Kolkata turns pink for historic India-Bangladesh Test match

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins led an Australian fightback as Pakistan lost five wickets for just 19 runs after lunch on the opening day of the first cricket Test at the Gabba on Thursday.

At tea, Pakistan were 125 for five, with Asad Shafiq not out on 18 and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan alongside him on 19.

The visitors had frustrated the Australian pace attack in the first session, going into lunch at 57-0 with openers Azhar Ali and Shan Masood unbeaten on 28 and 21 respectively.

The pair began to open up after the break with some sparkling attacking shots, but Hazlewood and fellow quick Cummins, at last, found their length and began to turn the screws.

The pressure began to tell and with the score on 75, Masood waved at a Cummins delivery outside off stump and got an edge to Steve Smith at second slip.

Azhar went the next ball when he edged Hazlewood to Joe Burns at first slip before Haris Sohail (1) and Babar Azam (1) fell in quick succession to poor shots as the visitors crashed to 78-4.

When Nathan Lyon had Iftikhar Ahmed caught at bat-pad for seven, Pakistan were reeling at 94 for five before Shafiq and Rizwan steadied the ship in the half-hour before tea.

Pakistan earlier won the toss and chose to bat on a hot and humid morning in Brisbane.

Azhar and Masood began cautiously against the Australian pace duo of Mitchell Starc (1-35) and Hazlewood (2-30), who bowled quickly but without ever really troubling the Pakistan openers.

The visitors crawled to 33 at the first drinks break and took almost two hours to reach 50, bringing up the half-century opening stand with a Masood boundary through the square leg in the penultimate over before lunch.

Pakistan had earlier caused a major surprise when they left out experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas, opting instead for&nbsp;pacemen Shaheen Afridi, Imran Khan and 16-year-old Naseem Shah, who were impressive in their lead-up game against Australia A.

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins led an Australian fightback as Pakistan lost five wickets for just 19 runs after lunch on the opening day of the first cricket Test at the Gabba on Thursday.

Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins led an Australian fightback as Pakistan lost five wickets for just 19 runs after lunch on the opening day of the first cricket Test at the Gabba on Thursday. At tea, Pakistan were 125 for five, with Asad Shafiq not out on 18 and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan alongside him on 19. The visitors had frustrated the Australian pace attack in the first session, going into lunch at 57-0 with openers Azhar Ali and Shan Masood unbeaten on 28 and 21 respectively. The pair began to open up after the break with some sparkling attacking shots, but Hazlewood and fellow quick Cummins, at last, found their length and began to turn the screws. The pressure began to tell and with the score on 75, Masood waved at a Cummins delivery outside off stump and got an edge to Steve Smith at second slip. Azhar went the next ball when he edged Hazlewood to Joe Burns at first slip before Haris Sohail (1) and Babar Azam (1) fell in quick succession to poor shots as the visitors crashed to 78-4. When Nathan Lyon had Iftikhar Ahmed caught at bat-pad for seven, Pakistan were reeling at 94 for five before Shafiq and Rizwan steadied the ship in the half-hour before tea. Pakistan earlier won the toss and chose to bat on a hot and humid morning in Brisbane. Azhar and Masood began cautiously against the Australian pace duo of Mitchell Starc (1-35) and Hazlewood (2-30), who bowled quickly but without ever really troubling the Pakistan openers. The visitors crawled to 33 at the first drinks break and took almost two hours to reach 50, bringing up the half-century opening stand with a Masood boundary through the square leg in the penultimate over before lunch. Pakistan had earlier caused a major surprise when they left out experienced seamer Mohammad Abbas, opting instead for pacemen Shaheen Afridi, Imran Khan and 16-year-old Naseem Shah, who were impressive in their lead-up game against Australia A.

Cricket: Australia storm back as Pakistan wickets clatter

Indian squad for the upcoming ODI and T20I series against West Indies will be announced tomorrow, a BCCI source confirmed on Wednesday.

India and West Indies are slated to play three ODIs and as many T20Is. The series is scheduled to start on December 6 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.The Men in Blue recently played three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, and managed to come out triumphant.

India lost the first T20I against Bangladesh at Delhi, but the side managed to make a comeback in the next two matches to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../india-vs-bangladesh-3rd-t20i-team-was-under- pressure-rohit-sharmas-pep-talk-motivated-us-says-shreyas-iyer-261...">win the series 2-1.</a>

The side is currently playing the two-match Test series against the Asian giants. India won the first Test by an innings and 130 runs.Both the teams have now gone to Kolkata to play the day-night Test at Eden Gardens, and the game is scheduled to start from Friday, November 22.

On the other hand, West Indies managed to defeat Afghanistan 3-0 in the three-match ODI series, but the side lost the T20I series 2-1 at Lucknow. 
India and West Indies last played three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests earlier this year. The Men in Blue came out triumphant in each of the series.

In the Test series leg, skipper Virat Kohli had managed to become the most successful Indian captain as he surpassed MS Dhoni to achieve the feat.

Indian squad for the upcoming ODI and T20I series against West Indies will be announced tomorrow, a BCCI source confirmed on Wednesday. India and West Indies are slated to play three ODIs and as many T20Is.

Indian squad for the upcoming ODI and T20I series against West Indies will be announced tomorrow, a BCCI source confirmed on Wednesday. India and West Indies are slated to play three ODIs and as many T20Is. The series is scheduled to start on December 6 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.The Men in Blue recently played three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, and managed to come out triumphant. India lost the first T20I against Bangladesh at Delhi, but the side managed to make a comeback in the next two matches to win the series 2-1. The side is currently playing the two-match Test series against the Asian giants. India won the first Test by an innings and 130 runs.Both the teams have now gone to Kolkata to play the day-night Test at Eden Gardens, and the game is scheduled to start from Friday, November 22. On the other hand, West Indies managed to defeat Afghanistan 3-0 in the three-match ODI series, but the side lost the T20I series 2-1 at Lucknow. India and West Indies last played three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests earlier this year. The Men in Blue came out triumphant in each of the series. In the Test series leg, skipper Virat Kohli had managed to become the most successful Indian captain as he surpassed MS Dhoni to achieve the feat.

Indian squad for the upcoming series against West Indies to be announced tomorrow: BCCI source

India has traditionally been reluctant to embrace innovation in cricket but on Friday, after much heel-dragging, they will finally experience a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indias-win-over-bangladesh-updates-in-icc-test-rankings-career-milestones-and-icc-test-world-championship-263163">day-night test</a> when they face neighbours Bangladesh in Kolkata.

The game's most influential nation was the last major team to jump on the Twenty20 bandwagon and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doggedly resisted the Decision Review System before accepting it almost reluctantly.

They have been immune to the charms of day-night tests and turned down an offer to play one last year in Adelaide, where Australia had hosted New Zealand in the first ever pink-ball test in 2015.

However, former captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/shah-rukh-khan-andie-macdowell-and-other-celebrities-open-the-25th-kolkata-international-film-festival-260980">Sourav Ganguly</a>, who was appointed BCCI president last month, is a champion of the concept.

Ganguly said it took him "three seconds" to convince India captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/health-and-wellness/cricketers-mental-health-thrown-into-the-spotlight-262246">Virat Kohli</a> to meet Bangladesh in what will be the maiden day-night test for both sides.

"I don't know why they didn’t want to play (in Adelaide)," Ganguly told reporters earlier this month.

"I met Virat for an hour and the first question was that we need to play day-night test. The answer in three seconds was, 'yes let’s go ahead and do it.'"

The match, the second of a two-test series, will fittingly be held at Ganguly's home ground Eden Gardens, where the first three days are sold out.

He is convinced day-night tests could be a potent weapon in fighting the dwindling attendances at test matches seen in some venues.

Kohli shares that belief.

"It's an exciting thing. It's going to be a landmark occasion for Indian cricket," he said after India defeated Bangladesh inside three days in the series opener in Indore.

"We are just happy that we're the first team to start pink-ball cricket in India."

Innovation brings its own set of challenges, however, and Kohli is wary of exaggerated swing, though he says bowlers too might struggle once the ball gets old.

"The ball does a lot early on, more than the red ball, so it's going to be a challenge for the batters," he added.

"But with the older ball, I don't think it swings that much so the bowlers will have a tough time as well."

With most of the India and Bangladesh players having practically no experience with the pink ball, which has been used only sporadically in domestic cricket in both countries, there is at least a level playing field in that regard.

Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque said they were aware of the challenges but were looking forward to the experience.

"We don't have enough experience with that," the 28-year-old said after their loss in Indore.

"But we look forward to the experience. We'll try to enjoy the next test."

India has traditionally been reluctant to embrace innovation in cricket but on Friday, after much heel-dragging, they will finally experience a day-night test when they face neighbours Bangladesh in Kolkata.

India has traditionally been reluctant to embrace innovation in cricket but on Friday, after much heel-dragging, they will finally experience a day-night test when they face neighbours Bangladesh in Kolkata. The game's most influential nation was the last major team to jump on the Twenty20 bandwagon and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) doggedly resisted the Decision Review System before accepting it almost reluctantly. They have been immune to the charms of day-night tests and turned down an offer to play one last year in Adelaide, where Australia had hosted New Zealand in the first ever pink-ball test in 2015. However, former captain Sourav Ganguly, who was appointed BCCI president last month, is a champion of the concept. Ganguly said it took him "three seconds" to convince India captain Virat Kohli to meet Bangladesh in what will be the maiden day-night test for both sides. "I don't know why they didn’t want to play (in Adelaide)," Ganguly told reporters earlier this month. "I met Virat for an hour and the first question was that we need to play day-night test. The answer in three seconds was, 'yes let’s go ahead and do it.'" The match, the second of a two-test series, will fittingly be held at Ganguly's home ground Eden Gardens, where the first three days are sold out. He is convinced day-night tests could be a potent weapon in fighting the dwindling attendances at test matches seen in some venues. Kohli shares that belief. "It's an exciting thing. It's going to be a landmark occasion for Indian cricket," he said after India defeated Bangladesh inside three days in the series opener in Indore. "We are just happy that we're the first team to start pink-ball cricket in India." Innovation brings its own set of challenges, however, and Kohli is wary of exaggerated swing, though he says bowlers too might struggle once the ball gets old. "The ball does a lot early on, more than the red ball, so it's going to be a challenge for the batters," he added. "But with the older ball, I don't think it swings that much so the bowlers will have a tough time as well." With most of the India and Bangladesh players having practically no experience with the pink ball, which has been used only sporadically in domestic cricket in both countries, there is at least a level playing field in that regard. Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque said they were aware of the challenges but were looking forward to the experience. "We don't have enough experience with that," the 28-year-old said after their loss in Indore. "But we look forward to the experience. We'll try to enjoy the next test."

At long last, India ready to take day-night test plunge

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bangladesh-captain-shakib-al-hasan-banned-for-breaching-corruption-code-258683">Bangladesh Cricket Board</a> on Tuesday banned former national team fast bowler Shahadat Hossain for five years, two of them suspended, &nbsp;after he assaulted a teammate in a match.

The temperamental Shahadat was reported by umpires after he was seen to slap and kick a teammate during a National Cricket League match on Sunday.

The national federation suspended two years of the ban but Shahadat, who admitted a charge of "physical assault", was also fined 300,000 taka ($3,540), the board said.

Shahadat, 33, attacked young bowler Arafat Sunny Jr during a game between Dhaka and Khulna after an argument over how to shine the ball, a board official said.

"Considering his past behaviour we decided to punish him for five years. The last two years of his ban will remain suspended," said BCB technical committee chief Minhajul Abedin.

Shahadat could have been banned for life.

Shahadat, who played 38 Tests and 51 one-day internationals for Bangladesh, spent nearly two months in detention in 2015 after he and his wife were accused of torturing an 11-year-old girl they employed as a maid. They were cleared when it came to trial however.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Tuesday banned former national team fast bowler Shahadat Hossain for five years, two of them suspended, after he assaulted a teammate in a match.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board on Tuesday banned former national team fast bowler Shahadat Hossain for five years, two of them suspended, after he assaulted a teammate in a match. The temperamental Shahadat was reported by umpires after he was seen to slap and kick a teammate during a National Cricket League match on Sunday. The national federation suspended two years of the ban but Shahadat, who admitted a charge of "physical assault", was also fined 300,000 taka ($3,540), the board said. Shahadat, 33, attacked young bowler Arafat Sunny Jr during a game between Dhaka and Khulna after an argument over how to shine the ball, a board official said. "Considering his past behaviour we decided to punish him for five years. The last two years of his ban will remain suspended," said BCB technical committee chief Minhajul Abedin. Shahadat could have been banned for life. Shahadat, who played 38 Tests and 51 one-day internationals for Bangladesh, spent nearly two months in detention in 2015 after he and his wife were accused of torturing an 11-year-old girl they employed as a maid. They were cleared when it came to trial however.

Bangladesh cricket Shahadat Hossain for five years over physical assault

&nbsp;Australia's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../cricket-khawaja-harris-dumped-from-australia- test-squad-261975">Tim Paine</a> has said the upcoming test series against Pakistan and New Zealand may be the last time he captains the side at home as he enters the twilight of his career.

Paine, who turns 35 next month, was named captain after former skipper Steve Smith was handed a one-year ban in March 2018 for ball-tampering and the wicketkeeper became the first Australian captain after Steve Waugh to retain the Ashes.

Smith's explosive return to the test side, where he scored 774 runs in the Ashes, triggered calls to restore him as captain and Paine said talk about who eventually takes over was bound to happen, especially considering his age.

"It might be (my last summer), I'm not too sure," Paine told reporters. "But... I'm enjoying doing it. I feel good physically (and) mentally. So while that continues, I'm scoring enough runs and keeping well enough then I'd like to continue.

"I know when you get to my age that can change really quickly. I'm really looking forward to this summer, beyond that I haven't looked too far. I know what I want to do and what I want to achieve.

"I think when you're the Australian captain and the Australian keeper, they're two of the most critiqued roles in Australian sport and at the moment I have to hold them both. I know I'm going to be in the crosshairs for people all the time."

Paine said Australia's top priority now was to return to the top of the test rankings and win the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../india-vs-bangladesh-1st-test-india-beat- bangladesh-by-innings-and-130-runs-262574"> World Test Championship</a> (WTC). Australia are ranked fifth in the world and trail leaders India by 244 points in the WTC standings.

"Our goal is to get back to that number one ranking and we want to win that Test Championship," he added. "To do that we're going to have to be good enough to win in India and we're going to have to be good enough to beat everyone, everywhere.

"It's the only way we're going to get to where we want to get to. It's an exciting period and I'm looking forward to being part of the start of that and there is no endpoint at the moment."

Australia play Pakistan in the first of two tests that begins on Thursday in Brisbane.

Australia's Tim Paine has said the upcoming test series against Pakistan and New Zealand may be the last time he captains the side at home as he enters the twilight of his career.

Australia's Tim Paine has said the upcoming test series against Pakistan and New Zealand may be the last time he captains the side at home as he enters the twilight of his career. Paine, who turns 35 next month, was named captain after former skipper Steve Smith was handed a one-year ban in March 2018 for ball-tampering and the wicketkeeper became the first Australian captain after Steve Waugh to retain the Ashes. Smith's explosive return to the test side, where he scored 774 runs in the Ashes, triggered calls to restore him as captain and Paine said talk about who eventually takes over was bound to happen, especially considering his age. "It might be (my last summer), I'm not too sure," Paine told reporters. "But... I'm enjoying doing it. I feel good physically (and) mentally. So while that continues, I'm scoring enough runs and keeping well enough then I'd like to continue. "I know when you get to my age that can change really quickly. I'm really looking forward to this summer, beyond that I haven't looked too far. I know what I want to do and what I want to achieve. "I think when you're the Australian captain and the Australian keeper, they're two of the most critiqued roles in Australian sport and at the moment I have to hold them both. I know I'm going to be in the crosshairs for people all the time." Paine said Australia's top priority now was to return to the top of the test rankings and win the World Test Championship (WTC). Australia are ranked fifth in the world and trail leaders India by 244 points in the WTC standings. "Our goal is to get back to that number one ranking and we want to win that Test Championship," he added. "To do that we're going to have to be good enough to win in India and we're going to have to be good enough to beat everyone, everywhere. "It's the only way we're going to get to where we want to get to. It's an exciting period and I'm looking forward to being part of the start of that and there is no endpoint at the moment." Australia play Pakistan in the first of two tests that begins on Thursday in Brisbane.

Tim Paine's home summer maybe his last

Former Australia captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../cricket-steve-smith-fires-australia-to-victory- over-pakistan-in-t20-match-260229">Steve Smith</a>, who was banned for a year for ball-tampering, says he does not feel hard done by despite a much lighter sanction handed down to West Indies batsman<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../west-indies-nicholas-pooran-faces-four-match- suspension-for-ball-tampering-261813"> Nicholas Pooran</a> for the same offence.

Pooran was given a four-game ban during the third one-day international against Afghanistan, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../katy-perry-plans-record-breaking-show-at- womens-t20-final-261761">the International Cricket Council</a> (ICC) said last week.

Smith was initially banned for a test by the ICC after admitting that Australia had tried to alter the condition of the ball during the Newlands test against South Africa in March 2018.

But governing body Cricket Australia subsequently banned him for 12 months along with team mate David Warner, and stripped both of their leadership roles.

Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, the third player involved at Cape Town, received a nine-month suspension.

"Everyone is different, every board is different, and the way they deal with certain issues,” Smith, who remains barred from leadership roles until March 2020, told reporters in Brisbane on Monday.

"For me, I copped it on the chin ... it is what it is.

"I don’t feel hard done by. It was a long time ago now. I’ve moved past it and I’m focusing on the present."

Smith's ban from international and domestic cricket expired in March and he was rushed back into the Australia squad for the one-day World Cup in England.

He also played a starring role with the bat in Australia's retention of the Ashes in England in September.

Smith played with 24-year old Pooran at Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League last year while serving his ban, the terms of which allowed the Australian to play in non-international competitions overseas.

"I know Nicholas, I’ve played a bit of cricket with him and he’s a talented player and someone with a bright future," Smith said of wicketkeeper-batsman Pooran, who has played 16 one-day internationals and 14 Twenty20 internationals.

"I think he’ll learn from his mistake and move past it ... I think he’s going to be an exceptional player in white-ball cricket."

Smith was fined 25 percent of his match fee for a code of conduct violation after showing dissent with the umpire's decision when he was given out caught behind when batting for New South Wales against Western Australia last week in a Sheffield Shield game.

The master batsman subsequently apologised to his team mates for setting a poor example.

"Of course, I’ll still make mistakes, I’m a human being, we all do," he said on Monday.

"But being able to catch yourself and the way you’re thinking is something I’ve learnt and something I’ll continue to work on and continue and get better at."

Former Australia captain Steve Smith, who was banned for a year for ball-tampering, says he does not feel hard done by despite a much lighter sanction handed down to West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran for the same offence.

Former Australia captain Steve Smith, who was banned for a year for ball-tampering, says he does not feel hard done by despite a much lighter sanction handed down to West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran for the same offence. Pooran was given a four-game ban during the third one-day international against Afghanistan, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said last week. Smith was initially banned for a test by the ICC after admitting that Australia had tried to alter the condition of the ball during the Newlands test against South Africa in March 2018. But governing body Cricket Australia subsequently banned him for 12 months along with team mate David Warner, and stripped both of their leadership roles. Opening batsman Cameron Bancroft, the third player involved at Cape Town, received a nine-month suspension. "Everyone is different, every board is different, and the way they deal with certain issues,” Smith, who remains barred from leadership roles until March 2020, told reporters in Brisbane on Monday. "For me, I copped it on the chin ... it is what it is. "I don’t feel hard done by. It was a long time ago now. I’ve moved past it and I’m focusing on the present." Smith's ban from international and domestic cricket expired in March and he was rushed back into the Australia squad for the one-day World Cup in England. He also played a starring role with the bat in Australia's retention of the Ashes in England in September. Smith played with 24-year old Pooran at Barbados in the Caribbean Premier League last year while serving his ban, the terms of which allowed the Australian to play in non-international competitions overseas. "I know Nicholas, I’ve played a bit of cricket with him and he’s a talented player and someone with a bright future," Smith said of wicketkeeper-batsman Pooran, who has played 16 one-day internationals and 14 Twenty20 internationals. "I think he’ll learn from his mistake and move past it ... I think he’s going to be an exceptional player in white-ball cricket." Smith was fined 25 percent of his match fee for a code of conduct violation after showing dissent with the umpire's decision when he was given out caught behind when batting for New South Wales against Western Australia last week in a Sheffield Shield game. The master batsman subsequently apologised to his team mates for setting a poor example. "Of course, I’ll still make mistakes, I’m a human being, we all do," he said on Monday. "But being able to catch yourself and the way you’re thinking is something I’ve learnt and something I’ll continue to work on and continue and get better at."

Steve Smith shrugs off Nicholas Pooran's light ball-tampering ban

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../james-pattinson-banned-for-first-test-against- pakistan-for-personal-abuse-262662">Cricket Australia</a> (CA) on Monday handed a one-year ban to Hobart Hurricanes player Emily Smith for breaching their<a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../do-we-work-in-this-or-i-wait-till-the-ipl-bookie- deepak-aggarwal-asked-shakib-al-hasan-258806"> Anti-Corruption Code</a>.

Smith will be ineligible to participate in any form of cricket for a period of one year, with nine months being fully suspended. This effectively means that Smith is ineligible for a period of three months.

She had posted her team's line-up to her Instagram account approximately an hour before the official scheduled release on November 2. However, CA's Anti-Corruption Code prohibits a player to disclose any inside information.

Smith has also been ruled out from the remaining Women Big Bash League. Cricket Australia's Head of Integrity and Security, Sean Carroll, said that there is no excuse for breaches regardless of the reasons for information being disclosed.

"Whilst Cricket Australia acknowledges that at the time of posting the team line-up there was no intent to breach the Anti-Corruption Code, CA's rigorous anti-corruption player education program means that players are well aware of their obligations under the Anti-Corruption Code and there is no excuse for breaches regardless of the reasons for information being disclosed," Carroll said in a statement.

"Since the commencement of the WBBL, Cricket Australia has had in place a robust anti-corruption program," Carroll continued. "We have been working with Emily throughout the process and Emily now understands the mistake she made. Unfortunately, in this instance Emily's actions breached the Anti-Corruption Code. We hope this serves as reminder to all that the Anti-Corruption Code is critical to protecting the integrity of the game," Carroll added.

Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday handed a one-year ban to Hobart Hurricanes player Emily Smith for breaching their Anti-Corruption Code. Smith will be ineligible to participate in any form of cricket for a period of one year, with nine months being fully suspended.

Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday handed a one-year ban to Hobart Hurricanes player Emily Smith for breaching their Anti-Corruption Code. Smith will be ineligible to participate in any form of cricket for a period of one year, with nine months being fully suspended. This effectively means that Smith is ineligible for a period of three months. She had posted her team's line-up to her Instagram account approximately an hour before the official scheduled release on November 2. However, CA's Anti-Corruption Code prohibits a player to disclose any inside information. Smith has also been ruled out from the remaining Women Big Bash League. Cricket Australia's Head of Integrity and Security, Sean Carroll, said that there is no excuse for breaches regardless of the reasons for information being disclosed. "Whilst Cricket Australia acknowledges that at the time of posting the team line-up there was no intent to breach the Anti-Corruption Code, CA's rigorous anti-corruption player education program means that players are well aware of their obligations under the Anti-Corruption Code and there is no excuse for breaches regardless of the reasons for information being disclosed," Carroll said in a statement. "Since the commencement of the WBBL, Cricket Australia has had in place a robust anti-corruption program," Carroll continued. "We have been working with Emily throughout the process and Emily now understands the mistake she made. Unfortunately, in this instance Emily's actions breached the Anti-Corruption Code. We hope this serves as reminder to all that the Anti-Corruption Code is critical to protecting the integrity of the game," Carroll added.

Cricket Australia bans Hobart Hurricanes player Emily Smith for a year for breaching their Anti-Corruption Code.

Mental wellbeing as much as physical health is emerging as a key challenge for modern-day cricketers -- with relentless schedules, intense public scrutiny and the fear of failure weighing heavily.

The issue has been thrust into the spotlight in Australia, where three top players recently stepped aside for mental health reasons, with administrators scrambling to get on top of the problem.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/maxwells-confession-remarkable-sets-right-example-virat-kohli-261831">Glenn Maxwell</a>, one of the world's best short-format players, set the tone late last month by taking time away after "experiencing some difficulties with regards to his mental health".

Will Pucovski -- who had already taken two breaks to deal with similar issues -- and Nic Maddinson followed suit, just a week ahead of the first Test of the Australian summer against Pakistan.

The specifics of their cases are not known publicly, but Ben Oliver, Cricket Australia's head of national teams, said there were a number of factors he had noted, generally, since beginning his job this year.

"One of the early observations I've had in the role is the intense scrutiny and the relentless schedule that exists around cricket," he told SEN sports radio.

"From that perspective, there is an absolute need for us to invest time, energy, resources into understanding the challenges that exist for players and staff around mental health in that context, and making sure we do everything we can."

Test fast bowler Mitchell Starc attributed part of the blame on the modern players' gruelling schedule, with some top stars away from home for months at a time, putting strains on families and taxing friendships.

"You have your pressures around cricket, the schedules are pretty ridiculous these days," said Starc, who is promoting the "Movember" initiative, where moustaches are grown during November to highlight issues affecting men like mental health.

"The positive thing is that guys are feeling perhaps more comfortable, if you like, to be open and honest with how they're feeling," he added.&nbsp;

"In the past guys might have just kicked on and tried to get through things and it could have built up to something worse."

Robert Craddock, a respected cricket writer for News Corp. newspapers, noted that the sport was also very mentally challenging.

"Cricket may not be a physical contact sport but its mental challenges, with so much waiting time, are much tougher than they look," he wrote in a column Friday. "Most batsmen fail most of the time so the mental demands can be taxing."

It is not just an Australian issue.&nbsp;

Ex-England captain Marcus Trescothick quit a tour of India in 2006 and England opener Jonathan Trott left the 2013 Ashes series in Australia after one Test, with both later revealing they had struggled with stress and anxiety.

Superstar India skipper Virat Kohli said this week that he too had suffered and applauded someone of Maxwell's stature going public.

"It has set the right example for cricketers around the world that if you're not in the best frame of mind you try, and try and try, but as human beings you reach a tipping point at some stage or the other," he said ahead of India's first Test against Bangladesh in Indore.

"And you need time away from the game. Not to say you give up, but just to gain more clarity."

Kohli said he went through a difficult period during India's 2014 tour of England when runs dried up and he could not find anyone to confide in.

"I didn't know what to do, what to say to anyone, and how to speak and how to communicate," he said.

The problem for authorities is knowing what measures to introduce to best help players with their mental wellbeing.

Alex Kountouris, Cricket Australia's sports science and sports medicine manager, said the organisation was working hard to understand the causes better.

"There is much society still needs to learn in relation to mental health, but we know enough to say with great certainty that silence is not the answer," he said.

"Cricket Australia has committed to being open about the challenges faced in managing mental health. We are putting player wellbeing first and supporting them unconditionally."

Mental wellbeing as much as physical health is emerging as a key challenge for modern-day cricketers -- with relentless schedules, intense public scrutiny and the fear of failure weighing heavily.

Mental wellbeing as much as physical health is emerging as a key challenge for modern-day cricketers -- with relentless schedules, intense public scrutiny and the fear of failure weighing heavily. The issue has been thrust into the spotlight in Australia, where three top players recently stepped aside for mental health reasons, with administrators scrambling to get on top of the problem. Glenn Maxwell, one of the world's best short-format players, set the tone late last month by taking time away after "experiencing some difficulties with regards to his mental health". Will Pucovski -- who had already taken two breaks to deal with similar issues -- and Nic Maddinson followed suit, just a week ahead of the first Test of the Australian summer against Pakistan. The specifics of their cases are not known publicly, but Ben Oliver, Cricket Australia's head of national teams, said there were a number of factors he had noted, generally, since beginning his job this year. "One of the early observations I've had in the role is the intense scrutiny and the relentless schedule that exists around cricket," he told SEN sports radio. "From that perspective, there is an absolute need for us to invest time, energy, resources into understanding the challenges that exist for players and staff around mental health in that context, and making sure we do everything we can." Test fast bowler Mitchell Starc attributed part of the blame on the modern players' gruelling schedule, with some top stars away from home for months at a time, putting strains on families and taxing friendships. "You have your pressures around cricket, the schedules are pretty ridiculous these days," said Starc, who is promoting the "Movember" initiative, where moustaches are grown during November to highlight issues affecting men like mental health. "The positive thing is that guys are feeling perhaps more comfortable, if you like, to be open and honest with how they're feeling," he added. "In the past guys might have just kicked on and tried to get through things and it could have built up to something worse." Robert Craddock, a respected cricket writer for News Corp. newspapers, noted that the sport was also very mentally challenging. "Cricket may not be a physical contact sport but its mental challenges, with so much waiting time, are much tougher than they look," he wrote in a column Friday. "Most batsmen fail most of the time so the mental demands can be taxing." It is not just an Australian issue. Ex-England captain Marcus Trescothick quit a tour of India in 2006 and England opener Jonathan Trott left the 2013 Ashes series in Australia after one Test, with both later revealing they had struggled with stress and anxiety. Superstar India skipper Virat Kohli said this week that he too had suffered and applauded someone of Maxwell's stature going public. "It has set the right example for cricketers around the world that if you're not in the best frame of mind you try, and try and try, but as human beings you reach a tipping point at some stage or the other," he said ahead of India's first Test against Bangladesh in Indore. "And you need time away from the game. Not to say you give up, but just to gain more clarity." Kohli said he went through a difficult period during India's 2014 tour of England when runs dried up and he could not find anyone to confide in. "I didn't know what to do, what to say to anyone, and how to speak and how to communicate," he said. The problem for authorities is knowing what measures to introduce to best help players with their mental wellbeing. Alex Kountouris, Cricket Australia's sports science and sports medicine manager, said the organisation was working hard to understand the causes better. "There is much society still needs to learn in relation to mental health, but we know enough to say with great certainty that silence is not the answer," he said. "Cricket Australia has committed to being open about the challenges faced in managing mental health. We are putting player wellbeing first and supporting them unconditionally."

Cricketers' mental health thrown into the spotlight

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has been rewarded for his success in white-ball cricket with a maiden call-up to the test squad for matches against England and Australia, the country's board (NZC) said on Friday.

Ferguson finished as the second highest wicket-taker at the 50-overs World Cup in England where New Zealand lost a nail-biting final in a super over to the hosts.

The 28-year-old has played 36 one-day internationals and eight Twenty20 matches for the Black Caps while he has also shown strong domestic form with 153 wickets from 42 first-class games at an average of 24.30.

"There's no doubt Lockie has been knocking on the door for a while now and we're delighted to finally bring him into the Test fold," selector Gavin Larsen said in a NZC statement.

"It's well documented he has raw pace, but he also possesses a quality bowling skillset and has proved his durability.

"Our pace bowling stocks are strong at the moment and we feel Lockie will add another dimension to the picture, and will create some great competition."

Batting mainstay Kane Williamson will lead the side after missing the recently concluded T20 international series against England with a hip injury.

Leg-spinner Todd Astle was the only other change to the squad from that which drew a two-test series 1-1 in Sri Lanka in August, with spinners Will Somerville and Ajaz Patel left out.

After hosting England for a two-test series, starting on November&nbsp;21 at Mount Maunganui, New Zealand travel to Australia to play three tests.

&nbsp;

Squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has been rewarded for his success in white-ball cricket with a maiden call-up to the test squad for matches against England and Australia, the country's board (NZC) said on Friday.

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has been rewarded for his success in white-ball cricket with a maiden call-up to the test squad for matches against England and Australia, the country's board (NZC) said on Friday. Ferguson finished as the second highest wicket-taker at the 50-overs World Cup in England where New Zealand lost a nail-biting final in a super over to the hosts. The 28-year-old has played 36 one-day internationals and eight Twenty20 matches for the Black Caps while he has also shown strong domestic form with 153 wickets from 42 first-class games at an average of 24.30. "There's no doubt Lockie has been knocking on the door for a while now and we're delighted to finally bring him into the Test fold," selector Gavin Larsen said in a NZC statement. "It's well documented he has raw pace, but he also possesses a quality bowling skillset and has proved his durability. "Our pace bowling stocks are strong at the moment and we feel Lockie will add another dimension to the picture, and will create some great competition." Batting mainstay Kane Williamson will lead the side after missing the recently concluded T20 international series against England with a hip injury. Leg-spinner Todd Astle was the only other change to the squad from that which drew a two-test series 1-1 in Sri Lanka in August, with spinners Will Somerville and Ajaz Patel left out. After hosting England for a two-test series, starting on November 21 at Mount Maunganui, New Zealand travel to Australia to play three tests. Squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling

Cricket: Fast bowler Ferguson gets New Zealand test call

Australia selectors have shaken up the squad's underperforming batting lineup for the two-Test series against Pakistan by dumping top-order batsmen Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris while handing a surprise recall to Cameron Bancroft.

Opener Harris averaged 9.66 against England in the last three Tests of the Ashes and has been jettisoned in favour of Queensland's Joe Burns for the series, which starts in Brisbane on November&nbsp;21.

Burns has been recalled after being snubbed for the Ashes despite having scored 180 in the previous Test against Sri Lanka in Canberra in February.

Khawaja, once among Australia's first picks, was dropped after the third Ashes Test at Leeds and has failed to find form for home state Queensland.

Bancroft may consider himself the luckiest in the 14-man squad released on Thursday having been given another chance after being dumped two Tests into the Ashes.

He was a late call-up for the Australia A team that played Pakistan in a tour game this week after Nic Maddinson pulled out for mental health reasons.

He scored 49 from 155 balls in the first innings, which turned out to be the team's top score as the rest of the Test hopefuls failed in the unofficial audition in Perth.

Harris, however, may have cause to feel aggrieved having had a stronger first-class season in the domestic Sheffield Shield than Bancroft.

Selector Trevor Hohns said Bancroft's ability to play in the middle order as well as at the top had been in his favour.

"He’s got the ingredients of being a very good Test match player, he’s a hard worker," Hohns told reporters in Perth of the 26-year-old Western Australian who has averaged 26.23 from his 10 Tests.

"And the improvement in his game is very noticeable."

Middle-order batsman Travis Head, who had a poor series in England and was dropped for the final Test, has been retained.

After strong domestic form, uncapped bowling all-rounder Michael Neser has been included along with pacemen Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson.

Cricket Australia (CA) announced earlier on Thursday that promising young batsman Will Pucovski had withdrawn from selection for "mental wellbeing" reasons.

Hohns said the uncapped 21-year-old's decision came before selectors had finalised the squad.

Pucovski, who pulled out of the Test squad in January for similar reasons, became the third Australian cricketer to report mental health problems to staff in just over two weeks.

All-rounder Glenn Maxwell remains on an indefinite break after pulling out midway through the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka.

"I think we should be quite proud and pleased in our sports players are comfortable coming out and talking about (mental health)," said Hohns.

"It’s just happening more and more in everyday life."

Tim Paine's Australia meets Pakistan in the second Test in Adelaide on November&nbsp;29.

Australia selectors have shaken up the squad's underperforming batting lineup for the two-Test series against Pakistan by dumping top-order batsmen Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris while handing a surprise recall to Cameron Bancroft.

Australia selectors have shaken up the squad's underperforming batting lineup for the two-Test series against Pakistan by dumping top-order batsmen Usman Khawaja and Marcus Harris while handing a surprise recall to Cameron Bancroft. Opener Harris averaged 9.66 against England in the last three Tests of the Ashes and has been jettisoned in favour of Queensland's Joe Burns for the series, which starts in Brisbane on November 21. Burns has been recalled after being snubbed for the Ashes despite having scored 180 in the previous Test against Sri Lanka in Canberra in February. Khawaja, once among Australia's first picks, was dropped after the third Ashes Test at Leeds and has failed to find form for home state Queensland. Bancroft may consider himself the luckiest in the 14-man squad released on Thursday having been given another chance after being dumped two Tests into the Ashes. He was a late call-up for the Australia A team that played Pakistan in a tour game this week after Nic Maddinson pulled out for mental health reasons. He scored 49 from 155 balls in the first innings, which turned out to be the team's top score as the rest of the Test hopefuls failed in the unofficial audition in Perth. Harris, however, may have cause to feel aggrieved having had a stronger first-class season in the domestic Sheffield Shield than Bancroft. Selector Trevor Hohns said Bancroft's ability to play in the middle order as well as at the top had been in his favour. "He’s got the ingredients of being a very good Test match player, he’s a hard worker," Hohns told reporters in Perth of the 26-year-old Western Australian who has averaged 26.23 from his 10 Tests. "And the improvement in his game is very noticeable." Middle-order batsman Travis Head, who had a poor series in England and was dropped for the final Test, has been retained. After strong domestic form, uncapped bowling all-rounder Michael Neser has been included along with pacemen Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson. Cricket Australia (CA) announced earlier on Thursday that promising young batsman Will Pucovski had withdrawn from selection for "mental wellbeing" reasons. Hohns said the uncapped 21-year-old's decision came before selectors had finalised the squad. Pucovski, who pulled out of the Test squad in January for similar reasons, became the third Australian cricketer to report mental health problems to staff in just over two weeks. All-rounder Glenn Maxwell remains on an indefinite break after pulling out midway through the Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka. "I think we should be quite proud and pleased in our sports players are comfortable coming out and talking about (mental health)," said Hohns. "It’s just happening more and more in everyday life." Tim Paine's Australia meets Pakistan in the second Test in Adelaide on November 29.

Usman Khawaja, Marcus Harris dropped from Australia Test squad

As the first day of the opening test match concluded in the Holkar Stadium in Indore, Bangladesh was all-out on 150 runs, after electing to bat. Bangladeshi batsmen could not survive the splendid bowling spell from Indian bowling line. Mushfiqur Rahim's 43 and Captain Mominul Haque's 37 featured in the only 50-plus partnership for Bangladesh.&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A solid 72 run-partnership between Mayank (37*) &amp; Pujara (43*) as <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> close Day 1 on 86/1 after bowling Bangladesh out for 150. 
 
Scorecard - <a href="https://t.co/0aAwHDwHed">https://t.co/0aAwHDwHed</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvBAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvBAN</a> <a href="https://t.co/q2uhSBW5j3">pic.twitter.com/q2uhSBW5j3</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1194942024849321984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Mohammad Shami took 3 wickets, Ravichandran Ashwin took 2 wickets and completed his career milestone of 250 wickets at home. Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav also took two wickets each. The first day also experienced a lot of dropped catches by Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli and Wridhiman Saha.

In India's answer to Bangladesh it scored 86/1, Rohit Sharma fell off early after scoring just 6 runs but the strong partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara (43) and Mayank Agarwal (37) revived the Indian scoreline. India finishes strong on day 1, innings will resume tomorrow.

Recently, India defeated Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series 2-1. Bangladesh was able to win the first T20I at Delhi, and en route they registered their first-ever victory over the Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game. But the hosts were able to come back in the next two matches at Rajkot and Nagpur to win the series. In the final match of the series, Deepak Chahar starred with the ball as he recorded the best-ever bowling overs in T20Is. Chahar had finished with the bowling figures of 6-7 in the match.

India's playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav.

Bangladesh's playing XI: Imrul Kayes, Shadman, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain.

(With inputs from agencies)

As the first day of the opening test match concluded in the Holkar Stadium in Indore, Bangladesh was all-out on 150 runs, after electing to bat. Bangladeshi batsmen could not survive the splendid bowling spell from Indian bowling line.

As the first day of the opening test match concluded in the Holkar Stadium in Indore, Bangladesh was all-out on 150 runs, after electing to bat. Bangladeshi batsmen could not survive the splendid bowling spell from Indian bowling line. Mushfiqur Rahim's 43 and Captain Mominul Haque's 37 featured in the only 50-plus partnership for Bangladesh. A solid 72 run-partnership between Mayank (37*) & Pujara (43*) as #TeamIndia close Day 1 on 86/1 after bowling Bangladesh out for 150. Scorecard - https://t.co/0aAwHDwHed #INDvBAN pic.twitter.com/q2uhSBW5j3 — BCCI (@BCCI) November 14, 2019 × Mohammad Shami took 3 wickets, Ravichandran Ashwin took 2 wickets and completed his career milestone of 250 wickets at home. Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav also took two wickets each. The first day also experienced a lot of dropped catches by Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli and Wridhiman Saha. In India's answer to Bangladesh it scored 86/1, Rohit Sharma fell off early after scoring just 6 runs but the strong partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara (43) and Mayank Agarwal (37) revived the Indian scoreline. India finishes strong on day 1, innings will resume tomorrow. Recently, India defeated Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series 2-1. Bangladesh was able to win the first T20I at Delhi, and en route they registered their first-ever victory over the Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game. But the hosts were able to come back in the next two matches at Rajkot and Nagpur to win the series. In the final match of the series, Deepak Chahar starred with the ball as he recorded the best-ever bowling overs in T20Is. Chahar had finished with the bowling figures of 6-7 in the match. India's playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav. Bangladesh's playing XI: Imrul Kayes, Shadman, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain. (With inputs from agencies)

India vs Bangladesh, first Test, Day 1:  Bangladesh all-out on 150 runs, India 86/1 at stumps

Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the third spinner after Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to take 250 wickets in test cricket on Indian soil.&nbsp;

Ashwin marked this milestone in the test match against Bangladesh in Indore after felling Bangladesh Captain Mominul Haque for 37.&nbsp;

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to Twitter and wrote: "250 Test wickets at home for @ashwinravi99. He becomes the third Indian bowler to do so after @anilkumble1074 &amp; @harbhajan_singh."

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250 Test wickets at home for <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashwinravi99</a>. He becomes the third Indian bowler to do so after <a href="https://twitter.com/anilkumble1074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@anilkumble1074</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/harbhajan_singh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@harbhajan_singh</a>. <a href="https://t.co/x1Q6fTonsi">pic.twitter.com/x1Q6fTonsi</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1194881856459534336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, Bangladesh, after electing to bat, were all out for 150 in their first innings on day one of the opening test against India on Thursday.

In India's answer to Bangladesh it scored 86/1, Rohit Sharma fell off early after scoring just 6 runs but the strong partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara (43) and Mayank Agarwal (37) revived the Indian scoreline. India finishes strong on day 1, innings will resume tomorrow.

Recently, India defeated Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series 2-1. Bangladesh was able to win the first T20I at Delhi, and en route they registered their first-ever victory over the Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game. But the hosts were able to come back in the next two matches at Rajkot and Nagpur to win the series. In the final match of the series, Deepak Chahar starred with the ball as he recorded the best-ever bowling overs in T20Is. Chahar had finished with the bowling figures of 6-7 in the match.

India's playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav.

Bangladesh's playing XI: Imrul Kayes, Shadman, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain.

Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the third spinner after Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to take 250 wickets in test cricket on Indian soil. Ashwin marked this milestone in the test match against Bangladesh in Indore after felling Bangladesh Captain Mominul Haque for 37.

Ravichandran Ashwin becomes the third spinner after Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh to take 250 wickets in test cricket on Indian soil. Ashwin marked this milestone in the test match against Bangladesh in Indore after felling Bangladesh Captain Mominul Haque for 37. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to Twitter and wrote: "250 Test wickets at home for @ashwinravi99. He becomes the third Indian bowler to do so after @anilkumble1074 & @harbhajan_singh." 250 Test wickets at home for @ashwinravi99. He becomes the third Indian bowler to do so after @anilkumble1074 & @harbhajan_singh. pic.twitter.com/x1Q6fTonsi — BCCI (@BCCI) November 14, 2019 × Meanwhile, Bangladesh, after electing to bat, were all out for 150 in their first innings on day one of the opening test against India on Thursday. In India's answer to Bangladesh it scored 86/1, Rohit Sharma fell off early after scoring just 6 runs but the strong partnership between Cheteshwar Pujara (43) and Mayank Agarwal (37) revived the Indian scoreline. India finishes strong on day 1, innings will resume tomorrow. Recently, India defeated Bangladesh in the three-match T20I series 2-1. Bangladesh was able to win the first T20I at Delhi, and en route they registered their first-ever victory over the Men in Blue in the shortest format of the game. But the hosts were able to come back in the next two matches at Rajkot and Nagpur to win the series. In the final match of the series, Deepak Chahar starred with the ball as he recorded the best-ever bowling overs in T20Is. Chahar had finished with the bowling figures of 6-7 in the match. India's playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav. Bangladesh's playing XI: Imrul Kayes, Shadman, Mohammad Mithun, Mominul Haque (capt), Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Liton Das, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain.

India vs Bangladesh, first Test: Ravichandran Ashwin equals Muttiah Muralitharan’s record, scalps joint-fastest 250 Test wickets on home soil

West Indies' Nicholas Pooran on Wednesday was slapped with a four-match suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching level 3 of its Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

"Pooran was charged with violating Article 2.14 of the code, which relates to "changing the condition of the ball" after video footage showed him scratching the surface of the ball with his thumbnail. He will now miss the next four T20I games for the West Indies and will have five demerit points added to his record," ICC said in a statement.

The incident took place during the third ODI against Afghanistan played on Monday. West Indies won the match by five wickets and by doing so, they white-washed Afghanistan in the three-match series.

After the suspension, Pooran issued a 'sincere apology' to his teammates, supporters and the Afghanistan team.

"I want to issue a sincere apology to my teammates, supporters and the Afghanistan team for what transpired on the field of play on Monday in Lucknow. I recognise that I made an extreme error in judgement and I fully accept the ICC penalty. I want to assure everyone that this is an isolated incident and it will not be repeated. I promise to learn from this and come back stronger and wiser," he said.

No formal hearing was conducted as Pooran admitted the offence on Tuesday and accepted the sanction proposed by Chris Broad of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.

The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Bismillah Shinwari and Ahmed Durrani and third umpire Ahmed Pakteen as well as fourth umpire Izatullah Safi.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

West Indies' Nicholas Pooran on Wednesday was slapped with a four-match suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching level 3 of its Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel.

West Indies' Nicholas Pooran on Wednesday was slapped with a four-match suspension by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for breaching level 3 of its Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. "Pooran was charged with violating Article 2.14 of the code, which relates to "changing the condition of the ball" after video footage showed him scratching the surface of the ball with his thumbnail. He will now miss the next four T20I games for the West Indies and will have five demerit points added to his record," ICC said in a statement. The incident took place during the third ODI against Afghanistan played on Monday. West Indies won the match by five wickets and by doing so, they white-washed Afghanistan in the three-match series. After the suspension, Pooran issued a 'sincere apology' to his teammates, supporters and the Afghanistan team. "I want to issue a sincere apology to my teammates, supporters and the Afghanistan team for what transpired on the field of play on Monday in Lucknow. I recognise that I made an extreme error in judgement and I fully accept the ICC penalty. I want to assure everyone that this is an isolated incident and it will not be repeated. I promise to learn from this and come back stronger and wiser," he said. No formal hearing was conducted as Pooran admitted the offence on Tuesday and accepted the sanction proposed by Chris Broad of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Bismillah Shinwari and Ahmed Durrani and third umpire Ahmed Pakteen as well as fourth umpire Izatullah Safi.

West Indies' Nicholas Pooran faces four match suspension for ball tampering

Bismah Maroof has been retained as captain while Iqbal Imam has got the role of the head coach of Pakistan women's team until next year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup. 
"It is truly an honour for me to be continuing as Pakistan's captain and I look forward to leading the side in the next year's T20 World Cup," Maroof said in an official statement on Wednesday.

Prior to Australia event in December, Pakistan team will take on England in Kuala Lumpur in the seventh round of ICC Women's Championship. The three ODIs will be followed by three T20Is.

The 28-year-old Maroof has played 105 ODIs and 103 T20Is. He was first appointed Pakistan captain in the T20I format in 2016 for the tour of England, before taking over as ODI captain post-ICC Women's World Cup 2017. To date, she has led Pakistan in 15 ODIs and 33 T20Is.

"The team is in good shape and has produced some good performances recently. There's a great deal of talent and passion in the girls and I look forward to carrying the momentum to the World Cup," she added.

On the other hand, Imam played 147 first-class matches from 1989 to 2005 during, which he scored 6,249 runs and took 136 wickets. 
He was named as the batting coach in April and was made interim head coach for the recent home series against Bangladesh after Mark Coles resigned from the position. 
"It is certainly an honour for me to be appointed as a head coach for the women's side. Women's cricket in Pakistan is improving day-by-day and we have a lot of talented girls emerging," Imam said.

"Our team has gotten off to a decent start this season by beat Bangladesh in T20I series and levelling the ODI series. There's a great potential in the side to do wonders and I aim to bring the best out of them," he added.

The team's performance will be reviewed after the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Australia 2020 before future decisions are made as the Pakistan women's team has no scheduled Future Tours Programme (FTP) or ICC commitments until the ICC Women's World Cup New Zealand 2021, which will be held from January 30 to February 20. 
ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 will be held in Australia from February 21 to March 8.

Bismah Maroof has been retained as captain while Iqbal Imam has got the role of the head coach of Pakistan women's team until next year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

Bismah Maroof has been retained as captain while Iqbal Imam has got the role of the head coach of Pakistan women's team until next year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup. "It is truly an honour for me to be continuing as Pakistan's captain and I look forward to leading the side in the next year's T20 World Cup," Maroof said in an official statement on Wednesday. Prior to Australia event in December, Pakistan team will take on England in Kuala Lumpur in the seventh round of ICC Women's Championship. The three ODIs will be followed by three T20Is. The 28-year-old Maroof has played 105 ODIs and 103 T20Is. He was first appointed Pakistan captain in the T20I format in 2016 for the tour of England, before taking over as ODI captain post-ICC Women's World Cup 2017. To date, she has led Pakistan in 15 ODIs and 33 T20Is. "The team is in good shape and has produced some good performances recently. There's a great deal of talent and passion in the girls and I look forward to carrying the momentum to the World Cup," she added. On the other hand, Imam played 147 first-class matches from 1989 to 2005 during, which he scored 6,249 runs and took 136 wickets. He was named as the batting coach in April and was made interim head coach for the recent home series against Bangladesh after Mark Coles resigned from the position. "It is certainly an honour for me to be appointed as a head coach for the women's side. Women's cricket in Pakistan is improving day-by-day and we have a lot of talented girls emerging," Imam said. "Our team has gotten off to a decent start this season by beat Bangladesh in T20I series and levelling the ODI series. There's a great potential in the side to do wonders and I aim to bring the best out of them," he added. The team's performance will be reviewed after the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Australia 2020 before future decisions are made as the Pakistan women's team has no scheduled Future Tours Programme (FTP) or ICC commitments until the ICC Women's World Cup New Zealand 2021, which will be held from January 30 to February 20. ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2020 will be held in Australia from February 21 to March 8.

Bismah Mahroof retained as Pakistan Women's team captain till ICC Women's T20 World cup, 2020

India skipper Virat Kohli has full support for Glenn Maxwell, who recently decided to take a break from cricket to deal with his mental health issues, saying that the Australian has set a right example for all the cricketers and called his confession remarkable.

"I think what Glenn has done is remarkable and he has set a right example for the cricketers all around the world that if you are not in the best frame of mind, you try, try and try but as human beings, you reach at a point when you need time away from the game," Kohli said in the pre-match press conference here on Wednesday.

Cricket Australia (CA) on October 31 announced Maxwell's decision to take a break from cricket. Kohli then recalled his own struggles saying that it felt like 'It was the end of the world'.

"To be very honest, everyone is focused on what they need to do. It is difficult for anyone to figure out what is going around in another person's mind. I have gone through a phase in my career where I felt like it was the end of the world. In England 2014, I did not know what to do and what to say to anyone and how to speak and how to communicate," he said.

"I could not have said I am not feeling great mentally and I need to get away from the game because you never know how it is taken. So, it think these things should be of great importance because if you think that a player is important enough for the team or Indian cricket to go forward. I think they should be looked after," he added. 
Kohli further stated that such disclosures do not mean that a player gave up but it is only to gain more clarity.

"Not like you give up but just to gain more clarity. In my opinion, it is quite acceptable and a nice thing to do. I think these things should be respected and not taken in a negative way at all because it is nothing to do with what you do on the field, it is just not having the capacity anymore to deal with things which I think can happen to any person," Kohli said.&nbsp;

India skipper Virat Kohli has full support for Glenn Maxwell, who recently decided to take a break from cricket to deal with his mental health issues, saying that the Australian has set a right example for all the cricketers and called his confession remarkable.

India skipper Virat Kohli has full support for Glenn Maxwell, who recently decided to take a break from cricket to deal with his mental health issues, saying that the Australian has set a right example for all the cricketers and called his confession remarkable. "I think what Glenn has done is remarkable and he has set a right example for the cricketers all around the world that if you are not in the best frame of mind, you try, try and try but as human beings, you reach at a point when you need time away from the game," Kohli said in the pre-match press conference here on Wednesday. Cricket Australia (CA) on October 31 announced Maxwell's decision to take a break from cricket. Kohli then recalled his own struggles saying that it felt like 'It was the end of the world'. "To be very honest, everyone is focused on what they need to do. It is difficult for anyone to figure out what is going around in another person's mind. I have gone through a phase in my career where I felt like it was the end of the world. In England 2014, I did not know what to do and what to say to anyone and how to speak and how to communicate," he said. "I could not have said I am not feeling great mentally and I need to get away from the game because you never know how it is taken. So, it think these things should be of great importance because if you think that a player is important enough for the team or Indian cricket to go forward. I think they should be looked after," he added. Kohli further stated that such disclosures do not mean that a player gave up but it is only to gain more clarity. "Not like you give up but just to gain more clarity. In my opinion, it is quite acceptable and a nice thing to do. I think these things should be respected and not taken in a negative way at all because it is nothing to do with what you do on the field, it is just not having the capacity anymore to deal with things which I think can happen to any person," Kohli said.

Maxwell's confession remarkable, sets right example: Virat Kohli

India defeated Bangladesh by 30 runs in the third and final T20I to win the series 2-1 in Nagpur on Sunday.

Deepak Chahar's sensational six-wicket haul, including a hat-trick and half-centuries by Shreyas Iyer (62 off 33) and K L Rahul (52 off 35) &nbsp;secured India's first T20 series win at home this season.

Shreyas Iyer revealed that skipper Rohit Sharma gave a pep-talk to all team-mates and that proved as a motivation to win the match. Chasing 175 for the win, Bangladesh was bundled out for 144, giving the Men in Blue a win by 30 runs.&nbsp;

Deepak Chahar proved the main destructor as he scalped six wickets in the match.

"Yeah, we were feeling the pressure. We know they are a good side and there is no team that you can underestimate in the shortest format. And in the previous two games we saw that they played a mesmerising brand of cricket," Iyer told reporters.

"We were going little lethargic at the start, but once they started going, Rohit recalled all players inside the circle, he gave us a pep talk and after that, all of us got determined to win the match," he added.

Earlier in the match, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul's knocks of 62 and 52, respectively enabled India to post a score of 174/5 in the allotted twenty overs.&nbsp;

Iyer said that he would like to give himself credit for playing the knock he did and changing the complexion of the game.

"Yes, I would say that. The over in which I hit three sixes changed the momentum of the match. Otherwise, we would have got 150 and that would have been a really tough total to difficult on this wicket. Yeah, I would give my self a credit. It was important for one of the top three batters to stay at the crease till the 15th over," Iyer said.

"There is a lot of competition going on in the side, but I personally feel, I compete with myself. When you say this position is empty in the batting order, I say to myself that I can bat any position and today`s innings showed that I can play under pressure situations," he added.

Mohammad Naim played an 81-run knock to give Bangladesh a glimmer of hope in the match, but his dismissal at the hands of Shivam Dube ended the Bangla Tigers' hopes of going away with a victory. Iyer revealed the two turning points in the match in his opinion. He lauded both Deepak Chahar and Dube.

Chahar took six wickets in the match and he created the record for scripting best bowling figures in a T20I match. He also became the first Indian to take a hat-trick in the shortest format of the game. While Dube took three wickets in the match.

"There were two turning points in the game. First, Deepak Chahar coming in and getting two wickets pretty quickly and second, Shivam Dube getting that two back to back wickets to change the match," Iyer said. India and Bangladesh will now face each other in the two-match Test series and the first game will be played from November 14-18.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

India defeated Bangladesh by 30 runs in the third and final T20I to win the series 2-1 in Nagpur on Sunday. Deepak Chahar's sensational six-wicket haul, including a hat-trick and half-centuries by Shreyas Iyer (62 off 33) and K L Rahul (52 off 35) secured India's first T20 series win at home this season.

India defeated Bangladesh by 30 runs in the third and final T20I to win the series 2-1 in Nagpur on Sunday. Deepak Chahar's sensational six-wicket haul, including a hat-trick and half-centuries by Shreyas Iyer (62 off 33) and K L Rahul (52 off 35) secured India's first T20 series win at home this season. Shreyas Iyer revealed that skipper Rohit Sharma gave a pep-talk to all team-mates and that proved as a motivation to win the match. Chasing 175 for the win, Bangladesh was bundled out for 144, giving the Men in Blue a win by 30 runs. Deepak Chahar proved the main destructor as he scalped six wickets in the match. "Yeah, we were feeling the pressure. We know they are a good side and there is no team that you can underestimate in the shortest format. And in the previous two games we saw that they played a mesmerising brand of cricket," Iyer told reporters. "We were going little lethargic at the start, but once they started going, Rohit recalled all players inside the circle, he gave us a pep talk and after that, all of us got determined to win the match," he added. Earlier in the match, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul's knocks of 62 and 52, respectively enabled India to post a score of 174/5 in the allotted twenty overs. Iyer said that he would like to give himself credit for playing the knock he did and changing the complexion of the game. "Yes, I would say that. The over in which I hit three sixes changed the momentum of the match. Otherwise, we would have got 150 and that would have been a really tough total to difficult on this wicket. Yeah, I would give my self a credit. It was important for one of the top three batters to stay at the crease till the 15th over," Iyer said. "There is a lot of competition going on in the side, but I personally feel, I compete with myself. When you say this position is empty in the batting order, I say to myself that I can bat any position and today`s innings showed that I can play under pressure situations," he added. Mohammad Naim played an 81-run knock to give Bangladesh a glimmer of hope in the match, but his dismissal at the hands of Shivam Dube ended the Bangla Tigers' hopes of going away with a victory. Iyer revealed the two turning points in the match in his opinion. He lauded both Deepak Chahar and Dube. Chahar took six wickets in the match and he created the record for scripting best bowling figures in a T20I match. He also became the first Indian to take a hat-trick in the shortest format of the game. While Dube took three wickets in the match. "There were two turning points in the game. First, Deepak Chahar coming in and getting two wickets pretty quickly and second, Shivam Dube getting that two back to back wickets to change the match," Iyer said. India and Bangladesh will now face each other in the two-match Test series and the first game will be played from November 14-18. (With inputs from ANI)

India vs Bangladesh, 3rd T20I: Team was under pressure, Rohit Sharma's pep talk motivated us, says Shreyas Iyer

England won the fifth T20I in a thrilling super-over by nine runs against New Zealand at the Eden Park on Sunday.

England also clinched the five-match T20I series by 3-2. In the super-over, the visitors came to bat first and posted a target of 18 runs for Kiwis.

Skipper Eoin Morgan scored nine off three balls while Jonny Bairstow hammered eight off three deliveries.

On the other hand, the hosts were only able to score eight runs with a loss of one wicket in their super-over bowled by Chris Jordan.

Tim Seifert played a knock of six runs in four balls while Martin Guptill scored one run.

Earlier, England won the toss and decided to bowl. In a rain-affected match, both the teams were allotted eleven overs of play.

Batting first, New Zealand posted a total of 146/5 in their 11 overs. Kiwis got the steady start as their openers Guptill and Colin Munro scored runs at a fast pace and built a partnership of 83-run in 31 balls.

Adil Rashid provided the much-awaited breakthrough for his side as he scalped Guptill (50) in the sixth over.

Colin de Grandhomme failed to leave his mark on the crease and was sent back to the pavilion after scoring six runs in the seventh over.

Munro who played a knock of 46 runs off 21 balls was dismissed by Sam Curran in the 10th over, reducing kiwis to 120/3 in 9.1 overs.

Jimmy Neesham joined Seifert in the middle and built a brief partnership of 23-run. Seifert amassed 39 runs off 16 balls to get past the team`s total to 140.

For England, Curran, Rashid, and Saqib Mahmood scalped one wicket each. Chasing 147 runs, England were only able to score 146/7 in their eleven overs.

After which the match tied and super-over was played. The English team had a poor start as they lost two early wickets Tom Banton (7) and James Vince (1) reducing the visitors to 9/2 in 1.1 overs.

Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow stitched a 30-run partnership for the third wicket before the former was picked by Trent boult in the third over.Sam Curran joined Bairstow in the middle and helped the side to get past the 100-run mark.

Both built a partnership of 61 runs for the fourth wicket. Bairstow played a knock of 47 runs in 18 balls before becoming the victim of Jimmy Neesham in the seventh over.

Sam (24) was also sent back to the pavilion by Mitchell Santner on the next ball. Lewis Gregory (6) and Tom Curran (12) failed to leave their mark on the scoreboard and were scalped by Santner and Neesham, respectively.

Sam Billings and Chris Jordan remained unbeaten on 11 and 12 runs, respectively.

For New Zealand, Boult, Santner, and Neesham scalped two wickets each. The final of the ICC Men`s World Cup between New Zealand and England at the Lord`s Cricket Ground on July 14 could not separate the two sides despite the 50-over match and subsequent super over as both ended in a tie.

England were finally declared the champions on the basis of boundary countback rule. Both the teams will now face each other in the first Test of the two-match series from November 21.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

England won the fifth T20I in a thrilling super-over by nine runs against New Zealand at the Eden Park on Sunday. England also clinched the five-match T20I series by 3-2.

England won the fifth T20I in a thrilling super-over by nine runs against New Zealand at the Eden Park on Sunday. England also clinched the five-match T20I series by 3-2. In the super-over, the visitors came to bat first and posted a target of 18 runs for Kiwis. Skipper Eoin Morgan scored nine off three balls while Jonny Bairstow hammered eight off three deliveries. On the other hand, the hosts were only able to score eight runs with a loss of one wicket in their super-over bowled by Chris Jordan. Tim Seifert played a knock of six runs in four balls while Martin Guptill scored one run. Earlier, England won the toss and decided to bowl. In a rain-affected match, both the teams were allotted eleven overs of play. Batting first, New Zealand posted a total of 146/5 in their 11 overs. Kiwis got the steady start as their openers Guptill and Colin Munro scored runs at a fast pace and built a partnership of 83-run in 31 balls. Adil Rashid provided the much-awaited breakthrough for his side as he scalped Guptill (50) in the sixth over. Colin de Grandhomme failed to leave his mark on the crease and was sent back to the pavilion after scoring six runs in the seventh over. Munro who played a knock of 46 runs off 21 balls was dismissed by Sam Curran in the 10th over, reducing kiwis to 120/3 in 9.1 overs. Jimmy Neesham joined Seifert in the middle and built a brief partnership of 23-run. Seifert amassed 39 runs off 16 balls to get past the team`s total to 140. For England, Curran, Rashid, and Saqib Mahmood scalped one wicket each. Chasing 147 runs, England were only able to score 146/7 in their eleven overs. After which the match tied and super-over was played. The English team had a poor start as they lost two early wickets Tom Banton (7) and James Vince (1) reducing the visitors to 9/2 in 1.1 overs. Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow stitched a 30-run partnership for the third wicket before the former was picked by Trent boult in the third over.Sam Curran joined Bairstow in the middle and helped the side to get past the 100-run mark. Both built a partnership of 61 runs for the fourth wicket. Bairstow played a knock of 47 runs in 18 balls before becoming the victim of Jimmy Neesham in the seventh over. Sam (24) was also sent back to the pavilion by Mitchell Santner on the next ball. Lewis Gregory (6) and Tom Curran (12) failed to leave their mark on the scoreboard and were scalped by Santner and Neesham, respectively. Sam Billings and Chris Jordan remained unbeaten on 11 and 12 runs, respectively. For New Zealand, Boult, Santner, and Neesham scalped two wickets each. The final of the ICC Men`s World Cup between New Zealand and England at the Lord`s Cricket Ground on July 14 could not separate the two sides despite the 50-over match and subsequent super over as both ended in a tie. England were finally declared the champions on the basis of boundary countback rule. Both the teams will now face each other in the first Test of the two-match series from November 21.

England win by 9 runs in super-over against New Zealand, clinch T20I series by 3-2

Critics of India's Rishabh Pant must leave the young wicketkeeper-batsman alone and let him play with freedom, stand-in captain Rohit Sharma said on Saturday.

The 22-year-old has received lots of flak lately from India's coaching staff, pundits and the media after losing his wicket through loose shots and his position in the India test side has been taken by fit-again Wriddhiman Saha.

Former Australia batsman Dean Jones told Reuters this week that Pant needs to improve his off-side game if he wants to graduate from being a one-trick pony.

"There is a lot of talk happening about Rishabh Pant every day, every minute," Rohit, who is leading the hosts in place of rested regular captain Virat Kohli, told reporters ahead of Sunday's deciding final Twenty20 international against Bangladesh at Nagpur.

"I just feel that he needs to be allowed to do what he wants to do on the field. I would request everyone to just keep their eyes away from Rishabh Pant for a while."

Pant was perceived as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's natural successor in limited-overs cricket for India when the former captain eventually hangs up his gloves and till recently was the preferred choice behind the stumps in all three formats.

He played 11 tests in the absence of the injured Saha and used his chances well, hitting a century in an Oval test against England last year while smashing an unbeaten 159 versus Australia in Sydney in January.

His six-hitting ability makes him a limited-overs asset, but India head coach Ravi Shastri and batting coach Vikram Rathour said in recent interviews that the left-hander's shot selection has occasionally let the team down.

Pant played within himself and seemed to curb his natural instincts in his 26-ball knock of 27 during India's loss to Bangladesh in the first T20 in Delhi while he did not get a chance to bat during the series-levelling win at Rajkot.

He, however, handed a reprieve to Bangladesh opener Liton Das, who was stumped off Yuzvendra Chahal but replays confirmed Pant did not collect the ball behind the stumps, with part of his gloves jutting ahead of the line.

Pant nearly repeated the mistake when effecting a similar dismissal to send back Soumya Sarkar for 30 off Chahal.

"He is a young guy ... trying to make his mark in international cricket. Every move he makes on the field, people start talking about him. It is not fair," Rohit said.

"Focus on him a lot more when he is doing good things also, not just the bad things. He is a fearless cricketer and we want him to have that freedom. And if you guys keep your eyes little bit off him, it will allow him to perform even better."

Critics of India's Rishabh Pant must leave the young wicketkeeper-batsman alone and let him play with freedom, stand-in captain Rohit Sharma said on Saturday. The 22-year-old has received lots of flak lately from India's coaching staff, pundits and the media after losing his wicket through loose shots and his position in the India test side has been taken by fit-again Wriddhiman Saha.

Critics of India's Rishabh Pant must leave the young wicketkeeper-batsman alone and let him play with freedom, stand-in captain Rohit Sharma said on Saturday. The 22-year-old has received lots of flak lately from India's coaching staff, pundits and the media after losing his wicket through loose shots and his position in the India test side has been taken by fit-again Wriddhiman Saha. Former Australia batsman Dean Jones told Reuters this week that Pant needs to improve his off-side game if he wants to graduate from being a one-trick pony. "There is a lot of talk happening about Rishabh Pant every day, every minute," Rohit, who is leading the hosts in place of rested regular captain Virat Kohli, told reporters ahead of Sunday's deciding final Twenty20 international against Bangladesh at Nagpur. "I just feel that he needs to be allowed to do what he wants to do on the field. I would request everyone to just keep their eyes away from Rishabh Pant for a while." Pant was perceived as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's natural successor in limited-overs cricket for India when the former captain eventually hangs up his gloves and till recently was the preferred choice behind the stumps in all three formats. He played 11 tests in the absence of the injured Saha and used his chances well, hitting a century in an Oval test against England last year while smashing an unbeaten 159 versus Australia in Sydney in January. His six-hitting ability makes him a limited-overs asset, but India head coach Ravi Shastri and batting coach Vikram Rathour said in recent interviews that the left-hander's shot selection has occasionally let the team down. Pant played within himself and seemed to curb his natural instincts in his 26-ball knock of 27 during India's loss to Bangladesh in the first T20 in Delhi while he did not get a chance to bat during the series-levelling win at Rajkot. He, however, handed a reprieve to Bangladesh opener Liton Das, who was stumped off Yuzvendra Chahal but replays confirmed Pant did not collect the ball behind the stumps, with part of his gloves jutting ahead of the line. Pant nearly repeated the mistake when effecting a similar dismissal to send back Soumya Sarkar for 30 off Chahal. "He is a young guy ... trying to make his mark in international cricket. Every move he makes on the field, people start talking about him. It is not fair," Rohit said. "Focus on him a lot more when he is doing good things also, not just the bad things. He is a fearless cricketer and we want him to have that freedom. And if you guys keep your eyes little bit off him, it will allow him to perform even better."

Leave Pant alone, implores India's stand-in captain Rohit

England have called up batsman Jonny Bairstow for the test series against New Zealand as injury cover for Joe Denly, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Thursday.

Bairstow, who was due to fly home after the ongoing T20 series, was left out of the Test squad following a disappointing Ashes series against Australia.

Denly injured his ankle in training.&nbsp;

"(Denly) is making progress on his rehabilitation and is hoping that he will be fit to play in the three-day warm-up match starting on Friday, November&nbsp;15," the ECB said.

England have another warm-up game before that in which Bairstow, who has scored more than 4,000 runs in 69 tests, can press his claims for a spot in the side ahead of the two-match series starting on November&nbsp;20.

England have called up batsman Jonny Bairstow for the test series against New Zealand as injury cover for Joe Denly, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Thursday.

England have called up batsman Jonny Bairstow for the test series against New Zealand as injury cover for Joe Denly, the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Thursday. Bairstow, who was due to fly home after the ongoing T20 series, was left out of the Test squad following a disappointing Ashes series against Australia. Denly injured his ankle in training. "(Denly) is making progress on his rehabilitation and is hoping that he will be fit to play in the three-day warm-up match starting on Friday, November 15," the ECB said. England have another warm-up game before that in which Bairstow, who has scored more than 4,000 runs in 69 tests, can press his claims for a spot in the side ahead of the two-match series starting on November 20.

Cricket: England call up Bairstow as cover for Denly

Height became a problem in finding accommodation for an Afghani man who flew down to watch one-day international cricket series between Afghanistan and West Indies here.

Sher Khan, who is 8 feet and two-inch tall, visited several hotels in search of a place to stay but no hotel allegedly agreed to rent him a room courtesy to his height.

Disappointed and alone in a new city, Khan approached police for help which took him to a Hotel Rajdhani in Naka area where he spent Tuesday night.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the hotel to see the tall who is a resident of Kabul.

"As many as 200 people have come to see him. He is very disturbed," hotel owner Ranu told ANI on Wednesday.

Due to the people gathered outside the hotel, the police had to escort Khan to Ekana Stadium where the international match is being played. Ranu said the man will be staying in the city for the next four to five days.&nbsp;

Height became a problem in finding accommodation for an Afghani man who flew down to watch one-day international cricket series between Afghanistan and West Indies here.

Height became a problem in finding accommodation for an Afghani man who flew down to watch one-day international cricket series between Afghanistan and West Indies here. Sher Khan, who is 8 feet and two-inch tall, visited several hotels in search of a place to stay but no hotel allegedly agreed to rent him a room courtesy to his height. Disappointed and alone in a new city, Khan approached police for help which took him to a Hotel Rajdhani in Naka area where he spent Tuesday night. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hotel to see the tall who is a resident of Kabul. "As many as 200 people have come to see him. He is very disturbed," hotel owner Ranu told ANI on Wednesday. Due to the people gathered outside the hotel, the police had to escort Khan to Ekana Stadium where the international match is being played. Ranu said the man will be staying in the city for the next four to five days.

Eight-feet tall Afghan cricket fan struggles to find accommodation in India

Steve Smith struck a sparkling half-century to fire Australia to an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their T20 match in Canberra on Tuesday.

The former captain's unbeaten 80 from 51 balls gave Australia a 1-0 lead in their three-match series after the opener was washed out in Sydney on Sunday.

Pakistan managed to do what Sri Lanka couldn't in the previous series -- removed David Warner -- but they had no answers for the peerless Smith, who put on a clinic of clean hitting as Australia mopped up Pakistan's modest total of 150 for six with nine balls to spare.

"It was nice to be there at the end to get the boys home," Smith said.

"It was probably a 170-ish wicket, I reckon, so they (Australia) bowled beautifully.

"It was just about timing in the end."

With both sides unchanged from Sydney, Pakistan elected to bat after winning the toss but their hopes of a statement inning were dashed by regular top-order wickets.

Babar Azam was left to piece together the innings with Iftikhar Ahmed before the opener-captain was removed for 50 by a piece of fielding magic from Warner, who threw down the stumps from long-range.

Iftikhar slogged his way to an unbeaten 62 to give Pakistan a total to defend.

It soon seemed insufficient, however, as Australia skipper Aaron Finch and Warner stormed out of the blocks, smashing 30 runs in three overs before Warner was bowled for 20 by Mohammad Amir.

It was Warner's first dismissal in five T20Is, having been two not out in the rained-out Sydney game and unbeaten with scores of 57, 60 and 100 in the 3-0 series sweep of Sri Lanka.

"We are disappointed but Steve Smith took the match away," Babar said through a translator.

"It's very difficult when we lose early wickets and we have to gain momentum again."

Australia will seek to seal the series with victory in Perth on Friday.

Steve Smith struck a sparkling half-century to fire Australia to an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their T20 match in Canberra on Tuesday. The former captain's unbeaten 80 from 51 balls gave Australia a 1-0 lead in their three-match series after the opener was washed out in Sydney on Sunday.

Steve Smith struck a sparkling half-century to fire Australia to an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in their T20 match in Canberra on Tuesday. The former captain's unbeaten 80 from 51 balls gave Australia a 1-0 lead in their three-match series after the opener was washed out in Sydney on Sunday. Pakistan managed to do what Sri Lanka couldn't in the previous series -- removed David Warner -- but they had no answers for the peerless Smith, who put on a clinic of clean hitting as Australia mopped up Pakistan's modest total of 150 for six with nine balls to spare. "It was nice to be there at the end to get the boys home," Smith said. "It was probably a 170-ish wicket, I reckon, so they (Australia) bowled beautifully. "It was just about timing in the end." With both sides unchanged from Sydney, Pakistan elected to bat after winning the toss but their hopes of a statement inning were dashed by regular top-order wickets. Babar Azam was left to piece together the innings with Iftikhar Ahmed before the opener-captain was removed for 50 by a piece of fielding magic from Warner, who threw down the stumps from long-range. Iftikhar slogged his way to an unbeaten 62 to give Pakistan a total to defend. It soon seemed insufficient, however, as Australia skipper Aaron Finch and Warner stormed out of the blocks, smashing 30 runs in three overs before Warner was bowled for 20 by Mohammad Amir. It was Warner's first dismissal in five T20Is, having been two not out in the rained-out Sydney game and unbeaten with scores of 57, 60 and 100 in the 3-0 series sweep of Sri Lanka. "We are disappointed but Steve Smith took the match away," Babar said through a translator. "It's very difficult when we lose early wickets and we have to gain momentum again." Australia will seek to seal the series with victory in Perth on Friday.

Cricket: Steve Smith fires Australia to victory over Pakistan in T20 match

Bangladesh defeated India by seven wickets in the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley stadium here on Sunday. 
 
The visitors have now taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. This was their first-ever victory over India in the shortest format of the game. 
 
Chasing a decent target of 149 runs, Bangladesh's Liton Das was sent back to the pavilion in the very first over, bowled by Deepak Chahar. Mohammad Naim was then joined by Soumya Sarkar on the field. 
 
Both played brilliantly and struck regular boundaries, forming a 46-run partnership. However, their partnership was broken by Yuzvendra Chahal as he got hold of Naim (26). Naim's dismissal brought Mushfiqur Rahim out on the field. 
 
The duo kept the scoreboard running and provided their side with some momentum. They took visitors over the 100-run mark but soon after Khaleel Ahmed bowled Sarkar (39) in the 17th over. 
 
In the next over, bowled by Chahal, Krunal Pandya dropped Rahim's easy catch. Bangladesh brought the match to a point where they needed 22 runs from 12 balls with Rahim and Mahmudullah on the field. 
 
Khaleel Ahmed conceded 18 runs in the 19th over with Rahim smashing four boundaries in the over. Mahmudullah then struck a six in the last over and handed Bangladesh a massive victory. Rahim played an unbeaten knock of 60 runs during the chase. 
 
Earlier, after being sent to bat first, India suffered a major blow as Rohit Sharma was dismissed in the very first over of the innings. Sharma (9) was given LBW on the Shafiul Islam's delivery. 
 
However, despite early dismissal, Sharma managed to become the highest run-getter in the shortest format of the game as he has now 2,452 runs. Shikhar Dhawan's was then joined by KL Rahul on the field. 
 
Both added 26 runs on the board before Rahul (15) gave away an easy catch to Mahmudullah off Aminul Islam's delivery in the seventh over. Shreyas Iyer was the next batsman and played a quick knock of 22 runs off 13 balls before getting caught by Mohammad Naim on Aminul Islam's ball. 
 
Rishabh Pant then came out to bat and played cautiously with Dhawan. Both formed a 25-run partnership. However, in the 15th over, due to miscommunication Dhawan was run-out on 41 runs. 
 
Shivam Dube then took the field but failed to leave a mark as he was caught and bowled by Afif Hossain in the next over. 
 
The fall of wickets did not stop as Pant (27) too was sent back to the pavilion in the 19th over. Washington Sundar and Krunal Pandya then took the charge and helped India set a respectable total on the board. 
 
The second T20I between both teams will be played on November 7 in Gujarat.

Bangladesh defeated India by seven wickets in the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley stadium here on Sunday. The visitors have now taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.

Bangladesh defeated India by seven wickets in the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley stadium here on Sunday. The visitors have now taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series. This was their first-ever victory over India in the shortest format of the game. Chasing a decent target of 149 runs, Bangladesh's Liton Das was sent back to the pavilion in the very first over, bowled by Deepak Chahar. Mohammad Naim was then joined by Soumya Sarkar on the field. Both played brilliantly and struck regular boundaries, forming a 46-run partnership. However, their partnership was broken by Yuzvendra Chahal as he got hold of Naim (26). Naim's dismissal brought Mushfiqur Rahim out on the field. The duo kept the scoreboard running and provided their side with some momentum. They took visitors over the 100-run mark but soon after Khaleel Ahmed bowled Sarkar (39) in the 17th over. In the next over, bowled by Chahal, Krunal Pandya dropped Rahim's easy catch. Bangladesh brought the match to a point where they needed 22 runs from 12 balls with Rahim and Mahmudullah on the field. Khaleel Ahmed conceded 18 runs in the 19th over with Rahim smashing four boundaries in the over. Mahmudullah then struck a six in the last over and handed Bangladesh a massive victory. Rahim played an unbeaten knock of 60 runs during the chase. Earlier, after being sent to bat first, India suffered a major blow as Rohit Sharma was dismissed in the very first over of the innings. Sharma (9) was given LBW on the Shafiul Islam's delivery. However, despite early dismissal, Sharma managed to become the highest run-getter in the shortest format of the game as he has now 2,452 runs. Shikhar Dhawan's was then joined by KL Rahul on the field. Both added 26 runs on the board before Rahul (15) gave away an easy catch to Mahmudullah off Aminul Islam's delivery in the seventh over. Shreyas Iyer was the next batsman and played a quick knock of 22 runs off 13 balls before getting caught by Mohammad Naim on Aminul Islam's ball. Rishabh Pant then came out to bat and played cautiously with Dhawan. Both formed a 25-run partnership. However, in the 15th over, due to miscommunication Dhawan was run-out on 41 runs. Shivam Dube then took the field but failed to leave a mark as he was caught and bowled by Afif Hossain in the next over. The fall of wickets did not stop as Pant (27) too was sent back to the pavilion in the 19th over. Washington Sundar and Krunal Pandya then took the charge and helped India set a respectable total on the board. The second T20I between both teams will be played on November 7 in Gujarat.

T20I: Bangladesh trounce India, Mushfiqur shines

Rohit Sharma on Sunday surpassed Virat Kohli's record to become the highest run-getter in the T20I format of the game. 
 
Sharma played a knock of nine runs in the first T20I against Bangladesh at the Arun Jaitley stadium. 
 
By doing so, he took his run tally to 2,452 runs, going two runs ahead of Kohli's total. 
 
Sharma also became the most capped player for India in the shortest format of the game. He has now played 99 matches for the Men in Blue, breaking MS Dhoni's record of 98 appearances. 
 
India is&nbsp;currently playing on 75/3 after the conclusion of 12 overs after they were sent to bat first.

Rohit Sharma on Sunday surpassed Virat Kohli's record to become the highest run-getter in the T20I format of the game. Sharma played a knock of nine runs in the first T20I against Bangladesh at the Arun Jaitley stadium.

Rohit Sharma on Sunday surpassed Virat Kohli's record to become the highest run-getter in the T20I format of the game. Sharma played a knock of nine runs in the first T20I against Bangladesh at the Arun Jaitley stadium. By doing so, he took his run tally to 2,452 runs, going two runs ahead of Kohli's total. Sharma also became the most capped player for India in the shortest format of the game. He has now played 99 matches for the Men in Blue, breaking MS Dhoni's record of 98 appearances. India is currently playing on 75/3 after the conclusion of 12 overs after they were sent to bat first.

Rohit Sharma scores most runs in T20I, breaks Kohli's record

As concerns over pollution in the national capital continues to grow, Bangladesh`s players were seen training wearing marks at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.

Bangladesh and India are all set to play the first T20I of the three-match series here in Delhi on Sunday, November 3.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/feeling-breathless-delhi-ncr-residents-complain-as-air-quality-turns-hazardous-259171">air quality in Delhi </a>continues to deteriorate and it has slipped into the `severe` category in several places across the city.

This has led many to urge the BCCI to shift the match from Delhi.

When ANI contacted the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), a source replied: "It is up to the players, if they want to use the mask they can, it is their choice".

On Thursday, Bangladesh's batsman Liton Das was seen training with a mask on, while others like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mustafizur Rahman were seen without masks.

But on Friday, the situation seems to have changed as many Bangladesh players opted to train with masks.

However, when Liton Das was asked why he chose to wear a mask during training, the batsman replied: "I had some personal problem that`s why I was wearing it. I was not feeling well".

India's stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma also downplayed pollution concerns in Delhi on Thursday.

"I have just landed and didn`t get the time to see/assess what it`s like in Delhi. The information I have is that the match is scheduled for November 3 and it will happen on the same day," he had said.

Earlier, the<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sourav-ganguly-takes-charge-as-president-of-board-for-control-of-cricket-in-india-257654"> BCCI President</a> Sourav Ganguly confirmed the match will go on as planned in the national capital.

"We have spoken to Delhi authorities in the last two days. They are expecting the match to go through but it was already scheduled so we could not cancel it at the last minute. We came in on October 28 and it was too late to do anything because a lot of preparations go in matches; tickets, crowd, and everything. So it is not possible to cancel things in the last minute," Ganguly had said.

As concerns over pollution in the national capital continues to grow, Bangladesh`s players were seen training wearing marks at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.

As concerns over pollution in the national capital continues to grow, Bangladesh`s players were seen training wearing marks at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday. Bangladesh and India are all set to play the first T20I of the three-match series here in Delhi on Sunday, November 3. The air quality in Delhi continues to deteriorate and it has slipped into the `severe` category in several places across the city. This has led many to urge the BCCI to shift the match from Delhi. When ANI contacted the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), a source replied: "It is up to the players, if they want to use the mask they can, it is their choice". On Thursday, Bangladesh's batsman Liton Das was seen training with a mask on, while others like Mushfiqur Rahim and Mustafizur Rahman were seen without masks. But on Friday, the situation seems to have changed as many Bangladesh players opted to train with masks. However, when Liton Das was asked why he chose to wear a mask during training, the batsman replied: "I had some personal problem that`s why I was wearing it. I was not feeling well". India's stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma also downplayed pollution concerns in Delhi on Thursday. "I have just landed and didn`t get the time to see/assess what it`s like in Delhi. The information I have is that the match is scheduled for November 3 and it will happen on the same day," he had said. Earlier, the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly confirmed the match will go on as planned in the national capital. "We have spoken to Delhi authorities in the last two days. They are expecting the match to go through but it was already scheduled so we could not cancel it at the last minute. We came in on October 28 and it was too late to do anything because a lot of preparations go in matches; tickets, crowd, and everything. So it is not possible to cancel things in the last minute," Ganguly had said.

Delhi T20I: Bangladesh players train with masks as air quality drops in national capital

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is taking an indefinite break from cricket with immediate effect as he undergoes treatment for mental health issues, coach Justin Langer said.

Maxwell, who played in Australia's two T20 wins against Sri Lanka in recent days and starred in the Adelaide series-opener, will be replaced by batsman D'Arcy Short for the third and final match in Melbourne on Friday.

Langer said he had spoken to Maxwell after sensing something was amiss with the hard-hitting 31-year-old before the Adelaide game, Australia's first international of the home summer.

"I'm not sure what prompted (it) just before Adelaide," Langer told reporters in Melbourne.

"But you just could tell it was not quite right and he probably wasn't going to say (anything).

"Even though in Adelaide he had that incredible innings and fielded like a genius like he can, I don't think he got much joy out of it, to be honest."

A fan favourite and one of Australia's most devastating batsmen in short-format cricket, Maxwell was in fine touch at Adelaide Oval where he blasted 62 off 29 balls to hasten his team to a 134-run victory.

He was also his usual energetic presence in the field, effecting a brilliant run-out and engaging in banter with broadcasters.

"They often put on a mask," Langer said of people suffering mental health problems.

"In public positions, they have to put on a mask all the time. That's his armour, his energy and the way he plays."

Maxwell, who has played 110 one-day internationals and 61 T20Is, will be assessed in Melbourne over the next "day or so", Langer said.

Melbourne man Maxwell ranks among Australia's top-earning athletes, enjoying global prestige as a coveted gun-for-hire in domestic T20 competitions.

But his goal of breaking into the test side, seen as the pinnacle of the sport in Australia, has largely been frustrated.

He has been dropped several times in his career of seven tests and was snubbed for the Ashes series played in England over August-September. The hosts retained the urn.

While a number of local pundits felt selectors had dealt with Maxwell harshly, the cricketer said he had moved on.

"You can't play cricket bitter, it detracts from yourself and makes you stop concentrating on what you need to do," Maxwell said in a recent interview with Espncricinfo.

A number of top Australian cricketers have battled mental health problems in recent years.

Much-hyped talent Will Pucovski took a break from domestic cricket a year ago and also withdrew from the test squad in January to undergo treatment.

Three-test batsman Nic Maddinson also took time off in 2017 after being dropped from the test side before returning to the game after treatment.

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is taking an indefinite break from cricket with immediate effect as he undergoes treatment for mental health issues, coach Justin Langer said.

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is taking an indefinite break from cricket with immediate effect as he undergoes treatment for mental health issues, coach Justin Langer said. Maxwell, who played in Australia's two T20 wins against Sri Lanka in recent days and starred in the Adelaide series-opener, will be replaced by batsman D'Arcy Short for the third and final match in Melbourne on Friday. Langer said he had spoken to Maxwell after sensing something was amiss with the hard-hitting 31-year-old before the Adelaide game, Australia's first international of the home summer. "I'm not sure what prompted (it) just before Adelaide," Langer told reporters in Melbourne. "But you just could tell it was not quite right and he probably wasn't going to say (anything). "Even though in Adelaide he had that incredible innings and fielded like a genius like he can, I don't think he got much joy out of it, to be honest." A fan favourite and one of Australia's most devastating batsmen in short-format cricket, Maxwell was in fine touch at Adelaide Oval where he blasted 62 off 29 balls to hasten his team to a 134-run victory. He was also his usual energetic presence in the field, effecting a brilliant run-out and engaging in banter with broadcasters. "They often put on a mask," Langer said of people suffering mental health problems. "In public positions, they have to put on a mask all the time. That's his armour, his energy and the way he plays." Maxwell, who has played 110 one-day internationals and 61 T20Is, will be assessed in Melbourne over the next "day or so", Langer said. Melbourne man Maxwell ranks among Australia's top-earning athletes, enjoying global prestige as a coveted gun-for-hire in domestic T20 competitions. But his goal of breaking into the test side, seen as the pinnacle of the sport in Australia, has largely been frustrated. He has been dropped several times in his career of seven tests and was snubbed for the Ashes series played in England over August-September. The hosts retained the urn. While a number of local pundits felt selectors had dealt with Maxwell harshly, the cricketer said he had moved on. "You can't play cricket bitter, it detracts from yourself and makes you stop concentrating on what you need to do," Maxwell said in a recent interview with Espncricinfo. A number of top Australian cricketers have battled mental health problems in recent years. Much-hyped talent Will Pucovski took a break from domestic cricket a year ago and also withdrew from the test squad in January to undergo treatment. Three-test batsman Nic Maddinson also took time off in 2017 after being dropped from the test side before returning to the game after treatment.

Cricket: Australia's Glenn Maxwell battling mental health problems, takes break

India will be hosting Day-Night Test match in Eden Gardens of Kolkata, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Sourav Ganguly confirmed on Tuesday.&nbsp;

After Bangladesh agreed to play the Test match, Ganguly has termed the development as the beginning of something special in Indian cricket.

"I'm pleased to announce that our long-term partner BCB has graciously agreed to play a Day-Night Test match. This is the beginning of something special in Indian cricket," BCCI's official website quoted Ganguly as saying.

"It is a priority for the newly elected office bearers and members of Apex Council to take Indian cricket forward. For me as former Captain of India and as the current president of BCCI, Test cricket is of utmost priority and we at BCCI will leave no stone unturned to bring this format back to its feet," he added.

This step comes as the first major decision taken by the newly elected BCCI Chief, Sourav Ganguly.&nbsp;

Former Indian Cricket Captain, Ganguly, took over as the BCCI president and is set to serve for the next 10 months.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The second Test between both the teams will be played as a day-night Test match at Eden Gardens, beginning from November 22.

Ganguly's move comes out as an optimistic step towards restoring the popularity of the game among the masses, hoping that this step will bring the crowd into the stadiums.

"In this effort of ours, Day-Night Test cricket is a huge step forward and we believe it will bring back the crowd into stadiums and a whole lot of young children to the sport," said Ganguly.

"I am extremely honoured that the Eden Gardens will host the inaugural Day-Night Test match and the Cricket Association of Bengal will create a spectacle for everyone to watch," he said.

"I thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hassan and his team for accepting our request on such short notice. I also thank India Captain Virat Kohli for his co-operation," he added.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah called it a 'great day' and added that it is their first step towards the idea of revolutionizing Test cricket.

"It is a great day for Indian cricket. India will host Bangladesh in our first-ever Day-Night Test match at Eden Gardens. Sourav, myself&nbsp;and our team had an idea of revolutionizing Test cricket and this is our first step towards it," Shah said.

"It was very important to start the process now since India does not play a lot of Test matches after the Bangladesh series. We thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board for accepting our request for a Day-Night Test match on such short notice," he added.

Nazmul Hassan, president, BCB, said both the cricket governing bodies, BCB and BCCI,&nbsp;share a bond that is strengthened by a very long history of friendship.&nbsp;

Hassan also expressed his contentment towards having Ganguly as the BCCI President.&nbsp;

"The BCB and the BCCI share a very long history of support, co-operation and friendship. Ours is a bond of strength and it is very heartening and reassuring for the BCB to have someone like Ganguly as BCCI President who has been an integral part of this journey," Hassan said.

"On that note, I am pleased that we have had a frank and constructive discussion with the players and Team Management. I have received a positive response about playing the Day-Night Test in view of the BCB-BCCI relationship," he added.

Strike by cricketers in Bangladesh's main domestic league had cast doubt on their tour to India which is set to start on November 3.&nbsp;

The strike ended with the top tier cricketers receiving payments almost double and an increase in other expenses.&nbsp;

India will be hosting Day-Night Test match in Eden Gardens of Kolkata, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Sourav Ganguly confirmed on Tuesday.

India will be hosting Day-Night Test match in Eden Gardens of Kolkata, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Sourav Ganguly confirmed on Tuesday. After Bangladesh agreed to play the Test match, Ganguly has termed the development as the beginning of something special in Indian cricket. "I'm pleased to announce that our long-term partner BCB has graciously agreed to play a Day-Night Test match. This is the beginning of something special in Indian cricket," BCCI's official website quoted Ganguly as saying. "It is a priority for the newly elected office bearers and members of Apex Council to take Indian cricket forward. For me as former Captain of India and as the current president of BCCI, Test cricket is of utmost priority and we at BCCI will leave no stone unturned to bring this format back to its feet," he added. This step comes as the first major decision taken by the newly elected BCCI Chief, Sourav Ganguly. Former Indian Cricket Captain, Ganguly, took over as the BCCI president and is set to serve for the next 10 months. The second Test between both the teams will be played as a day-night Test match at Eden Gardens, beginning from November 22. Ganguly's move comes out as an optimistic step towards restoring the popularity of the game among the masses, hoping that this step will bring the crowd into the stadiums. "In this effort of ours, Day-Night Test cricket is a huge step forward and we believe it will bring back the crowd into stadiums and a whole lot of young children to the sport," said Ganguly. "I am extremely honoured that the Eden Gardens will host the inaugural Day-Night Test match and the Cricket Association of Bengal will create a spectacle for everyone to watch," he said. "I thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board President Nazmul Hassan and his team for accepting our request on such short notice. I also thank India Captain Virat Kohli for his co-operation," he added. BCCI secretary Jay Shah called it a 'great day' and added that it is their first step towards the idea of revolutionizing Test cricket. "It is a great day for Indian cricket. India will host Bangladesh in our first-ever Day-Night Test match at Eden Gardens. Sourav, myself and our team had an idea of revolutionizing Test cricket and this is our first step towards it," Shah said. "It was very important to start the process now since India does not play a lot of Test matches after the Bangladesh series. We thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board for accepting our request for a Day-Night Test match on such short notice," he added. Nazmul Hassan, president, BCB, said both the cricket governing bodies, BCB and BCCI, share a bond that is strengthened by a very long history of friendship. Hassan also expressed his contentment towards having Ganguly as the BCCI President. "The BCB and the BCCI share a very long history of support, co-operation and friendship. Ours is a bond of strength and it is very heartening and reassuring for the BCB to have someone like Ganguly as BCCI President who has been an integral part of this journey," Hassan said. "On that note, I am pleased that we have had a frank and constructive discussion with the players and Team Management. I have received a positive response about playing the Day-Night Test in view of the BCB-BCCI relationship," he added. Strike by cricketers in Bangladesh's main domestic league had cast doubt on their tour to India which is set to start on November 3. The strike ended with the top tier cricketers receiving payments almost double and an increase in other expenses.

Bangladesh agrees to play Day-Night Test match: Sourav Ganguly

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sources said that the first T20I match between India and Bangladesh will be held as scheduled at Arun Jaitley Stadium here despite air quality in Delhi deteriorating post-Diwali.

"We had taken permission from Delhi Pollution Control Committee and they gave November 3 as clear day so we decided to fix the Delhi venue after their consultation," BCCI sources said.

When asked what would happen if the situation worsened the BCCI source said, "As of now everything is fixed and I don't see any change in plan."

The morning after Diwali, the air quality in Delhi dipped to the 'very poor' category according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR).

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

The most polluted locations post-Diwali are Delhi University (North Campus), Pusa, Rohini-Punjabi Bagh, Wazirpur, Jahangirpuri, DTU and Bawana.

Poor air quality has been a concern in Delhi. In December 2017, Sri Lanka players find it difficult to breathe during the Test match in Delhi and even wore masks while fielding.

Bangladesh will be playing three-T20I and two Test matches in India. The first T20I will be played in Delhi on November 3.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sources said that the first T20I match between India and Bangladesh will be held as scheduled at Arun Jaitley Stadium here despite air quality in Delhi deteriorating post-Diwali.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sources said that the first T20I match between India and Bangladesh will be held as scheduled at Arun Jaitley Stadium here despite air quality in Delhi deteriorating post-Diwali. "We had taken permission from Delhi Pollution Control Committee and they gave November 3 as clear day so we decided to fix the Delhi venue after their consultation," BCCI sources said. When asked what would happen if the situation worsened the BCCI source said, "As of now everything is fixed and I don't see any change in plan." The morning after Diwali, the air quality in Delhi dipped to the 'very poor' category according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'. The most polluted locations post-Diwali are Delhi University (North Campus), Pusa, Rohini-Punjabi Bagh, Wazirpur, Jahangirpuri, DTU and Bawana. Poor air quality has been a concern in Delhi. In December 2017, Sri Lanka players find it difficult to breathe during the Test match in Delhi and even wore masks while fielding. Bangladesh will be playing three-T20I and two Test matches in India. The first T20I will be played in Delhi on November 3.

India-Bangladesh T20I to be held in Delhi as planned despite poor air quality

Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday visited team India's dressing room here at JSCA Stadium Complex and interacted with the players. 
 
The third and final Test of India and South Africa was played in Ranchi, which is also Dhoni's hometown. 
 
India won the final Test of the three-match series by an innings and 202 runs to whitewash South Africa 3-0 at JSCA Stadium Complex. 
 
India required two wickets on the fourth day of the Test. South Africa resumed their innings from 132/8 and was only able to add one run to their scoreboard as India bowled out visitors to 133 after enforcing the follow-on. 
 
Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Shahbaz Nadeem scalped the last two wickets of Proteas. With this win, India managed to clean sweep South Africa in a Test series for the first time. 
 
Soon after the win, The Board of Control for Cricket tweeted a picture in which Dhoni can be seen sharing some tips with Debutant Nadeem. 
 
India head coach Ravi Shastri also shared a picture of him with Dhoni and said, "Great to see a true Indian legend in his den after a fantastic series win." 
 
Dhoni has not played any game since India's semifinal exit from the ICC World Cup. He made himself unavailable for West Indies tour and also for home series against South Africa.

Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday visited team India's dressing room here at JSCA Stadium Complex and interacted with the players. The third and final Test of India and South Africa was played in Ranchi, which is also Dhoni's hometown.

Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday visited team India's dressing room here at JSCA Stadium Complex and interacted with the players. The third and final Test of India and South Africa was played in Ranchi, which is also Dhoni's hometown. India won the final Test of the three-match series by an innings and 202 runs to whitewash South Africa 3-0 at JSCA Stadium Complex. India required two wickets on the fourth day of the Test. South Africa resumed their innings from 132/8 and was only able to add one run to their scoreboard as India bowled out visitors to 133 after enforcing the follow-on. Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Shahbaz Nadeem scalped the last two wickets of Proteas. With this win, India managed to clean sweep South Africa in a Test series for the first time. Soon after the win, The Board of Control for Cricket tweeted a picture in which Dhoni can be seen sharing some tips with Debutant Nadeem. India head coach Ravi Shastri also shared a picture of him with Dhoni and said, "Great to see a true Indian legend in his den after a fantastic series win." Dhoni has not played any game since India's semifinal exit from the ICC World Cup. He made himself unavailable for West Indies tour and also for home series against South Africa.

MS Dhoni visits Team India at JSCA Stadium Complex in Ranchi

Pakistan dropped former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed from the country's Twenty 20 and Test squads for their upcoming Australian tour Monday, while experienced players Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez were also given the axe in the shorter format.

Sarfaraz, 32, was stripped last week of his Twenty 20 international and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-cricket-board-removed-sarfaraz-ahmed-captain-256661">Test captaincy,</a> just days after Pakistan were routed 3-0 by Sri Lanka at home in the short format.&nbsp;

His place in both squads was taken by 27-year-old Mohammad Rizwan, whose only Test was in New Zealand in 2016. &nbsp;

The exit from Twenty 20 internationals means curtains for Malik who had already announced retirement from Tests and one-day internationals.

Hafeez was part of Pakistan's Twenty 20 squad in South Africa earlier this year but was not played. At 39, he has little hope of competing in international cricket again.

Pakistan will play three Twenty 20 internationals in Sydney (November 3), Canberra (November 5) and Perth (November 8).&nbsp;

The two Tests will be in Brisbane (Nov 21-25) and Adelaide (Nov 29-Dec 03).

Head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq said Pakistan need to do well in Australia following a disappointing summer.

"We need to play aggressive cricket to achieve better results there," said Misbah. "We have some exciting youngsters in the pace squad who could be surprise packages."

The Test pace attack,&nbsp;hampered by the untimely retirement of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz earlier this year,&nbsp;includes 16-year-old Nasim Shah and 19-year-old Musa Khan who have played just five and seven first-class matches respectively.

Imran Khan senior, 32, returns to the Test squad after playing his last Test during the Australian tour in 2017.

Prolific leg-spinner Yasir Shah will be assisted by 33-year-old left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti in Tests.

And leg-spinner Usman Qadir,&nbsp;son of the late legendary leggie Abdul Qadir, will be part of the Twenty20 squad, with Misbah citing his experience playing in Australia's Big Bash Twenty20 league earlier this year.

The lanky 37-year-old Mohammad Irfan, who played the last of his 20 Twenty 20 internationals in the Twenty 20 World Cup in India three years ago, is also part of the shorter format.

Squads:

Twenty 20: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khusdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Wahab Riaz, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir

Test: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan senior, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashid Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Nusa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

Pakistan dropped former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed from the country's Twenty 20 and Test squads for their upcoming Australian tour Monday, while experienced players Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez were also given the axe in the shorter format.

Pakistan dropped former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed from the country's Twenty 20 and Test squads for their upcoming Australian tour Monday, while experienced players Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez were also given the axe in the shorter format. Sarfaraz, 32, was stripped last week of his Twenty 20 international and Test captaincy, just days after Pakistan were routed 3-0 by Sri Lanka at home in the short format. His place in both squads was taken by 27-year-old Mohammad Rizwan, whose only Test was in New Zealand in 2016. The exit from Twenty 20 internationals means curtains for Malik who had already announced retirement from Tests and one-day internationals. Hafeez was part of Pakistan's Twenty 20 squad in South Africa earlier this year but was not played. At 39, he has little hope of competing in international cricket again. Pakistan will play three Twenty 20 internationals in Sydney (November 3), Canberra (November 5) and Perth (November 8). The two Tests will be in Brisbane (Nov 21-25) and Adelaide (Nov 29-Dec 03). Head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq said Pakistan need to do well in Australia following a disappointing summer. "We need to play aggressive cricket to achieve better results there," said Misbah. "We have some exciting youngsters in the pace squad who could be surprise packages." The Test pace attack, hampered by the untimely retirement of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz earlier this year, includes 16-year-old Nasim Shah and 19-year-old Musa Khan who have played just five and seven first-class matches respectively. Imran Khan senior, 32, returns to the Test squad after playing his last Test during the Australian tour in 2017. Prolific leg-spinner Yasir Shah will be assisted by 33-year-old left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti in Tests. And leg-spinner Usman Qadir, son of the late legendary leggie Abdul Qadir, will be part of the Twenty20 squad, with Misbah citing his experience playing in Australia's Big Bash Twenty20 league earlier this year. The lanky 37-year-old Mohammad Irfan, who played the last of his 20 Twenty 20 internationals in the Twenty 20 World Cup in India three years ago, is also part of the shorter format. Squads: Twenty 20: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khusdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Wahab Riaz, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir Test: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan senior, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashid Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Nusa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah

Pakistan drops Sarfraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik from Australia tour

Paceman Umesh Yadav claimed three wickets as India bowled out South Africa for 162 and forced the follow-on on day three of the third Test on Monday.

The tourists will bat again trailing by 335 runs in response to India's 497 for nine declared in Ranchi.

Debutant George Linde frustrated the Indian bowlers with a stubborn 37 in a 32-run ninth-wicket stand with Anrich Nortje before Yadav had him caught by Rohit Sharma.

Zumbayr Hamza put up some resistance with a battling 62.

His 91-run fourth-wicket stand with Temba Bavuma, who made 32, stood out in another disappointing show by South Africa's batsmen.

Yadav struck in the opening over to get South African skipper Faf du Plessis bowled on his overnight score of one after the Proteas resumed on nine for two.

Hamza, playing just his second Test, completed his maiden fifty with a six off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ravindra Jadeja broke the stand after getting Hamza bowled on a delivery that spun and stayed low to rattle the leg stump. The left-arm spinner also bowled Heinrich Klaasen for six.

Bavuma became debutant spinner Shahbaz Nadeem's first Test victim after being stumped by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha.

Nadeem also trapped Nortje lbw for four to wrap up the innings.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma put India in command of the third Test with his maiden Test double century on Sunday. He made 212.

India is already 2-0 up in the three-match series.

Paceman Umesh Yadav claimed three wickets as India bowled out South Africa for 162 and forced the follow-on on day three of the third Test on Monday. The tourists will bat again trailing by 335 runs in response to India's 497 for nine declared in Ranchi.

Paceman Umesh Yadav claimed three wickets as India bowled out South Africa for 162 and forced the follow-on on day three of the third Test on Monday. The tourists will bat again trailing by 335 runs in response to India's 497 for nine declared in Ranchi. Debutant George Linde frustrated the Indian bowlers with a stubborn 37 in a 32-run ninth-wicket stand with Anrich Nortje before Yadav had him caught by Rohit Sharma. Zumbayr Hamza put up some resistance with a battling 62. His 91-run fourth-wicket stand with Temba Bavuma, who made 32, stood out in another disappointing show by South Africa's batsmen. Yadav struck in the opening over to get South African skipper Faf du Plessis bowled on his overnight score of one after the Proteas resumed on nine for two. Hamza, playing just his second Test, completed his maiden fifty with a six off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Ravindra Jadeja broke the stand after getting Hamza bowled on a delivery that spun and stayed low to rattle the leg stump. The left-arm spinner also bowled Heinrich Klaasen for six. Bavuma became debutant spinner Shahbaz Nadeem's first Test victim after being stumped by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. Nadeem also trapped Nortje lbw for four to wrap up the innings. Rohit Sharma put India in command of the third Test with his maiden Test double century on Sunday. He made 212. India is already 2-0 up in the three-match series.

India vs South Africa, 3rd Test: Proteas all out for 162, Kohli enforces follow on

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