GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Devon Thomas and Keemo Paul have been ruled out of the third and final T20 International against Bangladesh on Thursday. Thomas, the wicket-keeper/batter held three catches during the first T20I at Windsor Park, Dominica but unfortunately sustained a thigh strain. The injury kept him out of the second T20I. Paul, the seam-bowling allrounder, played in the second match as a replacement for Thomas. He complained of flu-like symptoms on Thursday. He remained at the team hotel and has been tested for COVID-19.

Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Men’s Selection Panel named left-handed allrounder Dominic Drakes as the replacement for the third match at the Guyana National Stadium.

West Indies have a 1-0 lead heading into the final match. The first match was a no result due to rain and West Indies won the second by 35 runs.

For all matches fans can book their seats via www.windiescricket.com/tickets safe in the knowledge you can choose your preferred seat location before getting to the ground and avoid queues. Online purchases allow fans to save the tickets to a mobile device or print out at home to present for scanning at the stadium. In Guyana, the prices range from US$6 (GUY$1200) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (GUY$3000) for the Orange Stand or US$25 (GUY$5000) for the best seats in the Red and Green Stands. Children under 16 and Seniors receive free entry.  The stadium box office is also open for ticket sales .

Fans can watch live on ESPN Caribbean and listen to live radio commentary on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.

FULL SQUAD

• Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
• Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)
• Shamarh Brooks
• Dominic Drakes
• Akeal Hosein
• Alzarri Joseph
• Brandon King
• Kyle Mayers
• Obed McCoy
• Romario Shepherd
• Odean Smith
• Hayden Walsh Jr.

MATCH SCHEDULE – Bangladesh tour of West Indies

Padma Bridge – Dream Fulfilled – Friendship Test Series, presented by Walton 

June 16-20: 1st Test – Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua – West Indies won by 7 wickets

June 24-28: 2nd Test – Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia –West Indies won by 10 wickets

T20 International Series

July 2: 1st T20I – Windsor Park, Dominica – No result

July 3: 2nd T20I – Windsor Park, Dominica – West Indies won by 35 runs

July 7: 3rd T20I – Guyana Stadium, Guyana.

CG United One-Day International Series

July 10: 1st CG United ODI – Guyana Stadium, Guyana. Local start time 9:30am/8:30am Jamaica

July 13: 2nd CG United ODI – Guyana Stadium, Guyana. Local start time 9:30am/8:30am Jamaica

July 16: 3rd CG United ODI – Guyana Stadium, Guyana. Local start time 9:30am/8:30am Jamaica

The post Devon Thomas and Keemo Paul miss 3rd T20I vs Bangladesh appeared first on Sportslinkpk.

The baton of No. 1 Test batsman in the world has changed hands between Virat Kohli and Steven Smith again, with Kohli surpassing Smith following a century in his team’s inaugural day-night Test, against Bangladesh in Kolkata. While Kohli led the Indian batting effort, Smith failed to go past 36 in Australia’s home Tests against Pakistan, resulting in the swap at the top.

The good news for Australia, though, is that David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, who were in red-hot form against Pakistan, moved up to No. 5 and No. 8 respectively.

Warner compiled the second highest individual score for Australia in Test cricket, going past the 334-run mark of Donald Bradman and Mark Taylor in Adelaide, finishing on 335 not out as Australia declared their only innings.

Only fellow opener Matthew Hayden has a higher mark for Australia: 380, against Zimbabwe in 2003. Warner’s mammoth innings followed a knock of 154 in the first Test of the series, in Brisbane, resulting in him jumping 12 places up the rankings overall.

Labuschagne, meanwhile, was ranked as low as 110 at the start of 2019. His year took a dramatic turn when he became Test cricket’s first concussion sub during the Lord’s Test of the Ashes series, slotting into the game in place of Smith – who had taken a blow to the helmet from Jofra Archer – and going on to score a match-saving, last-day 59. That won him a place in the XI even when Smith returned, and he produced scores of 74, 80, 67, 11, 48 and 14 through the rest of the Ashes. His best was yet to come, though. In the home Tests against Pakistan, both innings victories, Labuschagne scored 185 and 162, completing a sensational charge into Test cricket’s top ten batsmen.

The Smith v Kohli race to No. 1 has been in overdrive ever since the former returned from his ball-tampering ban in mid-2019 and went on to have a stunning Ashes campaign. Smith had toppled Kohli during that series, in September, before Kohli scored a double-hundred against South Africa to return to within one rating point of Smith. Now, as things stand, Kohli is five rating points clear of Smith. Smith will have the chance to overtake him once again when Australia take on New Zealand at home from December 12. India do not play Test cricket again till they tour New Zealand early next year.

Among others to gain in the latest updates were Babar Azam, the Pakistan batsman who hit 97 in the first innings of the Adelaide Test to move up two places to No. 13, while England captain Joe Root returned to the top ten after a week outside it following his innings of 226. That helped him move up from No. 11 to No. 7.

The post ICC Test ranking: NO Pakistani bowler or Batsman in top 10 appeared first on Sportslinkpk.

Harare: Afghanistan crashed to their third straight World Cup qualifying defeat at the hands of Hong Kong on Thursday, while captain Jason Holder led the West Indies to victory over Papua New Guinea.

After losses to Scotland and Zimbabwe, new Test side Afghanistan’s hopes were hanging by a thread, but they collapsed to 195-9 in pursuit of 242 to beat Hong Kong, with rain ensuring a 30-run defeat on DLS method.

The post Afghanistan’s World Cup Hopes All But Over After Hong Kong Loss appeared first on Sportslinkpk.