Hello cricket fans! The Sport360 team is here to keep you updated on all the action from around the world on Wednesday.
It’s day two of the second Test between Pakistan and Australia in Abu Dhabi, while England are set to play Sri Lanka in the third ODI – if the rain stays away. We have all the news from these series plus everything else that is happening across the globe in the world of cricket.
It’s all here in our live blog.
11:30pm – Jasprit Bumrah unfazed by concerns over bowling action
Jasprit Bumrah might be perched at the top of ICC’s ODI rankings for bowlers but his unorthodox bowling action has seen many fear an injury is round the corner ever since he made his international debut.
Despite his rapid rise, Bumrah’s bowling action has attracted scrutiny with many former players expressing their reservations over its long-term durability.
However, Bumrah remains unperturbed by such fears. Read what the pacer had to say on that subject here.
Bumrah employs an unorthodox bowling action.
10:30pm – England beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in third ODI
England eased into a 2-0 series lead over Sri Lanka as Eoin Morgan’s unbeaten 58 and a disciplined bowling performance delivered victory in a rain-shortened third one-day international.
The match at Pallekele was cut down to 21 overs per innings after play was delayed by almost six hours, the latest frustration in a monsoon-season tour at odds with both common sense and the elements.
Read more on England’s seven-wicket win in our match report here.
Eoin Morgan hit an unbeaten fifty in Pallekele.
10:15pm – PCB chief Ehsan Mani calls BCCI’s stance ‘hypocritical’
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ehsan Mani has called the BCCI’s stance on holding India–Pakistan bilateral matches ‘hypocritical’.
With BCCI stating that it requires government clearances to play bilateral matches between the two arch-rivals, matches between the two teams have been limited to only multi-team tournaments like the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup.
Read the PCB chief’s quotes in full here.
Ehsan Mani has taken a swipe at the BCCI for its repeated stance.
10:00pm – Shahid Afridi maintaining passion for cricket at 38
Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi is considered to be one of the best all-rounders to ever grace the game of cricket, especially the white-ball matches.
Afridi spoke to Sport360 in Dubai after he was named as one of the marquee players for the inaugural UAE T20X, taking place from December 2018 to January 2019.
Read the former Pakistan star’s interview in full here.
Shahid Afridi batting the ICC World Twenty20 final at Lords in 2009. The keeper is Kumar Sangakkara who will also be playing in the UAE T20X
9:30pm – Inaugural Mzansi T20 Super League player draft concludes
The player draft for South Africa’s inaugural Mzansi T20 Super League took place in Cape Town on Wednesday with the six franchises making their squad picks.
The six franchises had already been allotted a marquee South African player each last week with Imran Tahir, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, JP Duminy and Kagiso Rabada being the designated players
Read how the six teams have stacked up after the player draft here.
Rashid Khan (c) will turn out for Durban Heat in the inaugural league.
9:00pm – Evin Lewis opts out of India ODI series
Attacking opening batsman Evin Lewis has opted out of the limited-overs tour of Indiaciting personal reasons, Cricket West Indies said on Wednesday.
The Windies, who were already without the likes of Chris Gayle and Andre Russell, are further weakened with Lewis’ withdrawal and it makes their job tougher following their 2-0 hammering in the Test series.
Read more on this development here.
West Indies opener Evin Lewis.
8:00pm – UAE to face Australia in first-ever T20 International
The UAE will play Australia in a first-ever T20 International next week, the Emirates Cricket Board confirmed on Wednesday.
The two sides will meet at the Oval grounds of Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Monday, October 22, with the tourists using the fixture as preparation for their T20 series against Pakistan.
Read more on this breaking story here.
Set for Australia: UAE team
7:30pm – Mohammad Abbas aiming for man-of-the-series award
Mohammad Abbas has set his sights on winning the man of the series award after his five-wicket haul put Pakistan in the driving seat in the second Test against Australia.
The medium-pacer claimed three wickets on Wednesday to finish with 5-33 after taking two on Tuesday at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Read Abbas’ quotes in full here. The seamer’s rise in international cricket has been a remarkable one. Here, we take a look at Abbas’ sensational year or so in the Test arena.
Five-star Abbas
7:00pm – South Africa announce 15-man ODI squad for Australia series
All-rounder Chris Morris has made a return from injury to be included in South Africa’s 15-man squad for next month’s ODI series against Australia.
Morris and Farhaan Behardien both found a place in the ODI squad with injuries ruling out stalwarts Hashim Amla and JP Duminy.
Read the squad in full here.
Chris Morris is back in South Africa’s ODI squad.
6:30pm – WADA moves to make ICC non-compliant
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has started the process to make the ICC non-compliant with its revised code for signatories following the BCCI’s refusal to subject its cricketers to dope testing by India’s NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency).
Read more on this developing story which could have severe repercussions for ICC’s dreams of taking cricket to the Olympics here.
A big setback to ICC’s plans of taking cricket to the Olympics.
6:00pm – ECB defends scheduling of Sri Lanka tour amidst weather interruptions
The England and Wales Cricket Board has defended the rationale behind touring Sri Lanka in the rainy season, insisting the congested international schedule left no “wriggle room”.
The ongoing one-day international series has been blighted, perhaps predictably, by inclement weather, with the opening fixture washed out after 15 overs and the second won by England on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern when thunderstorms curtailed the Sri Lanka innings.
Read what the ECB had to say here.
Rain reduced the third ODI in Pallekele to a 21-over match.
5:00pm – Pakistan in command in Abu Dhabi Test
Pakistan have seized complete control of the second Test against Australia at Abu Dhabi after a sensational bowling display from Mohammad Abbas. The Pakistan seamer picked up 5-33 as the Aussies were bowled out for just 145 in their first innings. In reply, Pakistan had reached 144-2 in their second innings before stumps were called on day two. Sarfraz Ahmed’s men now have an overall second innings lead of 281 runs.
Read more on the day’s play in our report card here.
Pakistan are in control
2.50pm: Labuschange does a reverse Shahid Afridi
Australia batsman and leg-spinner Marnus Labuschagne.
Marnus Labuschange made it to the Australian Test team primarily as a batsman who could bowl a bit of leg-spin.
In the first Test against Pakistan in Dubai, he was told by the team management that he will be required to roll his arm over as the Aussies had an off-spinner in Nathan Lyon and a left-arm spinner in Jon Holland but no wrist spinner.
What happened next surprised everyone.
Mitch Marsh leaves the field after being dismissed again
11.38am: Australia sinking in the Marsh in Abu Dhabi
The tourists have slumped to 75-5 on the second morning in Abu Dhabi and once again both Marsh brothers, Shaun and Mitch, have failed to trouble the scorers.
The bothers Marsh were in good form coming into the series but that form seems to have deserted them with their combined total to date in their six trips to the crease a woeful 35 at an average of just 5.83.
They are both already out this morning for 3 (Shaun) and 13 (Mitchell) as Pakistan take control.
Follow all the live scores from Abu Dhabi HERE
Former Sri lanka captain and selector Sanath Jayasuriya.
10.02am: Ex-Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya defends his integrity in ICC probe
Former Sri Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya has stressed his “integrity and transparency” in response to being charged by the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit.
The World Cup winner and ex-national selector was charged on Monday on two counts – “failure or refusal” to co-operate with an investigation carried out by the ACU and “obstructing or delaying” its work by concealing, tampering or destroying documentation or information.
