Good morning cricket fans, and welcome to Monday’s live cricket blog.
The Sport360 team is in place bringing you the latest cricket news from around the world. We will be bringing you all the news from the deciding Test between Pakistan and New Zealand which gets under way today in Abu Dhabi.
We will also be looking ahead to the four-match Test series between Australia and India which begins from Thursday.
As always, get in touch with us through Facebook and Twitter.
7:30 pm – Mixed emotions for Walsh
Bangladesh coach and former West Indies bowling great Courtney Walsh confessed to having mixed emotions after his compatriots were routed by an innings by the team he now guides.
For more, click here.
6:00 pm – Pakistan spinners on song
Pakistan spinners Yasir Shah and Bilal Asif shared five wickets between them on the opening day of the third and final Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi to give the hosts the upper hand.
More here.
2:00pm – India’s bowlers backed to shine despite tour game display
While India’s bowlers might have conceded 544 runs in their warm up game against a Cricket Australia XI, batsman Cheteshwar Pujara remains confident that they can do the job in the upcoming four-match Test series against Australia.
Read what Pujara had to say on India’s bowling unit here. The need for India’s bowlers to adapt is among our three things needed for the tourists to win a maiden Test series in Australia. Read more on that here.
Cheteshwar Pujara.
1:00pm – Chris Gayle lands big payout in defamation case
Star West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has been awarded a US$221,000 payout in his defamation case against Australia-based Fairfax Media.
The 39-year-old had been accused of exposing his genitals to masseuse Leanne Rusell in a series of articles published by Fairfax Media-owned Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times and The Age in 2016.
Read more on this story here.
West Indies icon Chris Gayle.
9:45am – New Zealand elect to bat first in decider against Pakistan
New Zealand will bat first in the third and final Test against Pakistan after skipper Kane Williamson won the toss at Abu Dhabi.
Will Pakistan complete a come-from-behind series win or will the Kiwis attain their first Test series win on Asian soil since 2008? Do not miss any of the action from the decider at Abu Dhabi by following our ball-by-ball coverage here.
Shaheen Afridi (l) will make his Test debut for Pakistan.
9:30am – Shakib Al Hasan hails Bangladesh’s landmark win
Bangladesh star all-rounder and skipper Shakib Al Hasan has hailed his side’s ‘special’ series clinching win over the West Indies in the second Test at Mirpur.
Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan picked up a 12-wicket haul as Bangladesh beat the Windies by an innings and 184 runs inside just three days.
Read what Shakib had to say on Bangladesh’s landmark win here.
A historic maiden Test win by an innings for the Tigers.
9:00am – ACC chief bats for more India v Pakistan clashes
Newly appointed Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief Nazmul Hasan has called on India and Pakistan to play more bilateral matches between themselves in the interest of the game.
Bilateral cricket relations between the two Asian arch-rivals remains at a standstill and matches remain limited to ICC and ACC events like the recent Asia Cup held in the UAE.
Read Nazmal Hasan’s quotes in full here.
ACC chief Nazmal Hasan (l).
8:30am – Northern Warriors storm to T10 title
Northern Warriors gave another glimpse of their awesome hitting power as they stormed to a 22-run win in the final of the T10 League against Pakhtoon in Sharjah on Sunday.
The Warriors posted an imposing 140-3, with Caribbean batsman Rovman Powell leading the way with 61 from just 25 deliveries, an innings that included eight hits to the fence and four over it.
Read more on the Warriors’ title win here.
Northern Warriors won the second edition of the T10 League.
8:00am – Shaheen Afridi to make Pakistan Test bow
Pakistan will hand a Test debut to teenage pacer Shaheen Afridi when they take on New Zealand in the series decider in Abu Dhabi from Monday.
The 18-year-old was expected to make his Test bow after a shoulder injury to seamer Mohammad Abbas.
Read what Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed had to say about Afridi’s potential debut here.
A Pakistan Test bow coming up for Shaheen Afridi.
