In the latest episode of England and alcohol, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed investigating a video of pacer Brydon Carse in handcuffs and being led away by police in a nightclub in Derby on Saturday (Aug 22). Carse is part of England squad for first two of the ongoing three-Test series against Pakistan. The pacer, however, didn't make it to Playing XI of the first match and was subsequently released to play for Durham in the County Championship. His team won the match against Derbyshire inside three days as Carse scored 26 runs and took 2/82 in the match and was celebrating with the teammate when the incident happened.<h2>England once again get into drinking trouble?</h2>The relationship between England players and alcohol has been a point of discussion in the last 12 months or so and the Carse incident is the latest in the series. In Carse case, a video was ciruclating on the social media, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2026/08/23/england-brydon-carse-handcuffed-nightclub-incident/">later on published by Telegraph</a>, in which Carse had his hands handcuffed behind the back, while talking to his Durham teammate Matthew Potts. Ex-England skipper Ben Stokes, who played an important role in Durham's win, was also seen in the background of the video. While Carse was not on international duty, he is a centrally contracted player, making it a headache for the ECB.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/not-relevant-india-coach-declines-to-answer-question-on-kuldeep-yadav-1787504514552">‘Not relevant’: India coach declines to answer question on Kuldeep Yadav</a>"We are aware of an incident which is reported to have taken place in Derby last night, and are currently investigating. We will provide a further update when possible," ECB said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 23).<h2>England players and their intoxicating relationship with alcohol</h2>On the Ashes tour of Australia, England were criticised for a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-managing-director-robert-key-vows-to-investigate-noosa-break-drinking-1766476141158">break mid-series in Noosa</a>, allegedly for drinking where Ben Duckett was seen completely sozzled. Prior to that, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/harry-brook-on-last-warning-over-brawl-with-nightclub-bouncer-ahead-of-ashes-1767867565851">Harry Brook had an incident in a night club in New Zealand</a> which ended up in him getting reprimanded.More recently, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/stokes-set-to-be-sacked-as-england-test-captain-skipper-and-pacer-atkinson-under-investigation-by-ecb-1780973133155">Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended for their celebration</a> after England's win in the first Test of the summer over New Zealand. Ben Stokes retired shortly after and said on a podcast earlier this month that "cricket has a culture that is associated with alcohol."Joe Root, who took over the captaincy from Stokes, suspended the mid-night curfew, urging that he trusts players to act like adults off the field.

The relationship between England players and alcohol has been a point of discussion in the last 12 months or so and the Carse incident is the latest in the series.

In the latest episode of England and alcohol, the England Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed investigating a video of pacer Brydon Carse in handcuffs and being led away by police in a nightclub in Derby on Saturday (Aug 22). Carse is part of England squad for first two of the ongoing three-Test series against Pakistan. The pacer, however, didn't make it to Playing XI of the first match and was subsequently released to play for Durham in the County Championship. His team won the match against Derbyshire inside three days as Carse scored 26 runs and took 2/82 in the match and was celebrating with the teammate when the incident happened. England once again get into drinking trouble? The relationship between England players and alcohol has been a point of discussion in the last 12 months or so and the Carse incident is the latest in the series. In Carse case, a video was ciruclating on the social media, later on published by Telegraph, in which Carse had his hands handcuffed behind the back, while talking to his Durham teammate Matthew Potts. Ex-England skipper Ben Stokes, who played an important role in Durham's win, was also seen in the background of the video. While Carse was not on international duty, he is a centrally contracted player, making it a headache for the ECB. Also Read - ‘Not relevant’: India coach declines to answer question on Kuldeep Yadav "We are aware of an incident which is reported to have taken place in Derby last night, and are currently investigating. We will provide a further update when possible," ECB said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 23). England players and their intoxicating relationship with alcohol On the Ashes tour of Australia, England were criticised for a break mid-series in Noosa, allegedly for drinking where Ben Duckett was seen completely sozzled. Prior to that, Harry Brook had an incident in a night club in New Zealand which ended up in him getting reprimanded. More recently, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were suspended for their celebration after England's win in the first Test of the summer over New Zealand. Ben Stokes retired shortly after and said on a podcast earlier this month that "cricket has a culture that is associated with alcohol." Joe Root, who took over the captaincy from Stokes, suspended the mid-night curfew, urging that he trusts players to act like adults off the field.

The relationship between England players and alcohol has been a point of discussion in the last 12 months or so and the Carse incident is the latest in the series.

More drinking trouble for England? ECB investigating Brydon Carse 'in handcuffs' video

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has warned Babar Azam's team ahead of their three-Test series against England which starts with first Test on August 19 in Leeds. The series is vital for Pakistan in terms of their World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 aspiration. Pak are currently eighth on the table, just above West Indies with two wins and four losses in six Tests in the cycle. England aren't much better either as they are places just above Pakistan on seventh sport with four wins, eight losses and one draw in 13 Tests.<h2>Akhtar warns Pakistan of English pitches</h2>During Pakistan's last Test series, which they drew against West Indies 1-1 after losing the first Test, they showed signs of dominance but spin played an important role in the second Test which they had won. Akhtar reminded Pakistan of seam-friendly pitches in England and said: "England won't make the same mistake West Indies did that allowed Pakistan to get into a winning position."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-2026-cricket-india-vs-pakistan-medal-match-1786558131039">Asian Games 2026: No India-Pakistan cricket match unless it’s for the medal</a>"They'll prepare seam-friendly conditions, which will be very difficult for Pakistan to handle," Akhtar added during his recent conversation with a local sports platform, as quoted by Geo News.<h2>Pakistan's record in England in Tests</h2>Pakistan have played 54 Tests in England, winning 12 and losing 24 while 20 ended in a draw. Pakistan last won a Test match in England in 2018, when they had won first of three Tests by nine wickets at Lord's. They, however, lost the next match in Leeds as the series ended in a 1-1 draw. Pakistan had last won a Test series in England in 1996, when they won the three-mtch series 2-0.Pakistan squad for England Tests: Babar Azam (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah

Ahead of their three-Test series in England, Shoaib Akhtar has warned Pakistan that seam-friendly pitches will pose a tough challenge to their World Test Championship 2025–27 aspirations.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has warned Babar Azam's team ahead of their three-Test series against England which starts with first Test on August 19 in Leeds. The series is vital for Pakistan in terms of their World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 aspiration. Pak are currently eighth on the table, just above West Indies with two wins and four losses in six Tests in the cycle. England aren't much better either as they are places just above Pakistan on seventh sport with four wins, eight losses and one draw in 13 Tests. Akhtar warns Pakistan of English pitches During Pakistan's last Test series, which they drew against West Indies 1-1 after losing the first Test, they showed signs of dominance but spin played an important role in the second Test which they had won. Akhtar reminded Pakistan of seam-friendly pitches in England and said: "England won't make the same mistake West Indies did that allowed Pakistan to get into a winning position." Also Read - Asian Games 2026: No India-Pakistan cricket match unless it’s for the medal "They'll prepare seam-friendly conditions, which will be very difficult for Pakistan to handle," Akhtar added during his recent conversation with a local sports platform, as quoted by Geo News. Pakistan's record in England in Tests Pakistan have played 54 Tests in England, winning 12 and losing 24 while 20 ended in a draw. Pakistan last won a Test match in England in 2018, when they had won first of three Tests by nine wickets at Lord's. They, however, lost the next match in Leeds as the series ended in a 1-1 draw. Pakistan had last won a Test series in England in 1996, when they won the three-mtch series 2-0. Pakistan squad for England Tests: Babar Azam (c), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah

Ahead of their three-Test series in England, Shoaib Akhtar has warned Pakistan that seam-friendly pitches will pose a tough challenge to their World Test Championship 2025–27 aspirations.

Shoaib Akhtar says seam-friendly England pitches 'will be very difficult' for Pakistan in upcoming Test series

Indian batting great Rahul Dravid has emerged as one of the leading contenders to replace Brendon McCullum as England's Test coach after the New Zealander was removed from the role following the team's disappointing performances in the longest format. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, Dravid is among several names being considered for the position, alongside former England coach Andy Flower and ex-England spinner Richard Dawson.&nbsp;McCullum's four-year spell as England's Test coach came to an end after the team's 1-2 home series defeat to New Zealand. The England and Wales Cricket Board decided that the time is right to make a change ahead of next year's Ashes series. McCullum will continue as England's head coach for the ODI and T20I teams.&nbsp;Dravid, 53, is regarded as a strong candidate because of his meticulous coaching style and extensive knowledge of the game. During his tenure with India, he guided the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and the 2023 World Test Championship final.However, the report suggested that Dravid may not be keen on taking up a full-time coaching assignment. "Dravid has no desire to coach full-time, but the England Test job would allow him extended periods at home and the chance to help keep alive his favourite format of the game. England, at the very least, should gauge his interest," according to the report.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/9-6-billion-openai-investor-vinod-khosla-buys-super-bowl-champion-seattle-seahawks-sets-new-nfl-franchise-record-who-is-he-1783894636789">$9.6 Billion! OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla buys Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, sets new NFL franchise record. Who is he?</a>&nbsp;Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower is also considered one of the frontrunners. Flower remains England's most successful modern-era coach, having led the side to three Ashes series victories and the no 1 Test ranking. He has also enjoyed notable success in franchise cricket, including back-to-back IPL titles with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.&nbsp;Richard Dawson, currently serving as Glamorgan's head coach, is another serious contender after earning praise for his tactical expertise and coaching achievements at both county and international levels. Other names linked with the vacancy include Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara, England Lions coach Andrew Flintoff, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson, and former Australia coach Justin Langer.

Rahul Dravid has emerged as a top contender to replace Brendon McCullum as England's Test coach. Reports say Dravid is on the ECB shortlist alongside Andy Flower, Richard Dawson, Kumar Sangakkara, Andrew Flintoff, Mike Hesson and Justin Langer

Indian batting great Rahul Dravid has emerged as one of the leading contenders to replace Brendon McCullum as England's Test coach after the New Zealander was removed from the role following the team's disappointing performances in the longest format. According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, Dravid is among several names being considered for the position, alongside former England coach Andy Flower and ex-England spinner Richard Dawson. McCullum's four-year spell as England's Test coach came to an end after the team's 1-2 home series defeat to New Zealand. The England and Wales Cricket Board decided that the time is right to make a change ahead of next year's Ashes series. McCullum will continue as England's head coach for the ODI and T20I teams. Dravid, 53, is regarded as a strong candidate because of his meticulous coaching style and extensive knowledge of the game. During his tenure with India, he guided the team to the 2024 T20 World Cup title and the 2023 World Test Championship final. However, the report suggested that Dravid may not be keen on taking up a full-time coaching assignment. "Dravid has no desire to coach full-time, but the England Test job would allow him extended periods at home and the chance to help keep alive his favourite format of the game. England, at the very least, should gauge his interest," according to the report. Also Read: $9.6 Billion! OpenAI investor Vinod Khosla buys Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, sets new NFL franchise record. Who is he? Former Zimbabwe captain Andy Flower is also considered one of the frontrunners. Flower remains England's most successful modern-era coach, having led the side to three Ashes series victories and the no 1 Test ranking. He has also enjoyed notable success in franchise cricket, including back-to-back IPL titles with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Richard Dawson, currently serving as Glamorgan's head coach, is another serious contender after earning praise for his tactical expertise and coaching achievements at both county and international levels. Other names linked with the vacancy include Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara, England Lions coach Andrew Flintoff, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson, and former Australia coach Justin Langer.

Rahul Dravid is among the leading contenders to replace Brendon McCullum as England's Test coach, though reports say he prefers not to coach full-time

Will Rahul Dravid replace Brendon McCullum as England's Test coach? Here's what the report says

England Test captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson are facing disciplinary action after being investigated by the ECB for an undisclosed incident. The incident took place at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday (Jun 8) morning, following England's 115-run win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's. It is also understood to have involved players from Saracens Rugby Club, who were present for their end-of-season celebrations, and reportedly stemmed from a disagreement between Atkinson and an unnamed Saracens academy player. Neither player is reported to have been injured. The matter has since been referred to the Cricket Regulator for formal review by the England board and Stokes' captaincy is on the line pending outcome.<h2>Stokes to be sacked as England Test captain?</h2>The ECB confirmed in a statement on Monday (Jun 8) evening that it is "currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men's Test against New Zealand." The board added that it is gathering further information and that an announcement on the second Test squad would follow once proceedings progress, with both Stokes and Atkinson looking set to miss the second Test starting at The Oval on June 17.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/triple-titles-meet-3-players-who-have-surpassed-every-ipl-team-in-wining-trophies-who-are-1780913261430">Meet 3 players who have surpassed every IPL team in winning trophies</a>The consequences for Stokes, England's Test captain, carries extra weight as he could lose his leadership role. The Cricket Regulator's involvement signals the matter will be treated seriously, with the ECB under renewed pressure to demonstrate that off-field conduct has genuinely improved.Harry Brook, England's Test vice-captain, would be expected to lead the side in the second Test should Stokes misses amid ongoing investigation. The timing is awkward as Stokes had publicly stated after the Lord's win that he was looking forward to sharing "a proper beer with the boys." Stokes had announced last year that he has quit alcohol.<h2>England's off-field behavious under scrutiny again</h2>This is not the first time England's off-field behaviour has attracted scrutiny. Harry Brook had an altercation with a bouncer at a nightclub in New Zealand in November 2025 and was close to losing his white-ball captaincy, escaping with only a fine. England also faced allegations of a drinking culture during their 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia, concluded in January 2026, after which a team curfew was introduced. For Stokes personally, this echoes his 2017 Bristol nightclub arrest, which led to him missing that year's Ashes tour entirely before he was eventually acquitted of affray in 2018.

England captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson face ECB investigation after a nightclub incident post-Lord's Test win over New Zealand. Both may miss The Oval Test as the Cricket Regulator reviews the breach of team protocols.

England Test captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson are facing disciplinary action after being investigated by the ECB for an undisclosed incident. The incident took place at a nightclub in the early hours of Monday (Jun 8) morning, following England's 115-run win over New Zealand in the first Test at Lord's. It is also understood to have involved players from Saracens Rugby Club, who were present for their end-of-season celebrations, and reportedly stemmed from a disagreement between Atkinson and an unnamed Saracens academy player. Neither player is reported to have been injured. The matter has since been referred to the Cricket Regulator for formal review by the England board and Stokes' captaincy is on the line pending outcome. Stokes to be sacked as England Test captain? The ECB confirmed in a statement on Monday (Jun 8) evening that it is "currently investigating a breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first Men's Test against New Zealand." The board added that it is gathering further information and that an announcement on the second Test squad would follow once proceedings progress, with both Stokes and Atkinson looking set to miss the second Test starting at The Oval on June 17. Also Read - Meet 3 players who have surpassed every IPL team in winning trophies The consequences for Stokes, England's Test captain, carries extra weight as he could lose his leadership role. The Cricket Regulator's involvement signals the matter will be treated seriously, with the ECB under renewed pressure to demonstrate that off-field conduct has genuinely improved. Harry Brook, England's Test vice-captain, would be expected to lead the side in the second Test should Stokes misses amid ongoing investigation. The timing is awkward as Stokes had publicly stated after the Lord's win that he was looking forward to sharing "a proper beer with the boys." Stokes had announced last year that he has quit alcohol. England's off-field behavious under scrutiny again This is not the first time England's off-field behaviour has attracted scrutiny. Harry Brook had an altercation with a bouncer at a nightclub in New Zealand in November 2025 and was close to losing his white-ball captaincy, escaping with only a fine. England also faced allegations of a drinking culture during their 4-1 Ashes series loss in Australia, concluded in January 2026, after which a team curfew was introduced. For Stokes personally, this echoes his 2017 Bristol nightclub arrest, which led to him missing that year's Ashes tour entirely before he was eventually acquitted of affray in 2018.

England captain Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson face ECB investigation after a nightclub incident post-Lord's Test win over New Zealand. Both may miss The Oval Test as the Cricket Regulator reviews the breach of team protocols.

Stokes set to be sacked as England Test captain? Skipper and pacer Atkinson under investigation by ECB

veteran England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow, who was one of the star players under Bazball during the initialy years, has come out speaking against the regime. The statements come after England Cricket Board (ECB) decided to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ecb-decides-to-not-sack-mccullum-after-ashses-debacle-review-and-stokes-f-g-love-it-1774330362059">keep Brendon McCullum and Rob Key in their respective roles</a> of head coach and director after the Ashes debacle review. Bairstow, meanwhile, echoed same views as Liam Livingstone did a few days back - caring for players int he system. Bairstow also feels that there's no care for players who are out of the system. The wicketkeeper-batter, after early exploits under Bazball, has not played a Test since 2024.<h2>After Livingstone, Bairstow calls out Bazball regime</h2>"You need the care back in the game," Bairstow said as reported by BBC. "It is OK saying people care about things - no they don't. If you are in the system, you are in the system. As soon as you are out of the system, you are out of the system."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ecb-robert-key-hits-back-at-viral-outburst-no-reason-liam-livingstone-england-career-is-over-srh-ipl-2026-livingstone-england-relationship-1774366325616">ECB's Rob Key Hits Back: ‘No reason Liam Livingstone’s England career is over’</a>The Yorkshire player also pointed out how the players with injuries were not treated properly and invoked premier pacer Mark Wood's example. Notably, Wood was selected in Ashes squad despite being away for the summer with knee injury. The pacer managed to play only one match in Ashes before getting injured again."I feel for people like Woody. I feel massively for him. He bowls at 95mph and is expected to just come in having not come off the back of any overs. There is no wonder he has got injured. He has not been done right in my opinion," Bairstow opined.<h2>What next for England?</h2>After a detailed review of Ashes Down Under which England lost 1-4, the ECB has decided to keep everyone in their place, ie, McCullum as coach, Stokes as captain, and Key as director. McCullum, however, has been asked to keep in touch with the counties more to better evaulate the deserving players in the country and not just back those who continue to fail.

The Yorkshire player also pointed out how the players with injuries were not treated properly and invoked premier pacer Mark Wood's example. Bairstow, meanwhile, echoed same views as Liam Livingstone did a few days back - caring for players int he system.

veteran England wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow, who was one of the star players under Bazball during the initialy years, has come out speaking against the regime. The statements come after England Cricket Board (ECB) decided to keep Brendon McCullum and Rob Key in their respective roles of head coach and director after the Ashes debacle review. Bairstow, meanwhile, echoed same views as Liam Livingstone did a few days back - caring for players int he system. Bairstow also feels that there's no care for players who are out of the system. The wicketkeeper-batter, after early exploits under Bazball, has not played a Test since 2024. After Livingstone, Bairstow calls out Bazball regime "You need the care back in the game," Bairstow said as reported by BBC. "It is OK saying people care about things - no they don't. If you are in the system, you are in the system. As soon as you are out of the system, you are out of the system." Also Read - ECB's Rob Key Hits Back: ‘No reason Liam Livingstone’s England career is over’ The Yorkshire player also pointed out how the players with injuries were not treated properly and invoked premier pacer Mark Wood's example. Notably, Wood was selected in Ashes squad despite being away for the summer with knee injury. The pacer managed to play only one match in Ashes before getting injured again. "I feel for people like Woody. I feel massively for him. He bowls at 95mph and is expected to just come in having not come off the back of any overs. There is no wonder he has got injured. He has not been done right in my opinion," Bairstow opined. What next for England? After a detailed review of Ashes Down Under which England lost 1-4, the ECB has decided to keep everyone in their place, ie, McCullum as coach, Stokes as captain, and Key as director. McCullum, however, has been asked to keep in touch with the counties more to better evaulate the deserving players in the country and not just back those who continue to fail.

The Yorkshire player also pointed out how the players with injuries were not treated properly and invoked premier pacer Mark Wood's example. Bairstow, meanwhile, echoed same views as Liam Livingstone did a few days back - caring for players int he system.

After Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow hits out at Bazball regime for 'not caring' about players

England Cricket Board (ECB) has concluded the post-Ashes review of national setup and decided to keep Robert key as managig director as well as Brendon McCullum as head coach. The decision was described by ECB chair Richard Gould as 'not popular but right.' There were growing reports of McCullum losing his job and so as Key in aftermath of England's 1-4 Ashes loss Down Under. The duo, however, kept their job and England Test skipper Ben Stokes is as ecstatic as he can be. Stokes enthusiasm was visible in profanity-filled letter he wrote to fans on Instagram.<h2>What did ECB review say about England's Ashes debacle?</h2>Amid the uproar about England's performance, their drinking break in Noosa, and overall discipline, the sacking of McCullum and Key seemed imminent to many but ECB decided to take another route."We do keep a very close eye on all of our supporters. But neither are we going to select or deselect management based on a popularity campaign. We’re going to do it based on good judgment and objective views," Gould said."I’ve seen the driving ambition and determination we’re lucky enough to have within our leadership group to take the lessons from the Ashes. It may not be the popular route, it may not be the easiest route, but I think it’s the right route," he added.<h2>What did Stokes say about the ECB decision to not sack McCullum and Key?</h2>In an emotional letter on Instagram, Stokes made his thoughts very clear on the matter while acknowledging some mistakes made as well."Baz, Rob and myself have the passion and desire to take this team forward. We are going to give you everything we have. We know we made mistakes along the way and we have learnt from those mistakes. You learn more from failure than success.“I have learnt a lot about myself but the most important thing that I want the fans to know is that … I F*****G love cricket, I F*****G love this team, I F*****G love being England captain and I have got so much more to give to this role and I’m so happy that I get to do it with Baz and Rob," said the English Test skipper.

Amid the uproar about England's performance, their drinking break in Noosa, and overall discipline, the sacking of McCullum and Key seemed imminent but ECB decided to take another route. Ben Stokes is as ecstatic as he can be and his enthusiasm was visible in a profanity-filled letter.

England Cricket Board (ECB) has concluded the post-Ashes review of national setup and decided to keep Robert key as managig director as well as Brendon McCullum as head coach. The decision was described by ECB chair Richard Gould as 'not popular but right.' There were growing reports of McCullum losing his job and so as Key in aftermath of England's 1-4 Ashes loss Down Under. The duo, however, kept their job and England Test skipper Ben Stokes is as ecstatic as he can be. Stokes enthusiasm was visible in profanity-filled letter he wrote to fans on Instagram. What did ECB review say about England's Ashes debacle? Amid the uproar about England's performance, their drinking break in Noosa, and overall discipline, the sacking of McCullum and Key seemed imminent to many but ECB decided to take another route. "We do keep a very close eye on all of our supporters. But neither are we going to select or deselect management based on a popularity campaign. We’re going to do it based on good judgment and objective views," Gould said. "I’ve seen the driving ambition and determination we’re lucky enough to have within our leadership group to take the lessons from the Ashes. It may not be the popular route, it may not be the easiest route, but I think it’s the right route," he added. What did Stokes say about the ECB decision to not sack McCullum and Key? In an emotional letter on Instagram, Stokes made his thoughts very clear on the matter while acknowledging some mistakes made as well. "Baz, Rob and myself have the passion and desire to take this team forward. We are going to give you everything we have. We know we made mistakes along the way and we have learnt from those mistakes. You learn more from failure than success. “I have learnt a lot about myself but the most important thing that I want the fans to know is that … I F*****G love cricket, I F*****G love this team, I F*****G love being England captain and I have got so much more to give to this role and I’m so happy that I get to do it with Baz and Rob," said the English Test skipper.

Amid the uproar about England's performance, their drinking break in Noosa, and overall discipline, the sacking of McCullum and Key seemed imminent but ECB decided to take another route. Ben Stokes is as ecstatic as he can be and his enthusiasm was visible in a profanity-filled letter.

ECB decides to not sack McCullum after Ashses debacle review and Stokes is ecstatic

England all-rounder Liam Livingstone has hit at the Brendon McCullum-Robery Key regime which saw him not playing for the country in over an year. Livingstone, in a recent interview with the ESPNCricinfo, has accused the McCullum-Key (England coach-ECB director) of 'not caring' about the players who are not in the squad or the team. Livingstone's comments, however, can be seen as disappointment from an out-of-favour player who was dropped from the central contracts for 2025-26 season. The batter was also asked about the recent T20 World Cup 202 and he said that he 'didn't miss being in the team one bit."<h2>Why Livingstone is not happy with McCullum-Key England era?</h2>Livingstone outlined the lack of communication from head coach McCullum after being dropped in May last year and said: “I don’t think it (call) would have reached a minute. I asked why; they said they wanted to try someone else. That was off Baz. Brooky [Harry Brook] sent me a text."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-contributing-to-indian-casualties-gavaskar-hits-out-at-srh-owners-signing-pak-s-abrar-in-england-s-hundred-1773715297570">'Contributing to Indian casualties': Gavaskar hits out at SRH owners signing Pak's Abrar in England's Hundred</a>The 32-year-old also revealed his conversation with ECB director Robert Key and said: "Keysy said nothing, [he] said I’ll speak to you in the summer. I actually rang him one day and he said he was busy at a Test camp at Loughborough and then I didn’t hear from him until the end of September."That probably sums that group up as a collective. That was a bit of an eye-opening experience about the group and the regime: if you’re in, you’re in, and if you’re not in, no one cares about you. That put my mind at ease that my cricket was going to be more enjoyable going forward."I was asking for help and pretty much all I got was that I care too much and I need to chill out a little bit."<h2>Does LIvingstone play IPL?</h2>Yes, Livingstone has been integral in the IPL over the past few years, including winning the trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025 final. For the upcoming IPL, he's been contracted with SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for $1.3 million. In addition, he was also picked up by the London Spirit in the recent Hundred draft for $465,000. &nbsp;

Livingstone's comments, however, can be seen as disappointment from an out-of-favour player who was dropped from the central contracts for 2025-26 season. The batter was also asked about the recent T20 World Cup 202 and he said that he 'didn't miss being in the team one bit."

England all-rounder Liam Livingstone has hit at the Brendon McCullum-Robery Key regime which saw him not playing for the country in over an year. Livingstone, in a recent interview with the ESPNCricinfo, has accused the McCullum-Key (England coach-ECB director) of 'not caring' about the players who are not in the squad or the team. Livingstone's comments, however, can be seen as disappointment from an out-of-favour player who was dropped from the central contracts for 2025-26 season. The batter was also asked about the recent T20 World Cup 202 and he said that he 'didn't miss being in the team one bit." Why Livingstone is not happy with McCullum-Key England era? Livingstone outlined the lack of communication from head coach McCullum after being dropped in May last year and said: “I don’t think it (call) would have reached a minute. I asked why; they said they wanted to try someone else. That was off Baz. Brooky [Harry Brook] sent me a text." Also Read - 'Contributing to Indian casualties': Gavaskar hits out at SRH owners signing Pak's Abrar in England's Hundred The 32-year-old also revealed his conversation with ECB director Robert Key and said: "Keysy said nothing, [he] said I’ll speak to you in the summer. I actually rang him one day and he said he was busy at a Test camp at Loughborough and then I didn’t hear from him until the end of September. "That probably sums that group up as a collective. That was a bit of an eye-opening experience about the group and the regime: if you’re in, you’re in, and if you’re not in, no one cares about you. That put my mind at ease that my cricket was going to be more enjoyable going forward. "I was asking for help and pretty much all I got was that I care too much and I need to chill out a little bit." Does LIvingstone play IPL? Yes, Livingstone has been integral in the IPL over the past few years, including winning the trophy with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025 final. For the upcoming IPL, he's been contracted with SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) for $1.3 million. In addition, he was also picked up by the London Spirit in the recent Hundred draft for $465,000.

Livingstone's comments, however, can be seen as disappointment from an out-of-favour player who was dropped from the central contracts for 2025-26 season. The batter was also asked about the recent T20 World Cup 202 and he said that he 'didn't miss being in the team one bit."

'No one cares about you': England all-rounder Livingstone drops bombshell review of McCullum era

Brendon McCullum wants to stay England's all-format coach despite all the losses the has accumulated, the latest one being in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against India on Thursday (Mar 5). England gave it their all in chase fo 254 though, losing only by seven runs as India became the first team to enter the T20 World Cup final as a defending champion. McCullum, with whom England's Bazball style is associated, was happy to see the fight from Englishmen in what could have been a record chase but his future depends on too many factors including Ashes in 2025-26 which they lost 1-4 in Australia. McCullum is contracted to be England's all-format coach until 2027 during which period 50-over World Cup and home Ashes is scheduled as well.<h2>McCullum to stay as Engladn coach or not?</h2>The former Kiwi skipper, after the defeat vs India, made his desire clear to stay on the job and said: "Look, I love the job. I think it's a great job. It doesn't come without its challenges, of course, but that's the nature of it. I feel like we've achieved some really cool things over the last few years, but there's still so much to achieve with the side across all formats.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-survive-jacob-bethell-brilliance-in-7-run-thriller-to-set-up-t20-world-cup-final-vs-new-zealand-check-social-media-reactions-1772732788703">Internet thanks Bumrah, Axar as India escape England to setup T20 WC final vs NZ</a>"And I would love to carry on," he added. "We'll see what unfolds over the next little while. For now, after being on the road for a fair bit of time, it's a matter of getting home and hopefully watching some fast horses and playing some shocking golf, and it's taking a bit of time to reflect."<h2>Who decides McCullum's future as England coach?</h2>The England Cricket Board (ECB) did launch a full review after England's debacle Ashes Down Under before the T20 World Cup 2026. The report is still pending and it can very much decide McCullum's fate as the England coach. England had lost the Ashes 1-4 but did well in T20 WC before losing a high-scoring thriller that too not without putting up a fight.

McCullum's future depends on too many factors including Ashes in 2025-26 which they lost 1-4 in Australia. McCullum is contracted to be England's all-format coach until 2027 during which period 50-over World Cup and home Ashes is scheduled as well.

Brendon McCullum wants to stay England's all-format coach despite all the losses the has accumulated, the latest one being in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final against India on Thursday (Mar 5). England gave it their all in chase fo 254 though, losing only by seven runs as India became the first team to enter the T20 World Cup final as a defending champion. McCullum, with whom England's Bazball style is associated, was happy to see the fight from Englishmen in what could have been a record chase but his future depends on too many factors including Ashes in 2025-26 which they lost 1-4 in Australia. McCullum is contracted to be England's all-format coach until 2027 during which period 50-over World Cup and home Ashes is scheduled as well. McCullum to stay as Engladn coach or not? The former Kiwi skipper, after the defeat vs India, made his desire clear to stay on the job and said: "Look, I love the job. I think it's a great job. It doesn't come without its challenges, of course, but that's the nature of it. I feel like we've achieved some really cool things over the last few years, but there's still so much to achieve with the side across all formats. Also Read - Internet thanks Bumrah, Axar as India escape England to setup T20 WC final vs NZ "And I would love to carry on," he added. "We'll see what unfolds over the next little while. For now, after being on the road for a fair bit of time, it's a matter of getting home and hopefully watching some fast horses and playing some shocking golf, and it's taking a bit of time to reflect." Who decides McCullum's future as England coach? The England Cricket Board (ECB) did launch a full review after England's debacle Ashes Down Under before the T20 World Cup 2026. The report is still pending and it can very much decide McCullum's fate as the England coach. England had lost the Ashes 1-4 but did well in T20 WC before losing a high-scoring thriller that too not without putting up a fight.

McCullum's future depends on too many factors including Ashes in 2025-26 which they lost 1-4 in Australia. McCullum is contracted to be England's all-format coach until 2027 during which period 50-over World Cup and home Ashes is scheduled as well.

T20 World Cup 2026 | McCullum 'would love to' stay on as England coach - will he get his wish?

England captain Harry Brook says the team is 'too careful' after defeat against West Indies in T20 World Cup 2026 on Wednesday (Feb 11) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Brook's team, who had barely got past Nepal by 4 runs in their opening match of the tournament, failed to chase down 197 against two-time winners WI. Brook said that he decided to chase, thinking dew will make the wicket better in second innings, but it didn't happen. England, however, still remain on course of the qualification in the Super 8 stage with their next match against Scotland before finishing up the group stage against debutant Italy.<h2>Brooks blames 'careful approach' for England's loss against West Indies</h2>"We were probably a little bit careful, myself included," said Brook. "I'd much rather be caught on the boundary rather than the way I did today. That's part of T20 cricket. Chasing nearly 200 is always a big ask and we thought the pitch would get better and it would slide onto the bat a little more, and that didn't happen. We thought it was chaseable, definitely. We obviously planned for dew (opting to bat second) and it didn't quite get as dewy as we thought."Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/t20-wc-2026-ind-vs-nam-abhishek-out-of-hospital-but-will-he-play-here-s-what-tilak-said-1770857993915">T20 WC 2026 | India opener Abhishek Sharma discharged from hospital, will he play vs Namibia - Here's what Tilak Varma said</a>The England skipper also acknowledged benefits of coming on top against Nepal in a thriller and said: Thank god we won against Nepal the other night. Otherwise we'd be in a tricky situation."<h2>West Indies vs England - Match summary</h2>Batting first, West Indies were 8/2 when Shimron Hetmyer (23 off12) and Roston Chase (34) added 47 runs for the third wicket to bring some stability. Once Hetmyer was out, Sherfane Rutherford came to the crease and stayed till the end. Rutherford scored unbeaten 42-ball 76, hitting 2 fours and 7 sixes, and was helped by cameos from Rovman Powell (14) as well as Jason Holder (not out 33 off 17) as West Indies posted 196/6 in 20 overs.During the chase, England were given a good start by Phil Salt's 30 off 14 but things started to turn for bad at the eighth over mark with the team at 85/3. England were ahead in the game but WI spinners pulled things back nicely with Gudakesh Motie being the best bowler (3/33 in 4 overs). Sam Currant tried his best, staying not out at 43 off 30 balls, but England were eventually bowled out for 166 in 19 overs, losing the match by 30 runs.

England were ahead in the game but WI spinners pulled things back nicely with Gudakesh Motie being the best bowler (3/33 in 4 overs). Sam Currant tried his best, staying not out at 43 off 30 balls, but England were eventually bowled out for 166 in 19 overs, losing the match by 30 runs.

England captain Harry Brook says the team is 'too careful' after defeat against West Indies in T20 World Cup 2026 on Wednesday (Feb 11) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Brook's team, who had barely got past Nepal by 4 runs in their opening match of the tournament, failed to chase down 197 against two-time winners WI. Brook said that he decided to chase, thinking dew will make the wicket better in second innings, but it didn't happen. England, however, still remain on course of the qualification in the Super 8 stage with their next match against Scotland before finishing up the group stage against debutant Italy. Brooks blames 'careful approach' for England's loss against West Indies "We were probably a little bit careful, myself included," said Brook. "I'd much rather be caught on the boundary rather than the way I did today. That's part of T20 cricket. Chasing nearly 200 is always a big ask and we thought the pitch would get better and it would slide onto the bat a little more, and that didn't happen. We thought it was chaseable, definitely. We obviously planned for dew (opting to bat second) and it didn't quite get as dewy as we thought." Also Read: T20 WC 2026 | India opener Abhishek Sharma discharged from hospital, will he play vs Namibia - Here's what Tilak Varma said The England skipper also acknowledged benefits of coming on top against Nepal in a thriller and said: Thank god we won against Nepal the other night. Otherwise we'd be in a tricky situation." West Indies vs England - Match summary Batting first, West Indies were 8/2 when Shimron Hetmyer (23 off12) and Roston Chase (34) added 47 runs for the third wicket to bring some stability. Once Hetmyer was out, Sherfane Rutherford came to the crease and stayed till the end. Rutherford scored unbeaten 42-ball 76, hitting 2 fours and 7 sixes, and was helped by cameos from Rovman Powell (14) as well as Jason Holder (not out 33 off 17) as West Indies posted 196/6 in 20 overs. During the chase, England were given a good start by Phil Salt's 30 off 14 but things started to turn for bad at the eighth over mark with the team at 85/3. England were ahead in the game but WI spinners pulled things back nicely with Gudakesh Motie being the best bowler (3/33 in 4 overs). Sam Currant tried his best, staying not out at 43 off 30 balls, but England were eventually bowled out for 166 in 19 overs, losing the match by 30 runs.

England were ahead in the game but WI spinners pulled things back nicely with Gudakesh Motie being the best bowler (3/33 in 4 overs). Sam Currant tried his best, staying not out at 43 off 30 balls, but England were eventually bowled out for 166 in 19 overs, losing the match by 30 runs.

T20 World Cup 2026 | 'Too careful, not dewy enough': England skipper Brook shares reason for loss vs West Indies

England Test skipper Ben Stokes will be joining Andrew Flintoff's coaching staff for England Lions' white-ball series in Pakistan. The Lions are England's A team, consisting of upcoming and fringe players. The serie, which comprises three T20s and five ODIs, will be played from Feb 20 to Mar 9, starting with T20Is. The series will be used by Stokes as rehablitation opportunity to recover from the groin injury suffered during the recent fifth Test of Ashes series in Sydney, Down Under. Along with Stokes, retired all-rounder Moeen Ali will also join Flintoff's coaching staff.<h2>Why Ben Stokes joining England Lions coaching staff is unusual</h2>Stokes, who only plays Test cricket for England, is a surprise inclusion to the coaching staff, that too for white-ball series. He last a T20I for England in 2022 (T20 World Cup final vs Pakistan) and last 50-over match in 2023 ODI World Cup, also against Pakistan. With 2027 ODI World Cup nearly 18 months away, could Stokes' inclusion is hinting at bigger picture? We'll know when the time comes.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/-hitting-red-ball-after-four-five-months-ex-india-coach-dravid-shares-why-indian-batters-struggling-in-test-cricket-1769605657187">Ex-India coach Dravid shares why Indian batters struggling in Test cricket</a>The series which will run parallelly to the T20 World Cup 2026, will also provide back-up options for England in case of any unforseen injury. The squad also includes Saqib Mahmood, who had recently got the visa for India, along with his Pakistan-origin teammates Rehan Ahmed and Adil Rashid.“With limited 50-over cricket on offer, this series combined with tours over the remainder of 2026 will give players the opportunity to develop and deliver as we build towards the 2027 ICC Men's World Cup in South Africa,” said Ed Barney, England's performance director, in a press release.<h2>England Squad (Provisional for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026)</h2>Harry Brook (C), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood

Stokes, who only plays Test cricket for England, is a surprise inclusion to the coaching staff. With 2027 ODI World Cup nearly 18 months away, could Stokes' inclusion is hinting at bigger picture? We'll know when the time comes.

England Test skipper Ben Stokes will be joining Andrew Flintoff's coaching staff for England Lions' white-ball series in Pakistan. The Lions are England's A team, consisting of upcoming and fringe players. The serie, which comprises three T20s and five ODIs, will be played from Feb 20 to Mar 9, starting with T20Is. The series will be used by Stokes as rehablitation opportunity to recover from the groin injury suffered during the recent fifth Test of Ashes series in Sydney, Down Under. Along with Stokes, retired all-rounder Moeen Ali will also join Flintoff's coaching staff. Why Ben Stokes joining England Lions coaching staff is unusual Stokes, who only plays Test cricket for England, is a surprise inclusion to the coaching staff, that too for white-ball series. He last a T20I for England in 2022 (T20 World Cup final vs Pakistan) and last 50-over match in 2023 ODI World Cup, also against Pakistan. With 2027 ODI World Cup nearly 18 months away, could Stokes' inclusion is hinting at bigger picture? We'll know when the time comes. Also Read - Ex-India coach Dravid shares why Indian batters struggling in Test cricket The series which will run parallelly to the T20 World Cup 2026, will also provide back-up options for England in case of any unforseen injury. The squad also includes Saqib Mahmood, who had recently got the visa for India, along with his Pakistan-origin teammates Rehan Ahmed and Adil Rashid. “With limited 50-over cricket on offer, this series combined with tours over the remainder of 2026 will give players the opportunity to develop and deliver as we build towards the 2027 ICC Men's World Cup in South Africa,” said Ed Barney, England's performance director, in a press release. England Squad (Provisional for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026) Harry Brook (C), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Tom Banton, Jacob Bethell, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Josh Tongue, Luke Wood

Stokes, who only plays Test cricket for England, is a surprise inclusion to the coaching staff. With 2027 ODI World Cup nearly 18 months away, could Stokes' inclusion is hinting at bigger picture? We'll know when the time comes.

'As we build towards 2027 ODI WC': Stokes joins England Lions coaching staff

England white-ball skipper Harry Brook can't think of a reason why they haven't batted well in two ODIs against New Zealand. England lost both the ODIs - scoring 234 in Mount Maungunai thanks to Brook's 135 and 175 in Hamilton. The England batters have clearly failed to adapt to the conditions in New Zealand - seen as precursor to Ashes in Australia which starts November 21. Brook, however, dismissed the notion that toss had anything to do with it and accepted that the Kiwis have 'hammered' them.<h2>Brook on England's dismal batting in Nez Zealand ODIs</h2>"We play aggressively in Test cricket and it's not too far off. Obviously we haven't played much one-day cricket in the last however many years. I can't quite put my finger on why we haven't batted well enough. It's just one of those things. You come to play the second-best team in the world on their own patch and they've hammered us," he had said after the loss in first two ODIs as reported by ESPNCricinfo.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/why-india-and-australia-women-players-wearing-black-armbands-in-semi-final-match-on-thursday-october-30-1761822923728">WWC 2025: Why are India and Australia players wearing black armbands in semi</a><h2>England either go hard or bust</h2>As raised on Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, England have not reached 250 in any ODI innings this year when former skipper Joe Root has failed to reach 50. In the two matches against New Zealand, Root made 2 and 25, respectively. Also, England have been bowled out in of the seven away ODIs played this year - a worrying trend for a team that boasts about going hard. The batting approach is also clear by the fact that England have either scored 350 while batting first in ODIs this year of haven't played all the overs.Irrespective of whatever is the reason, England must correct the game quickly as there aren't many ODIs left for them to play in the near future and they surely wouldn't want to repeat the performance of 2023 ODI World Cup, come next edition.

Irrespective of whatever is the reason, England must correct the game quickly as there aren't many ODIs left for them to play in the near future and they surely wouldn't want to repeat the performance of 2023 ODI World Cup, come next edition.

England white-ball skipper Harry Brook can't think of a reason why they haven't batted well in two ODIs against New Zealand. England lost both the ODIs - scoring 234 in Mount Maungunai thanks to Brook's 135 and 175 in Hamilton. The England batters have clearly failed to adapt to the conditions in New Zealand - seen as precursor to Ashes in Australia which starts November 21. Brook, however, dismissed the notion that toss had anything to do with it and accepted that the Kiwis have 'hammered' them. Brook on England's dismal batting in Nez Zealand ODIs "We play aggressively in Test cricket and it's not too far off. Obviously we haven't played much one-day cricket in the last however many years. I can't quite put my finger on why we haven't batted well enough. It's just one of those things. You come to play the second-best team in the world on their own patch and they've hammered us," he had said after the loss in first two ODIs as reported by ESPNCricinfo. Also Read - WWC 2025: Why are India and Australia players wearing black armbands in semi England either go hard or bust As raised on Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, England have not reached 250 in any ODI innings this year when former skipper Joe Root has failed to reach 50. In the two matches against New Zealand, Root made 2 and 25, respectively. Also, England have been bowled out in of the seven away ODIs played this year - a worrying trend for a team that boasts about going hard. The batting approach is also clear by the fact that England have either scored 350 while batting first in ODIs this year of haven't played all the overs. Irrespective of whatever is the reason, England must correct the game quickly as there aren't many ODIs left for them to play in the near future and they surely wouldn't want to repeat the performance of 2023 ODI World Cup, come next edition.

Irrespective of whatever is the reason, England must correct the game quickly as there aren't many ODIs left for them to play in the near future and they surely wouldn't want to repeat the performance of 2023 ODI World Cup, come next edition.

England captain Brook can't 'put my finger on' dismal batting performance in New Zealand ODIs

The Ashes 2026 verbal duels are truly on with former England pacer Stuart Broad calling the current Australian team the weakest since 2010. The comments come on the back of uncertainty over second opener along with Usman Khawaja and skipper Pat Cummins unlikely to play the opening Test in Perth. The England side, however, looks strong now that extreme pacers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer are both fit and raring to go. The last time England won the Ashes in 2015 and it was in 2011 when they did it in Australia.<h2>Broad lights up verbal fuse ahead of Ashes</h2>"It's probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won, and it's the best English team since 2010," Broad said on his BBC Podcast For The Love of Cricket hosted with Jos Buttler. "It's actually not an opinion, it's fact. So those things match up to the fact it's going to be a brilliant Ashes series. So I don't think anyone could argue that it's their weakest team since 2010."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/joe-root-unfazed-by-matthew-hayden-s-naked-run-bet-on-century-drought-ahead-of-ashes-1759938810533">Joe Root unfazed by Matthew Hayden's 'naked run' bet on century drought ahead of Ashes</a>As for Australia, it was David Warner who said England are playing for 'moral victory' and has backed Sam Konstas for the opener's role in the marquee series.<h2>Joe Root in spotlight to end century drought in Australia</h2>England's best batter Joe Root has never hit a Test hundred in Australia and he's currently the format' second highest run scorer. While Aussie Matthew Hayden has backed the England batter to end the drought this time, Root isn't too unfazed by the comments. The former England skipper, however, acknowledges that him scoring runs gives the team best chance to win the series. England's last Test series was against a young India at home which they were not able to win and had to be content with a 2-2 draw in the five-match series.

The England side, however, looks strong now that extreme pacers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer are both fit and raring to go. The last time England won the Ashes in 2015 and it was in 2011 when they did it in Australia.

The Ashes 2026 verbal duels are truly on with former England pacer Stuart Broad calling the current Australian team the weakest since 2010. The comments come on the back of uncertainty over second opener along with Usman Khawaja and skipper Pat Cummins unlikely to play the opening Test in Perth. The England side, however, looks strong now that extreme pacers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer are both fit and raring to go. The last time England won the Ashes in 2015 and it was in 2011 when they did it in Australia. Broad lights up verbal fuse ahead of Ashes "It's probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won, and it's the best English team since 2010," Broad said on his BBC Podcast For The Love of Cricket hosted with Jos Buttler. "It's actually not an opinion, it's fact. So those things match up to the fact it's going to be a brilliant Ashes series. So I don't think anyone could argue that it's their weakest team since 2010." Also Read - Joe Root unfazed by Matthew Hayden's 'naked run' bet on century drought ahead of Ashes As for Australia, it was David Warner who said England are playing for 'moral victory' and has backed Sam Konstas for the opener's role in the marquee series. Joe Root in spotlight to end century drought in Australia England's best batter Joe Root has never hit a Test hundred in Australia and he's currently the format' second highest run scorer. While Aussie Matthew Hayden has backed the England batter to end the drought this time, Root isn't too unfazed by the comments. The former England skipper, however, acknowledges that him scoring runs gives the team best chance to win the series. England's last Test series was against a young India at home which they were not able to win and had to be content with a 2-2 draw in the five-match series.

The England side, however, looks strong now that extreme pacers Mark Wood and Jofra Archer are both fit and raring to go. The last time England won the Ashes in 2015 and it was in 2011 when they did it in Australia.

Ashes verbal duel truly on - Ex-England pacer Broad calls Australia 'weakest since 2010'

Exocet is most commonly referred to as a French anti-ship missile which blows the target out of water. England's Bazball does the same, except on a cricket field where their batting, regardless of situation, pitch, conditions, innings and pressure, go about business at one pace to blow the opposition bowling into pieces of irrelevance. The latest example is England's win in first Test against India at Headingley where they chased down 350 runs on the final day and 371 in total to record their second highest chase in Test history at home. The highest one, 378 runs in 2022, also came against India and in initial days of Bazball - showing what a destructive methodology it is.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-prasidh-krishna-and-shardul-thakur-repeat-kapil-and-binny-s-test-winning-feat-from-1986-england-tour-1750776936323">Prasidh Krishna, Shardul join Binny and Kapil in UNIQUE list with two wickets at Headingley</a>Such was the impact of Bazball on the final day at Headingley that India, despite having cheat-code Bumrah, could not take a single wicket till 188 runs were on board - and this is the fourth innings of a Test where batting is supposed to be tough. England finished the match one hour before the stumps.About the sessions, England scored 96 in the first session till lunch on day 5 in 24 overs at 4 runs per over without losing a wicket. In the next session, they lost four wickets but they scored 152 runs at 5.3 runs per over. In the last session, they needed only 23.3 over to chase down remaining 102 runs at 4.3 runs per over for loss of only one wicket.England chased down 350 runs in 76 overs at a run-rate of 4.60 on the fifth day pitch - the second most in a successful chase. The last time any team chased more that them was Australia - 404 against England only that too at Headingley.The 188-run opening partnership is also the highest against India in fourth innings of a Test - and it clearly shows that the England openers were severe on the Indian bowlers.The numbers clearly show that Bazball is something that can't be taken lightly, especially when chasing and India would have to wary of that fact in the remining four matches of the series.

England's Bazball, like an Exocet, except on a cricket field where their batting, regardless of situation, pitch, conditions, innings and pressure, go about business at one pace to blow the opposition bowling into pieces of irrelevance. 

Exocet is most commonly referred to as a French anti-ship missile which blows the target out of water. England's Bazball does the same, except on a cricket field where their batting, regardless of situation, pitch, conditions, innings and pressure, go about business at one pace to blow the opposition bowling into pieces of irrelevance. The latest example is England's win in first Test against India at Headingley where they chased down 350 runs on the final day and 371 in total to record their second highest chase in Test history at home. The highest one, 378 runs in 2022, also came against India and in initial days of Bazball - showing what a destructive methodology it is. Also Read - Prasidh Krishna, Shardul join Binny and Kapil in UNIQUE list with two wickets at Headingley Such was the impact of Bazball on the final day at Headingley that India, despite having cheat-code Bumrah, could not take a single wicket till 188 runs were on board - and this is the fourth innings of a Test where batting is supposed to be tough. England finished the match one hour before the stumps. About the sessions, England scored 96 in the first session till lunch on day 5 in 24 overs at 4 runs per over without losing a wicket. In the next session, they lost four wickets but they scored 152 runs at 5.3 runs per over. In the last session, they needed only 23.3 over to chase down remaining 102 runs at 4.3 runs per over for loss of only one wicket. England chased down 350 runs in 76 overs at a run-rate of 4.60 on the fifth day pitch - the second most in a successful chase. The last time any team chased more that them was Australia - 404 against England only that too at Headingley. The 188-run opening partnership is also the highest against India in fourth innings of a Test - and it clearly shows that the England openers were severe on the Indian bowlers. The numbers clearly show that Bazball is something that can't be taken lightly, especially when chasing and India would have to wary of that fact in the remining four matches of the series.

England's Bazball, like an Exocet, except on a cricket field where their batting, regardless of situation, pitch, conditions, innings and pressure, go about business at one pace to blow the opposition bowling into pieces of irrelevance.&nbsp;

England prove Bazball is Test cricket's Exocet with yet another Headingley win

India are already in England for the five-Test tour and this time they'll be playing for Anderson-Tendulkar trophy instead of MAK Pataudi trophy from June 20. The series was renamed recently after England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to bring uniformity to the trophy name. The move has made now-retired England pacer James Anderson 'incredibly proud.'Speaking at a DP World event at Lord’s, Anderson told ESPNcricinfo:’It's a huge honour, I still can't quite believe it. Sachin is someone I looked up to when I was growing up, though I don't want to do him a disservice with his age’.‘I remember watching him, an absolute legend of the game, and I played against him a lot as well. So to have this trophy is a huge honour for me, and I couldn't be more proud’, Anderson added.Earlier, India tour of England was named MAK Pataudi Trophy - a former Indian skipper who led India in 40 of 46 Tests played and won nine of them.England tour of India, meanwhile, was called Anthony de Mello Trophy after one of the founding members of the BCCI.Both Tendulkar and Anderson hold remarkable records in Test cricket. Tendulkar played in 200 Test matches and scored 15,921 runs, most in the cricket history. Whereas Anderson, with 188 Tests, holds the record for most wickets by a fast bowler, finishing with 704 wickets,Their careers together covered 35 years. Between 2006 and 2012, they faced each other 14 times in Tests, with Anderson getting Tendulkar out on nine occasions.Further Anderson added. ‘Time flies, I'm playing with guys at Lancashire at the moment, and I had 50 Test wickets before they were born. It's a bit strange how things work out’.In his 21-year-long Test career, Anderson took 149 wickets against India, more than against any other country. He played a key role in England’s famous win in Mumbai in 2005-06 and in back-to-back series victories in 2011 (home) and 2012-13 (away). The 2011 series win also took England to the top of the ICC Test rankings.

Earlier, India tour of England was named MAK Pataudi Trophy - a former Indian skipper while England tour of India was called Anthony de Mello Trophy after one of the founding members of the BCCI.

India are already in England for the five-Test tour and this time they'll be playing for Anderson-Tendulkar trophy instead of MAK Pataudi trophy from June 20. The series was renamed recently after England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to bring uniformity to the trophy name. The move has made now-retired England pacer James Anderson 'incredibly proud.' Speaking at a DP World event at Lord’s, Anderson told ESPNcricinfo:’It's a huge honour, I still can't quite believe it. Sachin is someone I looked up to when I was growing up, though I don't want to do him a disservice with his age’. ‘I remember watching him, an absolute legend of the game, and I played against him a lot as well. So to have this trophy is a huge honour for me, and I couldn't be more proud’, Anderson added. Earlier, India tour of England was named MAK Pataudi Trophy - a former Indian skipper who led India in 40 of 46 Tests played and won nine of them. England tour of India, meanwhile, was called Anthony de Mello Trophy after one of the founding members of the BCCI. Both Tendulkar and Anderson hold remarkable records in Test cricket. Tendulkar played in 200 Test matches and scored 15,921 runs, most in the cricket history. Whereas Anderson, with 188 Tests, holds the record for most wickets by a fast bowler, finishing with 704 wickets, Their careers together covered 35 years. Between 2006 and 2012, they faced each other 14 times in Tests, with Anderson getting Tendulkar out on nine occasions. Further Anderson added. ‘Time flies, I'm playing with guys at Lancashire at the moment, and I had 50 Test wickets before they were born. It's a bit strange how things work out’. In his 21-year-long Test career, Anderson took 149 wickets against India, more than against any other country. He played a key role in England’s famous win in Mumbai in 2005-06 and in back-to-back series victories in 2011 (home) and 2012-13 (away). The 2011 series win also took England to the top of the ICC Test rankings.

Earlier, India tour of England was named MAK Pataudi Trophy - a former Indian skipper while England tour of India was called Anthony de Mello Trophy after one of the founding members of the BCCI.

Anderson has most Test wickets against India and now he 'couldn't be more proud' after England-India Tests named Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

England cricket team players, in an usual fashion, took Lime bikes to reach the Kia Oval on Tuesday (June 3) - the venue of third ODI against West Indies. The English players decided to take bikes after being stuck in infamous London traffic. West Indies cricket team, however, couldn't escape the traffic and reached the ground late. "We were on the bus for a while, then we all decided to get off and get some Lime bikes in," England captain Harry Brook said after choosing to bowl first as he won the toss. "We were in a little bit earlier than the West Indies boys, but we're here now and ready to go." Have a look at the video of players riding their bikes below:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Arriving at the ground in style 😎 Only one way to beat the road closures in London 😂 <a href="https://t.co/2xrSPypnQD">pic.twitter.com/2xrSPypnQD</a>&mdash; England Cricket (@englandcricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/englandcricket/status/1929870462223294545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

West Indies, because of the traffic jam, could not reach Kia Oval in time and the toss was pushed back.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rcb-vs-pbks-ipl-2025-final-confetti-tells-a-story-here-is-what-it-says-1748952638598">RCB vs PBKS: IPL 2025 Final confetti tells a story. Here is what it says</a>"Due to a delayed arrival of one of the playing teams, who are stuck in heavy traffic north of the river, the scheduled start of play will be delayed," an ECB spokesperson said as reported by ESPNCricinfo. "Once all members of the playing teams arrive, the match officials will coordinate updated timings and discuss any impact on the schedule of play."West Indies arrived at the ground at 12:40 pm local time, 10 minutes after the scheduled toss time. Following the incident, toss was pushed to 1:10 pm local time with the start rescheduled at 1:30 pm.The match was already under a cloud of uncertain weather as groundstaff covered the pitch with covers with home team doing the warm up.West Indies were staying in Chelsea Harbour Hotel and Spa and the delay was caused by traffic light outage in the Vauxhall Cross area.Transport for London (TfL) also reported "serious delays" in the Kennington area and suggested the travelers to use other routes and "expect delays in the surrounding area."

The English players decided to take bikes after being stuck in infamous London traffic. West Indies cricket team, however, couldn't escape the traffic and reached the ground late.

England cricket team players, in an usual fashion, took Lime bikes to reach the Kia Oval on Tuesday (June 3) - the venue of third ODI against West Indies. The English players decided to take bikes after being stuck in infamous London traffic. West Indies cricket team, however, couldn't escape the traffic and reached the ground late. "We were on the bus for a while, then we all decided to get off and get some Lime bikes in," England captain Harry Brook said after choosing to bowl first as he won the toss. "We were in a little bit earlier than the West Indies boys, but we're here now and ready to go." Have a look at the video of players riding their bikes below:

The English players decided to take bikes after being stuck in infamous London traffic. West Indies cricket team, however, couldn't escape the traffic and reached the ground late.

WATCH : England players ride bikes to reach ground for third ODI vs West Indies - Here's Why

In a bizarre incident, a traffic congestion in London caused the delay of toss for the third ODI between England and West Indies &nbsp;on Tuesday (June 3). West Indies, because of the traffic jam, could not reach Kia Oval - the venue of the third ODI - in time and the toss was pushed back."Due to a delayed arrival of one of the playing teams, who are stuck in heavy traffic north of the river, the scheduled start of play will be delayed," an ECB spokesperson said as reported by ESPNCricinfo. "Once all members of the playing teams arrive, the match officials will coordinate updated timings and discuss any impact on the schedule of play."Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ex-kiwi-skipper-kane-williamson-declines-to-sign-central-contract-for-new-zealand-heres-why-1748947997434">Ex-Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson declines to sign central contract for New Zealand - Here's why</a>West Indies arrived at the ground at 12:40 pm local time, 10 minutes after the scheduled toss time. Following the incident, toss was pushed to 1:10 pm local time with the start rescheduled at 1:30 pm.The match was already under a cloud of uncertain weather as groundstaff covered the pitch with covers with home team doing the warm up.West Indies were staying in Chelsea Harbour Hotel and Spa and the delay was caused by traffic light outage in the Vauxhall Cross area.Transport for London (TfL) also reported "serious delays" in the Kennington area and suggested the travelers to use other routes and "expect delays in the surrounding area."Cricket West Indies spokesperson also confirmed the same and said: "There were some road closures."The match, however, holds no meaning in terms of series result as England already have a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-ODI series.West Indies although, have much to lose as they are looking to get some points with a win in a bid to automatically qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

West Indies arrived at the ground at 12:40 pm local time, 10 minutes after the scheduled toss time. Following the incident, toss was pushed to 1:10 pm local time with the start rescheduled at 1:30 pm.

In a bizarre incident, a traffic congestion in London caused the delay of toss for the third ODI between England and West Indies on Tuesday (June 3). West Indies, because of the traffic jam, could not reach Kia Oval - the venue of the third ODI - in time and the toss was pushed back. "Due to a delayed arrival of one of the playing teams, who are stuck in heavy traffic north of the river, the scheduled start of play will be delayed," an ECB spokesperson said as reported by ESPNCricinfo. "Once all members of the playing teams arrive, the match officials will coordinate updated timings and discuss any impact on the schedule of play." Also Read - Ex-Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson declines to sign central contract for New Zealand - Here's why West Indies arrived at the ground at 12:40 pm local time, 10 minutes after the scheduled toss time. Following the incident, toss was pushed to 1:10 pm local time with the start rescheduled at 1:30 pm. The match was already under a cloud of uncertain weather as groundstaff covered the pitch with covers with home team doing the warm up. West Indies were staying in Chelsea Harbour Hotel and Spa and the delay was caused by traffic light outage in the Vauxhall Cross area. Transport for London (TfL) also reported "serious delays" in the Kennington area and suggested the travelers to use other routes and "expect delays in the surrounding area." Cricket West Indies spokesperson also confirmed the same and said: "There were some road closures." The match, however, holds no meaning in terms of series result as England already have a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-ODI series. West Indies although, have much to lose as they are looking to get some points with a win in a bid to automatically qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup.

West Indies arrived at the ground at 12:40 pm local time, 10 minutes after the scheduled toss time. Following the incident, toss was pushed to 1:10 pm local time with the start rescheduled at 1:30 pm.

England vs West Indies third ODI toss delayed and the reason is London traffic

England fast bowler Jamie Overton will miss the rest of the white-ball series against the West Indies after suffering a broken finger.&nbsp;Overton sustained the injury while dropping a catch from just his second delivery in England's 238-run win in the first one-day international on Thursday.&nbsp;The 31-year-old immediately sprinted to the dressing room clutching his right hand and grimacing.&nbsp;After treatment, he returned to bowl five more overs, claiming career-best ODI figures of three for 22, but he is now set for a short spell on the sidelines.&nbsp;"Jamie Overton has been ruled out of the remaining one-day internationals and the IT20s against the West Indies due to a broken right little finger," an ECB statement said on Saturday.&nbsp;England will not draft in a replacement for the last two ODIs on Sunday at Cardiff and Tuesday at The Oval, or for the three-match T20 series, which gets under way on June 6 in Durham.&nbsp;Injuries to Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson forced them out of the squad ahead of the ODI series, with Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Luke Wood making up England's pace options.&nbsp;England confirmed they will make just one change to their starting line-up at Sophia Gardens, where they can seal a first ODI series win since September 2023, as Potts replaces Overton.&nbsp;With the West Indies bowled out inside 27 overs for 162 in Harry Brook's first match in full-time charge of England's limited-overs teams, Mahmood and Carse have been retained despite a quick turnaround.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Overton sustained the injury while dropping a catch from just his second delivery in Englands 238-run win in the first one-day international on Thursday.

England fast bowler Jamie Overton will miss the rest of the white-ball series against the West Indies after suffering a broken finger. Overton sustained the injury while dropping a catch from just his second delivery in England's 238-run win in the first one-day international on Thursday. The 31-year-old immediately sprinted to the dressing room clutching his right hand and grimacing. After treatment, he returned to bowl five more overs, claiming career-best ODI figures of three for 22, but he is now set for a short spell on the sidelines. "Jamie Overton has been ruled out of the remaining one-day internationals and the IT20s against the West Indies due to a broken right little finger," an ECB statement said on Saturday. England will not draft in a replacement for the last two ODIs on Sunday at Cardiff and Tuesday at The Oval, or for the three-match T20 series, which gets under way on June 6 in Durham. Injuries to Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson forced them out of the squad ahead of the ODI series, with Saqib Mahmood, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts and Luke Wood making up England's pace options. England confirmed they will make just one change to their starting line-up at Sophia Gardens, where they can seal a first ODI series win since September 2023, as Potts replaces Overton. With the West Indies bowled out inside 27 overs for 162 in Harry Brook's first match in full-time charge of England's limited-overs teams, Mahmood and Carse have been retained despite a quick turnaround. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Overton sustained the injury while dropping a catch from just his second delivery in England's 238-run win in the first one-day international on Thursday.

ENG vs WI: England pacer Jamie Overton ruled out of white-ball series against West Indies

Harry Brook perhaps pulled off the catch of the summer on day three of the four-day Test between England and Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, leaving everyone, including captain and bowler Ben Stokes, stunned. The skipper couldn’t believe what he watched unfold in front of his eyes, with everyone surrounding Brook soon after celebrating the fall of the wicket.&nbsp;Stokes’ reaction was everyone’s reaction, and the captain gave plenty of time to the photographers to make a memory out of it. &nbsp;On day three of the one-off Test between these two teams, Stokes bowled a good length delivery that rose off the pitch, catching the batter Wessly Madhevere off-guard, as he edged one to the slips, only for Brook to fly to his top right and grab a one-handed stunner. The ball travelled quickly enough to make this brilliant-looking catch out of this world. &nbsp;Watch Video –&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">You&#39;re a wizard, Harry 🧙‍♂️ <a href="https://t.co/AEsn6PnwAo">pic.twitter.com/AEsn6PnwAo</a>&mdash; England Cricket (@englandcricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/englandcricket/status/1926273149458375022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

That catch, however, broke a crucial stand for the fifth wicket between Sikandar Raza and Madhevere. His dismissal brought the lower order and tail into the picture, helping England close in on a victory. Sean Williams and Raza were the top scorers in the second innings but failed to see the side home as they lost the match by an innings and 45 runs.<h2>India series next for England &nbsp;</h2>After comfortably beating Zimbabwe in their first game of the summer, England will next face the touring Indian Team across five Tests, starting with the first one in Leeds on June 20. While they might stick with the winning XI for their series opener, India has plenty to ponder on the 18-man squad picked for the marquee series. &nbsp;In Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s absence, the men’s selection committee named a new-look squad, picking ace batter Shubman Gill as the Test captain, succeeding Rohit. Keeper-batter Rishabh Pant is his deputy, while premier quick Mohammed Shami found no place in the team for the away tour. &nbsp;Jasprit Bumrah leads the fast-bowling attack, with white-ball specialist Arshdeep Singh earning his maiden Test call-up. He, however, wasn’t alone, as Tamil Nadu opener Sai Sudharsan also made his way into the Test team, realising his dream.<h3>India’s 18-man squad for England Tests –&nbsp; &nbsp;</h3>Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain, wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav

Harry Brook grabs one-handed stunner and Stokes CANNOT believe it! Watch his reaction

Harry Brook perhaps pulled off the catch of the summer on day three of the four-day Test between England and Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, leaving everyone, including captain and bowler Ben Stokes, stunned. The skipper couldn’t believe what he watched unfold in front of his eyes, with everyone surrounding Brook soon after celebrating the fall of the wicket. Stokes’ reaction was everyone’s reaction, and the captain gave plenty of time to the photographers to make a memory out of it. On day three of the one-off Test between these two teams, Stokes bowled a good length delivery that rose off the pitch, catching the batter Wessly Madhevere off-guard, as he edged one to the slips, only for Brook to fly to his top right and grab a one-handed stunner. The ball travelled quickly enough to make this brilliant-looking catch out of this world. Watch Video –

Stokes’ reaction was everyone’s reaction, and the captain gave plenty of time to the photographers to make a memory out of it.

England hammered Zimbabwe by an innings and 45 runs in a one-off Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.&nbsp;Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir took a Test-best 6-81 as Zimbabwe, following-on, were dismissed for 255 on the third day of four in what was the African nation's first Test in England in 22 years.&nbsp;Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-eng-vs-ind-2025-ajit-agarkar-breaks-silence-on-virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-test-retirement-calls-urges-fans-to-respect-it-and-move-on-1748094137496">Ajit Agarkar breaks silence on Virat and Rohit’s Test retirement calls, urges fans to ‘respect it and move on’</a>&nbsp;Bashir's second five-wicket haul at Trent Bridge, following his 5-70 against the West Indies last year, gave him match figures of 9-143.&nbsp;Sean Williams (88) and Ben Curran fell to Bashir on either side of lunch, with Sikandar Raza's breezy 60 merely delaying England's win.&nbsp;England laid the platform for victory in their opening match of their 2025 home season with a commanding first-innings total of 565-6 declared, that saw their top three of Zak Crawley (124), Ben Duckett (140) and Ollie Pope all score hundreds.&nbsp;Although opener Brian Bennett struck Zimbabwe's fastest Test hundred, off 97 balls, in reply, the tourists were still dismissed for 265, with England captain Ben Stokes taking two wickets in his first match in any kind of cricket this year.&nbsp;Bashir, whose two first-class wickets this season had cost an average of 152 apiece, put some indifferent county form behind him with 3-62 in the first innings.&nbsp;Stokes's side next face India in a five-match series starting in June.&nbsp;Zimbabwe return to the Test arena with a two-match series at home to neighbours South Africa in June and July.&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Bashir picks nine wickets at Trent Bridge as England thrash Zimbabwe in four day Test

England hammered Zimbabwe by an innings and 45 runs in a one-off Test at Trent Bridge on Saturday. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir took a Test-best 6-81 as Zimbabwe, following-on, were dismissed for 255 on the third day of four in what was the African nation's first Test in England in 22 years. Also read | Ajit Agarkar breaks silence on Virat and Rohit’s Test retirement calls, urges fans to ‘respect it and move on’ Bashir's second five-wicket haul at Trent Bridge, following his 5-70 against the West Indies last year, gave him match figures of 9-143. Sean Williams (88) and Ben Curran fell to Bashir on either side of lunch, with Sikandar Raza's breezy 60 merely delaying England's win. England laid the platform for victory in their opening match of their 2025 home season with a commanding first-innings total of 565-6 declared, that saw their top three of Zak Crawley (124), Ben Duckett (140) and Ollie Pope all score hundreds. Although opener Brian Bennett struck Zimbabwe's fastest Test hundred, off 97 balls, in reply, the tourists were still dismissed for 265, with England captain Ben Stokes taking two wickets in his first match in any kind of cricket this year. Bashir, whose two first-class wickets this season had cost an average of 152 apiece, put some indifferent county form behind him with 3-62 in the first innings. Stokes's side next face India in a five-match series starting in June. Zimbabwe return to the Test arena with a two-match series at home to neighbours South Africa in June and July. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for the WION audience.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir took a Test-best 6-81 as Zimbabwe, following-on, were dismissed for 255 on the third day of four in what was the African nation's first Test in England in 22 years.

Bashir picks nine wickets at Trent Bridge as England thrash Zimbabwe in four-day Test

England's top three of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope all made hundreds as they piled on the agony for a hapless Zimbabwe in a one-off four-day Test in Nottingham on Thursday.&nbsp;At stumps on the first day at Trent Bridge, an utterly dominant England were 498 for three after number three Pope top-scored with 169 not out at better than a run-a-ball.&nbsp;Pope's fourth score of over 150 at this level further emphasised the gulf between the sides in what is Zimbabwe's first Test in England in 22 years.&nbsp;Left-hander Duckett led the initial run-spree with 140 on his Nottinghamshire home ground and opening partner Crawley made 124.&nbsp;Not since the same trio all reached three figures against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in December 2022 had England's top three all made hundreds on the first day of a Test.&nbsp;Crawley's century came after he had managed just 212 runs in his previous eight Tests at an average of 15.14, with Thursday's innings just his fifth hundred in 54 matches at this level.&nbsp;But all three hundreds were made against a callow Zimbabwe attack which bore little relation to the sterner challenges awaiting England in an upcoming five-Test series at home to India before they head to Australia for the Ashes later this year.<h2>Ngarava injury</h2>&nbsp;Zimbabwe were further handicapped when Richard Ngarava, arguably the pick of their four pacemen with none for 42 in nine overs, left the field shortly after lunch having pulled up clutching his back and hamstrings when chasing a ball.&nbsp;Ngarava returned late in the final session but did not bowl again before leaving the field once more.&nbsp;Earlier, Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine opted to bowl after winning the toss in the hope his attack could utilise the cloud cover above Trent Bridge, a ground renowned for aiding pacemen.&nbsp;His decision to field was all the more understandable given Zimbabwe's 138-run thrashing by a youthful County Select XI in their lone warm-up match last week.&nbsp;But while Zimbabwe's four quicks got the occasional ball to deviate sharply, they also repeatedly over-pitched and bowled too short.&nbsp;At lunch, England were 130 without loss off 26 overs, with Duckett 75 not out and Crawley unbeaten on 53.&nbsp;It was not long before the aggressive Duckett completed a hundred off exactly 100 balls, including 15 fours.&nbsp;Having got to three figures, Duckett hit the first six of the match when he pulled Tanaka Chivanga, whose 12 wicketless overs cost an expensive 83 runs.&nbsp;Duckett, however, exited in familiar fashion.&nbsp;Having thrashed spinner Wessly Madhevere's first ball through the covers for four and pulled the second for six, Duckett tamely chipped the third to cover where Ben Curran -- the brother of England internationals Sam and Tom and the son of the late Zimbabwe all-rounder Kevin -- held the catch that ended a blistering innings.&nbsp;England were then 231-1 following their first three-figure opening partnership since Duckett and Crawley put on 109 against Ireland at Lord's in 2023.&nbsp;Come tea, Crawley was 93 not out and Pope unbeaten on 49.&nbsp;Crawley, after a trademark cover-driven four got him to 98, went to a 145-ball century, including 12 boundaries, with a sedate single.&nbsp;But having suffered what appeared to be an attack of cramp, Crawley was lbw trying to sweep spinner Sikandar Raza to the delight of a small but voluble band of Zimbabwe supporters.&nbsp;Pope completed a century when he forced Raza for his 14th four as he extended his own record by becoming the first batsman to score his first eight Test hundreds against different opponents.&nbsp;Such was England's dominance it made little difference when star batsman Joe Root holed out off persevering paceman Blessing Muzarabani for 34.&nbsp;England captain Ben Stokes is making a comeback to cricket this week after the all-rounder's lengthy rehabilitation from his latest hamstring tear.

ENG vs ZIM England top order dominates as hosts hit 498/3 on day 1

England's top three of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope all made hundreds as they piled on the agony for a hapless Zimbabwe in a one-off four-day Test in Nottingham on Thursday. At stumps on the first day at Trent Bridge, an utterly dominant England were 498 for three after number three Pope top-scored with 169 not out at better than a run-a-ball. Pope's fourth score of over 150 at this level further emphasised the gulf between the sides in what is Zimbabwe's first Test in England in 22 years. Left-hander Duckett led the initial run-spree with 140 on his Nottinghamshire home ground and opening partner Crawley made 124. Not since the same trio all reached three figures against Pakistan at Rawalpindi in December 2022 had England's top three all made hundreds on the first day of a Test. Crawley's century came after he had managed just 212 runs in his previous eight Tests at an average of 15.14, with Thursday's innings just his fifth hundred in 54 matches at this level. But all three hundreds were made against a callow Zimbabwe attack which bore little relation to the sterner challenges awaiting England in an upcoming five-Test series at home to India before they head to Australia for the Ashes later this year. Ngarava injury Zimbabwe were further handicapped when Richard Ngarava, arguably the pick of their four pacemen with none for 42 in nine overs, left the field shortly after lunch having pulled up clutching his back and hamstrings when chasing a ball. Ngarava returned late in the final session but did not bowl again before leaving the field once more. Earlier, Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine opted to bowl after winning the toss in the hope his attack could utilise the cloud cover above Trent Bridge, a ground renowned for aiding pacemen. His decision to field was all the more understandable given Zimbabwe's 138-run thrashing by a youthful County Select XI in their lone warm-up match last week. But while Zimbabwe's four quicks got the occasional ball to deviate sharply, they also repeatedly over-pitched and bowled too short. At lunch, England were 130 without loss off 26 overs, with Duckett 75 not out and Crawley unbeaten on 53. It was not long before the aggressive Duckett completed a hundred off exactly 100 balls, including 15 fours. Having got to three figures, Duckett hit the first six of the match when he pulled Tanaka Chivanga, whose 12 wicketless overs cost an expensive 83 runs. Duckett, however, exited in familiar fashion. Having thrashed spinner Wessly Madhevere's first ball through the covers for four and pulled the second for six, Duckett tamely chipped the third to cover where Ben Curran -- the brother of England internationals Sam and Tom and the son of the late Zimbabwe all-rounder Kevin -- held the catch that ended a blistering innings. England were then 231-1 following their first three-figure opening partnership since Duckett and Crawley put on 109 against Ireland at Lord's in 2023. Come tea, Crawley was 93 not out and Pope unbeaten on 49. Crawley, after a trademark cover-driven four got him to 98, went to a 145-ball century, including 12 boundaries, with a sedate single. But having suffered what appeared to be an attack of cramp, Crawley was lbw trying to sweep spinner Sikandar Raza to the delight of a small but voluble band of Zimbabwe supporters. Pope completed a century when he forced Raza for his 14th four as he extended his own record by becoming the first batsman to score his first eight Test hundreds against different opponents. Such was England's dominance it made little difference when star batsman Joe Root holed out off persevering paceman Blessing Muzarabani for 34. England captain Ben Stokes is making a comeback to cricket this week after the all-rounder's lengthy rehabilitation from his latest hamstring tear.

Pope's fourth score of over 150 at this level further emphasised the gulf between the sides in what is Zimbabwe's first Test in England in 22 years.

ENG vs ZIM: England top order dominates as hosts hit 498/3 on day 1

Australia and England are set to play one off Test to mark the 150th anniversary of the first ever red-ball match. The 150th anniversary match will be played from March 11-15, 2027 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia. The two teams had played the first-ever recorded Test in 1877. England and Australia are considered two of the biggest rivals in cricket history and also play one of the most iconic Test series - the Ashes.
"The 150th Anniversary Test at the MCG will be one of the great cricket events and playing under lights will be a fantastic way to celebrate both our game's rich heritage and Test cricket's modern evolution," said New CA chief executive Todd Greenberg.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/23-wins-of-24-icc-tournament-matches-india-emulate-great-west-indies-of-late-70s-and-dominant-australia-of-2000s-with-champions-trophy-win-8841657">'23 wins in 24 matches': India emulate great West Indies of late 70s and dominant Australia of 2000s with Champions Trophy win</a>
"It will also help ensure more people are able to attend and watch what will be a fantastic occasion. The Centenary Test created many iconic performances including David Hookes' five consecutive boundaries off Tony Greig, Rick McCosker batting with a broken jaw and Derek Randall's defiant century, and I'm sure the 150th Test will create its own lifelong memories," he added.
The 150th anniversary Test will be played in day-night format - the first such instance at the MCG. The decision to play the game with pink ball has been taken by keeping the school and work year in mind as well as accessibility of the game to the UK viewers on TV. The two teams will also be playing the five-Test Ashes from November later this year to January next year.&nbsp;
The one-off Test falls amid a very busy scheduled for Australia men's team in 2027. They play New Zealand at home in four Test from December 2026-January 2027 before travelling to India for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Jan-Feb 2027.
The Aussies will then take part in the one-off Test before heading to India again for the IPL 2027 which has a tentative start of March 14.

The one-off Test falls amid a very busy scheduled for Australia men's team in 2027. They play NZ at home in four Test from Dec 2026-Jan 2027 before travelling to India for BGT in Jan-Feb 2027. Cricket Sports

Australia and England are set to play one off Test to mark the 150th anniversary of the first ever red-ball match. The 150th anniversary match will be played from March 11-15, 2027 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia. The two teams had played the first-ever recorded Test in 1877. England and Australia are considered two of the biggest rivals in cricket history and also play one of the most iconic Test series - the Ashes. "The 150th Anniversary Test at the MCG will be one of the great cricket events and playing under lights will be a fantastic way to celebrate both our game's rich heritage and Test cricket's modern evolution," said New CA chief executive Todd Greenberg. Also Read: '23 wins in 24 matches': India emulate great West Indies of late 70s and dominant Australia of 2000s with Champions Trophy win "It will also help ensure more people are able to attend and watch what will be a fantastic occasion. The Centenary Test created many iconic performances including David Hookes' five consecutive boundaries off Tony Greig, Rick McCosker batting with a broken jaw and Derek Randall's defiant century, and I'm sure the 150th Test will create its own lifelong memories," he added. The 150th anniversary Test will be played in day-night format - the first such instance at the MCG. The decision to play the game with pink ball has been taken by keeping the school and work year in mind as well as accessibility of the game to the UK viewers on TV. The two teams will also be playing the five-Test Ashes from November later this year to January next year. The one-off Test falls amid a very busy scheduled for Australia men's team in 2027. They play New Zealand at home in four Test from December 2026-January 2027 before travelling to India for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Jan-Feb 2027. The Aussies will then take part in the one-off Test before heading to India again for the IPL 2027 which has a tentative start of March 14.

England, Australia to play pink-ball game at MCG in 2027 to celebrate 150th anniversary of Test cricket

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/virat-kohli" rel="dofollow">Virat Kohli</a> has scored 14,180 runs in One-Dayers, making him the second-highest run-scorer in this format, only behind veteran batters Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sachin-tendulkar" rel="dofollow">Sachin Tendulkar</a> (18,426); he, however, is also among the top three run-getters for England in ODIs, and all without hitting even a single boundary.
Strange, right? Here&rsquo;s how it is.&nbsp;
Regarding runs scored (for England) in ODIs, Kohli is only behind World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan and star batter Joe Root.&nbsp;
<h2>Wait, What?</h2>
Midway through the India-Australia semi-final clash in Dubai on Tuesday, a stat featured on live television showing Virat has scored over 5800 (and counting)* runs just in singles, with only Morgan (7701 &ndash; ODI career runs) and Root (6859 &ndash; ODI career runs) ahead of him for England. Putting that into perspective, this is an unbelievable feat by Kohli - a testament to his greatness as an ODI batter.
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/ind-vs-nz-champions-trophy-final-why-dubai-hosting-india-games-making-everyone-hate-watching-indian-cricket-8827057" rel="dofollow">IND vs NZ Champions Trophy Final | Why are fans 'hate-watching' Indian cricket?</a>
On that particular list, Kohli is followed by the Sri Lankan pair of Kumar Sangakkara (5,688) and Mahela Jayawardene (5,046), alongside veteran Indian captain MS Dhoni (4,474) and former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis (4,057).
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet publive-iframes-block publive-Twitter-block" contenteditable="false" width="600" height="400" id="PL_blockquote_block-m7x8zcij-jpt7he51-wjohhwjv">
That's a fine stat. <a href="https://t.co/nLvovF5cSn">pic.twitter.com/nLvovF5cSn</a>
&mdash; Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) <a href="https://twitter.com/vinayakkm/status/1896947470128820521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
<h3>Kohli&rsquo;s purple patch</h3>
Great players never go out of form, and Kohli&rsquo;s purple patch in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy" rel="dofollow">ICC Champions Trophy 2025</a> is an example. Kohli began the tournament with a sluggish 22 before returning to his best against his favourite opponent, Pakistan, scoring a match-winning 100* while chasing.&nbsp;
Against New Zealand in India&rsquo;s next league match, Kohli got out early on 11 before again hitting top form against Australia in the crucial semis clash, hitting another match-winning 84. India chased 265 with four wickets remaining, punching their final ticket.
With 217 runs in four innings, Kohli is fourth on the chart of batters with the most runs in this competition, with the English duo of Ben Duckett 1st - (227) and Joe Root 3rd - (225) among the top three. New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra is second on the list with 226 runs in three matches, including two centuries in his maiden CT edition.
<h3>India-New Zealand final</h3>
India and New Zealand will face off in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final this Sunday in Dubai. While India has maintained its winning streak, New Zealand lost just one (that to India). On Wednesday, New Zealand beat South Africa by 50 runs to qualify for the summit clash.&nbsp;
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Cricket: The number of runs Virat Kohli has scored by just taking singles in ODIs is more than several star players worldwide, with the list including plenty ex-captains.

Virat Kohli has scored 14,180 runs in One-Dayers, making him the second-highest run-scorer in this format, only behind veteran batters Kumar Sangakkara (14,234) and Sachin Tendulkar (18,426); he, however, is also among the top three run-getters for England in ODIs, and all without hitting even a single boundary. Strange, right? Here’s how it is. Regarding runs scored (for England) in ODIs, Kohli is only behind World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan and star batter Joe Root. Wait, What? Midway through the India-Australia semi-final clash in Dubai on Tuesday, a stat featured on live television showing Virat has scored over 5800 (and counting)* runs just in singles, with only Morgan (7701 – ODI career runs) and Root (6859 – ODI career runs) ahead of him for England. Putting that into perspective, this is an unbelievable feat by Kohli - a testament to his greatness as an ODI batter. Also read | IND vs NZ Champions Trophy Final | Why are fans 'hate-watching' Indian cricket? On that particular list, Kohli is followed by the Sri Lankan pair of Kumar Sangakkara (5,688) and Mahela Jayawardene (5,046), alongside veteran Indian captain MS Dhoni (4,474) and former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis (4,057). That's a fine stat. pic.twitter.com/nLvovF5cSn — Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 4, 2025 Kohli’s purple patch Great players never go out of form, and Kohli’s purple patch in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is an example. Kohli began the tournament with a sluggish 22 before returning to his best against his favourite opponent, Pakistan, scoring a match-winning 100* while chasing. Against New Zealand in India’s next league match, Kohli got out early on 11 before again hitting top form against Australia in the crucial semis clash, hitting another match-winning 84. India chased 265 with four wickets remaining, punching their final ticket. With 217 runs in four innings, Kohli is fourth on the chart of batters with the most runs in this competition, with the English duo of Ben Duckett 1st - (227) and Joe Root 3rd - (225) among the top three. New Zealand opener Rachin Ravindra is second on the list with 226 runs in three matches, including two centuries in his maiden CT edition. India-New Zealand final India and New Zealand will face off in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final this Sunday in Dubai. While India has maintained its winning streak, New Zealand lost just one (that to India). On Wednesday, New Zealand beat South Africa by 50 runs to qualify for the summit clash. (With inputs from agencies)

India’s best batter Virat Kohli is third-highest ODI run scorer for 'England'. Know how

England coach Brendon McCullum says that the team lacked confidence and hence the disappointing result in the Champions Trophy. England are the only team to have finished without a single point after losing all three of their group stage matches. This is the third consecutive ICC tournament where the Three Lions finished poorly after the ODI World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024.
&ldquo;I felt that we lacked confidence and I thought today was another example of that,&rdquo; McCullum told the media after their loss to South Africa in the last group stage match on March 1.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/glenn-phillips-catch-reaction-kohli-stunned-anushka-holds-head-in-disbelief-watch-champions-trophy-dubai-8771134">Glenn Phillips&rsquo; catch reaction: Kohli stunned, Anushka holds head in disbelief &ndash; Watch</a>
&ldquo;Sometimes guys are a little bit low on confidence and we don't necessarily get the output that we want and hence why you find yourself on the outside of the tournament."
&ldquo;We've got to put our hands up and acknowledge that it wasn't good enough and that's okay in sport, you don't get to be upset if you haven't played well. Sometimes it doesn't work out and you've just got to wear that as best you can and try and keep moving forward,&rdquo; he added.
<h2>England's record losing streak in ODIs</h2>
Prior to losing their three matches in the Champions Trophy, England had also lost three consecutive ODIs against India as well. Their current losing streak in ODIs stretches to seven&mdash;the second worst for them behind their 11-ODI losing streak in 2001.
Owing to their record, Jos Buttler has also stood down as England captain in the limited overs. The highlight of his captaincy was England's 2022 T20 World Cup title win.
England now look to appoint another captain with a T20 World Cup set to be played next year and the ODI World Cup year after. Whether they'll select different players or the same for both teams remains to be seen.

Owing to the performance, Jos Buttler has also stood down as England captain in the limited overs. The highlight of his captaincy was England's 2022 T20 World Cup title win. Cricket Sports

England coach Brendon McCullum says that the team lacked confidence and hence the disappointing result in the Champions Trophy. England are the only team to have finished without a single point after losing all three of their group stage matches. This is the third consecutive ICC tournament where the Three Lions finished poorly after the ODI World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024. “I felt that we lacked confidence and I thought today was another example of that,” McCullum told the media after their loss to South Africa in the last group stage match on March 1. Also Read: Glenn Phillips’ catch reaction: Kohli stunned, Anushka holds head in disbelief – Watch “Sometimes guys are a little bit low on confidence and we don't necessarily get the output that we want and hence why you find yourself on the outside of the tournament." “We've got to put our hands up and acknowledge that it wasn't good enough and that's okay in sport, you don't get to be upset if you haven't played well. Sometimes it doesn't work out and you've just got to wear that as best you can and try and keep moving forward,” he added. England's record losing streak in ODIs Prior to losing their three matches in the Champions Trophy, England had also lost three consecutive ODIs against India as well. Their current losing streak in ODIs stretches to seven—the second worst for them behind their 11-ODI losing streak in 2001. Owing to their record, Jos Buttler has also stood down as England captain in the limited overs. The highlight of his captaincy was England's 2022 T20 World Cup title win. England now look to appoint another captain with a T20 World Cup set to be played next year and the ODI World Cup year after. Whether they'll select different players or the same for both teams remains to be seen.

'That's okay in sport,' says coach McCullum on England's performance in Champions Trophy

Jofra Archer created history for England during the Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan on Wednesday (Feb 26). Archer, with his first wicket of the match, completed 50 ODI wickets in 30 games&mdash;the fastest for England. He surpassed England great James Anderson 31-match record to set the new milestone. Anderson had taken his 50th ODI wicket against the West Indies 21 years ago in 2004.
In a do or die Group B match, Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first in Lahore. England, however, rocked the opposition early on as Archer took three wickets inside 10 overs. Afghanistan were 37/3 when Ibrahim Zadran and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi joined forces.
Also Read: <a class="gh-archive-page-post-title-link" href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/champions-trophy-gavaskar-says-babar-can-be-back-to-scoring-runs-if-pak-batter-makes-this-change-8758180" aria-label="Champions Trophy: Gavaskar says Babar can be back to scoring runs if Pak batter makes THIS change">Champions Trophy: Gavaskar says Babar can be back to scoring runs if Pak batter makes THIS change</a>
The duo added 103 runs for the fourth wicket before England spinner Adil Rashid dismissed Shahidi for a personal score of 40. After that, Azmatullah Omarzai joined Zadran and added 72 runs for the fifth wicket.
Jamie Overton dismissed Omarzai in the 40th over to break the partnership. In between those wickets, Zadran became the first Afghan batter to score a hundred in the ICC Champions Trophy.
More to follow...

He surpassed England great James Anderson 31-match record to set the new milestone. Anderson had taken his 50th ODI wicket against West Indies 21 years ago in 2004.

Jofra Archer created history for England during the Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan on Wednesday (Feb 26). Archer, with his first wicket of the match, completed 50 ODI wickets in 30 games—the fastest for England. He surpassed England great James Anderson 31-match record to set the new milestone. Anderson had taken his 50th ODI wicket against the West Indies 21 years ago in 2004. In a do or die Group B match, Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first in Lahore. England, however, rocked the opposition early on as Archer took three wickets inside 10 overs. Afghanistan were 37/3 when Ibrahim Zadran and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi joined forces. Also Read: Champions Trophy: Gavaskar says Babar can be back to scoring runs if Pak batter makes THIS change The duo added 103 runs for the fourth wicket before England spinner Adil Rashid dismissed Shahidi for a personal score of 40. After that, Azmatullah Omarzai joined Zadran and added 72 runs for the fifth wicket. Jamie Overton dismissed Omarzai in the 40th over to break the partnership. In between those wickets, Zadran became the first Afghan batter to score a hundred in the ICC Champions Trophy. More to follow...

Champions Trophy, AFG vs ENG: Jofra Archer creates history, breaks James Anderson's THIS 21-year old record

England skipper Jos Buttler, in an apparent dig at India's schedule at the Champions Trophy, called the ICC tournament 'unique.' India are playing their matches in Dubai, UAE while the rest of the teams are playing their matches across three venues in Pakistan.
The arrangement was made after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send India to Pakistan due to political tensions between the two countries. The decision (to choose Dubai as India's venue), however, was taken with the consent of all participating countries.&nbsp;
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/out-from-champions-trophy-with-ankle-injury-aussie-skipper-pat-cummins-eyes-ipl-comeback-8757961">Out from Champions Trophy with injury, Aussie skipper Pat Cummins eyes IPL comeback</a>
"I think it's a unique tournament already, isn't it, with being hosted here with one team playing in a different place but that's not something I'm sort of worried too much about at the moment. I've got all my focus on preparing well tonight and our game tomorrow,&rdquo; said Buttler during the pre-match press conference ahead of the Afghanistan game on Wednesday (Feb 26).
<h2>England in must-win territory</h2>
England and Afghanistan match result, barring a washout, will send the losing team out of semis contention. If England win the match against Afghanistan and against South Africa afterwards, they'll be through to the semis. In that case, South Africa would have to hope for Australia to lose against Afghanistan by a huge margin, else Australia will be through to the semis.
In case Afghanistan win the match against England, that will send the Jos Buttler-led side home packing and South Africa almost into the semis. Australia, on the other hand, would have to win their game against Afghanistan, else they'd be hoping for England to beat South Africa and then fight over net run rate for a place in the semis.
After the washout of the game between Australia and South Africa, all four teams in Group B remain in contention of making it to the semis. The top two teams will advance to the next round, with India and New Zealand already through from Group A.
Currently, South Africa and Australia are at three points each after two games and have one game each left. England and Afghanistan, on the other hand, have played one game each and face each other on Wednesday (Feb 26).

Champions trophy: The decision to choose Dubai as India's venue for all the matches was taken with the consent of all participating countries. Cricket Sports

England skipper Jos Buttler, in an apparent dig at India's schedule at the Champions Trophy, called the ICC tournament 'unique.' India are playing their matches in Dubai, UAE while the rest of the teams are playing their matches across three venues in Pakistan. The arrangement was made after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refused to send India to Pakistan due to political tensions between the two countries. The decision (to choose Dubai as India's venue), however, was taken with the consent of all participating countries. Also Read: Out from Champions Trophy with injury, Aussie skipper Pat Cummins eyes IPL comeback "I think it's a unique tournament already, isn't it, with being hosted here with one team playing in a different place but that's not something I'm sort of worried too much about at the moment. I've got all my focus on preparing well tonight and our game tomorrow,” said Buttler during the pre-match press conference ahead of the Afghanistan game on Wednesday (Feb 26). England in must-win territory England and Afghanistan match result, barring a washout, will send the losing team out of semis contention. If England win the match against Afghanistan and against South Africa afterwards, they'll be through to the semis. In that case, South Africa would have to hope for Australia to lose against Afghanistan by a huge margin, else Australia will be through to the semis. In case Afghanistan win the match against England, that will send the Jos Buttler-led side home packing and South Africa almost into the semis. Australia, on the other hand, would have to win their game against Afghanistan, else they'd be hoping for England to beat South Africa and then fight over net run rate for a place in the semis. After the washout of the game between Australia and South Africa, all four teams in Group B remain in contention of making it to the semis. The top two teams will advance to the next round, with India and New Zealand already through from Group A. Currently, South Africa and Australia are at three points each after two games and have one game each left. England and Afghanistan, on the other hand, have played one game each and face each other on Wednesday (Feb 26).

Champions Trophy: 'One team playing in a different place', says England skipper Buttler in sly dig at India's schedule

The England Cricket Board (ECB) has shared the update on playing against Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/champions-trophy-2025">Champions Trophy 2025</a> amid calls for a boycott. ECB chair Richard Thompson, in a statement, confirmed that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/england-cricket">England</a> will play the fixture against Afghanistan scheduled for February 26 in Lahore (Pakistan).
&ldquo;The Board recognises there are different views and opinions on the issue of boycotting the match and has listened carefully. We have been in close contact with the Government, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/icc">International Cricket Council</a> (ICC), our England Men&rsquo;s players and other stakeholders to discuss this matter, as well as considering how best the ECB can support those women cricketers who have fled Afghanistan.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/2025-champions-trophy-full-schedule-match-dates-venues-timings-for-all-teams-india-pakistan-new-zealand-bangladesh-australia-england-south-africa-afghanistan-8693674">Check match schedule, dates, venues and timings for all teams in Champions Trophy</a>
&ldquo;Following this, we remain of the view that a co-ordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward, and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match, while we have also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of enjoyment. As such, we can confirm that we will play this fixture," the statement read.
<h2>What's happening in Afghanistan?</h2>
Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 after the foreign troops departed, there's been a considerable change in policies, especially around women's rights. Under the Taliban rule, women are not allowed to participate in sports, among other things.
Afghanistan women's cricket team members fled the country in August 2021 when the Taliban took over and have been fighting for their rights ever since. The ECB called the discrimination against women in Afghanistan a 'gender apartheid.'
"What is happening in Afghanistan is nothing short of gender apartheid. At a cricketing level, when women&rsquo;s and girls&rsquo; cricket is growing rapidly around the world it is heartbreaking that those growing up in Afghanistan are denied this opportunity, but the appalling oppression of women and girls by the Taliban goes so much further," the ECB release read. &nbsp;&nbsp;

2025 Champions Trophy: England Cricket Board (ECB) has shared the update on playing against Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC tournament amid calls of boycott. Cricket Sports

The England Cricket Board (ECB) has shared the update on playing against Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 amid calls for a boycott. ECB chair Richard Thompson, in a statement, confirmed that England will play the fixture against Afghanistan scheduled for February 26 in Lahore (Pakistan). “The Board recognises there are different views and opinions on the issue of boycotting the match and has listened carefully. We have been in close contact with the Government, the International Cricket Council (ICC), our England Men’s players and other stakeholders to discuss this matter, as well as considering how best the ECB can support those women cricketers who have fled Afghanistan. Also Read: Check match schedule, dates, venues and timings for all teams in Champions Trophy “Following this, we remain of the view that a co-ordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward, and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match, while we have also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of enjoyment. As such, we can confirm that we will play this fixture," the statement read. What's happening in Afghanistan? Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 after the foreign troops departed, there's been a considerable change in policies, especially around women's rights. Under the Taliban rule, women are not allowed to participate in sports, among other things. Afghanistan women's cricket team members fled the country in August 2021 when the Taliban took over and have been fighting for their rights ever since. The ECB called the discrimination against women in Afghanistan a 'gender apartheid.' "What is happening in Afghanistan is nothing short of gender apartheid. At a cricketing level, when women’s and girls’ cricket is growing rapidly around the world it is heartbreaking that those growing up in Afghanistan are denied this opportunity, but the appalling oppression of women and girls by the Taliban goes so much further," the ECB release read.

2025 Champions Trophy: 'We can confirm that...,' England Cricket shares update on playing Afghanistan amid boycott calls

Former West Indies skipper Jason Holder has thanked the England cricket team for help in the survival of cricket in the Caribbean. This comes as England get ready for an eight-game white-ball tour in&nbsp;the West Indies comprising three ODIs and five T20Is.&nbsp;

It is to be noted that England have travelled each year to the West Indies since 2022 after West Indies helped the European cricket powerhouse during the peak of COVID-19 in 2020 by playing a Test series behind closed doors. Holder had led West Indies in the series and called for reciprocation in future.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/australia-bound-uncapped-pacer-harshit-rana-set-to-join-india-squad-for-third-test-vs-nz-771785">Australia-bound uncapped pacer Harshit Rana set to join India squad for third Test vs NZ</a>

"I think it's a fair way of putting it," Holder said to cricket news website ESPNcricinfo when asked if England have returned the favour.&nbsp;

"We've obviously had the English coming over for the last three years consecutively. And that has definitely boosted, not only our economy within the Caribbean, but it adds a massive boost to our survival in international cricket.

"We rely heavily on series between England and India, our revenues tend to come from those two teams. It's our biggest series within any calendar year, and, yeah, it's one that really brings the fans down to the Caribbean and creates a really fun atmosphere.

"So, it's great to have them and to see the fans packing the stadiums as well. There's always a good banter between the West Indian public and English public. So we're thankful that we've been able to have them so many times in as many years. And long may it continue," added the former West Indies skipper.

West Indies have been pretty dominant at home against England, winning five-T20I series 3-2 both in 2022 and 2023 as well as an ODI series in December last year too.

The upcoming tour kicks off on October 31 with the ODI series before the T20Is take place from November 10.

Former West Indies skipper Jason Holder has thanked the England cricket team for help in the survival of cricket in the Caribbean. This comes as England get ready for an eight-game white-ball tour in the West Indies comprising three ODIs and five T20Is.

Former West Indies skipper Jason Holder has thanked the England cricket team for help in the survival of cricket in the Caribbean. This comes as England get ready for an eight-game white-ball tour in the West Indies comprising three ODIs and five T20Is. It is to be noted that England have travelled each year to the West Indies since 2022 after West Indies helped the European cricket powerhouse during the peak of COVID-19 in 2020 by playing a Test series behind closed doors. Holder had led West Indies in the series and called for reciprocation in future. Also Read: Australia-bound uncapped pacer Harshit Rana set to join India squad for third Test vs NZ "I think it's a fair way of putting it," Holder said to cricket news website ESPNcricinfo when asked if England have returned the favour. "We've obviously had the English coming over for the last three years consecutively. And that has definitely boosted, not only our economy within the Caribbean, but it adds a massive boost to our survival in international cricket. "We rely heavily on series between England and India, our revenues tend to come from those two teams. It's our biggest series within any calendar year, and, yeah, it's one that really brings the fans down to the Caribbean and creates a really fun atmosphere. "So, it's great to have them and to see the fans packing the stadiums as well. There's always a good banter between the West Indian public and English public. So we're thankful that we've been able to have them so many times in as many years. And long may it continue," added the former West Indies skipper. West Indies have been pretty dominant at home against England, winning five-T20I series 3-2 both in 2022 and 2023 as well as an ODI series in December last year too. The upcoming tour kicks off on October 31 with the ODI series before the T20Is take place from November 10.

'Long may it continue,' Ex-skipper Jason Holder thanks England for helping West Indies cricket in survival

Captain Ben Stokes admitted that Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were too good for his England team after the spin duo propelled Pakistan to a series victory on Saturday.

The hosts sealed a nine-wicket win in the third Test in Rawalpindi with Noman taking 6-42 and Sajid 4-69 in the second innings as England were bowled out for just 112.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ronaldo-fan-cycles-13000-km-from-china-to-saudi-to-meet-him-770908">Ronaldo fan cycles 13,000 km from China to Saudi to meet him</a>

The irrepressible pair shared 39 wickets in the last two Tests to spur Pakistan's revival from an innings defeat in the first match. &nbsp;

"You've got to hold your hands up to say that those two in particular were obviously too good for our batting line-up in those last two games," Stokes said.

Noman and Sajid both came into the side following Pakistan's heavy defeat in the first Test in Multan, their inclusion proving pivotal in the hosts' 2-1 series triumph.

"Credit to Noman and Sajid, the way in which they bowled in the second Test match and in this game, you know it was very good and challenging," said Stokes.

Stokes said the series defeat was all the more disappointing with England having whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 away two years ago.

"Losing games for England hurts so it's disappointing," said Stokes, who missed the first Test in Multan with injury and failed to find form with the bat on his return.

The talismanic Stokes has been central to England's attacking philosophy, which saw records tumble in the victory in the first Multan Test.

But he said consistency had been an issue since.

"We need to do things for longer," said Stokes, whose team next tours New Zealand for a three-Test series in late November.

"As I said, we did good things in very small amounts of times at certain points throughout the second game and this game.

"But when you don't sustain that, you know you're always going to start falling away."

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Captain Ben Stokes admitted that Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were too good for his England team after the spin duo propelled Pakistan to a series victory on Saturday.

Captain Ben Stokes admitted that Noman Ali and Sajid Khan were too good for his England team after the spin duo propelled Pakistan to a series victory on Saturday. The hosts sealed a nine-wicket win in the third Test in Rawalpindi with Noman taking 6-42 and Sajid 4-69 in the second innings as England were bowled out for just 112. Also Read: Ronaldo fan cycles 13,000 km from China to Saudi to meet him The irrepressible pair shared 39 wickets in the last two Tests to spur Pakistan's revival from an innings defeat in the first match. "You've got to hold your hands up to say that those two in particular were obviously too good for our batting line-up in those last two games," Stokes said. Noman and Sajid both came into the side following Pakistan's heavy defeat in the first Test in Multan, their inclusion proving pivotal in the hosts' 2-1 series triumph. "Credit to Noman and Sajid, the way in which they bowled in the second Test match and in this game, you know it was very good and challenging," said Stokes. Stokes said the series defeat was all the more disappointing with England having whitewashed Pakistan 3-0 away two years ago. "Losing games for England hurts so it's disappointing," said Stokes, who missed the first Test in Multan with injury and failed to find form with the bat on his return. The talismanic Stokes has been central to England's attacking philosophy, which saw records tumble in the victory in the first Multan Test. But he said consistency had been an issue since. "We need to do things for longer," said Stokes, whose team next tours New Zealand for a three-Test series in late November. "As I said, we did good things in very small amounts of times at certain points throughout the second game and this game. "But when you don't sustain that, you know you're always going to start falling away." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

'Noman and Sajid too good for us,' admits England skipper Ben Stokes post Test series defeat vs Pakistan

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar says that the International Cricket Council (ICC) must be thinking about continuing the Test status of Pak Test team. The comments come after Shan Masood-led team's humiliating innings loss against England in first Test in Multan despite scoring 550+ runs in the first innings.

"Fans are saying that Pakistan should withdraw from WTC. I saw some comments. ICC must be thinking 'should we send teams to Pakistan and keep their Test status alive'. It's just disheartening. This is going to hurt Pakistan cricket, fans and the upcoming talents. I want to request the PCB to sort out this mess," said Akhtar during a discussion on local news channel PTV Sports.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pat-cummins-unbothered-by-new-ipl-rule-on-overseas-players-says-never-pulled-out-after-the-auction-766822">Pat Cummins unbothered by new IPL rule on overseas players, says ‘never pulled out after the auction’</a>

The pacer also hit&nbsp;out on the steady decline of Pakistan cricket over a decade and said: "You will reap what you sow. Over the decades, I have seen the decline. The situation is disappointing. Losing is fine, but the game should be close. However, what we saw over the past two days, they completely gave up hope. This shows that we aren't good enough. England scored 800+ and Bangladesh also beat you."

The loss against England comes on the back of 0-2 series whitewash against Bangladesh, also at home. The last time Pakistan won a Test at home was in year 2021 and has been in decline ever since. Akhtar blamed weak management and captain for the current situation of the Pak cricket.

"If your management and captain are weak, there will be groupism. If the captain is selfish, there will be groupism. Same is the case if the coaches are afraid of the captain. The captain calls the shot when it comes to selection. This has been the culture since my playing days," the pacer said.

As for the first Test, England declared after scoring more than 800 runs in their first innings after Pakistan were folded for 556. The visitors then went on to win the game by an innings and 47 runs as the home side failed to cope up with the pressure.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar says that the International Cricket Council (ICC) must be thinking about continuing the Test status of Pak Test team. The comments come after Shan Masood-led team's humiliating innings loss against England in first Test in Multan despite scoring 550+ runs in the first innings.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar says that the International Cricket Council (ICC) must be thinking about continuing the Test status of Pak Test team. The comments come after Shan Masood-led team's humiliating innings loss against England in first Test in Multan despite scoring 550+ runs in the first innings. "Fans are saying that Pakistan should withdraw from WTC. I saw some comments. ICC must be thinking 'should we send teams to Pakistan and keep their Test status alive'. It's just disheartening. This is going to hurt Pakistan cricket, fans and the upcoming talents. I want to request the PCB to sort out this mess," said Akhtar during a discussion on local news channel PTV Sports. Also Read: Pat Cummins unbothered by new IPL rule on overseas players, says ‘never pulled out after the auction’ The pacer also hit out on the steady decline of Pakistan cricket over a decade and said: "You will reap what you sow. Over the decades, I have seen the decline. The situation is disappointing. Losing is fine, but the game should be close. However, what we saw over the past two days, they completely gave up hope. This shows that we aren't good enough. England scored 800+ and Bangladesh also beat you." The loss against England comes on the back of 0-2 series whitewash against Bangladesh, also at home. The last time Pakistan won a Test at home was in year 2021 and has been in decline ever since. Akhtar blamed weak management and captain for the current situation of the Pak cricket. "If your management and captain are weak, there will be groupism. If the captain is selfish, there will be groupism. Same is the case if the coaches are afraid of the captain. The captain calls the shot when it comes to selection. This has been the culture since my playing days," the pacer said. As for the first Test, England declared after scoring more than 800 runs in their first innings after Pakistan were folded for 556. The visitors then went on to win the game by an innings and 47 runs as the home side failed to cope up with the pressure.

'ICC must be thinking...,' Shoaib Akhtar on Pakistan's status as Test team after humiliating loss vs England

Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood blamed the bowlers for their innings loss against England in first Test in Multan inside four days. The loss came despite Pakistan scoring 550+ runs in the first innings but allowing England to score 800+ in reply.

"What England showed us is you can find a way. They took 20 wickets on this pitch, so you can't say it's impossible to take 20 wickets on this pitch," Masood said after the post-match presentation.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/icc-must-be-thinking-shoaib-akhtar-on-pakistans-status-as-test-team-after-humiliating-loss-vs-england-766832">'ICC must be thinking...,' Shoaib Akhtar on Pakistan's status as Test team after humiliating loss vs England</a>

"We can't find the easy way out to those 20 wickets, because then we wouldn't have scored a huge first-innings score. You have to find a way as a team, and the formula of Test cricket is you can't win a Test without taking 20 wickets. That, and first-innings runs," he added.

During the match, many broadcasters and former cricketers criticised the pitch for being benign. Masood, however, reasoned that it was the same for both the teams with same bowling combination but only England found a way to take wickets.

"It was the same pitch for both sides, and both sides were similar - three pacers and two spinners," he said. "They found a way, and we didn't execute as well. Conditions change over the course of a Test, and we have to learn to find a way.

"We take the discussion of the pitch too seriously. You plan a pitch for your squad and your strategy, but you can't control every aspect of the pitch."

In the Test, England declared after scoring more than 800 runs in their first innings after Pakistan were folded for 556. The visitors then went on to win the game by an innings and 47 runs as the home side failed to cope up with the pressure.

The second Test of the series is scheduled to start from&nbsp;October 15, also in Multan.

Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood blamed the bowlers for their innings loss against England in first Test in Multan inside four days. The loss came despite Pakistan scoring 550+ runs in the first innings but allowing England to score 800+ in reply.

Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood blamed the bowlers for their innings loss against England in first Test in Multan inside four days. The loss came despite Pakistan scoring 550+ runs in the first innings but allowing England to score 800+ in reply. "What England showed us is you can find a way. They took 20 wickets on this pitch, so you can't say it's impossible to take 20 wickets on this pitch," Masood said after the post-match presentation. Also Read: 'ICC must be thinking...,' Shoaib Akhtar on Pakistan's status as Test team after humiliating loss vs England "We can't find the easy way out to those 20 wickets, because then we wouldn't have scored a huge first-innings score. You have to find a way as a team, and the formula of Test cricket is you can't win a Test without taking 20 wickets. That, and first-innings runs," he added. During the match, many broadcasters and former cricketers criticised the pitch for being benign. Masood, however, reasoned that it was the same for both the teams with same bowling combination but only England found a way to take wickets. "It was the same pitch for both sides, and both sides were similar - three pacers and two spinners," he said. "They found a way, and we didn't execute as well. Conditions change over the course of a Test, and we have to learn to find a way. "We take the discussion of the pitch too seriously. You plan a pitch for your squad and your strategy, but you can't control every aspect of the pitch." In the Test, England declared after scoring more than 800 runs in their first innings after Pakistan were folded for 556. The visitors then went on to win the game by an innings and 47 runs as the home side failed to cope up with the pressure. The second Test of the series is scheduled to start from October 15, also in Multan.

'Can't win a Test...,' Pak skipper Shan Masood blames bowlers for crushing innings loss vs England

Pakistan pacer Aamer Jamal took a sensational one-handed catch to dismiss England skipper Ollie Pope on second day of the first Test in Multan on Tuesday (Oct 8). Pope had come to open the innings with Zak Crawley after regular opener Ben Duckett suffered a blow to his hand while taking a catch to dismiss the last wicket of Pakistan's first innings.

It was the second over of England's innings when Naseem Shah bowled a length delivery and Jamal took the blinder at mid-wicket off a Pope pull. Have a look at the wicket below:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
UNBELIEVABLE CATCH 😲 
 
Aamir Jamal pucks it out of thin air to send back the England captain 👌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PAKvENG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PAKvENG</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TestAtHome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TestAtHome</a> <a href="https://t.co/MY3vsto4St">pic.twitter.com/MY3vsto4St</a>
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1843609267926094263?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

England, however, became vigilant after the wicket and suffered no further loss by the end of day's play. The visitors scored 96/1 in 20 overs played with Crawley staying not out on 64 off 64 while Joe Root was unbeaten on 32 off 54.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/cricket/have-similar-fast-bowlers-in-nets-says-bangladesh-skipper-najmul-shanto-about-india-pacer-mayank-yadav-765644">'Have similar fast bowlers in nets,' says Bangladesh skipper Najmul Shanto about India pacer Mayank Yadav</a>

Earlier, Pakistan finished their first innings on a hefty 556 after skipper Shan Masood top-scored with 151, opener Abdulla Shafique scored 102 and Salman Agha managed 104 down the order.

Pakistan started the day at an overnight score of 328/4 and England had to wait long before nightwatcher Naseem was dismissed by Brydon Carse as the first wicket of the day. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was next to go on duck before Agha joined Saud Shakeel on the crease and the duo added 57 runs for the seventh wicket.

After Shakeel's (82) dismissal, Agha lost Jamal as partner quickly before pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi (26 off 49) stuck around and together they added 85 runs for the ninth wicket.

For England, Jack Leach was pick of the bowlers with 3/160 in 40 overs he bowled. Among others, Gus Atkinson and Crase took two wickets each while Chris Woakes, Shoaib Bashir and Joe Root picked one each.

Pakistan pacer Aamer Jamal took a sensational one-handed catch to dismiss England skipper Ollie Pope on second day of the first Test in Multan on Tuesday (Oct 8).

Pakistan pacer Aamer Jamal took a sensational one-handed catch to dismiss England skipper Ollie Pope on second day of the first Test in Multan on Tuesday (Oct 8). Pope had come to open the innings with Zak Crawley after regular opener Ben Duckett suffered a blow to his hand while taking a catch to dismiss the last wicket of Pakistan's first innings. It was the second over of England's innings when Naseem Shah bowled a length delivery and Jamal took the blinder at mid-wicket off a Pope pull. Have a look at the wicket below: UNBELIEVABLE CATCH 😲 Aamir Jamal pucks it out of thin air to send back the England captain 👌#PAKvENG | #TestAtHome pic.twitter.com/MY3vsto4St — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 8, 2024 × England, however, became vigilant after the wicket and suffered no further loss by the end of day's play. The visitors scored 96/1 in 20 overs played with Crawley staying not out on 64 off 64 while Joe Root was unbeaten on 32 off 54. Also Read: 'Have similar fast bowlers in nets,' says Bangladesh skipper Najmul Shanto about India pacer Mayank Yadav Earlier, Pakistan finished their first innings on a hefty 556 after skipper Shan Masood top-scored with 151, opener Abdulla Shafique scored 102 and Salman Agha managed 104 down the order. Pakistan started the day at an overnight score of 328/4 and England had to wait long before nightwatcher Naseem was dismissed by Brydon Carse as the first wicket of the day. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was next to go on duck before Agha joined Saud Shakeel on the crease and the duo added 57 runs for the seventh wicket. After Shakeel's (82) dismissal, Agha lost Jamal as partner quickly before pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi (26 off 49) stuck around and together they added 85 runs for the ninth wicket. For England, Jack Leach was pick of the bowlers with 3/160 in 40 overs he bowled. Among others, Gus Atkinson and Crase took two wickets each while Chris Woakes, Shoaib Bashir and Joe Root picked one each.

PAK vs ENG, 1st Test: WATCH | Aamer Jamal takes sensational one-handed catch to dismiss Ollie Pope

england-cricket

England Cricket, News on England Cricket, stories on England Cricket, articles on England Cricket, England Cricket stories at Wion, England Cricket news, England Cricket latest news

england cricket

More drinking trouble for England? ECB investigating Brydon Carse 'in handcuffs' video

Akhtar warns Pakistan of 'seam-friendly England pitches' ahead of upcoming Tests

Dravid to replace McCullum as England's Test coach? Here's what the report says

Stokes to be sacked as Test captain? Skipper & Atkinson under probe by ECB

After Livingstone, Bairstow hits out at Bazball regime for 'not caring'

ECB decides to not sack McCullum after Ashses debacle review

England all-rounder Livingstone drops bombshell review of McCullum era

McCullum 'would love to' stay on as England coach - will he get his wish?

T20 WC 2026 | 'Too careful, not dewy enough': England skipper Brook on WI loss