The Cricket.com Weekly - September 9th

ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER CRICKET.COM WEEKLY! 

Let’s dive straight into it. 

Controversies

Babar Azam, to be sacked as captain?

Well, there is not a day in Pakistan where cricket and controversy don’t go hand-in-hand.

Coming in fresh from this week is the news that Babar Azam is likely to get the sack as a captain. This was just months after he returned to a captaincy role, replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) apparently want RIZWAN AS CAPTAIN!!! 

“Discussions will take place regarding Mohammad Rizwan's name for captaincy and if an agreement is reached, Rizwan could potentially become the captain in all three formats in the future,” the report claimed.

No hope from Pope

“Not every vice-captain is going to make a captain. There are also a lot of captains who cannot be vice-captains, myself included. I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to be making the decision. I did not want to be the thoughtful strategist in the background,” Michael Vaughan clearly isn’t a fan of Ollie Pope.

It was obvious when the former skipper called Pope a ‘bit insecure’. You know that classic saying? Let the bat do the talking. That’s exactly what Pope did with an outstanding 150 at The Oval. 

That should shut a mouth or two! 

Pricey Lord’s

£95

INR 10,459 for a day four ticket. No wonder only 1/3rd of the Lord’s was filled up during the second Test between England and Sri Lanka. Who in their sane mind would want to shell so much for a day four ticket?

It has brought English cricket together, with Steve Harmison, Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes all hitting out at the pricey tickets. MCC’s chief executive, Guy Lavender, insisted that England’s domination of the West Indies was a huge factor in the low turnout. 

A pretty shambolic turn of events for The Home of Cricket!!! 

WEEKLY RECAP

In the Spotlight

Bazball era truly begins!

Brendon McCullum is England’s red-ball coach. 

On September 3 (Tuesday), McCullum was named England’s all-format coach, with his stint starting in January 2025. His three-year deal for the white-ball formats will include the 2025 Champions Trophy, the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 ODI World Cup. 

Rest assured, the fun is not just going to be doubled but tripled. It would be interesting to see if the Bazball era could truly resurrect Jos Buttler’s career and put him back on the world map.

Bangladesh’s historic away win

15 years, 1 month and 13 days. That’s how long it took for Bangladesh to notch up their third away series win in their Test history. For that feat to come against Pakistan, a team that has historically dominated them, is nothing but a watershed moment.

It was as perfect a moment as it could get for the Tigers, who left Pakistan cricket in a state of tatters. Pakistan’s winless streak at home has now increased to 10 games. This is the first instance of them losing a Test series against Bangladesh. 

Boy, oh boy, it couldn’t have come at a better time, especially with all the instability back in Bangladesh. 

Mongolia’s horrific day out

Infamous cricket records 🤝 Mongolia

If Nepal scoring 314 runs against them in a 20-over clash wasn’t enough, Mongolia entered the record books yet again when they scored just TEN against Singapore. It equalled the lowest-ever T20I total, previously held singularly by the Isle of Man. 

Singapore chased down the target in just five deliveries, which is the second-fastest successful chase in T20I history. 

Performers of the week

Stat of the Week

Too much cricket, can’t keep track? Our roundups have got you covered!

Priyansh Arya, Mayank Rawat and other DPL stars who can make it to IPL

Uttar Pradesh T20 League (UPT20) 2024: Points table, most runs and most wickets till Match 27

Kerala Cricket League (KCL) 2024: Points table, most runs, most wickets after Match 12

Editor’s picks - August 26

How Data fuelled India to T20 World Cup 2024 title

Jack Jarvis: Scotland’s next-gen superstar who is on the rise

Money Grewal: Delhi’s tearaway pacer who Idolises Ishant & wants to play 100 Tests

Who is Cooper Connolly, Australia’s newest debutant?

Musheer Khan’s defiance is solid, but the world needs to be patient

Highest powerplay score, quickest chase in history: Australia SHATTER records

If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out — big time. Play Fantasy on Cricket.com NOW! Download the App here.