The leg-spinner has taken four wickets in the tournament but admits he isn’t ‘bowling at my best’

Politics

Arsenal have a big few weeks up ahead as they look to keep alive their trophy chances in the Champions League while overcoming a mini-blip in the Premier League

Sport

India 249-9; New Zealand 205 – India win by 44 runsAustralia await for India in Dubai semi-finalIndia beat New Zealand by 44 runs in a low-scoring contest at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday to top Group A in the Champions Trophy.Electing to field, New Zealand restricted India to 249 for 9 with Matt Henry, who took five for 42, leading a fine team bowling display backed up by their characteristic sharp catching. Continue reading...

Politics

The batter fell cheaply as New Zealand reduced India to 30-3 during the group stage clash in Dubai

Events

Champions Trophy updates, 9am GMT start in KarachiHussain’s truth-bomb fights back against AI robotsHow to keep 50-over cricket relevant | Email Daniel2nd over: England 18-1 (Duckett 9, Smith 0) England have two players who have held their heads high throughout this troubled tour – Ben Duckett and Joe Root. Duckett, facing Lungi Ngidi, plays two serene clips for four, as if he hadn’t even noticed that he’d lost his opening partner.1st over: England 9-1 (Duckett 0, Smith 0) Marco Jansen’s left-arm angle was a foreign language to poor Salt, who hadn’t even been able to face it in the nets as England left all their lefties at home. He managed a spank over cover for four but played and missed twice, almost gave a catch in the ring with a shovel to leg, and then got that top edge. One of the worst run-a-ball innings you will ever see. Continue reading...

Politics

Gp B: South Africa, 181-3, bt England, 179, by 7 wktsEngland limp out of Champions Trophy with three lossesJos Buttler called the Champions Trophy a brutal format before the start of the tournament but in the end it proved mercifully short. Had this been a World Cup, stretched out over weeks to milk even more television money, England could easily have surpassed that bleak title defence in India 18 months ago by way of ignominy.Instead, it was off to the airport, via the hotel, after this third and final defeat; the first time they have exited a global event without a single group win. South Africa, who topped Group B with a crushing seven-wicket win, were due to fly to Dubai on Sunday, even if the farcical schedule – dictated by India having to play all their matches in the gulf state – meant they do not know whether this will actually be the scene of their semi-final. Continue reading...

Politics

England have lost 10 of 11 matches since Brendon McCullum took charge of white-ball sides

Politics

Champions Trophy updates, 9am GMT start in KarachiHussain’s truth-bomb fights back against AI robotsHow to keep 50-over cricket relevant | And email Tim2nd over: England 18-1 (Duckett 9, Smith 0) England have two players who have held their heads high throughout this troubled tour – Ben Duckett and Joe Root. Duckett, facing Lungi Ngidi, plays two serene clips for four, as if he hadn’t even noticed that he’d lost his opening partner.1st over: England 9-1 (Duckett 0, Smith 0) Marco Jansen’s left-arm angle was a foreign language to poor Salt, who hadn’t even been able to face it in the nets as England left all their lefties at home. He managed a spank over cover for four but played and missed twice, almost gave a catch in the ring with a shovel to leg, and then got that top edge. One of the worst run-a-ball innings you will ever see. Continue reading...

Events

Jos Buttler’s decision to step down emphasises the task their coach faces to reinvigorate England’s white-ball teamsOnce Jos Buttler walked into the press conference room at Karachi’s National Stadium on Friday night, flanked by Brendon McCullum, what followed was no surprise. This Champions Trophy was always make or break for England’s white-ball captain and, after two defeats extinguished any semi-final hopes, the latter won out.The cat was pretty much out of the bag two nights earlier in Lahore when, slightly shell-shocked from England’s failed run chase against Afghanistan, Buttler said he would be considering his future. When a captain begins openly asking whether they are “part of the problem” – Buttler’s words that evening – the story rarely ends any other way. Continue reading...

Politics

Updates from the final group match at Gaddafi StadiumAny thoughts? Get in touch with Jim on email5th over: Afghanistan 23-1 (Ibrahim 3, Sediq 6) Johnson, who is moving the ball both in the air and on the pitch, beats Sediq with three successive deliveries. As Ian Smith says on commentary, Afghanistan just need to get through this spell – it’s fine if they are 40 for 1 after 10 overs.4th over: Afghanistan 20-1 (Ibrahim 1, Sediq 5) So far Dwarshuis has been able to control the swing pretty well; two from his second over. Continue reading...

Politics

Jos Buttler had been facing calls to resign as England's captain in the one-day format following back-to-back defeats in the Champions Trophy, leaving them unable to reach the semi-finals

Politics

Updates from the final group match at Gaddafi StadiumPlay starts in Lahore at 2pm local/8pm AEDT/9am GMTAny thoughts? Get in touch with Jim on email5th over: Afghanistan 23-1 (Ibrahim 3, Sediq 6) Johnson, who is moving the ball both in the air and on the pitch, beats Sediq with three successive deliveries. As Ian Smith says on commentary, Afghanistan just need to get through this spell – it’s fine if they are 40 for 1 after 10 overs.4th over: Afghanistan 20-1 (Ibrahim 1, Sediq 5) So far Dwarshuis has been able to control the swing pretty well; two from his second over. Continue reading...

Politics

Elimination from the Champions Trophy will surely end Jos Buttler’s tenure as white- ball captain, but is the lack of 50-over domestic cricket the biggest problem?The diagnosis after England’s Test team hit rock bottom during that wretched Ashes winter of 2021-22 was a pretty shrewd one by Rob Key. Newly hired as director of men’s cricket, Key recognised that the players, good enough but grossly underperforming, had been ground down by the pandemic and its joyless treadmill of fixture fulfilment.In came Brendon McCullum as the antipodean antidote to their negativity on and off the field. He was not a technical hire – although he analyses more information than the golf-bro image suggests – rather a relentlessly positive one who would double down on the aggressive outlook of Ben Stokes, his new captain, and not meet fire with ice. Continue reading...

Science

The Australia fast bowler is also dealing with an ankle issue after withdrawing from the tournament in Pakistan

Politics

Buttler’s side were eliminated from the Champions trophy after losing to Afghanistan to leave the skipper under severe pressure

Events

Jos Buttler's England side were dumped out of the Champions Trophy on Wednesday after being beaten by Afghanistan despite only needing 17 runs from 14 balls with three wickets in hand to win

Events

Jos Buttler’s side lost by eight runs in Lahore leaving his position as captain in jeopardy

Politics

Buttler’s side were eliminated from the Champions trophy after losing to Afghanistan.

Politics

Captain on brink after third group exit in a rowAfghanistan outplay England to win thrillerJos Buttler will consider his future as England’s white-ball captain after the agonising eight-run defeat by Afghanistan in Lahore that terminated his side’s Champions Trophy hopes, and left him wondering whether he is part of the problem.England fly to Karachi on Thursday for their final group game – against South Africa on Saturday – already out of the running for the semi-finals. Their defeat by Afghanistan, following the loss against Australia last Saturday, made it a third consecutive tournament failure under Buttler’s leadership. Continue reading...

Sport

England were knocked out of the Champions Trophy after losing to Afghanistan in Lahore.

Politics