Irfan heads home after suffering cramp
     
                                                                   

Mohammad Irfan has been ruled out of the remainder of the England tour after suffering cramps during his comeback match in the fourth ODI at Headingley. Hasan Ali will replace him in the T20 squad.
A statement from the PCB said that Irfan's cramp began in his hamstrings before developing in both his right and left calf and that he will be sent back to the National Cricket Academy to work on his fitness.
Irfan, who was called into the squad after Mohammad Hafeez was ruled out, had started promisingly on his return, removing Alex Hales and Jason Roy during a lively five-over opening spell, and also troubled Eoin Morgan. After spending time off the field he tried to bowl again for the 42nd over of the innings but could only manage one delivery, a wide that did not touch the pitch, before walking off again.
Mickey Arthur, the Pakistan coach, did not hide his frustrations in the dressing room but later defended Irfan's call-up despite his very limited recent cricket, insisting that "checks and balances" had been in place.
Shortly before the news of Irfan's withdrawal was confirmed Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan's bowling coach, said it had to be acknowledged that Irfan's size made him a unique case.
"Definitely Mickey was unhappy and as bowling coach I was unhappy as well. We had a chance to win that game the other day," Mahmood said. "Unfortunately, everyone gets cramp. He is a big guy and his body is totally different to a normal human. But he got cramps."
Mahmood, who took on his current role at the start of this series, replacing Mushtaq Ahmed who had been bowling coach for the Test series, defended Pakistan's attack and said he had seen improvement after they conceded the world record 444 for at Trent Bridge.
"They bowled really well [at Headingley] and if Irfan wasn't getting cramps, it was a different ball game. Definitely, we didn't bowl well enough in Nottingham. If you see Trent Bridge, every score is at least 381 in the last 50 over-games. Unfortunately we didn't bowl well, but we are working hard on our skills, our line and length and all disciplines.
"We didn't bowl any no-balls in the last game, we bowled five beforehand so this is a positive and we have a young guy, Hasan Ali, who is promising. He has shown some grit and we see Umar Gul is back. He didn't bowl well in Southampton but he has come back - it's totally different when you are playing in a match and in a tough situation. Under pressure, you do different things, you know."

Samaraweera appointed Bangladesh batting consultant

 
                                                               
                                                               
                                                                        
Facebook                                                                 
Thilan Samaraweera has previously served as batting consultant to Australia
Former Sri Lanka batsman Thilan Samaraweera has been appointed as Bangladesh batting consultant for the upcoming home series against England. This will be his second stint in this role with an international team, having already worked as batting consultant to Australia earlier this year.
BCB president Nazmul Hassan said on Friday that Samaraweera would be available only for one series, but added that the contract could be extended. He also said that the BCB was looking for a spin bowling coach, who could be appointed before Bangladesh's tour to New Zealand later this year.
"Thilan Samaraweera, the batting specialist, has been hired for the England series as a consultant," Hassan said. "We will see if we want to extend him. We are still looking for a spin bowling coach. [We will] get the best among those available. We hope to appoint one before the New Zealand series."
Meanwhile, fielding coach Richard Halsall has been promoted to the position of assistant coach after Ruwan Kalpage was sacked last month for ignoring instructions to report to duty. Halsall was part of the major shake-up in the coaching staff that came about in mid-2014, when head coach Chandika Hathurusingha was appointed.

 Thakur casts doubt over mini IPL






                                        There were talks of holding a mini IPL in the USA or UAE 

BCCI president Anurag Thakur has said the board has put any plans for a mini IPL in the USA on hold, with T20 internationals being the preferred foray in the American market. The key obstacle, according to Thakur, was the time zone difference. Matches would need to start at 10am local time on the east coast in the USA, making mid-week fixtures difficult to draw big crowds and also limiting their options for alternate venues around the country.
"I think we must understand the time difference," Thakur told ESPNcricinfo. "IPL is seen in India from 7 o'clock to 11 or 11.30 at night. So you have to play somewhere in the east coast here (USA) so [that] the timing matches. If we have to play in the day here, the matches should be seen in India at night because broadcasting is a big thing. So you can't make your home fan lose [by] playing outside India. So which are the provinces you can play in United States? That's a big task.
"IPL, we are not even thinking of hosting it outside India. It has to be hosted in India, but there are many other options what you can do which we'll let you know over a period of time when we come out with a long-term plan for this market."
The BCCI had announced the idea of a "mini IPL" or "IPL overseas" in June when Thakur had said the board would host the tournament in September. A final approval was awaited after talks with franchises and broadcasters but no announcement has been made yet. During informal conversations with the BCCI, though, top officials have pointed out bizarrely that Thakur had never announced any plans for a tournament called "mini IPL."
The USA and UAE were options being discussed at the IPL governing council and working committee meetings earlier this year. "We have to look into various details: which country we can play in, how many teams, how many players should participate, who will be the broadcaster - all these issues need to deliberated, but we are keen to play in that [September] window," Thakur had said in June.
The BCCI had been trying to fill an empty window as India are not scheduled to play any cricket till the home Tests against New Zealand start on September 22.


 Jackson, Karthik steady India Blue before rain arrives again 

                           File photo - Dinesh Karthik was batting on 35 when rain ended play on day three




An unbroken 85-run partnership between Sheldon Jackson and D
inesh Karthik went some way towards repairing India Blue's Tuesday collapse on another rain-truncated day. After the first session and a bit were lost owing to a wet outfield, India Blue scored 85 runs in the 16.2 overs that were possible before rain halted play again.
It was eventually decided, at a little past 8 pm, that no further play was possible. With the weather holding up play on each day of the game, it is possible neither team will have enough time to press for a first-innings advantage on the last day.
Had India Red entered the field with thoughts of razing the opponents' middle order, they were in for a reality check as Jackson and Karthik reminded them of their hard grind on the first day. Tactically, too, there were some strange decisions from India Red captain Yuvraj Singh: he chose to open the evening's proceedings with Pradeep Sangwan and Ishwar Pandey rather than Kuldeep Yadav, who had his name against four of five India Blue wickets. While he soon replaced Pandey with Nathu Singh, it wasn't until the eighth over of the evening that Kuldeep came on.
The moment had probably passed as Jackson and Karthik had bedded in nicely. Jackson confirmed this by smashing Kuldeep's first two balls for boundaries - the first ball was swatted over wide long-on, while the next one, a half-tracker, was savagely pulled in front of square. After he steered Nathu between slip and gully, he again turned his attention to Kuldeep in the next over, reaching out and driving him smoothly through the covers.
It wasn't long before Karthik joined the fun with a pull shot, and after scoring 55 runs in the first 10 overs, India Red continued to zip ahead before rain appeared again. India Red's bowlers and fielders, who had to contend with a damp, faltering outfield, wouldn't have minded the intervention.

India has to play big role in spreading game in US - Thakur 

BCCI wants to make cricket very popular in US -Thakur
  
The BCCI has reaffirmed its commitment to make this past weekend's T20 series in the USA an annual event for India, with board presidentAnurag Thakur calling the series "a great success." Thakur also said the BCCI was eager to strengthen its connection with the US market.
"We need to come, I can't say many times a year, but yes on annual basis we have to be here if we really want to develop a market and want locals to play and participate, not only to watch cricket," Thakur told ESPNcricinfo. "We have to play a much much bigger role and India is up and ready to play that big role. BCCI is here to deliver and will make it a big success.
"I think there needs to be more focus in countries like US, Canada and others where we have a lot of population who is from Asia who understands cricket, could be more involved and can get more locals involved. So we are not here just to play a couple of games.
"We will come out with a long-term plan after this success, how to make it work in US, how to have more and more local people playing the game of cricket. If they can play in early 18th century, what made cricket go out of America? We have to bring it back. No other country than India can do that."
The two T20 internationals in Lauderhill were officially sold-out, though actual attendance figures are yet to be released. Saturday's crowd was near to the 15,000 capacity set for the event while Sunday's turnout was smaller and estimated to be close to the 12,000 range. On both days, the crowds were predominantly made up of adult male Indian supporters and few young families in attendance.
Ticket prices were steep for the matches, though, ranging from US $75 to $250. When asked if the BCCI would consider lowering them in the future to attract families and first-time fans, Thakur said they needed to meet the expenses for putting on the event to make it financially feasible.
"When you have got a quality product, you have to pay a good amount," Thakur said. "So we promise quality cricket. We are not making enough money out of it. In India we make much more money. Here it is just meeting out the expenses.
"So the issue is why should India be investing here? I'm not just investing here for the sake of money. I'm investing here because I believe as a true leader India should play an important role to make this game more popular. How do you do that? There should be more engagement. How do we do that? If I don't earn, how do I invest? I need to earn and invest at the same time."
The two T20Is in Florida were the third high-profile series in the USA in the last year. Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar's Cricket All-Stars tour of New York, Houston and Los Angeles in November was followed by the CPL's maiden visit to Florida in July. The Cricket All-Stars and CPL groups also conducted kids' clinics as part of their fan engagement efforts. The BCCI chose not to do anything similar and when asked if they would set up junior clinics on their next visit, Thakur said it was the responsibility of local administrators to get kids playing.
"I think it's very important that the locals should start playing more cricket, quality cricket, and they should have enough facilities available, but that has to be done by the local federation or association board," Thakur said. "BCCI can play a role, but can't take the control of American cricket."
Thakur also floated the possibility of playing at other venues around the USA in the future, but said the east coast was the most realistic option to satisfy the TV market in India. The matches in Florida started at 10am local time, 7.30pm in India, and playing in Chicago or on the west coast would not be practical with a 7 or 8am start.
Thakur also said that they were not sure of returning specifically to the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, the only ICC certified venue in the USA, for their next visit and they would be reluctant to use the Cricket All-Stars' model of drop-in pitches at baseball stadiums with unorthodox boundary configurations. Even if it allowed them access to the New York market, Thakur said the objective remained to avoid "exhibitions" and that cricket should be played "not casually but seriously", thus making a traditional stadium important to any plans.



Coulter-Nile faces lengthy rehab after lumbar bone stress injury


            
Nathan Coulter-Nile's only ODI matches in 2016 so far have come in the tri-series in the West Indies
The lower back injury that ruled out Australia fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile from the tour of Sri Lanka has been diagnosed as a lumbar bone stress injury, Cricket Australia said on Monday. Coulter-Nile will now begin a lengthy rehabilitation period, and David Beakley, Australia's physiotherapist, said that the bowler's return to cricket "will be determined in due course".
Coulter-Nile had been in Sri Lanka since the start of the tour as part of the Test and ODI squads, but did not play a match. He was ruled out of the tourlast week and flew home to have his injury assessed. Beakley had stated at the time that the bowler had been experiencing a "gradual increase in lower back pain which is now preventing him from bowling at match intensity."
Coulter-Nile has struggled with injuries over the last year. In September 2015, arecurring hamstring injury forced him out of the ODI series in England. He was in the frame to make a Test debut in the home series against West Indies last summer, but dislocated his shoulder while playing for Perth Scorchers during the 2015-16 Big Bash League.
He made his comeback in the T20I series during the South Africa tour in March 2016, and then played all four of Australia's matches during the World T20 in India. The pacer also played three matches in the ODI tri-series against West Indies and South Africa in June.
            West Indies beat India in thriller
A hurriedly arranged exercise to take a glimpse into the future of cricket economy provided a giddying look into the future of Twenty20 cricket on the field. This was a future of fearless, relentless, calculated, almost unhurried hitting taken to the next level as West Indies first amassed their personal best of 245 only for India to come within two runs of mounting the highest successful T20 chase almost without breaking a sweat.
Evin Lewis and KL Rahul, replacing regular openers Chris Gayle and Shikhar Dhawan, smashed hundreds, but in this future bowlers did deal the consequential blows. India bowled superb wide yorkers to concede just 40 in the last four and 64 in the last seven, but the wily Dwayne Bravo outfoxed MS Dhoni and the centurion Rahul by defending seven runs in the last over. India needed two off the last ball, but Bravo made Dhoni wait and wait before bowling a slower ball that was caught by Marlon Samuels at short third man.
On a day that some batting records were broken and all sorts of others, and low-flying aircrafts, were under threat - Richard Levi's fastest hundred off 45 balls thrice, most runs in an over, most runs in boundaries in a team innings, highest T20 score, highest successful T20 chase - the bowling was the story of the day. In particular the last over of the day.
When Bravo began it, 483 runs had been scored in 39 overs. Thirty-two sixes and 35 fours had been hit on a flat deck surrounded by short boundaries. Johnson Charles had looted 79 off 33, playing only five scoring shots on the off side. Playing only his second T20, replacing Gayle, Lewis had hit five sixes in a Stuart Binny over. Rohit Sharma looked like he could cream his way to another hundred when he scored 62 off 28. Andre Russell, the best T20 cricketer going around today, had just been mercilessly taken for 36 runs in his last two overs.
Bravo had no business even hoping to save this one, especially when bowling to a man batting on a smooth hundred and the other renowned to be one of the best finishers in ODI cricket, Dhoni. In ran Bravo, a nine-run 18th over behind his back, hoping to not concede a boundary first ball, to "try to get into the over". He had reason to just hope: 20 of the 39 previous overs had been taken for at least a boundary in the first two balls.
Bravo did way better, though, bowling a bewitching slower ball, dipping on Dhoni - 40 off 21 at that time - drawing a big edge, but at short third man Marlon Samuels dropped what Ian Bishop called was the "sittest of sitters". This was the second catch West Indies had dropped; Russell had reprieved Rahul when he was only 36. Rahul had gone on to play a chanceless innings, continuing to run hard despite having been hit on the toe twice.
Back to the frustrated Bravo then. This one was full and outside off, Rahul smashed it into the off side, and now was the time to hope this went to a fielder. Straight to the sweeper-cover fielder it went. Six required off four now. Still a matter of hoping. Bravo's next ball was on a length, but smartly he followed Dhoni, cramping him up, conceding just the leg-bye.
If Bravo and Russell were the big boys West Indies went to with only 53 required off the last four overs, Bravo now went to the big boys of death bowling. No more mucking around. Bowl them yorkers. The first one was a low full toss, the original call was two as this went to long-on, but finally, at long last, Rahul had had enough up haring up and down with a badgered toe. Also if there had been a run-out - and there could only have been one at Rahul's end - India would have had a new batsman facing up with four required off two balls.
Instead we had the cool head of Dhoni. Against his trusted lieutenant for years at Chennai Super Kings. Bravo bowled the near perfect yorker, Dhoni dug it out powerfully, the ball bounced over Bravo's head, who got a hand to it, slowing it down. Was this absorbing of the blow that cost West Indies the second run here? Would this have been a single had Bravo not intercepted or would it have beaten long-off to end the game right there? We won't know.
Now time stood still. Dhoni has often destroyed many an inexperienced bowler by bringing the contest to a one-on-one from the 11-on-1 that it is for major durations of the match. The hunter had become the hunted now. Bravo had begun the over with nothing to lose, and now he had left Dhoni in the spotlight. And he left Dhoni on a slow burn. About five minutes went by before he bowled the next ball, but it seemed like an eternity. First a man from the off side was moved to midwicket inside the circle to block that Dhoni bunt into the leg side for a couple. Then once the field was set, once Dhoni was ready to face, Bravo walked back all the way to long-on for another conference with Kieron Pollard and new captain Carlos Brathwaite.
Dhoni had met an equal at mindgames. He had only recently outfoxed Bangladesh when they needed two off the last ball. He was now being given enough time and more whether to go for a boundary or the safe route of getting bat on ball for a single to tie and then see if they could get the bonus second? Bravo, and those who know Dhoni, knew the answer. "Knowing MS," Bravo said in a flash interview, "I knew he was going to take the safer route."
Bravo said he wasn't always sure of bowling the slower ball, but once he saw Dhoni move towards him a little, he pulled out that slower dipping offcutter again. Destiny's child Samuels, twice Man of the Match in World T20 final wins, got another chance as Dhoni edged while trying to push this into the off side for the safer route. Samuels caught it this time. Bravo had taken a stunning catch earlier to get rid of Ajinkya Rahane and had taken the crucial wicket of Virat Kohli without pulling out his Champion Dance, but turns out he had saved it for something special
ICC to trial new no ball technology

                                          The no ball might no longer be in the hands of the on-field umpire

Governing body hopes to use the third umpire to handle front foot no balls
The International Cricket Council announced Saturday the trial of the use of technology to more accurately detect no balls.
The trial, which will be undertaken in England’s five-match one-day international series against Pakistan starting next Wednesday, will see whether the third umpire will be able to detect no balls and relay the information to the on-field umpire within a few seconds.
The third umpire will have access to the four side-on cameras, used for checking no balls, run outs and stumping, along with instant slow motion replays to determine whether a bowler has overstepped the popping crease.
Throughout the trial, the on-field umpires will not call any front foot no balls without instruction from the third umpire, who will relay the information to the standing officials wearing a ‘pager’ watch.
The ‘pager’ watch will vibrate when the third umpire has deemed a no ball has been bowled. If the ‘pager’ watch fails to work, the third umpire will advise the on-filed umpire through the normal channels of communication. 
                                    The 'pager' watch set to be used by the on-field umpires 

"This trial is being carried out to ascertain if there is a way in which front foot no balls can be called more accurately and consistently, while also assessing the TV umpire’s workload and identifying the impact it will have on the flow of the game," ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, Adrian Griffith, said.
"While we need to find out if the technology set-up for this purpose is fit, at the same time we feel this is the right time to conduct the trial as the TV umpires will have more information than ever before to share with the on-field umpires, which, in turn, will help them in correct decision-making,
"To ensure that the match officials are thoroughly briefed and trained for this trial, the ICC will conduct training sessions with the umpires and match referee in Southampton on Monday and Tuesday. The results of this technology trial will be shared with the ICC Cricket Committee, which will advise the ICC on future action."
                                                      The third umpire's split screens

After a series of wickets fell on no balls during last summer, Cricket Australia used a piece of equipment on their Test tour of New Zealand to help detect a bowler overstepping at training.
The equipment comprises two lengths of timber that are placed either side of the pitch at the non-striker’s end and are fitted with sensors that align to the return and popping crease.
A beam is relayed to a nearby remote signal box which emits a loud ‘beep’ when a bowler’s foot comes down wholly beyond the front (popping) crease, as well as provide a reading on how far the guilty victim overstepped.
While the equipment in its current iteration is too large to carry as regular kit, progress is being made to reduce the size and weight so it can be transported with the team.
As it currently stands, the on-field umpire can ask the third umpire to check for a front foot no ball on a wicket-taking delivery. 
                                                  Day one ends with no-ball controversy

However, there was controversy in the series when Australia batsman Adam Voges was given a reprieve when the on-field umpire, Richard Illingworth, called a no ball after the batsman shouldered arms and was bowled by Blackcaps paceman Doug Bracewell.

Replays indicated Bracewell did in fact have some of his front foot behind the popping crease, but because the call was made by the on-field umpire it could not be reversed. 
ICC test rating


Rank
Team
Matches
Points
Rating
1
India
32
3925
123
2
South Africa
26
3050
117
3
Australia
31
3087
100
4
England
34
3362
99
5
New Zealand
32
3114
97
6
Pakistan
31
2868
93
7
Sri Lanka
31
2836
91
8
West Indies
26
1940
75
9
Bangladesh
17
1171
69
10
Zimbabwe
9
0
0
  Second Blind Cricket World cup
The second blind cricket tournament held in India next year
The India will defend their cup. According to President of cricket council Rashid Sultan the blind cricket world cup held between 30th January top 12th February. Eight teams participate in this tournament India will defend their trophy. The world cup held in year 2012 India win this title from Pakistan in final. The cities name where the next world cup held are Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kochi, Freda Abad, Ahmed Abad and Indore. The opening ceremony held in Delhi and final in Banglore