3 d. ago Zimbabwe’s welcome return sets the table for England’s banquet of Test cricket

A four-day encounter at Trent Bridge is a low-key affair compared to five-Test series against India and Australia but a first meeting with Zimbabwe in 22 years could yet prove crucial for England

Politics

4 d. ago ‘We are a passionately multiracial team’: Zimbabwe return to England transformed

Visitors have endured political chaos and miserable results over 22 years but cricket is finally a national gameTwenty-two years is a long time, even in a sport that measures its games in days and its history in centuries. The last time England played a Test match against Zimbabwe, in 2003, Rob Key was in the middle order instead of the managing director’s job, Jimmy Anderson was a 20-year-old tearaway playing in his very first series, and the England and Wales Cricket Board was just about to launch the world’s very first professional Twenty20 tournament. Zimbabwean cricket has changed, too. Back then the team was in the earliest stages of a transformation that was meant to turn cricket from a minority game, played by the small white population, into a sport that better represented the whole country.They have been hard years, riven by player strikes, political interference, maladministration, and a miserable drop-off in results. The team temporarily withdrew from Test cricket, suspe...

Politics

5 d. ago Ben Stokes quits alcohol to help hamstring injury rehabilitation

England Test captain to return against Zimbabwe‘It’s just getting harder to do everything’Ben Stokes has stopped drinking alcohol during his latest injury rehabilitation in an effort to be firing on all cylinders for England this summer. The Test captain is set to make his comeback on Thursday in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, having been sidelined since December after tearing his left hamstring in New Zealand.He rushed back from a similar injury last year but his recovery this time after an operation has been painstakingly managed and Stokes has left no stone unturned to fulfil his vow to return in peak physical condition. Speaking to the Untapped podcast, the 33-year-old said: “After my first major injury, I remember the shock of it, after the initial adrenaline had stopped, thinking: ‘How has this happened? We did have a bit of a drink four or five nights ago, could that have played a part? It wouldn’t have helped.’ Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago Broadcast mogul Sanjog Gupta in line to increase Indian influence at ICC

Head of live sport at Jiostar set for ICC chief executive roleIPL set to resume on Saturday following suspensionIndian influence at the top table of world cricket could be set to increase with Sanjog Gupta, the head of live sport at broadcast giants Jiostar, having emerged as the frontrunner to become the new chief executive of the International Cricket Council.The ICC is currently looking to fill the role with Geoff Allardice, the incumbent, serving a notice period that runs until the body’s AGM in July. Three separate sources have told the Guardian that Gupta is favourite to succeed the Australian, moving across from the broadcast company that holds the ICC’s $3billion (£2.2bn) rights deal for global events. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Broadcast mogul Sanjog Gupta in frame to increase Indian influence at ICC

Jiostar chief tipped for key role at governing bodyIPL set to resume on Saturday following suspensionIndian influence at the top table of world cricket could be set to increase with Sanjog Gupta, the head of live sport at broadcast giants Jiostar, having emerged as the frontrunner to become the new chief executive of the International Cricket Council.The ICC is looking to fill the role with Geoff Allardice, the incumbent, serving a notice period that runs until the body’s AGM in July. Three sources have told the Guardian that Gupta is favourite to succeed the Australian, moving across from the broadcast company that holds the ICC’s $3bn (£2.2bn) rights deal for global events. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Home Bargains 'raises the game' with £1.99 tableware that's like £244 Denby set

A shopper has shared her love for Home Bargains after spotting the budget retailer's new range of tableware in stores

Economics

1 week ago Apple fans race to buy £40 iPad Air in 78% off sale on older models

The newer models of Apple's most popular tablet can set you back a pretty penny with the brand new iPad Airs starting at £599

Economics

3 w. ago ‘An incredibly political moment’ – why fashion and the Met Gala are celebrating Black dandyism

This year’s Met theme is ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’ and focuses on Black men’s strategic use of fashion. Author of the text the show is inspired by, Monica L. Miller talks about why it’s being celebrated at this year’s show and galaAfter three decades as a jobbing actor, Colman Domingo finally ascended to the Hollywood A-list in 2023 off the back of Rustin, a biopic of Bayard Rustin, an adviser to Martin Luther King Jr and civil rights icon. But while his performance was brilliant, Domingo’s meteoric rise was also down to something else: his masterful embrace of Black dandyism.Having honed his trademark tight trousers and unbuttoned shirts waiting tables in San Francisco, on the red carpet he set himself apart in suits with Nehru collars, bow ties, dramatic cloaks and sparkling brooches. “I don’t just wear clothes, I wear stories,” Domingo told GQ ahead of his appearance at the Golden Globes in January, before stepping out in a black Valentino mohair wool tuxedo paired with ...

Politics