Kane Williamson regains top spot in ICC Test Rankings

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has once again claimed the top spot in the ICC Test Rankings for batsmen after his side’s win the final of the inaugural World Test Championship against India in Southampton. 

The right-handed batsman cored 49 in the first innings and remained unbeaten at 52 in the second to anchor his side to a 8-wicket win in the final on the reserve day of the game. He has 901 points under his belt and is followed by Steve Smith who has dropped to the second position with 891 points. 

Marnus Labuschagne and Virat Kohli are at number three and four position respectively. Apart from Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Rishabh Pant are also in the top ten. While Rohit has maintained his position at number six with759 points, wicket-keeper batsman Pant has dropped to seventh and has 752 points in his kitty. 

New Zealand had decent run in the Tests recently as they first defeated England 1-0 in a two-match series away from home and then clinched a win in the WTC final against India. India on the other hand are now scheduled to lock horns with England in a five-match Test series beginning on August 4. 

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Cricket to return in full crowd capacity in upcoming Australian summer, MCG to have 85% crowd

Cricket in Australia will return with full capacity in the upcoming Ashes slated to be played in Australia later this year. All the Ashes Tests will have 100 per cent crowd capacity barring the Boxing day Test which will initially begin with an 85 per cent crowd attendance. The upcoming 2021-22 international calendar in Australia will be a packed one with as many as 59 days of cricket. The season will comprise of the inaugural Test match between Australia and Afghanistan followed by the Men’s and Women’s Ashes. The Indian women’s team will also travel Down Under for a multi-format series while the men’s ODI and T20 teams will lock horns against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Tickets will be fully refunded if the capacity has to be reduced due to the ongoing pandemic. "The 2021-22 summer of international cricket promises to be one of the biggest ever. The anticipation around both the men's and women's Ashes is building, especially as we have witnessed some incredible Test cricket in the UK. The Ashes rivalry is one of the biggest in world sport, and we hope that conditions will allow as many fans as possible to attend," said CEO of Cricket Australia Nick Hockley in an official CA release. "In addition to the Ashes, we're incredibly excited to host international cricket across 11 venues and seven states and territories, ensuring fans all across the country have the opportunity to see the best players in the world. We continue to work closely with venues and governments across Australia to ensure that events are held safely and greatly appreciate their support," he further added. Speaking on the ticket pricing and refund, Hockley said, "In the event that capacities are reduced due to government restrictions associated with the pandemic, we of course guarantee fans full refunds."

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James Faulkner pondering on whether to play in BBL or ply trade in other T20 leagues

Out of favour Australian all-rounder, James Faulkner is pondering his options of whether to return with the Hobart Hurricanes in the 11th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL) or target other domestic T20 leagues across the world following his exceptional performance in the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL). The left-arm pacer had a sensational time with the ball during the PSL and bagged played six games for the Lahore Qalandars in the second leg of the PSL bagged 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.50. He also chipped in with 90 crucial runs in the lower order which came in just 53 balls. With the BBL clubs still under a contracting embargo and with several offers from foreign T20 leagues in line, Faulkner might choose the latter. During an interview with cricket.com.au, Faulkner said that he will be sit down and discuss with his manager on his future decisions. Last year, Channel Seven had threatened to withdraw as the broadcasting partner as it was expected that several big names will miss out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While that was solved for the last year with the tournament being conducted as planned, all the clubs are again under a contracting embargo. Speaking on his prospect of playing other T20 leagues Faulkner said, "It's something my manager and I will sit down and look at with all the leagues going on around the world.” The medium-pacer is currently going through his 14 day mandatory quarantine period after the PSL. "(Joining the T20 circuit) is probably the most realistic thing for me to be doing, I know I'm not going to be playing Test cricket again, or four-day cricket either. "There's potential for one-day cricket but after having a couple of months off after the last Big Bash, then going into the PSL and playing six games in 10 days and performing reasonably as well, I got a lot of confidence out of that. "That's probably the angle that I'll go at. I've got to weigh up what offers are on the table and map it out,” Faulkner said. The all-rounder last played a BBL match in December against the Brisbane Heat. He had to limp off the field only four overs into his second over at the Gabba. Having aggravated the injury at training, Faulkner was ruled out of the rest of the tournament.