Bangladesh cut down one Test from Zimbabwe tour

BAN vs SL | 2nd ODI: Taskin Ahmed replaces Mohammad Saifuddin as concussion substitute

Bangladesh allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin was replaced by Taskin Ahmed who came in as the concussion substitute for Saifuddin during the second ODI against Sri Lanka in Dhaka. “Bangladesh allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin was hit on his helmet while batting in the second ODI. He has shown signs of concussion and for his safety Saifuddin is being substituted on the match by a like for like player Taskin Ahmed,” a statement from the Bangladesh Cricket Board said. Saifuddin was hit on the helmet in the 47th over of the Bangladesh innings before getting run out on the same delivery. Batting first, the home side was bowled out for 246 in 48.1 overs. Bangladesh didn’t have a solid start to the proceedings and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. T he hosts were struggling at 74/4 when Mushfiqur Rahim was joined by Mahmudullah in the middle and the two stitched a stand of 87 runs for the fifth wicket before Mahmudullah departed for 41. But Rahim continued his form and eventually notched up a century. He scored 125 off 127 during the course. Chameera and Sandakan picked up three wickets each for Sri Lanka while Isuru Udana bagged a couple. Bangladesh lead the three-match series 1-0 after they defeated Sri Lanka in the first match by 33 runs.

Mohammad Amir’s first stint in CPL, Shoaib Malik reuinted with Guyana Amazon Warriors

Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir who had earlier taken an indefinite break from international cricket has joined the Caribbean premier League outfit Barbados Tridents for the league’s upcoming season. This would be the speedsters maiden entry into one of the world’s most popular T20 leagues. Shoaib Malik, who had an impressive season with the Guyana Amazon Warriors in 2019, taking them to the final with an 11 match unbeaten streak has reunited with the team after a break of one season. The 38-year-old has played 417 T20 matches and won 12 trophies in the format, scoring 10424 runs and picking 152 wickets. Amir, who has so far taken 220 wickets in 190 T20s, at an economy of just over seven is one of the most sought after bowlers in white-ball cricket for his abilities to swing the ball. He is also known for landing perfect yorkers in death. Along with Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez, Amir would be the fourth Pakistani playing in the league. The Tridents have retained nine players including their skipper Jason Holder. Among other players are two spinners in Hayden Walsh Junior and Joshua Bishop. Johnson Charles, Shai Hope and Kyle Mayers are the batsmen retained by the franchise while Raymon Riefer, Nayeem Young are the two fast bowlers in the den. Justin Greaves, a batting all-rounder is the ninth player on the retainer list. CPL 2021 will be played in its entirety at Warner Park in St. Kitts and Nevis from August 28 to September 19. The Player’s draft for this season would be held on May 28 and streamed Live on Facebook across the globe.

BCCI to potentially sacrifice international fixtures for resumption of IPL 2021

The IPL 2021 that was earlier suspended due to the rise in Covid-19 cases within the teams is likely to resume on September 19 or 20 with the final tentatively taking place on October 9 or 10. The fixtures will include 10 double-headers which will be played in the span of three weeks. Earlier, CSK’s bowling coach L.Balaji and batting coach Mike Hussey, DC’s Amit Mishra, KKR’s Sandeep Warrior and Varun Chakravarthy and SRH’s Wriddhiman Saha had tested positive for the disease due to which the tournament had to be put on a halt. The resumption of the tournament on these dates will mean that India will either have to cancel or postpone a couple of series and this would include a bilateral tie against South Africa that was scheduled to take place in September and the two-match Test series against New Zealand at home. “The series can't be held and in any case there can't be any better preparation for the T20 World Cup than playing a high intensity tournament like IPL. Since the T20 World Cup will start within a week or 10 days after completion of the IPL, the SA series can only be held at a later date,” a source close to BCCI said. 'There is a chance that India might play extra games when they tour South Africa early next year,' the source added. The dates for the New Zealand Tests might be altered depending upon the conclusion of the World T20.

KKR's Tim Seifert breaks down while talking about Covid-19

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Tim Seifert who had tested positive for Covid-19 broke down during a chat with New Zealand Herald. The Kiwi wicket-keeper batsman narrated how he felt after testing positive for the disease. “I got pulled aside and told I’d tested positive and my heart sank straight away when everyone left. I was the only overseas player basically still left in India out of the whole tournament. That’s when things got a little bit real,” an emotional Seifert told the ‘New Zealand Herald’. “I got pulled aside and told I’d tested positive and my heart sank straight away when everyone left. I was the only overseas player basically still left in India out of the whole tournament. That’s when things got a little bit real,” an emotional Seifert told the ‘New Zealand Herald’. Earlier, the IPL 2021 was suspended on May 4 with immediate effect after there were positive cases of Covid-19 found within the teams. SRH’s Wriddhiman Saha, DC’s Amit Mishra, KKR’s Sandeep Warrior and Varun Chakravarthy, and CSK’s bowling coach L.Balaji and batting coach Mike Hussey had tested positive for the disease. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had earlier said that the cash-rich league has only been put to a halt and not cancelled. In the recent developments, the BCCI is likely to hold the remainder of the IPL in the UAE between September 19-October 10 as per Sports Today’s Boria Majumdar.