England's Ollie Pope said they have to get Steve Smith out of his bubble during the Ashes series and will look for ways of making the Australian run machine as uncomfortable as possible at the crease.

"When I heard it I couldn't quite understand it, because obviously Moeen doesn't want to play Test cricket and I don't understand why he wants to come back for this," Gatting said at a charity event in Bangkok on Thursday

20-year-old Mushfik Hasan's call-up to the national squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan was a bit surprising, but those who can recall his recent domestic performances will know the right-arm pacer has a knack for troubling batters of calibre. Pacers across the country were terrorising batters in the last National Cricket League but Mushfik's performances appeared to have a statement of intent about them.

England captain Ben Stokes says he wants to be involved in an Ashes series that goes "beyond cricket" as he prepares to face Australia in a five-match series.

Steve Smith scored his 31st Test century before Australia captain Pat Cummins sparked India's collapse in the World Test Championship final on Thursday.

Promising Bangladesh pacer Mushfik Hasan is the latest prospect to have come through the ranks having been selected in the 15-member squad to face Afghanistan in a one-off Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium starting on June 14.

Shakib showed up at Thursday’s practice session and chatted with coaches and ground staff while also working on his fitness.

Travis Head said batting alongside Australia star Steve Smith enabled him to "sneak under the radar" after compiling an unbeaten hundred on the opening day of the World Test Championship final against India on Wednesday.

Boult, who opted out of his contract last year, was not included in New Zealand's updated list of contracted players on Thursday but had instead signed a "casual playing agreement", New Zealand Cricket said.

Afghanistan named a 15-man squad for the one-off Test against Bangladesh, starting from June 14, and the biggest takeaway was the absence of key spin threat Rashid Khan, who was reportedly being rested.

Travis Head's dashing century was the centrepiece of an Australia fightback against India on the opening day of the World Test Championship final at The Oval on Wednesday.

Bangladesh speedster Taskin Ahmed on Wednesday said that he is eager to play in different leagues around the world just a day after the Bangladesh Cricket Board decided not to release him to play for English County side Yorkshire.

Imrul Kayes, who is currently in London playing the minor county league, was in the stands of the Oval to witness the final of the World Test Championship between India and Australia on Wednesday.

Bangladesh might play a Test match at Lord’s in the 2024-2025 season as the England & Wales Cricket Board is planning to host the Tigers along with Zimbabwe in order to galvanise Test cricket around the world, reported The Telegraph.

Fast-bowling duo of Ibrahim Abdulrahimzai and Nijat Masoud and the young leggie Izharulhaq Naweed have been added to the squad

Sri Lanka strode to 120 with 34 overs to spare in Hambantota, striding past the 117 set by the tourists after a fast-bowling attack led by Dushmantha Chameera that demolished the hapless Afghan top order

Moeen was invited to join the squad earlier this week after first-choice spinner Jack Leach suffered a stress fracture in his back and was ruled out of the series

Protesters stopped traffic near The Oval on Monday and had to be cleared by police before the Australian team could reach the venue for training

India batting great Sachin Tendulkar reckons the spin-friendly Oval pitch will make India a confident side and their tweakers could become doubly dangerous if they are able to get “that drift” and make the ball talk in the air

"Bhai, don't say anything," one cricketer requested as he and a few members of the national team came off their running exercise, sensing that the query was regarding the intense weather.