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Women’s T20 County Cup fixtures revealed

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Women’s T20 County Cup fixtures revealed


A total of 37 teams have learned their paths in the new Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup competition starting in England and Wales next year.

The knockout competition will take place across May, involving sides from all three tiers of domestic women’s cricket and using the Bank Holidays at the beginning and end of the month to decide the first domestic silverware of 2025.

In the first year of a revamped women’s domestic structure, Tier 1 teams will enter the competition at Round Three. As it is a knock-out contest, teams in Tier 2 and Tier 3 have a chance to eliminate the fully professional Tier 1 sides en route to Finals Day, featuring both semi-finals and the final at Taunton on Monday, May 26.

Round One will be played on Monday, May 5, and Round Two on Saturday, May 10. With two Round Three ties featuring clashes between Tier 1 sides – including Surrey vs Hampshire Hawks – on May 17, the competition is guaranteed to have at least two teams from Tiers 2 or 3 in the quarter-finals a week later.

England batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who recently joined Surrey from the Hampshire-based Southern Vipers, was excited by the prospect of that battle.

“I’d love to play in that one,” Wyatt-Hodge said from South Africa where England were preparing to begin their multi-format series with Sunday’s first T20I in East London. “I’m really delighted with my move to Surrey, they are a massive club and it will be an honour to play for Surrey. We’ve got a lot of cricket to play before then, but exciting times ahead for sure.”

“It’s massive, it makes every game very exciting, FA-Cup style,” she added of the new competition. “Women’s cricket is going to the next level in England so it’s great to see and great to be a part of it.”

The highlight of Round One looms as a clash between cross-town rivals Middlesex and Kent, who both missed out on gaining Tier 1 status for their counties during the first phase of the restructure which runs from the 2025 season to 2028.

The T20 Women’s County Cup will be played in addition to the Vitality Blast women’s T20 competition featuring only Tier 1 sides, with fixtures to be released on Thursday.

T20 Women’s County Cup fixtures

ROUND ONE (May 5)

Match 1: Lincolnshire v Cheshire

Match 2: Staffordshire v Cumbria

Match 3: Northumberland – BYE

Match 4: Yorkshire v Derbyshire Falcons

Match 5: Leicestershire Foxes – BYE

Match 6: Shropshire v Norfolk

Match 7: Cambridgeshire v Herefordshire

Match 8: Northamptonshire Steelbacks v Worcestershire Rapids

Match 9: Sussex Sharks v Buckinghamshire

Match 10: Suffolk – BYE

Match 11: Hertfordshire v Bedfordshire & Huntingdonshire

Match 12: Middlesex v Kent

Match 13: Cornwall v Berkshire

Match 14: Wiltshire v Oxfordshire

Match 15: Dorset v Devon

Match 16: Glamorgan v Gloucestershire

ROUND TWO (May 10)

Match 17: Yorkshire or Derbyshire Falcons v Staffordshire or Cumbria

Match 18: Leicestershire Foxes v Lincolnshire or Cheshire

Match 19: Shropshire or Norfolk v Northamptonshire Steelbacks or Worcestershire Rapids

Match 20: Northumberland v Cambridgeshire or Herefordshire

Match 21: Glamorgan or Gloucestershire v Sussex Sharks or Buckinghamshire

Match 22: Cornwall or Berkshire v Middlesex or Kent

Match 23: Wiltshire or Oxfordshire v Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire & Huntingdonshire

Match 24: Devon or Dorset v Suffolk

ROUND THREE (May 17)

Match 25: Surrey v Hampshire Hawks

Match 26: Winner of Match 24 v Bears

Match 27: Winner of Match 19 v Winner of Match 18

Match 28: Winner of Match 21 v Lancashire Thunder

Match 29: Winner of Match 17 v Essex

Match 30: Winner of Match 23 v The Blaze

Match 31: Winner of Match 20 v Winner of Match 22

Match 32: Somerset v Durham

QUARTER-FINALS (May 24)

Match 33: Winner of Match 25 v Winner of Match 32

Match 34: Winner of Match 31 v Winner of Match 30

Match 35: Winner of Match 27 v Winner of Match 28

Match 36: Winner of Match 29 v Winner of Match 26

FINALS DAY (May 26, Taunton)

Match 37: Semi-Final 1: Winner of Match 35 v Winner of Match 34

Match 38: Semi-Final 2: Winner of Match 36 v Winner of Match 33

Match 39: Final


Danni Wyatt-Hodge backs England to bounce back from T20 World Cup criticism

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Danni Wyatt-Hodge backs England to bounce back from T20 World Cup criticism


Speaking in the lead-up to Sunday’s first T20I against World Cup runners-up South Africa in East London, Wyatt-Hodge insisted that England had not “become a bad side in eight overs”, after an error-strewn performance in the field had allowed West Indies’ Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph to romp to fast-paced fifties, en route to a place in the semi-finals at England’s expense.

England’s poor performance drew an unprecedented reaction in the media, not least from the former World Cup winner Alex Hartley, who called into question the players’ fitness levels – a point that was flatly rejected last week by their head coach, Jon Lewis. However, Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that heightened scrutiny was an inevitable consequence of the growth of the women’s game.

“That’s part of the game now isn’t it?” she said. “We put ourselves out there, people can say what they want, but all that matters is in our circle, and we’re all working really hard every day in training and games. We want to keep improving individually and as a team. And people are entitled to say what they want out of this group. That’s fine. We know what’s going on, so that’s all that matters.

“We’ve played some outstanding cricket over the last few years, and we played some great cricket throughout the World Cup as well,” she added. “And we’re all here now in South Africa, and we’re really excited to get going. We just want to focus on playing that fearless brand of cricket that we’ve played over the last couple of years, and just enjoy it.”

South Africa went on to defeat West Indies in their semi-final, before losing to New Zealand in their second consecutive appearance in the T20 World Cup final. Wyatt-Hodge acknowledged that they would pose another stiff challenge to her team, even though they have chosen to rest two senior players, Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka, at this early juncture of their multi-format series.

“They’ve got a few youngsters in their squad, so we’re not going to be familiar with some of their bowlers,” Wyatt-Hodge said, with Eliz-Mari Marx and Nondumiso Shangase among the unfamiliar names.

“We’re going to sit down and have a look at what they do, but they’ve got some outstanding players on their team, like Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Laura Wolvaardt. They’re a very challenging team to play against, but it’s always really good fun to come out here and play against them in their conditions. We’re really buzzing to get going.”

One potential trump card for England could be the recall of Lauren Filer, their fastest bowler, who was overlooked for the conditions at the World Cup, but who can expect to relish the harder surfaces of South Africa over the coming weeks.

“Filer’s bowling has really improved over the last year or so,” Wyatt-Hodge said. “She’s very scary to face in the nets, and especially out here, the pitches are quite quick and bouncy. So she’s going to be a handful to face out here. She’s been working really hard, and if she gets a chance, I’m sure she’s raring to go.”

The timing of the series, and the multi-format nature, means that England are sure to have one eye on their Ashes tour of Australia in January. But Wyatt-Hodge recognised the significance of the tour in its own right, especially given the need to bounce back from their recent disappointments.

“This is a massive series for us, leading up to the Ashes as well. We want to go out there and show off our skills, and show everyone how good we are.

“We’ve had a few meetings, there’s always ways we can be better,” she added. “Personally, I’ve got things on the work on, like many of the other girls, so we want to keep pushing ourselves to be better and better.

Even though I’m 33, I still feel like one of the youngsters, I feel about 23. I just want to have fun, but also, when I’m on it, I’m on it and I’m focused. I just want to keep working hard, and hopefully the youngsters see the likes of me, Heather [Knight], Amy [Jones], Nat [Sciver-Brunt] wanting to keep improving and working hard. We want to inspire them as well, to do what we’re doing.”

The tour will conclude with a one-off Test match in Bloemfontein, starting on December 15, and though Wyatt-Hodge insisted “I just play what’s in front of me,” she admitted the prospect of adding a third Test cap to her tally was an enticing one.

“We don’t really play that much of it, so every time I’m picked in a Test squad, it’s a really special feeling,” she said. “To make my Test debut in the Ashes Test couple of years ago was one of the best days I’ve had in my cricketing career. It hits different, a Test match does. We all really enjoy the challenge. It’s just so different, so having a Test match here against South Africa is going to be great prep going into the Ashes.”

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket


Pakistan white-ball coach Aaqib Javed – Our main focus is ODIs and Champions Trophy

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Pakistan white-ball coach Aaqib Javed – Our main focus is ODIs and Champions Trophy


Newly-appointed Pakistan white-ball coach Aaqib Javed’ primary focus during his interim stint will be ODI cricket and the Champions Trophy, and he wants to test the bench strength in the shortest format. Aaqib, who will serve in the role until the end of the Champions Trophy next year, will fly out to Zimbabwe for his first assignment later this week – three ODIs and three T20Is starring November 24.

“Our main focus at the moment is on ODI cricket ahead of the Champions Trophy,” Aaqib said. “You’ll see a settled team in this format. You’ll see changes in the T20I format. We plan to give new players chances in the Zimbabwe series. It is a message and opportunity to the new players to take the chances they’ve been given. If you don’t give new players chances, you’ll never get the opportunity to improve your bench strength.

“Australia has never been an easy tour. When the team went, if we had said we were going to win the series, people would have thought it impossible. Under the new captain [Mohammad Rizwan], they showed the world they could do it after 22 years [by winning 2-1]. They also had chances in the three T20Is, but if you don’t avail your chances, you won’t win.”

Aaqib’s rise within Pakistan cricket has been meteoric. Earlier this summer, he was Sri Lanka’s fast bowling coach with no involvement at the PCB. Just five weeks ago, he was nominated to Pakistan’s selection committee after its latest revamp. With the PCB’s top brass viewing him as the mastermind behind Pakistan’s Test series turnaround in England, his stock has soared.
Shortly after his appointment, the PCB also confirmed he would keep his place on the selection committee during his stint as coach, something that full-time Test coach Jason Gillespie no longer has, and was partly the reason why Aaqib’s predecessor, Gary Kirsten, quit the role.

Aaqib, though, sought to portray his selection responsibilities as a collaborative rather than top-down arrangement. “We always consult the coach and captain, and then the selection committee announces the team,” he said. “From Multan until now, there has been consistency in selection. Asad Shafiq was on the Australia tour. His role was to discuss selection with the coach and captain, and present a final team, which would be discussed by the selection committee, who make the final decision. Now, instead of Asad, it’ll be me, but the final XI will still be decided by the committee. The selection committee is not just me; it is a panel of five people.

“I’ve been coaching for 20 years. The coach’s role does have a limit. You can create an environment and give out loud, clear messages about the type of cricket you expect them to play, and help prepare them. But in the end, the players and captain provide the results.”

Aaqib is aware of the scrutiny and criticism a coaching job entails; indeed, he was a critic of a number of his predecessors, taking particular aim at what he saw as Misbah-ul-Haq’s dual role, when he was the chief selector as well as the head coach. With Aaqib is an uncomfortably similar position; now, though, he believed the cases could not be directly compared.

“My case is slightly different from the cases you mentioned,” he said. “I am not the chief selector, but part of a panel. I do not view it as a problem because we all want to select players who do the best for Pakistan.

“Criticism is inevitable and can be healthy. It is within a player’s control whether people praise or criticise him. That also goes for the team. Criticism and praise all depends on your performance. I’ll be the first one to accept criticism if merited.”

Pakistan’s Zimbabwe tour will starts with the ODIs on November 24, 26 and 28 followed by the T20Is on December 1, 3 and 5. All games will be played in Bulawayo.


ICC rankings – Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson make gains after SA series

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ICC rankings – Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson make gains after SA series


India allrounder Hardik Pandya is back on top of the T20I allrounders list in the ICC rankings, while Tilak Varma has broken into the top 10 among batters for the first time.
Hardik displaced England’s Liam Livingstone at the top and also overtook Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee after he picked up two wickets and scored 18, 39 not out and 2 in the T20Is against South Africa. His top performance was his spell of 1 for 8 that included a maiden in three overs in the fourth T20I in Johannesburg. The last time Hardik rose to the top of the allrounders list was just a few months ago, after India won the T20 World Cup in June also by beating South Africa.
Tilak, the Player of the Series in the recent bilaterals, shot up 69 places among the batters after his consecutive and unbeaten centuries that followed scores of 20 and 33 in the first two T20Is. He is now placed third, after Travis Head and Phil Salt, and closely followed by his captain Suryakumar Yadav. Sanju Samson, the other batter with two hundreds in the series, went up 17 places to 22nd, as he also bagged two ducks between the two centuries. Among bowlers, left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh moved to ninth after gaining three spots with the help of eight wickets against South Africa. Arshdeep was the top-wicket taker in the series among fast bowlers and bagged three-fors in the last two games.
Adam Zampa, who picked up six wickets against Pakistan, was among the biggest gainers among the bowlers, reaching third spot after rising five places, just behind Adil Rashid and Wanindu Hasaranga. His team-mate Nathan Ellis shot up a significant 15 spots to reach 11th rank, after he finished the three T20Is against Pakistan with four wickets, including figures of 3 for 9 in the opening match that was truncated by rain.

For South Africa, Tristan Stubbs climbed three places to move to 23rd whereas Heinrich Klaasen jumped six places but remained out of top 50, at 59th.

After the 1-1 T20I series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Kusal Mendis rose to joint 12th spot after going up three places. After they won the ODIs 2-0, Maheesh Theekshana went up six places to be placed sixth, that pushed Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj one spot down each, to seventh and eighth respectively.


WBBL 2024/25, ST-W vs MS-W 33rd Match Match Report, November 20, 2024

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WBBL 2024/25, ST-W vs MS-W 33rd Match Match Report, November 20, 2024


Sydney Thunder 112 for 6 (Wilson 33, Learoyd 31*, Kapp 3-20) beat Melbourne Stars 108 for 9 (Darlington 3-26) by four wickets

Sydney Thunder are one win away from their third WBBL grand final, after scratching home to a tense final-over victory against Melbourne Stars.

After Hannah Darlington starred with the ball to keep the last-placed Stars to 108 for 9, she was forced to hit the winning runs late with two balls and four wickets to spare.

The win means if Thunder beat the second-placed Melbourne Renegades in their final-round match on Saturday, they will finish first. That would automatically qualify them for the final on December 1, and giving them hosting rights as the top-ranked team.

A loss to Renegades would likely mean they finish second or third, and have to go through at least one knockout match in order to reach the final.

Wednesday’s result continued a horror season for Stars, who have won only two of eight matches and sit last on the ladder.

But the match was not as easy as it first appeared it would be for Thunder on a difficult Drummoyne Oval wicket. They slumped to 15 for 3 in the third over of their chase with Marizanne Kapp bagging all three wickets to leave Thunder in serious trouble

Thunder then fell to 38 for 4 after eight overs, before Tahlia Wilson and Anika Learoyd steadied the ship. The pair got the equation down to 23 off 20 balls, before Wilson got too aggressive and was caught trying to take on Kim Garth on 33.

Stars then had chances to run Learoyd out and have her caught on the boundary, but missed both and eight runs were eventually required off the last over. Learoyd hit the first ball for two and the next for four, before a single allowed Darlington to finish the job for the hosts.

Darlington had earlier claimed figures of 3 for 26 from her four overs, with four of those runs coming from an overthrow. She cramped a cutting Meg Lanning and bowled her with a smart off-cutter for 12, and also had Kapp sky a ball to cover next over.

Athapaththu was also miserly with her 2 for 12 from four overs and also produced a direct-hit run out in the field to remove Tess Flintoff. Ultimately that helped set up the win as Thunder close in on their first grand final since their 2020 title success.


Paige Scholfield out of England’s SA tour with ankle injury

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Paige Scholfield out of England’s SA tour with ankle injury


Paige Scholfield will leave England’s tour of South Africa before it’s begun after she was injured in training.

Scholfield hurt her ankle during training on Tuesday and, following further assessment on Wednesday morning, withdrew from the T20I squad to return to the UK and begin her rehabilitation.

She was one of two changes made to England’s T20I squad which exited last month’s World Cup in the group stages, brought in to add firepower to England’s middle order with batter Alice Capsey overlooked amid a form slump and allrounder Dani Gibson ruled out after undergoing knee surgery. Fast bowler Lauren Filer was also included after missing the World Cup.

Capsey had already been a late call-up to the South Africa touring party as cover for what England described as some minor niggles within the T20 squad, leaving her WBBL stint with Melbourne Renegades, before Scholfield was injured.

Shortly before she left the UK for South Africa, Scholfield spoke of her joy at being selected for the trip to her birthplace, having made her England debut at the age of 28 during the tour of Ireland in September.

“I thought it was my England A coach calling me, so I’ve got the wrong coach,” Scholfield told ESPNcricinfo of her call-up for the Ireland trip.”It was so out of blue and I was so excited and I just couldn’t believe it was happening. If I’m honest, I am still now trying to regulate my feelings around it.

“Speaking to my mum and dad when I told them about this tour to South Africa, they were over the moon, being diehard South Africans, they just couldn’t believe it. My mum started crying. It’s just so exciting and I just hope it continues to happen.”

Scholfield was the fifth-highest run-scorer in the Charlotte Edwards Cup T20 competition this year with 259 runs at an average of 43.16 and strike rate of 140.00 with a top score of 73 not out. She also scored 190 runs in the Women’s Hundred, striking at 137.68 with a highest score of 71 off 40 balls playing for Oval Invincibles.

She credited the ongoing professionalisation of the domestic women’s structure in England and Wales, which started in 2020, with helping her reach her goal of representing the country she has called home since the age of 12.

“I’m 28, I had very little hope that I’d be representing my country with these youngsters coming through who are just unbelievably talented,” Scholfield said. “But this county setup now allows players like myself to still be able to have that ambition to represent their country and to show the rest of the world what we can do, and that age is just the number and I can still throw myself about and hit a couple of balls.

“It’s an exciting time and I’m really enjoying where the game’s going and I hope it continues to grow to the point where we can get to where the men are at and make a career and travel the world doing it.”

The multi-format series between South Africa and England starts on Sunday with the first of three T20Is in East London, followed by three ODIs and a Test.

Valkerie Baynes is a general editor, women’s cricket, at ESPNcricinfo


BGT, Aus vs Ind – Morne Morkel says Nitish Kumar Reddy is someone to watch out for

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BGT, Aus vs Ind – Morne Morkel says Nitish Kumar Reddy is someone to watch out for


Keep an eye out on Nitish Kumar Reddy this series, says Morne Morkel. India’s bowling coach is hopeful that the bowling attack they have brought over can cause problems with conditions in Perth.

Morkel has had his work cut out over the recent few days, overseeing a set of bowlers who haven’t had a lot of experience playing Test cricket. India’s stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah and his usual new-ball companion Mohammed Siraj had a good workout under the sun at the Optus Stadium nets but their support act – the uncapped duo of Reddy and Harshit Rana along with two-Tests old Prasidh Krishna – will have their task cut out replicating the success they have had at domestic and India A levels on a full-fledged Test tour. Morkel has been helping bridge that gap by sharing his own experiences of playing in Australia.

“It’s great to have them around in the squad,” Morkel said of Rana and Prasidh. “I think they add a lot of variation to their attack, especially Harshit, who bowls at a good pace, finds a way to also extract some bounce out of the surface.

“It’s their first tour, Prasidh had a bit of experience with India A tour where he had a bit of game time, but for Harshit it’s a bit of an unknown. My message to him was just, when I toured my first time here, playing in Australia, an intimidating place, to listen to the stories, take their advice. But for me it’s just staying in your own bubble and finding those experiences, work them out for yourself.

“[Reddy] is one of the young guys that we’ve mentioned, he’s got that sort of batting, all-round ability. He’ll be a guy that can sort of hold that one end up first. He hits the bat a little bit harder than you think. So on these sort of conditions where there might be a little bit of seam movement up front, especially the first couple of days. He’ll be a very accurate wicket-to-wicket style of bowler. It’s a lovely opportunity for him to hold that allrounder spot.

“Any team in the world always wanted the allrounder to take that load off your fast bowlers, just to give them an extra bit of breathing time. So how we use him, how Jasprit is going to use him, with maybe the spinner, to give himself, whoever’s going to be the other quicks, time to catch their breath a little bit is going to be important. He’s a guy that is a player you can keep your eye on in this series.”

India’s batting may also be reliant on some of their newer players coming through. There is a chance that the XI they put out on Friday – if Devdutt Padikkal makes it at No. 3 and Dhruv Jurel at No. 6 – could be their youngest, in terms of combined age, to start a tour since the 1947 series in Australia.

“It’s going to be great learning for these guys,” Morkel said. “It’s young guys that can come up and front up against a quality Test bowling pack. Australia’s not going to bowl you many bad balls, but in saying that, you know, there’s good leadership within the group that can help and settle the nerves for that. So I think as a group we’re all excited for the challenge, we know what’s sort of to come, we know the wicket’s going to be fast, it’s going to be bouncy, and it’s up to the individual now to formulate their game plans, and get themselves in a mental sort of battle state, that for the next 43 days it’s going to be a tough cricket.”

India could wait for Gill’s fitness until ‘the morning of the match’

Morkel also said that batter Shubman Gill, who hurt his left thumb while fielding, is progressing well, and they are watching him on a day-to-day basis.

“Shubman is improving every day, obviously picked up a nasty blow in the mock game, in the squad game. I think with him it’s going to be a day-to-day sort of process, fingers crossed for that improvement, but I think they’ll wait, make a call with him up until the morning of the other day’s match.”

Gill was at training on Wednesday but that was the extent of his participation even as the rest of the squad got in a full workout under the sun. He just hung out with Rishabh Pant for a while and then left. The chances of him playing in Perth in two days’ time are still slim. Padikkal, who has been added to the squad now after being asked to stay back in Australia following his work with the India A team, is shaping up as a stop-gap No. 3 batter.

Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo


India withdraw from T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan

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India withdraw from T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan


The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) on Wednesday announced that it is pulling the team out of the fourth edition of the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, after failing to secure the Indian government’s clearance for the squad to travel to Pakistan.

The tournament is set to start on November 22 and go on till December 3.

“While this is a significant setback for the team, CABI fully respects the government’s concerns and the decision for the same,” the board said in a statement. “The team had been training rigorously and was eager to compete. However, we prioritise the government’s guidance and remain steadfast in our commitment to the continued development of Blind Cricket in India.”

“We play with passion, and we represent our country with immense pride. We have always looked forward to competing at the biggest stage, and it is disheartening to miss out on this opportunity,” Durga Rao Tompaki, the captain of the Indian men’s cricket team for the blind, said. “However, we know that the next World Cup is just around the corner, and we remain committed to our training and preparation.

“We have had a successful coaching camp and have seen emerging talent that we believe can lead our team to greater heights. It’s time to nurture these talents and ensure that our team is ready when the next tournament comes.”

The development comes 100 days ahead of the start of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is also set to be held in Pakistan. On November 9, the BCCI had informed the ICC that India will not travel to Pakistan for the tournament – again, a decision taken on the advice of the Indian government.

The schedule for the Champions Trophy was originally expected to be released by the ICC today.

India had hosted and won the first three T20 Blind Cricket World Cups, beating Pakistan in the finals of the first two editions and Bangladesh in their most recent triumph.


India in Australia – Rohit Sharma to miss first Test in Perth

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India in Australia – Rohit Sharma to miss first Test in Perth


Rohit Sharma will not be available to lead India in first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Rohit, who stayed back home for the birth of his second child, will join the India squad ahead of the second Test, which is a day-night match starting on December 6 in Adelaide.
While Rohit had communicated to the BCCI and national selectors in advance that he could miss the Perth Test, he had kept open the option of last-minute travel based on when the child was born. Rohit and his wife Ritika welcomed their second child on Friday, a week ahead of the first Test, prompting the possibility of his travelling to Perth. However, he told the BCCI he will be available to play the two-day, pink-ball warm-up game against the Australian Prime Minister’s XI from November 30 before the day-night Test in Adelaide.
Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah is set to lead India in Perth in Rohit’s absence. Bumrah has led India in one Test previously, the fifth Test of their two-part 2021-22 tour of England at Edgbaston, when Rohit had tested positive for Covid-19.
India are now set to begin the Test series without two members of their first-choice top three, with No. 3 Shubman Gill also set to miss the Perth Test with a fractured thumb. KL Rahul and the uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran were the two main candidates to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in Rohit’s absence, but there is now a chance that both will feature in the XI.
Rahul had briefly come under an injury cloud himself, having gone off the field after taking a blow to the elbow while batting against Prasidh Krishna during the first day of the Indians’ intra-squad practice match at the WACA. Those fears were assuaged on Sunday morning, though, when Rahul returned to the crease and batted for about an hour.

Apart from Abhimanyu and Rahul, India will have another top-order candidate in Devdutt Padikkal, who was part of India A’s shadow tour of Australia and has stayed back with the Test squad. Padikkal has played one Test for India, against England in Dharamsala earlier this year.

With four days remaining for the first Test, the Indian think tank led by head coach Gautam Gambhir has been challenged on several fronts. This is India’s first overseas Test series under Gambhir and his coaching staff comprising Morne Morkel, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, and it follows an unprecedented 3-0 defeat to New Zealand, India’s first ever whitewash in a home series of three or more Tests.

In the absence of Rohit and Gill, India may look to add to their batting depth by playing one of their two seam-bowling allrounders at No. 8. Both Nitish Kumar Reddy, a batting allrounder from Andhra, and Harshit Rana, a hit-the-deck bowling allrounder for Delhi, are yet to make their Test debuts.

After training at the WACA over this week, India will shift to the Optus Stadium from Tuesday.


Coaches Hopkinson, Dawson to depart England white-ball set-up

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Coaches Hopkinson, Dawson to depart England white-ball set-up


Carl Hopkinson and Richard Dawson, two key members of England’s white-ball backroom staff, will leave their roles at the end of the current tour of the Caribbean, in preparation for Brendon McCullum’s arrival as the new head coach across all three formats.

Hopkinson, England’s long-standing fielding coach, joined the men’s set-up in 2018 and was involved in each of England’s most recent victories in ICC global events; the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019, and the T20 World Cup in Australia in November 2022.

Dawson, who played seven Tests as an offspinner between 2001 and 2003, was head coach of the Young Lions team that reached the Under-19 World Cup final in 2022, and joined the senior coaching team ahead of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Hopkinson said: “It has been a career highlight not only to be part of the England coaching set-up for the past seven years but also to be involved in two historic World Cup victories, which is something I’ll always cherish.

“After starting as National Lead Fielding coach I worked alongside Richard Dawson to help the England Men U19s reach their first World Cup final for 24 years. It has been exciting to see young players we worked with at the World Cup grow into full England internationals as well as more recently helping some of the best white-ball players in the world continue to develop.”

Dawson said: “I have enjoyed every minute in the England environment and working with some of the best white-ball players in the world as well as great people in the coaching team and backroom staff from the U19s to senior team.

“Being head coach of the England U19 team that reached the World Cup final was a career highlight while it has been a pleasure working with some of the top spinners in the world while also developing the strength and depth of spin bowling talent from across the country. I look forward to seeing the white-ball team continue to progress and hopefully win more trophies.”

Rob Key, England Men’s managing director, said: “Hoppo and Daws are two outstanding coaches who have played important roles in the success of our white-ball teams.

“In addition to their coaching expertise with our senior teams they have also developed young players through the age groups to help set up the next era of our white-ball teams. England Cricket is in a better place because of them and I wish them well in the next chapter of their careers.”


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