Cricket

South Africa's cricketers are yearning for more bilateral series matches to enhance their competitiveness and momentum as a national team, according to middle-order batter Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen expressed his frustration with the limited number of matches South Africa plays, stating that it hinders their development and ability to challenge top teams."We don't play five-match series anymore," Klaasen said. "It's disappointing, and it doesn't sit well with the players. We want to play more cricket against these guys and other countries, but we always find a way to just play two or three games."Klaasen's concerns extend beyond the T20 format. He believes that South Africa's Test team is also suffering from a lack of match practice, with the recent two-Test series against Australia being a prime example. "It's ridiculous in my eyes," he said. "We want to play more cricket against these guys."Klaasen's comments highlight the challenges facing South African cricket. The team has not won a bilateral series in two years and has struggled to maintain consistency in all formats. The lack of match practice has contributed to this decline, as players have limited opportunities to develop their skills and build momentum.In contrast, teams like India have been able to maintain a high level of performance due to their extensive match schedule. India has played three five-match T20I series since August last year and has a busy Test schedule in the coming months. This allows their players to gain valuable experience and maintain their form.Klaasen believes that South Africa could benefit from a similar approach. He suggests that the team could split its squads to compete in multiple formats simultaneously, as England and India have done. However, this would require a significant increase in the number of matches played, which may not be feasible given the current financial constraints.Despite the challenges, Klaasen remains optimistic about South Africa's future. He believes that the team has the potential to be competitive if they are given the opportunity to play more matches. "We want to play more cricket against these guys, and against the other countries as well," he said. "We just need to find a way to make it happen."

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has issued a stern warning to India, stating that Pakistan will not be expected to make "good gestures" indefinitely following India's alleged refusal to visit Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.Naqvi's comments come amidst reports that India has declined to travel to Pakistan for the tournament, which is scheduled to take place in early 2025. The Champions Trophy will feature two groups of four teams each, with participants including Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa, and defending champions Pakistan."In recent years, Pakistan has extended numerous good gestures. However, we hope we are not expected to always do so," Naqvi told reporters in Lahore, as quoted by Geo News.India and Pakistan have not engaged in a bilateral cricket series since the 2012-13 Pakistan tour of India, due to strained political relations. Since then, the two teams have only faced each other in major International Cricket Council (ICC) white-ball events and Asia Cup tournaments.The last Test series between these Asian rivals took place in December 2007 in India. India's last tour of Pakistan for a bilateral series was in 2006, with their most recent visit to Pakistan being for the Asia Cup in 2008.Last year, Pakistan was set to host the Asia Cup in full, but India played its matches in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model. The latest encounter between the two nations occurred during this year's ICC T20 World Cup on July 9 at Nassau County Stadium, New York, USA. India, batting first, scored 119, with Rishabh Pant contributing 42 runs. Jasprit Bumrah's impressive 3/14 then restricted Pakistan to 113/7, securing India a thrilling six-run victory.Naqvi's warning reflects Pakistan's growing frustration over India's reluctance to play bilateral cricket in Pakistan. The PCB has repeatedly expressed its desire to host India for a series, but India has cited security concerns as a reason for its refusal.The PCB's stance is supported by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which has urged India to reconsider its position. The ICC has stated that it is committed to ensuring the safety of all teams participating in its events, including those held in Pakistan.It remains to be seen whether India will change its stance and agree to play in Pakistan. However, Naqvi's warning is a clear indication that Pakistan is no longer willing to tolerate India's reluctance to play bilateral cricket in the country.

Pakistan and India Should Play Cricket Matches in Each Other's Countries, Says Saeed AjmalFormer Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has called for the resumption of bilateral cricket matches between India and Pakistan, emphasizing the immense love between the two nations. Ajmal believes that such matches would foster goodwill and strengthen the bond between the neighboring countries.Pakistan last toured India in 2012/13 for a limited-overs series, while India's last visit to Pakistan was for the 2008 Asia Cup. Since then, political tensions have prevented the two teams from playing bilateral series, with their encounters limited to multi-nation tournaments."Even if the India versus Pakistan match happens on the moon, it will be huge," said Ajmal at the launch of the GloFans High School Cricket Cup. "There is a lot of love between India and Pakistan, and we must go to each other's countries."Ajmal, who represented Pakistan in 35 Tests, 113 ODIs, and 64 T20Is, also stressed the importance of promoting Test cricket. "There is a need to promote long-format cricket," he said. "The ones who play the longest format can play any other format."The former spinner praised the current crop of star batters, including Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Babar Azam, and Rohit Sharma. He also lauded India's fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was named Player of the Tournament in India's triumph at the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup."Bumrah is a very intelligent bowler, and intelligence is required with speed," Ajmal concluded.

The absence of bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan has left fans yearning for the return of those thrilling encounters. The last such instance was in 2012-13, with the two teams only facing each other in multi-nation tournaments since then.Recently, Cricket Australia expressed interest in hosting an India-Pakistan series in Australia, but it didn't garner much interest from the two boards. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, India secured a narrow victory over Pakistan in the group stage, eventually winning the trophy.Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has questioned the BCCI's reluctance to travel to Pakistan, highlighting that teams like Australia have done so. He emphasized the love and support Indian cricketers have received in Pakistan, and the mutual desire for a bilateral series.Akmal, who toured India several times, believes that political matters should be kept aside to allow cricket to flourish. He pointed out that Pakistan has worked hard to bring cricket back to the country, and that both governments should facilitate the resumption of bilateral series.The upcoming Champions Trophy in Pakistan is also in doubt due to political tensions. Akmal urged both governments to prioritize cricket over politics, allowing the tournament to take place in Pakistan.Regarding Pakistani players in the IPL, Akmal acknowledged the BCCI's rules but expressed that the debate would end if bilateral series resumed. He emphasized that Pakistan has its own PSL and is not dependent on the IPL.

India's dominance over Sri Lanka in bilateral series has been a long-standing tradition, with India remaining undefeated since 1997. However, the recent two-match series has thrown a curveball, with Sri Lanka emerging victorious in both encounters.Despite India's recent dominance, their batting performance in this series has been underwhelming. The middle order, in particular, has struggled, with no batter at positions 3, 4, 5, or 6 accumulating even 40 runs.Rohit Sharma's aggressive approach in the powerplay and Axar Patel's contributions from No. 7 have been the saving graces for India's batting. However, Washington Sundar, an India player, has defended his team's batting prowess, attributing their struggles to the challenging spin-friendly pitches."We're quality players of spin," Sundar asserted. "We've always played on these kinds of pitches, even at home, even in Test matches. In domestic cricket, we play a lot of games on such wickets."Sri Lanka's lower-middle order batters, particularly Dunith Wellalage, have played a crucial role in their victories, forming vital partnerships in the last 10 overs. India's inability to prevent these partnerships has been a major factor in their downfall."We'd love to get them out for 200 or less than that," Sundar said. "We had them in that situation in both matches. With big tournaments coming up, we'll be in similar situations, and it's an opportunity for us to find a way to get the job done in crunch situations."India's batting has also faced challenges against Sri Lanka's unusual bowling attack, which includes a finger spinner who can bowl with either arm and a mystery spinner who bowls a mix of offbreaks, googlies, and legbreaks. India has attempted to counter this by maintaining a left-right combination at the crease, but the strategy has yet to fully succeed.Coach Gautam Gambhir has been actively involved in helping the team develop their strategy against spin. "There's been a lot of inputs from [Gambhir]," Sundar said. "He's a high-quality player of spin. We've always seen him putting up great performances on such wickets, especially against quality spin-bowling."As India prepares for the Champions Trophy, where they may face similar spin-friendly conditions, the team is determined to improve their performance and regain their dominance over Sri Lanka.

South Africa and Afghanistan are set to embark on a historic three-match ODI series in Sharjah from September 18 to 22. This marks the first-ever bilateral series between the two nations, a testament to the growing stature of Afghanistan cricket.The series was not initially part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP), but the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) reached an agreement to host the event. CSA Chairman Lawson Naidoo hailed the series as a "significant milestone" in the partnership between the two boards.Afghanistan's recent performances in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 and ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 have earned them widespread recognition as a competitive all-round team. Naidoo expressed excitement about facing such a formidable opponent.ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf echoed Naidoo's sentiments, stating that the series would provide Afghanistan with an opportunity to host and play against a top-ranked team like South Africa. He expressed hope for regular future encounters between the two nations.Before heading to the UAE, South Africa will face West Indies in a two-Test and three-T20I series in the Caribbean starting August 7. For Afghanistan, the South Africa series comes on the heels of their maiden Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida, India, scheduled for September 9 to 13.The South Africa-Afghanistan ODI series will provide both teams with valuable preparation ahead of their respective international commitments. South Africa will face Ireland in a two-T20I and three-ODI series in Abu Dhabi starting September 27, while Afghanistan will participate in the Asia Cup 2024 in September.

India's Participation in Pakistan-Hosted Champions Trophy UncertainTeam India's participation in the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in Pakistan next year, is in jeopardy, according to sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The sources indicate that a change of venue or a hybrid model is likely, with bilateral series between India and Pakistan remaining highly unlikely.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, recently suggested that a bilateral series with India could be considered if India sends its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy. However, BCCI sources have dismissed this possibility, stating that Team India may not even travel to Pakistan for the tournament.The sources cited the current strained relations between India and Pakistan as a major factor in the decision. They emphasized that the Indian government's permission would be required for the team to travel to Pakistan, and such permission is unlikely given the current political climate."Forget bilateral series...Team India may not even travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy," a source told IANS. "There might be a change of venue, a hybrid model is also possible."The Champions Trophy is an ICC event, which makes India's decision a difficult one. However, the sources stressed that the government's approval is paramount."Bilateral series, I don't see in the near future, that's next to impossible," the source added.India and Pakistan last played a bilateral limited-overs series in 2012-13, when Pakistan toured India. In 2023, India declined to send its team to the Asia Cup in Pakistan, leading to the adoption of a hybrid model for the tournament.Currently, India and Pakistan only face each other during ICC and continental events.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has expressed openness to the possibility of playing bilateral series with India if the Indian team visits Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy next year.Naqvi's comments came in response to a recent interview by Indian captain Rohit Sharma, who praised the Pakistan cricket team and said it would be "awesome" to play the neighbors in a Test series overseas."If any options in this regard come, we will consider it, but our target right now is to host the Champions Trophy and first let India come for the tournament," Naqvi said. "Right now, till the CT, there is no slot available as our team has a packed itinerary.""Once they come here first, then we can look at any proposal whenever it comes before us," he added.The two teams last played a bilateral limited-overs series in 2012-13, when Pakistan visited India. However, India has refused to play any Tests against Pakistan since 2007, when the two countries engaged in a rubber on Indian soil.Last year, India declined to send its team for the Asia Cup matches in Pakistan, forcing the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to adopt a hybrid model for the event, with most matches being held in Sri Lanka.Naqvi met with BCCI secretary Jay Shah during an ICC meeting in Dubai in February. The meeting was seen as a positive step towards improving relations between the two cricket boards.If India does agree to play a bilateral series in Pakistan, it would be a significant development in the cricketing rivalry between the two nations. The series would likely attract a huge amount of attention and would be a major boost for Pakistan cricket.

Cricket Ireland has made the difficult decision to postpone its highly anticipated bilateral series against Australia this summer due to financial constraints. The series, which would have marked the first-ever men's bilateral encounter between the two nations, was scheduled for late August and included three ODIs and a T20I.Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland's chief executive, explained that the decision was made after careful consideration of the organization's financial situation. Ireland's lack of a permanent home stadium and the high costs associated with staging international cricket, including the need for significant temporary infrastructure, made it financially unfeasible to host Australia.Deutrom emphasized that the postponement highlights the urgent need for a permanent stadium in Ireland. He pointed to plans for a high-performance center at the Sport Ireland campus in Abbotstown, but acknowledged that the organization must compete for government funding with other priorities.Despite the setback, Deutrom defended Cricket Ireland's decision, stating that it is part of a broader effort to "rebalance our spend" and invest more in women's and age-group teams. He emphasized that Ireland will continue to play a significant number of international matches this year, including upcoming series against Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.The postponement of the Australia series has raised questions about Cricket Ireland's financial management, particularly the recent purchase of two Tesla cars for senior officials. Deutrom defended the decision, explaining that the cars were purchased as part of a fleet renewal and that one has since been returned.