Cricket now

Melbourne Renegades, the WBBL 10 Champions (PC: WBBL/X) The 2020 women’s T20 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). India suffered a crushing defeat against Australia. It was heartbreak for Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey. Four years later, they found themselves in a similar situation, playing for Brisbane Heat, at the same venue, in the Women’s Big Bash League 10 (WBBL 10) final. Unfortunately, history repeated itself. Brisbane Heat lost to Melbourne Renegades by seven runs. Individually, it was another forgettable outing for both players, reminiscent of the 2020 World Cup final. Shikha went wicketless, and Jemimah managed only a single-digit score (1). Hayley Matthews stood out, earning the Player of the Match award for her all-round brilliance. After winning the toss, the Heat skipper Jess Jonassen chose to bowl first. The decision seemed spot on as they had a fantastic start, taking three wickets in the first six overs. Deandra Dottin was dismissed for a d...

The wait for the Champions Trophy schedule continues. (PC: X.com) The Champions Trophy 2025 stalemate seems to have been resolved with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) accepting the hybrid model with some riders. While there are a lot of rumours that are being floated, the truth is the Champions Trophy was always going to be played on a hybrid model, failing which it wouldn’t take place in Pakistan at all. The latest is that Pakistan might also suggest that going forward, all ICC competitions to be held in India should also follow a hybrid-hosting formula. That could be a face-saver for the PCB, for failing to hold its own within the corridors of power at the International Cricket Council (ICC). And the PCB could also ask for a marginal increase in its share of revenue from the ICC’s central pool.  One of the questions that needs to be asked here is why Pakistan was doing what it did. Would it have done the same had there been an Australian, Englishman or South African due to ...

PCB Chairman and Champions Trophy (PC: X) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has all but accepted a hybrid model for the 2025 Champions Trophy with a few riders, RevSportz understands. They are expected to communicate this to the International Cricket Council (ICC) by Sunday. The game’s governing body will then reconvene its Board meeting to finalise the details – venues, schedule et cetera – of the tournament. The Champions Trophy, an eight-team ODI event, is scheduled to be played in February-March next year, with the PCB hosting the event. According to sources, the PCB will attach certain clauses in their communication to the ICC for agreeing to a hybrid model. They will ask for an added incentive apart from the hosting fee, which is around $65 million. They will also ask for a bigger share of the ICC revenue, which currently stands at 5.75 per cent of the global body’s total projected earnings of $600 million for the 2024-2027 cycle. Also, they will demand that the next four ICC...

Anneke Bosch and her tough grind to success. PC – PCB Transcripts relate to the conversation between the interviewee and interviewer. But with Anneke Bosch, the South African cricketer, it feels as if something intangible can be added – her candidness and simplicity. The first bits of Bosch’s reply to a query about her memories from childhood days is an indicator of it. Bosch ended up recounting a memory that turned out to be a harrowing experience for her.  “My dad (Pethrow Bosch) passed away about 10 years ago, so every time I go on to a cricket field, I think about special memories. Actually, there is one bad memory,” she told RevSportz. “When I was in Grade 7, we had a match against another school. I was the wicketkeeper. Dad was the umpire because it was his team. So, the coach was also the umpire. The third ball of the game, there was a top-edge. I tried to catch it, as I dived, I hit one of our players’ knees, because he was also going for the catch. I was like out; I c...

Pakistan Cricket Board’s Chairman and Champions Trophy (PC: X) If you speak to sources within the International Cricket Council (ICC), one thing is certain. It is very clear that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has little or no support within cricket’s governing body. The writing is on the wall for them. Either they can accept the hybrid model or give up on the Champions Trophy hosting rights. Dig deeper, and you will know that the other boards are now prepared for a Champions Trophy without Pakistan. The broadcasters will be compensated, and the ICC is more than ready to carry on if the PCB continues to play hard ball. Pakistan, on the other hand, stand to lose close to 65 million dollars, a sum that it can’t really afford to give up. In the brief ICC meeting that happened on Friday afternoon, the PCB clearly understood what is likely to happen. Now, it is their call. If they accept the hybrid model, the ICC will meet again on Saturday. If they don’t, there could be a decision i...

ICC Champions Trophy (PC: X) The ICC Board held a brief meeting, on Friday,  in order to find a favourable outcome for the Men’s Champions Trophy slated to be held early next year. The Board is set to reconvene again tomorrow or in the next few days. Representatives of all full member countries were in attendance in the virtual meeting. As per the initial framework, Pakistan were scheduled to host the entire duration of the event.  The ICC is hopeful of coming out with a plausible solution to hold the tournament as scheduled. As per sources, Pakistan Cricket Board are sticking to its stance of not holding the event via a hybrid model, where all of India’s matches would be held at a neutral venue, with the rest of the games being hosted by Pakistan. This particular model was proposed in the backdrop of India deciding not to travel to Pakistan due to long-standing political tensions and security concerns.  Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randh...

Sir Don Bradman’s house The city of Adelaide is famous for its churches. But the South Australian state is also known for the legendary Sir Donald Bradman. It was here Bradman spent the most time of his life. The man with a Test average of 99.94 was born on August 27, 1908, in Cootamundra, New South Wales and was raised in Bowral. Initially he stayed at 52, Shepherd Street before shifting to 20, Glebe Street, where he stayed for four years. After his passing on February 25, 2001, the South Australian government has ensured that the legend is paid a fitting tribute and people still remember him. On Friday, cricket historian Tony Rose, based in Adelaide, took this correspondent and my colleague Subhayan for a trip to Bradman’s house.  2, Holden Street, which is 3 kilometres drive from the city, stands as a testament to the legacy of cricket’s greatest-ever batsman. Even after his death, the house, once vibrant with his presence, continues to draw visitors, keeping his memory al...

The Australian players during the first Test in Perth. Photo: Debasis Sen/RevSportz Alex Carey was the last  wicket to fall in the Perth Test as Australia crashed to an ignominious defeat in conditions that were set to suit them. On expected lines, there was jubilation in the Indian camp. It was a clinical and memorable performance from the visiting side. Meanwhile, there were some glum faces in the Australian set-up.  The embarrassing defeat just accentuated the question marks surrounding the aging Australian side, especially in the batting department. Just a glimpse at some of the averages of the current set of Australian batters tell a story. Since the start of 2023 Ashes, following are the averages of Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Alex Carey – 38.2, 32.82, 27.41, 30.45 and 28.23 respectively. This is what Ravi Shastri, the former India coach, had to say about Australia’s batting woes. “I am seriously worried about the depth in Austra...

Glimpses from the book launch event of Fearless. In his recently published memoir, Fearless , Mohinder Amarnath has chosen Imran Khan over Sunil Gavaskar as the better captain. In explaining his choice, Amarnath said at the launch in Delhi, “Sunil Gavaskar was a great batsman and was one of the best. But maybe he expected everyone else to be like him and not always did he go up to the younger members and make them feel comfortable. Imran was more of an inclusive leader who made everyone in his team comfortable and happy.” Rajinder Amarnath, brother and co-writer, defended the statement saying: “It is an honest assessment, and that’s how Jimmy has been and has always played his cricket.” In Fearless , Amarnath has written that he was informed of his selection in the 1983 World Cup team by a friend in the UK. No one from the BCCI contacted him or bothered to inform him. “Maybe they had a very low estimation of the team based on how we performed in 1975 and 1979,” he recounted. “Tha...