Motie and Shepherd picked up three wickets each to set up the game for West Indies; Hope and Carty then did the job with the bat

Himanshu Agrawal29-Jul-20231:23

Jaffer: Suryakumar will probably get one last chance in the third ODI

West Indies beat India in an ODI for the first time since December 2019, the six-wicket win in the second of three games their first after nine defeats in a row. The win helped West Indies level the series 1-1 after losing the first ODI on Thursday.After Gudakesh Motie and Romario Shepherd got three wickets each and Alzarri Joseph picked up two to bowl India – they had rested Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – out for 181, captain Shai Hope and the inexperienced Keacy Carty took care of the chase, which was completed with more than 13 overs to spare.It was comfortable in the end for West Indies, but didn’t come without its share of hiccups – they slipped from 53 without loss in the ninth over to 91 for 4 after 17, Shardul Thakur the main reason for it. That must have raised India’s hopes, but Hope and Carty ensured smooth sailing after that. Hope scored 63 not out, and put up an unbroken stand of 91 with Carty (48 not out) for the fifth wicket.The pitch in Bridgetown offered grip and turn throughout the game, with the spinners’ economy rate across two innings being 3.89 as against the pace bowlers’ 5.20. However, before Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja tested West Indies’ middle order – Jadeja was fast and flat; Kuldeep was slow while getting more turn – it was Thakur who removed the top three batters in the space of 25 balls to open the game up.Once they got together, Hope and Carty were content to do it in singles after Kuldeep had cleaned Shimron Hetmyer up with one that was quicker and skidded through to hit off stump.1:40

Should Axar Patel have bowled more for India to defend 181?

Carty got to a patient 48 off 65 balls, opening up only after the job was almost done and smashing consecutive boundaries off Hardik Pandya to finish the game off. But the fact that West Indies had only 182 to chase was down to a collective bowling effort, along with a combination of a helpful pitch and refreshing athleticism from the fielders.India, asked to bat at the toss, suffered two collapses of their own. First, from a solid 90 for 0 to a dicey 113 for 5, and then from 146 for 5 to 181 all out. These came either side of a lengthy rain break. West Indies sensed an opportunity in the absence of Rohit and Kohli, and they pounced. It all started in the 17th over, when a full, tossed-up delivery from Motie had Shubman Gill lofting to long-off for 34, his highest score in seven international innings across formats since June.For a change, West Indies also put up an impressive fielding and catching display•AFP/Getty Images

That got West Indies going, and in the 18th over, Alick Athanaze dived to his right at point to send Ishan Kishan back for 55. It was Kishan’s second successive half-century in the series. Two overs later, Shepherd got one to rise sharply at Axar Patel, promoted to No. 4, and he was cramped for room with the ball angling in from around the wicket. Axar tried to drop his gloves, but still ended up tickling to the wicketkeeper.Jayden Seales then got his only wicket of the day when a shoulder-height bouncer to Hardik had him pulling straight to midwicket, before Yannic Cariah foxed the comeback man Sanju Samson with turn and bounce. Landing one on a good length around off stump, Cariah got the legbreak to jump as well as move considerably away from the batter, who edged it to slip.India were sliding, and then came heavy rain. When Suryakumar Yadav and Jadeja added 33 to signal a brief recovery after the stoppage, it seemed like the break had come as a blessing for them. But West Indies seized control again, picking up the last five wickets for just 35 runs.Shepherd pitched short at Jadeja, having him top edge a pull to fine leg in the 32nd over. Motie, getting turn and bounce, had Suryakumar slashing to point after an entertaining 24. Soon after came another moment of spectacular fielding from West Indies, when Carty rushed in and dived forward from deep square leg to send back Umran Malik in the 38th over.Motie wrapped the innings up when he got last man Mukesh Kumar in the 41st, finishing with 3 for 36. As a result, West Indies now have a shot at a first ODI bilateral series win against India since May 2006.

Both teams have won their last two matches after starting with successive losses and are starting to get their combinations right

Sidharth Monga17-Apr-20232:54

Moody: ‘Mumbai Indians will have to outbat oppositions to win consistently’

Big picture: A winning streak will stopOne of these teams will have its winning momentum snapped, the other will take its winning streak to three matches when Sunrisers Hyderabad host Mumbai Indians in Hyderabad. They both made identical starts to the season with two successive defeats before bouncing back with two wins each.Sunrisers might well have made a pivotal move in Harry Brook’s T20 career by using him as an opener and getting a match-winning century out of him. Brook the opener and the return of Abhishek Sharma to help out Aiden Markram in the middle order have given Sunrisers the potency they seemed to lack at the start of the season.Mayank Markande as the legspinner replacement for Adil Rashid has allowed Sunrisers to play Marco Jansen, which gives the side a sharp edge. If Jofra Archer is not yet available for Mumbai, Marco might well go up against his twin Duan Jansen only for the second time in professional cricket.It is a danger sign for other teams that Mumbai have won two out of four without Jasprit Bumrah and Archer; Archer should become available at some point. Suryakumar Yadav showed signs of return to runs in their last match, which sets them up beautifully with the bat.IPL 2023 Form guideSunrisers Hyderabad WWLL
Chennai Super Kings WWLLTeam news: Spotlight on Archer againAll eyes are still on Archer, who is nursing an elbow niggle since he played the first match. If he is fit and ready, he should walk into the Mumbai XI, but they are not likely to take any risks with him.2:28

Moody: Brook is a sensational talent in all formats

Toss and Impact Player strategySunrisers Hyderabad
Sunrisers have no reason to change their combination except for using Washington Sundar more efficiently. If they bat first, they can start with Washington in the XI and have T Natarajan replace Brook in the innings break. If they field first, Brook can replace Natarajan in the innings break.Probable bat-first XI: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Harry Brook, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram (capt), 5 Abhishek Sharma, 6 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Mayank Markande, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umran MalikProbable field-first XI: 1 Mayank Agarwal, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Abhishek Sharma, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Washington Sundar, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Mayank Markande, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T NatarajanMumbai Indians
Mumbai might want to continue with the combination they used in the last match even though they used Arjun Tendulkar for two overs only. One out of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar can sit out during the bowling innings.Possible bat-first XI: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Cameron Green, 6 Nehal Wadhera, 7 Tim David, 8 Hrithik Shokeen, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Riley Meredith, 11 Duan Jansen/Jason BehrendoffPossible bowl-first XI: 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Ishan Kishan (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Cameron Green, 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Tim David, 7 Hrithik Shokeen, 8 Arshad Khan/Arjun Tendulkar, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 11 Riley Meredith, 11 Duan Jansen/Jason BehrendorffStats that matter During his century, Brook scored 66 runs in 26 shots between cover-point and backward point. Out of these, eight balls were pretty straight but Brook managed to create room and take 29 runs off them. Mumbai will look to deny him any room. Since the start of the last IPL, Abhishek has been the fifth-quickest batter (minimum 150 runs) against spin. In just two matches, Marco Jansen has taken four wickets in the powerplay, the fourth-highest this IPL. Rohit and Ishan Kishan are the second-quickest opening combination (minimum two partnerships) this IPL. Piyush Chawla has been the revelation of the season, and has the best economy rate among bowlers who have bowled at least ten overs.

أصدر نادي ليفربول الإنجليزي لكرة القدم بيانًا رسميًا، منذ قليل، للإعلان عن رحيل أحد لاعبيه خلال موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي، لعام 2025.

كان ليفربول قد أنهى مساء أمس، الإثنين، فترته التحضيرية الاستعدادية للموسم الجديد المرتقب 2025/26، الذي سينطلق في وقت لاحق من شهر أغسطس الجاري.

وأجرى ليفربول 7 صفقات صيفية حتى الآن، حيث تعاقد مع كل من جيريمي فريمبونج، فلوريان فيرتز، أرمين بيتشي، فريدي وودمان، ميلوس كيركيز، هوجو إيكتيكي وويل رايت.

من جهة أخرى، أعلن ليفربول في بيانه الرسمي منذ قليل رحيل لاعب الفريق تايلر مورتون إلى الدوري الفرنسي، وتحديدًا نادي ليون.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ميرور: محمد صلاح شعر بالإحراج بعد تصرفه مع لاعب ليفربول أمام أتلتيك بلباو

وتشير التقارير الصحفية إلى أن القيمة المالية لتلك الصفقة بلغت 15 مليون جنيه إسترليني، إلى جانب إضافات يمكن تحقيقها، بخلاف امتلاك ليفربول لحصة تبلغ 20 % من رسوم بيع اللاعب في المستقبل.

وبدأت مسيرة تايلر مورتون مع ليفربول في سن السابعة، حيث التحق بالأكاديمية وتدرج في صفوف الفريق، في مختلف الفئات السنية.

في حين كانت بداية مورتون مع الفريق الأول لنادي ليفربول خلال الفوز بكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي على نورويتش سيتي، في سبتمبر 2021، ولعب عدة مباريات آنذاك في الدوري الإنجليزي، دوري أبطال أوروبا وكأس الاتحاد.

وقضى مورتون فترات إعارة ناجحة مع بلاكبيرن روفرز في موسم 2022/23، وهال سيتي في الموسم التالي، بينما قضى الموسم الماضي مع ليفربول، وشارك في 5 مباريات تحت قيادة المدرب آرني سلوت.

Is India’s ODI top six loaded with too many right-handers at the moment? Former head coach Ravi Shastri seems to think so and would like to see at least two left-handers in India’s top six for the ODI World Cup later this year.”You need to strike the right balance. Do you think a left-hander will make a difference at the top? It does not have to be opening, but in the top three or four. You have to weigh all those options. Ideally, in the top six, I would like to see two left-handers,” Shastri told .With Rishabh Pant not playing any competitive cricket this year due to injuries suffered in a car accident, India have lost a key left-hander in one-day cricket. They have gone with Ishan Kishan for a few games this year. Ravindra Jadeja is another option but he doesn’t have a lot of experience batting in the top six. Yashasvi Jaiswal made it to India’s Test squad for the West Indies series, but his name remained absent from the ODI list.Related

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• Jaiswal a far cry from Dravid and Pujara, but can make No. 3 his own

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• Rishabh Pant's recovery progressing faster than expected

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The World Cup is set to start on October 5. Pant, if he gets fit in time, will likely get his place back, but what are the other left-handed options?”You have Ishan Kishan. In the wicketkeeping department, you have Sanju [Samson]. But the left-handers, you have [Yashasvi] Jaiswal, Tilak Varma. There is enough left-handed talent that can replace any senior player at the moment.”Shastri was also adamant that India needed to form a pool of youngsters and get them in the mix ahead of the World Cup. While he voiced concerns about India’s red-ball depth, he was pretty happy with talent coming through in white-ball cricket.”There are so many youngsters. There is Jaiswal and, I might miss out a few here, Tilak Varma, Nehal Wadhera. There is [Sai] Sudharsan, who played so well in the [IPL] final. There is Jitesh Sharma,” he said.”Among the bowlers, there is a crop of young fast bowlers. Quite a few, there is Mukesh [Kumar], names do not come to my mind now. But, there are at least four or five who can be groomed around that 135kmph-140kmph mark. So I am not worried about the talent in white-ball.”You have a lot of injuries these days. I always like a pool of 15-20. You should always be prepared, you should have a plan B, plan C.”Shastri: Sanju Samson is a “match-winner”•BCCI

Another name that Shastri was quite vocal about was Sanju Samson. The Kerala batter has been in and out of the India side but has been included in the squad for the ODIs in the West Indies next month. Shastri likened Samson to a young Rohit Sharma and felt the wicketkeeper-batter could be the “match-winner” India are looking for.”There is Sanju [Samson], who I believe is yet to realise his potential. He is a match-winner. There is something that is missing. I will be disappointed if he does not finish his career all guns blazing. It is like when I was the coach, I would have been disappointed if Rohit Sharma had not played in my side as a regular Test player. Hence, his opening the batting. I feel similar with Sanju,” he said.Shastri felt that with a number of youngsters ready to knock the door down, India should get started on succession planning. “There are seniors ready to be phased out and there are youngsters ready. No question about it when it comes to T20 cricket. Lesser in 50-over cricket and even fewer in Tests,” he said.”Because of the IPL, you see an abundance of high-quality, young, white-ball players. But, one should not get carried away by that and think they should be automatic red-ball choices. No, I would rather see the red-ball record. I would sit with the selectors and find out more about who the [red-ball performances] were against, in what conditions, what are their strengths, what is the temperament of the bloke like.”For me, temperament is key. It is paramount. Does the guy have the stomach for a fight? When it gets hot in the kitchen, is he is ready to bite the bullet? These are qualities I look for in a [Test] player. When I use the word fearless as a coach, these are the qualities that make a fearless cricketer. Backing his own ability and his strengths, and not wavering.”Luckily for India, the volume of players that play the game, compared with other countries, [is high]. I think you should always have a strong bench across formats.”Shastri was confident that India go into the ODI World Cup at home as favourites, and could “win this one” if they got the balance of the side right. “They are playing at home. I think they are one of the favourites. I am telling you now; I think they can win this one. Provided they get the right balance of experience and youth. And there is enough time to identify the squad that you want. And if you get your full-strength side, I think India are favourites, with England and Australia.”

Southern Brave overwhelmed after fifties from Allen, Vince and Conway lead them to 196 for 1

Alan Gardner26-Aug-2023Manchester Originals ransacked their way to the highest successful run-chase in the men’s Hundred on a night of boundary-fuelled belligerence at the Kia Oval, sweeping past a seemingly intimidating target set by Southern Brave with seven wickets and four balls to spare. Jos Buttler was at his imperious best, striking 82 off 46, and although he wasn’t there at the end, victory was sealed in fitting style as Jamie Overton crashed Chris Jordan high over long-off.Brave looked to have shrugged off the disadvantage of losing the toss and being inserted, following a delay for mopping-up after rain washed out the women’s eliminator, becoming the first side to record three individual half-centuries in a 100-ball innings. Finn Allen set the initial tempo with 69 off 38, before James Vince added a 24-ball fifty during the closing stages; Devon Conway was neat and tidy in between times to anchor the innings with an unbeaten 51 off 38.But as Originals set about their chase in ruthless fashion, it immediately called into question whether Brave had spent their batting resources wisely. Phil Salt’s first three balls all went to the boundary – albeit two of them were thick edges between slip and gully – as he hammered five fours and two sixes from 14 powerplay deliveries, Originals posting 61 without loss.The scoring rate only went up with the fielding restrictions off. Buttler, whose one miscue came from his second ball when he just cleared cover running back, hammered Craig Overton for his first six down the ground before Salt drilled two more brutal hits in a set costing 21. Salt fell to his next ball to depart for an incendiary 47 off 17, Vince roaring in celebration after scooping a low catch in the covers as Mitchell Santner’s introduction paid off – but Buttler kept the pressure on by hitting Santner into the crowd before new batter Max Holden carved and scooped George Garton for sixes from his fourth and seventh balls.Originals had raced to 100 from 41 balls, equalling their own record from the 2022 edition, and they were 115 for 1 at halfway. The carnage continued for Brave’s seamers as Jordan was struck for 17 in the next set, Buttler bringing up a 26-ball half-century, and the Originals captain took back-to-back boundaries off Tymal Mills before the competition’s leading wicket-taker ended Holden’s cameo with a slower delivery.Buttler’s calculated assault continued as he crashed Rehan Ahmed for two more sixes during a run of ten consecutive balls from the teenaged legspinner, at the end of which Originals needed 26 from 20. The requirement was down to 17 when Buttler finally top-edged one into the night sky to be held by the scrambling Rehan and Laurie Evans’ emphatic blow into the crowd off Mills kept Originals on course.Buttler, England’s white-ball captain, has been a vocal backer of the tournament in recent days and extended his lead at the top of the run-scoring charts. This has been his first full season of involvement and he will now lead Originals out at Lord’s against Oval Invincibles on Sunday, looking to go one better than the side did in his absence last year.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Following the abandonment of the early game, and with the threat of more rain interrupting proceedings in south London, Buttler had no hesitation asking Brave to set a target. He admitted afterwards to being a “bit disappointed” with his side’s effort with the ball – which included conceding 20 extras – but added: “Once we got that momentum it was hard to stop us.”There was swing and seam movement for the Originals new-ball pair of Richard Gleeson and Josh Little, but although the Brave openers only managed four scoring shots in the first 15 balls, they still had 24 on the board through a combination of leg byes and wides – which had increased to 37 without loss after the powerplay.Allen’s first boundary came off a thick edge over slip, and he then needed assessing by the physio after playing a rolling ramp shot straight into the grille of his helmet. He launched Little for a sweetly struck six over deep midwicket, while Conway got going by chipping his fourth ball over cover for four, but there were few other examples of timing during a scratchy start.After back-to-back boundaries in the eighth set, Allen then took Calvin Harrison for four and six, followed by another straight smash over the ropes off Zaman Khan to bring up a 31-ball half-century and put Brave on the front foot at the halfway stage of their innings on 84 for none. Harrison was again targeted in the 12th, as both Allen and Conway cleared the ropes in a set that cost 20. But two balls after hammering Paul Walter over long-on for his fifth six, bringing up a record opening stand for the competition, Allen was finally removed attempting to reverse-scoop and feathering a catch behind.That was to be Originals’ only breakthrough with the ball, but they nevertheless managed to keep on top of the scoring. Vince also made a slow start, eking out six runs from his first ten balls, but a flicked six off Zaman seemed to bring him to life. Off his next 12 balls, Brave’s captain smoked 40 runs, with Originals paying the price for missing the cut-off and only being allowed four men out for the final 11 deliveries.Conway had batted throughout the innings without ever dominating, reaching a 37-ball fifty during the final set, as Brave notched the highest Hundred total at The Oval – only for Buttler’s men in black to produce an extra-terrestrial response.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s decision to leave Liverpool as a free agent has led to him being barred from a popular nightclub in the city.

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Home-grown star ready to leave AnfieldWalking away when contract expiresDecision has attracted some criticismFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international has, after several months of speculation, confirmed that he will be bidding farewell to Anfield this summer and breaking career-long ties with the newly-crowned Premier League champions.

AdvertisementDID YOU KNOW?

Alexander-Arnold has decided against following the lead of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk by signing a new contract. The Merseyside native is ready to step out of his comfort zone and embrace a fresh start.

THE GOSSIP

Not everybody is as excited about that as Alexander-Arnold, with a big career call attracting criticism from some. It has also been revealed that the 26-year-old full-back is no longer welcome at the Popworld nightspot in Liverpool as he is now “barred” from that venue.

WHAT NEXT FOR TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

It is expected that Alexander-Arnold will soon announce that he is linking up with Real Madrid. He will join Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior at Santiago Bernabeu as he takes on a Spanish adventure.

Visitors cash in after captain lays foundations to build 104-run first-innings lead

Paul Edwards05-May-2023
At its best, the batting of Cheteshwar Pujara reminds one of the building of cathedrals. There is a monumental patience about the business, an alliance of forbearance with time that makes any major achievement all the more admirable. There is purpose, too, and aggression where possible, and these qualities were apparent as Pujara made his third century of the season at New Road this afternoon. But above all there was method and a resolve to ride out the mettlesome duels with Worcestershire’s seamers in the morning session, thereby gaining increasing licence to attack them later in the day.The result of Pujara’s tough-minded devotion was plain in the evening session when he put on 117 in 20 overs with Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who made 59, and a further 38 in six with Ollie Robinson, whose 21-ball 33 came straight from the McCullum-Stokes school of tactical thinking. Those partnerships gave Sussex a lead of 104, which was a fine effort given they had been 213 for 6 when Oli Carter had his off stump rumbled by a fine outswinger from Matthew Waite. Pujara eventually fell for 136 to the worst shot of his innings, a tired waft off Josh Tongue, but by then it was testing to recall the first session of the day when he and Steven Smith had worked hard for 75 minutes to put on 61, a partnership that did little but keep their side in the game after Worcestershire had taken two early wickets.Ah yes, Smith, I wondered when we would get to him. Once again, the interest of sports editors had been sufficiently piqued by the near certainty of the Australian batting to send their very best writers to New Road and perhaps Saturday will be another morning on which Smith will be the context for another international cricketer’s fine achievement. But Pujara made over a hundred runs more than his team mate in this innings and it must be a curious world in which one decides what is important about a day’s cricket before one discovers whether it has truly mattered very much.We only had to wait ten balls before we got our chance to assess Smith’s form, for the day had begun in grisly fashion for Sussex, who lost Tom Alsop leg before wicket to Joe Leach’s sixth delivery of the morning when succumbing to the virus of trying to work the ball just in front of square instead of playing it to mid-on. Next over, Ali Orr was dropped by Jack Haynes off Ben Gibbon and then caught by Gareth Roderick three balls later. Those dismissals more or less restored the game to parity and they also brought Smith out to join Pujara, thus uniting two of the best and most contrasting batters in the world.Pujara and Steven Smith bump fists during their partnership•Getty ImagesSmith’s innings of 30 off 57 balls was interesting but unexceptional, although that latter quality will have little to do with the number of column inches it commands on Saturday. This is an Australian summer, after all, and we should be grateful that still matters amid the slew of competitions that pay riches yet count for nowt. So Smith began with a characteristic light-sabre leave and followed it with a sinless forward defensive. There were five fours but they were balanced with about as many false shots, a lovely ease through midwicket off Tongue making up for a swish to an off-side bouncer off Gibbon. The most typical boundary was a pull off Tongue in which Smith’s whole body pivoted on the stroke and the bat made as if to follow the ball to the rope. The innings itself offered glimmers of unconventional greatness but they might have been apparent only to those who knew this batsman had made 30 Test centuries, some of which had defined Ashes series.Anyway, Smith had batted 88 minutes when he faced the final delivery of the innings’ 39th over, which was bowled by Tongue from the Diglis End. The ball seamed back and hit Smith just above the knee-roll of his pad in line with middle and leg stump at best. Peter Hartley’s decision to give the batsman out was therefore neither a near-formality nor a shocker. In a Test match, the batter would surely have reviewed the decision and the technology might well have suggested umpire’s call. There was, though, an equal chance that Smith would have got away with it.Tongue was untroubled by such speculation. He gave the dismissal a double salute with his clenched fists and was quickly mobbed by his delighted colleagues. Before lunch, James Coles’ ten-cent drive to a ball from Gibbon saw him caught behind for 14 and Worcestershire supporters’ enjoyment of their lunch might then have been enhanced by New Road’s gracious assumption of its May splendour. The horse chestnut in front of the corporate hospitality marquee has been giving it large on the catwalk for a couple of weeks but now the poplars, limes and beeches at the Diglis End and in front of the cathedral are also buying their new-season frocks.The ruthlessness of Pujara’s batting frequently punctures such blithe optimism. During his stand with Smith, he had already eased the ball backward of square off his legs and played a cover drive. Both strokes outshone his partner. Either side of a 45-minute break for rain, he now added back cuts and pulls that took the game away from Worcestershire, one or two of whose bowlers suffered under the strain of it all. Pujara has now reached fifty for Sussex eight times in two-and-a-bit seasons and on each occasion he has gone on to make a century. Nor were his delights quite over. Eight balls before bad light interrupted play deep into evensong, he moved himself to sixth slip and next ball he grabbed a thick-edged catch off Jake Libby, a cricketer whose adhesion is his trademark. Ed Pollock and Azhar Ali took their side safely to stumps, which were finally drawn past seven o’clock, but there is serious work ahead for Brett D’Oliveira’s top order this weekend.

England’s Test tour of India in late January as well as the SA20 and ILT20 will have to be factored in by clubs

Alex Malcolm23-Aug-2023

Ashes stars Harry Brook and Zak Crawley headline a host of English players unveiled as the latest nominations for the upcoming BBL draft but England’s Test tour of India in January, as well as clarity over the ILT20 dates means clubs will have some decisions to make as to whether to recruit the biggest names or those with the most availability.Brook, Crawley, Ollie Pope, Will Jacks and Dan Lawrence have all nominated for the draft which is set for September 3. However it remains to be seen how much of the BBL season they will be available for given all will be in line to tour India with England’s Test team in January 2024 with the first Test of a five-Test series starting on January 25 in Hyderabad.Exciting England tearaway Gus Atkinson has also nominated for the BBL draft. He is yet to be called up to England’s Test side but is poised to make his England limited-overs debut next month and is in their World Cup squad.Related

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Warner to fulfil BBL commitments with Thunder before heading to ILT20

The BBL final will be held on January 24 and the final home and away game of the streamlined 10-game season finishes on January 17. The other key development for BBL clubs came with the announcement of the ILT20 dates for next year with that tournament to begin on January 19 in the UAE.With South Africa’s T20 league starting on January 10 clubs may favour drafting players who have also committed to the ILT20 as opposed to those who will go to South Africa given they are likely to be available for almost all of the home and away season.Englishmen Dawid Malan and Tom Banton and New Zealander Jimmy Neesham were among the latest names who have nominated for the BBL draft but have already committed to South Africa. Clubs are more likely to be interested in the likes of Sam Billings, Joe Clarke, James Vince, Tom Curran, David Willey, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Martin Guptill and Atkinson who have all committed to the ILT20.A number of players will be available as retention picks including Crawley (Hurricanes), Billings (Heat), Clarke (Stars), Vince (Sixers), Curran (Sixers), Banton (Heat) and Willey (Thunder) even though he withdrew last year after being drafted. Players who were drafted last year but did not play are eligible to be retained by that club. Willey played 27 games for Perth Scorchers between 2015 and 2019 but is not eligible to be a retention pick for Scorchers as he was drafted by Thunder last year.Brook, Lawrence, Jacks, and Malan have all played in the BBL previously but do not fit the criteria to be retained as they did not play for a minimum of two seasons with a club previously after not playing last season.Marizanne Kapp is eligible to be retained by Perth Scorchers•Getty Images

In the WBBL, South Africa star Marizanne Kapp has confirmed she will return to the WBBL leaving Scorchers with a massive decision to make over their lone WBBL retention pick. Scorchers need to choose between two of the best allrounders in the world in Kapp and Sophie Devine.Kapp was outstanding for Scorchers in her last two seasons but Devine is a two-time WBBL player of the year and Scorchers captain. Devine has also been involved in Western Australia’s WNCL team which is closely linked to the Scorchers program, making the decision even more difficult.Laura Wolvaardt looks destined to be a retention pick for defending champions Adelaide Strikers but Dane van Niekerk is not eligible as a retention pick after missing last year’s tournament, having previously played for Strikers, Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades.WBBL nominationsEngland: Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Katie Levick, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Issy Wong, Danielle WyattIndia: Yastika Bhatia, Harleen Deol, Hurley Gala, Richa Ghosh, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Shikha Pandey, Shreyanka Patil, Sneh Rana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Meghna Singh, Renuka Thakur, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha YadavNew Zealand: Sophie Devine, Kate Ebrahim, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess KerrPakistan: Fatima SanaSouth Africa: Suné Luus, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Laura Wolvaardt, Dane van Niekerk, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin BritsSri Lanka: Chamari AthapaththuWest Indies: Hayley Matthews, Karishma RamharackBBL nominationsAfghanistan: Shafiqullah Ghafari, Izharulhaq Naveed, Mujeeb Ur RahmanEngland: Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Harry Brook, Joe Clarke, Zak Crawley, Tom Curran, Laurie Evans, Richard Gleeson, Alex Hales, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Dan Lawrence, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Callum Parkinson, Matt Parkinson, Ollie Pope, David Payne, Matt Potts, Olly Stone, Josh Tongue, Reece Topley, James Vince, David Willey, Luke Wood, Dan WorrallIreland: Josh LittleNew Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Jimmy NeeshamSouth Africa: Marchant de Lange, Faf du Plessis, Beuran Hendricks, Wayne Parnell, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Imran TahirSri Lanka: Lakshan SandakanWest Indies: Joshua Bishop, Sheldon Cottrell, Akeal Hosein, Nicholas Pooran, Jayden Seales, Ramon Simmonds