Abdur Razzak resigns as selector to contest in BCB elections

Former left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak has resigned as a Bangladesh national selector after deciding to contest in the upcoming BCB elections. Razzak, 43, collected his nomination papers to stand as a director candidate from the Khulna division on October 6.Razzak played 13 Tests, 153 ODIs and 34 T20Is for Bangladesh, and remains the third-highest wicket-taker for his country in ODIs. He is one of 61 nominations for the 23 directors’ position that will be contested in the upcoming BCB elections.The general members body, known as the councillors, will elect 23 of the 25 board directors, and the BCB president will be elected from that pool of 25 to serve a four-year term. The most prominent candidates are the incumbent BCB chief Aminul Islam and Tamim Iqbal, who have both announced that they will contest for the board president.”I had the honour of playing for the national team for 14 years and the privilege of serving as a national selector for over four years,” Razzak, who has been a selector for the Bangladesh men’s team since 2021, said in a statement. “I believe the time has come for me to step down from this position to explore the possibilities of contributing to the game that has given me so much, on a larger scale if the opportunity presents itself. I feel this is the right thing to do.”Following Hannan Sarkar’s resignation in February last year, Razzak was one of two members in the selection panel alongside chief Gazi Ashraf Hossain.Reflecting on Razzak’s tenure as a selector, Ashraf praised his colleague. “He was an invaluable member of the panel and brought his undoubted experience and vision to the selection process,” Ashraf said. “We thank him for his contribution and wish him the very best for the future, which we hope will remain closely connected with Bangladesh cricket.”

Bangladesh include teenagers Nishita and Sumaiya in World Cup squad

Bangladesh have brought two teenagers into their squad for the Women’s World Cup, which the BCB announced on Saturday. They are Nishita Akter, the 17-year-old offspinner, and the 19-year-old batter Sumaiya Akter. Both were part of Bangladesh’s team at the Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia in February.Bangladesh have also picked the 28-year-old keeper-batter Rubya Haider, who has played six T20Is but is yet to make her ODI debut.Between them, these three relative new faces have played three ODIs and seven T20Is, and none of them has played for the senior Bangladesh side in 2025.Related

  • WI's historic chase ends in heartbreak as Bangladesh seal World Cup spot

The selectors have offloaded Dilara Akter, Jannatul Ferdus and Ishma Tanjim from Bangladesh’s most recent squad, which played in the World Cup Qualifier in April. Bangladesh qualified from that tournament ahead of West Indies by a net-run-rate margin of just 0.013, but they haven’t played any international matches since then.Recently, the squad has played a number of matches against Bangladesh’s Under-15 boys side as preparation for the World Cup.Women’s chief selector Sajjad Ahmed was excited by the addition of the three young players. He said Rubya, who has played six T20Is, will be the squad’s back-up opener and wicketkeeper behind captain Nigar Sultana.”Rubya has earned her place through sheer hard work,” he said. “Her development over the last six months has been outstanding. We see her as a valuable option both as a reserve keeper and a back-up opener.”Nishita is still young, but she bowls with great maturity. She is consistent, calm under pressure and her ability to contain left-handers gave her an edge. We believe this experience will serve her well and add depth to our spin attack.”Sajjad added that Sumaiya’s patience would be an asset to the side, and her fielding a bonus. “Sumaiya has been knocking on the door for some time. She brings the ability to occupy the crease and accelerate when needed. With her skillset and fielding standards, she gives us an all-round option in the top order.”Apart from these three, the squad wears a familiar look with Nahida Akter as vice-captain to Nigar, and the likes of Fargana Hoque, Fahima Khatun and Marufa Akter bringing the experience that Bangladesh hope will cover for their recent lack of match practice.Bangladesh are scheduled to open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan in Colombo on October 2. India are the hosts of the tournament, with Colombo hosting all of Pakistan’s matches.

Bangladesh squad for Women’s World Cup 2025

Nigar Sultana (capt), Nahida Akter, Fargana Hoque, Rubya Haider, Sharmin Akhter, Sobhana Mostary, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, Marufa Akter, Fariha Trisna, Sanjida Akter, Nishita Akter, Sumaiya Akter.
IN: Rubya Haider, Nishita Akter, Sumaiya Akter
OUT: Dilara Akter (wk), Jannatul Ferdus, Ishma Tanjim

Kellaway's 151* hampers WA's Shield final bid

Even as Victoria’s hopes of making the final faded away, opener Campbell Kellaway batted through day three and struck a defiant century. His marathon innings ensures Western Australia face the daunting prospect of a big run chase at the WACA to keep alive their dreams of a fourth straight Sheffield Shield title.Kellaway finished unbeaten on 151 off 310 balls as Victoria reached stumps at 335 for 8 in their second innings with a lead of 346 runs.A thrilling final day could be in the works with WA needing victory to leapfrog second-placed Queensland, who are almost certain to draw their clash with South Australia. New South Wales’ chances of playing South Australia in the final on March 26 appear forlorn as they face a near impossible run chase on the last day against Tasmania.Related

  • NSW face chase of 529 for spot in Sheffield Shield final

“We’ve got nothing to lose tomorrow, that’s the attitude that we’ll take,” WA coach Adam Voges said.Victoria’s chances of progressing to the final are all but over. However, they will be aiming to end WA’s bid to become the first state to win four titles in a row since the six-team competition started in 1977-78.Kellaway, 22, continued his strong late season form on the back of making 79 and 77 last week on a tricky surface against South Australia. He became the first visiting batter to score a century at the WACA this Shield season. The surface, however, has flattened out considerably after the bowlers dominated on the opening two days.”We’re definitely looking to come away with a win. I definitely think there is enough in this wicket [to get ten wickets],” Kellaway said after his second first-class century.Kellaway batted through the entire day’s play after Victoria resumed with a lead of 43 runs and ten wickets in hand. WA hoped to regroup having been left flustered with several tight decisions not going their way, including a big lbw appeal from left-arm quick Joel Paris on Kellaway on the first ball of the innings.The surface had started to become easier to bat late on day two and flattened even more under the sun. Victoria had little trouble until Marcus Harris edged quick Brody Couch to second slip where Cameron Bancroft took a superb one-handed catch to his left low to the ground.Bancroft, one of the country’s best fielders, was ecstatic and his brilliant catch energised WA as Couch started to threaten with sharp back of a length bowling.He was rewarded with an outside edge from Blake Macdonald on four only for Hilton Cartwright to drop a sitter at third slip after moving in front of Bancroft.Couch was left further frustrated when a confident appeal for lbw on Kellaway was turned down in a tight call with height perhaps the only issue. After those fireworks, the batters took control in a rarity amid a particularly bowler-friendly period at the WACA in recent matches.Macdonald pounced on unusually ragged bowling from offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli, who was up against a surface giving him very little compared to when he took five wickets on the opening day.Macdonald reached his half-century off 67 balls, including ten boundaries, with his driving down the ground a feature. But nerves crept in just before lunch and he almost holed out to Cartwright’s handy seamers before falling down the legside on the last ball of the session.All eyes on resumption were on debutant Oliver Peake after his impressive 52 was the top score in Victoria’s first innings. Having had limited scoring opportunities on day one, the 18-year-old was faced with easier conditions although his first boundary was in streaky fashion through the slips.Peake could not find fluency and on 21 was well caught in the gully by Cameron Gannon after flashing at Paris. Having been a development tourist with Australia’s Test squad in Sri Lanka last month, Peake confirmed his status as a long-term Test prospect after facing 222 balls across the match.His wicket sparked a collapse out of nowhere with Rocchiccioli, who has a knack of making things happen, claiming the wickets of Peter Handscomb and Harry Dixon in the same over.However, Kellaway proved a thorn and he reached his century with a boundary through the off-side, but he celebrated modestly knowing there was still plenty of work to do.

Pant unveiled as LSG captain, says he will give the franchise '200%'

Rishabh Pant has vowed to “give 200%” to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after being officially unveiled as the franchise’s captain for IPL 2025. As ESPNcricinfo had reported earlier, Pant was set to be named captain after being bought at the pre-season auction for a record INR 27 crore (USD 3.21 million approx.).”Thank you to LSG family for showing the faith in me,” Pant said, alongside team owner Sanjiv Goenka and mentor Zaheer Khan, in Kolkata on Monday. “I will give my 200% and that’s my commitment to you. I will try whatever is in my power to repay the faith you have shown. Looking forward to have a new beginning with new energy and just have a blast out there, and have lots of fun.”Pant takes over from KL Rahul, who led the franchise for its first three seasons before going back into the auction this time around. Pant moves to LSG after a long stint with Delhi Capitals – he was with the franchise since 2016, took over its captaincy in 2021 and led all through barring the 2023 season, when he was recuperating from a serious car accident.Related

  • Fast-bowler injuries threaten Pant-powered LSG's season

  • Rajat Patidar appointed new RCB captain for IPL 2025

  • IPL 2025 begins March 21 weekend

  • Shreyas Iyer to lead Punjab Kings

With LSG, he has a chance to build on the team’s previous three seasons of moderate success; they made two playoffs in a row before missing out in IPL 2024.”Yes this is a new team and a new set-up but my ideology of captaining a side doesn’t change,” Pant said. “But as a cricketer you are [always] trying to add to your captaincy. If you give confidence and trust in a player, he will do things you can’t even imagine. That’s the ideology we will try to have. We will give them trust, clear communication and lay out what role we have for them.”One thing we will stress on is a never-say-die attitude. ‘You fight till the last ball.’ That’s what I emphasise on. Performances will come and go, but are you fighting enough? Are you giving your 100% on the field? And that is something you can control as an individual.”See, everyone gets tired but eventually how far are you willing to take it? Are you willing to give that extra 20-30% for the team, even though your body is not allowing? That’s the kind of character we want in the team and that’s the culture we are building.”

Too many left-hand batters? Zaheer sees it as a ‘tactical edge’

Zaheer, who as captain of Delhi Daredevils in 2016, had worked with a young Pant fresh off his India Under-19 stint, said Pant is someone who has inspired a new style of play. He said that acquiring Pant and naming him captain was the first of many pillars that LSG were putting in place to create a winning franchise.But will their crew of middle-order left-hand batters affect team balance? LSG will potentially line up with Pant, David Miller and Nicholas Pooran back-to-back. Zaheer said good batters will always find a way.”It can be a tactical edge also,” Zaheer said. “That’s how we are looking at it. I haven’t looked at how many left-handers I want in the team. It’s fine as long as you have the balance, you have options in the squad and your bases are covered. When I’m looking at our team, it’s looking like a solid unit.”Now about creating that environment entering the season and creating the pillars of success for any team. We want to get that in place and that starts with Rishabh being captain. He’s going to drive the whole unit in that way so that so that there’s a ‘Brand LSG’ – the kind of cricket that LSG wants to play, and we will be able to deliver.”IPL 2025 is set to start on March 21 at Eden Gardens, and run till May 25. LSG is the second franchise to unveil a new captain for 2025, after Punjab Kings put Shreyas Iyer in charge.

Shami fires with bat and ball to help Bengal into quarters

Bengal are through to the quarter-finals of the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) after prevailing by three runs in a thriller against Chandigarh at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday afternoon.The hero was seamer Sayan Ghosh, who picked up 4 for 30 to remove the cream of Chandigarh’s batting in their pursuit of 157. The target was set up largely by Karan Lal, who top scored with 33, and Writtick Chatterjee, who made a 12-ball 28.The unlikely batting hero, though, was Mohammed Shami, who walloped an unbeaten 17-ball 32 from No. 10, his highest score in T20s, to give them momentum going into the break.Related

  • Rohit Sharma says 'door very much open' for Mohammed Shami to join Test squad in Australia

Chandigarh’s hot-and-cold chase was fuelled by Raj Bawa’s 32. It came down to them needing 20 off the last two overs with three wickets in hand.Shami, who had picked up a wicket with his second delivery in his first spell that finished with figures of 3-0-13-1, conceded 12 in his final over upon his return at the death and the equation was brought down to eight off the last six.Ghosh then bowled two dots and picked up a wicket in the first five deliveries of the over to all but seal the game. With seven needed of one ball, Nishunk Birla hit a boundary and Bengal won by three runs.Shami has now featured in each of Bengal’s eight matches, and has bowled his full quota of overs in every game, while picking up nine wickets at an economy of 7.49. As of Monday, it’s understood Shami will remain with the Bengal squad for the remainder of their campaign.While in Bengaluru, Shami has been working with the National Cricket Academy staff as he continues on his road back to top-flight cricket. He’s yet to get the all-clear, however.On Sunday in Adelaide, India captain Rohit Sharma reiterated the need for caution over not rushing Shami back for the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, though “the door remains open”. His comments stem from Shami having developed some swelling in his knees while bowling during SMAT.The Bengal team management has expressed satisfaction at the way Shami has responded to his bowling workload and his intensity all tournament. Shami has opted to rest instead of train on match-eve, a decision which is believed to have been his own with a view to keep him going for the duration of the competition.Bengal next play Baroda in the round of eight on Wednesday.Rinku Singh and Vipraj Nigam can’t hold their happiness after taking UP over the line•PTI

Rinku, Bhuvneshwar and Nigam star as UP beat Andhra

Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked 2 for 30, Rinku Singh scored an unbeaten 27 off 22 balls, and Vipraj Nigam (2 for 20 and 27* off eight) produced a stunning all-round show to help Uttar Pradesh qualify for the 2024-25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy quarter-finals with a four-wicket win against Andhra.Andhra were stuck at 89 for 5 after 15 overs, and 113 for 6 after 16.2 but KV Sasikanth and SDNV Prasad breathed life into the innings with an unbeaten 43-run stand for the seventh wicket off 16 balls to take them to 156 for 6.In reply, UP were cruising with Karan Sharma and Aryan Juyal adding 70 runs in 49 balls. Then they lost four wickets in 24 balls for 18 runs. Two more fell in the 16th over with Rinku stranded at one end. But he found excellent support from Nigam, the duo adding 48 runs off 18 balls to take UP to a win with an over to spare.

Akram urges India to travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram believes India will get looked after “amazingly well” if they travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in February next year and reckons it would be a great thing for cricket.”I think whatever I’m reading, there are positive vibes from [the] Indian government and [the] BCCI,” Akram said. “I also read somewhere they will play probably all their games in Lahore. They will probably come to Lahore and travel [back] the same night. I’m all for it, as long as India is comfortable.”And I can promise you, they [are] going to get looked after amazingly well. I mean, Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, [Hardik] Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, they have fans in Pakistan. The young cricket fans adore them.”Related

  • Champions Trophy: PCB wants an explanation in writing from India for refusal to travel

  • Champions Trophy: PCB approaches Pakistan government after India rule out travelling

  • PCB chief 'confident' of India's visit to Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025

  • Champions Trophy without India not an option, say ECB chiefs

  • Champions Trophy 2025: PCB draft schedule has all India games in Lahore

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) remains intent on hosting the entire Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan between February 19 and March 9. It has even proposed to have all of India’s matches take place in Lahore, which is close to the Indian border and makes logistics and security hurdles less complicated. The PCB also said that it would grant about 17,000 visas to Indian fans who wanted to follow their team. The final will be held in Lahore, as will any semi-final that India play, if they qualify.Speaking ahead of Pakistan’s six-match ODI and T20I tour of Australia that begins on Monday, Akram was hopeful India would come to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.”People-to-people contact is very important in this day and age,” he said. “In this social media age, there’s so much negativity all over the world, unnecessary negativity in my opinion, and I think if India come, it will be great for cricket, and of course, it’ll be great for Pakistan too.”India have not played an international match in Pakistan since 2008, and the UAE is believed to be the likeliest – though not only – alternate venue should any part of the Champions Trophy be moved out. The BCCI did not send a team to Pakistan last year for the Asia Cup, prompting the tournament to be shifted to a hybrid model with the latter stages played in Sri Lanka.But Pakistan did travel to India right after that for the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they missed out on a semi-final spot.Earlier this month, the ECB’s chief executive Richard Gould and chair Richard Thompson, said that there are “lots of different alternatives and contingencies available” in the event that India do not travel to Pakistan, raising the possibility of a hybrid model being used.The Champions Trophy will feature eight teams, with two groups of four, followed by semi-finals and a final. The competing teams are Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa.

Afghanistan bring in Sediqullah Atal, Noor Ahmad for Bangladesh ODIs

Afghanistan have made two additions to the squad that beat South Africa in Sharjah in September, for the ODI series against Bangladesh at the same venue in November: opening batter Sediqullah Atal and left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad come into a 19-man squad. Ibrahim Zadran, who is recovering from an ankle surgery, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, sidelined by a right phalanx (hand) sprain, are not yet fit to play.Atal, who has six T20I caps to his name, has been in top from at the Emerging Teams Asia Cup T20 tournament, with scores of 52, 95 not out and 83. Noor makes a comeback off a stellar Caribbean Premier League performance where he was Player of the Series for his table-topping 22 wickets for St Lucia Kings.Afghanistan Cricket Board chief selector Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil said: “Ibrahim Zadran is currently undergoing rehabilitation and continues to recover from the surgery he recently had. Mujeeb Ur Rahman also remains unavailable due to ongoing treatment.”However, Noor Ahmad is back in the squad, and we have included a promising top-order batter in Sediqullah Atal, who has impressed everyone with his consistent top performances.”Afghanistan play Bangladesh in three ODIs overall, from November 6 to 11, which will serve as part of the team’s build up to the Champions Trophy in February 2025. In their previous assignment, the three ODIs against South Africa, Afghanistan created history with their first series win against an opposition ranked in the top five of the ICC rankings.

Afghanistan squad for Bangladesh ODIs

Hashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ikram Alikhil (wk), Abdul Malik, Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangyal Kharoti, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Bilal Sami, Naveed Zadran, Farid Ahmad Malik.
In: Sediqullah Atal, Noor Ahmad

Afghanistan vs Bangladesh series schedule

  • Nov 6, 1st ODI, Sharjah
  • Nov 9, 2nd ODI, Sharjah
  • Nov 11, 3rd ODI, Sharjah

Hazlewood, Zampa close out victory after Head's onslaught

England’s new era started with a familiar result: a second heavy defeat to Australia in three months. After a 36-run loss at Barbados’ Kensington Oval in June’s T20 World Cup, the margin was only eight runs smaller over 4,000 miles away at Hampshire’s Utilita Bowl, with Travis Head’s powerplay blitz setting up Australia’s win.An England side with an interim captain and coach – Phil Salt and Marcus Trescothick respectively – gave off an air of impermanence, quickly slipping to 52 for 4 in pursuit of 180. Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran – both dropped from next week’s ODI squad – added 54 for the fifth wicket, but the innings fell away in the chill.Sent in after a rain shower which delayed the toss, Australia failed to capitalise on their flying start, losing all 10 wickets for 93 runs after reaching 86 for 0 with one ball remaining of the powerplay. Head and Matt Short hit 15 of the first 35 balls for either four or six, with Head scoring only slightly slower than during his remarkable 80 off 25 against Scotland a week ago.England’s bowlers fought back once the field spread, with their two legspinners – Livingstone and Adil Rashid – returning combined figures of 4 for 45 from seven overs. Regular wickets through the second half of the innings meant Australia were bowled out with three balls unused – not that it proved costly, with Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa proving a cut above.

Travis’ Headstart

Conditions could hardly have been more different from the sides’ last meeting, with temperatures at least 20 degrees cooler than in Barbados on this bitter mid-September evening. Yet for England’s bowlers, the two powerplays felt remarkably similar: Australia’s early onslaught brought Will Jacks and Mark Wood’s 22-run overs in Bridgetown to mind.Short, who missed the Scotland series on paternity leave, replaced Jake Fraser-McGurk at the top of the order and pitched a strong case to be David Warner’s long-term replacement. They could hardly be more different in stature but Short proved just as imposing, flicking Reece Topley over square leg for consecutive sixes in the second over.Travis Head blazed a 19-ball fifty for Australia•Getty Images

And Head soon took over, making the sort of lightning-fast start that has become his trademark in his second coming as a T20 player. After thrashing Jofra Archer for three fours in four balls, Head successfully overturned a caught-behind decision off Saqib Mahmood. It seemed to prompt a realisation of his impermanence, with Curran bearing the brunt.Curran conceded a boundary off each of his first six balls, with half of those clearing the rope. Head was a step ahead, predicting where each ball would pitch: whether they were short or full, straight or wide, they disappeared to the rope. After losing his place in England’s ODI squad, this was not how Curran would have wanted to start the T20I leg.Head pulled Mahmood to six to reach a 19-ball 50, the seventh time he had brought up his half-century inside the powerplay this year alone. He fell to the final ball of the powerplay for 59, holing out to deep backward square leg, but Australia’s six-over total of 86 for 1 was the third-highest in their T20I history.

Legspin to win

Salt backed his spinners to put the brakes on through the middle and was vindicated straightaway when Rashid’s legbreak knocked back Mitchell Marsh’s off stump. Josh Inglis kept things moving in his 37 from No. 4, punishing Jacob Bethell when he dropped short, but Livingstone – the seventh bowler Salt used – proved the standout.Phil Salt was aghast after holing out in the deep•Getty Images

He had Short well caught by Curran at deep backward square leg, then struck twice in two balls. Marcus Stoinis crunched Livingstone back over his head for six but was trapped lbw on the reverse-sweep, and Tim David was smashed on the front pad while sweeping his first ball to leave Australia 132 for 5 in the 13th over.Curran recovered from his early struggles to bowl a reverse-scooping Inglis, before Archer and Mahmood rearranged the lower order’s stumps with a series of yorkers and low full tosses at the death.

Australia catch England cold

Temperatures dropped to single figures during the run chase, and England’s batters could only rarely warm the 15,011-strong crowd by prompting the pyrotechnics that greeted every boundary. Hazlewood, returning after a calf complaint, struck in his first over to have Jacks caught at long leg and England struggled to keep the required rate in check.A superb outfield catch from David, running back from mid-on to deep midwicket and diving at full stretch, accounted for Jordan Cox on international debut. When Salt picked out Short at deep square leg off the final ball of the powerplay, England were in trouble – and it got even deeper Bethell misjudged the length of Zampa’s legbreak to chop onto his stumps.Livingstone, promoted to No. 4 from his usual finishing role, took Stoinis for 17 in an over to give England a glimmer but when he and Curran fell within four balls of one another, the game was done. The only blemish for Australia came in the form of an apparent side strain for Xavier Bartlett: Cameron Green had to complete his fourth over, and later took an extraordinary diving catch running back from mid-off to remove Rashid.

Ashton Agar back at Northamptonshire for Blast quarter-finals

Northamptonshire have confirmed the return of Australia spinner Ashton Agar for their vitality Blast quarter-final against Somerset.Agar was signed as a replacement for Sikandar Raza during the group stage, joining after the T20 World Cup and helping Northants to four wins out of five as they qualified from the North Group in second spot.The club are also working to try and bring back Matthew Breetzke, the South Africa opener who is currently Northants’ leading run-scorer in this year’s Blast, with 460 at a strike rate of 153.84 – although head coach, John Sadler, said the decision was in the hands of Cricket South Africa.Breetzke was recently involved on South Africa’s Test tour of West Indies but is not part of the squad currently playing a three-match T20I series.”We’re hopeful that Matt will be able to get over but we’re not sure how that’s going to pan out,” Sadler said. “We obviously want to get him back because he’s been brilliant for us but we’ll see how it unfolds.”It’s a situation that is out of our and Matt’s hands to be honest. I know he’s desperate to come back but he’s on the verge of playing for South Africa in all three formats so that’s understandably his main driver.”I also know that he so wants to come back and play for us that he’s happy to fly in, play and fly back out but that is a situation that we’ll have to negotiate with Cricket South Africa.”Agar, who opted to go freelance earlier this year, will be available after completing a stint at the Global T20 Canada, and strengthens Northants’ options ahead of a soldout game at Wantage Road against the defending champions on September 5.”Ashton is in, he’s booked to come back and he’s incredibly excited,” Sadler said. “He has been over at a tournament in Canada so he’s off back home to spend some time with his family but then he’ll be back with us so we’re absolutely delighted with that.”

England add Mark Wood to Test squad for Trent Bridge

England have added fast bowler Mark Wood to their squad for the second Test against West Indies, starting on Thursday in Nottingham.Wood replaces James Anderson in the 14-man group, with Anderson retiring from international cricket following England’s innings victory at Lord’s.Wood’s last Test appearance came in India in March and he was not considered for Lord’s having only recently returned from playing at the T20 World Cup.Related

  • Switch Hit: A conversation with Azeem Rafiq

  • Woakes not 'ruling out' 2025-26 Ashes as England's new senior seamer

  • Anderson 'gutted' at spilling No. 705 as he leaves 'the best job in the world'

  • James Anderson in numbers: How England's greatest got even better

  • No apologies allowed as Anderson bows out

“Once you come out of T20 cricket, then you’re going into Test cricket very quickly… there’s a period there where you can’t just throw someone into a Test match,” England men’s managing director, Rob Key, said when the squad was announced.”Rest is probably not the right term but we’ll look to make him available for selection for the second and third Tests, hopefully.”England gave a first Test cap to Gus Atkinson at Lord’s, the Surrey quick claiming 12 for 106 – the fourth-best match figures by a Test debutant in history. Matthew Potts and the uncapped Dillon Pennington are the other seam-bowling options in the squad.England squad for second Test: Ben Stokes (capt), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Dillon Pennington, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Game
Register
Service
Bonus