No Place For Stokes As Root Returns To Englands Squad For India ODIs And Champions Trophy

Wales Cricket Board: Test captain Ben Stokes has not been considered for selection in Englands squads for next years white-ball tour of India and Champions Trophy as Joe Root returns to the 50-over set-up. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Sunday that Stokes omission from the squads is down to him being continued to be assessed following a left hamstring injury sustained during the third Test match against New Zealand at Hamilton earlier this month, where England lost by 423 runs. Premier batter Root, who averages 47.60 in ODIs, makes his return to the 50-over side for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. Root is selected only for the ODI tour of India, while leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed is included just for the T20I leg of the trip. The fast-bowling contingent is made up of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood (recovered from right elbow injury), Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Saqib Mahmood, and Jamie Overton with Sam Curran and Reece Topley left out. Adil Rashid is in both squads, with Root, Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell also capable of providing him support in the 50-over format. Apart from captain Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith complete the batting order, with no place for Will Jacks. England are scheduled to play five T20Is against India from January 22 to February 2 in Kolkata, Chennai, Rajkot, Pune and Mumbai. It is followed by three ODIs between the two teams from February 6-12 in Nagpur, Cuttack and Ahmedabad while the schedule for the Champions Trophy is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC). This will be Englands first tour and tournament under head coach Brendon McCullums tenure as white-ball coach, with the T20I team scheduled to depart for India on January 17. England squad for next year's ODI tour of India and Champions Trophy: Jos Buttler (Captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt and Mark Wood. This will be Englands first tour and tournament under head coach Brendon McCullums tenure as white-ball coach, with the T20I team scheduled to depart for India on January 17. Also Read: Highest tax paying cricketers Article Source: IANS

Joe Root returns for England's Champions Trophy campaign

Curran, Topley, Jacks among key omissions as McCullum leans on Test squad for first white-ball campaign

BGT: Do Feel For Nathan, But Totally Understand Why Australia Dropped Him, Says Vaughan

U19 World Cup: Former England captain Michael Vaughan said he does feel sad for Nathan McSweeney, who was dropped from Australias squad for the remaining two Tests against India, while acknowledging the rationale behind the decision made by the visitors. McSweeney opened in the first three Tests against India but made just 72 runs at an average of 14.40, despite not having opened previously in first-class cricket. On Friday, the Australian selectors dropped McSweeney to draft in teenage opener Sam Konstas. I feel for Nathan, I think hell be back but I totally understand why Australia made this move. I feel for the kid, because of all the people that Ive seen come into Test cricket over the last 10 years, I dont think anyones been given a harder challenge. To face Bumrah in the conditions that hes had to face now, the pink ball under lights in his second game, in Perth it did all sorts and in Brisbane the ball was moving around. I thought theyd go with McSweeney for Melbourne, and if he failed again, theyd bring Sam (Konstas) in for his home Test at the SCG. I dont think in the long run its going to be a bad thing for McSweeney. I think he will end up being an Australian Test cricketer, but I dont think hell be up the top of the order; I think itll be down at four or five. If I was McSweeney, next time I get the chance to wear the baggy green, Id want him to be in the position that hes played all his life, said Vaughan to Fox Sports on Sunday. Meanwhile, Konstas shot into the limelight by scoring twin centuries against South Australia in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield. Those twin centuries also earned him the distinction of being the first teenager to achieve this feat in the Sheffield Shield since the legendary Ricky Ponting did so in 1993. Konstas had been a member of the Australian team winning this years U19 World Cup in South Africa and also scored a century while playing for the Prime Minister's XI against India in the warn-up pink-ball match at Manuka Oval in Canberra. Talking about how Konstas would cope to the challenge against Jasprit Bumrah, who never let McSweeney be settled at the crease, Vaughan stated, Bumrah has had a number of the Australian batters... but I think in Sam Konstas, its very clear that hes going to be a star of the future. Ive never been a big believer in: 'What damage can be done to a 19-year-old?' Theyre all just youthful, and all they ever think about is positivity, theres no baggage. Its quite exciting when youve got a young kid who can clearly play, so whats the worst thing that can happen he gets not many runs? Well, thats been happening anyway! If he goes out and gets an innings under his belt against Bumrahs quality, then you start talking about a seriously high-class player. From a very young age, hes scored hundreds and he knows how to score hundreds. Vaughan signed off by saying Usman Khawaja is also under considerable pressure to perform and that his partner in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, starting on Thursday, should be a specialist opener. If he goes out and gets an innings under his belt against Bumrahs quality, then you start talking about a seriously high-class player. From a very young age, hes scored hundreds and he knows how to score hundreds. Also Read: Highest tax paying cricketers Article Source: IANS

Rohit, Akash Deep hit in MCG nets, but 'no major concerns'

Rohit was struck on the knee while attempting to play a pull shot and had to be attended by the physio

BGT: Shastri Suggests Rohit To Channel His White-ball Mindset While Batting At No. 6

Boxing Day Test: Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has suggested skipper Rohit Sharma needs to channel his successful white-ball approach while coming out to bat at number six in the upcoming Boxing Day Test against Australia, starting in Melbourne on Thursday. Rohit made a move to number six following KL Rahul doing well as an opener in the 295-run win in Perth, a game he missed due to the birth of his second child. But after moving down to number six in the batting order, Rohit has managed scores of 10, three and six in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series so far. I think he's got to be very clear in his mindset to go out there and take the attack to the opposition and not worry about anything else. The last thing you want is him to be in two minds whether to defend or attack. In his case, it should be attack. He picks up length quickly, he should take the opposition on at that number. Because if he gets away in the first 10-15 minutes, in any way, he's not got past that 15-20 minutes, half an hour. So why don't you play a natural game, go and take the attack to the opposition and take it from there? Because I think that is his best way of not just coming back into form, winning a game for India as well. Because that number is a crucial number. The best No.6s in the world are the guys who know how to have the ability to counter-attack. They read the situation well. Yes, if a lot of wickets have fallen, maybe for a little while. You might have to be circumspect, but the intent has to be far sooner than later. Especially when you have that kind of ability and especially when you open the batting for India and you have all the shots for Australian conditions, said Shastri on the ICC Review show. With the five-match series currently tied at 1-1, Shastri also heaped praise on Rahul, whos been Indias best batter on tour by scoring 235 runs from six innings at an average of 47, and formed a strong opening partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rahuls 84 in Brisbane also helped India save themselves from being made to follow-on. I would have asked him (Rohit) to open in the last Test match but then the way Rahul has batted, I mean he was a joy to watch and the way he's batting, I believe he struck a purple patch. It could be a position he might just want to keep and enhance the way he's playing because his technique was faultless. The way he left the ball, the way he allowed the ball to come onto the bat, I mean some of his cover drives were as good as any played by anyone in world cricket at the moment. I would have asked him (Rohit) to open in the last Test match but then the way Rahul has batted, I mean he was a joy to watch and the way he's batting, I believe he struck a purple patch. Also Read: Highest tax paying cricketers Article Source: IANS

West Indies bowl; India hand debut to Rawal

India captain Harmanpreet has returned to the starting XI after missing the two T20Is due to a knee niggle