Tag: cricket

Steven Smith has been confirmed as a signing for Major League Cricket (MLC) franchise Washington Freedom ahead of the second season of the tournament which begins on July 4. The move had been widely tipped, with Smith having signed as a brand ambassador for Freedom last year, and with Australia's international schedule allowing a clear window for him to participate through July."I'm super excited about joining the Washington Freedom for season two of the MLC," Smith said in a video posted on the Freedom's social media channels. "I can't wait to meet all of my new team-mates and play in front of some incredible crowds in America. I'm also really looking forward to working with Ricky Ponting again, and his amazing staff."Freedom recently announced the signing of Rachin Ravindra, the New Zea...

Nathan Lyon's first Test captain Michael Clarke has questioned Cricket Australia's decision to cap his County Championship stint with Lancashire at just seven games saying it "doesn't make sense" if he is just going to return to home to do a pre-season given Australia do not play their next Test match until November 22.Lyon, 36, had initially signed with Lancashire to play the entire 2024 season across all three formats before a discussion with Australia's selectors saw that stint reduced to just the first half of the season and red-ball cricket only.Lyon, who said he was "pretty disappointed" at the restrictions, and Lancashire were left further frustrated when the first game of the season was washed out, with Lyon bowling just two overs, leaving him available for just six more of the ne...

Melbourne Renegades have poached BBL-winning batter Josh Brown away from Brisbane Heat on a two-year deal as a replacement for the retired Aaron Finch.Brown, 30, burst onto the scene in the last two seasons as a mature-age find for Heat after dominating Brisbane grade cricket and had a huge impact for Heat helping them reach two finals and claim the title last season.In his first 23 matches in the BBL, Brown has made 624 runs at 27.13, striking at 149.64. He rose to national fame in the BBL finals last season smashing 140 from 71 balls, including a BBL record 12 sixes, against Adelaide Strikers in the Challenger to help Heat reach the final before backing that up with a matchwinning 53 in the final against Sydney Sixers.His form led to overseas T20 franchises chasing his services and he t...

Gujarat Titans have done it again. They are incredible at chasing a target down to the point that it almost seems like tempting fate to give them the chance. Here they had to hunt down 197 in conditions where there was no dew, and it still looked bleak when the match winner Rashid Khan came in to bat. They needed 40 off 1517.3 Avesh Khan to Rashid Khan, 1 run Short and wide outside off. Stops in the surface a little and Rashid cuts it towards deep cover point17.4 Avesh Khan to Tewatia, 1 run Slower bumper on middle and off. Tewatia waits an eternity for it before dragging it towards deep square leg17.5 Avesh Khan to Rashid Khan, 1 wide Short and too wide outside off. Rashid swishes and misses, and the umpire has no qualms in stretching out his arms17.5 Avesh Khan to Rashid Khan, 1 wide We...

Former Cricket Australia chair Jack Clarke has passed away in Adelaide aged 70. Clarke was an influential figure in Australian cricket having served on the CA board from 1999 to 2011 and was chair for the final three years of his tenure.The Big Bash League was launched during his time as chair from 2008 to 2011 and he also commissioned the Argus review into the performance of the Australian team following the 2010-11 home Ashes series defeat that led to a reshaping of CA's high performance arm.Clarke, who had a long career as a solicitor after playing grade cricket in Adelaide for Glenelg, also served as a director with the South Australian Cricket Association for 21 years and was made an Honorary Life Member of the SACA in 2012."Jack was an outstanding contributor to Australian, South Au...

Former New Zealand legspinner Jack Alabaster died at the age of 93 in Cromwell on Tuesday night.Considered among the best legspinners to come out of New Zealand, Alabaster played 21 Tests, taking 49 wickets between 1955 and 1972.Alabaster was part of New Zealand's first four Test wins. He was on tours to India and Pakistan in 1955-56, England in 1958, South Africa in 1961-62 and West Indies in 1971-72.He took 22 wickets in five Tests in the series in South Africa, helping New Zealand get their first series draw against them. He took seven wickets in the first match of the series as New Zealand narrowly lost by 30 runs, before returning his career-best match haul of 8 for 180 in New Zealand's first Test win abroad as they drew level 1-1 in the third Test.Representing Otago in domestic cric...

The past week has been unlike any other for 20-year-old Nitish Kumar Reddy. The Andhra allrounder made an unbeaten eight-ball 14 when Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Chennai Super Kings four nights ago. But on Tuesday, he played a bigger role - hitting a 37-ball 64 that lifted a floundering Sunrisers innings from 64 for 4 to 182 for 9, which proved to be match-changing.It wasn't just his batting contribution that was key. Nitish, who bowls lively medium pace in the mid-130s, dismissed Jitesh Sharma in the 16th over with Punjab Kings looking for a late charge.More than the wicket, it was the manner of his setup, of bowling a slower bouncer into the pitch and having Jitesh hack towards the longer boundary, that was even more impressive. Nitish finished with figures of 1 for 33 off three overs. No ...

Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim have been called up for the first time since 2020 and 2023 respectively as Pakistan announced their squad for New Zealand's visit for five T20Is later this month.In the first squad since the PCB announced a selection panel without a chief selector, Pakistan also called up Usman Khan, who formally switched allegiances from the UAE to Pakistan earlier this month. The selectors have also stuck with struggling opener Fakhar Zaman, who endured a torrid PSL with Lahore Qalandars.It is the first Pakistan squad since the recently concluded Pakistan Super League, and it showed as performances in that tournament were rewarded. Azam Khan was retained after his exploits with title winning Islamabad United. United captain and Player of the PSL Shadab Khan, who was dropped ...

Who is the orange cap holder in the 2024 IPL?Virat Kohli is still the leading run-scorer of IPL 2024, having made 316 runs in his five games for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, including the first hundred of the season, against Rajasthan Royals.In second place is Gujarat Titans batter Sai Sudharsan, with 191 runs, followed by Riyan Parag of Royals with 185. Sudharsan's captain, Shubman Gill, is in fourth place, with 183 runs, while Parag's captain Sanju Samson rounds up the top five with 178 runs from four games.Jos Buttler of Royals is the only batter other than Kohli this season to have scored a hundred. He made it off the very last ball of the same match in which Kohli got his century. Kohli, Parag, Samson, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Rishabh Pant and Quinton de Kock have all scored...

The last Chennai Super Kings captain, MS Dhoni, had such a strong connection with this team that he has broken down while talking about them and wants to end his career at their home ground. The new CSK captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, seems to be cut from the same cloth. His connection to this team is the driving force behind his captaincy.Gaikwad, speaking after CSK secured victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, said he doesn't want to change anything just because he's the one in charge right now. He also mentioned that Dhoni had sounded him out about leading CSK in IPL 2022 and in 2023, after every match, he sat down with the coach Stephen Fleming and discussed what he would have done had he been captain."I don't want to be a specific kind of character," Gaikwad said. "Just like to flow things a...