South African wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen has pulled out of the upcoming CPL 2024 owing to a family emergency. St Lucia Kings drafted Heinrich Klaasen for the current edition of the tournament but due to his unavailability, New Zealand’s Tim Seifert has been included in the squad.
Heinrich Klaasen was roped in by St Lucia Kings in June ahead of the draft and was expected to be a strong recruitment for the tournament. Klaasen previously represented the Guyana Amazon Warriors for five games in 2022 for lukewarm returns but has since emerged as one of the finest batters in the format, boasting a strike rate of 150.18.
Apart from Klaasen, Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza is also a notable absentee from the league. Raza posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he would miss the entire season due to an (unspecified) injury. St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots have yet to name a replacement player.
The Saint Lucia Kings will be hoping that Seifert can replicate his past CPL performances and provide them with the firepower they will miss in Klaasen’s absence.
As per the CPL 2024 schedule, the first match will be played between Antigua and Barbuda Falcons and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on August 29 in Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua.
Apart from listing the CPL 2024 schedule, we have also listed the CPL 2024 squad, CPL 2024 tickets and CPL 2024 live streaming in a separate article for the user’s convenience.
West Indies quick Shannon Gabriel has announced his retirement from international cricket on August 29 with immediate effect.
Making his West Indies debut in 2012, the pacer played 59 tests, 15 ODIs, and 2 T20Is and picked 202 wickets across the formats.
“During the past 12 years, I have dedicated myself to playing international cricket for the West Indies,”wrote Gabriel on Instagram.
“Playing this beloved game at the highest level has brought me immense joy, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Today, I am announcing my retirement from international cricket.”
A West Indies quick has announced his retirement from international cricket 🙌
Gabriel made his test debut against England at Lord’s in 2012, but it was a test match six years later, he made a stunning display claiming 13 wickets in the test match against Sri Lanka in Gros islet, which is the fourth-best match figures by a West Indies bowler.
The former Kiwi cricketer Jacob Oram has been appointed as New Zealand’s bowling coach on August 29 and will take over the role vacated by Shane Jurgensen in November.
He will be joining the New Zealand staff after being the interim bowling coach in last year’s test tour against Bangladesh, and T20I series against Australia in February, and also the recently completed Men’s T20I World Cup in the USA and West Indies.
Oram started his coaching journey in 2014 as a bowling coach with the New Zealand A team and has also guided New Zealand’s women’s team between 2018 and 2021.
Jacob Oram was appointed as Head coach of the Central Hinds when he led the side to their first Super Smash final since 2016. He also served as the assistant coach for Northern Warriors in the Abu Dhabi T10 league and had been the bowling coach of Mumbai Indian Cape Town in the SA20 league.
The former BLACKCAPS and Central Stags allrounder takes over the role vacated by Shane Jurgensen in November 🏏 #CricketNationhttps://t.co/NXhFcOa2cR
While speaking about taking over the position Jacob Oram said, “I’m really excited to have the opportunity to be involved with the Blackcaps again,” he said.
“To be back involved with a team that means so much to me and has been a big part of my life is a real honor.
“The recent opportunities I’ve had have been a great insight into where this team is going and I’m excited to continue that work in the coming seasons.
“There’s a fresh new wave of talent coming through in New Zealand’s bowling ranks and I hope that I can share my knowledge and experience to help best prepare them for the challenges of international cricket.”
Oram has played 33 tests, 160 ODIs, and 36 T20Is across an 11-year international career and featured at three ICC ODI Cricket World Cups and four T20 World Cups.
New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said Oram brought a unique skill set to the role. “Jake’s a great operator,” said Stead.
“His career as a player and his experiences as a coach speak for themselves.
“He brings a deep understanding of the international game, but also experience in franchise cricket which will be worthwhile in understanding the modern player and the changing landscape of the modern game.
“It’s a really exciting opportunity for him and we’re looking forward to having him join the group full-time.”
The Pakistan Cricket Board has revealed a statement about hosting South Africa women in a match T20I series as a preparation for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the UAE.
The South Africa team would play a three T20 international at Multan Cricket Stadium on September 16, 18 and 20. “The series will give an opportunity to both teams to get valuable exposure for the World Cup,” a senior PCB official said.
After the series, South Africa will depart for the UAE on September 21 while Pakistan will leave on September 23.
Pakistan and South Africa will gear up for the Women’s #T20WorldCup 2024 with a three-match series in Multan in September.https://t.co/CVw8GpudTZ
“This T20I series against Pakistan is a critical part of our preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup,” CSA director of cricket Enoch Nkwe said. “It offers the team the invaluable opportunity to gain match practice, allowing us to refine our strategies and ensure that our players are in peak form.”
This will be South Africa’s second tour of Pakistan in just over a year. The teams had faced off in three ODIs and three T20Is between September 1 and 14 last year. South Africa won the ODIs 2-1 while Pakistan swept the T20Is.
“We are incredibly grateful to the PCB for their collaboration and efforts in arranging this series,” Nkwe said. “This series not only helps us prepare for the World Cup but also strengthens the relationship between our two cricket boards as the Proteas Women visit Pakistan for the second time in a year. It’s a testament to the shared commitment we have toward growing the women’s game.
“Moreover, by playing more international matches, we’re providing our players with the platform to showcase their talent and inspire the next generation of cricketers. We look forward to a competitive series that will benefit both teams and further elevate women’s cricket on the world stage.”
At the World Cup, Pakistan is placed in Group A alongside Australia, India, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka while South Africa is in Group B with Bangladesh, England, Scotland, and West Indies.
Abrar Ahmed and Kamran Ghulam have been recalled for the Pakistan squad in the second test against Bangladesh which is scheduled to play at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Both players had been contributing in a four-day match for Pakistan Shaheens against Bangladesh ‘A’ at the Islamabad Club played between August 20-23.
The leg spinner Abrar, is known for his exceptional control and ability with the ball could assist Pakistan in the second test. Kamran, a middle-order batsman, brings depth to the batting lineup.
“Abrar Ahmed and Kamran Ghulam have joined the Pakistan Test squad ahead of the second Test match against Bangladesh, scheduled to take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 30 August to 3 September,” said PCB.
in addition to these inclusions, Aamir Jamal has been recalled to the squad, although his participation in the second squad is subjected to fitness clearance. He has been working on his fitness at the National Cricket Academy after being released from the squad earlier.
With a stunning show from spinners Shakib Al Hasan and Mehidy Hasan, Bangladesh scripted history by registering their first-ever victory over Pakistan in Test cricket through a ten-wicket win in the first match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The second test will be played between August 30 and September 03 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan squad for the Second Test against Bangladesh: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abrar Ahmed, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
England batter Harry Brook and Pakistan batter Mohammad Rizwan have reached career-best positions in the ICC Men’s Test Rankings after their stunning performances for their side over the past week.
Brook scored 56 and 32 in the first test match of Sri Lanka’s tour of England in Manchester which lifted him three places to fourth position. Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan entered the top 10 for the first time after his stunning knock of 171* and 51.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Mushfiq’s match-winning 191 in the first test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi has helped him to advance seven places to a career-best of 17th position.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka batters Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis secured 23rd and 36th place respectively. Bangladesh’s Liton Das jumped two places to the 27th ranking while England’s Jamie Smith jumped 22 places to the 42nd position.
In the Test bowling rankings, England’s Chris Woakes advances four places to 16th place after picking three wickets each in both innings against Sri Lanka while Fernando is up to 10 places to 17th after also finishing with six wickets in the match.
Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah (four places up to 33rd), England’s bowler Gus Atkinson (four places up to 42nd position), and Matthew Potts (Five places up in 57th) are the prominent movers in the bowling rankings.
In Men’s T20I player rankings, Nicholas Pooran has moved into the top 10 after 65*, 19, and 35 in a 3-0 victory over South Africa in Trinidad. Meanwhile, South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks is another one to gain moving up to 13th position.
In the bowling rankings, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein of the West Indies has moved up four places to second position after taking four wickets in the three matches. The left-arm spinner from his team is just one position behind Hosein after moving 10 positions while Romario Shepherd is up to 31st position.
The England left-hand batter Dawid Malan announced his retirement from international cricket on August 28, 2024.
The 37-year-old top-order batter has announced his decision after being snubbed from the England squad for the ODI and T20I series against Australia. He played for England and scored centuries across formats after making his international debut in the T20I against South Africa in 2017.
Since then, he played 62 T20Is and was one of the most dependable no.3 batters in the shortest format. He has sixteen fifties and a century in T20Is and also played 22 test matches and 30 ODIs for England and was known for his calm and composed character.
He was part of England’s T20 World Cup winning squad in 2022 and after that World Cup, he has proved to be a consistent performer in ODI cricket with five centuries in 15 innings.
Dawid Malan (image: X)
Despite his White-ball success, Malan admitted that he wanted to do well for his country in the longest format of the game as well with the last test appearance being in January 2022.
“Test cricket was always the pinnacle for me growing up,” said Dawid Malan. “At times I played well but in between just wasn’t good enough or consistent enough, which was disappointing because I felt I was a better player than that. Then again, I exceeded all expectations of myself in white-ball formats.
“I took all three formats extremely seriously, but the intensity of Test cricket was something else: five days plus the days building up. I’m a big trainer; I love hitting lots of balls, and I’d train hard during the build-up. The days were long and intense. You can’t switch off.
“I found it very mentally draining, especially the long Test series that I played, where my performances dropped off from the third or fourth Test onwards.”
He will be likely to play in franchise cricket across the globe now after his international retirement and in the past has played one game for Punjab Kings during the 2021 edition.
Malan was also part of the Oval Invincibles squad that won The Hundred 2024 and is likely to play in the SA20 for Sunrisers Hyderabad who won the 2024 edition of the league.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has said that Shakib Al Hasan will continue to play for the national team until proven guilty as the cricketer being named in the FIR relating to a murder case.
Shakib along with 146 others has been named in a FIR for their involvement in a murder that took place during the anti-government protests in Bangladesh.
The BCB has recently received a legal notice against Sakib from a Supreme Court lawyer representing a man whose father was murdered. The legal notice asked for the removal of the cricketer from the Bangladesh team as per the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rules.
But Farquee Ahmed has confirmed that Sakib will continue to play for Bangladesh. “He [Shakib] will continue playing. We received a legal notice regarding bringing him back, and we replied to them,” said newly appointed BCB president Faruque Ahmed.
Shakib Al Hasan (image: x)
“The Bangladesh team will go to India after the Pakistan series, and we want him in that series as well. He is our contracted player, and if necessary, we will provide him with legal assistance.”
Shakib will not be returning to Bangladesh after the second test against Pakistan which ends on September 03. He will travel to England to take part in a four-day match for Surrey. Here, Shakib will return to India for a two-match series which starts on September 19.
“He [Shakib] has not played red-ball cricket for a while, and that is why we have given him an NOC to play for Surrey, as it will help him adjust to red-ball cricket more than anything else,” said a BCB official.
The County Championship first division match between Somerset and Surrey will be played between September 09 and 12 at County Ground, Taunton.
Former cricketer Zaheer Khan is set to join Lucknow Super Giants as a mentor ahead of IPL 2025. Recently, the franchise has been in talks with the former Indian pacer on taking over the mentor role.
But the franchise is yet to make an official announcement, the former bowler could take up the role of the bowling coach as Morne Morkel joined the Indian coaching setup as bowling coach under Gautam Gambhir.
Zaheer has been involved in various roles with different IPL franchises over the years. After playing in the cash-rich league for 10 seasons between 2008 and 2017. He becomes Mumbai Indians’ Director of Cricket and Head of Global Development serving from 2018-2022.
Zaheer Khan has played 92 tests, 200 ODIs, and 17 T20Is for India and has also featured in 100 IPL games where he represented Delhi Daredevils (Delhi Capitals), Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. His last IPL game come from the year 2017.
During his international cricket career, Zaheer has picked up 311 test wickets and overall 610 scalps in 309 international matches across all formats for Men in Blue. He is considered as one of the greatest left-arm pacers to have played the sport.
Lucknow Super Giants(Image: IPL)
The LSG is keen on giving the former Indian cricketer a bigger role. The Super Giants had already roped in a star-studded coaching panel ahead of the 2024 edition, with Justin Langer as coach and Lance Klusener and Adam Voges as assistant coaches.
The Lucknow Super Giants had qualified for the playoffs in their first two seasons after making their debut in 2022.
LSG the most expensive team in the IPL was bought by Goenka in 2022 for INR 7090 crores as an exchange at that time. They reached the playoffs in their first two seasons before losing the playoff spot in IPL 2024 due to a low net run rate.
The Super Giants are also likely to release KL Rahul ahead of the IPL 2025 as owner Sanjiv Goenka could announce soon. After a 10-wicket thrashing defeat in the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad who chased down 166 in 9.5 overs at Hyderabad this year, Goenka had a chat with Rahul.
The franchise will look for a fresh look as the franchise is gearing up for the mega auction. The IPL is likely to announce the retention rules by early September.
Current honorary secretary of the BCCI Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the Independent Chair of the ICC and will assume his position on 1 December 2024.
As per a report in ICC, on August 20, it was announced that current ICC Chair Greg Barclay would not seek a third term and would step down at the conclusion of his tenure in November.
With the appointment, Shah will become the youngest head of the ICC, 35. He will hold a term of three years with an option to continue for three more years. Shah will now have to relinquish his BCCI post, which he has held since 2019.
Shah expressed his intent to advance the global reach and popularity of cricket, particularly with its upcoming inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympics – a moment he views as a pivotal opportunity for the sport’s growth.
“I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council. I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalize cricket.
We stand at a critical juncture where it is increasingly important to balance the coexistence of multiple formats, promote the adoption of advanced technologies, and introduce our marquee events to new global markets. Our goal is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before”, Shah stated.
He added: “While we will build on the valuable lessons learned, we must also embrace fresh thinking and innovation to elevate the love for cricket worldwide. The inclusion of our sport in the Olympics at LA 2028 represents a significant inflection point for the growth of cricket, and I am confident that it will drive the sport forward in unprecedented ways.”
The ICC said: “Shah’s election marks a new chapter for the ICC as it seeks to expand the game’s reach and continue its evolution on the global stage.”
The Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin backs the impact player rule which is a prevalent topic in the Indian Premier League stating that it provides ‘more value for strategy.’
In IPL 2024, the impact player rule was one of the most debatable topics regarding the implementation of the rule. Since the implementation of the rule in 2023, franchises have enjoyed a lengthy batting unit, which has led to some high-run-scoring fest.
India skipper Rohit Sharma for example, previously stated that the restriction has hampered the development of all-rounders in the country.
Ashwin gave his take on the rule and said on Kris Srikkanth’s YouTube show Cheeky Chekka. “Why I think the Impact Player rule is not so bad is because it gives a little more value for strategy,” said Ashwin. “The other side of that argument is it doesn’t encourage allrounders. But no one is stopping them.
“In this generation, they don’t do it [batters bowling and vice-versa]. It’s not like they’re discouraged because of the Impact Player rule. Look at Venkatesh Iyer, he’s currently rocking for Lancashire. There’s an opportunity for innovation and it makes the game fairer.”
Ashwin brought in an example from Qualifier 02 of IPL 2024 to underline his stance. “When Dew has the potential to make games one-sided, teams bowling second get an extra option as a counter. If you’re batting second, you can tactically make a substitution by offloading the extra bowler for a batter.
“Games are tighter, an extra player is getting to play. Barring Kolkata or Mumbai, where scores skyrocketed, they haven’t been a drastic change elsewhere. Like at Punjab Kings’ home venue [Mullanpur], they were all 160-170 games.”
“If a franchise has released a player because they don’t see him in their top four or five, then what gives them the right to jump in during an auction”
Ashwin made a debate that several players had moved up the ranks, even into the national team as a result of the rule.
He further cited that many players have broken into the Indian setup because of this rule. He gave the examples of Shivam Dube, and Dhruv Jurel stating that, if it was not for the impact player rule, they wouldn’t have had the opportunity to showcase their skills.
“Shahbaz Ahmed, Shivam Dube most importantly, Dhruv Jurel… If not for the Impact Player rule, he may have never gotten the chance. So the emergence of a lot of players has happened. I’m not saying that’s the only way for players to emerge, but it’s not so bad.”
With the mega auction coming up, the Right to Match hasn’t been used at IPL auctions since 2018, but the IPL is still debating on the retention rules for the auction and the reintroducing RTM is one of the things on the table.
“If a franchise has released a player because they don’t see him in their top four or five, then what gives them the right to jump in during an auction,” Ashwin argued.
“You give the option to the player asking if he wants to be right to match. There should be a contract binding the two parties, which says he can be RTMed only if the price is X amount and leave that pre-determined amount to be decided by the player.”
However, there is one rule in the IPL, that Ashwin wants to be scrapped, and that is the Right to Match. He added that if a team releases a player because they don’t want him in the top 5 retentions, then the franchise will jump in for him during the auction while using the RTM card.
The pacer Olly Stone has been added to England’s Playing 11 for the second test in Sri Lanka’s tour of England 2024 replacing injured Mark Wood. Stone is set to make his first test appearance since 2021 and will be the only change to the side.
Mark Wood has been ruled out for the remaining two tests in the series after picking up a thigh strain on day three of the opening test at Headingley.
Uncapped Seamer Josh Hull has been included in the 13-player squad for the third test. England will be go with the relative experience of Stone who won the most recent of his three test caps in an eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand at Edgbaston in June 2021.
Mark Wood (image: X)
“It’s been pretty frightening… the way he’s come in and bowled this summer is very exciting,”Stone said. “Hopefully, I can go out there and try to touch his speeds. He’s obviously up there with the fastest in the world so I’m not sure if I’ll match it – but I’ll give it a good shot.”
Stone has taken 11 wickets for Nottinghamshire this season, but will be joining the England squad for the test series. On the other hand, the national selector Luke Wright has hinted that Sam Cook would come into the squad if Chris Woakes had been injured, rather than wood.
“Sam has been very aware of how we’re looking to balance our pace attack, and he’s close,” Wright said. “I feel for Sam. He’s an incredible bowler, and you’re never that far away. If it had maybe been Woakesy, or a different [injured bowler], then it might bring him into it more.
“But once we lost Woody, we wanted to try to keep that pace into it and have that variety in attack, and obviously that’s where having a big 6ft 7in left-armer that we could bring in, that’s why he got the nod ahead of him. But look, for Sam, he’s certainly on the radar. He’s missed out this time, but it doesn’t mean he does down the line.”
The second test match will be played between August 29 and September 02 at Lord’s.
England Playing 11 for Sri Lanka’s second test: Daniel Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Shoaib Bashir
