Pakistan captain and talisman Babar Azam scored a century to help steer Pakistan to a five-wicket victory over the West Indies in a keenly contested ODI in Multan on Wednesday.
Australia survived a Wanindu Hasaranga blitz to seal a T20I series win over Sri Lanka.
For the second time in as many days, Sri Lanka produced a disappointing batting showing in Colombo, following up 128 all out in the first game with 124-9 on Wednesday.
Charith Asalanka (39) again impressed with the bat but the Australia attack fired without the injured Mitchell Starc, as his replacement Jhye Richardson and namesake Kane Richardson accounted for seven wickets.
Australia stuttered to 64-4 in reply but were still in cruise control even when Marcus Stoinis departed to leave them 80-5 in the ninth over.
However, Hasaranga gave them hope with his final over, removing Glenn Maxwell and Ashton Agar in successive deliveries before narrowly missing out on a hat-trick.
But Matthew Wade kept his composure, scoring an unbeaten 26 to steer Australia over the line and secure an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with a three-wicket win.
Relentless Richardsons
Starc suffered a hand injury in Australia's 10-wicket win on Tuesday but his absence mattered not thanks to the efforts of Kane and Jhye Richardson.
Kane Richardson claimed 4-30 and Jhye Richardson 3-26, the latter dismissing Kusal Mendis (36) hit wicket and removing all-rounder Hasaranga (12) in the penultimate over.
Wow-nindu
Hasaranga was 0-27 for his two overs in the first game but bounced back in style with 4-33.
He looked to be turning the game in Sri Lanka's favour in the 12th over, deceiving Maxwell (19) with a googly and then bowling Agar through the gate. Hasaranga came agonisingly close to drawing an outside edge from Jhye Richardson, who denied him a hat-trick.
Rishabh Pant will captain India for the first time against South Africa after KL Rahul was ruled out of the five-match Twenty20 International series.
Rahul was due to lead India in the absence of the rested Rohit Sharma, but the batter has sustained a groin injury.
That has opened the door for Pant to step up, with Hardik Pandya named vice-captain after leading Gujarat Titans to the Indian Premier League title in his first tournament as captain.
Delhi Capitals skipper Pant is relishing the opportunity to lead his country in a series that starts at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.
The wicketkeeper-batter said: "It's a great feeling, especially getting an opportunity like this in your hometown.
"There is nothing bigger than this. It didn't come under very good circumstances but I will try to make most of it and give my 100 per cent."
Pant came under fire for costly mistakes he made during a must-win IPL encounter with Mumbai Indians last month, but says he will learn from such experiences.
"I think it [captaining in the IPL] will help me a lot because when you keep doing the same thing over a period of time, you tend to improve," the 24-year-old said.
"I am someone who keeps on learning from my mistakes and that's something which is going to help me in the coming days as well."
Spinner Kuldeep Yadav has also been ruled out of the series after taking a blow on his right hand in the nets on Tuesday, while Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah have been rested along with Rohit.
India will become the first men's team to win 13 T20I matches in a row if they take a 1-0 lead over the Proteas.
The tourists are also in excellent form, having been victorious in 11 of their past 12 games in the shortest format - their only loss during that time coming against Australia in the T20 World Cup last October.
Malik to be unleashed, Karthik returns
Umran Malik has been rewarded for a hugely impressive IPL by being called up for India duty for the first time.
The 22-year-old paceman was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 22 for Sunrisers Hyderabad and is a hugely exciting prospect.
Dinesh Karthik has not played for his country since 2019, but the 37-year-old wicketkeeper-batter is back in the fold with the World Cup on the horizon.
Nortje back, Van der Dussen closing on landmark
South Africa have brought a strong squad to India and are boosted by the return to fitness of Anrich Nortje.
Nortje had been sidelined by a hip injury, but played in the IPL and is set to fire in a hostile South Africa attack.
The Proteas also have a dangerous batting line-up and Rassie van der Dussen needs only 67 runs to reach the 1,000 landmark in T20Is. If he scores those runs in his next innings, he would be the joint-fastest to reach that figure along with Faf du Plessis (32 innings).
West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran is confident of breaking free of an indifferent run of form at the crease, sooner rather than later.
Since the start of the year, the recently appointed West Indies captain has played in 9 matches, spanning three series. He has averaged a mere 11.22 with a high score of 34.
Heading into Wednesday’s series against Pakistan, Pooran scored a total of 24 runs in three matches against The Netherlands. Despite the added responsibility of captaincy, however, Pooran is backing himself to turn things around.
“This isn’t the first time I haven’t scored runs. If you check my stats I’m always scoring runs so I am not bothered,” Pooran told members of the media on Tuesday.
“I think something big is close. I’m working very hard and it’s only a matter of time,” he added.
In his career so far, Pooran has only faced Pakistan once scoring 34 unbeaten in 2019.
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Selection Panel has added allrounder Keemo Paul to the squad for the upcoming One-Day International Series in Pakistan. The West Indies arrived in Multan on Monday, after the impressive 3-0 series win in The Netherlands. They will now prepare to face Pakistan at the Multan International Cricket Stadium on June 8, 10 and 12.
“Keemo Paul has been kept out in the recent past due to injury and we view the management of his body as paramount to his success, not only when on West Indies duty but also when he is with his regional franchise. We have watched him perform in the recent West Indies Championship Four-Day
During the first-class tournament Paul was the leading fast bowler and second highest wicket-taker overall. He ended the five matches with 20 wickets at an average of 22.8 runs per wicket. He had best figures of 6-50. He was also among the leading allrounders with 169 runs including a highest score of 73.
The West Indies tour of Pakistan will bowl off on Wednesday, June 8. First ball is 4pm PKT time (7am Eastern Caribbean/6am Jamaica).
The series will also form part of the ICC ODI Super League where the teams will have the chance to earn points as they try to secure automatic qualification to the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.
Australia cruised to a 10-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the opening T20I of the three-match series after a dismal collapse from the hosts.
In a rain-affected first match of Australia's tour, which will encompass series in all three formats, Sri Lanka looked to be in a strong position on 100-1.
However, from there they lost nine wickets for just 28 further runs, Josh Hazlewood (4-16) and Mitchell Starc (3-26) ripping through Sri Lanka's line-up.
Danushka Gunathilaka went in the fifth over after a pacey 15-ball 26 but Sri Lanka appeared solid until Starc bowled Pathum Nissanka (36).
That brought about a flurry of wickets, Charith Asalanka (38) run out by Mitchell Marsh and Matthew Wade just before the first rain delay.
Australia polished off the tail upon resumption, Wanindu Hasaranga (17) the sole other batter to reach double figures, and the rain could not stop captain Aaron Finch (61 not out) and David Warner (70no) from powering the tourists to the meagre target with 36 balls remaining. Finch finished things off with an uppercut for six.
Josh the boss
Hazlewood's figures marked the second best of his career in T20 international cricket after the 4-12 he took against the same opposition in Sydney in February.
The seamer continues to torment Sri Lanka, his effort this time around comprising 15 dot balls as he gave up only two boundaries.
Hasaranga helpless
Hasaranga was one of the star performers of the 2022 Indian Premier League, taking 26 wickets, but was bludgeoned by Finch and Warner on home soil, his two overs going for 27 runs.
Maheesh Theekshana was slightly better with 0-25 from four, but Sri Lanka's decision to pick two spinners backfired.
Sean Abbott will fly home from Australia's tour of Sri Lanka without playing a game after suffering a fractured finger.
The paceman, who was only in the T20I squad, was struck on the left index finger by a net bowler this week.
Cricket Australia confirmed ahead of the opener in the three-match T20I series in Colombo on Tuesday that Abbott will not be replaced in the squad.
Abbott was due to link up with Australia's A squad in Sri Lanka after the T20I series. Scott Boland has been called up to cover for Abbott in the A team's four-day matches ahead of the two-match Test series
Meanwhile, Peter Handscomb will leave the A squad to return to Melbourne and be with his pregnant wife.
Jimmy Peirson has been added to the squad as a replacement for Handscomb.
Alex Carey is set to captain the Australia A team in their first 50-over match in Colombo on Wednesday after being added to the squad along with Cameron Green, who will also play.
New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme has been ruled out for the remainder of the Test series against England due to injury.
De Grandhomme pulled up on the third day of the first Test at Lord's, which England won by five wickets thanks to Joe Root's majestic unbeaten 115 in the fourth innings.
The Black Caps man, who top-scored in New Zealand's first innings with 42 not out and picked up match figures 1-27 from his 11.5 overs, left the field for treatment on Saturday and did not return.
De Grandhomme could have added another crucial wicket to his tally but overstepped when bowling England captain Stokes, on 1, with the hosts languishing at 79-4 chasing 277 to win.
But De Grandhomme will play no further part in the series after scans revealed a tear in his right heel. All-rounder Michael Bracewell, who was with the squad for the first Test as cover for Henry Nicholls, has been added to the squad as a replacement, with the second Test to start at Trent Bridge on Friday.
"It's a real shame for Colin to suffer this injury so early in the series," Black Caps coach Gary Stead said.
"He's a massive part of our Test side and we'll certainly miss him.
"It's great to be able to call on someone like Michael who's been with the squad for the past month and is match ready."
Stead confirmed De Grandhomme is likely to miss the next 10 to 12 weeks, which would rule him out white-ball tours to Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands alongside the Test series with England.
Stuart Broad labelled Joe Root as "a legend of the game" as he insisted he could never fall out with the former England Test captain over being dropped.
Broad and James Anderson were surprise omissions from the tour of West Indies in March, which ended in 1-0 series defeat and proved to be the final straw for skipper Root.
Root subsequently stepped down after one win in his 17 Tests, with Ben Stokes taking the captaincy and Brendon McCullum appointed as the new red-ball head coach.
Broad and Anderson were reinstated for the opening Test against New Zealand, which England won by five wickets thanks to Root's magnificent unbeaten 115.
The evergreen Broad claimed match figures of 4-121, including a remarkable spell on the third day that saw him remove centurion Daryl Mitchell and Kyle Jamieson in the space of three balls, with Colin de Grandhomme run out in between.
Broad says there was never any bad blood between him and the former skipper, who reached the 10,000 Test runs landmark when he brought up his century on Sunday.
"Joe and I spoke at length when he stood down as captain and I said to him how much he's meant to me as a captain, and what a privilege it was playing under him," Broad said.
"I told him I hope he really enjoys the next few years, all that pressure has gone now, he's already a legend of the game, so he can just go out there and enjoy it.
"Joe and I are great friends and I've always been someone who can distinguish between business and pleasure. I can't fall out with someone because they don't pick me in a team, that would be a bit pathetic."
Broad is enjoying the start of a new era for England as they prepare for a second Test at his home ground Trent Bridge, which starts on Friday.
"It's been one of the most fun weeks we've had as a team," he added. "Just the relaxed environment, the way we're talking as a team. It's not too structured, it's just a case of what do you need to do to make you feel you're 10-foot tall?
"It's noticeable from Stokesy and Baz [McCullum] that it's all about taking wickets. To start the Stokes-McCullum era with a win is huge for us. To chase 277 is awesome for us as a group.
"To see the way we've attacked that target shows that mindset. Things went our way – that no-ball makes it a different game – but it's no mean feat chasing a score like that. That's a mindset thing.
"I don't think anyone who has come to Lord's can argue it's not been fun, the style of cricket, edge-of-the-seat at times, the crowd has got involved and it's something we want to take to Trent Bridge."
Broad believes having a different outlook is what stood him and Anderson in good stead ahead of their return to the Test side.
"I've changed my mindset over the winter and since Hobart," he continued. "It's not looking too far ahead, it's just enjoying each week for what it is, give everything, and then reset for the next week.
"Jimmy turns 40 this year, four years ago was he thinking 2018 might be his last at Old Trafford? Probably not. That just takes your mind away from enjoying the week.
"I started this season not knowing if I'd pull on the England shirt again, I was just enjoying every day for what it was.
"I wear the Notts shirt with the same pride as the England badge and I'll attack this week with the same mindset: walk out on that first day, look around the stands, and know how lucky I am to be there."
Dasun Shanaka is confident Sri Lanka can claim a shock win over world champions Australia in a T20 International series that starts in Colomba on Tuesday.
The visitors previously beat their hosts 4-1 in a five-match series in February on home soil after winning the T20 World Cup for the first time in Dubai.
Aaron Finch's side have since won a one-off match in Pakistan despite being without a whole host of players.
They are close to full strength for the start of the three-match series, with Finch and Marcus Stoinis the only players who featured in that win in Lahore who have named in the team for the opener at the R.Premadasa Stadium.
Yet Sri Lanka captain Shanaka believes his side can make the most of the conditions on the back of a triumph for the Test side against Bangladesh in such tough times due to a financial crisis in the country.
He said: "We gained much playing Australia in their own backyard last time out and I'm confident that we are well geared in the batting and bowling to get the better of them with our home conditions in our favour."
Shanaka added: "Lots of our players have benefited by playing in the recent IPL and that experience would be a leading edge to maximising their potential when Sri Lanka locks horns with the Australians strong as they are.
"A positive factor for our players at the IPL is that they have gained the opportunity of flexing their muscles in gay abandon, unlike back home where the domestic season has been plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in several players being laid down, while the adverse weather has been a negating factor as well."
Sri Lanka have named uncapped duo Nuwanidu Fernando, a top-order batter, and Matheesha Pathirana, a right-arm seamer, in their squad early in a new era under head coach Chris Silverwood.
The tourists are without Pat Cummins (rested) and Adam Zampa (parental leave), while Michael Di Venuto is filling in at the start of the series after head coach Andrew McDonald was forced into isolation back home following a positive COVID-19 test.
Finch in the spotlight
Australia captain Finch endured a frustrating Indian Premier League, scoring only 86 runs in five innings for Kolkata Knight Riders.
The opener did make 55 in his last game for his country, the T20I success over Pakistan, and the tourists will be looking for him to set the tone at the top of the order with the T20 World Cup on home soil fast approaching.
Hasaranga key for Sri Lanka
If Sri Lanka are to pull off an upset, Wanindu Hasaranga will surely have a big part to play after an excellent IPL for the spinner.
The tweaker was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament behind with 26 at an average of 17.65 for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Maheesh Theekshana can also trouble the tourists as they face a trial by spin.
West Indies white ball captain Nicholas Pooran had high praise for his batsmen unit after the team’s 3-0 series sweep of the Netherlands last week at Amstelveen.
Shamarh Brooks (167 runs from three games), Shai Hope (161 runs from three games) and Brandon King (159 runs from three games) were all among the top five run-scorers in the series.
The Caribbean side comfortably chased targets in the first two games reaching 249-3 in the first game and 217-5 in the second game before posting 308-5 in the third contest and batting their full quota of overs in the process.
“Batting 50 overs was one of the goals we set before the series and we achieved that in the last game,” Pooran said in an interview on Sunday.
The Windies had three centurions in the series with Shai Hope, Shamarh Brooks and Kyle Mayers all reaching three figures, something Pooran says is a good sign going forward.
“I think the batsmen are settling in nicely and taking their opportunity,” he said.
“It’s always important getting multiple batsmen scoring centuries. It’s very important for a team in terms of getting a big score or a score to actually defend. It shows that the batsmen are hungry for runs and willing to spend time in the middle to get those big runs,” Pooran added.
Pooran, who was on his first assignment as the West Indies official ODI skipper, said the inexperienced squad made the series triumph more special.
“I felt it was a really good one for us. It’s a new team and I felt like we bonded really well. We spoke about learning on the job and taking this opportunity,” he said.
Pooran and his team’s next assignment will be the three-ODI series against Pakistan in Multan on June 8, 10 and 12.
Alastair Cook expects Joe Root to go "miles past" his record for the most Test runs scored by an England batter after the former captain reached the 10,000 landmark at Lord's.
Playing his first game for his country since stepping down as skipper, Root claimed the man of the match award for his magnificent unbeaten 115 in a five-wicket win over New Zealand.
He was brilliantly supported by Ben Foakes (32 not out) in an unbroken stand of 120 that gave England a winning start to a new era with Ben Stokes as captain and Brendon McCullum head coach.
Root's 26th Test century made him only the second England player to score 10,000 runs in the longest format after Cook, and only the 14th from any nation.
At 31 years and 157 days, he reached the milestone at exactly the same age that his former team-mate Cook achieved the feat.
Root is 2,457 runs shy of the tally of 12,472 Cook racked up in his outstanding Test career and the former skipper says only injury can prevent him from beating his record.
"Barring injury, he'll go miles past my record," Cook told BBC Sport.
"He is so hard to tie down. I had to grind my way to 30, it always took me what felt like two hours. Because Joe has got so many low-risk scoring options, pretty much through 360 degrees, he will often get to 30 off 40 balls."
Cook, who ended his international career aged 33, rates Root as the best England batter he has witnessed.
"He is a pleasure to watch, the most complete England batsman I have seen," he added.
"The person who could play the most incredible innings was Kevin Pietersen, but for the most complete batsmen in all three forms, it's Root. His consistency is incredible."
England and New Zealand start the second match of the series at Trent Bridge on Friday.
Ben Stokes warned England's Test fortunes will not change overnight after starting the Brendon McCullum era with victory over New Zealand.
Captain Stokes and coach McCullum were tasked with transforming England in the five-day game, and got off to a great start with a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first Test of a three-match series.
England were largely indebted to the heroics of former captain Joe Root, who became only the second Englishman to score 10,000 runs in the longest format with an unbeaten fourth-innings 115.
Root is the 14th batter to achieve the 10,000-run tally in Test cricket after England knocked off 277 in the chase on Sunday, recovering from 69-4 on Saturday to fight back against the Black Caps.
The second Test starts on Friday at Trent Bridge and Stokes attempted to temper expectations as he suggested instant success will not be achieved.
"I was always looking to be positive and just really staying true to what I was saying and how I want to captain and not letting the game dictate what I did," Stokes told reporters.
"I was just making sure that I still stuck to my guns in the way that I wanted the bowlers to bowl, the fields that I set, stick to everything that you've been talking about because you know actions speak louder than words.
"It's a great start, we've won, there's obviously going to be you know, ups and downs.
"And it's just about dealing with that but I think having me and Brendon in charge, it's going to be really important how we operate when things don't go well.
"It's not an overnight thing. This is what me and Brendon are trying to work towards and we know that."
Stokes also heaped praise on the attitude of McCullum, who was intent on sending Stuart Broad ahead of debutant Matthew Potts to bat should England have lost another wicket on the evening of day three.
"When Foakesy went out to bat, he was going to send Broady in if we lost the wicket to go and have a slog, just to score 30, 40 runs, then the game's done," Stokes said.
"That's the kind of stuff that we're not used to in the dressing room. Those kinds of things filtering around will do us the world of good.
"The confidence and the energy that he brings about, his mindset towards the game, he's just going to make everybody feel 10-foot tall in any situation and I've really enjoyed working with him so far this week."
Joe Root admitted the England Test captaincy had started to negatively impact his personal life after starring in his first international without being skipper against New Zealand.
Root stepped down as red-ball skipper following series defeat to West Indies, leaving England with just one win in their last 17 Tests.
Ben Stokes was subsequently appointed to lead his country in the longest format, with New Zealand great Brendon McCullum charged with transforming England's fortunes in the five-day game.
The new leadership pair's country of birth posed England's first task of the new era, and it was the familiar face of Root who delivered at the crucial time in the first Test.
Root became only the second England batter to score 10,000 runs in the longest format with an unbeaten 115, guiding Stokes' side to chase 277 and take a 1-0 series lead in the three-match series.
Yorkshireman Root is also the 14th player to reach that milestone and achieved the feat at exactly the same age – 31 years and 157 days – as his former team-mate and captain Alastair Cook.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, much of Root's focus was on the impact of not having to stress about the captaincy in his first Test without skippering duties.
"It was tough to step down as captain but I'd thrown everything at it, every bit of myself into it and it had started to have an unhealthy effect on the rest of my life," he said.
"I couldn't leave it in the car or at the cricket ground. It wasn't fair on myself or my family and I want to enjoy my cricket. It's a role that needs so much energy and you can see that within Ben."
The century was also Root's first in the fourth innings of a Test match, and he was delighted to deliver for both England and Stokes.
"I had thrown everything at it [captaincy] and I was determined to help turn this team around. But I realised over that time at home that it would have to be in a different way," he told reporters.
"I'm very excited to do that now, to do everything I can to help Ben turn this team around and make it the force it should and can be.
"I'll do anything I can to help England win Test matches and be a side people enjoy watching and can be proud of.
"It got to the stage where it was time for someone else to lead. I threw absolutely everything at the role. I'm proud of the way that I tried to do that."
Meanwhile, former Australia Test captain Mark Taylor believes Root can surpass India legend Sachin Tendulkar's record 15,921 runs in red-ball internationals.
"Root has minimum five years left in him, so I think Tendulkar's record is very achievable," Taylor told Sky Sports.
"He is batting as well as I have ever seen him bat over the last 18 months to two years.
"He is in the prime of his career, so there is 15,000 runs-plus for him if he stays healthy."
Kane Williamson says New Zealand will ensure they move forward quickly and respond to their five-wicket loss to England in the first Test at Lord's.
The Black Caps were powerless to avoid defeat after their hosts completed the third-highest fourth-innings run chase at Lord's thanks to a magnificent Joe Root knock.
The former England captain, in his first game since handing the armband on to Ben Stokes, scored 115 not out and became the 14th player to break the 10,000 Test run barrier.
Speaking afterwards, Williamson said his side would learn lessons from their loss and mount a firm response, with the second Test starting next Friday at Trent Bridge.
"The game ebbed and flowed the whole time," he told Sky Sports.
"I thought both teams fought hard, and we saw how difficult it was and how much it changed throughout.
"But [we] take nothing away from the quality of the English performance. It’s about moving on quickly and taking those learnings, moving into the next Test.
"We'll reflect on this and look forward to the next one."
On Root, Williamson added: "[It's] an incredible innings from an amazing player. It's truly an unbelievable achievement.
"You recognise the quality of the player and his longevity as a world-class player."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
