LPL 2021 | Shoaib Malik’s all-round show leads Jaffna Kings to easy win over Kandy Warriors

Kandy Warriors, having tested their first win in their last match suffered yet another defeat, their fourth in five matches, as Jaffna Kings downed them by seven wickets to consolidate their own position at the top of the Lanka Premier League 2021 points table.

Shoaib Malik was the hero for the Kings with his all-round showing in the rain-curtailed game at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The Kings were set a modest target of only 97 runs to chase in 12 overs and they did it in only 8.4 overs to boost their net run rate as well.

The chase started in a brisk fashion as the openers Upul Tharanga and Avishka Fernando got off to a flyer, hitting 13 off 8 and 23 off 12 deliveries respectively before being dismissed. At 47-2 in just the fifth over, the game was almost going only one way and it went that way only even as Tom Kohler-Cadmore fell as the third wicket in the innings.

Malik was joined by Thisara Perera, the skipper of the Kings and the two build up an unbeaten 43 runs stand. Malik remained not out on 14 off nine balls and the left-hander Perera hit four fours and one six to get to 29 off just 13 balls and finish the game.

Earlier in the day, Kings after winning the toss decided to field first as the decision was guided by the turbulent weather which threatened for heaven to open up and rain anytime. In the curtailed 12 over a side game, Malik bowled with control and precision as the 39 year old Pakistani gave way only 19 runs in his three overs and also picked up an important wicket of compatriot Ahmed Shehzad to break the 35 run opening stand.

Charith Asalanka top-scored for Warriors with an unbeaten 44 from 34 balls.

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Ashes | Nasser Hussain picks Jimmy Anderson over Stuart Broad for Adelaide Test

Former England captain Nasser Hussain has argued that England should select James Anderson ahead of Stuart Broad because of the swing that he can extract with the pink ball. In his column with Sky Sports Hussain stated that both of them have overs under their legs and it would make sense to get at least one of them in for the next game. "Broad and Anderson haven't bowled in anger in a match for months now and with their ageing bodies, can you get them both in? I'd definitely go with Anderson for the swing," he added. England were beaten comprehensively beaten in the first Test match with the English bowling attack spraying a huge amount of runs against the likes of David Warner and Travis Head. The likes of Jack Leach and Ben Stokes were taken apart by the batting unit as they made merry in the ‘Fortress Gabba’. While Andreson has been backed by the former captain, Broad has gone on record saying he will be 100 per cent ready if he gets a call up. The second Test is scheduled to be played in Adelaide between 16 to 20 December and it will be the first Day-Night Test of the series.

PSL 2022 Draft | Jason Roy, Fakhar Zaman among six players picked in Platinum category

The Pakistan Super League 2022 edition is going to be a thrilling one as, after the retention round of Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament, the draft round is now taking place at the Bob Woolmer Indoor School in Lahore and is being streamed LIVE on PSL’s Youtube channel. The players are to be drafted in three categories of Platinum, Diamond, Silver and Emerging. Platinum is the top category and a maximum of six players can be picked in the Platinum category, meaning each franchise can pick one player in that category. As per the latest reports, England’s Jason Roy and Chris Jordan, Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman, New Zealand’s Colin Munro, Afghanistan’s Hazratullah Zazai and Singapore’s Tim David, who is an Australian by birth were picked by Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans respectively in the top bracket, which is the platinum category. It is important to note that the franchises were allowed a maximum of eight retentions each prior to sending their last year players in the draft once again. Here is the list of retained players from each side. Karachi Kings Babar Azam (Platinum), Mohammad Nabi (Diamond), Imad Wasim (Platinum), Mohammad Amir, (Diamond), Joe Clarke (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Aamir Yamin and Sharjeel Khan (Gold) and Mohammad Ilyas (Silver). Islamabad United Azam Khan (Traded, Gold), Asif Ali (promoted to Platinum), Hasan Ali (Platinum), Faheem Ashraf (Diamond), Shadab Khan (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Gold, Team Mentor), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Gold) and Paul Stirling (Silver) Lahore Qalandars Rashid Khan (Platinum), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum), Haris Rauf (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), David Wiese and Mohammad Hafeez (Diamond), Ahmed Daniyal, Sohail Akhtar and Zeeshan Ashraf (Silver) Multan Sultans Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw (both Platinum), Imran Tahir (Diamond, Mentor), Sohaib Maqsood (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Shahnawaz Dahani and Shan Masood (both Gold) Peshawar Zalmi Liam Livingstone, Wahab Riaz (both Platinum), Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik (all Diamond), Hussain Talat (Gold), Saqib Mahmood (Gold, Brand Ambassador) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Silver) Quetta Gladiators James Vince, Sarfaraz Ahmed (both Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz (both Diamond), Shahid Afridi (Gold, Mentor), Mohammad Hasnain (Gold, Brand Ambassador) and Naseem Shah (Gold)

Wriddhiman Saha denies dressing room issues after power change in Indian white-ball set-up

Wriddhiman Saha is the first person from the current Indian squad to have given a statement after Rohit Sharma was announced skipper of the 50 overs format for Team India. The change of power wasn’t smooth by any measure and with Virat Kohli, the incumbent skipper not announcing his resignation and rather BCCI appointing Rohit as his successor through a tweet was seen as a bit putting off for a captain that has given India almost everything in white-ball format apart from an ICC trophy. There were rumours that this sudden change in the dynamics has resulted in a tense dressing room environment with India going on an important South Africa tour for three Tests and three ODIs. However, Wriddhiman Saha, the Test specialist wicket-keeper batter for India has denied all such rumours and called the dressing room environment as enjoyable as ever. "Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are very good leaders - I am sure both work together and take the game ahead. Having spent lots of time with them, I can tell you, the dressing room is very happy - everyone has only one interest, work as a team,” Saha was quoted as saying in an interview with Economic Times. Team India’s South Africa tour begins with the first Test on Boxing Day, December 26 at the SuperSport Park, Centurion.

I was disappointed: Stuart Broad on being left out of the first Ashes Test

Having been left out for the first Test match at Gabba, Stuart Broad has expressed his disappointment via a column at The Mail on Sunday, 12 December. England were no match for the Australians in the first Test and were blown away in all departments to surrender the match in just four days. Broad wrote that he felt that he could have had a positive impact at the game and was 100 per cent preparing to play at the Gabba. "Over the past 12 months, Jimmy and I tried to ensure we were as fit as could be in the current Covid climate, ready to go and available for all five Tests in Australia. I think we ticked that box - but England selection is not in the hands of players. "It is in those of people who have to make choices based on conditions and the balance of the team and our job now with four matches to go is to be ready for the next [Test]. Although he stated that he would not be kicking up the ‘stink’ and realises that this series is ‘a marathon and not a sprint’. He argued that realistically no seamer will play all five Test matches and he will be raring to go whenever he gets a chance next time around. Broad's comments are in the context of his 2020 interview, where he threw a fit in frustration for not being selected to play in the series. "There is no time to feel sorry for ourselves, dwell on not batting, bowling, or catching very well. We know that's the case." "What we mustn't do is carry negatives with us for the next month. We've done that on Ashes tours past and consistently lost. We must pretend it's 0-0 in a four-match series and go again.”