October 9, 2023
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The outfield at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala that looked patchy in the Afghanistan-Bangladesh fixture on Saturday has been rated 'average'. However, that will not hinder the next game between England and Bangladesh from going ahead on Tuesday (October 10) as a spokesperson from the ICC confirmed that the board's independent pitch consultant Andy Atkinson is 'comfortable with the conditions'. "The process for assessing the condition of the pitch and outfield lies with the match officials under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring...

October 9, 2023
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It took only twelve balls for KL Rahul, India's No.5, to be ushered right back into the cauldron. A substitute fielder ran in alongside him with a bottle of electrolyte water for the other batter waiting in the middle, Virat Kohli. Rahul helped himself to a swig too before tapping gloves with his partner and beginning his own pre-batting rituals. He had made different plans for 6.45 PM. A refreshing shower after 49.3 overs of 'keeping was among them. He'd...

October 9, 2023
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In May 2023, Pakistan men's team revealed the new brand of cricket that they are going to play - The Pakistan Way. Popularly, it was believed to be an aggressive brand of cricket that the team had vouched to play under Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn. However, in this interview with Cricbuzz, the Pakistan head coach explains that The Pakistan Way was in the works since 2018, how it has developed, how it is way more than just the aggressive style...

October 9, 2023
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"We'll never see or hear from you again" Looking back on his 14-year international career, Netherlands veteran Wesley Barresi has few regrets, but he laughingly concedes he was slightly off the mark in his assessment of a young Virat Kohli. "Maybe I got slightly cocky that night, but looking at that Indian team, they had superstars galore, and Kohli was the youngster, the timing was perfect to hand out a bit of stick. He certainly proved us wrong." Barresi readily admits delivering...

October 9, 2023
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"I don't know how to describe that because it's a big deal for me." It was difficult to make up your mind on what sounded odder. Rohit Sharma expressing his inability to "describe" something. Or Rohit Sharma admitting that something was "a big deal" for him. Or for that matter Rohit Sharma looking emotional in a press conference, even if it was for a brief second. The question was about what it meant to Rohit that he would officially become a "50-over...

September 29, 2023
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Australia have included Marnus Labuschagne in their 15-man squad for the World Cup as replacement for the injured Ashton Agar. It is the only change to the original squad announced by Cricket Australia with destructive batter Travis Head retaining his spot despite his own injury with the hope of him being available midway through the tournament. Squad: Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Marsh, David Warner, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell,...

September 29, 2023
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Star New Zealand batter and captain Kane Williamson plans to put his surgically-repaired knee to the test in this week's World Cup warmup-games as he readies himself for a long due return to cricket after a lengthy injury-enforced absence. Whether he'll play both the tune-up fixtures in Hyderabad (vs Pakistan) and in Trivandrum (vs South Africa) is still up in the air, but the 33-year-old hopes to ramp up his loads building up to the World Cup opener against England. "There...

September 29, 2023
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Veteran offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been named in India's final 15-man squad for the 2023 World Cup. Ashwin, 37, replaces Axar Patel, who had been named in the provisional squad but has not recovered from his left quadriceps strain. He suffered the injury in the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh on September 15. Ashwin has already travelled to Guwahati with the team, where they play England in their first warm-up game on September 30. Ashwin, who ended up playing two of...

September 29, 2023
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Sri Lanka cricketer Danushka Gunathilaka has been acquitted of sexual assault charges by a Sydney court, AAP reported. The 32-year-old was arrested in November last year on the sidelines of the T20 World Cup after a woman accused him of sexual intercourse without consent. He was charged on four counts of rape but only one count of "stealthing" and was taken up by the court for trial. Gunathilaka pleaded not guilty and faced a four-day long trial in front of Judge Sarah Huggett...

September 29, 2023
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Veteran offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin has been named in India's final 15-man squad for the 2023 World Cup. Ashwin, 37, replaces Axar Patel, who had been named in the provisional squad but has not recovered from his left quadriceps strain. He suffered the injury in the Asia Cup match against Bangladesh on September 15. Ashwin has already travelled to Guwahati with the team, where they play England in their first warm-up game on September 30. Ashwin, who ended up playing two of...