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Paige Scholfield, the first name out of the hat in Wednesday’s Women’s Hundred draft, has been selected across formats for England A’s upcoming tour of Australia, as the women’s set-up looks to bounce back from a humiliating Ashes whitewash earlier this year.Scholfield, 29, was retained by her Hundred team, Oval Invincibles, on a £65,000 deal on Wednesday evening, after Birmingham Phoenix attempted to recruit her to Edgbaston for the 2025 competition. Now she is headed to Australia as part of a development squad featuring just four players who featured in the 16-0 points defeat in the senior tour in January.Scholfield herself would have been a fifth member of that party, but she suffered an ankle injury on England’s preceding tour of South Africa in November, which caused her to fly home before she could add to her current tally of three ODI and two T20I caps.Now she is joining Alice Capsey, Danielle Gibson, Bess Heath and Freya Kemp as the senior members of the England A party, which is due to play three T20Is, three ODIs and a one-off four-day game against Australia A from April 12-15, exactly mirroring the itinerary in which England were beaten in the Ashes. Capsey and Gibson are currently on duty at the WPL in India, and so will miss the T20I leg which begins at Sydney’s Hurstville Oval on March 26.Scholfield will be joined by players from the England Women Pace Programme, including her Surrey teammates Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Emma Jones (T20 and 50-over) and Alexa Stonehouse, who is selected across all formats. No captains have yet been named for the three formats.The majority of the group have been undergoing warm-weather training at a training camp in Abu Dhabi, and will depart for Sydney on March 17.Jon Lewis, England Women A head coach, said: “We are looking forward to testing ourselves against a national side with great depth. We are aware of the challenge ahead.”There has been some good work done by the players based in England and those who have been playing cricket over the winter around the world and this tour provides an opportunity for players to push for selection into the senior squad through strong performances against the Australians.”Jonathan Finch, Director of England Women’s Cricket, added: “We have a good mix of experience across the three squads with all players striving to perform and push for selection into the senior team. The experience they will gain through highly competitive matches within a multi-format schedule will be really exciting, and hopefully invaluable for them in accelerating their development. A tour to Australia is what so many young cricketers dream of, and we wish them well.”England Women A T20 squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A 50-over squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A four-day squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)

In a significant jolt to India’s plans for the Champions Trophy, Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the tournament. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Bumrah is yet to completely recover from the discomfort in his back, an injury he picked up during the Sydney Test in January that also ruled him out of the England white-ball series.Yashasvi Jaiswal has also been left out of the provisional squad, and Varun Chakravarthy has been named as his replacement.While Bumrah’s latest scans, which he underwent in Bengaluru over the weekend, did not reveal anything severe, he is not entirely ready to return to bowling. There is no confirmation on the timeline of his return. It is likely he will resume running in a couple of weeks and then gradually get back to bowling. His progress will be monitored by the BCCI’s medical team in Bengaluru.This is the second ICC tournament Bumrah will miss because of injury, having sat out the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia owing to a back injury that eventually required surgery.Related

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• In the Gambhir era, it's all about middle-overs mastery for India

• Rohit: Varun 'definitely in contention' for Champions Trophy

• Champions Trophy 2025 FAQs: Who are playing, what are the venues, where to watch and more

Bumrah’s replacement is Harshit Rana, who made his ODI debut during the ongoing England series. The ICC had set February 11 as the deadline for all participating teams to submit their final squads of 15 for the Champions Trophy. Any subsequent changes to the squad will need approval from the tournament’s technical committee.When the BCCI announced the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy and the England series in January, Rana was named as Bumrah’s back-up for the England ODIs. Rana made his ODI debut in the first game of the England series in Nagpur, sharing the new ball with Mohammed Shami. Rana started impressively, but Phil Salt then thrashed him for 26 runs in his third over. But the seamer from Delhi bounced back, picking three wickets to transfer the pressure back on England, which played a key role in India’s win.Eyebrows were raised after the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, in coordination with the Indian team think-tank comprising head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, had picked Rana ahead of the other contenders, including Mohammed Siraj, for the England series. Siraj has been India’s third-most senior bowler after Bumrah and Shami and was also part of their dominant run in the 2023 World Cup. However, in January’s media briefing while announcing the provisional squad for the Champions Trophy and the England series, Rohit explained that Siraj’s “effectiveness comes down a little” if he was not “going to take the new ball”.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rohit had also said that with a question mark over Bumrah’s fitness, the decision makers collectively had confidence in Shami controlling the front-end of the innings and left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh capable of handling the death overs.

Varun replaces Jaiswal in Champions Trophy squad

Varun has been drafted into the squad as Jaiswal, along with Siraj and Shivam Dube, have been moved to the line-up of non-travelling reserves.Last week, Rohit had strongly hinted at Varun’s inclusion in the squad, saying that the spinner “clearly had something different about him”. Varun has taken 31 wickets at 11.25 since his comeback into India’s T20I squad, and on Sunday, he made his ODI debut as well, taking 1 for 54 in Cuttack.

India’s squad for the Champions Trophy

Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy
Non-travelling substitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj, Shivam Dube

During the lunch break on the second day, Rohit Sharma cleared the air, saying that he had sat out of the Sydney Test and that he wasn’t retiring from Test cricket yet. Soon after the break, Jasprit Bumrah, who had taken over from Rohit as captain, left the SCG for scans. Australia had lost half their side around that time, with the game – and the series – dangling on a razor’s edge. Despite the absence of Bumrah, who had experienced back spasms, India snatched a four-run first-innings lead, turning the Sydney Test into a second-innings shootout.Rishabh Pant pulled India further ahead with a jaw-dropping 29-ball half-century. It was the second-fastest fifty by an Indian in Test cricket, behind his own 28-ball effort against Sri Lanka in 2022. After Scott Boland had carved up India’s top order with pinpoint accuracy, Pant countered them and thrilled a Sydney crowd of 47,257. The late dismissals of Pant and Nitish Kumar Reddy kept the game in the balance, with India leading by 145 at stumps.The second-innings shootout, though, could get skewed in favour of Australia if Bumrah isn’t fit to bowl anymore in this Test.Related

• Bumrah leaves SCG for scans after experiencing back spasms

• Rohit says he 'stood down' for SCG Test: 'It is not a retirement decision'

India’s support bowlers, though, stepped up admirably on the second day, with Prasidh Krishna and Reddy sharing five wickets among them. India’s non-Bumrah seamers came away with combined figures of 8 for 132 – their best in any innings on this tour.Reddy picked up two wickets in two balls while Prasidh marked his Test comeback with the scalps of Steven Smith, Alex Carey and debutant Beau Webster, who top-scored for Australia with 57 off 105 balls.Webster continued his excellent debut, emulating his team-mate Sam Konstas in scoring a half-century in his first Test.The day had dawned with Bumrah snaring Marnus Labuschagne for 2 and throwing a stare at non-striker Konstas. Bumrah surpassed Bishan Singh Bedi’s tally for the most wickets taken by an India bowler on a tour of Australia.Beau Webster dismissed Shubman Gill for his first Test wicket•Getty Images

The 19-year-old responded strongly with the bat when he advanced at Bumrah and shanked him down the ground for four. Then, after Bumrah reinforced the slip cordon by bringing deep third in, Konstas unfurled another audacious reverse-ramp, prompting Bumrah to post a fielder at deep third.In the next over, however, Mohammed Siraj had Konstas edging to gully for 23 off 57 balls with an outswinger. Three balls later, he had Travis Head caught at second slip for 4. Where Bumrah and Australia’s quicks hit the deck, the source of Siraj’s menace was swing. So, he kept exploring a fuller length to maximise that swing.Smith and Webster steadied Australia with a 57-run partnership for the fifth wicket before Smith fell to Prasidh at the stroke of lunch. Smith seemed destined to reach 10,000 Test runs but moments before the break Prasidh shifted his stock length to an even more fuller one to dismiss him five short of the landmark.Then, in the afternoon, he stormed through the defences of Carey with a similar length. Reddy rocked Australia even further with the wickets of Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Australia lost their last four wickets for just 19 runs to be bowled out for 181.Yashasvi Jaiswal then launched India’s second innings in grand style, scything Starc for four fours in the first over. KL Rahul, too, showed some attacking intent at the other end until Boland intervened and curtailed India’s rapid start.Some of Rishabh Pant’s outrageous shots were on display•Getty Images

Boland struck in his second over when he had Rahul chopping an inducker onto his stumps and in his next over, he knocked Jaiswal over with a beauty that angled in towards middle from around the wicket and seamed away late to beat the outside edge and smash the top of off stump. Boland proceeded to dismiss Virat Kohli in familiar fashion, for 6. It was the eighth time that Kohli was out edging behind to the keeper or the slip cordon in nine trips to the crease in this Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He was so angry that he yelled at himself and slapped his thigh.Webster earned his maiden Test wicket when he had Shubman Gill caught behind off the inside edge.After having spent nearly 150 minutes being someone else with the bat on the first day, managing 40 off 98 balls, the real Pant stood up on the second. He charged at his first ball from Boland, who had just snared Kohli, and violently clubbed him over mid-on for six. He then ventured a reverse-scoop off his third ball, and though he failed to connect, he didn’t curb his natural instincts in this innings.Pant then lined up Webster for three successive fours, including a trademark falling sweep-pull. He notched up his fifty with a helicoptered six off Starc and celebrated the milestone with another six next ball.Pant’s assault forced Australia into bowling T20 lines and lengths. When Cummins went short and wide of off and hid the ball away from Pant’s swinging arc, he chased it and ended up feeding an edge to the keeper. Boland had Reddy holing out for 4 to cap a 15-wicket day in Sydney.

The Austrian Cricket Association (ACA) has “unreservedly apologised” to the Israel Cricket Association (ICA) and the Israel cricket team “for any hurt or offence that may have been caused” before their Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier A match on June 10.Although the specifics of the incident are yet unknown, an ICC statement said that the ACA has taken “swift action” to address the issue with the player responsible, and with “appropriate disciplinary sanctions” imposed on the player according to the ACA’s disciplinary processes.Following the incident, the ICC conducted a conciliation process between the ACA and the ICA to find a consensual resolution, according to the ICC’s Anti-Discrimination Code. The process was conducted confidentially by Paul Mortimer, an independent expert in the area of anti-discrimination and race relations.The two teams had met in Spinaceto, in Rome, for a Europe Qualifier A match, with the tournament serving as a stepping stone towards eventual qualification for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Austria’s Aqib Iqbal scored an unbeaten 35-ball 52 in that match to seal a seven-wicket win over Israel.

Queensland stormed to their first One-Day Cup win of the season by nine wickets despite a masterclass century by South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney.Left-arm paceman Liam Guthrie set up the victory at Allan Border Field as the visitors were bowled out for 218 with McSweeney, who is a contender for the Test squad to face India, playing a lone hand with 137 off 131 balls.Related

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The Bulls chased down the total with ease in the 33rd over to secure a bonus point with wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson middling an array of pulls, cuts and drives in a blistering unbeaten 100 off 98 balls.”Personally I am in a great spot with my technique and how I am going about my business and it was so nice to get a win,” Peirson told AAP. “I missed out on selection for the first couple of one-dayers and had real grit between my teeth to do the job today. It was so great to get it done.”Usman Khawaja played a key role early before Test hopeful Matt Renshaw found confidence and form with a whirlwind unbeaten 72 off 52 balls,.Earlier Guthrie bowled the dangerous Jake Fraser-McGurk with an inswinger and his three quick wickets in six pinpoint overs put the hosts on top.At the other end, Tom Straker got rid of the in-form Alex Carey and brought McSweeney to the crease at 9 for 2.South Australia were 29 for 4 in the 12th over and on the rack. McSweeney had initial support from Thomas Kelly in a 90-run stand for the fifth wicket.After that, wickets tumbled as McSweeney unfurled an assortment of sweetly timed cover drives both over and through the infield as the skipper made it appear as though he was batting on a different pitch to his teammates.”One of the finest knocks we have seen in one-day cricket,” former Australia coach and batter Darren Lehmann said in commentary.Lehmann is pushing for either McSweeney or NSW opener Sam Konstas to partner Khawaja at the top of the order in the Test series against India.McSweeney will captain the Australia A side against India next week in Mackay. Peirson will join the side for the second game in Melbourne.He is behind Alex Carey and Josh Inglis in the Australian pecking order and is close to national honours.”George [Bailey] has been very clear that is how they see things at the moment,” Peirson said. “Alex has been doing the Test job, Ingo is behind him nipping at his heels and I am behind Ingo. It is a healthy place to be. I am very clear about where I stand. You are always pushing to get yourself closer to play Test cricket.”Any game for Australia A is a massive honour and there is no doubt runs on the board get you talked about. I am glad to link up with Buddha [McSweeney] again, a good Queensland boy.”

Brydon Carse could be in line for a Test debut, just weeks after serving a ban for betting irregularities, while Jack Leach is back in England’s plans for the first time since the tour of India in February, after the selectors named a 17-man squad for their three-match series against Pakistan, which gets underway next month.Carse, 29, is one of six frontline fast bowlers in England’s squad, alongside the left-armer Josh Hull, who has been picked for his maiden Test tour after claiming three wickets on debut in the final Test of the summer, against Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval.His inclusion comes in the wake of the elbow injury that has ruled Mark Wood, England’s fastest bowler, out for the rest of the year. In May, Carse was suspended from all cricket for a total of 16 months (13 suspended) after pleading guilty to making a total of 303 bets on cricket matches, including Durham games in which he was not playing.Carse was permitted to continue training during his ban, and marked his return to action on August 29 with a century against Somerset at Taunton. His inclusion adds another 90mph option to England’s ranks, alongside Gus Atkinson and Olly Stone, who will also make the trip.Chris Woakes is also recalled for his first overseas engagement since the tour of the Caribbean in March 2022, despite reservations about his effectiveness away from home, where he averages 51.88 compared to 21.59 in the UK. However, having been installed as the leader of England’s bowling attack since the retirement of James Anderson earlier this year, Woakes responded well to the responsibility, claiming 24 wickets at 20.25 against West Indies and Sri Lanka.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

On the spin-bowling front, Leach is recalled to partner his Somerset team-mate Shoaib Bashir, who has taken over as England’s first-choice pick in home conditions. He lost his place after suffering a knee injury during the first Test against India in Hyderabad in February, but claimed 12 wickets in his most recently completed match, against Durham at Taunton.He has been picked ahead of Tom Hartley, whose seven-wicket haul sealed victory in the Hyderabad Test, with the legspinner Rehan Ahmed preferred as England’s third spinner, two years on from his own starring role on debut in Karachi, during their 3-0 victory in their last tour of Pakistan.On the batting front, Dan Lawrence has paid the price for his frenetic displays against Sri Lanka, in which he made 120 runs at 20 in six innings as a makeshift opener, including a top score of 35. Though he was playing out of position, as a stand-in for Zak Crawley, his performances mean he loses out to Jordan Cox, the uncapped Essex batter who had been with the Test squad in Crawley’s absence.Crawley, who broke his right little finger while fielding during the Edgbaston Test against West Indies, is back in the squad and is said to be making “significant progress in his recovery”, with just under a month to go until the first Test of the Pakistan series.England’s captain, Ben Stokes, who missed the Sri Lanka series due to a torn hamstring sustained during the Men’s Hundred, is also included, having stayed with the Test squad to work on his rehabilitation throughout the Sri Lanka series, in which Ollie Pope led the side to a 2-1 series win.England do not yet know for certain where the series will be staged, with the unusual size of their squad a potential reflection of the doubts around the venues. Earlier this week, a PCB spokesman told ESPNcricinfo that Rawalpindi and Multan had been approved for the three Tests, beginning on October 7, but the ECB added that official confirmation is expected later this week.England Test squad to tour Pakistan: Ben Stokes (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

England vs South Africa

Sharjah, 6pm local timeEngland squad: Heather Knight (capt), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Bess Heath, Amy Jones (wk), Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Linsey Smith, Danni WyattSouth Africa squad: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naidu, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe TryonTournament form guide: Both teams are coming off convincing wins in their tournament openers. England were restricted to 118 for 7 by Bangladesh in Sharjah but 16 overs from their four spinners gave them a 21-run win. South Africa had a near-perfect game against West Indies which they won by 10 wickets.News brief: England’s experience of playing in Sharjah could come in handy but a two-day turnaround time will test their stamina in hot conditions. With the Sharjah pitch typically being slow, the likelihood of England persisting with four spinners – Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn, and Linsey Smith – is high. Getting good starts will be a challenge for the batters as evidenced by the fact that only three of the nine England batters got to double figures against Bangladesh.With 19 losses in 24 games, South Africa have a terrible record against England in T20Is but the last of the four wins came in the semi-final of the previous edition of the T20 World Cup. They are also coming off a clinical ten-wicket win against West Indies that was set up with the ball by Nonkululeko Mlaba and Marizanne Kapp. The duo took all six wickets to fall with Kapp going at an economy of 3.5. Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus, who bowled six overs in Dubai, are more likely to bowl their complete quotas in more helpful conditions. Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits took them home with unbeaten fifties, so the rest of the batting line-up is still untested. South Africa, like England, are likely to go unchanged.Marizanne Kapp dismissed West Indies’ key batters in Dubai•ICC/Getty Images

Player to watch: While the spinners, especially Mlaba, will be in focus, Kapp’s all-round abilities pump up her value. She can swing the new ball and take out key batters, as she did to Hayley Matthews and Hayley Matthews in Dubai. She is versatile with the bat and can play the anchor role or bash it around. Similarly for England, Nat Sciver-Brunt is the allrounder providing the balance. She was the only pacer they used, despite Danielle Gibson’s availability, and bowled her full four overs for the first time in eight games against Bangladesh. A good outing with the bat for her will strengthen England in their semi-final rematch.

Two years after unexpectedly announcing her retirement, Deandra Dottin is back in West Indies’ squad for the upcoming women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE. Dottin, the scorer of the fastest century in women’s T20Is, made a sudden decision to quit in 2022, citing a “non-conducive” environment within the West Indies set-up. She reversed that decision last month, with one eye on the upcoming World Cup.She was named in the 15-member squad announced by Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Thursday, which also features an uncapped player in Nerissa Crafton.”We have a nice mix of experience and youth,” Kishore Shallow, the CWI president, said after the announcement. “We have some players bordering [on] 19; I think Zaida [James] is still probably a teenager and one or two of the young players there. So, really happy with the mix.Related

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“Also, I think, we all as West Indians are excited to see Deandra Dottin back. It has been a year of communication – back and forth – with Deandra, and I particularly want to recognise the involvement of Ann Browne-John who has led those conversations over the last year, even when she wasn’t officially the selector. She was integral in Deandra coming out of retirement.”Dottin’s recent form is particularly encouraging: she was the third-highest run-getter in WCPL 2024 league phase, with 113 runs in four innings at an average of 28.25 and strike rate of 111.88. She was also the only batter to have hit more than two sixes this WCPL season, leading into the final. Her 53 off 38 balls against Guyana Amazon Warriors set up a Super-Over finish at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Dottin returned to bat in the Super Over, her unbeaten 13 off four balls paving the way for Trinbago Knight Riders’ win.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Head coach Shane Deitz welcomed Dottin back into the West Indies set-up. “Her record is phenomenal and she is doing it again at the WCPL as we speak,” Deitz said of Dottin. “We’ve been really working hard off the field with our team culture, and the leadership group within the team. Denadra and the other players who are coming into the side – they are all going to be welcomed in the same manner.”On the field, as I said, her record is unbelievable and gives us flexibility with power-hitting and smart batting as well. [She is] an unbelievable fielder, does death bowling and some other bowling in between and she really steps up to bowl the big overs and she is an absolute winner. She has been here at the camp past week and really fit in well. Great to get her back in the squad and we’re looking forward to her contributions in the World Cup.”When Dottin had announced her retirement in August 2022 at age 31, she had played 127 T20Is (alongside 143 ODIs) for 2697 runs and 62 wickets. That record fastest hundred of hers came at a T20 World Cup, back in 2010; she got to the landmark off 38 balls – at the time a record across both men’s and women’s cricket – and went on to smash 112 off 45 balls against South Africa in St Kitts.She took to the T20 circuit after her retirement, but had not played competitive cricket since September 2023 before taking charge of TKR at the ongoing WCPL.West Indies’ leadership team at the World Cup will remain the same, with Hayley Matthews to lead and Shemaine Campbelle her deputy. The team has been impressive in T20I cricket leading into this World Cup; they travelled to Pakistan in April-May and won 4-1, before going to Sri Lanka and taking the series 2-1.That was their previous assignment, and the World Cup XV included four changes from that squad. There was no room for Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Rashada Williams and Late Wilmott. They made way for Ashmini Munisar, Dottin, Mandy Mangru and Crafton. Mangru is uncapped in T20I cricket and has played just the one ODI.West Indies begin their World Cup campaign on October 4 in Dubai against South Africa, and then have the rest of their Group B games lined up against Scotland, Bangladesh and England. The top two teams from the group will proceed to the semi-finals. The final is scheduled for October 20.

West Indies squad for 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup

Hayley Matthews (capt), Shemaine Campbelle (vice-capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Ashmini Munisar, Chedean Nation, Chinelle Henry, Deandra Dottin, Karishma Ramharack, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton, Qiana Joseph, Shamila Connell, Stafanie Taylor, Zaida James
In: Ashmini Munisar, Deandra Dottin, Mandy Mangru, Nerissa Crafton
Out: Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Rashada Williams, Late Wilmott

India allrounder Hardik Pandya and actor Natasa Stankovic have announced their separation, after being married for four years.”After four years of being together, Natasa and I have decided to mutually part ways,” they said via an Instagram post. “We tried our best together and gave it our all, and we believe this is in the best interest for both of us. This was a tough decision for us to make, given the joy, mutual respect and companionship we enjoyed together and as we grew as a family.”We are blessed with Agastya, who will continue to be at the centre of both our lives and we will co-parent to ensure that we give him everything that we can for his happiness.”Hardik and Natasa got married in May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, and had a larger celebration in February 2023.They made the announcement of their separation on the same day that India’s limited-overs squads for the tour of Sri Lanka were announced, with Suryakumar Yadav appointed the T20I captain instead of Hardik. Hardik was part of the T20I squad as a player and rested from the ODI series.

To get close to chasing India’s 325 and fall short just by four runs is a massive confidence booster for South Africa, according to Marizanne Kapp, one of the four centurions in the second ODI in Bengaluru. She said this was the brand of cricket they wanted to play, looking ahead to next year’s 50-over World Cup in India.This was after South Africa were reduced to 67 for 3 inside 15 overs on Wednesday. Even the series opener saw them having a collapse upfront, where from 33 for 3, they were eventually bowled out for 122. But unlike Sunday, South Africa fought back hard in the second game but Pooja Vastrakar denied Laura Wolvaardt – who top-scored for the visitors with 134 not out – and South Africa a series-levelling win with a sensational final over.”There were a lot of positives today,” Kapp said after the game. “To get that close is obviously a massive confidence booster especially moving forward, we know we can reach that total. But in saying that, probably after that first four in the last over, it was our game to lose. It’s definitely something we would speak about, but in the future, if we could have maybe tried to get Wolfie [Wolvaardt] on strike a bit more, then maybe… there are a lot of things we could have done differently. But again, to come that close, after starting a little bit slower today, we have a lot of positives to take forward, given that we have a World Cup next year.Related

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• Stats – Mandhana, Harmanpreet, Wolvaardt, Kapp combine to break ODI records

• Wolvaardt, Vastrakar and a six-ball emotional rollercoaster like no other

“It’s [the intent] something we’ve been speaking about. We had a meeting with the batting coach after our first ODI. He said that if we had scored 100 in 20 overs in that ODI, he would have been happy even if we got bowled out. But to score 122 off the 37 overs, it’s not the brand of cricket we want to play. Definitely happy with the way we scored today and got close to the target.”During the chase, Wolvaardt crossed 4000 ODI runs and became the highest run-getter for South Africa in 50-over cricket. Kapp also touched the 3000 mark to be fourth on the list. Kapp, who played as a specialist batter in these two matches because of workload management, has visibly upped her batting in the last 12 months. Since 2023, she has smashed two centuries and four half-centuries in 15 innings to average 68.20 in this format.Coming in at 67 for 3 when the team needed a big partnership, she thrived under pressure and shared 184 runs off 170 balls with Wolvaardt to take South Africa closer to the huge target.”If you look at myself and Wolfie, it’s been a few times now that we have been out in the middle,” Kapp said. “The way my batting has gone in the last couple of years, I have been striking at close to 100, so it’s just a little bit more natural for me. I have found that If I am being positive, I usually score runs more often than not. Whereas she likes to take her time, set herself on and then go after the bowlers. We don’t even have to speak about it. It naturally worked out that way that I am going to be the aggressor, and she takes her time.”At the end of the day, this is why I play cricket for,” Kapp spoke of playing under pressure. “I believe usually in those situations, I perform, and I pride myself in that. Wolfie and I, we enjoy that. Sometimes, you get a bit annoyed or upset if you are tired, but look, no. It’s a team sport, and the two of us enjoy batting together. I feel like games like this, situations like this probably bring out the best in myself and Wolfie.”