Tag: England

AUCKLAND: New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled in Pakistan, with India playing their matches in Dubai.

Seasoned players Kane Williamson, Devon Conway and Lockie Ferguson were recalled to form an experienced New Zealand squad to contest the Champions Trophy.

The aforementioned three players were unavailable for the recently concluded home ODI series against Sri Lanka because of offshore T20 commitments.

Batters Williamson and Conway have been playing in South Africa’s T20 league while pace bowler Ferguson is involved in Australia’s Big Bash competition.

Ben Sears was also selected for the ICC tournament co-hosted by Pakistan and UAE, having missed the 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka with a knee injury.

It will be the first senior ICC event for Sears and fellow pace bowlers Will O’Rourke and Nathan Smith.

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Coach Gary Stead will oversee a squad he said also boasted experience and depth.

“We’re currently blessed with a lot of quality players and that certainly made for some challenging selection discussions,” Stead said.

Spin bowler Mitchell Santner will lead New Zealand at a major event for the first time, after being named full-time white ball captain in December.

Santner, former skipper Williamson and wicketkeeper Tom Latham were all part of the New Zealand squad for the last edition of the Champions Trophy, in England and Wales in 2017.

New Zealand will contest the tournament’s opening match against Pakistan in Karachi on February 19, followed by pool games against Bangladesh and India.

New Zealand squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Mitchell Santner (c), Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Sears, Will O’Rourke

READ: Shakib Al Hasan dropped as Bangladesh announce squad for Champions Trophy

DHAKA: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, with veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan missing out.

The all-rounder was recently banned from bowling in competitions governed by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). This decision came on the heels of an independent re-assessment of his bowling action revealing concerns over the legality of his deliveries.

Although Shakib Al Hasan remained eligible to participate as a specialist batter, the Bangladeshi selectors opted to exclude him.

Moreover, Bangladesh will also be lacking the services of another veteran player, Tamim Iqbal, who recently retired from international cricket, despite having been approached by the team’s white-ball captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, along with other key figures within the squad, urging him to reconsider.

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However, experienced players such as wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim and all-rounder Mahmudullah have secured their places in the contingent, bringing their wealth of knowledge and skill to the mix.

The ninth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy will kick off on 19 February with host and defending champions Pakistan taking on New Zealand in the curtain-raiser in Karachi’s National Bank Stadium.

Bangladesh are placed in Group A alongside India, Pakistan and New Zealand. They will play their opening game in the tournament against India in Dubai on February 20.

Bangladesh squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Soumya Sarkar, Tanzid Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mohammad Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Parvez Hossain Emon, Nasum Ahmed, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Nahid Rana.

READ: Tamim Iqbal retires from international cricket again

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday, provided an update on the injury of the national men’s Test captain Ben Stokes.

The star all-rounder has been ruled out of all forms of cricket after tearing his left hamstring during the third Test against New Zealand, team management confirmed.

He had already been ruled out of next year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the preceding white-ball tour of India.

Further assessments have since revealed the full extent of the injury, with Stokes set to undergo surgery in January, said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement.

Stokes suffered the injury while bowling during the third Test against New Zealand in Hamilton last week.

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Stokes did not bat in the second innings of that match as England slumped to a 423-run defeat — a result that meant his side still won a three-match series 2-1.

“Something else to overcome…go on then!!!!!!!! I’ve got so much more left in this tank and so much more blood, sweat and tears to go through for my team and this shirt,” Ben Stokes wrote on social media.

“There’s a reason I have a Phoenix permanently inked on my body.”

Stokes previously missed this year’s home series against Sri Lanka and the first Test in Pakistan after tearing the hamstring on the same left leg in August.

England’s next Test is at home to Zimbabwe in May. They will then host a five-match Test series against India starting in June before their pinnacle 2025/26 Ashes tour of Australia.

READ: India face major blow as key pacer ruled out of Australia Tests

LONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Sunday, recalled star batter Joe Root to the national ODI squad for the much-anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled in Pakistan.

The England Men’s selection panel named 15-member ODI and T20I squads that will play tour India for the white-ball series in January, followed by the Champions Trophy 2025 in February and March.

Root has been a key member of England’s Test team, however, he has not featured in any ODI since the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in November 2023.

Alongside Root, Jos Buttler has also returned to the team and will be leading them during the tour of ODI as well as the eight-team mega-event.

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Meanwhile, Test captain Ben Stokes was not considered for selection owing to a left hamstring injury, which he sustained during the third Test match against New Zealand earlier this month.

England squad will depart on 17 January 2025 for India, where they will play three T20Is and as many ODIs from January 22 to February 12 before heading to Pakistan for Champions Trophy.

England squad for T20I series against India

Jos Buttler (c), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood

England squad for India ODIs and Champions Trophy

Jos Buttler (c), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

READ: Nathan McSweeney breaks silence after being dropped from Australia Test squad

New Zealand crushed England by 423 runs in the third Test of the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy to send Tim Southee into retirement on a triumphant note on Tuesday.

It was New Zealand’s equal-highest victory by runs and a complete reversal from the first two Tests, which England won easily to clinch the three-match series.

New Zealand sealed a dominant performance in Hamilton by claiming seven wickets in 41.2 overs on day four as England crumbled for 234.

Playing on his home ground at Seddon Park, seamer Tim Southee finished with 2-34 in his 107th and final Test, ending the career of one of New Zealand’s finest players. He finishes with 391 Test wickets, second only to Richard Hadlee among New Zealanders.

“I want to thank New Zealand Cricket for everything you have done. My family, who are there for the ride and see the ups and downs,” said the 36-year-old. “And my teammates — these guys have made the ride so much more enjoyable, I have loved every minute.”

“And finally the fans. It is always great to turn out in front of numbers. This week has been pretty special to play at Seddon Park in front of a great crowd.”

New Zealand only needed to take nine second-innings wickets for an emphatic victory because England skipper Ben Stokes did not bat.

Stokes suffered a hamstring injury on Monday and limped off in distress, having torn the hamstring in the same left leg just a few months ago.

The scale of the latest injury has not been revealed but that, and the way England capitulated in Hamilton, ended their series on a sour note.

After resuming at 18-2, England never threatened their enormous target of 658, their hopes dwindling further when losing Jacob Bethell for 76, Joe Root for 54 and Harry Brook for just one before lunch.

They looked comfortable for the first hour before Root departed, having put on 104 for the third wicket with Bethell.

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England’s greatest run-scorer was trapped lbw attempting to sweep left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner. Having been given not out, New Zealand successfully reviewed, with ball-tracking showing the ball would have hit the middle stump.

It left 33-year-old Root 28 runs short of becoming the fifth player to score 13,000 Test runs.

Brook, who scored match-winning centuries in each of the first two Tests, was out cheaply for the second time at Seddon Park, caught behind off a sharply rising Will O’Rourke delivery.

Left-hander Bethell batted fluently, striking 13 fours and a six, until he swung at a wide Southee delivery to be caught at deep point.

Ollie Pope (17) was bowled attempting to reverse scoop pace bowler Matt Henry before Gus Atkinson’s hard-hit 43 ended when caught in the deep off Santner.

Matthew Potts and Brydon Carse fell cheaply, also trying to hit Santner out of the ground.

All-rounder Santner justified his recall by taking 4-85 to finish with seven wickets in the match, alongside scores of 76 and 49 with the bat.

Having been beaten by eight wickets and then 323 runs in the first two Tests, the Black Caps belatedly gave the home fans something to cheer about. They had come into the series buoyant, having sealed a historic 3-0 sweep in India.

READ: Trophy unveiled for Pakistan-South Africa ODI series

New Zealand failed to capitalise on a rock-steady start to reach 315-9 on day one of the third and final Test of the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy against England in Hamilton on Saturday.

Led by seamers Matthew Potts and Gus Atkinson, the tourists fought back with the ball after openers Tom Latham (63) and Will Young (42) put on 105 for the opening stand.

However, the hard early work was undone by a flurry of loose shots in the afternoon as six wickets fell for 89 runs at Seddon Park.

Late hitting from Mitchell Santner handed the momentum back to the home side, including a straight six off the day’s final ball to raise a half-century.

Santner will resume on 50 not out, alongside the scoreless Will O’Rourke.

England is eyeing to complete a 3-0 series clean sweep, courtesy of some disciplined seam bowling after putting New Zealand into bat.

Potts (3-75) impressed by removing top-scorer Latham and danger man Kane Williamson (44) to celebrate his recall at the expense of Chris Woakes.

The 26-year-old said England had “wrestled” their way back into the game after going wicket-less in the first session.

“In this group the character’s real strong,” Potts said. “I think if you notice, there are periods where we do go through a phase of not taking any wickets and we know that if we do stick to our guns and we are meticulous with it, that it will come our way eventually.”

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Atkinson (3-55) took his career tally to 51 wickets, second only to Australian seamer Terry Alderman’s 54 wickets in 1981 for the most Test scalps in a debut year.

Atkinson was among those to benefit from New Zealand’s reckless middle-order batting.

Rachin Ravindra (18), Daryl Mitchell (14), Tom Blundell (21) and Glenn Phillips (5) were all caught by fielders on the off-side when failing to keep the ball down.

Latham and Young belatedly unearthed the kind of batting resolve largely missing in big losses in Christchurch and Wellington that had put the hosts down 2-0 in the series.

Young fell for his lunch score, caught smartly at second slip by Harry Brook off Atkinson before Latham edged down the leg side off Potts soon afterwards.

It ended the best opening stand of the seam-dominated series from either team, surpassing the previous best of 18.

The key wicket of Williamson fell soon after tea, playing on in agonising fashion when he failed to kick the ball clear as it ballooned onto his stumps — prompting a feeling of “pure elation” for Potts.

Veteran bowler Tim Southee, playing his 107th and final Test, delighted supporters at his home ground with a whirlwind 23 off 10 balls.

The 36-year-old bowler struck three sixes to take his career tally to 98 and closer to becoming the fourth player to clear the ropes 100 times in Tests.

READ: Rain ruins day one of third Australia-India Test in Brisbane

New Zealand opening batter Devon Conway is set to miss the third Test of the ongoing Crowe-Thorpe Trophy against England, the country’s cricket board confirmed on Monday.

The out-of-touch Conway is awaiting the birth of his first child, resulting in him not joining the New Zealand squad in Hamilton, where the final Test of the series is set to begin on Saturday.

Conway’s place in the squad will be taken by middle-order batter Mark Chapman but the more experienced Will Young is likely to be promoted to the starting XI.

England hold an unassailable 2-0 lead after winning the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington on Sunday by 323 runs.

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Young was a contentious omission from the first two England Tests following a consistent run of scores during New Zealand’s 3-0 sweep of India in October and November, scoring 244 runs at an average just short of 50.

He made way for the returning Kane Williamson for the England Tests after Williamson missed the Indian tour with an injury.

Devon Conway has been out of form, having failed to score a century for nearly two years. The 33-year-old has been dismissed for scores of 2, 8, 11 and 0 in the England series.

Young, 32, batted at number three throughout the India series but has predominantly played as an opener throughout his 19-Test career.

READ: England Women thump South Africa to level ODI series

WELLINGTON: England pace bowler Gus Atkinson claimed his Test career’s first hat-trick during the second Test against New Zealand here on Saturday to join an exclusive club of bowlers.

New Zealand were struggling on 125-7 with Glenn Phillips and Nathan Smith on the crease when Atkinson wrapped up their innings with a historic hat-trick.

Atkinson claimed the wickets of Smith, Matt Henry, and Tim Southee with three consecutive deliveries, marking the 15th instance of a bowler from England recording a hat-trick in Test cricket.

He uprooted Smith’s middle stump with a brilliant delivery, while Henry tried to evade a sharply rising short ball, but only managed to glove it into the hands of Ben Duckett.

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Atkinson then bowled a full and straight delivery that crashed into Southee’s front pad, dead in front of the middle stump. Southee opted for the review, but to no avail, as umpire Rod Tucker raised his finger decisively for a second time, confirming the dismissal.

It’s worth noting that Atkinson’s hat-trick was the 50th Test hat-trick in global cricket—47 in men’s matches and three in women’s.

The last English player to accomplish this feat was Moeen Ali who claimed a hat-trick against South Africa at The Oval in 2017.

Notably, Gus Atkinson is the 14th English player to join the exclusive club of hat-trick takers, joining the ranks of illustrious names such as Stuart Broad, who claimed two in his storied career.

Test hat-tricks by England bowlers

1. Billy Bates vs Australia, Melbourne (1882/83)
2. Johnny Briggs vs Australia, Sydney (1891/92)
3. George Lohmann vs South Africa, Port Elizabeth (1895/96)
4. Jack Hearne vs Australia, Leeds (1899)
5. Maurice Allom vs New Zealand, Christchurch (1929/30)
6. Tom Goddard vs South Africa, Johannesburg (1938/39)
7. Peter Loader vs West Indies, Leeds (1957)
8. Dominic Cork vs West Indies, Manchester (1995)
9. Darren Gough vs Australia, Sydney (1998/99)
10. Matthew Hoggard vs West Indies, Barbados (2003/04)
11. Ryan Sidebottom vs New Zealand, Hamilton (2007/08)
12. Stuart Broad vs India, Nottingham (2011)
13. Stuart Broad vs Sri Lanka, Leeds (2014)
14. Moeen Ali vs South Africa, The Oval (2017)
15. Gus Atkinson vs New Zealand, Wellington (2024)

WATCH: Sarfaraz Ahmed hints at retirement ahead of Champions T20 Cup

WELLINGTON: Gus Atkinson claimed a hat-trick before England batters ran riot to power the visitors 533 runs ahead of New Zealand on Saturday and in full control of the second Test of the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy here at Basin Reserve.

New Zealand will need to chase an enormous score in the fourth innings after England went to stumps at 378-5 on day two.

Captain Ben Stokes resisted any urge to declare, instead cementing England’s position of power as four batters posted half-centuries to build on their first-innings advantage of 155.

Joe Root was at the crease on 73 while Stokes struck a whirlwind 35 not out against a tiring attack after Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett were both dismissed in the 90s.

The fast-moving nature of the Test means the Black Caps should have ample time to reach any target, as they bid to square the three-match series after losing the opener of Crowe-Thorpe Trophy in Christchurch by eight wickets.

However, history is firmly against them. The highest successful fourth-innings chase at the Basin Reserve is 274, achieved by Pakistan against the hosts in 2003.

The hopes of New Zealand of getting back into the Test were scuppered in the opening 40 minutes of play when they lost their last five wickets to be all out 125 against a hostile England bowling attack.

Gus Atkinson (4-31) removed the last three with successive deliveries to become the first Englishman to claim a Test hat-trick since Moeen Ali against South Africa seven years ago.

The seamer was all smiles after bowling Nathan Smith for 14, then having Matt Henry caught in the gully and trapping Tim Southee lbw.

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England made batting look a lot easier, most notably when Bethell (96) and Duckett (92) combined for an untroubled 187-run second-wicket stand.

Bethell fell agonisingly short of a maiden Test ton when edging Southee to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. The 21-year-old looked crestfallen as he exited after a 118-ball knock which featured 10 fours and three sixes.

Opener Duckett was closing on his fifth Test ton when he played on off Southee (2-72), ending an innings of 112 balls.

First-Test centurion Harry Brook reached 55 before being caught in the deep off spinner Glenn Phillips while Root put some modest recent form behind him to post another batting milestone.

Root became only the fourth player to reach 50 runs in 100 different Test innings.

Ollie Pope fell for 10 off seamer Matt Henry (2-76), who earlier dismissed Zak Crawley for eight, continuing a lean series for the opener. In 19 Test innings against the Black Caps, Crawley has scored just 193 runs at an average of 10.15.

In-form England seamer Brydon Carse shapes as a key figure for the remainder of the Test, finishing with 4-46 in New Zealand’s first innings, including both overnight batters after they had resumed at 86-5.

Blundell was bowled for 16 before nightwatchman Will O’Rourke was out lbw for a 26-ball duck. New Zealand added 39 runs off 8.5 overs in the morning, with Phillips not out on 16.

WATCH: Sarfaraz Ahmed hints at retirement ahead of Champions T20 Cup

WELLINGTON: New Zealand lost five wickets to be on the ropes after England posted 280 courtesy of Harry Brook’s century on the first day of the second Test of the Crowe-Thorpe Trophy here at Basin Reserve on Friday.

New Zealand were struggling on 86-5, with England capturing the key wicket of Kane Williamson soon before stumps, leaving Tom Blundell at the crease on seven and nightwatchman Will O’Rourke yet to score.

It was a fast-moving opening day, in a similar vein to the first Test in Christchurch, which the tourists won by eight wickets in three and a half days.

Brook set the tone with his brilliant 123 off 115 balls, following on from his match-winning 171 at Hagley Oval. He again rescued England, who had crumbled in the first hour to 43-4 after being sent in on a green Basin Reserve pitch.

New Zealand top order also struggled badly against seam and bounce through an intense last 26 overs of the day against an in-form bowling attack of England.

Devon Conway was caught behind off Gus Atkinson for 11 before fellow opener Tom Latham was clean-bowled by captain counterpart Ben Stokes for 17. Rachin Ravindra departed for three, caught by a diving Brydon Carse in close off Chris Woakes.

The lively Carse (2-28) then claimed the scalp of dangerman Williamson, caught by diving wicketkeeper Ollie Pope for 37.

Daryl Mitchell, on six, snicked a second catch to Pope, down the leg side off Carse.

Williamson had survived some near scrapes early in his knock, including being bowled by a superb delivery from Carse, before the anguished seamer was found to have bowled a no-ball by overstepping the mark.

Earlier, Brook’s fifth-wicket partnership with Pope (66) proved decisive, the pair counter-punching their way out of trouble with 174 off just 158 balls.

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The stand was reminiscent of the first Test when the same pair combined for a rapid 151 to revive their first innings.

Brook was run out on the last ball of the second session after powering England out of trouble to 259-7 before the final three wickets fell quickly after tea. The in-form Brook registered his eighth century in just 23 Tests, having scored 171 at Hagley Oval a week ago.

The lanky 25-year-old’s power once again couldn’t be contained by New Zealand’s seam-heavy attack, striking five sixes and 11 fours before his concentration slipped.

He set off for a single to short midwicket but Woakes didn’t respond and Brook was caught short when bowler Nathan Smith hit the stumps in his follow-through.

O’Rourke (3-49) earlier removed Pope, who mistimed a pull shot, and the pace bowler struck again to dismiss Stokes for two, caught behind.

Smith (4-86) helped to wrap up the tail, having claimed two wickets with the new ball, along with Matt Henry (2-43).

New Zealand’s poor catching from Christchurch was quickly forgotten, snapping up three sharp chances in the opening overs.

The impressive Henry had Ben Duckett caught by a diving Latham at second slip without scoring before bowling fellow-opener Zak Crawley for 17.

Smith had both Jacob Bethell (16) and Joe Root (3) caught behind, with Mitchell grabbing a flyer with one hand at first slip to remove Root.

READ: Zimbabwe edge past Pakistan to seal consolation T20I victory