Welcome to Thursday’s live cricket blog!
The Sport360 team is in place bringing you the latest news from the world of cricket including reactions from the second ODI between India and the West Indies as well as Pakistan’s first T20I against Australia.
9:45pm – Ben Foakes receives England call-up for Sri Lanka Tests
Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes has been added to England’s Test squad in Sri Lanka as cover for Jonny Bairstow. Read more on that story here.
7:15pm – UAE would be ‘ready’ to host the 2019 IPL
Emirates Cricket Board member Zayed Abbas said the UAE would be ready to stage next year’s IPL if the T20 tournament was moved outside India due to the elections. Read more on that story here.
The IPL is the most high-profile T20 tournament in the world
6:30pm – CEO David East to leave Emirates Cricket Board
The Englishman will step down at the end of December, ending a six-year stay in his role as chief executive of the Emirates Cricket Board. Read more on that story here.
4:00pm – T20 series on the line for Pakistan and Australia
If Australia were hoping to bring the fight to Pakistan in the T20s after their humbling in the Test series, it did not come in the opening match at Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
The tourists were bundled out for just 89 runs as they fell to a 66-run defeat at the Sheikh Zayed stadium. Aaron Finch and his men will now be desperate to keep the series alive as the scenery now shifts to Dubai for the remaining two games.
As the two sides get ready to do battle in the second T20 on Friday, we look at the key talking points here.
A return on the cards for Australia’s Mitch Marsh.
3:00pm – Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah return to India’s ODI squad
India recalled frontline pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah for the remainder of the ODI series against the West Indies.
The two pacers were given a rest for the first two ODIs after their exertions in the Asia Cup but have now been recalled following a less than satisfactory showing by the Indian fast bowlers against the Windies.
Read more on this breaking story here.
Jasprit Bumrah is back for the remainder of the ODI series.
01:00pm – Ganguly believes Kohli now on par with Tendulkar
Virat Kohli might still have some way to go before catching up with Sachin Tendulkar’s run-haul and centuries but Sourav Ganguly believes that the India skipper is now on par with the legendary former batsman when it comes to ODI cricket.
Kohli broke Tendulkar’s record to become the fastest batsman in history to register 10,000 runs in the format when he slammed an unbeaten 157 in the tied second ODI against the West Indies on Wednesday.
Read what Ganguly had to say on the debate here.
The ‘master’ and the ‘apprentice’.
12:00pm – India’s pace reserves a worry before 2019 World Cup
If the two ODIs so far against the West Indies have taught India anything, it is the fact that their pace arsenal in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar is nothing to shout home about.
Read our take on the state of India’s pace reserves before the 2019 World Cup in England here.
Umesh Yadav was highly expensive in the tied second ODI.
11:00am – Dwayne Bravo retires from international cricket
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo announced his retirement from international cricket on Thursday. The 35-year-old will continue to ply his trade in various T20 franchise leagues around the globe.
Bravo’s last appearance in West Indies colours came in September, 2016 in a T20 clash against Pakistan. S
Read more on this breaking story here.
Bravo will continue playing in T20 leagues around the world.
9:15am – Aaron Finch slams Australia’s batting display
Australia’s meek capitulation with the bat in the opening T20 against Pakistan on Wednesday has led skipper Aaron Finch to label the performance as a ‘car crash’.
The tourists were reduced to 22-6 in their chase of Pakistan’s 155-8 before being bowled out for 89 ultimately. Finch was dismissed for a duck by Imad Wasim who picked up 3-20 on his return to Pakistan’s T20 squad.
Read Finch’s scathing comments in full here.
A bad day in the office for Finch and Australia.
9:00am – Shane Warned joins MCC’s world cricket committee
Former Australia spinner Shane Warne has joined the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and Kumar Sangakkara after being appointed to the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) world cricket committee.
The legendary Australia spinner replaces compatriot Rodney Marsh who is stepping down from the committee after a six-year tenure.
Read more on this story here.
Shane Warne is the latest addition to the world cricket committee.
