Ben Stokes has been appointed as England Test captain following Joe Root's resignation.

Root led his country in the longest format for just over five years, but brought his long reign to an end this month following an abysmal run of just one win in 17 matches.

Stokes has agreed to step up from his role as vice-captain after holding talks with new managing director of men's cricket Rob Key.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) approved the appointment of Stokes on Tuesday after Key recommended the 30-year-old for the job.

All-rounder Stokes said: "I am honoured to be given the chance to lead the England Test team. This is a real privilege, and I'm excited about getting started this summer.

"I want to thank Joe for everything he has done for English cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world.

"He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room, and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role."

Key, who started his role this month with plenty of issues to address, said: "I had no hesitation in offering the role of Test captain to Ben.

"He epitomises the mentality and approach we want to take this team forward into the next era of red-ball cricket. I am delighted that he has accepted, and he is ready for the added responsibility and the honour. He thoroughly deserves the opportunity."

Stokes' first match as skipper will be when a series against New Zealand starts at Lord's on June 2.

England should also have appointed a new Test head coach by the time they face the Black Caps after Chris Silverwood was sacked in the wake of a 4-0 Ashes hammering in Australia.

The ECB has opted to appoint separate head coaches for the Test and limited-overs teams.

Gary Kirsten, Simon Katich, Tom Moody and Graham Ford are among the names to be linked with the Test job.

Ben Stokes has been appointed as England Test captain following Joe Root's resignation.

Root led his country in the longest format for just over five years, but brought his long reign to an end this month following an abysmal run of just one win in 17 matches.

Stokes has agreed to step up from his role as vice-captain after holding talks with new managing director of men's cricket Rob Key.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) approved the appointment of Stokes on Tuesday after Key recommended the 30-year-old for the job.

All-rounder Stokes said: "I am honoured to be given the chance to lead the England Test team. This is a real privilege, and I'm excited about getting started this summer.

"I want to thank Joe for everything he has done for English cricket and for always being a great ambassador for the sport all across the world.

"He has been a massive part of my development as a leader in the dressing room, and he will continue to be a key ally for me in this role."

Key, who started his role this month with plenty of issues to address, said: "I had no hesitation in offering the role of Test captain to Ben.

"He epitomises the mentality and approach we want to take this team forward into the next era of red-ball cricket. I am delighted that he has accepted, and he is ready for the added responsibility and the honour. He thoroughly deserves the opportunity."

Stokes' first match as skipper will be when a series against New Zealand starts at Lord's on June 2.

England should also have appointed a new Test head coach by the time they face the Black Caps after Chris Silverwood was sacked in the wake of a 4-0 Ashes hammering in Australia.

The ECB has opted to appoint separate head coaches for the Test and limited-overs teams.

Gary Kirsten, Simon Katich, Tom Moody and Graham Ford are among the names to be linked with the Test job.

West Indies all-rounder Rovman Powell has urged IPL franchise Delhi Capitals to quickly move past the recent no-ball controversy as the team looks to jostle for a position in the playoffs.

In their previous encounter, a 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals on Friday, the team was left incensed by what they believe was a missed no-ball call in the final over.  Needing an improbable 36 off the final over, Powell kept things interesting when he blasted three straight 6s off international team Obed Mccoy.

The Capitals were convinced the third six was also a waist-high no-ball and as such would have been a free hit, which would have made things even more interesting.  The delivery was, however, not called by the umpires and Mccoy fought back to dismiss Powell.  The incident led to arguments between Delhi players and the umpire, and assistant coach Rajasthan Royals Pravin Amre came onto the field.  In the aftermath, Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant, all-rounder Shardul Thakur and Amre were slapped with heavy fines resulting from the incident, with Amre also given a one-match ban.  With a match upcoming against the Kolkata Knightriders on Wednesday, Powell is looking to move past the incident.

“It’s something that we have to put behind us and put behind us very fast.  We have a lot of upcoming matches and we have no time to sit down and dwell in the past,” Powell said of the incident.

“We have some important games coming up, important games that we have to win to get to the next round of the competition,” he added.

“We are about 6^th or 7^th in the table that is a good place to be. It’s just for us to climb the ladder and hopefully, we’ll reach our goal, which is the top four.”

Umran Malik's first IPL five-for was overshadowed by Sunrisers Hyderabad's remarkable collapse to lose to Gujarat Titans from the final ball.

Umran has impressed all with his outstanding pace bowling in 2022 and took another step forward on Wednesday with a dazzling 5-25, including what seemed to be the big wicket of Wriddhiman Saha (68).

But Sunrisers, protecting a target of 196, fell apart after the 22-year-old completed his four overs, undone by their former bowler Rashid Khan.

Rashid had not performed anything like he would have hoped with the ball, with figures of 0-45 as Sunrisers scored well through Abhishek Sharma (65), Aidan Markram (56) and Shashank Singh (25 off six).

Yet he then stepped up in the final over of the match, with Saha long gone and Marco Jansen having just about manoeuvred Rahul Tewatia (40 not out) off the strike.

Rashid hit three sixes off the final four balls to lift the Titans to 199-5, an incredible five-wicket win and first place in the standings.

Tale of two young bowlers

This has been a breakout season for Umran, of which this match should be the undoubted highlight, regardless of the result. With 15 wickets – including all five Sunrisers took here – he is up to second in the standings, behind only Yuzvendra Chahal (18).

However, Jansen, one year his team-mate's junior, was the man tasked with getting Sunrisers over the line and fell desperately short. His economy of 15.75, with figures of 0-63, told the whole story.

Batsmen surprisingly on top

This was expected to be a battle between two elite bowling line-ups – the top two in terms of bowling average coming into this clash – yet Jansen was not the only man to struggle at the death.

Lockie Ferguson matched Jansen in giving up 25 runs off the final over of the first innings, including three sixes in a row from Shashank that put the Titans in the sort of position from which they required a sensational turnaround.

The England and Wales Cricket (ECB) has restarted the search for a new chair following failure to find a suitable candidate.

Barry O'Brien has been operating as the interim chair since October, when Ian Watmore stepped down following a wave of coronavirus-related challenges and scrutiny for cancelling England's tour of Pakistan.

However, the ECB confirmed O'Brien has now resigned from the role due to ill health, with deputy chair Martin Darlow to take charge while the board search for a permanent appointment.

A statement read from the ECB read: "The ECB board met last night [Tuesday] and has agreed to restart the process for recruiting its next permanent chair.

"Following an ongoing process involving a number of strong candidates undertaking interviews with both the nominations committee and a cricket panel it was felt that no single candidate was able to fully meet the criteria to become next chair.

"In light of this, the board decided that the process should now be restarted. A new nominations committee will be appointed, chaired by senior independent director Brenda Trenowden, to run the new process."

The announcement comes at a time of wholesale change within English cricket, with Rob Key confirmed as the new managing director of men's cricket to replace Andrew Strauss, who had been in interim charge.

The ECB is advertising for separate coaches for the vacant Test and limited-overs roles following the dismissal of Chris Silverwood, with Gary Kirsten, Simon Katich and Graham Ford among the favourites for the red-ball side.

Meanwhile, Ben Stokes is widely expected to be appointed as England's Test captain following the resignation of skipper Joe Root earlier in April.

England start their next Test series against New Zealand on June 2, while they begin an ODI series versus the Netherlands on June 17.

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons insists he understands and respects the decision of recently retired captain Kieron Pollard but insists the player’s passion and desire will be sorely missed.

After nearly 16-years representing the regional team and three years in charge of both the One Day International (ODI) and T20 squads, the 34-year-old Pollard announced his decision to step away from international cricket last week.

“Skipper it is sad to see you retire from the maroon shirt so early…I completely understand,” Simmons said, addressing the issue via Facebook.

“Your ability to give players your backing and trust to deliver and your strong leadership both on and off the field was a joy to work with,” he added.

Pollard took charge of both squads in 2019 and experienced mixed fortunes during his tenure.  The T20 squad lost 21 of 39 matches and had a disastrous defense of its World Cup title.  The ODI squad on the other hand fared better, winning 13 and losing 11 of 21 matches played.  Still, Simmons hailed Pollard as a positive force for pushing players to reach their full potential and having a genuine desire to see the team do well.

“Your passion for pushing players to build on skills and knowledge of the game and more. Your unwillingness to settle for mediocrity was a pleasure to work with,” Simmons said.

“Your undoubted passion for the game and especially the Maroon Shirt together with your desire to bring success to the West Indies cricket team henceforth Cricket West Indies will be missed. You will be missed.”

Former India players Sunil Gavaskar and RP Singh are among those critical of all-rounder Krunal Pandya kissing former West Indian skipper Kieron Pollard during Sunday’s India Premier League (IPL) encounter between Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants.

So far this season, Mumbai, the many-time champions, have failed to gain any traction, losing all eight of the games played so far.  In Sunday’s loss, Pandya found himself at the centre of controversy after running to give Pollard a kiss on the head after dismissing the West Indian.

Despite it being generally known that the men are friends, Gavaskar believes the bowler went too far with his celebration and that his mockery could have provoked a negative reaction from the West Indian. 

“I know he is not going to like it, No! No! However good friends you are, that has to happen once the game is over. He is lucky that Pollard didn’t do anything,” Gavaskar told Star Sports.  Singh agreed, adding that the Lucknow player had gone too far.

“Nobody likes losing. When a player is not doing well, one should avoid such things. You don’t know what emotions he is going through. What if he (Pollard) had turned back and reacted. He was walking back disappointed at being unable to win matches and that reaction was definitely too much.”

Riyan Parag scored an unbeaten 56 and Kuldeep Sen took 4-20 as Rajasthan Royals defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by 29 runs despite Jos Buttler's struggles. 

Buttler has been in immaculate form in the Indian Premier League, scoring successive centuries in the previous two matches, but he lasted just nine balls in Pune on Tuesday. 

The England international's score of eight included one boundary before he was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood (2-19) in the fifth over. 

Sanju Samson struck an entertaining 27, including three sixes, to get the Royals back on track, though it was Parag who ultimately dragged them through. 

Having anchored the back half of the Royals' innings, Parag let rip in the final over, plundering two sixes and a four to get his side to 144-8. 

Faf du Plessis elected to go with Virat Kohli at the top of the order, but RCB's former captain went for nine in the second over. 

Du Plessis tallied up 23 before he fell to Sen, who had Glenn Maxwell for a golden duck with the next delivery. 

Ravichandran Ashwin (3-17) joined the party, dismissing Rajat Patidar, Suyash Prabhudessai and Shahbaz Ahmed, while Dinesh Karthik was run out. 

Wanindu Hasaranga (18) offered some resistance for RCB, though their hopes of avoiding a second straight defeat ended when Sen wrapped up the tail as Rajasthan went top of the IPL on 12 points. 

Parag takes up the mantle

With Buttler failing to ignite, Parag initially showed great composure before that explosive final over when he reached a 29-ball half-century. Harshal Patel, who took 1-33, was the unlucky bowler, with 18 runs coming from those last six balls. 

More frustration for Kohli

It was another bad day at the office for Kohli, who has failed to reach double figures in five of his nine IPL innings in 2022. Indeed, it was a bad day all round for the Challengers, who could have gone top with a win, with only Du Plessis scoring above 20. 

A magnificent bowling effort from the Surrey Royals allowed them to score an easy eight-wicket win over the Cornwall Warriors in their Dream 11 Jamaica T10 fixture at Sabina Park in Kingston on Tuesday.

The Royals chose to field after winning the toss and were dominant throughout the innings taking wickets in quick succession.

Jamaica Scorpions pacer Nicholson Gordon (3-13 from 1.2 overs), left-arm spinner Raewin Senior (2-9 from two overs, left-arm spinner Ryan Francis (2-6 from two overs) and off-spinner Peat Salmon (2-19 from two overs) were all instrumental in bowling out the Warriors for a subpar 58 in 9.2 overs.

Jamaica Scorpions all-rounder Derval Green (13), opener Ockeeno Farquharson (12) and former Scorpions skipper Paul Palmer Jr (11) were the only Warriors batsmen to scratch double figures.

The chase was a simple one for the Royals despite the early wickets of West Indies batsman Nkrumah Bonner (5) and Leroy Lugg (12).

Carlos Brown (25 not out) and captain Javelle Glen (16 not out) ensured that the Royals got to their target without the loss of another wicket, ending 59-2 from 8.2 overs to secure their fourth win of the tournament.

A destructive unbeaten 39 from Andre McCarthy propelled the Surrey Kings to an easy seven-wicket win over the Middlesex United Stars in the Dream 11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park in Kingston on Monday.

After winning the toss and choosing to field first, the Kings were in good form with the ball, holding the United Stars to a modest 82-6 in their 10 overs.

Jamaica Scorpions player, Alwyn Williams, was the only batsman to make a significant contribution for the Stars with 35 against 3-13 off two overs from medium-pacer Oraine Williams and 2-5 off one over from leg-spinner Kenroy Williams.

When it came time for the Kings to chase, McCarthy, batting at number four, was the chief destroyer with his 39 coming off just 12 balls including two fours and four sixes.

Opener Kennar Lewis also contributed 19 as the Kings easily chased their target reaching 83-3 off just 5.3 overs.

Left-arm quick Andel Gordon was the best bowler for the United Stars with 2-21 from his two overs.

The Surrey Kings now have five wins in five games, living up to their tag as favourites.

Shikhar Dhawan led the Punjab Kings to an 11-run Indian Premier League win over Chennai Super Kings with a brilliant half-century.

The Kings posted a imposing 187-4 after Ravindra Jadeja won the toss and put them in on Monday.

Ambati Rayudu made a blistering 78 off 39 balls, but was dismissed in the 17th over as the struggling reigning champions were condemned to their sixth defeat in eight matches, leaving their play-off hopes in tatters.

The Kings were unable to get off to a flyer and lost captain Mayank Agarwal for 18, Shivam Dube taking the catch off the bowling of Maheesh Theekshana.

Dhawan, however, became the third-highest scorer in the 2022 IPL with a terrific knock, supported in excellent fashion by Bhanuka Rajapaska (42) until he also fell victim to a catch from Dube for Dwayne Bravo.

Liam Livingstone made a rapid 19 from seven balls as Punjab produced a late flurry of runs.

Robin Uthappa (1), Mitchell Santner (9), and Dube (8) fell cheaply to leave CSK in trouble on 40-3 from seven overs, before Rayudu's talismanic efforts threatened to be the catalyst for a stunning win.

Agarwal caught Ruturaj Gaikwad for 30, before Rayudu was cleaned up by the impressive Kagiso Rabada, who claimed excellent figures of 2-23.

Chennai's hopes of chasing down their target looked slim after Rayudu was sent packing, with Jadeja (21 not out) and MS Dhoni (12) unable to get them home.

Dhawan sets the tone

Dhawan's classy knock went a long way to ending the Kings' two-match losing run and Punjab are in sixth spot with four wins and as many defeats.

The India opener struck two sixes and nine fours, shifting through the gears after a watchful start.

Rayudu goes close for out-of-form Super Kings

Chennai's miserable IPL title defence continued after their top order was decimated early on, but Rayudu was unfortunate to taste defeat after single-handedly dragging his side into contention.

Off-spinner Akim Fraser held his nerve in the final over to help the Surrey Risers defeat the Middlesex Titans by four runs in the Dream 11 Jamaica T10 at Sabina Park in Kingston on Monday.

The Risers took first strike after the Titans won the toss and elected to field first.

Delbert Gayle (35), Ricardo McIntosh (27) and captain Chadwick Walton (22) did the bulk of the scoring to help the Risers post 106-5 off their 10 overs.

Brian Buchanan (2-23 off two overs) and Errol Thomas (2-15 off two overs) were the best bowlers for the Titans.

In the Titans' turn at the crease, contributions from Sherdon Allen (33), Wayne Davis (22) and Albert Gopie (20) were not enough as they fell agonizingly short of the Risers total, finishing 102-6 off their 10 overs.

Fraser, who has 24 wickets in five first-class matches for the Jamaica Scorpions and West Indies A, was the pick of the bowlers with 3-24 from his two overs, including two wickets in the final over when the Titans needed 13 runs for victory.

He got the wicket of Jamie Merchant (2) off the second ball of the over before a six from Oshane Walters off the penultimate ball of the innings meant the Titans needed five runs from the last ball.

Fraser then dismissed Walters (8) off that final ball to seal the Risers’ second win of the tournament.

The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has confirmed that St Kitts & Nevis will be hosting matches during the 2022 tournament which will run from August 30 to September 30. St Kitts & Nevis will host seven matches between August 30 and September 4 with the home team and current champions, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, playing in four of those games.

 Hero CPL will return to St Kitts & Nevis again in 2022 after the Federation successfully hosted the whole tournament in 2021.

 Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “The 2021 Hero CPL was an enormous success, and we are hugely grateful to the government and people of St Kitts & Nevis who were fabulous hosts. Warner Park is a fantastic venue, and we are very excited to be back there as St Kitts & Nevis Patriots get their championship defence underway in front of a home crowd.”

 The Hon. Jonel Powell, Minister of Sport for St Kitts & Nevis, said: “The hosting of the CPL in its entirety in 2021 in St Kitts & Nevis proved a success in every way for our people. Tremendous direct economic gains were made in our economy and to individuals at a difficult time due to the pandemic. Our people were able to receive some much-needed ‘Covid relief’ socially through the amazing matches, and our very own St Kitts & Nevis Patriots won its first CPL title in the most dramatic style.

 “This is why we are very pleased to partner with CPL once again as a host venue for their 2022 edition, and to have the opportunity to see our Patriots defend their title right here at historic Warner Park.”

The 2022 season will take place in four countries, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana with the final set to talk place at Providence on September 30.

Former South Africa director of cricket Graeme Smith has been cleared of racism allegations against him by two independent arbitrators.

Smith was accused of racial bias against black leadership at Cricket South Africa (CSA), discrimination against Proteas wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile and unfair racial treatment surrounding the appointment of Mark Boucher over Enoch Nkwe in 2019.

The former Proteas skipper was under review by Dumisa Ntsebeza SC after CSA's Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) process, with Ntsebeza unable to conclude on "definite findings" in December 2021.

The initial report criticised Smith and former captain AB de Villiers for selection decisions, which it said were prejudicial towards black players, allegations the pair both denied.

That led to further formal processes, with two independent arbitrators Ngwako Maenetje SC and Michael Bishop reviewing the case, before Smith was cleared of the allegations of racism.

Smith, who held the CSA director role between 2019 and 2022 before his contract ended in March this year, has also been reimbursed his costs by CSA on the advice of the arbitration.

Lawson Naidoo, chairman of the CSA Board, said after the decision: "The manner in which these issues have been dealt with and resolved by the arbitration proceedings confirms CSA's commitment to deal with the SJN issues in a manner that treats them with utmost seriousness but also ensures fairness, due process and finality.

"Now that finality on these processes has been reached, it is appropriate to recognise the extraordinary contribution that Graeme has made to South African cricket, first as the longest-serving Test captain in cricket history and then as director of cricket from 2019 to 2022.

"His role as director has been critical in rebuilding the Proteas men's team in particular and has laid a solid foundation for his successor.

"We fully appreciate that after his time as director, Graeme wants new challenges in the commercial and cricket worlds.

"He has a long career ahead of him and we very much hope that he will still work in the cricket world in appropriate capacities going forward."

CSA apologised for the unwarranted public disclosures of Smith's personal information, including his remuneration, during the SJN process, as they thanked the 41-year-old for his efforts in charge.

Pholetsi Moseki, who is CSA's chief executive, added: "On behalf of the executives, staff and players at CSA, I would like to thank Graeme for all that he did as the director of cricket.

"He put up his hand at a particularly tumultuous period for CSA and he has often gone beyond his contracted duties to assist CSA during his term."

KL Rahul crafted his second century of the Indian Premier League season against the winless Mumbai Indians as Lucknow Super Giants recorded a 36-run victory on Sunday.

Lucknow captain Rahul finished unbeaten on 103 off 62 balls, reaching three figures with a six off Riley Meredith (2-40), but Manish Pandey (22) was the only other batter to pass 20 in support of his skipper.

Kieron Pollard collected two dismissals for eight runs as the Super Giants posted 168-6 at the Wankhede Stadium, though Mumbai's hopes for their first win of the season diminished after losing regular wickets.

Ishan Kishan (eight) fell in bizarre fashion as he edged onto wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock's foot and into the hands of Jason Holder at slip, before Dewald Brevis (three) followed to Mohsin Khan (1-27).

Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma offered brief impetus with 39 from 31 balls, but he was removed by Krunal Pandya (3-19) before Suryakumar Yadav (seven) was dismissed by Ayush Badoni (1-6) to leave Mumbai 67-4.

Pollard and Tilak Varma posed a late threat to Lucknow with a 57-run partnership, with the latter scoring a quick 38 before holing out to Holder (1-36).

Pandya then dismissed Pollard (19) and Daniel Sams (three) in the final over, either side of Holder running out Jaydev Unadkat (one), as Super Giants eased to their third straight win to move up to fourth.

Captain fantastic

Rahul powered a brisk 56-ball century against Mumbai earlier in the month and again played with remarkable control for his 103, which included 12 fours and four sixes.

Only Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler has scored more runs in this season's competition (491) than the Lucknow captain, who has 368 from his eight matches so far.

Classy Chameera thwarts Mumbai

Mumbai became the first side to lose their first seven games of an IPL campaign after falling to Chennai Super Kings on Thursday, but may have fancied their chances after being set 169 to win at Wankhede.

However, Rahul's bowlers kept things tight and controlled the second innings, with Pandya capably supported by Dushmantha Chameera, who went for just 14 runs from his four overs, including 15 dot balls.