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Bcci Treasurer Arun Dhamal Confirms That 2022 Edition Will Be A 10 Team Affair

BCCI treasurer Arun Dhamal confirms that 2022 edition will be a 10-team affair

The second phase of the Indian Premier League 2021 is around the corner with arch-rivals Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings locking horns in the opener slated to be played on 19 September. While UAE will host the remainder of this season, preparations are in full swing for the 2022 edition as well where we are all set to witness a 10 team competition as confirmed by BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal. He said that the work is currently in progress and this is surely the last time the IPL will feature eight teams.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was optimistic about adding two more teams in the 2021 edition. However, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the plan had to be halted. Though the threat still remains with the third wave still to hit India, BCCI is still hopeful of the fact that they can make the cash-rich league a ten-team event from 2022.

“Everybody is looking up to the IPL now; we believe it will be an exciting tournament in UAE. This would be the last season of IPL with eight teams. Surely there will be 10 teams next time. We are working on that,” Dhumal was quoted as saying by InsideSport.

However, when asked about the stipulated time by when the two teams will be seen in action, the treasurer decided to remain silent and didn’t delve into further details. Pune, Lucknow and Ahmedabad are among the top contenders to join in from 2022. Meanwhile reports also suggests that cities like Kanpur, Indore, Guwahati, Kochi, Raipur and Thiruvananthapuram are also in the pipeline to get the remaining two spots.

The BCCI is also optimistic of holding the full 2022 season in India after this edition was suspended midway after COVID-19 breached through the bio-bubbles and it became almost impossible for the organisers to continue. The induction of two new franchises will also bring in more money in the tournament but the format of the tournament is yet to be finalised.

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Star performer Megan Schutt misses out as Australia Women announce squad for series against India

The Australian Women’s selection committee announced an 18-member squad for their home series against India Women which begins on September 19 with the first of the three ODIs at North Sydney Oval. Star performers Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen along with Belinda Vakarewa will miss this important series for the Southern Stars. While Schutt and Belinda asked not to be considered for the series due to personal reasons, Jonassen seems to be still nursing her Tibia injury. To cover those gaps, the selectors have given maiden national call ups to Stella Campbell and Georgia Redmayne while Maitlan Brown makes a return to the national set-up after a long layoff due to injury. National selector Shawn Flegler admitted that the board is in full support of Schutt and Belinda and accepted their request for non-consideration. "We're fully supportive of the requests from Belinda and Megan to not be considered for selection. As the leader of the bowling attack, Megan's absence will provide the opportunity for someone else to lay the type of role she has so well over a lengthy period." Talking about the new entrants in the team, Flegler said, "Stella is yet another young fast bowler to have come through the pathway and adds another layer of depth to an emerging pace-bowling group.” “Georgia's selection is recognition of the strong couple of domestic seasons she's produced, and it's been pleasing to see her really start to expand her game in recent times,” he added. After the ODIs, the lone Test at the WACA in Perth would be played from September 30 while the tour will end with a three-match T20I series, starting with the first match in Sydney on October 7. Australia squad: Meg Lanning, Rachael Haynes, Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham.

Cricket Australia offers full support to coach Justin Langer amid speculations of his ouster

Amidst the rumours going on in Australia that Justin Langer is on his last breaths as the coach of the national Men’s cricket team, the cricket governing body in the country, Cricket Australia has offered full support to the coach, trying to douse the proverbial fire. CA CEO Nick Hockley in a press statement said, “Justin (Langer) has done an incredible job in raising the culture, values and behaviours of the Australian men’s team since he took on the role in 2018. His efforts have restored public faith in the national team which is a side all Australian’s can be incredibly proud of.” “He is contracted as head coach through to the middle of next year with the focus now on a successful T20 World Cup campaign followed by the home Ashes defence in what is one of the most anticipated series and summers of cricket in Australia for many years,” he added stressing that there is going to bo no change of guard as far as coaching is concerned till the Ashes. Hockley also tried to shield Langer and players for the horror show in the last 10 months where they lost to India at home in a Test series and away to West Indies and Bangladesh in the T20I series in a very painful manner. “Like many in the community and around the world, the team has had an extremely disruptive and challenging 18 months during the pandemic. Despite those challenges, the side has had great success in One-Day, Test and T20 cricket when all players were available,” he said. The CEO further stressed that the association is confident in the leadership to deliver in the upcoming summer. “Justin, his coaching staff and the leaders within the team have an equally important part to play in ensuring a successful summer ahead for the Australian cricket team,” said Hockley.

Southern Brave's leading wicket-taker Jake Lintott among many drafted into fresh CPL 2021 squads

The Caribbean Premier League is all set to begin from August 26, however, due to the rescheduling of many international series and the change of status quo in Afghanistan, teams were forced to change their squads just ahead of the start of the tournament. While Jamaica Tallawahs signed Afghanistan spinner Qais Ahmad after they were denied the services of another Afghan Ibrahim Zadran, the Guyana Amazon Warriors also took in the Afghan pair of Naveen-ul-Haq and Waqar Salamkheil. Another player stuck in Kabul due to the Taliban take over of administration, Shafiqullah Ghafari will miss the CPL. He was signed by Barbados Royals. The Barbados team was forced to make another change as South Africa allrounder Chris Morris opted out of the tournament for personal reasons. New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips was signed as his replacement. The high octane fielder, known for his great outfield display and hitting abilities with the bat is currently representing Welsh Fire in The Hundred. He has regularly been part of the CPL, playing for Jamaica Tallawahs and remaining their leading scorer for three consecutive seasons since 2018. Due to the rescheduling of South Africa’s Sri Lanka tour, Proteas players in Anrich Nortje and Rassie van der Dussen will miss out and so would Sri Lanka's leg spin-bowling all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga. Similarly due to Zimbabwe’s tour of Ireland being rescheduled, all-rounder Sikandar Raza has been replaced by New Zealand wicketkeeper Tim Seifert in the Trinabago Knight Riders set up. The franchise also replaced Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane with Pakistan’s Yasir Shah. Jake Lintott, the leading Southern Brave wicket-taker in The Hundred along with Trent Rockets’ Samit Patel and London Spirit’s Ravi Bopara have won late contracts for Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Kitts respectively as well. In another replacement, Singapore’s Tim David’s good run is continuing as after his outing with Hobart Hurricane in BBL, followed by the one with Lahore Qalandars in PSL, he will now replace his Hurricane skipper Matthew Wade at the St. Lucia Kings after his season with Surrey in the English Blast and Royal London Cup. Another English domestic star, Netherlands' Paul van Meekeren will fill in for Nortje at the Patriots. The 33-match tournament will be played at Warner Park in St. Kitts and Nevis and fans will be allowed to fill up to 50% capacity of the 8,000-seat venue if they are able to furnish proof of vaccination against Covid-19.

When you are losing, everything is magnified: Aaron Finch on player-coach argument leaks

After Australia’s debacles in the tour of the West Indies and Bangladesh, questions are being raised on the coaching style of Justin Langer. Leaks of players arguing with him have gone viral in Australian media and cricket experts including former Aussie wicketkeeper turned commentator, Adam Gilchrist have ringed alarm bells over the current situation. Gilchrist has opined that matters be sorted otherwise it could go as far as derailing the Australian summer which includes the Ashes. The Australian limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch, who could not be part of the Kangaroos’ Bangladesh tour where they were humbled 1-4, feels that losses are magnifying even the things that could have previously gone unnoticed as part of the dressing room. The whole situation is telling given Australians were dismantled by a team against whom they had not lost a single T20I game previously. “All I’ll say is when you lose, everything is magnified and everything is highlighted,” Finch said on the issue of the leaks. Reasoning that bubble fatigue leads to frustration, the 34-year-old who underwent knee surgery just recently to get fit ahead of the T20 World Cup 2021, said, “With the players on tour with bubble fatigue and guys not having any escape while you’re on tour, you’re locked into cricket mode almost 24/7 because you can’t get out and go for a coffee down the road or you can’t go out for dinner somewhere else.” “You’re literally just confined to the hotel 24/7. When you’re just around cricket the whole time, that can consume you so you get a little bit of burnout from that as well. And when you’re losing that just adds multiple layers to it as well,” he added.