As the Australian squad prepares for a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, which will be swiftly followed by the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy, the squad has been strengthened by news that Steve Smith’s elbow injury is not as bad as first feared.
The series loss against Australia also ended India’s hopes of reaching the ICC World Test Championships final, scheduled at the Lord’s in June, this year.
The decision to host India's matches away from Pakistan, the official host country, was finalised after Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, met with Sheikh Nahyan Al Mubarak in Pakistan. Sheikh Nahyan is a senior UAE minister and also the head of the Emirates Cricket Board.
Putting an end to speculations regarding the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, the International Cricket Council on Thursday announced that the marquee tournament will be played in Pakistan at a neutral venue.
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali felt the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would end up losers if they accepted to a reported compromise deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC), terming that the offer to host the women’s World Cup in 2027 was nothing but a ‘lollipop’ from the global body.
The reason behind basing India entirely in Lahore could be to avoid the logistical and security hassles around their travel.
