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Former Australia Test captain Arthur Morris, the leading scorer for his country in the 1948 Ashes series on Don Bradman’s famous Invincibles tour, has passed away at age 93

Brydon Coverdale22-Aug-2015Arthur Morris, the former opening batsman who was the leading run-scorer in the famous 1948 Ashes series in England, has died at the age of 93. Morris was Australia’s oldest living Test cricketer and one of only two surviving members of the 1948 Invincibles squad captained by Don Bradman; Neil Harvey, 86, is now the only living player from that touring party.One of Australia’s finest batsmen of all time, Morris was a left-hand opener who made his Test debut at the Gabba in 1946 in a home Ashes series, and went on to play 46 Tests for 3533 runs at an average of 46.48, including 12 centuries. He captained Australia twice and in 2000 was named in Australia’s Team of the Century, where he was listed to open the batting with Bill Ponsford.”We have sadly lost a cherished link with our past,” Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards said. “Arthur Morris was a great man and one of the true greats of Australian cricket who until now had been a treasured connection to an extraordinary era of the game. When Australia’s best openers are discussed his name will always be one of the first mentioned.”Morris scored centuries in three consecutive Test innings during his debut series, against England in 1946-47, and he was especially prolific on the tour to England in 1948. In later years Morris liked to tell the story of how he was often asked where he was when Bradman made his famous final-innings duck at The Oval. His response: “I was at the other end”. Morris made 196 in that innings.However, it was his performance in the previous Test at Headingley that truly impressed Bradman. Set a target of 404 for victory on a dry, dusty pitch, the Australians reached what was then a Test record for the highest successful fourth-innings chase with only three wickets down, and most impressively they managed the entire score on the fifth day. Morris made 182 in just under five hours.”He showed that day every quality demanded of the real champion,” Bradman wrote in two years later. “A rock-like defence, powerful but studied aggression and a perfect temperament. Considering the situation and the state of the wicket, I doubt if a more valuable innings was ever played.”Morris was described by Bradman as having the ideal temperament, quiet and unobtrusive in manner and displaying no nerves, and possessing outstanding courage. Bradman wrote that technically, Morris was “a player of individuality – of distinctive style”, and “a genius [who] does things others could not, and should not, try to emulate”.”The way he holds his bat is unusual,” Bradman wrote. “He plays with stiff forearms when driving on the off, but despite the lack of wristiness, gets the power just the same. Often he will play with the bat well away from the pads when trying to cover drive. Technically, it is wrong, but he seldom makes an error.”One of the most impressive aspects of Morris’ record was the way he quickly adapted to foreign conditions. He averaged 41.18 in Test matches at home and 53.78 away. Remarkably, he played first-class cricket in four countries and managed a century in his first match in each nation: at home in Sydney in 1940-41; against Worcestershire in 1948; against Natal in 1949; and against Jamaica in 1955.His highest Test score came against England at Adelaide Oval in the 1951 Ashes, where he made 206 in 462 minutes as part of Australia’s first-innings total of 371. The next best score was Keith Miller’s 44. Australia went on to win the match to secure a 4-0 lead in the series.Morris will also be remembered as the 24th man to captain Australia in Tests, after stepping into the role for the third Test against West Indies in Adelaide in 1951 when captain Lindsay Hassett was a last-minute withdrawal due to injury. Morris led Australia a second time against England at the SCG in 1954, when captain Ian Johnson and vice-captain Miller missed with injuries.Arthur Morris was described by Don Bradman as “a player of individuality – of distinctive style”•Getty Images

Born in the Sydney beach suburb of Bondi in 1922, Morris was the son of a schoolmaster and made his debut in Sydney’s first-grade cricket at the age of 14 as a left-arm wrist-spinner. He gradually moved up the order and became an opener, and became the first player in history to score hundreds in both innings on first-class debut – when at age 18, he made 148 and 111 for New South Wales against Queensland.However, World War II interrupted his career – he served in New Guinea during the war – and he had to wait until he was 24 to make his Test debut. He married showgirl Valerie Hudson, whom he had met during the 1953 tour of England, but after Morris returned from the West Indies tour in 1955, he discovered Valerie had been diagnosed with breast cancer.She had delayed telling him for fear that it would affect his performance on the field. Morris retired from cricket as Valerie’s health deteriorated, and she died at the age of 33, only 18 months into their marriage. He married his second wife, Judith Menmuir, in 1968.An impeccably polite man with a good sense of humour, Morris was interviewed by the in 2008, the day before a Twenty20 match between Australia and a Cricket Australia All-Star XI. Asked if he was going to watch the match the following day, Morris replied: “I might. But not if I am going to miss .”Only last week, the new Arthur Morris Gates were unveiled at the SCG, and although Morris was too ill to attend the event himself, he was represented by his wife Judith. She said that when she had asked Morris why he had gates named after him, he replied “because I was an opener”.With Morris’ passing, wicketkeeper Len Maddocks, 89, is now Australia’s oldest living Test cricketer.

South Africa Under-19s held their nerve in another close finish to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2013
ScorecardSouth Africa Under-19s held their nerve in another close finish to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. England again fell marginally short in their chase, despite a 48-run partnership in less than five overs for the ninth wicket that threatened to snatch them an unlikely victory.Josh Shaw, England’s No. 9, hit a 46-ball 52 but England needed 18 to win off the final over and Shaw was run out trying to get back on strike. The 17-year-old, who also took three wickets during the South Africa innings, helped Jonathan Tattersall lift England from 154 for 7 in the 37th over and continued to carry the fight when Tattersall fell for 83.Early strikes had left England floundering at 51 for 4 in pursuit of 270 and South Africa captain Yaseen Valli took 3 for 33 with his offspin to make further dents in the chase.South Africa had recovered from a tricky position themselves, adding 115 from the last 12 overs, a burst which was to prove crucial. Both scorecards had a very similar shape to them, as Greg Oldfield’s 82 from No. 5 provided the base after they had been 48 for 3 and Jason Smith made a run-a-ball 49 to help trampoline the hosts to an imposing total.

George Bailey has conceded he will only win respect as Australia’s new Twenty20 captain if he scores runs himself, regardless of how the side performs

Brydon Coverdale30-Jan-2012George Bailey has conceded he will only win respect as Australia’s new Twenty20 captain if he scores runs himself, regardless of how the side performs. Bailey’s highest score in the shortest format is 60 and he has made only one T20 half-century in the past three seasons, but he said batting at No.5 opportunities were often limited and his record “stands up against anyone”.Bailey will make his T20 international debut on Wednesday against India in Sydney, and he will do it as captain after Australia’s selectors axed Cameron White from the T20 leadership. A successful state captain with Tasmania, Bailey, 29, is seen by John Inverarity’s panel as the man who has the best chance of steering Australia to success in the ICC World Twenty20 in September.However, he will need to ensure he doesn’t succumb to the same fate as Michael Clarke, who was viewed as a tactically shrewd T20 captain but whose own batting skills were not suited to the game. Bailey is a more powerful striker than Clarke and has a T20 strike-rate of 132, but it remains to be seen whether he can turn himself from a good domestic batsman into an international one.”You are captain but first and foremost you’re in there to perform,” Bailey told ESPNcricinfo. “That dictates a hell of a lot of the respect that you have. Part of my performance will be my captaincy but the majority of it will be with the bat. I have to perform. I certainly would have liked a few more runs in the Big Bash but since Twenty20 started being played I certainly think my record stands up against anyone, particularly for someone who has batted for the majority in that middle order.”Bailey scored 114 runs at an average of 19 for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, where he was captained by White, the man he has succeeded as national skipper. But as a man who often bats in the lower middle order, Bailey believes his average is less relevant than it would be in one-day or first-class cricket, because his opportunities are fewer.He is part of a squad that Australia’s selectors hope can form the core of the side that will challenge for the World T20 title in Sri Lanka later this year, and Inverarity has spoken of the importance of building a group that works well together. Bailey echoed those thoughts and said it was vital the squad was well-balanced.”I think there are a lot of facets of Twenty20 cricket that we’re still working out how we measure whether someone has been successful,” Bailey said. “Part of naming a squad and starting to work out who’s going to fit into the jigsaw puzzle of September is exactly that, what will be a group that harmonises well together.”You could pick the top six or seven run scorers from the Big Bash and the top five leading wicket takers, but in terms of getting a team together it’s about melding all those skills of being able to score quickly and being able to score consistently, keeping runs down and taking wickets and putting all of those things together into a team.”We’re getting closer and closer and we have more data on T20 cricket but certainly batting in the middle order it’s always going to be a challenge, compared to a Test cricketer where you get to the end of your career and you say well you averaged this and it gives you some indication. I think in T20 you look at whether people are contributing in partnerships, or what stage they come in, or when they hit their boundaries and their sixes, to be an effective cricketer.”Some Australian fans might judge whether Bailey is an effective cricket based on his first two T20 outings this week, if they have not already seen him play. While the pressure of performing as the national captain cannot completely be avoided, Bailey is confident that he shut out any such distractions against India on Wednesday and Friday.”It’s not something I’ll be feeling in the group,” he said. “Cricketers are aware that we play in a performance-based game and the pressure sometimes of what other people are thinking, that’s often built up in the media. Once you’re out there performing, you’re just out there doing your job to the best of your ability.”

Plays of the day from the third day of the 5th Test between Australia and England at Sydney

Peter English and Andrew Miller at the SCG05-Jan-2011Not-so-hot Spot

Ian Bell’s maiden Ashes hundred was a worthy reward for a series in which he has regularly looked the most fluent batsman on either side, but he did not reach the landmark without courting controversy. On 67, and facing up to Shane Watson, Bell appeared to get a thin inside-edge through to Brad Haddin. Australia were certainly convinced, and Aleem Dar’s finger went up after a brief pause, but Bell demurred, and wandered down the track to chat to his partner before half-heartedly gesturing for the third-umpire review. Hot Spot, however, showed no discernible mark, and after a long delay the decision was overturned, much to Australia’s chagrin. A few overs later, the Snickometer verdict came in, and sure enough, there was an edge on the ball.Cook’s reprieve

In the course of his astonishing assault on the record books, Alastair Cook did require a few moments of good luck. On 46, he was spared by a no-ball, as the spinner Michael Beer overstepped to rob himself of a maiden Test wicket, and on 99, Beer was out of luck once again, as Cook jabbed down late on a rising delivery, for Phil Hughes at short leg to scoop the ball with his fingertips. Neither he nor Brad Haddin seemed entirely convinced by the catch, but they went ahead with their appeal all the same, while Cook stood in his crease shaking his head. Sure enough, replays showed that the ball had bounced millimetres short, and off he marched to his third hundred of the series.Bronzed Aussie hero

Steve Waugh’s legend status as the SCG was sealed eight years ago when he brought up a career-extending century with a four from the last ball of the day. Today his image was set in stone behind the Members’ Stand, the moment captured from the celebration of that magical Ashes hundred. “That was probably the most pleasing moment of my career,” Waugh said. “There were about 30,000 people at the ground but probably 100,000 people have told me they were there.” Waugh’s sculpture includes his famous red handkerchief, but there was a temporary pink scarf around its neck to support Glenn McGrath’s foundation.Jane McGrath Day

The SCG was awash with pink as a tribute to Jane McGrath, the late wife of Glenn. The now annual day has a range of activities to raise money for breast cancer nurses throughout Australia. Brett Lee, who has been named in Australia’s 30-man World Cup squad, looked smart in a pink jacket before play and both sides walked on to the ground over a pink carpet. The Ladies’ Stand was renamed the Jane McGrath stand and the scores were posted on a pink background.Awards season
Shane Watson was handed the McGilvray Medal as the ABC’s Test Cricketer of the Year before play for his 897 runs and 19 wickets in 11 Tests in 2010. The prize was named after the late commentator Alan, who finished more than 50 years of broadcasting in 1985, and was presented by his son Ross. At the end of the day Peter Siddle was recognised as the Australian Cricket Media Association’s Emerging Player of the Year.

Cameron White has not given up bowling and says he would love the chance to do more of it

Cricinfo staff26-Jan-2010Cameron White has not given up bowling and says he would love the chance to do more of it. Until the past year White has been picked more for his spin than his power hitting and was even elevated to the Test team in India in 2008 as Australia’s preferred slow man.But his batting has been hot since the limited-overs tour of England and he scored a hundred and a half-century in the opening two games against Pakistan to show he deserves a spot in the upper half of the order. As he has provided more runs he has delivered fewer overs, and hasn’t been called by Ricky Ponting since he got three balls against Scotland in August. That was 21 ODIs ago.”I’ve done a little bit for Victoria, I’ve done a little bit in four-day cricket,” he said in the Australian. “I didn’t bowl at all in the Twenty20s and not much in one-day cricket. If I get in the position to get a bowl [for Australia] I would love to, but at this stage I am just working on it in the nets and we’ll see how it goes.”I understand my role the way I am going at the moment, we’ve got plenty of bowling options. I am ready to bowl if required, but it doesn’t seem as if I am needed.” In 49 ODIs he has 12 wickets at 28.75 and an economy rate of almost 6.5 runs an over.White’s hitting has been so strong over the past week that he has won comparisons with Andrew Symonds, whose exit last year gave White a chance to cement his spot. “Andrew’s a fantastic player and was a great player for a long time, I think it would be a bit unfair to compare me to Andrew,” he said. “I am just enjoying the role. I am playing naturally and freely at No.5 and when I get the chance toward the end of the innings it’s good to hit some fours and sixes.”

England seamer’s heroic rearguard could yet be his final act in international cricket

Matt Roller04-Aug-2025

Ben Stokes meets Chris Woakes after his valiant effort•Getty Images

It was an extraordinary sight at the end of an extraordinary series. On Friday morning, Chris Woakes was ruled out of “any further participation” in the fifth Test at The Oval. Three days later, he walked out to the middle with his left arm in a sling, tucked underneath his jumper, preparing to face up one-handed – and wrong-sided – with England 17 runs away from victory.Woakes marched out through the dressing-room, down the stairs of the Bedser Stand, and punched gloves with Gus Atkinson. It was a rousing moment to rival Rishabh Pant’s hobble to the crease with a fractured foot in Manchester, with the sense of theatre only accentuated by the drama and tension of the final day of the match – and the series.England have not yet given official confirmation but Woakes is understood to have dislocated his shoulder while diving in the field on the opening day of this Test. He will see a specialist this week to determine the extent of the damage, but will not play again this summer and is already considered a major doubt for the first Ashes Test in Perth on November 21.Related

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It was an act of mercy that Woakes did not have to face a ball: Prasidh Krishna yorked Josh Tongue, England’s No. 10, with the final ball of the 83rd over, and Atkinson managed the strike thereafter. But even that caused Woakes serious pain: he grimaced repeatedly after every run, and had to ask umpire Ahsan Raza for assistance after dislodging his sling while sneaking through for a bye.In any other sport, Woakes would have been substituted immediately after his injury on Thursday evening but – for better or for worse – cricket remains an outlier. Instead, he watched on from the dressing room as England’s three-man attack toiled on Saturday; as they took the chase deep into Sunday afternoon, he went down to the indoor school for an exploratory hit.Woakes initially tried to hold the bat as usual, facing some gentle throwdowns, but as soon as the pace ramped up, the pain became excruciating. He then tried again with his left arm back in a sling, facing up with a left-hand batter’s stance: it allowed him the control of a “top” hand, but more importantly, ensured his shoulder would be as far away from the ball as possible.He needed help from Ben Davies, England’s physio, to get padded up on Monday, and had to get creative with his equipment: he wore two small arm guards on his right arm, and as much protection as he could on his left, which was tucked underneath a jumper to try and keep everything in place.2:02

Harmison: Woakes put his career on the line by coming out to bat

When Woakes scrambled through for a bye at the end of his first over at the crease, Mohammed Siraj was furious. ” [didn’t you tell him?]” he asked Shubman Gill, after landing his wide yorker only to see Dhruv Jurel’s underarm throw miss the stumps. But Woakes had other things to worry about, wincing in pain and clutching his left arm.He managed to take his helmet and right glove off in order to put his left arm back in place, and then asked Raza for help on realising that he would not be able to put his glove back on alone. As he took a deep breath and prepared to stand at the non-striker’s end once again, the sold-out fifth-day crowd began to understand the extent of what he was putting himself through.Woakes was again in agony off the next ball, scampering back for two as Atkinson swung Prasidh into the leg side, and scrambled through for another single off the final ball of the over as India – bizarrely – kept nine men on the boundary. One ball later, however, Siraj pegged back Atkinson’s off stump and, after 16 minutes of anguish, Woakes’ job was done – albeit in a heartbreaking, six-run defeat.India’s fielders made a beeline for Woakes after their initial celebrations, and Brendon McCullum, England’s coach, praised his bravery. “Good on Woakesy,” he told the BBC. “He’s in an immense amount of pain after that unfortunate injury, but it was never in doubt for him that, if needed, he was going to walk down the stairs and try to get us across the line.”1:19

Sanjay Bangar picks his moment of the series

It provided a fitting finale to a dramatic series in which 32 players have had their physical and mental resilience tested to the limit across 25 days of cricket. Both teams have lost players to injuries along the way after punishing workloads, but Siraj and Woakes, the only fast bowlers to play all five Tests, battled through right until the very last ball.”He was in a lot of discomfort,” Ben Stokes said, having himself been forced to miss this Test with a shoulder injury. “We’ve had Rishabh going out to bat with a broken foot, Bash [Shoaib Bashir] going out there bowling – and batting and fielding – with a broken finger. Then we go to Chris out there today, trying to get his team over the line with a quite recently dislocated shoulder… Everyone’s left a lot out on the ground for their countries.”Woakes’ innings can be used by both sides in the ongoing debate around injury replacements: it was difficult to watch a player in such clear physical discomfort risking aggravating a serious injury, but also an incredible display of bravery and perseverance. Stokes simply doubled down on his view that substitutes are impracticable: “If someone gets injured, tough s***. Deal with it.”It could yet prove to be Woakes’ final act in an England shirt: he is no longer involved in the white-ball set-up and, at 36, his Test future will also be in doubt if the injury is severe enough to keep him out of the Ashes. If so, this would be a sad but fitting end for a player who has always given everything he has across more than 200 international appearances.

The India captain however is proud of his team and wants to take all the learnings further into his career

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Feb-2024India’s captain Uday Saharan felt that a few rash shots by the batters, coupled with their inability to spend any significant length of time at the crease, were the main reasons behind the team falling short in the final of the Under-19 World Cup.”It was fine. We played a few shots and couldn’t spend some time on the surface,” Saharan said after India went down by 79 runs to hand Australia their fourth title. “We were prepared for it but we couldn’t execute well. That is where we went wrong.”Australia, after electing to bat, rode on Harjas Singh’s fifty and a useful cameo in the death by Oliver Peake to post 253 for 8 from their 50 overs. This was the highest total ever registered in the final of an U-19 World Cup, and India’s attempt at a record chase fell flat from the outset.Related

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They lost opener Arshin Kulkarni in the third over of the chase before Mahli Beardman cut a swathe through the middle order as India slipped to 68 for 4 in the 20th. Opener Adarsh Singh (47) and lower-order batter Murugan Abhishek (42) showed fight but the Australians never let the Indians get back in the chase.India came into the final with an unblemished record in the tournament and despite the result, Saharan said that he was extremely proud of how his team went about all through.”It was great, I am very proud of the boys, they played very well. The entire team, from the start to the end showed fighting spirit. They played very well and I am proud of them,” Saharan said.Saharan, the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 397 runs in seven games at 56.71 said that he has learnt a lot throughout the tournament and just wants to take these learnings as he moves forward in his career.”There have been a lot of learnings, right from the start to now,” he said. “I have learnt a lot from the staff and even during the match, have learnt so much. I just want to take all the learnings from this tournament and move forward in my career.”

Godleman steps down after seven seasons in charge of club’s fortunes

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2022Derbyshire have appointed Leus du Plooy as club captain after Billy Godleman stepped down from the role.Godleman, 33, had led Derbyshire since taking over from Wayne Madsen ahead of the 2016 season, although he was not involved in the Blast side last season, Shan Masood taking over the captaincy with du Plooy as his deputy.Godleman endured a tough summer with the bat in the Championship, failing to pass 50 until the final innings of the campaign – his 158 against Leicestershire represented more than a third of his season’s runs – and agreed to the change after chatting to Derbyshire’s coach, Mickey Arthur.”I sat down with Mickey and we had a good catch-up about the season and my thoughts about captaincy, future leadership and my seven seasons as captain,” he said.”I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as captain but reflecting on this season I think that with Mickey coming in and giving the club new impetus, the time is now right for me to hand over the reins to a new leadership group as Wayne Madsen did to me in 2016.”Seven seasons as a captain is a long time and the highlights for me will always be the strong personal relationships I’ve built with players past and present both on and off the field, while I am particularly proud to have led the club to their first T20 Finals Day in 2019.”I very much hope that I can continue to be successful with Derbyshire, scoring lots of runs in all formats, and look forward to providing any support and insight I can to Leus.”Du Plooy, 27, joined Derbyshire in 2019 and is a regular in the side across formats, although involvement in the Hundred might limit his availability for the one-day cup. He was born in South Africa but qualifies as a local through a Hungarian passport.Arthur said: “Billy has led the team with great purpose and will continue to be a senior figure within our squad, but we both feel the time is right to make this change and restructure the leadership team ahead of the 2023 season.”For more than half-a-decade, Billy has been a dedicated Derbyshire captain, however now we have the opportunity for a new voice, in Leus, to lead the team and bring a fresh approach.”Billy can now focus on what he does best, scoring runs for Derbyshire, without having the pressure of captaincy. His record is one that most sides would love to have in their ranks, and I hope we can see more of his quality next season.”

Review will address historical issues, remind players of responsibilities and “help them learn”

George Dobell12-Jun-2021The ECB has announced a “social media review” after admitting the sport’s attempts to prove itself inclusive have been “severely diminished” following the emergence of a series of historic tweets by players.The episode was sparked by the re-emergence of comments made by Ollie Robinson on Twitter when he was aged 18 and 19. The tweets, which included sexist and racist material, came to prominence on Robinson’s first day as a Test player and jarred with the team’s commitment to combatting discrimination.In the following days, numerous further historic tweets from high-profile players came to light which also looked at odds with the standards and values expressed by the current England team and ECB executive.Coming at a time when the sport is desperate to promote a more inclusive image, it left the ECB board admitting in a statement on Saturday that its “aspiration to become a more inclusive and welcoming sport for all” was “severely diminished whilst discriminatory content remains in the social media space”.The ECB board therefore confirmed a social media review designed to “address any historical issues, remind individuals of their personal responsibilities going forward, and help them learn lessons along the way”.Related

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The statement went on to say that the ECB will work with various other bodies, including the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) to agree the terms of reference for a review. Further disciplinary action has not been ruled out, but the statement hints that education will be the key tool of progress.”Making cricket a game for everyone is central to the game’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategy,” Ian Watmore, the ECB chair, said. “Celebrating our many brilliant role models in men’s, women’s and disability cricket is essential to that aim, and the right use of social media is a critical means for achieving it.”As the national governing body, we must steer a path between helping individuals project an inclusive image, educating them on what is expected of them and allowing them the space to express themselves to the public. We must also investigate their actions and sanction them when they fall short.”The board was unanimous in support of the [ECB] executive in the actions taken by them in the last week and agrees with their plans to move the game forward in a spirit of inclusion, education and personal responsibility, whilst addressing those cases which cause most offence head on.”There was also an admission from Rob Lynch, the PCA chief executive, that “there is always more we can do”. Current arrangements see the PCA advise players on their social media content and monitor the Twitter and Instagram accounts of current England players. There is no system of reviewing historic posts.”We are committed to working with our members and the ECB on further education and there is always more that we can do,” Lynch said. “We will consult with our members and work with the ECB to develop terms of reference for a social media review, which in turn, will lead to better insight and an opportunity to improve.”Our commitment, as always in times like this is to ensure the ECB process is fair and considered and to offer support, advice, and education to all of our members.”

BCCI staying firm on refusal to allow male players permission to feature in new tournament

George Dobell and Nagraj Gollapudi20-Feb-2020The ECB is in talks with the BCCI about agreeing the involvement of some of the India women’s team in the inaugural edition of the Hundred later this year. However, the chances of India’s men also being allowed to play in the tournament remain slim.Players such as Harmanpreet Kaur, who will lead India at the forthcoming Women’s T20 World Cup, and Smriti Mandhana have previously featured in England’s T20 Kia Super League, which has now been disbanded to make way for the Hundred. Their presence in the 100-ball competition would be a boost for the ECB’s new format, as well as raising its visibility around the world.ESPNcricinfo understands that the ECB is currently engaged in discussions with the BCCI about allowing such a move. But while that may be seen as a way of preparing the ground for India’s male stars to participate in future editions of the Hundred, BCCI officials have poured cold water on the idea.ALSO READ: Expanded Hundred could help ‘working class connection’ – HarrisonA few India internationals, such as Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh, have expressed an interest in the Hundred, but the BCCI has long exercised tight control over granting permissions to play in limited-overs tournaments overseas. Virat Kohli, India’s captain, even questioned the need to “experiment” with a new format.The ECB last year conceded that India’s men were unlikely to be involved from the outset. “I can’t commit to the involvement of India players,” Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, said. “It’s a political conversation as much as anything.”In December, the BCCI’s top three administrators were in London to meet ECB counterparts. The BCCI team was led by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who was elected as the Indian board’s president last October. Ganguly was flanked by Jay Shah and Arun Dhumal, the BCCI secretary and treasurer respectively.It is understood the BCCI was open to considering the ECB’s request of looking into Indian women participating in the women’s leg of the Hundred, but since then there has been no firm decision taken on that front. “We have had discussions on county cricket and women players might be allowed,” a senior BCCI official told ESPNcricinfo.As for the question of India men’s cricketers participating in the Hundred, there has been no change in the BCCI’s stance. It will not allow India men to participate in any overseas T20 or other similar leagues.The BCCI official reiterated that by allowing the men to participate in overseas leagues, it would hurt the IPL, the biggest cash cow for the BCCI. In 2017, global sports broadcaster Star India bought the consolidated global rights for IPL for a record US$2.55 billion for a five-year period, the biggest deal in cricket.The official also pointed out that with the Future Tours Programme planned in advance, players could be at risk of missing bilateral events, which is another stream of revenue the BCCI heavily relies on.The first draft for the men’s Hundred took place in October. Harbhajan was the only Indian player to put his name forward, but he subsequently withdrew after it was suggested he would have to retire from international competition – and potentially forego an IPL contract – if he wanted to be considered.