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Nepal and UAE will kickstart the tournament in the afternoon game on July 19 while India and Pakistan will play in the evening

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2024The Asian Cricket Council [ACC] has tweaked the schedule of the women’s Asia Cup 2024, and defending champions India will play Pakistan on July 19, the opening day of the tournament. Nepal and UAE will start the tournament off in the afternoon that day, with the India vs Pakistan game in the evening.Those two games were originally slotted for July 21. In that schedule, Nepal and Pakistan were scheduled to play the opening game with India vs UAE in the second game. Those matches will now be held on July 21. The rest of the schedule remains the same.The tournament will run from July 19 to 28 with all matches in Dambulla. It will be an eight-team affair this time, featuring one additional team from the previous year.Unlike the last edition, where the teams played each other once before the semi-finals, this year they are split into two groups, A and B. Group A has India, Nepal, Pakistan and UAE, while Group B has hosts Sri Lanka along with Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, to be played on July 26. The final will be played on July 28.The last edition of the women’s Asia Cup was held in 2022 in Sylhet, where India defeated Sri Lanka in the final by a comfortable eight-wicket margin. India, with seven titles, are the most successful team in the tournament. After playing Pakistan and UAE on July 19 and 21, they will face Nepal on July 23. The only day game they play in the group stage of the tournament will be against UAE on July 21.Like the last edition, the tournament this year will also feature an all-female team of umpires and match officials. The Asia Cup will be followed by the women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Bangladesh from October 3 to October 20.

Women’s Asia Cup 2024 updated schedule

Jul 19: Nepal vs UAE (2pm); India vs Pakistan (7pm)
Jul 20: Malaysia vs Thailand (2pm), Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh (7pm)
Jul 21: India vs UAE (2pm), Pakistan vs Nepal (7pm)
Jul 22: Sri Lanka vs Malaysia (2pm), Bangladesh vs Thailand (7pm)
Jul 23: Pakistan vs UAE (2pm), India vs Nepal (7pm)
Jul 24: Bangladesh vs Malaysia (2pm), Sri Lanka vs Thailand (7pm)
Jul 26: Semi-final 1 (2pm), Semi-final 2 (7pm)
Jul 28: Final (7pm)

Fifties for Rob Keogh, Luke Procter but Northants still 170 adrift in second innings

ECB Reporters Network27-Jun-2023Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond became Wantage Road’s first visiting triple-centurion as his side closed in on an innings victory against Northamptonshire in the LV= Insurance County Championship.Bell-Drummond finished unbeaten on exactly 300, registering the fourth-highest individual score in Kent’s history after almost nine hours at the crease as the visitors racked up an imposing total of 621.That left Northamptonshire, for whom legspinner Alex Russell recorded figures of 6 for 175 in only his second first-class game, weighed down by a hefty first-innings deficit of 384 as they went out to bat again. However, spirited half-centuries by Rob Keogh – his second of the match – and skipper Luke Procter maintained their side’s hopes of avoiding defeat as they reached 214 for 5, still 170 adrift, before bad light halted play.Resuming on 271 overnight, Bell-Drummond survived a strong lbw appeal by Ben Sanderson in the second over of the day and made cautious progress while his partners threw the bat at the other end. A delicate late cut for two off Russell propelled him beyond John Freeman’s 286 for Essex more than a century earlier – the previous highest score registered by an opposition player at Wantage Road.However, wickets began to tumble to the young spinner, with Joey Evison lured down the track and stumped for 27 before Hamid Qadri and Wes Agar also perished in pursuit of quick runs.With Jack White trapping Matt Quinn leg before first ball, Bell-Drummond, on 293, suddenly looked in danger of ending up marooned with a personal landmark tantalisingly close as last man Arshdeep Singh arrived at the crease.The India international calmly swung his first delivery over long-on for two before smashing a couple of boundaries as Bell-Drummond inched closer to 300 – eventually pulling Russell for a single and punching the air with delight and relief.Having slammed the next ball into the hands of deep midwicket, Arshdeep raced off to lace up his bowling boots as he and Agar hurtled in for a pre-lunch burst at Northamptonshire’s openers.They removed both before the interval, with Emilio Gay prodding Arshdeep to Jack Leaning at second slip before the skipper’s call for Joe Denly’s legbreaks paid dividends as Ricardo Vasconcelos departed in the same manner to the final ball of the session.Sam Whiteman displayed some resistance after lunch, crunching Agar for successive off-side boundaries to reach 28, but Denly tempted him to sweep and the resulting top edge sailed to backward square. Denly, who remained on throughout most of the afternoon, might have collected a third wicket when Ben Compton was unable to grasp a sharp chance from Keogh at short leg with the right-hander on 18.Keogh gradually got on top of Kent’s all-spin attack, taking advantage of some wayward Denly deliveries to crack three fours in an over and sweeping Qadri to the square leg fence to bring up his half-century on the cusp of tea.There was a scare for Keogh when a ball from Qadri lodged in his back pad and then trickled across to rest against the stumps without dislodging a bail, but the spinner got his man soon afterwards for 57, winning what looked a very marginal lbw decision.That broke the fourth-wicket stand of 80, but Procter progressed to a resolute 50 from 146 balls and, with Saif Zaib going for his shots at the other end, the pair shaved another 51 off the deficit. Leaning brought himself on to bowl and promptly pinned Procter leg before with his second delivery, but murky overhead conditions forced the players from the field just a few overs later.

Returning batsman confident of performing despite decade-long Test absence

Danyal Rasool08-Dec-20192:42

There will always be pressure, but I’m looking ahead – Alam

It has been over ten years since he played the last of his three Test matches, and nearly five years since he played any international cricket, but Fawad Alam hasn’t been sitting twiddling his thumbs all this while.Year after year, he’s continued to press for national selection with remarkable performances on the domestic circuit, particularly in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class competition. No player has scored more runs in the tournament than Fawad’s 3105, which have been achieved at an average of 56.45. There have been near misses; he was called up to a training camp ahead of the tour of England in 2018 and named in a couple of squads without getting a start. But off the back of a double century in the QeA and a dismal outing for the Test side in Australia, this time feels different.And for Fawad, it feels like a second debut. “I said the other day it will almost feel like a debut, and that’s true because it’s been such a long time since I last played,” Fawad told reporters in Karachi. “Whether I get a game or not depends on the management and selection committee. I’m just happy I was able to make it in the final 15. Where they feel I can deliver, they’ll give me a chance and I’m confident I’ll perform. The way the conditions and wickets shape up will determine whether I get a chance or not, obviously.”He waved away concerns that the pressure of playing at home – particularly in his hometown of Karachi, where the second Test will be played – would become too overwhelming. “When a player is playing a club match or a domestic game, there’s still pressure on you. The pressure of performance always remains with you so it’s not like it’s a new psychological thing. That will be there, but my job is to overcome it and try to deliver.”I should try and enjoy the opportunity I’ve been given right now and think positively. If I allow negative thoughts to cloud my mind my focus will be adversely affected. My aim is to make the most of this opportunity, and try to perform to the best level I can.”It would have been easy for Fawad to feel down on his luck and wallow in self-pity; indeed, much of the nation seemed to be doing that on his behalf. For all the runs he compiled, for the scarcely believable consistency on offer from the left-hander on the domestic circuit, multiple management and selection regimes would overlook him for the national side. They may well have had their reasons, but when players with significantly inferior records were called up and given repeated runs in the side even as Fawad sat out, there were suspicions there was something less honest than cricketing strategy behind Fawad’s continued exile.Fawad, though, did not allow himself that negativity, believing it would be detrimental to his game. “If you surround yourself with people who tell you you have been badly treated and fill your mind with negative stuff, then you may feel that sense of injustice. But that’s not what my friends and family were like; they motivated me to perform year after year after year. They kept me going and urged me to continue knocking at the selectors’ doors. My father always said I must not be upset, to act like a fighter and continue to fight for my place in the side.”The straight bat he uses to such good effect in domestic games across the country was in evidence at the press conference, too, where Fawad was eager to ward off any controversy. He was questioned about Inzamam-ul-Haq having reportedly jibed about “seeing better players than Fawad” and having compared him to Mark Ramprakash, who, despite a glittering career in the county game, couldn’t quite nail a place in the England side for long enough. Fawad, though, wouldn’t be drawn on Inzamam’s comments, and called it a “matter of honour” to be compared to a “great” like Ramprakash.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“It’s a matter of honour for me to have my name tied to Mark Ramprakash. He’s just a great player and done so much for his country. The number of runs I’ve scored is puny compared to how many he’s scored. He’s scored over one hundred centuries [114] and I’m nowhere close to that either. I’m just here to perform to my best and prove doubters wrong.”As for Inzi , he is a legend of ours; I’m nowhere near him. I’m not worthy of snapping back at Inzamam in anyway, and that is not the way I was brought up. I was taught to respect my elders, and Inzi is entitled to his own viewpoint. I don’t feel it is appropriate to respond to him because I have too much respect for him.”You don’t plug away thanklessly on the domestic circuit in Pakistan without being somewhat daftly in love with the game, and that is what Fawad wished to speak of most of all. The excitement in his voice was most evident when speaking about Sri Lanka visiting to finally break the Test drought inflicted on the country since the 2009 terror attack on this week’s visitors, and his commitment to ensuring this would be a positive, memorable series.”It’s a very good thing to see Test cricket back in Pakistan after such a long time. It’s a good omen for Pakistan cricket, and for the entire country. We all need to make the event successful. Because how this goes will be relayed by the Sri Lankans to countries around the world so the better this goes, the more advantages it confers to Pakistan. I think the message is everyone should come here. The people have supported all the teams that came previously and had a good time. The fact that Test cricket is returning after such a long time means all true cricket lovers will want to get down to the stadium and support their team as well as Test cricket.”In those moments, Fawad Alam was a fan once more. If indeed he does get the fourth Test cap that he’s waited a decade for on Wednesday, he will need to switch back to being the ruthless accumulator people have become used to seeing on grounds across Pakistan. Except this time it won’t be Central Punjab or Northern Districts he’s looking to grind into submission, but a Sri Lankan cricket team looking to exorcise demons of its own in Pakistan.

Brisbane Heat captain will target a return on January 14 against Melbourne Renegades

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2020Brisbane Heat captain Chris Lynn has been ruled out of his team’s next six BBL matches because of a hamstring injury.Related

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Lynn injured his hamstring while running for a catch while warming up ahead of the Heat’s match against the Adelaide Strikers at the Gabba on December 23. Lynn pulled up sore and limped off the field immediately and had to be replaced in the line-up as the bat-flip had already taken place.Scans have revealed a low-grade hamstring strain and Lynn will now target a return on January 14 against the Melbourne Renegades in Melbourne.The Heat’s England recruit Lewis Gregory, meanwhile, has come out of his 14-day quarantine after arriving from South Africa earlier in December. Gregory was unable to train during the quarantine period and a decision would have to be made with the Heat medical staff on Sunday as to whether he would take his place in the line-up against the Hobart Hurricanes.

The opener was dropped four times on the way to his second BBL hundred

Peter Della Penna05-Jan-2020D’Arcy Short made the hosts Perth Scorchers pay for a sloppy fielding display, making the most of a string of reprieves to post the slowest century in the history of the Big Bash, but one that served to set up victory for the Hobart Hurricanes by eight runs in front of more than 30,000 on Sunday night. Short was spilled on 21, 38, 53, and 68 in an explosive but charmed knock, striking seven sixes by the end of his innings as he brought up three figures on the final ball that served to produce a total which wound up being just out of reach of a valiant effort led by Mitchell Marsh in pursuit.The Hurricanes victory was all the more impressive in light of injuries to James Faulkner before the night began and Riley Meredith during the match itself as an understrength bowling unit withstood a late charge from the hosts. The Hurricanes moved up into fifth place with the win while the Scorchers sit in seventh on the BBL points table.Short’s record long stayThe Hurricanes opener set a new mark for the most deliveries spent at the crease to reach three figures in the history of the Big Bash League, taking 70 balls to do it for his second career ton in the BBL and first since an unbeaten 122 two seasons earlier against the Brisbane Heat. He had some help along the way though, including a pair of key assists from Tim David.Getty Images

The Singapore international David took four excellent catches and produced a runout in a brilliant fielding display to help knock off Scotland in a thriller at the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Dubai this past October, but his fielding on Sunday night was unrecognizable from that occasion. The easiest of the four chances offered by Short was the first one of the night put down by David, who charged in from the sweeper-cover boundary in the fifth over for a skied drive off the bowling of Matt Kelly. But David nearly overran the ball while covering the ground and as he slid to cushion the catching attempt, the ball wound up clanging off his chest instead of his hands and wound up going to ground.It was Short’s 14th delivery at the time and he continued to struggle for rhythm by the time he was dropped again. Three balls after Liam Livingstone broke the opening stand having Caleb Jewell caught at long-on, Livingstone could not hold onto a sharp one-handed return chance, which pushed Short to 39 off 38 balls.Short used his feet to strike Ashton Agar over long-on in the 13th for six and a single later in the over took him to a 44-ball fifty. Another tough return chance was put down by Jhye Richardson in his follow-through in the next over before Fawad Ahmed was the last bowler to miss out on claiming Short in the 16th. David could not clasp onto a top-edged sweep at deep backward square for what would have been another double-wicket over after Fawad claimed David Miller with a missed sweep. Short then struck three sixes in his final two overs, including a scoop over fine leg on the final ball of the innings to bring up his ton.Perth’s Rocky PowerplayThe Scorchers chase was blunted by three wickets in the first 15 balls. Having just struck two boundaries, Livingstone was overambitious in attempting a third in a failed attempt to go across his stumps to scoop Meredith’s 145 kph pace and was bowled for 13 in the second over. Cameron Bancroft’s waft outside off stump in the third gave Scott Boland a wicket. Boland then dropped Marsh on the first delivery to the Scorchers captain but the fumble caromed onto the non-striker’s stumps with Josh Inglis comfortably out of his crease.However, the Hurricanes early inroads were neutralized somewhat by an injury to Meredith in the fourth over. The fast bowler began clutching at the left side of his ribcage mid over and had to come off the field by the end of it. He never returned, leaving Hurricanes captain Ben McDermott pondering his options to fill in two overs later on.Mitchell Marsh is quite strong down the ground•Getty Images

Marshalling the FightbackScorchers captain Marsh kept his side in the hunt with a 75-run partnership alongside Cameron Green. He was content knocking singles while waiting for loose balls to hit for six that rarely came, however. The stand ended when Nathan Ellis pinned Green leg before missing a flick to midwicket for 33. Chris Jordan was promoted to No. 5 but fell three balls later swatting a half-tracker from legspinner Qais Ahmad to Short at long-on.After a few lusty blows from David, Boland struck in the 16th with a slower ball before Marsh’s stay finally came to an end for 48 with a skied flick to deep midwicket to make it 129 for 7. A late flurry from Richardson made the scorecard more flattering for the Scorchers, who entered the final over needing 29 to win with two wickets in hand and wound up eight runs short.

Wanindu Hasaranga has been named captain after missing the IPL to get fit in time for the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2024Left-arm spinning allrounder Dunith Wellalage has made Sri Lanka’s squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup despite never having played a T20 international. Top-order batter Kamindu Mendis, and round-arm seamer Nuwan Thushara are also in the 15.From the older cohort, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, and Dasun Shanaka also find places in the squad.The team is led by Wanindu Hasaranga, who missed the IPL with a long-standing heel injury, largely so he would be fit for the World Cup. He has made his return to competitive cricket in the ongoing practice matches in Sri Lanka, where he has batted in the first two matches but not bowled.Wellalage has been chosen more for his skillset, rather than performances in T20s, or form. In addition to bowling good left-arm spin, he’s also capable of hitting boundaries from lower down the order, and is also an excellent fielder. The selectors are understood to have thought of him as a handy utility player in a World Cup campaign. Wellalage has had some success in international cricket, most memorably in an Asia Cup ODI match against India in 2023, when he took five wickets.Missing out on selection are players like opening batter Avishka Fernando, left-arm seamer Binura Fernando, and batter Kusal Perera. Avishka had modest performances on the tour of Bangladesh in March, Kusal Perera had not impressed selectors after a long injury layoff, and Binura has been outperformed by Thushara, who took 5 for 20 including a hat-trick in his last international outing.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

The batting order is somewhat predictable: Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Charith Asalanka and Angelo Mathews are likely to form the top six. On the spin front, they have Maheesh Theekshana and captain Hasaranga as likely first-choice players, with Hasaranga poised to go up the order when required.There is serious competition for fast-bowling places, however, with Dushmantha Chameera the likeliest starter, but with Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, and Dilshan Madushanka providing tough competition.Sri Lanka are in group D at the T20 World Cup along with Bangladesh, Nepal, Netherlands and South Africa. They play their first game of the tournament against South Africa on June 3 in New York, before travelling to Dallas to play Bangladesh on June 8. Their last two group games are against Nepal and Netherlands, in Florida on June 12 and St Lucia on June 17.

Sri Lanka squad for 2024 T20 World Cup

Wanindu Hasaranga (capt), Charith Asalanka (vc), Kusal Mendis, Pathum Nissanka, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara, Dilshan MadushankaTravelling reserves: Asitha Fernando, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage

He names his World Cup semi-final picks and is optimistic about Australia’s chances

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2023Rishabh Pant won’t be fit to play the upcoming World Cup but former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist is still fascinated by the impact he has had in his six years with the Indian team.Pant, 25, made his international debut in February 2017 and has risen to be one of the first names down on the team sheet, especially in Test cricket. A strike rate of 73 in the longest format shows the kind of threat he poses to the bowlers and his performance against Australia – 274 runs in five innings, including a series-winning 89 at the Gabba – was crucial to one of India greatest achievements: taking home the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020-21.”I think Rishabh has inspired a lot of wicket-keeper batters around the world to play that [aggressive] way. It is fascinating for such a young man to have such an impact that Rishabh has had, and others are responding and playing in that positive manner,” Gilchrist, who is in India on a promotional visit, told PTI.Pant is currently out of action having met with a horrific car accident last December. He is working his way back to full fitness at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and is expected to make a comeback sometime next year.Related

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In Pant’s absence, KL Rahul is likely to keep wicket for India in the World Cup. Ishan Kishan also has experience behind the stumps but it appears his role in the first team will be limited to that of a middle-order batter. Gilchrist was impressed with how Kishan has shaped up despite knowing that he is behind Rahul in the pecking order.”They [India] are well stocked,” Gilchrist said. “They have got a couple of [wicketkeeping] options there, obviously, when KL was out with his injury, Ishan Kishan took his opportunity and played really well, and now they find themselves in the team together so that’s a wonderful case of taking an opportunity.”Being positive, and then, forcing the selectors into keeping you in the team [is impressive]. It seems like KL is gonna be the one who is going to continue with the gloves but it does not seem to hinder Ishan Kishan’s batting, he seems to be playing really well, carefree, attacking and dangerous.”Gilchrist reckons Australia will bounce back from the loss in South Africa•AFP/Getty Images

Gilchrist picks his World Cup semi-finalists

With the tournament less than three weeks away, and having won it three times, Gilchrist was asked to pick his final four. “I think India and Pakistan could feature, Australia and England are another two teams,” he said.Gilchrist is hopeful that Australia, five-time champions, will do well in India, where they won a bilateral series 2-1 in March 2023. He added that Adam Zampa, who finished with 0 for 113 and 3 for 70 in his last two ODIs in South Africa, will bounce back in more favourable conditions.”Australia will learn a lot from their efforts in South Africa when they come to India. They have got three games before the World Cup against India. So, they will have a bit more of a full-strength squad there, that might tell us a bit about where they are at.”Adam Zampa, in South Africa, was at the receiving end a little bit but it’s different conditions out here in India with different pitches and he is a world-class spin bowler, and he has shown that particularly across T20 cricket, and now he gets his chance in the 50-over World Cup. So it’s a very knowledgeable group and they are going to have to use all that experience against batting line-ups across the globe and play without fear.”There have been some suggestions about Australia pushing David Warner down the order but Gilchrist isn’t a fan. “He [Warner] looked really good in South Africa for the most part of what he did,” he said. “I think he has got to bat at the top, there has been some sort of discussions that he bats down the middle order but I think he has got to open. He showed in South Africa a couple of times that he is [as] aggressive and dominant at the top of the order as he has ever been. So, I think they bring with him a lot of experience and a lot of confidence, and I think he should play at the top of the order for Australia and if he plays really well then our opposition will fear that.”

The ongoing National T20 Cup to be used to showcase Pakistan’s preparedness for the international white-ball series

Umar Farooq03-Oct-2020Zimbabwe Cricket will send a five-person delegation to Pakistan to assess the arrangements for the bio-secure bubble ahead of their six-match limited-overs series in the country.The PCB is currently staging the six-team National T20 Cup in the country in biosecure bubbles. The first leg of matches is currently on in Multan, where the ODI leg of the Zimbabwe series will be played, and the remaining games will be in Rawalpindi, the venue for the T20Is. The National T20 Cup is expected to serve as an example for the Zimbabwean delegation. Lahore, meanwhile, is hosting the National T20 Cup for the second XIs, while the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, with both the first XIs and second XIs, will be held entirely in Karachi across six venues from this month.Comprising three ODIs and as many T20Is, the tour is scheduled to begin on October 30 in Multan with the ODIs, which are a part of the World Cup Super League. Zimbabwe will carry a 32-member squad to cater to both the formats as well as for the intra-squad warm-up matches.This will be Zimbabwe’s first tour of Pakistan after 2015, when they became the first Full-Member nation to visit the country after the terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in 2009. On that occasion, each of the touring Zimbabwe cricketers was paid US$ 12,500 by the PCB to make the visit, a practice the PCB continued till 2018 in a bid to get international cricket going in Pakistan again. With the situation having changed significantly in recent years, there is no financial inducement for the Zimbabweans to visit this time, five-and-some years on from that historic visit.The delegation, comprising two health officers, one security in-charge, and two ZC executives are expected to land in Islamabad on October 10. Their official inter-city travel will begin after they return two negative tests within 48 hours of arrival in Pakistan’s national capital. Once given the go-ahead, they will begin their inspection in Rawalpindi during the National T20 Cup, followed by a visit to Multan. The Zimbabwe squad will also undergo two Covid-19 tests within a space of 48 hours: one in Harare prior to their departure on October 19, and the other upon arrival in Islamabad on October 20.On September 4, the PCB had announced a full domestic season, with six associations staying and playing in bio-secure bubbles, and opening up the training facilities at its National High Performance Centre in Lahore – all in a strictly controlled bio-secure environments. It has also issued an advisory to restart the sport at the grassroots and recreational levels with adequate safety measures in place.The Covid-19 situation in Pakistan is understood to be getting better, with a sense of normalcy beginning to trickle in since last month. Tourism, stores and malls, restaurants, educational institutions and public transport have resumed operating.

Scrimshaw, Eskinazi, Mousley also in contention for deals ahead of second tournament

Matt Roller06-Jul-2022Richard Gleeson is top of several teams’ shortlists ahead of the Hundred’s wildcard draft on Thursday after his stellar form in the T20 Blast for Lancashire earned him a first full England call-up at the age of 34.Gleeson is not expected to play in Thursday’s first T20I against India at the Ageas Bowl but looks certain to be picked up as a £30,000 wildcard signing earlier in the day. He was due to play for Manchester Originals in the inaugural competition but withdrew due to his back injury, and their coach Simon Katich will be able to use their ‘right-to-match’ card if another team attempts to sign him first.The wildcard draft will see each of the eight men’s teams add one final player to their squad based on performances in the Blast. Last year, Jake Lintott was picked up as a wildcard by Southern Brave and finished the season as their leading wicket-taker as they won the inaugural tournament.Teams will pick in reverse order to last year’s wildcard draft, meaning Birmingham Phoenix will pick first and Northern Superchargers will pick last. Last month, each team also picked a wildcard overseas player.Along with Gleeson, George Scrimshaw is likely to be picked up after his performances for Derbyshire earned him selection in the England Lions squad to play South Africa in two 50-over games next week. Middlesex captain Stephen Eskinazi, Warwickshire batter Dan Mousley and Leicestershire allrounder Ben Mike have also been mentioned in conversations with teams as possible wildcards.The ECB have also confirmed to teams – though not to media – that Toby Roland-Jones has been signed by London Spirit as a replacement for Blake Cullen, who will miss the second season of the Hundred with a back injury.Related

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ESPNcricinfo understands that Northern Superchargers have lined up Michael Pepper, the Essex wicketkeeper-batter, as a replacement for Luke Wright, who is expected to withdraw from the tournament to fulfil his coaching commitments with New Zealand, though the deal had not been officially confirmed to other Hundred teams by Wednesday evening.Wright is approaching the end of his playing career and played only eight of Sussex’s 14 T20 Blast games this season, struggling with a foot injury. He is due to act as an assistant coach on New Zealand’s white-ball tours to Europe and the Caribbean and will be part of Auckland’s support staff from this winter onwards, though he intends to see out the final year of his Sussex contract next summer.The move would mean that Wright, the all-time leading run-scorer in English domestic T20 cricket, may never play a game in the Hundred, having been an unused squad member at Trent Rockets last summer.Pick order: 1 Birmingham Phoenix, 2 Welsh Fire, 3 London Spirit, 4 Manchester Originals, 5 Southern Brave, 6 Trent Rockets, 7 Oval Invincibles, 8 Northern Superchargers

A total of 61 slots have to be filled by the eight franchises including 22 overseas players

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Feb-2021Australia batsman Shaun Marsh, New Zealand allrounder Corey Anderson and former South Africa fast bowler Morne Morkel are part of the 17 new names to feature among the 292 players shortlisted for the 2021 IPL auction, scheduled in Chennai on February 18. The auction pool, whittled down from 1097, includes 164 Indian players, 125 overseas players and three from the Associate countries.A total of 61 slots have to be filled by the eight franchises including 22 overseas players. There are 10, including the Indian pair of Harbhajan Singh and Kedar Jadhav, that have listed the maximum base price of INR 2 crore (US $274,000). The other eight are: Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith (both Australia), Moeen Ali, Sam Billings, Liam Plunkett, Jason Roy and Mark Wood (England) and Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan. South Afrcian batsman Colin Ingram, who had originally been part of the highest base price bracket, is no longer part of it.In a note to the franchises, the IPL said the auction, which is scheduled to start at 1500 IST, will start with the capped international players whose names will come down based on their speciality: batsmen, allrounders, wicketkeeper-batsmen, fast bowlers and spin bowlers. The same order will be followed for uncapped players.The IPL also said that the accelerated process is set to start after player 87. “The accelerated process will cover all the unpresented players and unsold players, with the unpresented players appearing first.”Of the 17 new names, which were added subsequently on request of the franchises, there are four capped players in Marsh, Anderson, Morkel and Australian fast bowler Jack Wildermuth. Marsh, the left-hand batsman, who once made headlines playing for Kings XI Punjab, has listed his base price at INR 1.5 crore (US $206,000 approximately).Morkel, too, has listed the same base price. The former South African fast man has played for three IPL franchises: Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders. Recently Morkel, who is 36, turned up to bowl for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League. Wildermuth, Morkel’s Heat team-mate, who played two T20Is for Australia, has listed his base price at INR 50 lakhs. Anderson, who last played for Barbados Tridents in the 2020 Caribbean Premier League, has listed his base price at INR 75 lakhs (US $103,000).At 16, uncapped Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad is the youngest player in the auction pool. Ahmad, who recently featured in the BBL for Melbourne Renegades, has listed his base price at INR 20 lakhs. The youngest Indian in the pool is uncapped Nagaland legspinner Khrievitso Kense, who impressed IPL scouts during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Kense, too, is in the lowest base price bracket of INR 20 lakhs.The oldest player to feature in the auction is 42-year-old spinner Nayan Doshi, son of former Indian left-arm spinner Dilip Doshi. Nayan, who lives in England, previously represented Saurashtra, and has listed his base price at INR 20 lakhs.Also listed among the new names is Sadiq Kirmani, son of former India wicketkeer Syed Kirmani. The 31-year-old Sadiq, too, is a wicketkeeper batsman, but has played just two List A matches for Karnataka.Former India fast bowler Sreesanth, who returned to the game recently after serving a five-year ban, is not part of the final list. Sreesanth had set his base price at INR 75 lakhs (US $103,000), having played the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Kerala in January.