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The PCB has overhauled its domestic structure yet again, featuring a slimmed down Quaid-e-Azam trophy (QeA) with just eight regional teams in it, and culling the much-trumpeted Champions Cup tournaments from the calendar after just one season. Separate tournaments – the President’s Trophy and Cup – remain for departmental sides, long a feature of the Pakistan domestic circuit.One of the biggest potential consequences of cutting down the QeA Trophy from a bloated 18 teams last season to just eight this coming one is that it might not ultimately feature a team from Karachi – the country’s biggest city and economic capital – in the country’s premier first-class event. Both Karachi Blues and Karachi Whites will play in the non-first class Hanif Mohammad Trophy – one rung below the QeA – based on their finishing positions in last year’s QeA Trophy.At that stage, however, none of the teams were aware that the tournament would be revamped in such a manner whereby, effectively, 12 teams would stand relegated. That tournament will start the domestic season from 15 August and the top-two sides will qualify to play in the QeA Trophy, which would be the route available to a Karachi side to make it through.Though the status has changed somewhat in recent decades, Karachi has long been a domestic powerhouse, both in terms of trophies won and as a provider of talent. It will not be a change that goes down well with the city’s cricket fraternity.The PCB said it had made the changes in the hopes of “increased competitiveness”. The tournament will now be played on a single-league basis, with 29 matches from September 22 to November 7. All the matches will be played at four venues across Islamabad and Rawalpindi, though the PCB did not say why it had restricted the event to the twin cities.In keeping with the spirt of paring back the calendar, the board has also quietly dropped the Champions Cup series of events. Introduced last season with much publicity and considerable cost, it was pitched as a premier event in each of the game’s three formats, featuring five teams and, in theory, the country’s best players. A 50-over version was held, as was a T20 event, but the first-class tournament never took place. The tournaments were supposed to bridge the gap between domestic cricket and international cricket, identified by the board as a problem. Those events are now gone, not even finding a mention in the press release.A 10-team National T20 Cup remains on the calendar, but it comes with a qualifying stage – “to further enhance competitiveness” according to the board – preceding it, with another 10 teams involved. The top two will go through to the Super 10 stage, which will be played in Faisalabad in from March 1 to 12, 2026.”We are pleased to unveil a domestic structure that places merit, opportunity and competitiveness at its core,” PCB’s chief operating officer Sumair Ahmed Syed said in a statement. “The 2025-26 season has been designed to provide a clear pathway for teams and players to progress based on performance, not reputation.”Introducing a qualifier for both the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the National T20 ensures that every match in our domestic calendar carries significant weight. This not only raises the standard of competition but also fosters a high-performance culture across all formats.”The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will now feature the most in-form and deserving teams, while the Hanif Mohammad Trophy gives 12 regions a meaningful chance to stake their claim. Similarly, the Super 10 format of the National T20 is a step towards creating more high-intensity, quality cricket.”Domestic cricket in Pakistan has undergone structural or format changes nearly every season since the QeA Trophy was first played in 1953-54.

Another experimental England side, led by Nat Sciver-Brunt’s half-century and three wickets to Sarah Glenn, romped to victory at a rain-hit Taunton and a 3-0 sweep of their ODI series against West Indies, leaving the visitors winless from six matches all tour.Having swept the T20 leg 3-0 and won the first two ODIs by more than 100 runs each, England mixed up their batting order, elevating captain Sciver-Brunt and Sophia Dunkley to open while Amy Jones, who had reprised her opening role with Tammy Beaumont for the first time in five years earlier in the series with great success, dropped back to the middle order and Beaumont sat out.Dunkley took the lead initially, easing to 26 off 21 balls as she consistently punished any bad balls to the boundary. Sciver-Brunt, meanwhile, reached 2 off seven before her first boundary, smashing a short one from Jannillea Glasgow wide of midwicket in the fourth over. The pair put on 40 runs together before Dunkley was trapped lbw by Karishma Ramharack.From there, Sciver-Brunt switched gears, powering to an unbeaten 57 off 33 balls to take England to victory by nine runs with 10.1 overs to spare.Alice Capsey, promoted to No.3 in place of Emma Lamb, who scored a quick-fire half-century in that position during the second ODI, finished on 20 not out off 11 as England reached 109 for 1, easily passing their target of 106, set under the DLS method.Play had resumed after a five-hour rain delay with West Indies 43 for 3 off 12.3 overs and the match reduced to a maximum of 21 overs per side. Qiana Joseph top-scored for the tourists with 34 while a late flourish from Aaliyah Alleyne with 27 off 18 pushed West Indies to 106 for 8 at the end of their innings.Glenn cleaned up three wickets after the restart to keep a lid on West Indies’ scoring after Em Arlott had made early inroads, reducing them to 4 for 3 inside four overs.England won the toss and chose to bowl first under heavy skies and predictions of imminent rain, which arrived as the players ran onto the field.They managed to start on time, and it was quite the beginning for England as Kate Cross removed youngster Realeanna Grimmond with the second ball of the match.There was to be no repeat of Grimmond’s fifty on ODI debut in the previous game when, standing in for injured captain Hayley Matthews at the top of the order for the second time in a row, she nicked through to the keeper while chasing one that moved away.Two wickets in two overs from seamer Arlott had West Indies floundering. The first was full and straight, moving back in a touch as Zaida James played all around it and had her middle stump rattled. The second, an inswinger that rapped Stafanie Taylor on the front knee roll as she strode forward was given out on umpire’s call despite Taylor’s attempts to overturn Sue Redfern’s lbw decision.Arlott was back in the side after sitting out the second ODI in Leicester as England continued to rotate players through their XI. In addition to changing their batting line-up, England also rested seamer Lauren Bell and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, making way for spinners Charlie Dean and Glenn.West Indies, who confirmed on the eve of the match that Matthews would miss the game with the shoulder injury which kept her out of the second ODI, welcomed back Joseph at the top of the order after illness had kept her out of the previous game.Joseph was unbeaten on 21 from 24 balls when the rain properly set in with just shy of an hour’s play done, prompting the long stoppage.Cross and Arlott were bowled out by the restart, given the reduction in overs, but when Dean resumed her second over, which had been interrupted by the rain delay, she struck first ball back as Shemaine Campbelle advanced on a fuller delivery which slid under the bat an into Jones’ gloves to see West Indies’ stand-in captain stumped for a sluggish 18 off 35 balls.Glenn followed up next over by bowling Shabika Gajnabi and Alice Davidson-Richards plucked a sharp one-handed catch out of the air at mid-off to remove Jannillea Glasgow off Lauren Filer.West Indies needed Joesph to swing the bat as she had to devastating effect at the T20 World Cup. She added 13 more runs to her tally before holing out to deep midwicket off Glenn, but it was Aaliyah Alleyne who produced the finish needed, striking five consecutive fours off Filer before she fell off the last ball, caught by Dunkley at point to give Glenn her third.

Despite the fact IPL owners make up half of the new investors in the Hundred, the ECB does not expect India’s male cricketers to be made available for the tournament, nor does it anticipate issues with players from Pakistan taking part in England’s flagship competition.On Thursday, the ECB confirmed it had entered into exclusivity agreements with eight partners to secure private investment in each of the Hundred’s teams, with a total valuation of just over £975 million. Those investors now enter an eight-week negotiation period with the eight host counties. Among them are RPSG Group (owners of Lucknow Super Giants), Sun TV Network Limited (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Reliance Industries Limited (Mumbai Indians) and GMR Group (co-owners of Delhi Capitals), who were successful with bids for Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles and Southern Brave, respectively.While the ECB has got its wish with a variety of prospective new owners, there is a strong feeling that bringing on high-profile IPL investment will open up the lucrative Indian market. However, the ECB hierarchy do not believe these new connections will soften the BCCI stance on barring India’s active male players from participating in foreign T20 leagues. While many have graced county cricket, none have appeared in the men’s Hundred or the T20 Blast.Related

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“In terms of the India TV market, the overseas market is very important for us,” ECB chief executive, Richard Gould, said. “The fact that we have got such a wide-ranging set of investors from around the globe will, I believe, help us to add extra value to our overseas broadcast rights.”In terms of availability to Indian players, that is not priced in with our plans. The BCCI’s position has been very clear. At some point we’d love to see Indian players come and play in England. We currently see them obviously in bilaterals and actually quite a lot in county cricket. But that’s not something that we have predetermined through this process.”Gould also stated the ECB will ensure opportunities for Pakistan’s cricketers won’t be limited by the IPL influence on the Hundred. Given the tensions between India and Pakistan, no player representing Pakistan has taken part in the IPL since the inaugural season in 2008.The BCCI has never handed down an edict on the matter, but teams have operated accordingly, and not just in India. The first three seasons of the SA20, for instance, where all six teams are associated with IPL franchises, has not had any representative from Pakistan. There remains little if any Pakistan representation in IPL-owned teams at both the ILT20 and Major League Cricket (MLC). By contrast, the Hundred has relied heavily on Pakistani talent for overseas slots in a bid to uphold its “best versus best” tagline.”We’re aware of that in other regions,” Gould said of the playing restrictions encountered by cricketers from Pakistan, “but that won’t be happening here.”The ECB does hope working with IPL owners more directly will, in time, give the Hundred a dedicated window. Previous editions of The Hundred have coincided with MLC and the CPL, resulting in a conflict around talent acquisition. Though the MLC will finish before the Hundred this year, there is a two-week crossover with the CPL.With three of the eight Hundred investors involved in the MLC – Reliance (MI New York), GMR (Seattle Orcas) and Welsh Fire’s prospective 50% co-owner Sanjay Govil (Washington Freedom) – and former Professional Cricketers’ Association commercial director Johnny Grave in place as the league’s CEO, there is scope for more joined-up thinking around competition windows going forward.”One of the advantages that we have with our set is that there’s a connection there with majority of the other cricket leagues around the world,” Vikram Banerjee, who oversaw the Hundred sale as the ECB’s director of business operations, said. “And for all of those [T20] leagues around the world, it makes little sense for any of us to clash if we can avoid it.”So we are now on the same side, if you like, and we can have sensible conversations going forward. For the MLC, that includes that we obviously know the new CEO there pretty well.”But for us it’s about ensuring that we can make a Hundred of real success in our window by getting the best players, and clashes make that hard. So we’ll do our best to avoid it. And I think all the people coming in understand that.”

Ed Joyce will step down as Ireland Women’s head coach following the World Cup Qualifier in Pakistan in April. Joyce has been in the role for almost six years but opted against extending his contract, whether or not Ireland secure a Women’s 50-over World Cup spot for the first time since 2005.Joyce, who represented both Ireland and England during his playing career, was appointed on a permanent basis in September 2019, having spent three months as interim head coach after the departure of Aaron Hamilton. Ireland have enjoyed some notable successes on Joyce’s watch, including T20I series wins in Pakistan and Bangladesh, as well as beating Sri Lanka 2-1 in ODIs last summer.They followed that series triumph by winning an ODI against England for the first time since 2001, then securing a maiden T20I success to draw the series 1-1.Joyce’s time in charge was interrupted by Covid-19, during which time Ireland went 20 months without a competitive fixture; the pandemic also denied his side a chance of qualifying for the 2022 50-over World Cup. Although they reached the T20 World Cup in 2023, they missed out on last year’s edition after being pipped by Scotland at the qualifier.Related

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“It has been a privilege to lead Cricket Ireland’s women’s performance programme and to work with this group of dedicated cricketers and support staff,” Joyce said. “The last six years have been an incredible journey – not just for me personally, but for the players, coaches and, indeed, the entire performance programme.”When I came on board we had just announced first-ever part-time contracts for women cricketers in Ireland. Those six part-time contracts have grown over subsequent years to now 23 players under some form of contract – a number of these being full-time. This process of professionalisation alone has been rewarding yet challenging. Throw the Covid pandemic into the mix, the constant need to juggle the availability of players who are still studying – all while meeting the demands of international cricket – the role has been all-encompassing.”Just as in my professional playing career, I recognise the natural cycle of coaching. There comes a time when a system benefits from fresh perspectives and new voices, allowing players to explore and develop their skills in diverse ways.”Cricket Ireland’s director of high performance, Graeme West, said the board had wanted to keep Joyce on but that they would now work to ensure a smooth handover for the team’s next head coach.”While it’s a sad day to see such a respected figure step down, Ed’s impact on the senior women’s programme will be felt for years to come,” West said. “He has been instrumental in transforming the senior women’s set-up during his tenure, instilling in the players a sense that they belong at the sport’s top table.”While we tried to convince Ed to extend his time in the role, he felt that this was an appropriate time to refresh the leadership. He’ll lead the team one last time at the qualifier in Pakistan this April, then handover what is a strong foundation for the next head coach to build upon. We’re immensely grateful for Ed’s contributions in this latest incarnation of his wonderful service to Irish cricket – and as he says, we hope to see him back in some capacity in the future. It’s also important to send our thanks to Ed’s family – Fran, Georgiou and Sebastian – for their unwavering support over the last six years.”

The BCB has formed an independent inquiry body to support its Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) in ongoing investigations into the BPL. The announcement follows a swirl of corruption allegations in the BPL over the last couple of weeks.”As part of its ongoing efforts, the BCB is in the process of establishing an Independent Inquiry Body to further support the ACU in its investigations,” a BCB press release said. “The BCB remains dedicated to ensuring a fair and transparent cricketing environment, and will continue to take all necessary actions to safeguard the integrity of the sport in Bangladesh.”The press release said that there have been media reports on potential corruption incidents during the tournament. The reports have named players and matches, although the allegations have not been corroborated by the BCB’s ACU.Related

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“The BCB has also come across media coverage regarding potential anti-corruption concerns about the BPL. The Board reiterates its firm commitment to upholding the integrity and spirit of the game,” the release said. “The BCB strictly adheres to the ICC Anti-Corruption Code for Participants and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption in any form. The BCB anti-corruption unit is continuously monitoring all matters relating to integrity within Bangladesh cricket, addressing them with due confidentiality and discretion.”This is the first time since 2013 that the BCB has announced an investigation into corruption allegations at the BPL. It comes as another hit to the league in a season when there has already been issues over player payments and ticketing.

Wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh will miss India’s upcoming ODI series against New Zealand to sit for her class 12 board exams. Ghosh, who just turned 21, has been part of India’s international teams since 2020, when she was 16 years old.The squad of 16 for the three ODIs in Ahmedabad on October 24, 27 and 29 will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, whose captaincy has come under scrutiny after India’s group-stage exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup in the UAE. It was their opening game defeat to New Zealand that proved to be a severe blow to their campaign.There were maiden ODI call-ups for seam-bowling allrounders Sayali Satghare and Saima Thakor, legspinner Priya Mishra and middle-order batter Tejal Hasabnis.The BCCI said that legspinner Asha Sobhana was unavailable for selection because of injury, while allrounder Pooja Vastrakar was rested.

India’s squad for series against New Zealand

Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Smriti Mandhana (vice-capt), Shafali Verma, D Hemalatha, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia (wk), Uma Chetry (wk), Sayali Satghare, Arundhati Reddy, Renuka Singh, Tejal Hasabnis, Saima Thakor, Priya Mishra, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil

Australia Test batters Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh have been named for the opening Sheffield Shield round of the summer but Steven Smith won’t play for New South Wales with his batting position in the Test side yet to be determined.Despite not having any international commitments until November, only six of Australia’s incumbent Test XI will play for their states when the opening round of the Shield season begins on Tuesday while the injury toll from Australia’s limited-overs tour of the UK has continued with Cameron Green (back), Matthew Short (adductor), Sean Abbott (hamstring), and Aaron Hardie (quad) also missing the opening round.Smith, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have not been named in New South Wales’ (NSW) squad for their opening clash with South Australia but Nathan Lyon will play while Head and Alex Carey have been named for South Australia, although it may be Head’s only appearance in Shield cricket before the Test summer due to the impending birth of his second child.Related

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Smith, Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood are being set for the second Shield round against Victoria at the MCG, which is expected to be Scott Boland’s first match of the season for Victoria as he is being rested from the opening round while he builds up his bowling loads following off-season foot and knee problems. There is a chance, though, that Australia’s big three quicks might not play at all for NSW and will instead use the ODI series against Pakistan to build up for the India Test series.As expected, Green has not been named for Western Australia against Queensland due to his back injury and it is still to be determined how long he will be out for. Marsh has been named but is likely to play as batter only as he carefully builds up his red-ball bowling loads given Green’s injury. Hardie was also set to play as a batter only but has been withdrawn from the squad due to a quad issue.Western Australia have named Josh Inglis and Cooper Connolly for just his second first-class match. But Cricket Australia contracted quicks Lance Morris and Jhye Richardson are unavailable, while experienced seamer Joel Paris is also missing with a calf issue. Morris is a chance to play in round two for WA. Richardson is not expected to be available for Shield cricket until after the BBL as he is being carefully managed due to his recent injury history, although he has been named to play in WA’s Second XI against South Australia in Adelaide this week and will be under bowling restrictions. Mahli Beardman, who was a shock call-up to Australia’s ODI tour of the UK as a reserve player, is also playing in the Second XI match alongside uncontracted spinner Ashton Agar.Steven Smith could play the second Shield round•Getty Images

Glenn Maxwell is unavailable for the opening Shield round for Victoria but may play in the second against NSW with the Test tour of Sri Lanka on the horizon. Victoria captain Will Sutherland will miss the opening round as he is still managing a back issue despite playing and bowling in the opening two One-Day Cup games last week. Peter Handscomb will take over as Victoria captain. Riley Meredith returned to club cricket in Tasmania earlier than expected after suffering a side injury during Australia’s tour of the UK. He bowled seven overs on Saturday for Clarence but he was not named in Tasmania’s squad for the clash with Victoria. He should be fully fit to return in round two.The state teams are being severely challenged at present as they plan for the opening four rounds due to the huge injury toll among Australia’s contracted and fringe players and the scheduling of two Australia A-India A matches in late October and early November on top of the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan.The careful management of Australia’s Test stars and players on the fringes like Boland, Morris and now Hardie, combined with the injury toll that includes Green, Short, Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis (pectoral), Xavier Bartlett (side), Nathan Ellis (hamstring), and Spencer Johnson (side) means that most state teams will have major turnover in their XIs across the first month of the season.

Western Australia squad

Sam Whiteman (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Josh Inglis, Matt Kelly, Mitch Marsh, Corey Rocchiccioli, Charlie Stobo

Queensland squad

Marnus Labuschagne (capt), Jack Clayton, Liam Guthrie, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Tom Straker, Mitchell Swepson, Jack Wildermuth

NSW squad

Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Moises Henriques (capt), Sam Konstas, Nathan Lyon, Nic Maddinson, Jack Nisbet, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha

South Australia squad

Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney (capt), Lloyd Pope, Liam Scott

Victoria squad

Peter Handscomb (capt), Ash Chandrasinghe, Xavier Crone, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Cam McClure, Jon Merlo, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Mitch Perry, Tom Rogers

Tasmania squad

Gabe Bell, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Mitch Owen, Jordan Silk (capt), Charlie Wakim, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

Developing as an all-formats, all-conditions bowler is a work in progress for Matthew Potts. At this juncture, he is halfway through gauging how that is coming along, with a fortnight of white-ball action set to make way for a month with the red.Friday’s fourth ODI at Lord’s is an opportunity to square the series with Australia, and set up a decider in Bristol on Sunday, even if rain threatens to have the final say. On Tuesday, just two days after that fifth ODI, Potts will be one of six members of the squad to fly out for the Test tour to Pakistan.It is an unnecessarily tight turnaround. With no time for Potts to head home, he has been dragging around three suitcases to take him through to the conclusion of this series and the three Tests in Pakistan. Home beckons at the end of October.”I think that’s the beauty of being a multi-formatted cricketer,” Potts said. “You’ve got to be ready for every eventuality but at the same time be able to compartmentalize for different things. I’ve got all the stuff packed but I’m focused on this white-ball series first.”Among the clothing, kit and, of course, golf clubs, the Durham seamer is hoping he packed some extra pace. That, he believes, is the first step to becoming the multi-faceted quick he wants to be.”It’s something that I’ve looked at: being not only useful in England, but also useful elsewhere,” he said, when asked about the upcoming Pakistan tour. “There’s been a change, trying to increase my ball speed, try and be a bit more effective elsewhere. I think I’m taking positive steps towards trying to make myself useful everywhere.”Related

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At present, Potts’ speeds from his debut season to now have been consistent, averaging 132kph. But the 25-year-old has made changes which he believes should translate to bigger numbers on the speed gun.”It’s something to do with how my run-up is and how explosive I can be, and maybe using my front arm a little bit more efficiently,” he explained. “I have quite a bustly run-up, but slowing things down sometimes actually returns it into being slightly faster. So it’s just working on things and tinkering around … there’s no real correct formula to how to do it, but just tinkering around with little things and just seeing what it’s like.”Should Potts earn selection in either Multan – the venue for the first two matches – or Rawalpindi, it will be his first overseas Test cap on just his second overseas trip with the full squad. He did not see action on the 2023 tour of New Zealand, having been left out of the previous tour to Pakistan at the end of 2022, despite playing the first five of his eight Tests that summer.That England were able to triumph 3-0 two years ago remains arguably their most impressive feat under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. Potts, for all his belief in his ability, appreciates he might not have been able to assist as a seamer back then in the way James Anderson, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson did.”No, probably not. I probably didn’t have the extra ball speed,” he said. “That is something I’ve been working on over the last six or seven months… I probably wasn’t ready for that, and my game probably wasn’t at that level just yet.”None of those three bowlers are in England’s plans this time around, with Wood ruled out due to an elbow problem, so the onus is on the likes of Potts to step up. Doing so will put an end to what has been an intermittent international career, with 15 appearances scattered across the last two years.His 2024 international summer only began in August. The loss of Stokes to a hamstring injury opened the door for a recall for the first two Tests against Sri Lanka. There was ring-rust in the first innings at Emirates Old Trafford (0 for 48 from nine overs), which was shaken off in the second with 3 for 47, followed by a couple more wickets at Lord’s.He was left “a little bit gutted” when he was dropped for final Test at the Kia Oval, making way for Leicestershire’s Josh Hull. That England plumped for a tall left-armer on debut with just two Division Two wickets this season at an eye-watering average of 182.50, suggested Potts, in their eyes, did not offer anything that they did not already have.This ODI series has given him a first chance to show them otherwise. He has assumed the role of new-ball bowler with little fuss, and in turn showcased some dexterity. There has been good control, as per his economy rate of 5.28, the lowest of all England’s quicks. Of his three wickets, a beaut in the second ODI that took out Steve Smith’s off stump sticks out. The perfect length and some ideal late movement found a rare gap between Smith’s bat and pad. He has been unlucky not to take more.As far as white-ball cricket is concerned, Potts does have an easier route into England’s plans, particularly as they look to rebuild their dynasty from scratch. In many ways, this is an audition to show he can be a viable replacement for Chris Woakes.”Obviously Woakesy’s done a fantastic job for the England one-day side. That’s big boots to fill.”Whether that’s taking the new ball and bowling something at the end, that is generally probably going to be my role in this side. I’m looking forward to it and taking it on – and it’s come out all right so far. So hopefully I’ll keep on going in the right direction.”

James Anderson has floated the possibility of an improbable foray into franchise cricket after his international retirement, a decade after his most recent T20 appearance. Anderson turned 42 two weeks ago, but believes that he still has “something to offer” as a bowler and has said that extending his playing career is “not off the table”.Following his final Test match at Lord’s last month, Anderson has been working with England’s bowlers in a coaching capacity and will continue in that role in their upcoming series against Sri Lanka. But he may step back for their tours to Pakistan and New Zealand this winter, which would leave his schedule open for opportunities overseas.”I feel there is something there, that I still want to play a little bit more – I just don’t know what that is yet” Anderson told the podcast. “I’m pretty open to anything at the minute. Things will become clearer as the rest of the year progresses. There’s two Test tours in the winter and I’m not sure I’ll be on them in this [coaching] role.”There’s plenty of things to think about and I just need to sit down and chat to people about it. I watch the Hundred and see the ball swinging around in the first 20 balls, and I think, ‘I can do that. I can still do that.’ I don’t know if that is a viable option, to maybe see if I could do a job in white-ball cricket? Franchise cricket is something I’ve never done.”Anderson has not played any white-ball cricket since 2019 and his last T20 match was the 2014 NatWest Blast final for Lancashire. But he remains England’s all-time leading ODI wicket-taker and believes that he still possesses the relevant skills, having bowled at England’s batters in the nets ahead of the second and third Tests against West Indies.”I don’t know how seriously I’m actually thinking about this myself right now,” Anderson conceded, “[but] the bowling thing is still a definite option for me, the way my body feels right now, the way my head is. From a skills point of view, the way Test cricket’s gone… I don’t think that’d be an issue. But I don’t know how much people would want a 42-year-old bowler in their team.”Anderson has not played T20 cricket in the last decade•Getty Images

Anderson also intends to “give back” to Lancashire, the county where he developed as a young bowler. “I’ve played more Tests than I have first-class games for Lancs,” he said. “Whenever I’ve gone back, I’ve tried my very best and loved it. But there may be something there where I do feel like I could give something back to the club.”I’m actually quite excited about what’s next because I don’t know what that is, and that excites me. I’ve still got plenty of options, whether it is the coaching side of it, the media side of it, or whether it’s still playing in some capacity for a couple more years. I still feel like that’s not off the table, with the way that my body feels and the way that I’ve been bowling in recent years.”Anderson said that his body “at no stage has started to feel like it’s 42” and that he wants to make use of his ability to bowl fast while he still can. “There will be a time when I can’t turn my arm over at all and I can’t bowl at 50mph, never mind 80, so while I can do that, I want to keep doing it,” he said. “I’ll still dive around in the field if I play for Burnley in five years’ time.”

The day Alice Capsey turned 18, she walked towards a pod of journalists, delighted that she no longer needed a chaperone during interviews.She’d been doing these – accompanied – for a while and her team, Oval Invincibles, had just pulled off the highest successful run chase in the Women’s Hundred to defeat Northern Superchargers at The Oval after the men’s teams had played the curtain raiser.As eager and comfortable as she was on that night almost two years ago, it’s easy to forget she is still a teenager now and to overlook how the sheer volume of cricket she has played since took a “toll” on her. Since July 2022, Capsey has played a staggering 93 top-level T20 matches. As a result, she hasn’t played regional cricket this season, opting to focus on playing for England and, when she’s not, taking a break from cricket.Related

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Speaking in Canterbury after her career-best 67 not out off 60 balls secured victory for England in a nervy third T20I against New Zealand, Capsey revealed that she felt in a much better place than she had over the past year and just how hard it had been to reach that point.”I’ve been kind of under the spotlight for the last three years and it’s taken its toll a little bit, especially over the last year,” Capsey said. “So I really have taken a step back this year and gone, ‘What’s going to be the best option for me to go onto the pitch and perform?’ Prioritising myself a little bit more… not listening to the outside noise as much and really focusing on what matters to me as a person and as a cricketer and what’s going to make me the best cricketer for this team.”Capsey enjoyed a breakout season during the inaugural Women’s Hundred and was part of the first England A squad to tour Australia during the Women’s Ashes at the start of 2022, earning her senior call-up for the Commonwealth Games later that year. Since then, she has become a fixture at No. 3 in T20Is and played in franchise tournaments around the world while floating round the middle order in 17 ODIs.But her half-century against the White Ferns to help England to a 3-0 lead in their five match T20 series on Thursday was her first fifty in the format since last August. Her highest score in the 11 innings she played in between was 31 – made against Pakistan in May – and sat alongside a string of scores either in the 20s, or in single figures. Her highest score in ODIs is 44, also reached during Pakistan’s recent visit. In her two other ODI innings this English summer, she was unbeaten on 39 and 35 against Pakistan and New Zealand respectively.All of these numbers serve as a reminder that Capsey is still a young player learning her craft, and suggest she is figuring out what works for her at the right time.”For someone of my age, I feel really experienced within T20 cricket and I feel really comfortable with my role at No. 3,” she said. “I know that it’s not going to come off every time and I know that there’s going to be critics about how I go about the game. But on nights like these, it is just about going big and really securing the win.Capsey has played a high volume of T20, including at the WPL•BCCI

“I missed the regional cricket this year. I have played so much cricket and I thought the best way to actually perform for England and get myself in the best positive space to be able to perform was to have a little break. We’ve obviously got huge winter and playing for England and performing for England is my main priority. Playing the amount of games I have, I’ve been exposed to a lot of different situations, which is just going to help me as a batter but as an allrounder. Then, obviously on the flip side, it’s a hell of a lot of cricket.”Taking time off between international series appears to be paying dividends, with a T20 World Cup in October, followed by an away Ashes series, then a 50-over World Cup in India in 2025.”As much as I probably haven’t played the amount of cricket that I have in the past couple of years, I feel the most calm and controlled I’ve felt in a very long time,” Capsey said. “I feel really calm, I know what my options are and yeah, I just feel really confident and it’s amazing that if you’re in a good head space that you then take it onto the pitch and feel a lot better about yourself.”Jon Lewis, England’s head coach, said recently that he’d like Capsey “to be one of our best top-five batters” in ODIs, while recognising that her schedule is currently focused on the shorter format. He has also been keen to deploy her part-time offspin, albeit in a side spoilt with spin-bowling riches in the form of left-armer and world No.1 Sophie Ecclestone, legspinner Sarah Glenn and offspinner Charlie Dean.But, as shown in fielding an experimental line-up missing captain Heather Knight, opening batter Danni Wyatt and seamer Lauren Bell, England are all about exploring their options ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.”We’ve been spoken to by the coaching staff before the series, saying that there will be a bit of chaos thrown in front of us, a few different situations about how we adapt to it,” Capsey said. “The performances are showing we are getting the results, but I think as a group we’re really calm with the different changes and we all feel like, especially from my point of view, I feel like it doesn’t matter who’s in the team, we can all just go out in there and play with freedom and play to our strengths.”I’d love to bowl, but I stand no chance with those three,” Capsey added. “They perform day in, day out and when I do get the opportunity, don’t get me wrong, I’m going to make the most of it, but if I’m not having to bowl, then they’re doing their job and we’re probably winning more games than we’re not.”