It's part of my rehab': Banned in Australia, Smith makes comeback in Canadian T20

Steve Smith: Ex-Australia captain hits 61 in Canadian T20 in first game since ball-tampering ban

Smith has scored 23 Test match centuries and tops the world Test batting rankings

Former Australia captain Steve Smith hit 61 off 41 balls in his first competitive appearance since he was banned for ball-tampering in March.

Smith, excluded from national and state cricket for his "leadership" role in the incident in South Africa, is playing for the Toronto Nationals in the inaugural Global T20 Canada league.

"I didn't feel as good as I would've liked but it's nice to score runs when you're not feeling good," said Smith.

He said playing was "part of my rehab".

Smith was eventually out stumped as Toronto beat Vancouver Knights by six wickets.













The 29-year old, who still tops the International Cricket Council Test batting rankings, has not played since he admitted to being part of the "leadership group" that conspired to "get an advantage" by illegally tampering with the ball during a Test match in South Africa.

Smith, whose 12-month ban does not extend to competitions outside Australia, said the scandal was not on his mind during his first game back.

"Honestly when I am out in the middle everything else is a blur. Just concentrate on what I am doing and it's almost like my haven I guess," he said.

"I'm not going to lie, it's been a difficult time in my life, there's no doubt about that.

"But I've accepted my punishment, I've accepted what I've gone through and I'm moving forward, and part of my rehab is playing cricket as well and that's what I love doing," he added.

David Willey: Yorkshire all-rounder risked future for IPL sting

David Willey: Yorkshire all-rounder risked future for IPL stint

England all-rounder David Willey says Yorkshire threatened to "rip up" his contract after he missed the start of the season to play in the Indian Premier League.

Willey, 28, joined Chennai Super Kings as a late injury replacement in April and played three games for the side.

He has signed a new Yorkshire deal until the end of the 2019 season.

"I was threatened with them ripping my contract up - which wasn't great - but that's been resolved now," Willey said.

"It was a no-brainer. You don't get the chance to go and play in the biggest Twenty20 competition in the world every day."

England edge Australia in first ODI - report & highlights
Willey scored the winning runs as England beat Australia at The Oval in the first of five one-day internationals.

He has scored two centuries and taken 11 wickets in three One-Day Cup matches for Yorkshire as the Tykes reached the knockout stages of the competition.

The former Northants player has not appeared in the County Championship since April 2017.

"I think the landscape of the modern game is changing, and I do think counties should try and work with it rather than work against it - and look at the longer-term picture," Willey added.

"I think if counties had that outward look at these competitions as a longer-term benefit it would be better for everyone involved. There would be less arguments and fall-outs along the way.

"I may not be around as much as Yorkshire would like at the minute, but I see myself as having a long-term benefit to the county I'm at."

India v Afghanistan: Test debutants beaten inside two days

India v Afghanistan: Test debutants beaten inside two days

Shikhar Dhawan became the first Indian to hit a Test century before lunch with his 87-ball knock

First Test, M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore (day two)

India 474: S Dhawan 107, Vijay 105; Ahmadzai 2-32
Afghanistan 109 & 103: Shahidi 36, Jadeja 4-17

India win by an innings and 262 runs

Afghanistan lost 20 wickets in a day as their Test debut ended in a two-day defeat by India in Bangalore.

Responding to India's total of 474, Afghanistan were dismissed for 109 and 103 to lose by an innings and 262 runs.

Hashmatullah Shahidi (36) was the top scorer for Afghanistan in either innings as all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja finished with match figures of 6-35.

It is only the fourth time in Test history that a team has been bowled out twice in a day.

It is also the 21st time a Test has ended inside two days, and the first time in India.

There were some positives for debutants Afghanistan - who were awarded Test status in June 2017 - notably the bowling of Yamin Ahmadzai, who took 3-51 in India's sole innings.

India pushed on from an overnight score of 347-6 to reach 474, a total Afghanistan never looked like threatening.

They batted for a combined total of 66.3 overs, with only four batsmen reaching double figures in the second innings.

"The learning curve is huge - it's a mountain to climb. But they want to succeed and they work very hard," Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons said.

"Now we know that we have to work five times as hard".

Lack of discipline & patience costs Afghanistan - analysis

BBC Sport's Sam Sheringham in Bangalore

Afghanistan found out exactly how tough Test cricket is here in Bangalore.

Being beaten by India is no disgrace, but to lose inside two days will be a huge disappointment to the Afghan players and their fans after coming into this historic occasion with such high hopes.

In reality, their batting lacked anything like the discipline and patience required but, given that their preparations involved a three-match Twenty20 series against Bangladesh, perhaps that is hardly surprising.

An established force in the limited-overs forms, Afghanistan have plenty to learn at Test level, but their remarkable story remains one of the most heart-warming in sport.

England's World Cup winning women's team set to double salary by 2021

England's World Cup winning women's team set to double salary by 2021

Heather Knight: Pay increase is a sign of interest in our game

England v South Africa & New Zealand
Dates: 8 June - 13 July. Full summer schedule
Coverage:Ball-by-ball Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW and BBC Sport website & app. Live text commentary and in-play highlights on BBC Sport website & app

England's elite female players will be paid twice as much in 2021 as they were during last year's World Cup win, if plans come to fruition.

Since February, 10 of the 22 contracted England players have had their wages increased by at least 50%, after the money available was raised by 40%.

"It's a sign of how professional the women's game is going," England captain Heather Knight told BBC Sport.

England's three-match series against South Africa starts on Saturday.


The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) also confirmed a bonus pot for series wins has also been introduced for the the first time.

England to beat India by nine runs to win the Women's World Cup at Lord's in July last year


"It's a sign of how brilliant last year was as well and how many people were interested in where the game's going," added Knight.













Heather Knight column: England's summer, a possible women's IPL and the ECB's new competition

The Professional Cricketers' Association confirmed the new contracts are until the end of 2019, while negotiations for 2020 and beyond ongoing.

The list of 22 includes teenage left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, who turned 19 in May and is added to the list of contracted players for the first time, while three young players - Katie George, Alice Davidson-Richards and Freya Davies - have been awarded rookie contracts.

In April, Knight, Natalie Sciver and Anya Shrubsole were named among Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year.

"At the moment it's not about equal pay [for women], but we should be bold - I'm always looking to be ahead of other women's team sports at international level - and demonstrate a commitment to closing that gap with a bit of urgency," said ECB director of women's cricket Clare Connor.


"The objective is to get to a situation in 2020 - when the new investment in the game kicks in. It's the direction of travel that's important."

Graeme Smith urges ICC to come up with solution to deal with early retirements after AB de Villiers' shock decision

Graeme Smith urges ICC to come up with solution to deal with early retirements after AB de Villiers' shock decision


In the wake of AB de Villiers' shock retirement, Graeme Smith has said that players hanging up their boots early to play in attractive T20 leagues will become common and called upon the ICC to come up with a solution for this predicament.

Mumbai: In the wake of AB de Villiers' shock retirement, former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has predicted that the trend of  players hanging their boots early to play in attractive Twenty20 (T20) leagues will become common, and called upon the International Cricket Council (ICC) to come up with a solution for this predicament.

"Players will retire slightly earlier because of the options that they have in domestic cricket in which they earn good money. They travel less, there is less pressure on them and their families. So I think it is something that the ICC need to consider in terms of administering the game," Smith told Firstpost on the sidelines of CEAT awards.

Smith's statement comes a few days after de Villiers, his former teammate, announced retirement from international cricket because he was "tired". Though de Villiers mentioned that he has no plans of playing overseas, his retirement is a reflection of where international cricket is heading right now.

"Players will retire slightly earlier because of the options that they have in domestic cricket in which they earn good money. They travel less, there is less pressure on them and their families. So I think it is something that the ICC need to consider in terms of administering the game," Smith told Firstpost on the sidelines of CEAT awards.

Smith's statement comes a few days after de Villiers, his former teammate, announced retirement from international cricket because he was "tired". Though de Villiers mentioned that he has no plans of playing overseas, his retirement is a reflection of where international cricket is heading right now.

File image of South Africa's AB de Villiers and Graeme Smith. Reuters













Cricket South Africa (CSA) are in constant pressure to make sure that their out-of-favour players don't seek Kolpak deals. West Indies' players continue to play in T20 leagues all around the world even after Cricket West Indies' offered temporary amnesty. While CWI has mostly been reactive, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been proactive and already restricted its players to only two T20 leagues per year. Smith insists this is a "big issue."

"I think free agencies is a big issue in our game for the ICC. I think the decisions they make going forward in terms of creating context in cricket, how to set up the calendar year etc. is going to be very, very important," he said.

De Villiers was stuck in a similar quandary for the last two years. It was an open secret that his aim was to win South Africa a World Cup. He also skipped Test cricket from January 2016 to December 2017 to focus all his energies on the 2019 World Cup. But he was criticised heavily for picking and choosing and eventually made a comeback in whites before announcing retirement.

When asked if the criticism may have led to his decision, Smith said, "Maybe. I think even then international cricket was on his brain. I thought he came back (in December 2017) and played really well. So I did think he will go the 2019 World Cup. There's still a lot of cricket before the World Cup. And who knows? Maybe he wanted to spend more time with his family or something else... I am guessing. I will speak to him when I get home. But I think we must appreciate what he's done in international game and I hope that he does play a couple of T20 tournaments around the world," the 37-year old said.

The timing of de Villiers' departure is likely to hurt South African cricket. With the World Cup only 12 months away, the Faf du Plessis-led ODI side had their hopes pinned on de Villiers. His absence will be too hard to fill in such a short time, and Smith reckoned that coach Ottis Gibson and Faf will have to rebuild their team intelligently in the coming months.

"It is going to be a huge challenge especially when you lose a player who has got a massive x-factor and can win games by himself. Who replaces that? No one can. I think they need to be smart. The current talent pool is still okay. But how Faf and Ottis Gibson set up that team now will be interesting to see," Smith remarked.

De Villiers' international debut came under Smith's captaincy in 2004. Together, both of them have been involved in lot of important victories, both home and away. When asked to sum-up his his teammate's career, Smith said, " It's been absolutely brilliant. He has captured the imagination of every cricket fan around in the world. I think he is a very smart cricketer, smart batsman with huge amount of imagination and ability. It was great to have captained him through a large part of his career and seen him grow into a man and a wonderful player that he became."

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson announces shock resignation

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson announces shock resignation

Mike Hesson guided New Zealand to a one-day international series win over South Africa in 2013, which was the first in the country in any format

Mike Hesson has announced his resignation as coach of New Zealand after six years in charge.

"I don't feel I have the capacity to give the job what it deserves," said the tearful 43-year-old, who will officially step down on 31 July.

His deal was due to run out after the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales.

Under Hesson, New Zealand reached the 2015 World Cup final and won 21 of 53 Tests, 65 of 119 one-day internationals and 30 of 59 Twenty20 matches.

"Personally, I regard him as the best coach the Black Caps have ever had," said former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum.

The Black Caps also reached number one in the Twenty20 rankings, second in one-day internationals and third at Test level under Hesson, who was appointed in 2012.












They also beat England 1-0 in a two-Test series which turned out to be his last in charge, as the Kiwis are not scheduled to play again until October.

"Mike exemplified the 'team-first' attitude he himself talked about and left no stone unturned in terms of leading the side to success," said current New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.

"I've witnessed his work ethic first-hand and have seen the sacrifices he's made, and I can only say I have the utmost respect for what he's achieved."


The process to find Hesson's successor "will commence shortly", with New Zealand next in action against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, starting in October.

Australia to take ‘good thing’ sledging on the field against England

Australia to take ‘good thing’ sledging on the field against England

Australia are scheduled to play five ODIs and a T20I during their tour of England that is scheduled to begin from June 13 at The Oval.

Australia will play England in five-match ODI series followed by a T20I. (Source: AP)
Australia will be without the services of Steve Smith and David Warner when they play England in an away five-match ODI series and new coach Justin Langer has hinted that his side would take “good thing” sledging on the field.
“In Australia sledging’s a good thing: if I play Uno (a card game) with my daughter we sledge each other,” Langer told a news conference at Lord’s on Wednesday.
“If I play golf with my parents, we sledge each other. There’s a difference between banter and abuse. There’s no room for abuse anywhere,” the former Australia opener, who played at Lord’s for Middlesex, added.













Langer further added that the side has been given the tag of “sledging Australians” and said, “Even if we were so nice people would think we’re a bunch of hard-edged Australians. We’ll still be called ‘sledging Australians’, it’s been happening for the last 30 years. So we’ll cope with that.”
Captain Tim Paine added that the Australians have been vocal on the field but understand the difference between abuse and banter. The new skipper further said that his side won’t be silent and would be speaking to keep the opposition under pressure.
“The thing we’ve spoken about is the difference between abuse and banter. We won’t be silent. We’re going to be speaking, trying to put pressure on teams as we usually do. But we have to be respectful. I’m sure you’re going to hear us talking through the stump mic. But it’s up to me, Justin and the senior players to stay on the side of banter and never go to abuse. There’s no doubt our reputation took a bit of a battering. Coming to England now with new faces, a new coach, just getting back into cricket is an opportunity for us to move on and show we’ve made a few changes,” he said.















Coach Langer suggested that it eventually depends upon the players to maintain a good environment both on and off-field.
“We have our values and our expectations, that’s really important,” said the 47-year-old Langer.
“But I’ve said this for 25 years, we can have the fanciest mission statements, but if you don’t live them, they’re like toilet paper mate. They are written down, but unless you live them they’re meaningless,” he said.
“We’ve just got to create the environment where it’s a great changing room. All culture is behaviour. Make it good on and off the field. If we’ve got good behaviours, then we’ve got a good environment,” added Langer.
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Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma train together; watch video

Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma train together; watch video

Virat Kohli had someone special with him in the gym and it was none other than his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma tied the knot last year in December. (Source: File Photo)

India skipper Virat Kohli is out of action for a while due to a neck injury but the flamboyant batsman hasn’t given up on his workout regime. This time the captain had ‘someone special’ with him in the gym and it was none other than his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma.
Kohli on Wednesday posted a video on his official Instagram account that said, training together makes it even better! ♥️♥️♥️ @anushkasharma.” The couple tied the knot in December last year and have been regularly posting photos together on social media. Be it their honeymoon or Anushka’s birthday or Kohli’s Indian Premier League matches, the two haven’t left a chance to show their love for each other.














Kohli was scheduled to travel to England for his first County stint in June but unfortunately, his tour was cancelled after the neck injury. “Kohli, who was scheduled to play for Surrey CCC in the month of June, has been ruled out from participating. This decision was taken following assessments by the BCCI Medical team, subsequent scans, and a specialist visit,” the press release said.
The release added that Kohli will undergo a fitness test from June 15. “The Team India captain will now undergo a period of rehabilitation under the supervision of the BCCI Medical team. He will begin training and subsequently undergo a fitness test at the NCA in Bengaluru from June 15,” it said.
He was last in action in the IPL 2018 where the right-hander led Royal Challengers Bangalore in the cash-rich league. RCB failed to make a place in the playoffs but Kohli had a good run in the league as he accumulated 530 runs in 14 matches











India will now play a one-off Test match against Afghanistan but Kohli won’t be a part of it. The Indian team will then travel to Ireland for two T20Is before their tour of England where they will play three T20Is, three ODIs and five Tests.