Tag: England

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) today confirmed that Men’s Test Head Coach Brendon McCullum will also take on the role of England’s White-Ball Head Coach as part of a strategic restructure of the England Men’s senior set-up.

McCullum, who has been at the helm since May 2022, has extended his contract until the end of 2027.

He will assume leadership of both the Test and white-ball teams starting January 2025, coinciding with England’s white-ball tour of India and the ICC Champions Trophy.

In the interim, Marcus Trescothick will serve as Interim Head Coach for the upcoming series against Australia and the tour of the Caribbean later this year.

Commenting on the restructure, Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, said:

“I’m delighted that Brendon has chosen to do both roles now with England. I believe we are incredibly fortunate that a coach of his quality is prepared to commit wholeheartedly to English cricket.

“Being able to align all teams now is particularly exciting and we look forward to taking on all challenges that come our way.

“For the last two years, constant clashes between formats have made it challenging for the white-ball environment; fortunately, these are easing starting from January.

“The timing of the schedule (from January) will allow him to dedicate the necessary focus to both roles, and we’re confident this restructure will bring out the best in our players and coaching staff.”

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Brendon McCullum, England Men’s Head Coach, added:

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Test team, and I’m excited to extend my role to include the white-ball sides. This new challenge is something I’m ready to embrace, and I’m eager to work closely with Jos (Buttler) and the team to build on the strong foundations that are already in place.

“Rob Key’s vision for the future of English cricket is something that really resonated with me. The idea of a unified coaching structure, especially with the schedule easing next year, made perfect sense. I’m energised by the prospect of guiding both teams and am grateful for the support from the ECB and my family as I take on these added responsibilities.

“The talent within English cricket is immense, and I’m looking forward to helping these players reach their full potential. My goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive and where we can continue to compete at the highest level across all formats.”

After the Test series ends against Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval next week, McCullum will take a short break at home in New Zealand before joining the Test team for their winter tours of Pakistan in October and the three-match Test series against New Zealand in December.

READ: Shan Masood highlights Pakistan’s shortcomings against Bangladesh

Star England batter Joe Root on Thursday added another feather to his cap as he drew level with legendary batter Alastair Cook for the most Test centuries for England in Tests.

The right-handed batter achieved the milestone in England’s second Test of the three-match home series against Sri Lanka at Lord’s.

The 33-year-old, who has been in remarkable form, walked out to bat at No.4 with England 42/2 and anchored the innings with a mesmerizing knock.

He put together important partnerships with Harry Brook and Jamie Smith, who made notable contributions with 33 and 21 respectively.

Enjoying his purple patch in the longest format, Root gave only a half-a-chance to Sri Lanka when Milan Rathnayake’s delivery evaded past his stumps after brushing inside half of the bat.

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With his 33rd Test century, Joe Root has now equalled Alastair Cook’s long-standing record of scoring the most number of tons for England.

Notably, no active player has as many hundreds as Root.

The former England captain also joined an elusive list of batters to score the most number of centuries in the history of Test cricket, becoming joint-tenth in the list, led by Sachin Tendulkar.

Joe Root is now only one century behind Pakistan’s legendary batter Younis Khan and West Indian batting great Brian Lara.

However, he needs 19 more centuries to replace Tendulkar as the batter with the most number of Test centuries.

Most Test hundreds

Sachin Tendulkar: 51
Jacques Kallis: 45
Ricky Ponting: 41
Kumar Sangakkara: 38
Rahul Dravid: 36
Sunil Gavaskar: 34
Mahela Jayawardene: 34
Brian Lara: 34
Younis Khan: 34
Alastair Cook: 33
Joe Root: 33

Root, who recently amassed  12,000 runs in Test cricket to become the seventh-highest run-scorer of all time, has second-placed Ponting and Tendulkar’s overall record within sight.

READ: Australia batter forced to retire from international cricket

England Test captain Ben Stokes has expressed hope to achieve full fitness and make a comeback to the team ahead of the upcoming series against Pakistan.

The star all-rounder is currently nursing a hamstring injury, which he suffered during the recently concluded The Hundred 2024.

He was playing for the Northern Superchargers in the tournament when he tore his left hamstring which kept him away from cricket for the rest of the summer season, including the ongoing series against Sri Lanka.

However, the 33-year-old all-rounder has resumed light batting training in the nets.

In a video uploaded by the England Cricket Board (ECB), Ben Stokes said that he was still in rehab and decided to stay with the team to be around team physio and doctors.

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“I’m all good, just slowly progressing,” said Ben Stokes. “Me batting is just scratching an itch. I’m just taking it easy, hitting some balls. It’s still very early days in the rehab period.”

“I want to get back as quick as I possibly can, so being around the medical team here with physio and doctors, I thought that was going to give myself the best chance of getting back sooner rather than later.”

England is scheduled to tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series, commencing on October 7 in Multan. The second Test will be played from October 15 to 19 in Karachi, while Rawalpindi will host the third Test match from October 24-28.

It is pertinent to mention here that the series between Pakistan and England will be part of the ICC Test Championship 2023-2025.

For the unversed, this will be England’s second tour of Pakistan in two years. They won the last Test series 3-0 in December 2022.

READ: Interim England captain Pope to follow Root’s footsteps

Former top-ranked ICC T20I batter Dawid Malan announced his retirement from international cricket on Wednesday, with the batter saying his England career “has not been easy”.

Malan signed a 12-month central contract in October and was England’s leading run-scorer in their woeful ICC ODI World Cup title defence in India in the weeks that followed. But the left-hander has not played for England since that showpiece tournament.

Yet he was repeatedly criticised for being insufficiently aggressive at the crease in an era of dynamic white-ball hitting.

Nevertheless, Malan is just one of two England batters, alongside Jos Buttler, to have scored hundreds in all three international formats — Tests, ODIs and T20s.

But Malan, a member of England’s 2022 T20 World Cup-winning squad, has accepted now is the right time to call time on a seven-year international career of 22 Tests and 92 white-ball internationals.

“It has been an incredible journey since July 2017,” said Dawid Malan, born in England but brought up and educated in South Africa. “I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to play for England in all three formats.

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“Cricket, like most sports, is an industry where almost everyone eventually retires wishing they had done that little bit more.

“Whether you’ve played 10 Tests or 100, many step away regretting not playing just one more, scoring a few more runs, or winning more trophies.

“Right now, as I retire from international cricket, I can say I am genuinely satisfied.”

He added: “It has not been easy. It may be my nature, but for whatever reason, it has always seemed that I had something to prove and often felt as if I was playing for my place.

“The pressure goes with the territory, but it does take a mental and physical toll. Even so, I look back with pride on what I have been able to achieve.”

Dawid Malan, who amassed 4,416 runs for England across all formats, agreed a white-ball-only deal at English county Yorkshire earlier this year and could now spend most of his time on the global T20 franchise circuit.

READ: Former pacer confident USA can beat Pakistan again

Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff parted ways with the national team’s coaching setup ahead of the upcoming series against Australia after reports of his strained relations with white-ball captain Jos Buttler.

England is scheduled to play a three-match T20I series and a five-match ODI series against arch-rivals Australia, however, the former all-rounder would not be part of England’s team management during the series.

The 46-year-old Flintoff joined England’s white-ball setup in 2023 and served as the team’s assistant coach during the ICC men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

England struggled in the early stages of the tournament, however, they bounced back and reached the semi-finals, where they were defeated by eventual champions India.

There were reports indicating that Andrew Flintoff and team captain Jos Buttler had a strained relationship during the ICC T20 World Cup, which ultimately resulted in the former all-rounder leaving the team.

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Notably, Flintoff joined England’s coaching setup on a short-term basis, and he hasn’t held a full-time contract.

Flintoff, recently, conveyed his deep affection for the sport of cricket and expressed his profound gratitude for the opportunity to be actively engaged in the game as a coach.

“Cricket has given me so much. It’s all I ever wanted to do as a kid and I got the opportunity to live my dream,” said Flintoff.

“I feel really lucky to be back here and I want the lads to cherish playing. When you finish playing, you look back and it passes so quickly, but you just take time when you’re out there, just to have a look around and take it in and live in the moment.

“And that’s what I’m doing these days. It’s living in the moment and enjoying it. And that’s something I want the players to do, and the teams that play under me to do as well.”

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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) unveiled the calendar for the upcoming 2025 home international season, encompassing fixtures for both the men’s and women’s cricket teams.

England Women will open the international summer at the Spitfire Ground, Canterbury, on 21 May with the first of the three-match T20I series against West Indies Women. Following the T20Is, the two teams will compete in three ODIs.

Meanwhile, a three-match ODI series between England Men and West Indies Men will begin a few days later at Edgbaston on 29 May, with a three-match T20I series straight after.

This follows the conclusion of a historic Test match against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, starting on 22 May, which will be the first time Zimbabwe have played a Test match in England since 2003.

The West Indies series will be followed by concurrent England Men’s and England Women’s series against India.

A five-match Men’s Test series will be interspersed by England Women’s five T20Is and three One Day Internationals.

The Men’s Test series against India promises to be a thrilling clash, with the sides currently at numbers two and three in the ICC world rankings.

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The last series ended in a 2-2 draw after England won the rescheduled fifth Test by seven wickets in 2022 in Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s first summer at the helm. The match had been delayed by a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

England Men’s series will begin at Headingley on 20 June before matches at Edgbaston, Lord’s and Emirates Old Trafford. The series will conclude at The Kia Oval in early August.

England Women’s series also promises to be exciting after England triumphed in the IT20 series and India took the ODI crown the last time the two sides met in this country in 2022.

Next year England Women’s series will begin with T20Is at Trent Bridge, Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium, The Kia Oval, Emirates Old Trafford and Edgbaston, before three Metro Bank ODIs at Southampton’s Utilita Bowl, Lord’s and the Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street.

The home international summer will then conclude in early September, with England Men taking on South Africa in three ODIs and three T20Is before the team travels to Ireland for three ODIs from 17-21 September.

It has also been confirmed that India Women will return in 2026 for a one-off Test match at Lord’s – the first-ever Women’s Test to be staged at the Home of Cricket.

England Women have played white-ball matches at Lord’s for the past three years, with another scheduled next year, but it will be the first time the ground has hosted a Women’s Test match.

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Australia will host arch-rivals England in a one-off match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in March 2027 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Test cricket.

The birth of Test cricket took place at the same location in March 1877, with Australia and England facing off in an epic battle. The hosts emerged victorious by a 45-run margin.

A century later, in 1977, these two cricketing nations came together once again for the Centenary Test, commemorating 100 years of their historic rivalry.

Australia once again triumphed, mirroring their earlier feat by winning with a 45-run margin. These two matches remain iconic moments in the history of Test cricket.

“The 150th anniversary Test match at the MCG in March 2027 will be a wonderful celebration of the pinnacle format of the game at one of the world’s great sporting arenas and we can’t wait to host England on that occasion,” said CA CEO Nick Hockley.

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Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) also announced the hosting rights for men’s international Tests, ODIs, T20Is, and other matches for the upcoming seven years, ranging from 2024-25 to 2030-31.

The iconic Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test in Sydney have been guaranteed until the 2030-31 season.

Additionally, Adelaide is set to host a pre-Christmas Test for the next seven years, a result of South Australia’s successful bid for the New Year’s Test.

“We are enormously grateful for the strong support of state and territory governments and venue operators who will help us to deliver brilliant experiences across the country and maximise economic impact from these major events,” Hockley stated.

“We are delighted to confirm long-term hosting rights which provide certainty around the locations of some fantastic cricket over the next seven years.

“We are confident this schedule ensures the best cricket will be played in the best venues at the right times across the country, including a fantastic mix of iconic Test matches, new blockbusters such as the West Test and Christmas Test and exciting day-night fixtures.”

READ: South Africa surpass Pakistan in WTC standings with series win over West Indies

KARACHI: A security delegation of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) visited the National Bank Stadium here on Thursday to assess the arrangements for the upcoming England tour of Pakistan, later this year.

The security delegation visited different areas of the National Stadium and reviewed the security arrangements at the stadium and its surroundings.

The security delegation also reviewed the construction work of the stadium, whereas, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials briefed them about the ongoing work.

England is set to tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series in October this year. The tour begins with the First Test in Multan from October 7-11, before moving to Karachi for the Second Test from October 15-19. The Third Test will be in Rawalpindi from October 24-28.

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The three-match series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. It will be the second time England Men have played a Test series in Pakistan in under two years, with England having won the last series 3-0 in December 2022.

It is worth mentioning here that the three-match home Test series against England is part of the Pakistan men’s cricket team’s busy home international season 2024-25.

Besides England, Pakistan will host Bangladesh for a two-match Test series in August, followed by a three-match series against West Indies in January next year while they will play two away Tests against South Africa in December-January.

The nine Tests against Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies will be part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

SERIES SCHEDULE

7-11 October, 2024 – First Test, Multan

15-19 October, 2024 – Second Test, Karachi

24-28 October, 2024 – Third Test, Rawalpindi

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the updated schedule for the upcoming home season, featuring series against Bangladesh and England.

The season will commence with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh on September 19. The Test series will go on as per schedule but the venues for some of the white-ball fixtures have been changed.

The first T20I between India and Bangladesh on 6 December was originally planned to take place at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, but it has been moved to Gwalior due to the ongoing construction at the previous venue.

“The first T20I between India and Bangladesh, initially set to be held in Dharamsala on 6th October 2024, will now take place in Gwalior owing to upgrades and renovation work being carried out by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in the dressing rooms,” the board said in a release.

The upcoming match in Gwalior is set to take place at the newly constructed Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium.

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This match marks the return of international cricket to the city after more than a decade, following the memorable India-South Africa ODI in 2010.

Legendary Sachin Tendulkar made history in that game by becoming the first male cricketer to score a double century in ODIs.

The venues for the first and second T20I between India and England scheduled for 22 and 25 January were swapped. This change came after a request from the Kolkata Police to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

“The Board further announces a swap in the venues of the first and second T20Is against England. Chennai, originally scheduled to host the first T20I, will now host the second, while Kolkata will host the opening T20I instead of the second, as announced earlier.

“The dates for the first T20I (22nd January 2025) and the second T20I (25th January 2025) remain the same. The venue change was necessitated following a request from Kolkata Police to the Cricket Association of Bengal regarding their prior Republic Day commitments and obligations.”

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Retired England cricket legend James Anderson is considering a comeback to white-ball cricket just one month after retiring from Test cricket.

Anderson bid farewell to Test cricket last month after an illustrious 21-year-long career, during which he played 188 Tests for England.

With a remarkable tally of 704 wickets, he holds the record for the most wickets taken by a pace bowler in the history of the format.

However, the 42-year-older is now contemplating playing in The Hundred tournament, six years after playing an official white-ball game.

Anderson showed his interest in The Hundred owing to the favourable conditions for swing bowlers.

“There’s a bit of intrigue with the shorter formats because I’ve not played any franchise stuff before. Watching The Hundred this year, and seeing the ball swing around, makes me feel like I could do a job there,” said Anderson on the Final Word Cricket Podcast.

“I might be in a bit of denial because I’m well aware. I won’t play for England again but I’ve still not made a decision on my actual cricket career.”

Notably, his last white-ball match was the semi-final of the London One-Day Cup in 2019, between his boyhood club Lancashire and Hampshire.

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Meanwhile, his last international white-ball match was the ICC ODI World Cup game against Afghanistan in the 2015 edition.

However, he played his last shortest-format match in 2014 during the T20 Blast final between Lancashire and eventual champions Warwickshire.

James Anderson committed the latter portion of his career to focus on test cricket, steering clear of franchise leagues and limited-overs formats.

“Once this summer is done I can sit down and think if I want to play cricket in some shape or form again next year. I’m quite open at the minute to thoughts of any sort of cricket, I’m still fit enough to play and I’m not shutting myself off to anything,” he added.

“It’s hard to know if there’ll be any interest from people wanting me to play in that sort of thing so we’ll wait and see. I know it’s a while since I played it and my age will get brought up again but I really feel I’ll be good enough to play that form of cricket.”

For the unversed, the veteran pacer joined England’s coaching set-up as the fast-bowling mentor after his retirement.

“Bowling at the England lads in the nets, you have to have change-ups and slower balls. We constantly work on it, so I don’t think [the skills and variations] will be an issue,” he further stated.

“But I don’t know how much people will want a 42-year-old bowler in their team so we’ll have to wait and see.”

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