Veteran umpires S Ravi and CK Nandan will mentor them. Michael Gough, Chris Gaffaney and Adrian Holdstock are the three international umpires part of IPL 2025. Notable absentees include Kumar Dharmasena and Anil Chaudhary.
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Pakistan clinched a resounding ODI series victory against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium, thanks to Saim Ayub's stellar century (101 off 94 balls). This marks Ayub's third century in five innings, earning him both Player of the Match and Player of the Series. Despite Heinrich Klaasen's rapid 81, South Africa fell short of the rain-adjusted target of 308.
Australia clinched their third straight ICC Women's Championship title, defeating New Zealand by 75 runs in Wellington. Healy and Litchfield's opening partnership, followed by Gardner's explosive 74, propelled Australia to a commanding 290. New Zealand's initial strong chase faltered after Bates and Kerr's dismissals, leading to a 215-run finish.
MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals demonstrated strong home performances in the SA20 league, with both teams maintaining perfect records. The upcoming Qualifier 1 at St George's Park will be critical, as both teams face off at a neutral venue. Key players will be absent for the Royals. The Rashid Khan-led side have been the best travellers this season (11 points) including a win at this very ground against Sunrisers Eastern Cape.
Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann criticized chief selector George Bailey for being too close to the Test team to make tough decisions, particularly regarding the struggling top order. Captain Pat Cummins defended Bailey, praising his boldness and objectivity, emphasizing the broader considerations beyond online scrutiny in selection.
Virat Kohli has re-entered the top-five in ICC's ODI batting rankings after scoring his 51st century against Pakistan. India hold three spots in the top five, with Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma remaining strong. Other notable movements include KL Rahul, Will Young, and Ben Duckett. Maheesh Theekshana leads ODI bowlers, while Michael Bracewell made significant gains as an all-rounder.
Veteran spinner Nathan Lyon emphasises that Australia's Test team is highly motivated to achieve greatness, targeting a 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka. He acknowledges key milestones yet to be achieved, such as winning the Ashes in England and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, and highlights the squad mentality and potential within the team.
India's premier off-spinner R Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket and received a heartfelt send-off from the Indian team in Brisbane. Due to time constraints, a full farewell gathering wasn't possible. An emotional Ashwin delivered a touching speech in the dressing room before departing, receiving a special jersey from Australian captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
Sachin Baby's unfortunate dismissal on his 100th first-class game due to a miscued slog sweep allowed Vidarbha to regain control. Baby's wicket became a turning point, and Harsh Dubey entered the record books for the most wickets in a Ranji Trophy season. Kerala trails Vidarbha by 37 runs with hopes still alive.
The World Test Championship may see reforms in its points system, including bonus points for decisive victories and rewarding wins in away games. These changes aim to address perceived unfairness and increase competitiveness. Discussions will take place in April to finalise the new points system, set to commence from the next cycle beginning in June.
Pakistan recalled top-order batter Fakhar Zaman for the Champions Trophy, starting February 19, after his recovery from a knee injury. Saim Ayub misses out due to injury Mohammad Rizwan will captain the team, which also features 2017 champions Zaman, Babar Azam, and Faheem Ashraf. Pakistan will play India in Dubai on February 23.