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On Monday, August 19, the Pakistan Cricket Board named the Playing XI for the opening Test against Bangladesh, which is set to get underway from August 21 in Rawalpindi. On the other hand, England also named their Playing XI for the first Test against Sri Lanka, which will be played from August 21 to 25 at the Olad Trafford.
In this article, we will go through all the big news that took place on Monday, August 19.
Major cricket events that happened on Monday, August 19
Pakistan announce playing XI for first Test against Bangladesh
Team Pakistan (PAK) have unveiled their playing XI for the first Test of the home season against Bangladesh (BAN), which is slated to begin on August 21, In Rawalpindi. Notably, the squad comprises a mix of youth and experience.
Pakistan’s playing XI for first Test: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi. The young Shan Masood will once again continue to lead the Test side to gain some valuable leadership experience under his belt.
Mohammed Shami likely to play for Bengal in Ranji Trophy
Mohammed Shami, who is undergoing rehabilitation after an ankle surgery, is likely to make a comeback to competitive cricket for his domestic side Bengal in the Ranji Trophy, and expected to make play for India in one of the Test matches against New Zealand. It is understood that Shami will play either one or both of Bengal’s opening away Ranji match against UP on October 11 and the next one in Kolkata against Bihar on October 18.
England to pay tribute to Graham Thorpe in opening Test against Sri Lanka
The first of the three-match Test series England will play against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford will be marked by a period of silence before the commencement of the day's play, as well as the entire team wearing black armbands as a symbolic gesture in remembrance of Graham Thorpe. It is also being reported that there might be a video played encapsulating his time with England and beyond, simultaneously alongside spectators paying tribute to Thorpe, who played a total of 182 international matches for England (100 Tests and 82 ODIs).
None of our stadiums are of international standard: PCB Chief Mohsin Naqvi
The chairperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, while speaking to correspondents at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, frankly acknowledged the lack of preparedness in terms of being hosts to a major International Cricket Council event in 2025 (referring to the Champions Trophy 2025), and called for expedited revamping of the aforementioned venues. It is to be noted that there are three stadiums designated to host the ICC Champions Trophy in February-March 2025. The list includes Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, National Stadium in Karachi, and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.
Jalal Yunus resigns as Bangladesh Cricket Board Director
Jalal Yunus on Monday stepped down as the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) director and the chairman of the cricket operations committee, according to ESPNcricinfo. According to the report, the National Sports Council, the control authorities of 41 different sports bodies in Bangladesh asked Yunus to resign from his position. "I have resigned for the greater interest of cricket. I am all for cricket running properly and correctly. I am alright with their intention to replace me as per the constitution. I don't want to be a stumbling block for cricket's progress," Yunus was quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
We have plans to counter Bazball: Sanath Jayasuriya head of ENG vs SL Tests
Sanath Jayasuriya, the interim Sri Lanka men's head coach, believes the Test team set to play three games against England in the latter half of the summer is a great opportunity, citing the conditions will suit the visitors. “The fact that we have got a late-summer tour is great, because the wickets have been used a lot, and there's more sunshine at this time of year. It's more similar to our conditions than the early summer tours. I have made sure the players know it's a great opportunity,” Jayasuriya told ESPNCricinfo.
Salman Butt names fittest players of Pakistan; snubs Babar Azam from the list
As the Pakistan senior men's national team gets ready for their home series against Bangladesh, the focus has shifted to fitness after the issue raised a lot of controversy ahead of the T20 World Cup when the team underwent training at an Army camp. The fitness of the players is again a matter of discussion ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh with former Pakistan captain Salman Butt picking the three fittest players in the squad. Incidentally, Salman Butt's list of most fit Pakistan cricketers does not include white-ball skipper Babar Azam, whereas Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan are the three named in his list.
England announce playing XI for first Test against Sri Lanka; Harry Brook named vice-captain
England have announced their playing XI for the first Test to be played at Old Trafford, which is scheduled to kickstart on August 21, 2024. While Dan Lawrence replaces Zak Crawley at the opening slot after the latter sustained a finger injury in the final Test of the West Indies, right-arm fast medium, Matthew Potts, has been chosen to replace Stokes in the XI.
England's playing XI for first Test against Sri Lanka: Dan Lawrence, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (c), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, Mark Wood, Shoaib Bashir
