Wednesday, April 23
Pat Cummins, Jasprit Bumrah, and Dane Paterson have been shortlisted for the ICC Men’s Player of December 2024. Cummins led Australia to a 3-1 series win against India, claiming 17 wickets. Bumrah excelled with 32 wickets despite India’s series loss. Paterson's key performances helped South Africa secure their spot in the WTC25 Final.
New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd criticizes Virat Kohli's confrontation with Australian opener Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test. Shipperd believes the incident deserved harsher punishment and praises Konstas' aggressive batting style, predicting a bright future for the young player.
Jasprit Bumrah's absence due to a back spasm cost India a crucial match against Australia, resulting in a series loss and failure to qualify for the WTC final. Former cricketer Balwinder Sandhu believes Bumrah's presence could have changed the outcome. Sandhu also criticized Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for their poor performance in the series.
Sunil Gavaskar emphasizes the need to give emerging domestic pacers a fair chance to prevent overburdening Jasprit Bumrah. He praises the selection committee, especially for recognizing talent like Nitish Kumar Reddy. Gavaskar underlines the importance of honest self-assessment and good selections to build a strong, balanced bowling attack capable of winning in any conditions.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has rejected calls from over 160 lawmakers to boycott England's Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan, citing a preference for a coordinated International Cricket Council (ICC) approach to address the Taliban's persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan, rather than taking unilateral action.
In the fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney, Damien Fleming highlighted Jasprit Bumrah's rare aggression, which rallied his team. Bumrah took 32 wickets and stood out despite India's loss. Fleming credited Bumrah but also acknowledged Travis Head's performance and the potential of Prasidh Krishna and young talents like Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Cameron Norrie avoided disqualification after accidentally hitting a spectator with his racket during an ATP Tour tournament in Auckland. The uninjured woman laughed off the incident as Norrie apologised. The Briton, who was born in Auckland, went on to lose the match. As per rules, he could have been disqualified.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will use a hybrid model. Matches will be played in Pakistan and Dubai. India's refusal to travel to Pakistan led to this decision. India will play in Dubai. This arrangement gives India an advantage, according to some former Pakistan players, who feel this is unfair. The tournament runs from February 19 to March 9.
Sunil Gavaskar suggests that following India's failure to qualify for the World Test Championship final, selectors might make significant changes to the Test squad for the England series starting in mid-June, focusing on future prospects with an eye towards the next final in 2027.
Sunil Gavaskar criticises Virat Kohli's shoulder bump with Sam Konstas during the Boxing Day Test at the MCG as 'simply not cricket.' Gavaskar suggests that Kohli's reaction to Australian fans' booing increased pressure on his teammates and contributed to his inconsistent performance throughout the series. Kohli’s on-field antics were coupled with his struggles in form. After scoring an unbeaten century in Perth, he failed to maintain consistency throughout the series.
