Cricket

Sarfaraz Khan's impressive Test debut against England earlier this year has not yet translated into a permanent spot in the Indian Test XI. Despite his double century for Mumbai in the Irani Cup, KL Rahul's crucial runs in the two Tests against Bangladesh have kept Sarfaraz on the sidelines.Former India cricketer and ex-selector Jatin Paranjape believes that Sarfaraz should remain patient and continue to perform. "There is nothing unfair about Sarfaraz's situation. He was playing because someone else was injured. The competition for batting spots is so intense that, unfortunately, someone will always miss out," Paranjape said.Paranjape also suggested that Sarfaraz could be taken to Australia as a reserve player for the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy. "I feel he might also be taken to Australia as a reserve player. But it's just one of those things—you can only play eleven players, and the best eleven get selected. It's not that he isn't good enough; it's just that there's a lot of competition for those spots right now," he added.India's squad for the three Tests against New Zealand includes Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep.The three-Test series against New Zealand begins in Bengaluru on October 16, followed by matches in Pune and Mumbai.

Teenaged batting prodigy Sam Konstas has earned a coveted opportunity to showcase his talents on the international stage, as he has been named in the Australia A squad for the upcoming red-ball series against India A. This selection marks a significant milestone in Konstas' burgeoning career, as he aims to impress the national selectors and secure a Test debut.Konstas' inclusion in the 17-man squad is a testament to his exceptional performances in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield. The 19-year-old opener lit up the domestic circuit with twin centuries against South Australia, becoming the first teenager to achieve this feat since Ricky Ponting in 1993.With allrounder Cameron Green ruled out of the summer due to injury and Steven Smith likely to move back to his preferred position at No. 4, Konstas has emerged as a potential contender for the first Test against India in Perth. The squad also includes experienced Test players Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, but Matt Renshaw has been omitted.Harris has started the season strongly with a century and a half-century, while Bancroft and Renshaw have struggled in recent matches. South Australia skipper Nathan McSweeney will captain Australia A, a role he has fulfilled on several previous occasions.Allrounder Beau Webster, the reigning Shield player of the season, is also in the mix for Test selection. Fringe Test quicks Scott Boland and Michael Neser have been selected, along with Victoria quick Fergus O'Neill. Offspinners Todd Murphy and Corey Rocchiccioli are also in the squad and will be vying for a spot on Australia's Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year.Cooper Connolly, who made his ODI debut in England, is the only player named in both the ODI and Australia A squads. Josh Philippe and Jimmy Peirson will serve as wicketkeepers.The first four-day game in Mackay ends on November 3, followed by the first ODI on November 4. The second four-day game at the MCG runs from November 7-10, with the second and third ODIs scheduled for November 8 and 10.Australia's national selector, George Bailey, expressed excitement about the squad, particularly given the impressive performances in the early stages of the Sheffield Shield season. He emphasized that the selection process aimed to identify players who could contribute to the upcoming Test summer and reward strong domestic form.

Australian Test captain Pat Cummins has emphasized that representing his country in Test cricket remains his top priority, while acknowledging the need to balance his commitments with the Indian Premier League (IPL).Cummins, who led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL 2024 final, is aware of the new IPL rules that could impact his future participation in the tournament. Under the revised regulations, overseas players who do not register for the player auction in a particular season become ineligible to participate in the following year's auction. Additionally, players who make themselves unavailable after being picked at the auction face a two-season ban."I'll work out in the next little bit what this season looks like. There's a bit of a tweak in the rules, but I don't know whether that would have affected me in the past, I've never pulled out after the auction. But it is one more factor to consider with the IPL," Cummins told The Sydney Morning Herald.Despite the potential implications, Cummins remains steadfast in his commitment to Test cricket. "Test cricket is the absolute No.1 priority, world cups are right up there, and then I think you use them as your tent poles and work out what else makes sense around that," he said.Cummins acknowledged the demanding nature of the international cricket calendar and the need to prioritize his commitments. "The calendar is never going to get any less busy, and I'm not going to get any younger, so these things have always been considerations, and moving forward will become even more so. But needless to say, playing cricket for Australia, particularly Test matches, is my number one job and priority," he added.Looking ahead to the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, Cummins expects a fiercely contested series. "The couple of home series I've played against India there's always an element of attrition to them. The last series came down to the last session at the Gabba on the last day of the last Test match," he said."That's a good thing to keep in mind; it is a long series, and it might be tightly held until the last game, so you've got to manage your resources throughout," the Australia captain added.

Former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid made a special appearance at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, reuniting with captain Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Virat Kohli ahead of the first Test against New Zealand. Dravid's presence brought a sense of nostalgia and inspiration to the practice session, as he shared lighter moments with the players and offered his guidance.Dravid, known for his astute cricketing mind and calm demeanor, remains a revered figure in Indian cricket. His presence at the practice session added motivation to Team India as they prepare for the challenging three-match Test series against New Zealand. The series will serve as a crucial test for India before their all-important five-match Test series against Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.The second Test against New Zealand will take place in Pune starting October 24, while the third and final Test will be held in Mumbai from November 1. The series will also mark the first tour for newly-appointed Kiwi Test skipper Tom Latham as a full-time leader against India. Latham, 32, has led the team in nine matches till date, but this will be his first series as a permanent captain.India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been named Rohit's deputy for the New Zealand series, indicating his potential promotion to a leadership role when the team heads to Australia next month. Young pace sensation Mayank Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna were also named as traveling reserves for the NZ series.The Indian team is determined to put up a strong performance against New Zealand and gain momentum ahead of their highly anticipated series against Australia. Dravid's presence at the practice session served as a reminder of the team's rich cricketing heritage and the importance of unity and preparation.

Pakistan's Pitches: A Graveyard for Bowlers, a Haven for BatsmenIn 1980, Australian pace legend Dennis Lillee famously denounced a pitch in Pakistan as a "graveyard for bowlers." More than four decades later, little has changed.Lillee's frustration stemmed from a wicketless 21-over spell in Faisalabad, where Australia's bowlers toiled in vain as Pakistan piled up 382-2 in reply to Australia's 617 all out. The match ended in a turgid draw.Fast forward to 2023, and the situation remains dire. In the first Test in Multan, England rewrote the record books on a pitch described as "a road" by former captain Michael Vaughan. They amassed 823-7 declared, the fourth highest single innings in Test history.Harry Brook plundered 317 at almost a run a ball, while Joe Root became England's highest Test run scorer during his career-best 262. Their record-breaking stand of 454 for the fourth wicket highlighted the lifeless nature of the pitch.Despite the lack of assistance for bowlers, England's bowlers pulled off an innings and 47-run victory after Pakistan crumbled to 220 all out in their second innings. Pakistan became the first team to score 500 or more and lose a Test by an innings.The lack of help for bowlers in Multan has drawn criticism from experts. England batting great Kevin Pietersen said it was "helping destroy Test cricket." Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram called it a "perennial problem."Rashid Latif, a former Pakistan captain who has studied pitch preparation, believes the pitches are unnecessarily curated in favor of batsmen. "We can prepare good pitches, but our mindset is negative," he said.Former spinner Tauseef Ahmed, who played in the infamous 1980 Faisalabad Test, said Pakistani batters prefer flat pitches to score runs. "Even in domestic matches, we have such pitches so that players score big and get prominence," he said.In the last two years, Pakistan's pitches have become even more docile. Each Test wicket now costs an average of 42.13 runs, the highest anywhere in the world.Experts say the ideal soil mix for a Test pitch is around 60% clay with less sand, as found in Australia. This produces firm and bouncy tracks that begin to take more spin over five days, providing a balance between ball and bat.However, local groundsmen say pitch preparation in Pakistan is a complex process influenced by weather and interference from team management. They also point to the overuse of pitches, which leads to flat surfaces.Latif believes serious work is needed to improve the standard of pitches. He advocates for a research department to ascertain how good pitches can be prepared. He also wants to see Australian Kookaburra balls replaced with those with a more prominent seam to help bowlers.With the second Test in Multan and the third in Rawalpindi on the horizon, it seems unlikely that the bowlers will get any respite soon. Pakistan's pitches remain a graveyard for bowlers and a haven for batsmen.

Pakistan's cricket team has come under fire from former batter Basit Ali following their humiliating defeat to England in the first Test of the three-match series in Multan. The loss marked Pakistan's sixth consecutive Test defeat, extending their winless streak to 10 matches in the format.Ali, in a viral rant on his YouTube channel, expressed his disgust with the team's performance, labeling it as "shameful." He questioned the place of star batter Babar Azam in the team, urging the selectors to drop him. Azam has not scored a Test century in over two years, and Ali believes that any other player would have been dropped long ago."Babar Azam needs rest. He should be the one saying, 'I need to rest'. It's been 18 innings without a significant performance. Any other player would have been dropped after three games, like Fawad Alam. This is the harsh reality. Babar should reduce his stance. It's too wide now. The whole world is laughing. Is this how you play?" Ali said.Ali also criticized captain Shan Masood, suggesting that he should be opening the batting instead of playing at number three. He questioned Masood's credentials as captain, saying, "I've always maintained that Shan is an opener and should be opening. But he played at number three. Now what will happen? Who will you drop? He should play in his rightful position. He doesn't even understand captaincy. What has become of this cricket team? It's shameful."The loss to England continues a painful stretch for Pakistan and will likely increase the pressure on Masood, who is reportedly set to be sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The win is England's fourth consecutive Test triumph on Pakistan soil, after a 3-0 whitewash two years ago. England had only won two away Tests against Pakistan in the previous 61 years.

Pakistan's decision to reuse the same pitch for the second Test against England in Multan has raised eyebrows, but the move is not without precedent. The International Cricket Council (ICC) requires only "the best possible pitch and outfield conditions" for Test matches, with no stipulations that the surface must be fresh or unused.Pakistan's decision may be driven by a desire to level the playing field after their innings defeat in the first Test. The pitch in Multan offered little assistance to bowlers, with 1,599 runs scored for the loss of 26 wickets. England's bowlers were particularly frustrated, with Chris Woakes describing the surface as offering "bugger all."By reusing the same pitch, Pakistan may hope to create conditions that favor their spinners. The bowlers' footmarks from the first Test are dry and cracked, and the fans and harsh sun will further dry them out. This could make it difficult for England's batsmen to play spin, especially if Ben Stokes is selected as a third seamer.Stokes has ramped up his bowling workloads over the past week and bowled at full pace in the nets on Sunday morning. His inclusion would give England a potent bowling attack, but it could also backfire if the pitch does not offer enough assistance to spinners.England, meanwhile, are braced for a lower-scoring match. They will be hoping to take advantage of the dry conditions and exploit any variable bounce that may develop. Kevin Pietersen, the former England captain, described the pitch as a "bowlers' graveyard" on Twitter and suggested that Pakistan should re-use it for the second Test.Pakistan's move is unusual, but it is not without precedent. In 2016, India reused the same pitch for two consecutive Tests against New Zealand in Kanpur. The pitch offered more assistance to spinners in the second Test, and India won by an innings and 115 runs.Whether Pakistan's gamble will pay off remains to be seen. The second Test starts on Tuesday, and the conditions will be closely monitored.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has labeled the current Pakistan side as the "worst" he has seen in history. Vaughan's remark came after Pakistan became the first team to lose a Test after scoring 550 or more runs in the first innings. Despite posting 556 runs in the first innings, England outbatted them in Multan to declare on 823/7. The hosts collapsed for a meager 220 in the second innings, allowing England to seal the match by an innings and 47 runs.Vaughan's criticism of Pakistan was scathing, calling them "the worst Pakistan side I can remember." He attributed their poor performance to a lack of discipline and clarity in their bowling attack. In contrast, Vaughan praised England's approach, who scored well over five runs per over in the first innings and bowled with great discipline."This is the worst Pakistan side I can remember," Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph. "But to make 823 for seven at 5.5 runs an over, while taking few risks and looking in total control, is very special. The most impressive thing for me was the way the bowling attack combined. You could tell what everyone's role was. And they stuck to their task gallantly and were right up for the challenge, which is exactly what Brendon McCullum wants to see."Vaughan's only area of concern for England was about Shoaib Bashir being their first choice spinner over Jack Leach, especially after the latter sparked Pakistan's collapse in the second innings."The one selection point I was not sure about at the start of the summer was opting for Shoaib Bashir over Leach as the front-line spinner," Vaughan added. "I can see Bashir's potential, but Leach outbowled him in Multan, and had a very good season for Somerset. I am a bit old school with spin bowling. Your finger spinner just needs to bowl, bowl, bowl. That is the way to learn, get used to conditions, make subtle variations to your release point, and angle of attack. Bashir just has not bowled that much this summer."Pakistan will now look to bounce back in the series with the second Test starting on October 15.

Pakistan's cricket team has undergone significant changes ahead of the second Test against England, with star batter Babar Azam being dropped from the squad. The decision was made by the newly formed selection committee, which met in Lahore and Multan after Pakistan's chastening innings loss in the first Test.Babar's omission is a major blow to Pakistan, as he is their most experienced and successful batter. However, the selection committee felt that he would benefit from time away from the national side, as he has not scored a Test half-century since December 2022.The selection panel comprises Aaqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Aleem Dar, Hassan Cheema, and the captain and head coach of the format for which the squad is being selected. It is understood that neither Masood nor Gillespie were part of the selection committee meeting on Friday.While some of the mentors were in favor of keeping Babar in the squad, the majority opinion was in favor of dropping him. It is not yet clear whether Babar will make himself available to play the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which is scheduled to begin on October 20.Babar's form has been under scrutiny for some time, and his struggles against England on a flat wicket only intensified the pressure on him. He has now gone 18 innings without a half-century in Test cricket, and his average in nine Tests since the start of 2023 is under 21.The loss of form has coincided with a turbulent time in terms of Babar's leadership status. He resigned as captain from all formats after Pakistan's elimination at the ODI World Cup in 2023, but was reappointed as T20I and ODI captain just four months later. However, he quit captaincy once more in June 2024, citing a desire to focus on his batting.Babar's omission is not the only change to the Pakistan squad. Abrar Ahmed remains in hospital and is unlikely to recover in time for the second Test. Selectors are considering Noman Ali and Sajid Khan as potential replacements. There is also a chance that Shaheen Afridi does not play the second Test, as he continues to struggle to return to his pre-knee injury form.The second Test against England begins on October 15 in Multan. England won the first Test by an innings and 47 runs, putting Pakistan at the bottom of the World Test Championship table.