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Almost exactly 100 years since Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe became the first pair to achieve it in Test cricket, the Afghanistan pair of Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi batted out a full day of a Test match without being dismissed. In the process, Rahmat became the holder of Afghanistan’s highest Test score (231*), Shahidi struck his second Test ton (141*), and the pair comfortably broke the record for Afghanistan’s best Test partnership (361). All in all, their addition of 330 runs across 95 overs on the third day has taken Afghanistan to 425 for 2, now only 161 behind Zimbabwe’s 586.Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo ranks among one of the best places to bat among Test venues, and Zimbabwe’s first-innings score across the first two days suggested a placid third-day surface, which it was, barring the occasional ball that stayed low.The Zimbabwe bowlers were made to grind by the strong defensive game showed by Rahmat and Shahidi, but they were also let down by their fielding. There were atleast four catches dropped, all off Rahmat, along with a few half-chances. Both spin and pace proved ineffective to get a breakthrough, and the set batters pounced on the loose deliveries from the inexperienced bowlers, a regular occurrence through the day.Starting the day afresh from an overnight partnership of 31 and staring at a mammoth 491-run deficit, Rahmat took a single in the first over of the day to bring up his fifty. But some disciplined bowling from Blessing Muzarabani and Trevor Gwandu kept the run-scoring in check. It took 12 overs for the day’s first boundary when Rahmat picked up one, by cutting left-arm spinner Sean Williams for four, and it would be a ploy he would use against all three Zimbabwe spinners. With no variable turn off the pitch, the pair could also trust their game when coming down the track against the spinners, something Shahidi did often against the part-timers Brandon Mavuta and Brian Bennett. Five overs before lunch, Shahidi brought up his half-century, and two overs later, Rahmat had completed his second Test ton.Rahmat Shah claimed the Afghanistan record for the highest individual score•Zimbabwe Cricket

Then came the first big chance in the 69th over with Afghanistan at 198 for 2 and Rahmat on 107. Bennett got a length ball to turn lesser than expected, Rahmat’s prod brought an outside edge, and the ball flew past Craig Ervine’s left at first slip. On 134, Rahmat survived a dropped chance at long-on, and on 152, escaped two catching opportunities in one Muzarabani over. In between, the pair brought up their 200 stand by finding the fence through midwicket or cover when Muzarabani and Gwandu overpitched their deliveries. And going into tea, Afghanistan were 298 for 2, with 203 runs collected in the first two sessions.Fresh off the two dropped chances in the penultimate over of the second session, Zimbabwe were further deflated at the start of the post-tea session when Rahmat struck three fours off Nyamhuri in the first over after resumption. In the same Nyamhuri spell, Shahidi cut him for four to move to 99 and next ball, picked up a single to claim his second Test ton.As the second new ball also turned old, the boundaries dried up again, but a four through cover from Rahmat to start the 108th over brought up the 300-run stand. When Rahmat moved to 199 with a single soon after, the partnership ticked over to 308, a new record for Afghanistan.Shahidi, the only double-centurion for Afghanistan previously, then watched on from the other end as Rahmat joined him on that list, and it came not in the form of a circumspect single but a full-blooded drive through mid-on. As the ball trickled to the boundary, Rahmat was applauded by his team-mates and by the sparse home crowd as he also went past Shahidi’s score of 200* from 2021 to claim the Afghanistan record for the highest individual score.As the final hour of the day began, and it dawned on Zimbabwe that they might have their first-ever day of Test cricket without a single wicket, Ervine tempted the two batters with some unusual fielding positions – perhaps to buy a wicket or force them to do something different – but there was no budging.If anything, Rahmat and Shahidi reined in their strokes. Only three boundaries were scored in the final 13 overs – only three fours and one six – as it was clear their aim was to finish the day unbeaten. As Williams bowled the final over of the day without much drama, Rahmat and Shahidi walked back with smiles, were congratulated by a few Zimbabwe fielders, and were welcomed with a standing ovation by their team-mates and support staff.

Head coach Phil Simmons lauded Bangladesh’s mental shift from trying to survive to trying to win, after they beat West Indies by 101 runs on the fourth evening of the second Test in Kingston. Simmons said their decision to bat first – after they had lost the first Test by 201 runs – paid off in multiple ways and that the batters will now have confidence that they can bounce back in tough conditions.Bangladesh were bowled out for 164 in the first innings, but they came strongly with the ball and skittled the home side for 146. They had an improved batting performance in the second innings and made 268, weathering a barrage of bouncers and verbals on the third afternoon to get into a winning position.”I loved the way the batters came out with a positive attitude,” Simmons said on the official broadcast after the game. “They had a survival attitude in the first few games [since I took charge]. On the third day, you saw that they were saying, ‘I have come to play the game’. I loved and enjoyed it. I made sure that they know that it is the way we have to play from now on. The Test win is something that these young players were looking forward to. It is nice to see them come back in their way after losing the first Test match. It’s total joy for me.Related

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“I think when we had the delay [due to wet outfield on the first day] and the sun was out, as hot as I felt in Jamaica for a long time, there was no question that we had to bat first. The wicket had dried out. We had to make the running in the Test match, as were down 1-0. The decision to bat wasn’t a difficult one. I think breaking it to the batters… It is a team that likes to bowl first to see what’s there. Giving them the confidence that I believe in you, that you can bat first here, I think that led to how we batted in the second innings. We just needed to do better than the first innings.”Bangladesh had several performers in the Jamaica Test win. Nahid Rana led the fight with a five-wicket haul in the first innings, before Jaker Ali held the second innings together with his 91 in the second innings. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam then took a five-for on the fourth and final day, with Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud picking up two wickets each in the final push for victory.Simmons praised Jaker’s ability to switch gears after a slow start. He was also impressed with Mehidy Hassan Miraz, who captained the side in Najmul Hossain Shanto’s absence after the regular captain ruled out of the Test series because of a groin strain.”Jaker scored three fifties in successive Tests, so he knows his game. We saw that he can also take on every bowler. He needs to take what he gets from here, and try to improve on it. This is not always going to be the way it is,” Simmons said. “I have been impressed with [Mehidy]. He took over from Shanto in short notice. He has taken the job and run with it. Mehidy and Taijul complement each other. Mehidy is a little bit faster and straighter, whereas Taijul uses his variations a lot.”Taijul loves hitting the stumps, so he bowls more arm balls than [conventional] spinners. He seems to be getting better every game. You could see that there was more thought in his bowling here in every session.”Having missed the first Test to manage his workload, Rana hit West Indies with rapid pace in Kingston for a match haul of 6 for 93. He now has 20 wickets in six Tests after making his debut against Sri Lanka earlier this year.”I was even more impressed [with Rana in Jamaica] than I was in Sharjah where he made his ODI debut, ” Simmons said. “For him to be so consistent on this wicket and hitting his lengths. At the end of the day yesterday, he was bowling in his mid-140s. We under-rated the young fast bowler’s ability to assess the situation.”The things he tells me before going on to the field, I wonder whether he is playing his fourth or fifth Test match. He is impressive with pace, but also with his hunger to learn. He keeps growing, and I am sure we will see a lot more of him.”

Perhaps the only thing that could have stopped Anuj Rawat’s assault was the end of Delhi’s allotted overs. No matter which Uttar Pradesh bowler bowled at him in the death overs of the quarter-final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Bengaluru, the ball either went to the boundary or pinged the objects that lay beyond it.Rawat rammed an unbeaten 73 off just 33 balls despite being on 9 from 10 at one stage. Six of his seven boundaries, and all five of his sixes, came from the 15th onwards. Delhi, who had 112 at the start of the 15th, finished with 193, before their bowlers restricted UP to 174 to book their place in the semi-final.The fun started when Rawat deposited Vineet Panwar for a four and six each, before taking Shivam Mavi for 23 runs in the 16th over. That featured a flick to fine leg and a loft over mid-off for four each, and two carbon-copy swivel-pull sixes over fine leg. Rawat brought up his half-century off 22 balls just after whipping Bhuvneshwar Kumar for six over deep square leg. He took three more boundaries off Bhuvneshwar, before ending the innings with a six off Mavi.In reply, UP’s chase hardly gained momentum. They managed only 18 in the first three overs, after which Priyam Garg decided to attack Simarjeet Singh. Garg lofted over Simarjeet’s head and ramped him over deep third for six each, before ending the over by going for four over cover. But Garg’s turned out to be a one-man effort, as UP slumped to 51 for 3 after seven overs.The loudest roar from the sparse crowd, though, was reserved for when Ayush Badoni had Nitish Rana caught at long-on. The two had come head to head earlier when Rana, bowling the third ball of the 13th over of Delhi’s innings, stopped short of delivering. Badoni then backed out of Rana’s next attempt, only for the bowler to get in the batter’s way after a single was taken when the delivery was finally bowled. The umpires had to intervene to prevent things from heating up too much.Badoni didn’t forget to give Rana a little send-off during UP’s chase, which only seemed to gather pace towards the end of the tenth over. Garg swatted and lofted Prince Yadav for four and six. He got to his fifty in the 11th over, in which Sameer Rizvi cut Suyash Sharma for four behind point.Next over, bowled by Simarjeet, Rizvi and Garg hit three boundaries off the first four legal balls. But Simarjeet got a return catch when Garg’s attempted pull resulted in a top edge – he fell having contributed 54 out of UP’s total of 104 at that stage. Rizvi scored a quick 26, but lacked long-term partners as Delhi’s bowlers kept chipping away.Bhuvneshwar, Mohsin Khan and Panwar provided some late entertainment by smashing five fours and two sixes between them. But the fact that UP needed their tailenders to do all this hitting to take them somewhat closer to Delhi’s total told the story of their batting on the day.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has said Shakib Al Hasan’s absence from what should have been his farewell Test was “unfortunate,” but urged his team to focus on the task at hand – the first match against South Africa starting on Monday.While Shakib was selected in the squad, and expressed his desire to end his Test career in Dhaka, protests in the city against him meant he didn’t travel to Bangladesh after government advice said his arrival would pose a security risk”It is unfortunate. It should have happened,” Shanto said. “But we can’t spend too much time talking about it on the day before the Test match. [Shakib’s arrival] is not in our control, so we are not spending too much time thinking about it. We have to focus on the two important Tests and that’s what the players are doing. We had plans to send off one of the world’s best players. All of us personally feel that it remains pending.”Shakib’s future as a Bangladesh player was put in uncertainty following the upheaval of the Bangladesh government in August; Shakib was a member of the political party that was overthrown. Shanto said the players were focused on the cricket, which is why they hadn’t spoken on the matter.”Our focus is on winning the Test that starts tomorrow. We would have been happy if it was his farewell Test. We all know why he is unable to come.”Shanto said replacing Shakib was going to be tough. He said Mehidy Hasan Miraz has shown he can step up but it would take him some time.”It is hard to match [Shakib], especially for the captain. He would usually allow us to play the extra batter or bowler. Now the No. 7 becomes a crucial spot. We don’t have anyone exactly like Shakib but Miraz can be a very good option. He is bowling and batting superbly. There are more responsibilities, which Miraz is prepared for. He has improved his batting. He is taking the team to good positions, if you look at the last few Tests. I would hope that Miraz can take that place in the next couple of years.”Uncapped left-arm spinner Hasan Murad replaced Shakib in the squad for the first Test. Shanto said Murad deserved the call-up, and expressed confidence in his spin attack.”We have four quality spinners in the side. Hasan Murad has an outstanding first-class record. He bowls well in all types of wickets. It is a deserving selection. Nayeem couldn’t break into the side despite playing well recently. Whether we pick three or four spinners tomorrow, they are all capable. Regardless of our combination, we will give our best.”Bangladesh go into the two-Test series against South Africa after winning their maiden series in Pakistan 2-0, before losing 2-0 in India earlier this month.

Barbados’ Kensington Oval will host the CPL final for the first ever time, in 2026. Guyana, meanwhile, will host the final in 2025, marking the fourth straight year that the CPL final will be held at the Providence Stadium.In a press release on Friday, the CPL announced that it had agreed one-year deals with the two venues to host the final for the next two years.”I want to take this opportunity to wish Guyana Amazon Warriors all success on behalf of all Guyanese as we try to make it two in a row,” Mohammed Irfan Ali, the president of Guyana, said just before Amazon Warriors, the defending CPL champions, booked their berth in Sunday’s final. “To all the other teams we wish you well as we play together in unity. I am also very delighted to announce that Guyana will be hosting CPL 2025 finals.”Barbados Royals are two-time CPL winners, having last lifted the trophy in 2019.”Guyana and Barbados have been amazing partners for CPL over the last 12 years and it is really exciting to be able to announce that they will be hosts for the finals in 2025 and 2026 respectively,” Pete Russell, the CPL CEO, said. “We would like to thank the governments of both Guyana and Barbados who have agreed to play host to the conclusion of CPL.”Amazon Warriors beat Royals in the second qualifier, as quickfire knocks from Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Shai Hope helped them chase down 149 inside 15 overs. Warriors will now play St Lucia Kings for the title, on October 6.

Ben Stokes has bemoaned the “culture” of English sport for what he perceives as unnecessary criticism of stand-in Test captain Ollie Pope.With Stokes recovering from a torn left hamstring, Pope, his vice-captain, has stepped in to lead the Test team for the ongoing Sri Lanka series. Having overseen comprehensive victories in the first two Tests, the Surrey batter returns to the Kia Oval on Friday looking for a clean sweep. Victory will give England their first 100 percent record in a home season since 2004, after Stokes led a comfortable 3-0 win over West Indies earlier this summer.Pope has marshalled well in the field, but his batting has suffered because of the extra responsibility. An average of 7.50 from four innings – which he attributes to difficulties compartmentalising captaincy with scoring runs at No.3 – has led to a raft of criticism. Former England captain Michael Vaughan was particularly scathing during the second Test, labelling Pope “an insecure human being” and ill-equipped to lead.Stokes, who has been with the team throughout the series, warned Pope that stepping up as captain would invite more criticism. Though not surprised by the comments against Pope, Stokes has been impressed with how the 26-year-old has dealt with the added pressure and acquitted himself on the field.Ben Stokes at a Red Bull event in London•Red Bull Content Pool/Mark Roe

“Unfortunately, it’s just English culture towards sport,” Stokes told .”There’s always got to be someone in the firing line and obviously when you’re captain you are more exposed to that.”He’s won two games out of two in charge. At the end of the day, I think that’s the thing that he’s concentrated on the most. He obviously wants to be scoring runs and leading from the front. He’s openly admitted that.”People are very quick to jump on anything, to someone who’s in the firing line and obviously Pope coming in and being captain whilst I’m injured, you can say he’s the easy target there.”But I think he’s done fantastically well in leading the team. He’s done it his own way, which is something I encouraged him to do, to keep driving the team forward in the way that I’ve been trying to do, but make sure that you put your own personal touches to it.”I think he’s tactically he’s done very well. Let’s not forget before that first Test against Sri Lanka, he’d come off the back of fifty, fifty and a hundred (57, 121 and 51 in consecutive innings against West Indies). And then he doesn’t have one good game and everyone’s saying he is out of form. It’s like ‘short memories people, come on!'”It is not the first time Stokes has staunchly defended a teammate. Even before he became captain, he has always felt a duty to his fellow cricketer and athlete, particularly as his stock rose to international repute.That Stokes – a Red Bull athlete – is speaking at their Gaming Sphere in Shoreditch is aligned to that altruistic streak. He is here promoting his athlete-collective, 4Cast, while also indulging his new-ish hobby, Call of Duty.Related

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“It went big through Covid,” Stokes said of his gaming interest. “That’s where it all filtered from. Then as the world got back to some kind of normality, you had your diehards who stayed with it – me being one of them. It’s like another sort of hobby to get you away from all the things that cricket can bring. Clare (his wife) doesn’t understand it, but it’s like her glass of wine at night. At the end of a hard day, I jump on for a couple of hours with my mates, headset on.”As for 4Cast, that weds Stokes’ interest in business and his belief in the power of a team. There were shades of both this time last year when Stokes acted as a key figure in negotiations between the players and the ECB, with the governing body introducing multi-year central contracts.Stokes ended up rejecting a multi-year offer, choosing to keep his options open. This year, an agreement over a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the ECB and The England Player Partnership (TEPP) will be struck, which, aligned with the new cycle of broadcast rights, should bring more money to the table. All being well, it is likely Stokes will sign on for more than 12 months this time.”I’ve always enjoyed the business side of things,” Stokes said of his role at 4Cast. “You see all these big athletes out there who are diving into the world of business. But one thing with me that I really enjoy, is we only really do stuff that we like.”It’s great being able to just bring athletes from different sports into one thing. Athletes together are actually really powerful in terms of what you are able to achieve. When you put a big group of athletes together, it’s amazing what opportunities are out there.”To find out more about Ben Stokes, visit his Instagram channel and Red Bull athlete page

“I want to be my own batter. I want to be Harry Brook, not anybody else.”Harry Brook is not the first athlete to trot out variations of this line in response to comparisons of the greats of yesteryear. Brook himself has used it in the past when others have sought similarities in his traits to some of the finest batters of the modern era.If such comparisons are a burden, it is one he finds easy to shed. And part of that is down to the fact that the player he is and the player he might become has never seemed closer. On Wednesday, he ascended to No.3 in the ICC Test rankings, fresh from his fifth century in just his 14th match – and first at home. A jewel in England’s Test batting line-up is already sparkling.That’s not to say the events of Nottingham were a coming of age. His work so far, across all formats, has been more about productivity than potential. His absence was felt in India, even if his presence would not have necessarily changed the 4-1 series result. Even the 14 innings between centuries number four and five were littered with half-centuries; a chase-saving 75 against Australia at Headingley and an 85 in the first innings of that final Ashes Test at the Kia Oval. England would not have come back from 2-0 down without them.But his second innings at Trent Bridge, particularly on the third evening under lights against a threatening West Indies pace attack, as he took the sting out of the session and somehow still finished unbeaten on 71 from 78 deliveries, felt quintessentially Brook. Calm yet destructive. At ease while eliciting discomfort.If the ball was not defended under the eyes, it was stroked through cover with sighing ease. Bouncers were swayed and pulled with enough regularity for West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite to use the short-ball tactic so intermittently that it was both a first and last resort. Brook did not seem to go through the gears, yet by the time his innings had come to an end on 109, England were comfortably out in front.Brook produced a crucial half-century to help turn the Ashes series•AFP/Getty Images

And yet, Brook’s strive for individuality has been aided by some sparrow-ing of his favourite players. Including the bloke at the other end in a fourth-wicket stand of 189.”Nowadays you have to take different parts of other batters and put it into your game,” Brook said. “There’s so many good players out there.”An example is Rooty [Joe Root] playing the ball so late, or AB de Villiers hitting all around the ground, Kevin Pietersen for his power. So yeah, you do see little bits of other people’s games and try to fit it into yours. I’ve done a little bit of that… but not too much.”The mention of Pietersen – tee-ed up to Brook but embraced all the same – provides too convenient an avenue not to take. Both love to dominate, feet still, head to the pitch, hands so brutally into the ball it’s as if they’re trying to punch through it and cuff the bowler.They also – as method rather than fate would have it – do seem to have a shared knack of getting themselves out when their opponents seem incapable of doing so.Of the disparaging labels put on Pietersen during a hall-of-fame career, the occasional dismissal attributed to alphadom meant “selfish” stuck firmest. The easier you make the batting seem, the bigger the sin it is to waste.Related

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More than a decade on, attitudes have changed, particularly in the England dressing-room. Even during a period of self-imposed refinement, Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are still encouraging their shotmakers and ceding to their judgement, particularly if they sense an opportunity to shift momentum out in the middle, as Pietersen often did.Brook’s first two dismissals in the series reflected this. At Lord’s, on 50, he decided to show Alzarri Joseph he would not relent against the short ball by taking it on again, only to cloth a top edge to Joshua Da Silva. It bore some similarities to his dismissal at the ground the year before, though, being an Ashes, that drew much harsher criticism.On day one at Nottingham, he walked off with a breezy 36, having toed a paddle scoop to short leg off Kevin Sinclair. Two innings played, two good starts burned.”I identified a gap behind square on the leg side and I wanted to manipulate the field to open other parts of the ground to score,” Brook said of that first Trent Bridge dismissal. “Maybe I didn’t need to play that shot but if I’d nailed it, they might have had to change the field and it would have opened up another gap.”It’s remarkable clarity from a 25-year-old, though nothing out of the ordinary for such a straight-shooter. That thrill-seeking proactiveness was still evident in his century. Once more, Joseph went after him. Only this time Brook, serene on 46, stepped to the leg side and attempted to carve the quick over cover. He came within a matter of inches of having his stumps rearranged and leaving England in a hole.Could a more risk-averse Brook be more productive going forward? That does not feel like the right question.Because, ultimately, that wouldn’t be the Harry Brook we have, or the Harry Brook he wants to be. And while he continues to make strides to better himself, notably with his fitness, fuelled by a desire to turn ones into twos and twos into threes, and contribute more in the field, the progression of his batting is likely to forever be governed by the lavish brazenness we have already witnessed.What was particularly instructive was his reaction to being informed his career average of 62.54 is now second only to Sir Don Bradman. How did Brook feel to be within faint sight of not just true greatness, but near-batting perfection?Well, a little nonplussed.”That could definitely fluctuate either way,” he remarked, before adding, “Hopefully I can keep if that high. But if not, so be it.”

Sean Abbott produced a memorable performance with the ball to inspire Birmingham Phoenix to a three-wicket victory over London Spirit in a low-scoring thriller at Lord’s.Abbott claimed 4 for 14 from his 20 deliveries – the 10th-best figures in the history of the men’s Hundred – as Phoenix restricted their hosts to 127 for 7, and the Australian allrounder was there at the finish as his side snuck home with a ball to spare.Asked to bat first, Spirit had slumped to 30 for 5 after Tim Southee trapped Daniel Bell-Drummond lbw with his first delivery and Abbott saw off Michael Pepper, Adam Rossington, Dan Lawrence and Ryan Higgins in the space of eight balls.Shimron Hetmyer briefly flickered but fell for 16 after top-edging Benny Howell to Adam Milne before Liam Dawson (36 from 34) and Andre Russell (37 from 20) mounted a recovery. Russell hit four sixes in a typically brutal knock which included three maximums off the final set of the innings, bowled by Milne.Phoenix also struggled against the new ball, slipping to 20 for 4 after Dan Worrall claimed two early breakthroughs including the crucial wicket of Moeen Ali for a duck. Liam Livingstone was unlucky to be run out by Olly Stone at the non-striker’s end before the young guns Dan Mousley (39 from 38) and Jacob Bethell (43 from 27) took charge.The visitors stuttered when both players were dismissed with the finishing line in sight but Howell held his nerve, smashing the penultimate ball of the match over extra-cover to seal the win with Abbott, the Meerkat Match Hero, standing at the non-striker’s end.Abbott said: “The feedback from the guys who opened up was that it was doing a little bit so I was just trying to present the seam and hit the top of the stumps. Keeping the run rate down is the most important thing and if you can pick up some wickets along the way then that’s a bonus.”The first two games have favoured the bowlers. We didn’t expect as much seam movement at this time of the year.”It was nice to be out there at the end. I was chuffed for Benny, he played really well again tonight. It wasn’t the easiest wicket and the two young blokes [Mousley and Bethell] did pretty well to get us close to home.”

The seven-member PCB selection committee is likely to undergo changes in the wake of Pakistan’s dismal T20 World Cup campaign. While the PCB will undertake a review to assess what went wrong for Pakistan, it is understood streamlining the operations of the selection committee is a top priority for the board. ESPNcricinfo understands the number of people on the selection committee will be reduced, with the PCB also considering ditching its brief experiment of having a selection committee without an official head or chief.It was less than three months ago that the present selection committee was unveiled. Wahab Riaz, who had until then served as its chair, was stripped of that title, although he did remain a member of the committee. Each of the seven members carried an equal vote, with PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi saying at the time that the committee would “make a majority decision based around debate and argument to reach a satisfactory conclusion”.Wahab, though, is not expected to regain his position as the head of the committee, should the post be recreated. ESPNcricinfo understands there is frustration at the PCB, including from Wahab himself, about public perception that he runs the selection committee as its de facto head, and consequently shoulders the brunt of any criticism. Wahab’s departure from the committee altogether remains a very strong possibility, with Naqvi keen to publicly demonstrate no one is immune from adverse consequences.Meanwhile, it is believed a decision on Babar Azam’s captaincy is not immediately expected. Despite a situation that has become increasingly emotionally charged since Pakistan were knocked out of the ongoing T20 World Cup, it is felt the need to take a call either way is not pressing, given Pakistan’s next white-ball game isn’t till November.The review will include feedback from several members of the management who were with the side on tour, most notably head coach Gary Kirsten. Kirsten’s opinion holds sway at the PCB, having been appointed in April after an extensive search for a coach. Following Pakistan’s exit from the tournament, multiple reports emerged of Kirsten expressing dismay at the lack of unity in the side. And while the veracity of the specific content of Kirsten’s remarks remains hazy, it is understood there was a frank and robust exchange of views, which could set the tone for the tour report he submits to the PCB.If no decision is publicly communicated by that time, indications of any further changes to the national set-up may lie in the revisions made to players’ central contracts when they expire on June 30. Though the PCB and the players agreed to three-year contracts in a landmark decision last year, that only applies to the overarching terms of the contract. Individual players can be moved up and down in categories – or left out altogether – depending on their performances. At the moment, there are three players in the highest category: Babar, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen has not received an offer from the PSL to renew his ownership of the franchise. The PCB confirmed that renewal offers, as well as new franchise fees, were sent to “all compliant PSL franchises”. A Sultans representative confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they were not one of the franchises to receive such an offer.ESPNcricinfo has spoken to some franchises who confirmed they were sent renewal offers following a meeting between the PSL management and the owners, including Tareen, on Thursday. It is believed each of the other five franchises has been given the chance to extend their ownership, with the renewal valid for a further ten years. The Sultans representatives were invited to attend meetings concerning the scheduling and operations of the upcoming PSL, though Sultans believe they were not invited to meetings concerning financial discussions.A PSL representative declined to comment when asked if Sultans’ ownership did not receive a renewal offer owing to potential non-compliance.Related

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The long-running dispute between the PSL and Tareen spilled over into the open when Tareen publicly criticised the league in the build-up to its 10th edition for what he alleged was a lack of transparency and communication from the management. The criticism ramped up in the months that followed, and earlier this year, the PSL threatened to blacklist him unless he made a public apology.Following that threat going public, Tareen issued a taunting video apology to the management, in which he sarcastically apologised for “wanting to make the PSL better”. He ended the video by ripping up a copy of the notice the PCB had sent him.It appears evident that public “apology” is not regarded as such by the PCB. With all franchise rights up for renewal before the next season of the PSL, each franchise had the right of first refusal on renewing ownership. But the PCB had made clear to Tareen this only applied to franchises who were “compliant”, a standard they felt Tareen had fallen short of with his public critiques.According to a couple of franchises, they now have 10 days to respond to the renewal offers. All of them will have to consider paying increased annual franchise fees, at a minimum 25% more than what they pay now. Likely, with increased valuations, it will be 25% of the new value (whichever, ultimately, is higher).This year will also see the addition of two teams to the PSL. The PCB’s statement released a list of cities potential owners could name their new teams after. Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Faisalabad, Gilgit, and Rawalpindi are the new potential cities, from which two will be chosen.The new, eight-team PSL is scheduled to take place in April and May next year.