* Stricter bio-bubble awaits India in next Test
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Virat Kohli (on left) and Ravi Shastri[/caption]
A stricter bio-bubble awaits India cricket team for the fifth cricket Test which is to start on Friday (10) in Manchester. Reports said yesterday that the fourth Test’s bio-bubble based in the Oval in London was breached by India Captain Virat Kohli and Head Coach Ravi Shastri by participating in a book-launch event, attended by a large crowd. Shastri tested positive for Covid-19 later and was isolated along with some members of the support staff, who were considered his close contacts, during the Oval Test which India won by 157 runs on Monday (6).
* ICC bans UAE player for four years
UAE wicketkeeper-batsman Ghulam Shabber was banned from all cricket for four years, having been found guilty breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) anti-corruption code on six counts. Shabber admitted to the breaches, and will next be eligible to play again only on 20 August, 2025.
* Skipper Babar Azam unhappy over WC squad
Pakistan cricket Captain Babar Azam is unhappy with their T20 World Cup (WC) squad selection announced this week. He wanted to include Sharjeel Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Qadir, and Faheem Ashraf in the final squad announced on Monday (6). Media reports say the new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) President to be, former batsman Rameez Raja, had intervened to include Sohaib Maqsood, Asif Ali, Khushdil Shah, and Azam Khan to the dismay of Captain Azam.
* Nepal beat PNG in ODI cricket
Nepal beat Papua New Guinea (PNG) by two wickets in the first of their three-match ODI series at Al Amerat, Oman yesterday (7). PNG will play in the T20 World Cup qualifying round in October, also in Oman.
Scores:
PNG 134 all out in 33 overs (Lega Siaka 30, Charles Amini 23, Gaudi Toka 22; Sandeep Lamichhane 4/35)
Nepal 135/8 in 39.3 overs (Rohit Paudel 41, Aasif Sheikh 30, Gaudi Toka 3/18, Chad Soper 2/13)
* Women’s T20I cricket latest rankings
New Zealand Women’s cricket Captain Sophie Devine joined England’s Nat Sciver at the top of the ICC rankings for women’s all-rounders in T20Is. India opener Shafali Verma and England spinner Sophie Ecclestone retained their No. 1 spot for batters and bowlers respectively in the format.
* St. Kitts lead CPL after 18/33 games
Hosts St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots are now leading the points table of the ninth Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Patriots have won five games out of the seven they have played so far. St. Lucia Kings, with four wins out of six, and Trinbago Knight Riders, with three wins out of six, take the second and third spots respectively. The tournament featuring six teams are played from 26 August to 15 September. Nineteen matches are over, out of a total of 33, by yesterday. All matches are played at the Warner Park Sporting Complex at Basseterre in St. Kitts and Nevis. Sri Lanka’s Isuru Udana plays for Knight Riders while Thisara Perera plays for Barbados Royals. Udana has now taken nine wickets in six matches at an average of 24.88.