Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-England Men's selection panel have named a 14-strong squad for the three-match ODI series of The Netherlands starting at Amstelveen on 17 June. Lancashire seamer Luke Wood and Gloucestershire paceman David Payne are the uncapped players named in the squad. This will be Wood's first call-up to the senior squad, and Payne has been involved previously in last summer's ODIs against Pakistan. White-Ball Head Coach, Matthew Mott, said: "I'm very excited to be coaching a strong squad for my first series in charge. We have tremendous depth with a blend of youth and experience. We want to continue to play in an expressive style and let our players showcase their skills and firepower. "Luke Wood deserves his call-up. He has been consistent for Lancashire over the past 12 months and we have been monitoring his progression. If given a chance to play, I'm sure he will make most of his opportunity. "This is a historic occasion for the sport and the first time England Men have played The Netherlands in an ODI series. We can't wait to head over to Amsterdam and put on a show for the thousands of fans travelling to support the team. "The ODI side has had limited opportunities and last played in July. However, with about 18 months to the next ICC 50 over World Cup in India, our preparation will start ramping up with nine matches over the summer and a busy winter ahead against strong opponents." The three-match ODI series, which are part of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League, starts a busy summer for England Men with Royal London Series against India and South Africa scheduled for later this summer. England ODI Squad: Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Sam Curran (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), David Payne (Gloucestershire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Luke Wood (Lancashire) ODI Series Schedule 1st ODI: The Netherlands v England, Friday 17 June, VRA Cricket Club, Amstelveen 2nd ODI: The Netherlands v England, Sunday 19 June, VRA Cricket Club, Amstelveen 3rd ODI: The Netherlands v England, Wednesday 22 June, VRA Cricket Club, Amstelveen

Ali Ahmed LAHORE:-The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League One-Day Internationals between Pakistan and the West Indies have been shifted to Multan. The games will take place on the dates announced earlier i.e. 8, 10 and 12 June, with the matches starting at 1600 PKT time.  The training camp of the Pakistan cricket team will be held in Lahore from 1-4 June before the squad will move to Multan on 5 June. Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, who are presently playing county cricket in the United Kingdom, will arrive on 1 June and will join the camp from the next day. The West Indies squad will arrive in Islamabad on 6 June and will travel to Multan on a charter flight. Series schedule with umpire and match referee appointments: 8 June – 1st ODI, Multan Cricket Stadium: Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire) and Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) 10 June – 2nd ODI, Multan Cricket Stadium: Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) 12 June – 3rd ODI, Multan Cricket Stadium: Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) Pakistan squad for West Indies ODIs: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper/batter), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper/batter), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani and Zahid Mahmood. Player Support Personnel: Mansoor Rana (manager), Saqlain Mushtaq (head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Mohammad Yousuf (batting coach), Shaun Tait (bowling coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (trainer/strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital manager), Col (retd) Mohammad Imran (security manager), Dr Najeeb Soomro (team doctor), Talha Ejaz (analyst) and Muhammad Imran (masseur).

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's retired fast bowler Suranga Lakmal is scheduled to have his elbow surgery in London on Saturday. The 35-year-old right-arm fast bowler, who retired from international cricket and moved to England to play for the Derbyshire County Cricket Club sustained a right elbow injury. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from London, Suranga Lakmal said, "the surgery is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 7 in the morning. It will be performed by Dr. Ali Noorani, who is a specialist in shoulder, elbow and upper limb treatment". Lakmal's family is in England but his wife would not be there at the time of surgery. "I have two children (Sayon aged 7 and Liyon 5 months old) and my wife has remained at home. This is the first time an injury of this kind has happened but I am not scared of it".     Lakmal confirmed that he would miss the season with English county. "I will be out of action for at least 3-4 months ". "Lakmal has a plan to play Premier League Cricket in Australia after the recovery", his wife Dilani Chalanika confirmed. Lakmal and Dimuth Karunratne have been invited to play for Endeavour Hills Cricket Club in Australia.      Praise for Ashitha Fernando Lakmal kept the track of Sri Lanka's Test win against Bangladesh. "Ashirtha Fernando is a good bowler. He bowled good spells in this Test and I am sure he is the future of Sri Lanka". 

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne and recently retired fast bowler Suranga Lakmal have signed with Endeavour Hills Cricket Club (EHCC) to play Premier League Cricket in Australia. This was revealed by the Club president Arjun Rajendran.  Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Australia, he said, "we are excited to have Dimuth (Karunaratne) play a few games when he does not have Test commitments later this year and Suranga Lakmal will join after his (English) county engagements". The 34-year-old opening batter Dimuth will play for this club once the Test series against Australia and Pakistan are over, whereas the 35-year-old right-arm fast bowler Lakmal will join after his stint with Derbyshire is over. "These Sri Lankan players and other Asian players have been signed to first support our club's vision with building and strengthening the Sri Lankan and Indian community and that attracts more members and players". "Our club is very big. We have 10 junior sides, 6 senior sides and 4 veterans. All in all, ages 8 to age 80 play cricket. Our club has a very large Sri Lankan and Indian members and players. We have Dilshan as captain and coach. Lahiru Thirimanne played a few games. There are other players who have played First Class cricket in Sri Lanka also play for us", the president signed off.

BIPIN DANI The International Cricket Council (ICC) umpire Richard Kettleborough, who had a tough time in Bangladesh on the fourth day of the Test match could resume his duty on the last day. The 49-year-old Kettleborough had fallen ill on the fourth morning and had to return to the dressing room immediately after officiating in the few overs. "The excessive heat took a toll on him and had to be withdrawn", one of the sources said. His on field duty was taken over by the third umpire Joel Wilson and the reserve umpire Masudur Rahman had to move to the TV room. "Wilson officiated from both ends on the fourth day. Joel Wilson's onfield involvement was only temporary, so may well be only a scorecard footnote. Kettleborough was fine on the fifth morning and officiated in the Test the entire day".  Both Kettleborough and Wilson will swap their roles in the second Test beginning in Dhaka on May 23.

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that Matthew Mott has been appointed as England Men's White-Ball Head Coach. Mott, 48, has signed a four-year agreement and is expected to be in place for England's three-match ODI series against The Netherlands in Amsterdam next month. The ECB's selection panel of Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison, Managing Director of England's Men's Cricket Rob Key, Strategic Adviser Andrew Strauss and Performance Director Mo Bobat unanimously agreed that he was the standout candidate for the role during the competitive interview process. Mott has led the Australian Women's Team since 2015 and during his seven years in charge has overseen one of the world's best winning records across international sport. Under his leadership, Australia Women have won consecutive ICC T20 World Cups, this year's ICC Women's 50-Over World Cup and are undefeated in four Ashes series. Mott has also helped Australia win 26 consecutive one-day internationals, a record in either the men's or women's game. Before taking up his post with Australia women in 2015, Mott worked as Head Coach of New South Wales - leading them to victory in the Champions League T20 tournament in 2009 - and then coached Glamorgan, reaching the final of the Yorkshire Bank 40 in 2013, before working as a consultant for Ireland during the 2015 ICC Men's World Cup. Managing Director of England's Men's Cricket Rob Key, said: "It is a real privilege to be able to announce Mathew Mott as the Head Coach of our men's white-ball team. He has had an incredible coaching journey with so many varied experiences that have brought him to this point where he was outstanding in the interview process and the perfect fit for our white-ball teams. "We are lucky to be able to appoint a Head Coach that has not only been involved in international cricket for the last few years but he has also worked in franchise cricket around the world. More importantly, what he has done with the Australian Women's team is what will be asked of him to achieve for our men's white-ball sides. "I'm confident that in Eoin Morgan and Matthew Mott, we have a formidable partnership that can push for more trophies in the coming years and that Matthew will be able to oversee any transition that team will go through in the future. "Furthermore, Matthew will also help us invest in English coaches getting them as much experience as possible over the next few years." Head Coach, Matthew Mott said: "I am delighted to accept the opportunity to take this white-ball role with England. Whilst I am Australian, I have deep connections, and several of my closest friends are in the UK, having spent considerable time in Scotland, Wales and England, both as a player and coach. "When this role became available, I was attracted by the chance to work with such an established and successful team under the astute leadership of Eoin Morgan and now Rob Key, whom I have always admired as an excellent cricket mind. "The idea of the split roles and the chance to work alongside Brendon McCullum in his red-ball role is an opportunity that I am incredibly enthusiastic about and certainly provides the right balance for my family as we embark on this exciting journey. "It was always going to take something special to leave the role that I have loved for the past seven years with the Australian Women's team. However, I genuinely believe that the time is right to play a role in helping the England Men's ODI and T20 group continue to evolve as one of the best teams in the world. "I am fully aware that this team has been functioning well and part of my initial plan is to work with the playing group and support staff on how we can firstly maintain, then enhance, the success they have started to build over the past few years. "Since the excitement of accepting this role, I, like many people around the world, have been trying to come to terms with the tragic loss of my great mate Andrew Symonds. The support of his beautiful family and close friends in the coming days will be vitally important, so I respectfully request some time to process his passing and the immense loss before making any further comment on the role at this stage."

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-England Men's 6-member selection panel have named a 13-strong squad for the first two Test matches of the summer against New Zealand starting at Lord's on 2 June. Yorkshire batter Harry Brook and Durham seamer Matthew Potts are called up for the first time. Brook has been the standout batsman in Division one of the LV= Insurance County Championship. The 23-year-old, who made his England T20 debut in January in the Caribbean, has scored 758 runs at an average of 151.60, including three centuries and four half-centuries for the white rose county during the summer campaign. The 23-year-old Potts has been in impressive form in the LV= Insurance County Championship. He is the season's leading bowler, with 35 wickets and four five-wicket hauls, including his most recent return of seven for 40 in Durham's win over Glamorgan. The seam duo of Lancashire's James Anderson and Nottinghamshire's Stuart Broad return to the squad for the first time since the Australia Test series earlier this winter. Managing Director Rob Key said: "This is the start of a new era for our Test team under the stewardship of Ben (Stokes) and Brendon (McCullum). With a blend of youth and experience, we have selected an exciting squad that can compete with New Zealand in next month's Test series. "We have rewarded players in Harry Brook and Matty Potts who have had outstanding starts to the County season, and they deserve the opportunity to stake a claim at this level. "It promises to be a mouthwatering series, and I can't wait for the team to start against a very good New Zealand side. It is a fascinating prospect for everyone connected with the sport in this country." The three-match Test series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. The England team will be looking to climb the rankings after a disappointing start to the second edition of the Championship. At the end of the two-year cycle, the top two teams will compete in the ICC World Test Championship Final due to be staged in the summer of 2023. The squad will come together for the first time next week in a camp before reporting to Lord's on 29 May ahead of the first Test on the 2 June. Selection Panel: The selection panel consists of Rob Key (Managing Director, England Men's Cricket), Brendon McCullum (England Men's Head Coach), Ben Stokes (England Men's Test Captain), Mo Bobat (Performance Director), James Taylor (Head Scout), David Court (Player ID Lead). Names of players: Ben Stokes (Durham) captain, James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Alex Lees (Durham), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire) Schedule (Test Matches) 1st Test: England v New Zealand, 2-6 June, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London 2nd Test: England v New Zealand, 10-14 June, Trent Bridge, Nottingham 3rd Test: England v New Zealand, 23-27 June, Headingley, Leeds

BIPIN DANI Bangladeshi player Mushfiqur Rahim's parents (father : Mahbub Habib and mother Rahima Khatun) had no plan to go to the Stadium and witness the current Test series against Sri Lanka. However, they have now changed their plan and have decided to drive about 200 km from their native Bogra to Dhaka and watch the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS). "My son scored a hundred (on Wednesday) and also became the first cricketer in our country to score 5000 runs in a Test. We want to celebrate the occasion in Dhaka", Mahbub Habib said exclusively over the telephone. "We are happy for his performance in this Test and his two achievements (century and 5000 runs) on the same day have made us proud". Father, who is in the business of selling the building materials, agreed that it was a slow batting by his son. Rahim's 105 runs came in 282 balls and had only four fours in the innings. "Rahim didn't have enough runs and a century for quite some time and now he has scored a ton and it gives us satisfaction", the father of five children (4 sons and one daughter) added. Rahim is the only cricketer in the family. "He didn't want to come in my business". Rahim's elder brother is in the business of selling motorcycles. Another one is a computer engineer and the youngest brother is a student. Rahim, who married to Jannatul Kefayet in 2014 lives in Dhaka with son Shahrooz and they all can't wait to watch Rahim play in the 2nd Test beginning on May 23.

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-Tom Harrison has decided to step down as Chief Executive Officer of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after more than seven years in the role. He will leave the organisation in June. The ECB Board will now begin a comprehensive search process to identify the next CEO who will lead the ECB and work with stakeholders across cricket to ensure the continued growth and development of the sport. A key part of this role will be taking on leadership of the game-wide programme of action and improvement to make cricket a welcoming and diverse sport, including through the continued implementation of the action plan agreed in November 2021 to drive out discrimination within the game. Clare Connor, currently Managing Director of England Women’s Cricket, has agreed to become interim CEO when Harrison leaves until a permanent successor is in post. Since taking up the role of CEO in January 2015, Harrison has overseen record levels of investment across the game at all levels and has led the delivery of the ECB’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategy, which aims to make cricket a bigger and more accessible and inclusive sport. He also led the ECB’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic as cricket confronted unprecedented financial challenges and became the first sport to achieve the return of competitive international fixtures in July 2020. The growth of the game – including the launch of children’s participation programmes All Stars and Dynamos - has been supported by significantly increased investment in the sport, as the ECB’s annual revenue almost trebled during Harrison’s tenure. Support from broadcast and commercial partners has been crucial to this growth, including through a successful long-term partnership with Sky and the return of live cricket to free-to-air TV with the BBC. Tom Harrison said: “It has been a huge honour to be CEO of the ECB for the past seven years. Cricket is an extraordinary force for good in the world and my goal has been to make the game bigger and ensure more people and more communities in England and Wales feel they have a place in this sport. The long-term health of cricket depends on its ability to grow and remain relevant and be more inclusive in an ever-changing world. “The past two years have been incredibly challenging, but we have pulled together to get through the pandemic, overcome cricket’s biggest financial crisis, and committed to tackling discrimination and continuing the journey towards becoming the inclusive, welcoming sport we strive to be. I have put everything into this role, but I believe now is the right time to bring in fresh energy to continue this work.” Martin Darlow, Interim ECB Chair, said: “Tom has been an outstanding CEO and deserves our sincere thanks for all he has achieved in his time at the ECB. Through the Inspiring Generations strategy, he has set the game on a path to growth and to being played and watched by more people from all backgrounds, underpinned by record investment in cricket. “When the pandemic struck, it was Tom’s leadership that brought the game together and saved us from the worst financial crisis the sport has ever faced. He has always put the interests of the game first and worked to lead important change to make our game more accessible and inclusive, though we all know there is still much more work to do. “We will now begin the search for his successor who can build on all that he has achieved. I’m pleased that Clare Connor has agreed to step into the role on an interim basis while this process is under way.”

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanikan all-rounder Angelo Mathews has joined the company of 12 other Test cricketers who were dismissed on 199 runs. The list also includes another Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya (against India at Colombo in 1997).   Incidentally, Mathews had also missed the magical figure (of hundred) by mere a single run (against India at Mumbai in 2009) when he was run out. "Any batsman missing the magical figure is more painful", his elder brother Trevin Mathews, who has also played cricket and is now in the coaching profession said over the telephone from Colombo.   "If a batsman loses his wicket at 99 runs is always a little painful but when he is out at 199 runs is definitely more painful".    "Instead of hitting a big shot on the onside, my brother should have tried to run a short shot to enable him to run for a single...but what to do...It was not in his destiny on Monday", the brother added. However, former Pakistani opener Mudassar Nazar believes that losing a wicket at 99 is more painful. "I think it would be more painful if you were out on 99. I was once out on 95 and I find it more hurtful than being out on 199. Missing out on a Test century is unthinkable". Also, remaining not out on 199 (Kumara Sangakkara and Andy Flower) and running out of partners would be hard to make but think about the poor partner. He would be grief stricken at letting you down", Nazar added. Mathews' father,  Tyronne Mathews, who had also played cricket in his time, however, termed the dismissal as "unfortunate". "This all happens in the game. But we are not disappointed. Satisfied with his score of 199 runs", the father said. Marthews already had one unbeaten double century in a Test against Zimbabwe (at Harare in 2020).