Bulls rally after Harper launches Vics in flying start

Pietersen explains absence from England’s Pakistan tour Kevin Pietersen said he is an England cricket consultant, not a full-time ECB employee, and will not travel with the white-ball side for every assignment. He said he would join the team in Australia, where England are scheduled to play three ODIs and five T20Is beginning November 12.

Pietersen’s mentor role runs until the 2027 ODI World Cup. England did not qualify for the Pakistan tri-series final after losing their first three matches, although they beat Sri Lanka in their final league game.

Phillips and Bracewell power New Zealand to a big T20 win over India New Zealand beat India by 87 runs in the fourth T20I in Auckland, after Glenn Phillips hit 107 off 49 balls in a total of 259-7. India finished on 172-9, with Jacob Duffy taking four wickets. India had already secured the five-match series, leading 3-1.

India captain Shreyas Iyer said his team was still adapting to different ground dimensions, including Eden Park’s short straight boundaries. He said Daryl Mitchell’s 20-run third over helped shift momentum, and described the match as a learning experience for the bowlers.

King’s unbeaten 81 gives West Indies a 1-0 lead over Bangladesh Brandon King made an unbeaten 81 as West Indies chased a target of 170 to beat Bangladesh by eight wickets in the first Test in Mirpur. King and John Campbell put on 112 for the first wicket, and King and Kavem Hodge added an unbeaten 50 to finish the chase.

Bangladesh, resuming at 79-6, was bowled out for 142 in its second innings. Roston Chase took 5-36 and Jomel Warrican 4-63, while Nayeem Hasan top-scored with 52, his maiden Test half-century.

Scorchers beat Renegades by nine wickets Perth Scorchers chased Melbourne Renegades’ 136-6 with nine wickets in hand, reaching 138-1 in 13.3 overs. Beth Mooney made an unbeaten 58 and captain Sophie Devine an unbeaten 47.

Georgia Wareham top-scored for the Renegades with 62, while Nicole Faltum made 48. Perth’s victory came in the fifth match of the Women’s Big Bash League season.

Anderson says Lancashire exit left him shocked and questioning himself James Anderson said Lancashire’s decision not to renew his contract came as a shock. The 44-year-old had expected a discussion about the team’s future, but said he was told the club wanted to move forward without him.

Anderson took 50 wickets at an average of 17 while captaining Lancashire last season. He said the decision brought back self-doubt, and that he had hoped to finish his career at the club. He is weighing up whether to play again or pursue something different.

Rohit Sharma could return as Mumbai Indians captain, report says The Times of India reported that Rohit Sharma could return as Mumbai Indians captain for IPL 2027, with Tilak Varma a possible deputy. The report said Hardik Pandya is set to be traded, with Mumbai in discussions with three teams.

Hindustan Times reported that Rohit’s age and ambitions make a return a decision with risks, while Tilak is a contender for a longer-term leadership role. The franchise has not made an official announcement on its captaincy plans, and the report said the outcome of trade talks involving Hardik is expected to factor into the decision.

Chopra points out Pakistan lost to UAE before India win Aakash Chopra took a sarcastic swipe at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after Sharif congratulated Pakistan for beating India in the Hong Kong Sixes. Chopra noted that Pakistan had lost its opening match to the UAE.

Pakistan beat India by four wickets, chasing 89 in 3.5 overs. Khawaja Nafay made 41 and captain Abbas Afridi scored 35, while India had made 88-5 in six overs.

Indian women’s cricket pioneers mark 50 years since first Test India’s first women’s Test against the West Indies began on October 31, 1976, at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Shubhangi Kulkarni took 5-48 in the first innings and 2-28 in the second. The match was drawn.

Kulkarni recalled the match as a day she would always cherish. India won the fourth Test of the series in Patna, its first victory in international women’s cricket; Kulkarni took seven wickets in that match.

Moondra’s record figures level Ireland’s series with Namibia Jai Moondra took 6-26 as Ireland beat Namibia by 130 runs in Windhoek, levelling the five-match ODI series at 2-2. His figures were the best by an Ireland bowler in an ODI, surpassing Josh Little’s 6-36 against Zimbabwe in 2023.

Tim Tector made 73 on his ODI debut and Curtis Campher scored 66 as Ireland posted 298-8. Namibia was bowled out for 168, with Zane Green scoring 45. The series decider was scheduled for Sunday.

Muzumdar says India women could soon have a specialist T20I squad India head coach Amol Muzumdar said a specialist T20I squad could be formed “not long” from now. He pointed to talent in the Under-15 and Under-19 camps at the Centre of Excellence and said younger players understand the demands of fitness, nutrition and fielding.

Muzumdar said a receptive attitude matters when he assesses players and that coaches need to respect when an athlete needs space. He also identified unity and a light dressing-room atmosphere as important qualities for India to carry forward from its Women’s ODI World Cup-winning campaign.

PCB’s NOC demands disrupt Pakistani players’ Nepal Premier League deals The Pakistan Cricket Board’s reported demand for $25,000 per player for a No Objection Certificate disrupted Pakistani players’ participation in Nepal’s Premier League. Wisden reported that only Hussain Talat and Jahandad Khan had taken the field after teams agreed to pay extra for clearance.

ProPakistani reported that four franchises had signed seven Pakistan players, but only Talat participated. Several others were unable to play, including Iftikhar Ahmed and Hunain Shah, who had arrived in Kathmandu. The report said affected teams had to arrange replacements at short notice.

Jemimah Rodrigues returns to training after hamstring rehabilitation Jemimah Rodrigues has been cleared to return to competitive cricket after three months of rehabilitation for a high-grade right hamstring tear. She has joined Mumbai’s squad for the remaining fixtures of the Senior Women’s T20 Elite tournament in Pune.

Rodrigues said on Instagram that her hamstring had been declared fit. Her next potential assignment is India’s multi-format tour of South Africa in December, according to CricTracker.