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India are going for a 5-0 whitewash. Will they play Rishabh Pant?

The Preview by Shashank Kishore01-Feb-2020

Big picture

New Zealand are in Kane Williamson territory in Tauranga, but he could just rest his left shoulder with the series already lost. Two back-to-back losses in the fashion they did have raised questions of their finishing abilities, ‘chokers’ to some if social media is a barometer. They’re currently in that kind of space where they’ll gladly take a win, however it comes.Colin Munro’s return to form makes it one headache less and he walks into a venue where he has two hundreds and a half-century in five innings at an average of 61.40 and strike rate of 193. But New Zealand’s recent dip in form, including the Australia whitewash, remains a larger worry as they constantly fight to remain in public memory.Spirit of Cricket – like their juniors were lauded for at the Under-19 World Cup – is fine, it’s also time to win. This message may not be explicitly written or told to them, but the players will know deep down that in a World Cup year, every opportunity counts and they should make the headlines for wins too. Not just being the nearly men who win hearts.Two weeks ago, India were playing in Bengaluru. Then having traversed several time zones to play in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington in the space of five days, India are in Mount Maunganui. Camping here for three days should give them as much joy as they’ve derived from winning back-to-back Super Over thrillers.India’s uninhibited approach to a T20 innings is a refreshing change. Batsmen aren’t worried about preserving their wickets, the team is open to being flexible, Virat Kohli has no problems batting out of position and KL Rahul keeping wickets lends better balance. Manish Pandey, who struggled to break into the first XI earlier, is a beneficiary of this change.Injuries to their frontline fast bowlers in the format – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar – have pushed them to test their reserves, and the replacements have all delivered at some stage. Shardul Thakur, for example, has proven to not just be a swing option but also a death-bowling option. His hitting doesn’t quite make the lower order seem brittle anymore.Navdeep Saini gives them bristling pace, Jasprit Bumrah the consistency. Shivam Dube is also getting into the rhythm of bowling regularly, thereby accruing valuable experience that should help him should he be on the flight to Australia for the T20 World Cup. The result of the bowling rejig has meant one of their wristspinners, mostly Kuldeep Yadav, has had to sit out. The team management may as well give him a go come Sunday.

Form guide

New Zealand LLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWWWW

In the spotlight

Sanju Samson is a fine white-ball striker but desperately needs a score to back his ability. With Shikhar Dhawan likely to be slotted back into the squad as soon as he’s fit, Sunday could be Samson’s final opportunity at making amends.Tim Seifert’s half-century that complemented Munro’s in Wellington went unnoticed because of the frenzied finish. He strikes at 137 in 24 T20Is, enough indication of his hitting abilities. New Zealand will want him to finish off games with the bat as the next part of his learning. With the gloves, he’s proven to be as tidy as they come.

Team news

Whatever is written here can only be speculative, because Saturday was a travel day, with no training session or press conferences to provide any markers. Rishabh Pant is yet to get a game, so there is a case for the team management to bring him in and rest Rahul. If Kohli chooses to rest, it could mean Rohit comes back to lead. And if they want to bring in Kuldeep Yadav, it could be at Yuzvendra Chahal’s expense.India (likely): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Sanju Samson, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Rishabh Pant, 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Navdeep Saini, 11 Jasprit BumrahMartin Guptill didn’t come out to bat in Friday’s Super Over because of a collision with Scott Kuggleijn on the field. Williamson’s status isn’t yet clear. However, New Zealand may want to rest him with an eye on the ODI series to follow.New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Bruce, 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Ish Sodhi, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Hamish Bennett, 11 Scott Kuggleijn

Pitch and conditions

The town is built around a hill and the wind patterns aid swing. It could be hard for bowlers running in against the breeze, but the surface is one with true bounce and good carry. It should be full of runs.

Stats and trivia

• The average first innings score in the five games that have produced a result at Bay Oval is 199
• New Zealand’s dot-ball percentage at the death has been 34. India have scored significantly faster, and have a dot-ball percentage of just 25 in the same period
• The team batting first has won each of the five games here

Thursday’s ICC meeting starts contingency planning process

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Apr-2020Cricket has never faced a crisis quite like this. With much of the world still deep in Covid-19 pandemic-induced lockdowns, administrators are facing an unprecedented situation. At some point in the near future, sport will resume but in what form, when and where exactly, no-one knows.On Thursday, the chief executives of the 12 full-member countries along with the ICC management will convene via a conference call to start plotting what a new landscape might look like. Thursday’s meeting is merely the starting point of a process that will remain a work in progress for the foreseeable future.The ICC has said the aim of this virtual meeting – and there really only is one item on the agenda – is to check in on the health of members and how they are coping with the effects of no cricket, as well as collectively work on contingency planning and sort out priorities between the resumption of international bilateral cricket, domestic cricket and global events.Based on conversations with various boards, ESPNcricinfo lists some of the key issues that will rank high on the list of priorities to be addressed on Thursday.

Men’s T20 World Cup

Aaron Finch’s Australia will be among the favourites for the T20 World Cup if it goes ahead•Getty Images

Scheduled for October-November this year, this is the biggest marquee event left in 2020 outside of the IPL. Currently the ICC remains optimistic about the event going ahead in case Australia opens its doors to host the tournament.However, the tournament comprises 16 teams, which means each will need their respective government’s approval. What happens in case one of the participants is denied permission? What would be the quarantine process in individual countries? Will air travel resume completely to allow players to travel to Australia? These will be some of the questions that the chief executives’ committee (CEC) will make note of and it is clearly a complex issue as one of the officials who will be sitting on the call, said.According to one official, the fate of the T20 World Cup is the most important issue for a number of boards outside the biggest few. Those boards rely heavily on revenue distributions from the ICC and a disruption to any event – as PCB chairman Ehsan Mani warned – could have serious financial repercussions for some members. What members might be looking to discuss is a rough idea of a timeline by when a definitive decision on the tournament needs to take place.

ODI Super League

Already this tournament, due to begin in 10 days’ time, has been impacted. Three of the series scheduled as part of the ODI League, which the ICC put in place to provide more context to 50-overs cricket, have been postponed indefinitely, with Pakistan’s series in the Netherlands the latest to be axed. The ODI League serves as a pathway for the 10-team 2023 World Cup, scheduled to be hosted in India. Alongside India, the seven highest-ranked sides in the ODI League as of March 31, 2022 would have qualified directly for the 2023 World Cup, while the bottom five will get a second chance to make the grade through a qualifier.The questions the CEC will need to consider include whether the league should be scrapped, or whether the number of series each team has to play is reworked so the original framework is not completely revamped. “The reason for the ODI League was to bring context and add an element of jeopardy to the qualification for 2023 World Cup,” said one official who will be participating in Thursday’s call. “So ‘is there a way to maintain the integrity of that league?’ is the question that will be asked.”One alternative is that in the absence of a league, all those series go ahead when they can and the shortlist for the 2023 World Cup takes place based on the rankings. However, the official pointed out, countries like England would be at a disadvantage in such a scenario because they are likely to lose out on playing ODI series this summer to accommodate various other events in the calendar.”That is the part of the challenge: you’ve got to decisions that taken into account all of these things but there will so many competing agendas or viewpoints,” the official said.

World Test Championship

India and Australia are the top two sides on the World Test Championship table•Getty Images

The WTC is nearly nine months old with the final is scheduled for July 2021. However, not all teams have played the same number of series. Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq had suggested recently that the WTC should be put on hold instead of attempting to tinker with the original format where each team is meant to play a total of six series. Not everyone agrees.One chief executive felt that with “nearly 40%” of the WTC already played, suspending was not the best option. “If we have cricket back in July even if it in bio-safe stadiums, behind close doors, I don’t see a need for it [suspending]. But it is a big if.”The ICC, it is believed, will not make a hasty decision on the WTC. One key determining factor will be what percentage of WTC series are lost when bilateral cricket resumes. If it is not a significant chunk, then the ICC will want the nine countries in the Championship to collectively work out windows in the FTP.”Like in the UK, the government is quite keen to restart sport behind closed doors because they believe it is quite good for the morale of the nation,” the official said. “It will start at different places at different times and we’ll ease back into it. That’s when the genuine rescheduling and decision making around the competitions like WTC will start.”

So what might be the outcome?

Don’t expect too much by way of binding decisions from this meeting. In any case, it is the ICC Board rather than the chief executives’ committee that makes decisions final.”There’s going to be discussion around what the restart of cricket looks like, what competitions will have been missed and how we go about trying to see what the next stage is about rescheduling,” Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “But of course rescheduling is only going to be a relatively relevant discussion when we know more about the point from which we can definitively reschedule.”So I think it’s going to be more around discussing principles: what priorities should there be between bilateral cricket, ICC events, domestic T20 franchise leagues?”

Pair had been due to play full T20 Blast season

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-2020Surrey have cancelled D’Arcy Short and Shadab Khan’s contracts for the T20 Blast season following the competition’s postponement.The ECB announced last week that no professional cricket would be played in England and Wales until July 1 at the earliest due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the Blast likely to be pushed back to the final months of the season.Surrey said in a statement: “Given the postponement of [the Blast] and the current uncertainty around the makeup of the domestic season… it was mutually agreed that the players’ contracts would be cancelled.”The club had previously cancelled Michael Neser’s contract, following the initial suspension of the first seven rounds of County Championship fixtures.Both players were also due to play in the inaugural season of the Hundred, which has been pushed back to 2021.Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said: “I would like to thank both Shadab & D’Arcy and their management companies for their understanding of the current situation and the impact these testing times are having on our game.”While we continue to prepare for cricket at The Kia Oval this summer, uncertainties around restrictions and scheduling across the world and here in the UK means this is the most sensible decision for both the players and the club for now.”

Richie Richardson and Joel Wilson could be flown in to dilute home-official focus for bio-secure series

George Dobell21-May-20200:56

Stuart Broad enjoys first day back at Trent Bridge

The prospect of Chris Broad officiating in a match involving his son, Stuart, could provoke a rethink at the ICC ahead of the resumption of international cricket in England.The ICC cricket committee recently recommended a suspension in the use of neutral officials to cope with challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. That means there is a real prospect of the Test series between England and West Indies being officiated by the four English umpires on the ICC’s 12 strong elite panel: Nigel Long, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough and Michael Gough.But Chris Broad is the only English representative on the ICC’s elite panel of seven match referees. And while no one is questioning his impartiality as an official, it is understood there have been some raised eyebrows in the Caribbean at the prospect of the Test series against England taking place, not only with English match officials, but under the auspices of a match referee who is not only a former England player but the father of one of the current side’s key players.One option that is likely to be considered is inviting Richie Richardson, the former West Indies captain, to fulfil the role instead. Richardson is also a member of the ICC’s elite panel and could be included on the charter flight paid for by the ECB which will accommodate the West Indies playing squad. Joel Wilson, the Trinidadian, could also be invited along with a view to filling one of the umpiring spots.ALSO READ: No saliva on ball, home umpires recommended by ICC cricket committeeIt is currently uncertain if Wilson or Richardson would be prepared to leave the relative safety of the Caribbean, where there have been few Covid-19 cases, to embark on a trip that would involve an extended period in isolation.Another option – and probably the more likely at present – would be to refer any alleged Code of Conduct cases back to ICC Cricket Operations in Dubai. Any subsequent hearings would then be organised through them and run remotely.The ICC are understood to be continuing to work through the appropriate checks and balances required in order to allow cricket to resume during the pandemic with as few compromises as possible.Stuart Broad currently has one active demerit point on his ICC record, after been overheard using “inappropriate” language towards South Africa’s captain, Faf du Plessis, during the Johannesburg Test in January.

Amy Satterthwaite will be vice-captain on her return from maternity leave

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-20204:03

What cliché does Sophie Devine wish commentators would retire?

Sophie Devine has been named the permanent New Zealand captain with her predecessor Amy Satterthwaite taking the vice-captaincy on her return from maternity leave.Devine stepped into the captaincy when Satterthwaite took leave last year to have her first child with wife and team-mate Lea Tahuhu and led the team at the T20 World Cup in Australia where they were knocked out in the group stage.She is now set to lead the side at the home one-day World Cup next February and March should that tournament retain its spot in the schedule amid the fallout from Covid-19.”It’s a huge honour and privilege to be awarded the White Ferns captaincy,” Devine said. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time as captain over the past season. It was challenging results-wise at times, but I feel we are moving in the right direction as a team, both with our cricket and our team culture.”I’m very much looking forward to working with Amy who has an exceptional cricketing brain and I feel we can form a strong leadership partnership in combination with a well-established leadership group.”Devine has enjoyed a prolific run of form over the last 18 months and became the first player to score five consecutive fifty-plus scores in T20Is with a century against South Africa, a run she extended to six when she opened her T20 World Cup campaign with an unbeaten 75 against Sri Lanka.”Sophie is a strong leader, she has her own style and knows what she wants from herself and the team,” head coach Bob Carter said. “It’s a testament to her ability as a leader that her performance with the bat last summer went to a new level. She leads with her actions and the team responds well to her leadership style.”Amy is on the comeback to cricket after giving birth and she is progressing really well. Having her experience, knowledge and leadership working alongside Sophie is only going to benefit the team.”Satterthwaite said: “I’m looking forward to returning to international cricket and doing my best to support Sophie and the team.”New Zealand are due to return to international action with a tour to Australia starting in late September to play three ODIs and three T20Is. They will begin pre-season preparations with a training camp in Lincoln next week.

He was among the 15 cricketers who were tested for the virus ahead of their month-long training camp in BKSP

Mohammad Isam19-Aug-2020Bangladesh U-19 player Iftekhar Hossain has tested positive for Covid-19 during the second batch of tests at the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s academy building on Monday. Hossain was among the 15 cricketers who were tested for the virus ahead of their month-long training camp in BKSP which begins on August 23.The first batch, tested on August 16, were all negative, while Hossain was the only one among the second batch to test positive. MA Kayser, BCB’s game development manager, said that Hossain has been kept in isolation in his room at the academy.”We have had one positive case, and his name is Iftekhar Hossain,” Kaysar told ESPNcricinfo. “He will now be in isolation under the BCB’s medical protocol. He is healthy but he is being closely monitored. We will provide him with everything during his isolation and the next course of action will be decided by the BCB’s medical team.”The first batch of 15 players arrived at the academy on August 15, were tested the following day, and when all were found negative, were sent to BKSP, the sports institute situated 36km from Mirpur. The same plan was followed for the second batch, except Hossain, while the third batch will be tested on Thursday.”Since July 19, several of Bangladesh’s senior cricketers have been training at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, utilising the academy ground and indoor facilities. The BCB has generally discouraged any such activities due to the country’s delicate Covid-19 situation, but earlier this week, Tamim Iqbal and Mustafizur Rahman joined training in Mirpur.

Winless Derbyshire fall short in chase despite Wayne Madsen’s half-century

ECB Reporters Network13-Sep-2020Nottinghamshire moved four points clear at the top of the North Group when they beat Derbyshire by 13 runs in the T20 Blast at Trent Bridge.Joe Clarke scored 57 off 35 balls, his third fifty-plus score in the competition, and Alex Hales hit 49 from 32 as the Outlaws powered to 198 for 6 from 20 overs.Wayne Madsen led a spirited chase with 68 from 46 balls while Matt Critchley hit 44 from 28 but Jake Ball bowled well under pressure to take 2 for 36 as the Falcons closed on 185 for 6 and are still without a win.It was no surprise when the Outlaws elected to bat first and although they lost Chris Nash in the second over when he chipped to deep midwicket to give Dustin Melton his first T20 wicket, Hales and Clarke laid the platform for another imposing total.Hales hit four consecutive fours off Michael Cohen as the Outlaws took 65 from the Powerplay before Clarke pulled and drove Alex Hughes for the first sixes of the innings.The pair added 93 in 8 overs before Hales skied Hughes to long on and although Clarke was dropped on 50 by Critchley running in from long-off, he pulled Hughes to long-on in the next over.Despite that lapse, the Falcons had managed to keep their discipline in the field but the Outlaws moved into overdrive as 45 came from the last four overs. Dan Christian smashed Madsen for successive sixes before he failed to clear long off but Tom Moores pulled the fifth ball of the over for another maximum. Moores was bowled aiming a big pull at Melton who conceded only three from the 18th over but Ben Duckett took consecutive boundaries off Cohen before Steven Mullaney dispatched the penultimate ball of the innings for six.The Falcons lost Luis Reece first ball, bowled by Imad Wasim, and Billy Godleman was lbw sweeping Matthew Carter but Madsen and Leus du Plooy lifted them to 56 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay.Mullaney had du Plooy caught at mid-off but with Madsen astutely finding the gaps, the Falcons were still in the chase on 92 for 3 at the halfway point. Critchley swung Imad for six over midwicket and cut Ball for two fours but the seamer responded by yorking Madsen with the last ball of the 14th over.The Falcons needed a big over and Hughes delivered in the 16th, pulling Samit Patel for six and sweeping him for two fours. Ball returned to have Critchley lbw and bowled a superb penultimate over which cost only five leaving the Falcons needing 23 off the last over which proved beyond them.

England legspinner believes she caught virus from man who bumped into her at shops

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2020Sarah Glenn was understandably daunted by the prospect of spending a fortnight alone in a hotel room ahead of her WBBL debut.But she also fully understands the importance of serving Australia’s mandatory isolation period, having been laid low in April by Covid-19, which she believes she contracted after a man she thinks was drunk bumped into her while she was shopping for food.Legspinner Glenn was recently named the Professional Cricketers’ Association Women’s Player of the Year after her breakthrough T20 series against West Indies, which England won 5-0.Glenn was snapped up by Perth Scorchers – the club England head coach Lisa Keightley took to two WBBL finals – for the tournament starting in Sydney on October 25, continuing an eventful year in which she cemented her status at international level and spent nearly two months recovering from Covid-19 after that chance encounter at the supermarket.ALSO READ: Future is bright for England with spin triplets on the riseHaving returned to her parents’ Derbyshire home from the T20 World Cup, held in Australia in February and March, Glenn was careful to protect her family from the illness, only leaving the house to walk the dog. It was when she ventured out to do the weekly food shopping that she believes she was infected by the virus.”I had to get out of the house one day and we needed a food shop so I offered,” Glenn told the . “I came across this bloke who bumped into me and laughed. I think he was drunk. Me and the lady at the till were in shock.”I felt really uncomfortable. It was my first and only shopping experience in lockdown and it was awful. He bumped into me again, so I walked out. I came home so angry. I said to my parents, ‘If I get ill next week I’m going to be fuming’. And there I was next week in bed. It was not great.”Sarah Glenn has emerged as a formidable part of England’s spin attack•Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

An antibody test later confirmed that Glenn had Covid-19. While her parents tested negative, Glenn said it took her a long time to recover.”It really opened my eyes and I start to get angry when young people say, ‘Oh we will be fine’. No. I’m a fit young athlete and I was a bit worried,” Glenn said. “I had a couple of bad nights so I get annoyed by that. I did not realise how much it affected your lungs and it took me a long time to get over it.”Following her recovery, Glenn was the leading wicket-taker in England’s home series against West Indies, where she built a successful partnership with left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone.Preparing to emerge from isolation in Adelaide on Sunday, after using an exercise bike to keep her fitness levels up and spending her time studying for her sports science degree, Glenn’s outlook was upbeat.”It’s not too bad,” Glenn said. “When the bloke helped me to the room with my stuff and said, ‘Right we will see you in two weeks’, the anxiety hit me. But I feel settled now. It is the new normal and I see it as a real positive.”

Players have been sharing food and meeting in the hallways of their hotel which is not permitted under the government rules

Andrew McGlashan11-Nov-2020The West Indies squad has been barred from training for the rest of their managed isolation period in Christchurch after breaking protocols. This includes sharing food and socialising in hallways of their government-approved hotel.The situation has arisen because players from the two separate bubbles of 20 people, which are allowed to train separately, have mixed. This “compromised the bubble integrity of the quarantine facility.”Johnny Grave, the Cricket West Indies CEO, said an immediate investigation had been launched. This will be led by team manager Rawl Lewis. While more details, including CCTV footage, is awaited, Grave believes “around four or five players” were involved.There is no indication the larger bubble to the outside world has been breached by any of the squad leaving or anyone from outside entering the facility, and no suggestion at this stage that the tour is under threat, but the New Zealand Ministry of Health has said that the players will have to spend the remainder of their 14 days – which is due to expire on Friday – in the hotel.”We are extremely disappointed that some of the players seem to have interacted with other members of their respective bubbles,” said Grave, who was alerted to the breach in the early hours of the morning in Antigua. “We are in full support of the action taken by the New Zealand Ministry of Health.”My disappointment is mainly that our players are probably the most experienced in the world in dealing with these strict quarantine measures. I’m not for any second saying that they are easy and living in them day-in day-out is obviously a massive challenge.”But these players, the majority of them, have been a seven-week quarantine bubble for the England tour then all pretty much went to Trinidad for the CPL. It’s hugely disappointing that players who knew what the protocols were have clearly broken them by mixing together.”We are surprised that the players would have let themselves down and let Cricket West Indies down and potentially put the tour and the New Zealand population at risk, albeit I would say from the information we’ve got that the risks are extremely low.”All the Covid-19 tests from the squad before leaving the Caribbean and during their time in New Zealand have so far come back negative with the results of the final batch due on Thursday. The squad is then scheduled to leave isolation and travel to Queenstown on Friday ahead of two matches against New Zealand A.”As with other sports teams that have come to New Zealand, the West Indies cricket team were given certain exemptions from the managed isolation rules which apply to everyone else. This included being able to be in larger bubbles and train in preparation for their international games,” Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said at a daily briefing”It is a privilege to come here but in return they have to stick to the rules. Keeping Covid-19 out of our communities and keeping our staff safe depends on it. They didn’t do that, despite agreeing to abide by the parameters of the exemption.”Consequently, we have revoked the team’s exemption from those requirements of the Managed Isolation and Quarantine Order. This means members of the team will spend the remainder of their time in managed isolation and they are unable to train.”Dr Bloomfield added there was no risk to the public. “It’s important to note that all incidents occurred within the hotel facility.”A New Zealand Cricket statement said: “NZC was yesterday made aware that some members of the West Indies team had contravened protocols within the Managed Isolation Facility in Christchurch.”These incidents included some players compromising bubble integrity by sharing food, and socialising in hallways. There is no evidence, or suggestion, that any members of the touring party left the facility, or that any unauthorised persons accessed it.”NZC is supportive of the Ministry of Health and Government position. Public health and safety has always been our primary focus in hosting overseas teams and this remains our No.1 priority.”NZC will continue working with the West Indies team and management, and relevant Government agencies, to ensure there is no repeat of these violations.”The members of the West Indies squad who have been taking part in the IPL – plus the New Zealand players at the tournament – are due to arrive in the country on Thursday when they will begin a period of 14 days of managed isolation at the same Christchurch hotel which will end the day before the opening T20I in Auckland on November 27.”It’s a really significant blow to our preparations,” Grave said. “I know head coach Phil Simmons is particularly disappointed that a few members of the touring have left themselves down and created a real issue for their team-mates.”West Indies were the first team to tour when international cricket resumed amid the Covid-19 when they travelled to England for a Test series. That involved being in a biosecure bubble from start to finish as they moved between Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl.On that tour the squad could mix together as an entire group, but were never able to leave the bubble whereas in New Zealand, under the current regulations, once the isolation is complete they become part of the general population.

“If a bio-bubble can be created for the England men’s team, they can do it for a women’s team also” – Shanta Rangaswamy

Annesha Ghosh22-Dec-2020India women’s proposed tour of Australia in January 2021 looks set to be rescheduled to later in the year, extending the uncertainty that’s plagued the team’s international schedule since the cancellation of the tour of England in July. The development will mean that India, runners-up in the last ODI and T20 World Cups, are going to be out of action for over ten months, their last international match being the final of the T20 World Cup on March 8, 2020.In May, Cricket Australia had announced that it would host India for three ODIs – on January 22, 25, and 28 – as part of the build-up to the 2021 50-over World Cup in New Zealand, originally scheduled for February 2021. But concerns around the Covid-19 pandemic led to the tournament being deferred to March 2022.Related

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A article last week stated: “Australia’s next international engagement remains up in the air, with no confirmation that a planned three-game ODI series against India – scheduled as preparation for the now-delayed World Cup – will go ahead in January.” ESPNcricinfo understands that, as a result of the deferment, the BCCI didn’t want to stick to the schedule – India are one of five teams to have qualified directly for the tournament.As things stand, India will at best take the field next in February, if a limited-overs assignment against Sri Lanka, presently being discussed between the two boards, does take place – either at home or away. A series against South Africa, most likely at home, in April or May is also being considered, and an update could come from the BCCI’s annual general meeting on December 24.Though the BCCI has hosted the IPL, in the UAE, with a four-match Women’s T20 Challenge alongside the playoffs, and the men’s team is currently on tour in Australia, there has been no official word on the women’s team since the country first went into lockdown, in March. In February-March next year, the England men’s team will come to India for the first international cricket in the country since March, while the domestic Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament will start on January 10.Shanta Rangaswamy, the former India women’s captain and current member of the BCCI’s apex council, stressed on the increased financial investment that hosting teams during the pandemic entail.”If a bio-bubble can be created for the England men’s team, they can do it for a women’s team also,” Rangaswamy told ESPNcricinfo. “But it will be an expensive affair – creation of bio-bubbles. So, they will look at the economics of it before taking a call. But I’m positive that the BCCI office-bearers will not hesitate to spend on the development of the game.”‘If a bio-bubble can be created for the men’s team, they can do it for a women’s team also’•Annesha Ghosh/ESPNcricinfo

What about the women’s domestic matches?
Rangaswamy was optimistic that after the completion of the Mushtaq Ali tournament, the senior women’s domestic season, too, might resume, tentatively in February.”In our last apex council meeting, we had suggested that both the senior women’s and the age-group tournaments be staged around that time [early February],” Rangaswamy said. “Hopefully the pandemic wouldn’t set us back any further on the execution of those plans because the caseload in India is so high you can’t risk players’ safety.”But, as ESPNcricinfo has found out, the BCCI is some way from committing to resuming any domestic cricket beyond the senior men’s competition/s.Such an eventuality could also have a bearing on the preparations of players hoping to find spots in the squad for the inaugural women’s Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, which the ICC is considering slotting into the second half of 2021.