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Athapaththu will be leaving the WPL to take part in Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2025UP Warriorz (UPW) have named Australia top-order batter Georgia Voll as replacement for Chamari Athapaththu, who will be missing the final phase of the WPL owing to national duties. As reported by ESPNcricinfo last week, Athapaththu was supposed to be available for UPW only till February 26, for their game against Mumbai Indians in Bengaluru which they lost.UPW next play on March 3, which will be the first game this season in Lucknow. Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand begins with the first of three ODIs in Napier the following day, followed by as many T20Is. As such, Athapaththu hasn’t played any of UPW’s five games this season.Twenty-one-year-old Voll has only played three T20Is, having made her debut against England in January. But prior to that, she was Sydney Thunder’s second-highest run-getter at WBBL 2024-25, where she scored 330 runs at a strike rate of 144. Thunder had made their way all the way up to the WBBL Challenger, where they lost to Brisbane Heat.Voll scored a century in just her second ODI, against India last December. She had finished as the highest run-scorer in that series, with 173 runs at an average of 86.50. Voll joins UPW for INR 30 lakh (US$ 34,350 approx.).UPW are currently placed fourth on the five-team WPL points table, having won two of their games so far.

Teen Dan Lategan scores maiden List A fifty before Kashif Ali’s 80 and Jake Libby’s unbeaten half-century seal result

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025Worcestershire Rapids secured a home semi-final in the Metro Bank One Day Cup after cantering to a six-wicket win over Surrey at Visit Worcestershire New Road.Making an unexpected appearance, Gus Atkinson top-scored for the visitors with 60, but Worcestershire’s bowlers took wickets with frequency to restrict their opponents to 266 for 6.In reply, 19-year-old Dan Lategan registered a maiden List A fifty at the top of the order for the Rapids, before Kashif Ali (80) propelled the home side into pole position.Skipper Jake Libby’s unbeaten half-century steered Worcestershire to a comfortable win as the Rapids secured top spot in Group A and now wait to learn who they will face in Sunday’s semi-final.Tom Taylor vindicated Libby’s choice to bowl first as he castled Adam Thomas in his third over of the morning, with a full ball that angled back in and rattled into off stump providing the home side with the ideal start.Ben Foakes joined Rory Burns at the crease as the former England duo looked to steer Surrey back into the contest, but Foakes’ cameo was short-lived as he departed for just 6.Ben Gibbon impressed with an economical spell either side of a brief rain delay, that included the scalp of Burns, who looked impressive on his way to 43 before losing his wicket when he dragged a length ball straight to Rob Jones at short midwicket.Despite being reliant on Gloucestershire’s result against Hampshire that was unfolding simultaneously to events at Visit Worcestershire New Road, only a win would suffice if the Rapids were to stand any chance of hosting a semi-final.Ollie Sykes (36) and Josh Blake (43) both looked to be the batters to kick on, but Tom Taylor (2 for 59) first dismissed the Surrey skipper, before Fateh Singh trapped Blake lbw to reduce the visitors to 160 for 5.Making only his third List A appearance for the club, England star Gus Atkinson showed why his batting capabilities have earnt him a Test match century, as he struck nine boundaries in his 48-ball-60 that took his side up towards 250 in the face of some disciplined Worcestershire bowling.Khurram picked up his second wicket as he removed Atkinson to stall the visitors once more, but some lusty blows from Nikhil Gorantla saw the away side finish their 49 overs 266 for 6.Brett D’Oliveira and rising star Lategan catapulted the hosts to a flying start, with D’Oliveira making an enterprising 45 as the pair added 83 for the first wicket.Lategan continued in the wake of his opening partner’s dismissal, recording his maiden List A half-century from 45 balls, but he could only add four more before he was bowled by Sykes.Kashif Ali showed no signs of slowing, making a typically explosive start to his innings by racing to 34, as Worcestershire passed 150 in the 21st over.Libby, averaging 62 in this year’s competition as he made his way to the middle, helped guide the Rapids beyond 200 despite losing Kashif in the process for an exhilarating 80 from 58 balls, caught in the deep looking to clear the boundary.Yousef Majid (2 for 57) returned the best figures for Surrey on a day where only one bowler registered an economy below six-an-over.With the required run rate dropping below two-an-over, Libby guided his side to victory.

He had clattered a 58-ball century against Australia Under-19 in a four-day game less than two months ago

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2024Bihar youngster Vaibhav Suryavanshi, a left-hand top-order batter, has become the youngest player to earn an IPL deal, worth INR 1.10 crore (US$0.13 million approx.), from Rajasthan Royals (RR).Suryavanshi, all of 13 years and 243 days on the day he got his maiden IPL contract, has already played for India Under-19 and scored a century opening the batting against Australia Under-19 in a four-day game in Chennai less than two months ago.Bids for Suryavanshi started at his base price of INR 30 lakh and RR and Delhi Capitals (DC) were soon involved in the bidding battle, which eventually went RR’s way.”He’s been to our high performance center in Nagpur, he had trials there and really impressed our coaching set-up there,” RR CEO Jake Lush McCrum said after the auction ended. “He’s an incredible talent and of course you got to have the confidence so he can step up to the IPL level. So lots of work will go in in the coming months to continue to develop him but hell of a talent and we’re really excited to have him as part of the franchise.”Suryavanshi, who hails from Samastipur, a city about 100 kilometres north-east from Patna, has featured in five Ranji Trophy games since his first-class debut against Mumbai earlier this year and is currently playing T20s in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Bihar. He recently made his T20 debut against Rajasthan, on November 23.The highlight of his career so far is the century against Australia U-19, which came off just 58 balls, before he fell for 104. That knock made Suryavanshi the youngest player – at 13 years and 187 days – to score a century in youth cricket, breaking the previous record of 14 years and 241 days held by Bangladesh’s current captain Najmul Hossain Shanto.Suryavanshi also has a triple-century to his name – an unbeaten 332 – in an U-19 tournament in Bihar, the Randhir Verma Tournament. He idolises Brian Lara and consults former India opener Wasim Jaffer about his game from time to time – they had first met during an U-19 white-ball tournament in Bangladesh in November 2023.His formal coach, though, is his father Sanjeev Suryavanshi. Sanjeev was a cricketer, too, but when he couldn’t make it to the higher levels, he turned to coaching, and began working with Vaibhav once he showed an interest in playing the game seriously.

The former England captain is all for backing younger players but believes the big guns should be back in a major world tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2024Eoin Morgan believes that England must recall Joe Root and Ben Stokes to their white-ball set-up ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan.Root and Stokes last played ODIs at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, where England’s attempt to defend the title they won for the first time under Morgan’s leadership in 2019 culminated in an ignominious group-stage exit. Neither player will feature in the three-match series against West Indies which starts later this month, but England have hinted they are still in the mix.Stokes was unavailable for England’s 3-2 series defeat against Australia last month due to injury, though would have been unlikely to feature regardless, while Root was rested to give him a break between Test series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. England were also missing Mark Wood and Jos Buttler through injury, with Harry Brook captaining in Buttler’s absence.Related

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“At the moment, I’m happy to back the younger players,” Morgan said at the launch of the International Masters League in Mumbai on Tuesday. “In the recent series against Australia, they found a template. Australia, you have to commend how good they are at the moment in all formats of the game. But when you put them up against a side that, at stages, didn’t have [Jofra] Archer, no Wood, Stokes and Root as well, no Buttler, that’s half your England team.”The run chase at Durham, when Harry Brook scored that magnificent hundred and then just went on to find his feet as captain… the template that they found in that game, I thought, is one that really suits the players that they’ve selected. I would encourage them to continue with that template and look ahead to the Champions Trophy.”England only play six more ODIs before the Champions Trophy next year: three in the Caribbean, and three more in India in early February. Morgan believes that the West Indies series will provide their younger players with an opportunity to make their cases for inclusion, but that Brendon McCullum should bring the big guns back when he takes over as white-ball coach in January.”Ben Stokes has already said that he hasn’t had the call yet from Baz as to whether he will play or not,” Morgan said. “If that call comes, obviously he would love to play. In my eyes, they’ve got to come into a major world tournament and look to win it, and that means trying to find the best team – and for me, Stokes and Root are in that best team.”The younger players playing in the upcoming series against the West Indies, and then coming here [India] in February, the opportunity is there in front of your face. And that opportunity can be quickly taken away when those big names come back.”

It was the second-biggest successful chase in Vijay Hazare Trophy history

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2024Playing only his third List A game, K Shrijith struck an unbeaten 101-ball 150 to lead Karnataka home in the second-highest successful chase in Vijay Hazare Trophy history, as they hauled down a target of 383 with 3.4 overs to spare at the Narendra Modi Stadium’s B ground.Andhra’s successful chase of 384 against Goa in the 2011-12 season continues to hold the tournament record.Related

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Shrijith’s effort meant that Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 114 off just 55 balls went in vain for Mumbai. Iyer hit five fours and as many as ten sixes as he hurried Mumbai to a formidable total following a relatively sedate start. When Iyer walked out, Mumbai were 148 for 2 in the 30th over, following a 141-run second-wicket stand, off 160 balls, between Hardik Tamore (84 off 94) and Ayush Mhatre (78 off 82).Mumbai proceeded to up their scoring rate as Iyer added 30 off 22 with Tamore and 56 off 34 with Suryakumar Yadav (20 off 16). That set the stage for a frenetic finish, as Iyer and Shivam Dube proceeded to put on an unbroken 148 off the last 65 balls of Mumbai’s innings. While Dube scored an unbeaten 63 off 36 (5×4, 5×6), Iyer from the other end smashed 74 off the last 29 balls of his innings.Amid the carnage of Mumbai’s innings, new-ball operator Vasuki Koushik finished with the impressive figures of 0 for 45 from his ten overs.In contrast with Mumbai’s gradual build-up of steam, Karnataka kept pace with the required rate almost throughout their chase. They were 106 for 2 in the 15th over, with openers Nikin Jose (21 off 13) and Mayank Agarwal (47 off 48) having both departed, when Shrijith walked to the crease.The wicketkeeper-batter took charge of the innings thereafter, first putting on 94 with No. 3 KV Aneesh, who made a 66-ball 82 on his List A debut, and then dominating an unbroken stand of 183 off just 119 balls with the legspinning allrounder Praveen Dubey.While Dubey contributed 65 off 50 balls to the partnership, Shrijith smashed 107 off 69, as Karnataka charged towards their target. Mumbai’s bowlers came in for heavy punishment, none worse than Shardul Thakur who went for 72 in six wicketless overs.

Leicestershire plunge into trouble despite Sol Budinger’s aggressive half-century

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-Jul-2025Birmingham Bears boosted their chances of qualifying for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals for a fifth consecutive season as they eased past Leicestershire Foxes at the Uptonsteel County Ground, winning by six wickets with 10 balls to spare.The Foxes were bowled out for 154 in 19.3 overs, Pakistan international pace bowler Hasan Ali finishing with 4 for 22 – all four wickets in the opening powerplay. Sol Budinger made 51 off 24 balls but allrounder Logan van Beek’s 26 was the next best score, Richard Gleeson and Danny Briggs picking up two wickets each for the Bears.Half-centuries from Sam Hain (55 from 38 balls) and Dan Mousley (64 not out from 48) then got the job done as Bears move level on 20 points with the Foxes in a tight North Group.After the Birmingham-based visitors chose to bowl, an extraordinary opening powerplay saw Budinger smash 40 off 17 balls but the Foxes careered from 38 without loss to 71 for 4 after two stunning overs from Hasan.There were eight boundaries from the first 13 deliveries, culminating in Budinger walloping Hasan’s first ball over the rope at midwicket in what looked potentially another big night for the explosive left-hander, who smashed a 15-ball half-century against Derbyshire on the opening night of Leicestershire’s season.But how the picture changed. Hasan, who took a hat-trick against Derbyshire in figures of 6 for 23 a month ago, now dismissed Rishi Patel, caught at long-off, and international team-mate Shan Masood, tamely bunting to extra cover, with consecutive balls. Budinger picked up a second six in taking 19 off Mousley but Hasan immediately grabbed back the spotlight by bowling Rehan Ahmed, stepping across, and trapping Louis Kimber in front with the first and fifth balls of his second over.By the 12th over, the Foxes were 102 for 7 after Budinger had been caught on the slog-sweep, Liam Trevaskis holed out to wide long-on and Ben Cox was bowled playing back to Gleeson.Van Beek and Tom Scriven added 36 but it took five overs and the momentum from the start of the innings had completely dissipated, Gleeson (2-24), Mousley and Ed Barnard picking up a wicket apiece at the death as the home side were dismissed in 19.3 overs.Leicestershire took two wickets in the powerplay but the Bears were comfortable at 59 for 2 from six, although New Zealand batter Tom Latham made only a single before he was caught at cover off Sam Wood after Alex Davies had been caught behind attempting to hook van Beek.By halfway the target was down to 60 at 95 for 2 with Hain and Mousley able to progress without taking too many risks with no need to chase boundaries beyond those that were there for the taking.Hain and Mousley both survived difficult chances but with the last five overs arriving with only 21 more needed, the result was effectively decided, even though Hain would be caught at long-on off Kimber before the Foxes skipper collected a second wicket in Moeen Ali with a return catch. Mousley struck Josh Hull to the cover boundary for the winning runs.

“We also want to make sure that Shaheen has made some improvements to his game so that when he comes back into the T20 side, he does well”

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-2025Mike Hesson has dismissed speculation that he had asked Babar Azam to consider taking up wicketkeeping in a bid to regain his place in Pakistan’s T20I side.Reports had surfaced in recent days that the new Pakistan coach had told Babar, until recently a captain and mainstay in the T20I side, that he needed another skill to make him a more viable option at the top of the order.Babar has never kept wicket in his career, but Hesson was, in any case, categorical that Pakistan did not view him as a wicketkeeping option. Babar was not part of Pakistan’s last T20I squad for the home series against Bangladesh and is also not part of the squad that travels there for a return series later this month.Related

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The two series are the first under Hesson, as Pakistan look to reset their T20 batting approach under Salman Agha’s captaincy. But Babar and his longtime opening partner Mohammad Rizwan are both part of a week-long training camp in Karachi with the selected squad. Rizwan is also not part of the squad; as a long-time opening partnership, Babar and Rizwan’s stock has fallen steadily over the last couple of years, with criticism growing around their low-risk approach, apparent lack of intent and low strike rates.”Firstly, Babar Azam is not seen as a wicketkeeping option, no,” Hesson said. “Not sure where that came from, but I have heard that speculation. Babar is competing for one of the opening positions at the moment. But obviously, we have Fakhar [Zaman] and Saim [Ayub] in those two roles at the moment, so he’s competing for that.”Hesson was asked again about Babar, in the context of batting strike rates, and said he wanted Pakistan to catch up with the rest of the world in their approach.”No doubt strike rate is important in T20 cricket but you have to combine it with a volume of runs,” Hesson said. “There’s a good reason why our ranking in T20 cricket is as low as it is, because our strike rates from a batting point of view are not high enough. We certainly made some shifts in that last series to play a more expansive game of cricket and probably catch up with the rest of the world, as that is the way the modern game is.”We have identified some areas that Shaheen needs to work on,” Mike Hesson said•ICC/Getty Images

“Babar is one of many who have the ability to make those improvements. And I’m here to work with them and help them. In the last month or so, he’s made some really good changes. It’s not just a matter of going from 125 to 150, it’s a matter of increasing what you can offer because we’re no doubt often 30-40 runs short with the bat. So, we need to find a way of getting that.”Babar and Rizwan aren’t the only big names on the outer as far as the team is concerned. Shaheen Shah Afridi, another member of the core that led Pakistan successively to last-four and runners-up finishes in the T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022, has also not been picked in recent Pakistan T20I sides. Afridi won a third PSL title in four seasons as captain of Lahore Qalandars in May, bowling well towards the end of the league. He is also at the camp, though not yet back in favour.”Shaheen Shah Afridi is a world-class player,” Hesson said. “There’s no doubt that we’ve identified some areas that Shaheen needs to work on, as does every player at this camp. But there’s a good reason that he, and everybody else, is at this camp. They’re in the wider frame for Pakistan in white-ball cricket and that includes T20 cricket. Players go through good periods and periods where they’re a little bit down in their game. And it’s up to us as coaching staff to try and get our best players on the park and make them better, so when they play for Pakistan, they perform better. We certainly don’t discount quality players, but we try and work with them to help them come back stronger.”Hasan Ali is currently playing the Blast in England•Getty Images

Hesson also clarified that Hasan Ali – the top wicket-taker against Bangladesh in the home series – had not been dropped, but that they had allowed him to continue playing in the Blast in England. Hasan will be back in the side for Pakistan’s T20 series against West Indies in August. Hesson, who is part of the selection panel, took the opportunity to include Salman Mirza, the left-arm pacer who made such an impression late in Qalandars’ winning PSL campaign.”Shaheen is a high-quality player,” Hesson said. “We had Hasan Ali, we had Haris Rauf, we had Abbas Afridi perform really well against Bangladesh. Haris is injured, and with Hasan, we saw an opportunity to bring in Salman Mirza. Shaheen will get his opportunity. But we also want to make sure that Shaheen has made some improvements to his game so that when he comes back into the T20 side, he does well.”The week-long camp is seen as more than just preparation for the Bangladesh tour. Pakistan have a busy T20 schedule as they look to rebuild for the next T20 World Cup in February-March 2026. They failed to make it past the group stages of the 2024 edition, a forgettable campaign which included a loss to USA.”This camp is about identifying key areas where we need to work on,” Hesson said. “And then putting the boys under a bit of pressure. I think we’ve identified even in the short time we’ve had with them, even with the last series, that there are some real fundamentals that we need to work on as a group. And that’s why we have a week with them. The first few days will be around those and then we’ll start to have a more specific focus for Bangladesh.”

Glenn McGrath insists Brett Lee’s bowling is still world class and he should be picked in Australia’s Test team as soon as he is fit

Cricinfo staff10-Nov-2009Glenn McGrath insists Brett Lee’s bowling is still world class and he should be picked in Australia’s Test team as soon as he is fit. While Lee has not played a Test since hobbling out of the Boxing Day match last year and is currently recovering from an elbow bone spur, he is also behind the young bowlers Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus in the pecking order.However, McGrath, who was launching Jane McGrath Day for January’s Sydney Test, said Lee remained a threat to international batsmen. “I think Brett’s still got a lot to offer, a lot of experience and what he brings to the team, that fear factor, there’s still that aura there he’s created,” McGrath said at the SCG.”In saying that, the guys that have done the job, the way Mitchell Johnson’s bowled, Pete Siddle has impressed me and Hilfy and Dougy Bollinger coming on the scene, you can’t fault any of them. It’s good, healthy competition [but] I would have ‘Binga’ in any team I played in if he’s back fit again.”Lee, 33, has taken 310 wickets in 76 Tests but there is a feeling the selectors doubt his ability to get through back-to-back five-day games. After recovering from ankle surgery, Lee did not play a Test during the Ashes series due to a side strain even though he felt he was ready for the final two games. The latest elbow setback, which resulted in an early departure from the India one-day series, came following some encouraging performances in the limited-overs sides.New South Wales face Tasmania in a Sheffield Shield match next week and Lee will have to play in that game to be a serious contender for the opening contest against West Indies from November 26. “In a Test the workload is going to be pretty heavy and I don’t think Brett would want to go into a Test where he was concerned [about his body],” McGrath, who took 563 wickets in 124 Tests, said. “If he broke down in that first match back it could damage his career a lot more than just sitting that one out and coming back when he was 100% right.”I heard he had a bowl at the nets yesterday and was pretty happy about how it went. If he can get through a four-day match then he can get through a Test match.”

Ben Curran scored a quick half-century on Test debut, and set the tone for Zimbabwe’s total of 363 on day one

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2024Zimbabwe had as many as three debutants in the Boxing Day Test against Afghanistan in Bulawayo. One of them, opening batter Ben Curran, went on to score 68 on day one, while the other two debutants were pace bowlers Trevor Gwandu and Newman Nyamhuri.Curran reached his half-century off just 54 balls, and hit 11 boundaries during his stay of 74 deliveries. After the day’s play, Sean Williams, who ended unbeaten on 145, felt Curran’s approach helped set the tone for Zimbabwe, who ended up scoring 363 at 4.27 runs an over.”I think it’s huge. That intent and those partnerships going forward, it’s amazing,” Williams said. “The intent one batsman shows, allows the other batsman to score. It’s like, he ends up benefiting from your intent. And that’s what we want in the team.”Related

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Williams said players like him, Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza have been “around for a long time”, and that Zimbabwe wanted the incoming debutants to just have “clear minds”.”It’s kind of like going back to grade one again, and it’s actually really refreshing as a senior to go back and review all of those things that you used to do in a team meeting – taking notes, doing this thing, analysing, [and] checking your videos,” he said. “Things like that, these younger guys, we’re encouraging them to do.”Zimbabwe entered the Test series on the back of defeats to Afghanistan in both the T20I and the ODI series with their batting coming under criticism. But Williams, and half-centurions Curran and Ervine, helped Zimbabwe dominate the opening day of the first Test in what was a turnaround of fortunes for the hosts. Williams put that down to having “clear plans”.”Going into training, coming to a meeting, and being absolutely clear on what you need to do,” he said. “Keeping that good ball out, but scoring off the bad ball. And that’s the intent that we’re after from all of us… Every bowler bowls bad balls. But you have to put them away and you have to be brave enough to be able to try to put them away.”

Alyssa Healy wary of the Chamari Athapaththu threat; Bangladesh dropped four catches in win over Scotland

Vishal Dikshit04-Oct-20243:19

Who will be the breakout star of this T20 World Cup?

Australia vs Sri Lanka

Sharjah, 2pm local timeAustralia squad: Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla VlaeminckSri Lanka squad: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Harshitha Samarawickrama, Vishmi Gunaratne, Kavisha Dilshari, Nilakshika Silva, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), Sachini Nisansala, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoshi Priyadharshani, Achini Kulasuriya, Inoka Ranaweera, Shashini Gimhani, Ama Kanchana, Sugandika KumariRelated

• Healy: 'Not here to defend the title, here to win it'

• Wise beyond her years, Alice Capsey is forever learning

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Tournament form guide: After warming up with victories against Bangladesh and Scotland, Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka lost their tournament opener to Pakistan in Sharjah. Australia, not surprisingly, beat England and West Indies in the warm-ups, after batting first in both games.News brief: Sri Lanka are in a spot, having lost their opening match to lower-ranked Pakistan, that too by being restricted to 85 for 9 in a modest chase of 117. They will now play a day game against Australia in the heat of Sharjah – the same as their first game – so team changes may not be no the cards. Sri Lanka will have to pull up their socks on the field after putting down three catches, which cost them heavily on Thursday. Australia might go spin heavy too, like the teams did on the opening day, and they have enough allrounders to do that.Australia have never lost to Sri Lanka in T20Is, the last of which came in the 2023 T20 World Cup that saw Sri Lanka on the receiving end of a ten-wicket drubbing. Australia will, however, not want to be “Atha-ed”, what Alyssa Healy said is being smashed by Chamari Athapaththu.Player to watch: Player of the Tournament in the 2023 edition, Beth Mooney has had a few low scores in the lead up to the tournament, not managing to go past 15 in her five T20I innings. She did score 50 in the England warm-up, but she would want a big score in the main tournament too, along the lines of her unbeaten 99* off 54 balls in the Women’s Hundred not too long ago for Manchester Originals. A strong start with Healy at the top could flatten Sri Lanka early, batting first or second.Bangladesh put down four chances in their tournament opener against Scotland•ICC/Getty Images

Bangladesh vs England

Sharjah, 6pm local time Bangladesh squad: Nigar Sultana (capt, wk), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani, Disha Biswas England 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 WyattTournament form guide” In what is a ‘home’ World Cup for Bangladesh, they started things off on a positive note, with a 16-run win against Scotland, after they had also beaten Pakistan in the second warm-up. England started their warm-ups with a 33-run loss to Australia, before beating New Zealand by five wickets.News brief: Bangladesh now run into a much stronger side in England, who are more aggressive than their 2023 version, and are carrying spinners aplenty for this edition. England also have a fully fit team to choose from. Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith has returned, and also present are Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn and Alice Capsey, with her handy part-time offbreaks. England are likely to go with three frontline spinners for a pitch that aided turn and didn’t see much bounce.Bangladesh were restricted to 119 for 7 by Scotland in the opener, and scoring bigger or quicker against England will be a lot tougher. Bangladesh were the worst fielding side on the opening day, having put down four chances, and they will have to tighten that aspect if they want to think about beating England for the first time in women’s T20Is. This is an evening game, yet not as much dew is expected in Sharjah compared to Dubai, which might have been the reason why Pakistan opted to bat in the evening game here on Thursday.Player to watch: Ecclestone is, without doubt, England’s best spinner, but don’t take your eyes off legspinner Sarah Glenn. She has been England’s second-highest wicket-taker since the end of the 2023 T20 World Cup, with a tally of 26 just behind Ecclestone’s 29. But Glenn has gone for much fewer runs per over with an economy rate of 5.27, compared to Ecclestone’s 6.25. A handy bat down the order, this will be the third T20 World Cup for Glenn at the age of just 25.