Tag: England

Some of the Sri Lanka cricketers have raised security concerns for their upcoming three-match away Test series against England, scheduled to commence on August 21.

According to a report by ESPN Cricinfo, the concerns were raised by a few Sri Lankan cricketers, who have reached England, citing the nationwide anti-immigrant protests and riots.

The report further suggests that a total of nine individuals – seven players and two support staff – requested the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for tighter security as they travel back and forth from a ground close to London.

“Most of the issues seem not to be close to where we are but everyone is still a little concerned,” one of the players told ESPNcricinfo.

“We can’t really go out to dinner or do anything like that. Mostly we stay in the hotel. No one wants to run into trouble and get beaten up.”

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The rest of the Sri Lanka squad is supposed to touch down in England on August 11, which is when the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will put the security plans for the series into effect.

The cricketing body, however, has responded to the visitors’ concerns and reassured them about tighter security measures.

Sri Lanka are due to tour England for a three-match Test series, which kicks off on August 21 in Manchester, followed by the second Test at Lord’s from August 29 while The Oval will host the third Test from September 6.

Three children were killed in a mass stabbing event in Southport, which sparked a week of far-right rioting throughout the nation in the United Kingdom (UK).

Misinformation regarding the attacker’s identification that was disseminated on social media has been connected to the disturbances.

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Former England batter Graham Thorpe passed away at the age of 55 after battling an illness for nearly two years on Monday. The left-handed batter represented England in 100 Test matches and 82 ODIs from 1993 to 2002.

During his 11-year-long career, he scored 6744 Test runs at an average of 44.66 with 16 centuries. Meanwhile, in ODI cricket, he scored 2380 runs at 37.18 with 21 half-centuries.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed the passing of Thorpe through a press release.

”It is with great sadness that we share the news that Graham Thorpe, MBE, has passed away,” the ECB said in a statement. ”There seem to be no appropriate words to describe the deep shock we feel at Graham’s death.”

”More than one of England’s finest-ever batters, he was a beloved member of the cricket family and revered by fans all over the world.

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“His skill was unquestioned, and his abilities and achievements across a 13-year international career brought so much happiness to his teammates and England and Surrey CCC supporters alike.

“Later, as a coach, he guided the best England Men’s talent to some incredible victories across all formats of the game.

”The cricket world is in mourning today. Our hearts go out to his wife Amanda, his children, father Geoff, and all of his family and friends during this unimaginably difficult time. We will always remember Graham for his extraordinary contributions to the sport.”

After retiring from cricket, Thorpe took on the role of batting coach and assistant coach for the England men’s cricket team.

He had been lined up to become Afghanistan’s head coach in 2022, but unfortunately, he was unable to take on the new position as he was hospitalized due to an illness.

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The England and Wales Cricket (ECB) on Sunday announced a 14-member squad for the upcoming home Test series against Sri Lanka, with top-order batter Zak Crawley missing out due to an injury.

England will host Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series, starting on August 21 at Old Trafford.

Crawley has been ruled out of the series due to a fractured finger. He sustained the injury while attempting a catch in the last Test of the three-match series against West Indies.

In Crawley’s absence, Dan Lawrence is expected to open the innings alongside Ben Duckett during the Sri Lanka series.

England are scheduled to tour Pakistan for a three-match Test series in October after the series against Sri Lanka.

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Zak Crawley is now in a race against time as the typical recovery period for a broken finger is approximately six to eight weeks, and the upcoming series against Pakistan is just nine weeks away.

Essex’s Jordan Cox has received his first call-up to the England squad for the Sri Lanka Tests, following his outstanding performance in the County Championship.

Cox scored an impressive 763 runs at an average of 69.36 in 12 matches this season.

Meanwhile, pace bowler Olly Stone has returned to the squad in place of uncapped seam bowler Dillon Pennington, who suffered a hamstring injury during The Hundred.

England squad for Sri Lanka series

Ben Stokes (c), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

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Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara opened up on the reports regarding him being the potential contender to become England’s white-ball head coach.

Earlier this week, it was reported that Sangakkara, alongside legendary all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was in contention to become England’s white-ball coach.

The former wicketkeeper batter, however, revealed that he was not approached by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) before terming it an “exciting prospect”.

“Well, I know [my name] has been mentioned for some reason, but there has not been any approach as such,” Sangakkara, a member of Sky Sports’ commentary team for The Hundred, told Britain’s PA news agency.

“I think the England white-ball job is an exciting prospect for anyone, but there are so many good candidates out there. I think Matthew Mott has done a really good job,” he added.

For the unversed, Kumar Sangakkara has worked with England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler at Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

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He further backed Buttler to continue leading England in the limited-over formats.

“It is great that Jos Buttler is staying in that leadership role as the side progresses because it is a nice time from what the side is –- and was –- and how it wants to progress in the future,” he said.

“I think the decision making in the England camp has been spot on. I really love the leadership that Rob Key has provided…I think he has been a really smart, practical man, very commonsensical in terms of how he makes decisions and very forward-thinking in how he has set the vision for England cricket,” he added.

For the unversed, the ECB confirmed on Tuesday that Matthew Mott has stepped down as the national men’s white-ball head coach with immediate effect.

The decision follows England’s recent ICC T20 World Cup campaign, where the team was knocked out at the semi-final stage by eventual winners India.

Mott, who met with Rob Key, ECB’s Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, last week, will leave his role after two years in office.

Appointed in May 2022, the 50-year-old Mott enjoyed immediate success, leading the team to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in the autumn of 2022.

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England batter Zak Crawley is likely to miss the tour of Pakistan in October as he is required to undergo surgery for a broken finger.

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.

Prior to the tour of Pakistan, England will play three Tests against Sri Lanka later this month and Zak Crawley is expected to miss the series owing to his broken finger.

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The top-order batter suffered the injury while attempting a catch, during the recent Test match against West Indies, which ruled him out from ongoing The Hundred.

Crawley is now in a race against time as the typical recovery period for a broken finger is approximately six to eight weeks, and the upcoming series against Pakistan is just nine weeks away.

 

The 26-year-old cricketer boasts an impressive record against Pakistan in Test cricket, amassing 555 runs in eight innings at an outstanding average of 69.37. Notably, his career-best score of 267 was also achieved against Pakistan in 2020.

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.

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The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed on Tuesday that Matthew Mott has stepped down as the national men’s white-ball head coach with immediate effect.

The decision follows England’s recent ICC T20 World Cup campaign, where the team was knocked out at the semi-final stage by eventual winners India.

Mott, who met with Rob Key, ECB’s Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, last week, will leave his role after two years in office.

Appointed in May 2022, the 50-year-old Mott enjoyed immediate success, leading the team to victory in the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in the autumn of 2022.

Under his leadership, England achieved white-ball series victories against Australia, Bangladesh, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Pakistan.

Assistant coach Marcus Trescothick will take charge on an interim basis for the rest of the home summer.

In September, the team will play a white-ball series against Australia, which includes three T20Is and five ODIs from 11 to 29 September.

Rob Key expressed gratitude towards Mott for his services to the English cricket during his two-year tenure as the head coach.

“On behalf of everyone connected to England cricket and me personally, I would like to thank Matthew [Mott] for all he has done for the team since his appointment,” said Key.

“After three World Cup cycles in a short space of time, I now feel the team needs a new direction to prepare for the challenges ahead. This decision was not made lightly, but I believe it is the right time for the team’s future success.

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“With our focus shifting towards the Champions Trophy early next year and the next cycle of white-ball competition, it is crucial that we ensure the team is focused and prepared.”

Key then announced that Trescothick will lead the side until the board finds a full-time replacement for Mott.

“Marcus Trescothick is well respected in the dressing room and will take charge of team affairs alongside white-ball captain Jos Buttler,” added Key.

“The search for a full-time replacement will now begin. It is essential that we go through the right process to ensure we get the best person for the job.”

Matthew Mott shared that he is honored to serve England as the head coach and thanked the board as well as players and his support staff.

“I am immensely proud to have coached the England Men’s team; it has been an honour. We have put everything into trying to achieve success over the past two years, and I am incredibly proud of the character and passion that the team has displayed during that period, including a magnificent T20 World Cup victory in 2022,” said Mott.

“I would like to thank the players, management, and everyone at the ECB for their commitment, support, and hard work during my time. I leave with many great friendships and incredible memories.”

Meanwhile, Trescothick expressed his excitement to serve in the role of interim head coach.

“I am looking forward to working with Jos Buttler, the players and coaches over the next few weeks. The focus is building towards the series against Australia and our plans for next year’s Champions Trophy campaign,” stated Trescothick.

“England cricket is in a strong position, and the potential is huge, given the quality we have available. It is about harnessing that potential and developing the work that has already been put in place by Matthew Mott and the rest of the set-up. I’m excited about the challenge and shaping how we want to play.”

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England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) CEO Richard Gould backed Pakistan as the host of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled in February-March.

Gould, in an interview with the BBC Test Match Special, expressed his interest in facilitating to host a long-awaited Test between arch-rivals Pakistan and India.

Notably, Pakistan and India have not played a Test since 2007/08 and a bilateral series in any format since 2012/13 due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

The fierce rivals, however, only came face to face in multi-national events like Asia Cup and ICC World Cups.

Earlier this year, a number of renowned stadiums in England, including Lord’s, The Oval and Edgbaston said that they would be “open to exploring” the potency of hosting the bilateral Test series between arch-rivals Pakistan and India.

“Everybody would love that. I wouldn’t say it’s [hosting and India v Pakistan Test] impossible. The politics between the BCCI and the Pakistan Cricket Board are long known, as are the politics between governments. And I find that fascinating,” Gould said.

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“We were in Sri Lanka over the weekend for ICC meetings, and you see Pakistan cricket supporters and India cricket supporters getting on so well, but as soon as the political element is put in, it creates issues,” he added.

Richard Gould further confirmed that the ECB is committed to the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan despite the uncertainty surrounding India’s participation in the eight-team tournament.

“There’s a great deal of determination to make sure it [Champions Trophy] is [hosted in Pakistan next year],” said Gould. “Particularly from the PCB and the ECB,” Gould concluded.

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England have announced their Playing XI for the third Test match against the West Indies, scheduled to commence in Birmingham on Friday, 26 July.

The hosts, who lead the three-match series 2-0, named an unchanged side from their 241-run victory in the second Test, played at Trent Bridge.

England started their busy summer season on a high as Gus Atkinson’s heroics with the ball gave them a confidence-boosting victory in the first Test.

Atkinson, making his debut, dismantled the West Indies batting lineup in the first innings with a seven-for. The touring side, as a result, only managed to register 121 runs on the board.

England batters banked on the momentum provided by Atkinson and scored 371 runs in response with Zak Crawley, debutant wicketkeeper batter Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook scoring half-centuries.

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Atkinson continued from where he left off and backed his seven-for with a five-wicket haul to steer England to victory by a huge margin of an innings and 114 runs in the series opener.

The second match saw West Indies put up a fight in the first innings as they scored 457 runs in response to England’s 416. Ollie Pope starred for England with a hundred, while Kavem Hodge struck a century for West Indies.

The hosts carried the momentum in the second innings and piled up 425 runs on the back of Joe Root and Harry Brook’s centuries, setting West Indies a target of 385 runs.

Young spinner Shoaib Bashir with his bowling figures of 5-41 steered England a crushing victory to attain an unassaible lead in the three-match series.

England Playing XI for third West Indies Test

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c) Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir.

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Ollie Pope believes England could yet score 600 runs in a single day of Test cricket in the right circumstances for Ben Stokes’ men.

Pope was one of three century-makers for the hosts as England won the second Test against the West Indies at Trent Bridge by 241 runs, with Harry Brook and Joe Root following him to three figures in a series-clinching success.

Victory in Nottingham was also the first time England had passed 400 in both innings in the 147-year history of Test cricket.

Ollie Pope was one of four batters to score a hundred when England piled up 506-4 on the first day against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in December 2022, despite facing a mere 75 overs.

The England vice-captain believes the team now have the capacity to surpass that feat, but also an ability to adapt to more bowler-friendly conditions as they refine their aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach.

“I think when Baz (England coach Brendon McCullum) and Stokesy took over, we were a batting unit with, not a lack of experience, but a lack of confidence at the time,” said Pope.

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“At the time it was about building confidence, now it’s about hopefully becoming more and more ruthless.

“Sometimes we might score 280-300 in a day but that’s OK and probably because we’re reading situations.”

The 26-year-old Surrey star added: “We saw at Trent Bridge, when the lights were on and it started swinging more that was the time just to manage the game a little bit and that’s something we want to keep getting better and better at.

“But there might be a day where we go and get 500 or 600 at some point in the future as well. That’s a cool thing to have.”

England, who previously thrashed the West Indies by an innings and 114 runs at Lord’s, have now won a Test series for the first time since 2022 as they lead 2-0 ahead of this week’s finale at the Edgbaston ground in Birmingham.

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Shoaib Bashir took his career-best figures as England thrashed the West Indies by 241 runs to secure a series-clinching win in the second Test at Trent Bridge on Sunday after the tourists suffered a spectacular collapse.

The 20-year-old off-spinner finished with a superb return of 5-41 as the West Indies, set 385 to win, slumped to 143 all out in the second Test.

The West Indies had actually made a steady start to their stiff chase to be 61-0 only to collapse in stunning style, with all 10 of their second-innings wickets lost in 23 overs.

Victory gave England an unassailable 2-0 lead in a three-match series following their innings and 114-run win at Lord’s.

West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Mikyle Louis came through some testing early overs from an England attack without retired pace greats James Anderson and Stuart Broad for the first time in a home Test since 2012.

But when Chris Woakes (2-28) had Louis caught behind off the first ball after the drinks break, it was the start of a spectacular top-order slump that saw six wickets lost for just 30 runs.

Bashir then struck with his third ball, dismissing Kirk McKenzie cheaply for the second time in the match when wicketkeeper Jamie Smith held a good catch off an edge from a dragged-down delivery.

West Indies captain Brathwaite had looked in fine touch while making a near run-a-ball 47, including eight fours.

But for the second time this match, the experienced opener fell in sight of a fifty when was caught behind off a fine Woakes delivery.

And 74-3 became 75-4 when Kavem Hodge, fresh from his maiden Test hundred in the first innings, was plumb lbw for a duck to Bashir as he played back.

Bashir then struck again with a classic delivery that drifted and turned to have Alick Athanaze, who made 82 in West Indies’ first-innings 457, caught at first slip by Joe Root for just one.

Fast bowler Gus Atkinson’s two wickets in three balls left the tourists on the brink of defeat at 113-8.

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But it was Shoaib Bashir who finished the match, bowling Jason Holder (37) — who had hit for two sixes — with a full and flatter delivery before knocking over Shamar Joseph as the No 11 heaved across the line.

West Indies were all out inside 37 overs, with 17 wickets having fallen in the day on a blameless pitch.

Earlier, both Root and Harry Brook hit hundreds as England made 425 in their second innings.

Root struck 122 and Brook 109, with the duo sharing a partnership of 189 after they had come together on Saturday when England were just 99 runs ahead at 140-3.

Root’s century left him one shy of the England record of 33 Test hundreds held by the retired Alastair Cook.

England started Sunday’s play on 248-3, already 207 runs in front. Brook was 71 not out and Root was unbeaten on 37.

Brook’s straight-driven four off Jayden Seales saw him into the 90s before two more boundaries off Alzarri Joseph took him to 99.

The 25-year-old’s quick single off Alzarri Joseph ensured Brook got to three figures, his fifth hundred in 14 Tests — but first in England — coming in just 118 balls, including 12 fours.

But Root showed there was still a place for the traditional red-ball approach, with the 33-year-old completing a 91-ball fifty.

Brook’s impressive innings finally came to an end when he was caught behind aiming a flat-footed drive off Seales.

Root’s typically stylish square-driven boundary off Alzarri Joseph — just his seventh four in 158 balls — took him to a sedate century.

Former England captain Root then reverse-scooped Shamar Joseph over the slip cordon for an extravagant four before he was caught at short extra cover off Holder.

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