead of the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman in October-November. Ravindra, who was part of the World Test Championship squad that toured England and won New Zealand Men’s first world title in cricketing history, wants to use all the skills that he has developed in the last five-six years growing on from an Under-19 player into the senior team. “I was 15 or 16 when I went overseas (U-19 World Cup in 2016) to represent my country, there was little weight behind my ears and I didn’t actually know my game plan as well as I know it now,” he said. “Hopefully, I would be able to use the skills that I have built in the last five-six years to be able to bat at the top of the order and bowl four overs in T20I cricket and 10 overs in ODI cricket. Just any way I might be required, I would love to prove my talent and win some games,’ added the Wellington born who has more than 50 domestic games in his kitty that includes all formats.

Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das back as Bangladesh announce squad for New Zealand series

Prominent figures like Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das made a comeback into the Bangladesh squad announced to face New Zealand in a five-match series at home. The two missed out when the Tigers created history by defeating Australia 4-1 in the five-match series in August. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) announced the squad on Thursday, August 19. The Blackcaps are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on August 24 and all the matches of the series will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. A major missing in the squad is Mehedi Hasan Miraz who is considered as one of the top players of Bangladesh and represents the team in all three formats. Along with him, Tamim Iqbal, who has been advised rest by the doctors because of his elbow injury would also miss out on two series continuously. This would also be the last international affair for Bangladesh before the T20 World Cup 2021 as their series against England, scheduled for mid-September was postponed indefinitely and the Bangladesh players will be free to participate in the Indian Premier League. Among the new entities in the team is Aminul Islam Biplob. Biplob, the 21-year-old brings in an altogether new prospect for Bangladesh as he would be in leg memory the first leg spinner at the national level after Alok Kapali. Mohamad Mithun was unable to find a place in the squad. He has so far played seven T20Is for the team, picking up at 17.60 per wicket. The first match is scheduled for 01 September 2021 with every game being played at 04:00 pm Bangladesh Standard Time. SQUAD Mahmudullah (Captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya Sarkar, Liton Kumar Das, Mosaddek Hossain, Afif Hossain, Naim Sheikh, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shamim Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Aminul Islam Biplob, Nasum Ahmed

Punjab Kings rope in Nathan Ellis for second half of IPL 2021

Nathan Ellis has been rewarded for his brilliant T20I debut where he became the first bowler to bag a hattrick on a T20I debut. Punjab Kings have now signed the Australian and the decision has come after Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith were ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2021 scheduled to take place in the UAE from September 19 as per a Cricbuzz report. Punjab Kings team's Satish Menon confirmed the news that the franchise has included Ellis in the squad. "We were not aware of the fitness status of Jhye and Riley till yesterday (August 18). That they cannot be part of the IPL was known only after the Cricket Australia press conference. We have signed Elis as a replacement player. We will announce the second replacement in a day or two," the franchise CEO told Cricbuzz. "We are in talks with a few players. Anil (Kumble, the head coach) will finalise soon." Ellis was earlier included as the reserve in Australia’s squad for the upcoming World T20 slated to be played in the UAE and Oman from October 17, a couple of days after the conclusion of the IPL.

R Ashwin blames sudden change in weather for not playing second Test at Lord's

As soon as Shardul Thakur was ruled out of the second Test, there were speculations that India will opt for a three pacer-two spinners combination that will see the return of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. However, the team management had different ideas as they played a quartet of pace bowlers comprising of Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami and Ashwin kept on warming the benches outside. Now, Ashwin himself has given the details of the behind the scenes conversation and tactical game that led to his exclusion. He blamed the sudden change in weather conditions in London on the day of the Test match behind the team management overlooking him for the second Test. He has said that the team had asked him to prepare for the Test keeping in mind the predicted heatwave that were to sweep London through the course of the match but just on the brink of the start of the Test when Indian players were having their breakfast it started pouring in at Lord’s. “What was the weather forecast for the match? Heatwave. The funny thing was, before the match, they were telling me, Heat wave, neenga readya irunga (there's a Heat wave. You please be ready mate. You might play) When we came to have breakfast, it was pouring...," he said on his YouTube show 'KuttyStory'. The decision to drop Ashwin for Ishant Sharma was criticised heavily till the third day of the game as the pacers were failing to extract too much purchase off a sower surface at Lord’s. However, the triumph on the final day on the back of strong performance from all four pacers doused the fire Kohli otherwise would have had to contain in case of Test loss.