Babar Azam out of first Test, Salman Ali Agha given captaincy
A three-match Test series is scheduled between England and Pakistan, with the first match starting on August 19th. Babar Azam will not be included in Pakistan’s playing eleven for the first Test. His omission is a major blow to Pakistan. Captain Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as Babar’s replacement. Pakistan head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed this.
This series is crucial for Pakistan in terms of the World Test Championship. However, the captain’s absence from the first match is considered a major blow for Pakistan. Babar injured his right finger during a three-day practice match against the professional county club Select XI in Beckenham.
“Test cricket is my ultimate goal,” reveals Devdutt Padikkal
The Indian team has the upper hand in the first Test against Sri Lanka being played in Galle. Young batsman Devdutt Padikkal has performed brilliantly for Team India in this Test. He scored 167 runs in the first innings and 44 runs in the second innings. Now, Team India needs to take six wickets on the final day to win this Test. After the end of the fourth day’s play, Padikkal revealed his ultimate goal to the world.
“I’ve always been clear that Test cricket is my ultimate goal, so I’ve tried to adapt my game to stick to my basic technique. I’m making sure I can easily adapt to red-ball cricket whenever needed, as that’s my top priority,” Devdutt Padikkal said at the press conference after the fourth day’s play.
“I have a different batting setup for white-ball cricket,” he said. “This allows me to play more shots and keep my hands a little more open, but in red-ball cricket, this aspect needs to be tightened up, requiring the hands to be kept closer to the body.”
Sri Lankan bowler sets shameful record in Galle
In the first Test being played at the Galle International Stadium, Sri Lanka’s young spinner Keshara Nuwantha has set an unwanted record. He conceded 175 runs in 39 overs in the first innings. India scored 462 runs in the first innings. Team India is completely dominating the match, and Sri Lanka is on the verge of defeat. Nuwantha bowled a total of 39 overs against India in the first innings of the Test match, taking 3 wickets for 175 runs. This spell by Nuwantha is the third most expensive spell bowled by a Sri Lankan on Test debut.
Justin Greaves and Hayley Matthews named Player of the Month by ICC
ICC announced the Player of the Month winners for July on August 18th. West Indies players Justin Greaves and Hayley Matthews were named Player of the Month for July. Greaves was named the men’s ICC Player of the Month, while Matthews was named the women’s Player of the Month. Both players performed exceptionally well.
Greaves performed brilliantly in the two-match Test series against Pakistan. He scored a brilliant century in the Test match against Sri Lanka, scoring 180 runs. He then bowled brilliantly against Pakistan, taking five wickets in the first innings and two in the second. Matthews had a stellar performance against Ireland in July. She scored 265 runs in the three-match ODI series, including two centuries.
Glenn Maxwell becomes father for the second time
Australia’s star all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has become a father for the second time. His wife, Vini Raman, has given birth to their second child. Glenn Maxwell and Raman first met in 2009 and married in 2022. Vini Raman is of Indian origin. Maxwell shared the news of his newborn baby on social media. He also revealed the name.
Glenn Maxwell and Raman shared the news with their fans through a joint Instagram post. They named their new daughter Maia Maxwell. In the caption, they wrote, “The daughter of our dreams has arrived. Maia Maxwell.” Following Maxwell’s post, fans on social media began to congratulate and wish him well.
David Warner fined for in drink-and-drive case
Former Australia cricket team’s legendary batsman David Warner will now have to use an interlock device (a type of breathalyzer) while driving after a Sydney court found him guilty in a drink-and-drive case. Warner, 39, was also fined 1,500 Australian dollars (about 1 lakh Indian rupees) for ‘mid-range’ drink-driving after he tried to switch seats with a passenger while approaching a random breath-testing site on Easter Sunday.
The incident occurred on April 5 (Easter Sunday), when Warner was driving a vehicle and made headlines after stopping before a random breath-testing site. The former Test opener was charged with “mid-range” drink-driving after a random breath test showed he had more than twice the legal limit. Last month, Warner pleaded guilty to the drink-driving charge in a Sydney court.
The court had set August 18th for final sentencing in the case, where Warner faced punishment under local traffic laws for a “mid-range” drink-driving violation. Warner’s lawyer, Awais Ahmed, argued that he should not be convicted of the offense because he had already faced additional punishment due to media coverage, reports cricket.com.au.
For more news & updates, follow The Crichub on Instagram, X and YouTube
