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Jamaican police are insisting that Bob Woolmer was murdered amid reports that Pakistani investigators have suggested otherwise due to lack of conclusive evidence. Karl Angell, director of communication for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), said that the investigation was based on credible evidence.”The pathologist did an autopsy. He said to us in a written report that the man died from asphyxiation occasioned by manual strangulation, based on that our investigation proceeded but we have always said that the investigation is an open investigation and all angles are being looked at,” Angell told .Mir Zubair Mahmood, one of the two investigators sent by the Pakistani government to assist with the police probe in Jamaica, told reporters that there is no evidence to suggest that the Pakistan coach was murdered. However, according to Angell, Mahmood denied speaking to any reporters with such claims.”Mahmood has indicated to us that a report was submitted to his boss that he had no discussion with any journalists or with anybody else regarding the report,” confirmed Angell. “In private conversation with the Constabulary Force, Mahmood said that he is pleased with the way the investigation was going and he made no such deductions.”The complete report from the pathology and toxicology results is being analysed with the help of the Scotland Yard and are yet to be released.

Hardly a week after the Indian Premier League (IPL) concludes on June 1, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh square off in a short tri-series in Bangladesh beginning June 8. Each team plays the other once, with the final on June 14. All matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur. No practice matches have been scheduled for the visiting teams.The tri-series will serve as a warm-up for the Asia Cup in Pakistan which commences on June 24. The series is an add-on to India’s punishing schedule, which includes a three-Test and five ODI tour to Sri Lanka after the Asia Cup concludes on July 6.Bangladesh last hosted a tri-series featuring the same teams in early 1998. India edged out Pakistan in a thriller in the best-of-three finals at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka.ScheduleJune 8 – Bangladesh v Pakistan (Mirpur)
June 10 – India v Pakistan (Mirpur)
June 12 – Bangladesh v India (Mirpur)
June 14 – Final (Mirpur)
June 15 – Reserve day

Pakistan are considering calling up Mushtaq Ahmed, the veteran legspinner, for the forthcoming Test series in England. Hit with a spate of injuries – Shoaib Akhtar’s participation in the series is uncertain with an ankle injury and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan may require surgery and a six-week rest – Pakistan have shown a renewed interest in the Sussex spinner.Inzamam-ul-Haq disclosed to Reuters that Mushtaq, who has maintained good form for Sussex, was definitely an option. “The injuries to our main bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Rana Naved are a bit unsettling and we are thinking along the lines of balancing the attack by turning to Mushtaq for the Tests,” he said. “His form for them has been outstanding and he clearly relishes bowling in English conditions. His experience could be invaluable for us.”Mushtaq, 35, has not played for Pakistan since October 2003 against South Africa. He was included in the Test squad for a home series against England in late 2005 but did not play. He was subsequently appointed as a bowling consultant.Inzamam also revealed that Samiullah Niazi and Wasim Khan had been called to the training camp in Lahore, as back-up pace cover for Shoaib and Rana. “We are trying them out to see if they can fit into the squad in case of emergency,” he said.More importantly, with Rana’s injury, Pakistan seem to have suddenly found hope where none existed that Shoaib will play a part in the Test series. “We have also asked our doctors to have another scan of Shoaib’s ankle which he has rested now for a while and see if he can bowl again before June 25,” said Inzamam.”If he can bowl we are thinking of taking him along with the squad and allowing him to make a slow recovery even if he does miss the first Test.”Pakistan are due to play four tests, the first of which starts on July 13 at Lord’s, and five one-day internationals in England.

Shane Warne believes Stuart Clark should open the bowling with Glenn McGrath during the World Cup but Shaun Tait could be trusted with the important final overs. Warne also defended Brad Hogg’s recent efforts and said his successful warm-up against England could be a turning point.Warne, writing in his column in , said McGrath and Clark were Australia’s best frontline options. “People can say they are a bit predictable,” Warne said. “I just think they are the best two fast bowlers in the world at the moment.”Brett Lee is a big loss … but Clark is a different type of bowler who will be very difficult to face if the ball nips around or stops in the pitch. Accuracy is at a premium in those conditions and Clark and McGrath can take advantage of the early starts.”Warne said Hogg, whose last five ODIs have yielded no wickets, had not been performing badly and should take confidence from his 2 for 28 in Friday’s warm-up against England. “Hogg, from what I’ve seen, has been bowled pretty well without luck,” Warne said.He believed spinners would play a key role in the West Indies and Michael Clarke’s part-time offerings could be vital. Warne said Sri Lanka and New Zealand would be Australia’s biggest threats but the defending champions should not be concerned about their recent series losses.”Despite missing Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds, they still posted scores above 300 [in New Zealand],” he said. “No other side has the depth to build totals like that when four of the usual top five are out.”

Monty Panesar, England’s forgotten spin bowler, is preparing to speak out about the mental illness that led to his high-profile departures from Sussex and Essex, and says he has not given up hope of an England recall one day.At the age of 33, and with 167 wickets in 50 Tests already to his name, Panesar ought to be in the prime of his international career, not least given the otherwise barren state of English spin bowling, as evidenced by the shortcomings of Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Samit Patel in the recent series against Pakistan.Instead, he is without a county going into the 2016 season, having been released by Essex at the end of last summer. He played just three first-class matches in a miserable 2016 season, including one, against Kent in April in which he did not bowl in either innings.His increasingly erratic behaviour included time-keeping issues, for which he was disciplined by the club, and criticism for his attitude in the field, for which he was at one stage given a dressing-down in front of his team-mates.Panesar’s failure to settle at Essex followed on from his departure from Sussex in 2013 where, in the wake of a bitter and painful divorce from his wife, he hit the headlines on one particularly lurid night out in Brighton by urinating on a bouncer at a nightclub.However, in a bid to battle his way back into the sport, Panesar has been working with a team of four professionals – a performance coach, a hypnotherapist, a psychiatrist and a psychotherapist – and hopes that his recognition of his issues is the first step towards resolving them.”For a long time I was in denial that I had a problem,” Panesar told The Times. “It was in my first session with the hypnotherapist that I began to realise that something was wrong and that I needed help.”The best way to describe it is that I have suffered from feelings of paranoia, and that these feelings were linked to my performances on the field. The worse things went, the lower my confidence went, the more paranoid I became. Things spiralled downhill so that I began to think my team-mates were all against me.”Panesar recounted one occasion in which he stormed out of a gym session after being out-performed by James Foster, the club captain, and some of his younger team-mates.”I remember thinking that they were all out to get me and then when I calmed down I was, like, ‘These guys are my team-mates, why am I thinking like that?'”Panesar’s obsessional nature impacted on his lifestyle on tour as well, where he would often retreat from his team-mates outside of matches.”I’d be in my room a lot, always thinking about cricket and bowling. I found I got on with most players, but I didn’t have any particularly close friends,” he said.”Those that I spent most time with were often tied up with my job: the wicketkeepers I’d work with, my bowling partners.”Panesar’s absence from the sport is particularly poignant given what an integral member of the team he ought to be right now. On the 2012 tour of the UAE, he claimed 14 wickets in two Tests against Pakistan, including five-wicket hauls in consecutive second innings, providing precisely the sort of impact that England’s spinners lacked on their most recent tour last month.”One part of me thought, I should be the one out there bowling 30 or 40 overs a day going for two an over,” he said. “But then another part of me was saying, ‘Come on, Monty, you’ve not helped yourself.'”

Division One

In what was effectively a meaningless match once Nottinghamshire had beaten Sussex, Essex – this year’s champions – were restricted to 201 for 8 in the 40 overs against Durham at Chester-le-Street. Andy Flower demonstrated his immense class and ability in one-day cricket with a chanceless 81 – and Andre Adams was typically impish in his 40 – but Essex were outdone by fine spells of bowling from Neil Killeen (2 for 26) and Ottis Gibson (2 for 32). Durham knocked off the required 202 with Phil Mustard (84 from 86) and Jimmy Maher (70) putting on a superb 152-run opening partnership – but it wasn’t enough for Durham to avoid relegation.Sussex’s title hopes were blown away by a remarkable spell of bowling from Gareth Clough whose 6 for 25 helped dismiss them for just 110 at Nottingham. Only Chris Adams’s 24 offered the visitors any hope of bailing the sinking ship, before Nottinghamshire knocked off the required runs with the minimum of fuss. Darren Bicknell clobbered an unbeaten 53 and there were useful contributions from Will Smith (22) and Stephen Fleming (26 from 33). Sussex’s defeat handed Essex the Pro40 Division One title.James Anderson marked his comeback with 2 for 31 to help Lancashire beat Glamorgan by the comprehensive margin of 109 runs at Old Trafford. Lancashire’s bristling 256 for 7 was formed by Nathan Astle’s aggressive 71-ball 78 and a pair of brisk 40s from Dominic Cork and Mark Chilton. Glamorgan set off disastrously, losing three for none at one stage. And though Mark Wallace (28 from 29) briefly threatened, he was left with too great a task and Glamorgan were dismissed for 147, allowing Lancashire to avoid relegation.Lance Klusener’s 5 for 33 blew away Middlesex’s fragile batting line-up as Northamptonshire walked to an easy 28-run win at Northampton. Setting the visitors 199 after Chris Rogers belted 70 from 75 balls, Middlesex lost Paul Weekes with the first ball of their reply and were soon 17 for 3 when Ed Joyce was bowled by Matthew Nicholson. Owais Shah (63) and Jamie Dalrymple (57) appeared to have the game by the neck until both were dismissed by Monty Panesar, leaving Klusener to mop up the tail with ease.

Division Two

Robert Ferley’s 3 for 25 handed Kent an unlikely 42-run win over Gloucestershire at Canterbury as the hosts dismissed Gloucestershire for just 134. The visitors, chasing 178, were batting nicely at 51 for 1 with Craig Spearman launching five fours in his 31. But a sudden flurry of wickets left too much for their lower-order before Ferley, the slow-left-armer, struck three times in as many overs to send Gloucestershire packing. Nevertheless, they were crowned Division Two champions.Paul Nixon continued his fine one-day form with an unbeaten 38 to edge Leicestershire home by four wickets against Derbyshire at Grace Road. Chasing 223 the home side were boosted by a typically aggressive 74 from Darren Maddy, containing 10 fours and a couple of lofted sixes. Although Derbyshire’s six bowlers each struck once, Nixon the aggressor was in dominant mood, smashing three sixes and three fours in a blistering 38 from just 23 balls.A fine 51 from Arul Suppiah led Somerset to a facile win over Surrey, chasing down 178 in just 20.3 overs at Taunton. Suppiah and Matthew Wood (37) put on 59 for the first wicket and Suppiah received further good support from James Hildreth (39) and Ian Blackwell, whose typically pugnacious 27 guided his side home with a flurry of boundaries. Earlier, Surrey’s stuttering total was compiled largely thanks to a run-a-ball 38 from Mark Butcher and 40 from Jon Batty, but they were restricted by Charl Willoughby and Wes Durston who took 3 for 44.Greg Lamb’s four wickets and a solid 60 helped Hampshire fell Yorkshire by five runs in a tense encounter at Headingley. At 201 for 5, with Adam Lyth and Tim Bresnan batting sensibly, the target of 221 was well within reach until Lamb and Shaun Udal struck, sending Yorkshire tumbling to 215 all out with two balls to spare. Hampshire’s innings was led by a pair of 60s from Dominic Thornely and Lamb; Thornely was particularly aggressive in smashing seven fours and a six.

Usman Khawaja has been drafted into the Australian squad for the second and third ODIs against India as cover for David Warner, who goes on paternity leave. Warner and his wife Candice are expecting their second child very soon.Warner had said the baby was due towards the end of January during a media interaction after the Sydney Test against West Indies. “I’m just looking forward to playing the first couple of one-dayers first and obviously I’ll be by the phone to wait for that phone call.”Now that it’s arrived Australia have swapped one in-form left-handed opener for another. Khawaja has been stunning over the last few months in competitive cricket. Four of his last seven innings in Test and Big Bash League cricket have been hundreds. He hit them back-to-back against New Zealand in Brisbane and Perth, but missed out on the Day-Night Test in Adelaide with a hamstring injury. A century in the BBL on his return proved there was no lingering discomfort and then plundered 144 and 56 in the Melbourne Test against West Indies a few days later.”Usman has been in fantastic form this season and was unlucky to miss out on a place in our squad for the ODI Series in the first place,” national selector Rod Marsh said. “This call-up is a reward for that form and it is great to have someone of his quality to step into the squad in David’s absence. We wish both David and Candice well and look forward to welcoming David back into the squad when circumstances allow.”Khawaja will join the Australian side in Brisbane, where the second ODI takes place on January 15. He will not be available for Sydney Thunder duty during this time.

Two English county umpires, Jeff Evans and Trevor Jesty, have signed contracts to stand in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) which begins next week.Both officials have been told that their future contracts with the ECB, which run from April to September, won’t be affected although the ECB have said they’d prefer their umpires not to take part because of the lack of anti-corruption safeguards in place.”I saw this as an opportunity to visit India and to gain experience umpiring in a major competition,” Evans told . “I’ve had many sleepless nights about it, but I have consulted my solicitor, the Professional Cricketers’ Association solicitor and sought advice from anyone and everyone in the game.”Ray Julian, who retired from first-class umpiring six years ago, has also agreed to travel to the ICL but Ismail Dawood, the former Yorkshire and Glamorgan wicketkeeper, has turned down an offer as he wants to ensure he is included on ECB’s reserve list next season.”I would like to umpire in first-class cricket in England and I didn’t want to jeopardise my prospects,” said Dawood. “It was a tough decision because the ICL contract was extremely lucrative.”

The fourth edition of the SA20 kicked off with a thriller as MI Cape Town (MICT) began their title defence with a narrow loss to last year’s bottom team Durban’s Super Giants (DSG) in a run-fest. In front of a packed Newlands crowd, there were 449 runs scored in the game, the second-highest match aggregate in an SA20 game.Asked to complete the highest successful chase of the tournament, MICT’s charge was led by Ryan Rickelton, who was dropped from South Africa’s T20I squad to face India, but recorded his highest T20 score. Rickelton’s 113 came off 63 balls and included 11 sixes, the most in an SA20 innings, and has flung his name back into the T20 World Cup conversation.Despite his efforts, DSG’s inexperienced seamers held their nerve. Kwena Maphaka and Eathan Bosch defended 31 runs off the last two overs while MICT still had six wickets in hand. They lost 3 for 15 in the last two overs to ensure DSG’s 232 for 7 was enough.DSG’s total was built on Devon Conway and Kane Williamson’s 96-run partnership for the first wicket. Conway went on to score 64, before MICT clawed their way back. They took 3 for 41, before explosive stands of 32 off 19 balls between Heinrich Klaasen and Aiden Markram, 34 off 18 between Markram and Evan Jones, and 29 in 10 balls between Jones and David Wiese saw DSG top 230.Devon Conway smashed a blistering fifty•Sportzpics

In response, MICT lost Rassie van der Dussen at the end of the third over with the score at 22, and needed big hitters. Rickelton reached his highest score in the format and his second hundred to keep them in the hunt almost until the end. He shared a 60-run stand with Reeza Hendricks, before Jason Smith all but stole the show. Smith dominated a 76-run third-wicket stand with Rickelton, and the pair scored at a shade under 17 runs an over for the four-and-a-half overs they were together.At one stage, MICT were ahead of where DSG had been. When Smith was dismissed, MICT needed 75 runs from the last six overs. By the time the last three overs came, they needed 49 runs. But MICT eventually fell 15 runs short.

An all-Kiwi opening

There’s talk of the NZ20 starting in January 2027, but you could argue that it had its soft launch here, at the SA20 in 2025. Williamson and Conway opened the batting for DSG, and Trent Boult had the new ball for MICT as season four kicked off. Though Boult caused problems, the batters had the best of the opening exchanges.Boult delivered a peach of a first ball that beat Conway as it swung away, and then found Williamson’s inside edge which went for four. But the batters soon hit their straps. In Boult’s next over, Conway ramped him for four, and Williamson scythed one through point. The pair was 29 without loss after Boult’s first spell, and posted 68 by the end of the powerplay. With excellent running and pinpoint placement, their stand grew to 96, with the partnership ending at two short of the DSG record.Aiden Markram had two crucial partnerships•Sportzpics

Rashid in the field – from sublime to ridiculous

It was Rashid Khan who was responsible for the first wicket, when Williamson hit Tristan Luus over mid-off. Rashid ran back, almost to long-off, and took the catch over his shoulder to claim what could already be the catch of the tournament. But that was as good as it got for the MICT captain. He went on to put down three chances, albeit not all of them easy, in what quickly became a day for him to forget in the field.The first opportunity came when Markram, on 2, drove George Linde to Rashid at catching over but the latter seemed to lose the ball in the lights. In the next over, Klaasen, on 13, gave Rashid a chance in his follow through, but the ball hit his finger and he could not hold on. And then, at the start of the 17th over, Markram, who had moved to 16, got a leading edge off Boult, and Rashid charged in from mid-off but the ball hit his wrist and then his chest as he fell forward. Markram went on to plunder three boundaries off Corbin Bosch, and one off Linde, before he was eventually stumped for 35.

Rickelton finds form at his favourite ground

Rickelton started 2025 with a Test double hundred at Newlands, and three fifties in edition three of SA20 there, before losing his way as the year went on. He was dropped from South Africa’s T20I squad on their recent tour of India, and finished the ODI series with successive ducks. But on Friday, Rickelton showed signs of a return to form, albeit in a losing cause and with some luck.Rickelton’s first shots in anger were his sixes off Simon Harmer, but his best was a late cut off Eathan Bosch that was all timing. He went on to send Eathan Bosch over the ropes for two sixes, and slog swept Noor Ahmed for one. Rickelton found the gaps on both sides of the field, and took advantage of anything even slightly over pitched to get to 49 off 30 balls. He could have been out then when Noor reviewed an lbw call, but survived on impact, which was umpire’s call.Jason Smith’s counterattack gave his side hope in the big chase•Sportzpics

Rickelton went on to raise his bat to his 25th T20 half-century, and record his highest score in 26 innings since the last edition of the SA20. He also grew in confidence as his knock went on. He could have been out for 85 when he was caught off a no-ball from Maphaka, and went on to record his second century when he flat-batted Wiese over long-on for his tenth six. Rickelton should have been out off the next ball when he skied Wiese, but Eathan Bosch could not hold on. Rickelton finished on 113 when he hit Eathan Bosch to long-off.

Jason Smith’s cameo

Eyebrows were raised when Smith came in ahead of Nicholas Pooran. But by the time Smith had faced ten balls, he made sure people knew why. Smith raced to 32 in that time, with four fours and two sixes, and the pick of them was the hit off Maphaka in an over that cost the young left-armer 19 runs.Smith picked the slower ball, and hit it against the wind over deep-backward square to underline his intent. He managed one more big strike, a six over deep point off Eathan Bosch, before hitting the next ball tamely to Markram at mid-off. Smith departed for a 14-ball 41, and announced himself as an alternate finisher for this MICT outfit.

India will send an A-team to tour Zimbabwe later this month, replacing the West Indies who cancelled their trip on safety grounds earlier this week. They will play two four-day and two one-day matches from July 22.”We are excited to have the replacement tour,” Dave Everington, Zimbabwe Cricket’s senior manager for cricket operations, said. “Our boys have been in camp for a fortnight so it was a huge blow to them when the West Indies A tour was cancelled. With India A coming, it means those vying for a place in the Zimbabwe Select side have something to fight for again.”It is believed that Zimbabwe Cricket is also in talks with the Kenyan board with a view to participating in a triangular tournament including India A in Kenya in August.The programme to expose the young Zimbabwe players to top-level three or four-day matches in preparation for the resumption of Test participation will also see Sri Lanka A touring in October.”There are areas the guys still need to work on so that the next time we play an international opposition we will be better skilled and better prepared,” Kevin Curran, the national coach, said. “The guys are working hard. They will undergo a skills session next week.”