However, he got left frustrated by his dismissal as the Day 3 came to an end at Cape Town. Babar failed to complete his century and had to return to the dugout after scoring just 81 runs.

“I’m very disappointed with both innings. I started well, but didn’t finish well,” Babar said after Day 3’s play as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
“If you settle, you must go much bigger. That is why I was a bit upset. There were just 15 minutes left,” he added.

After getting bowled out at 194, Babar opened the innings with captain Shan Masood as Saim Ayub was injured. Both the openers shared a partnership of 205 runs, which is the highest by an opening pair in history of Test cricket.

“The conditions here are different from Centurion, when you come to South Africa, you don’t expect that [the pitch will be so flat]. With the new ball, it was a bit challenging, but once you settled down and built a partnership, it became easier. But there are some rough patches; you saw a couple of overs from Maharaj to Shan which got some turn and bounce. So the spinner is a bit of a challenge for the batter. But against the fast bowler, if you’re settled, just play your normal game,” he concluded.

Classic Babar Azam shotpic.twitter.com/Fj7TlweQoU

— Haroon (@ThisHaroon) January 5, 2025

Pakistan were at 213/1 after Day 3 came to an end. Nightwatchman Khurran Shahzad scored eight runs from 14 balls. Skipper Shan Masood stayed unbeaten for 102 off 166 balls. Pakistan still needs to get rid of a trail of 208 runs

The post ‘Very disappointed with…’: Babar Azam shares his frustration even after 3 consecutive fifties on South Africa tour appeared first on Cricket Country.

In the absence of Rohit Sharma for the Test in Perth, Jasprit Bumrah had taken the lead of the team, and led them to a spectacular 295-run win. Despite taking the charge in Adelaide, Rohit Sharma was unable to guide the team to victory and had to face a loss of 10 wickets.

Rohit has been on the receiving side of criticism since the loss in Adelaide, and fans are even talking about Bumrah taking over the captaincy. Daryll Cullinan, a former South African player went guns-blazing towards Rohit Sharma for his dismal batting performance.

“Look at Rohit, then at Virat. Notice the difference in their physical condition. Rohit is overweight, and not a long-term cricketer anymore. Rohit is not in a good physical condition to play in a four or a five-match Test series,” Daryll Cullinan told InsideSport.

The team has reached Brisbane on December 11 and were seen working hard in their first net session. All of the players are working hard to overcome the reasons that have led to their below-par batting performance in the first two matches.

The post ‘Overweight, not long-term…’: Ex-South Africa cricketer Harshly criticises Rohit Sharma’s fitness appeared first on Cricket Country.

South Africa are at the top with a 63.33 win percentage. This is their sixth win out of the ten Tests. Australia is following in closely with a percentage of 60.71. Indian team has secured nine wins out of the 16 total Tests they have played, and have a win percentage of 57.29.

After the whitewash on South African soil, Sri Lanka has kept their fourth position with a win percentage of 45.45, and they a over England by a little bit as they are at 45.24.

Coming to India, the team can still secure their chance to enter the WTC finals if they win the remaining three Tests against Australia and secure the series 4-1. This will take their win percentage to 63.15 and solidify their place in WTC Finals. However, if the team loses even one more Test, their win percentage will drop to 57.89.

In case such thing happens, Indian will have to be dependent on the outcomes of other teams, and will have to hope that Pakistan beats South Africa 2-0 and for Sri Lanka to whitewash Australia at home, with one or both Tests ending in a draw.

The post WTC Points Table: South Africa take over Australia and secure 1st place with 109 run win over Sri Lanka appeared first on Cricket Country.

In March 2023, Duminy was appointed as the head coach for the white-ball team, as he was working under head coach Rob Walter. His appointment was the marker for the beginning of a new time period for South Africa as he came in after Mark Boucher got departed. As the governing body confirmed the news, Cricket South Africa released an official statement.

“Cricket South Africa (CSA) announces that JP Duminy has stepped down from his role as the white-ball batting coach with immediate effect, following a mutual agreement with CSA based on personal reasons,” the statement read.

“JP Duminy, a stalwart of South African cricket, has been a key member of the limited-overs coaching staff since his appointment in March 2023. His contributions to the growth and development of the batting department within the national white-ball setup have been invaluable,” the statement added.

“CSA wishes Duminy all the best in his future endeavors and thanks him for his contributions to the Proteas Men’s team during his tenure. A process to identify a suitable replacement is currently underway, and the appointment of a new white-ball batting coach will be announced in due course,” the statement concluded.

Before he got assigned with the national team, Duminy served as the head coach of the SA20 side Paarl Royals, along with the domestic side Boland.

Cricket South Africa will now undergo the process of finding a replacement for Duminy soon, even though it may not be possible to appoint a particular replacement in time for the upcoming series against Pakistan.

The post South Africa’s batting coach takes a MASSIVE step in IMMEDIATE effect amidst 2nd Test against Sri Lanka appeared first on Cricket Country.

The medical evaluations of Ngidi, which got announced on social media, revealed that he might not be out until he recovers, which is supposed to be till January 2025.

The Proteas currently have a secure place at the fourth position in the WTC standings with a points percentage of 54.17, even eyeing a pace to make it to the top two. If they perform well in the two series they have on their schedule, it could make way for them to the WTC finals. South Africa might increase their points percentage to a massive69.44% if they perform well against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

PLAYER UPDATE 🗞

Proteas Men’s fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, as well as the all-format tour against Pakistan, due to a groin injury.

The 28-year-old recently underwent a medical assessment as part of his structured… pic.twitter.com/aZVL64aX9X

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) November 14, 2024

“Proteas Men’s fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has been ruled out of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, as well as the all-format tour against Pakistan, due to a groin injury…He will now begin a rehabilitation programme and is expected to return to play in January,” said the statement by South Africa.

The post Massive hit to South Africa: Star player ruled out of Massive series before IND v SA 4th T20I appeared first on Cricket Country.

As he has retired from international cricket, David will now keep his focus on bringing the glory of Sydney Thunder back to what it was before they finished at the bottom in the last season. David is coming in as the replacement of Chris Green as the captain.

David has also expressed how delighted he feels to be back as the role of a leader once again.

“Captaining the Thunder again this season means a lot to me. I was part of the team from the start, and now to be back with that ‘C’ next to my name feels fantastic. I’m looking forward to leading from the front and sharing my experience with the young talent coming through,” said Warner.

“Leadership off the field is just as crucial. I want to create an environment where we can all take a break from the game, bond, and enjoy ourselves. Whether it’s over a team meal, out on the golf course or engaging with our fans in Western Sydney, it’s all about building camaraderie and staying grounded,” he added.

“I want to compliment the way Greeny (Chris Green) led from the front. He’s an exceptional talent with fantastic leadership qualities. Jason Sangha, too, before his injury. I gained great insight from both, and I know they’re guys I can lean on this season,” he concluded.

The post David Warner returns as Leader after 6 long years: Set to captain… appeared first on Cricket Country.

“The Afro-Asia Cup, apart from the cricket, brings the much-needed financial input to the organisation, and the appetite is huge from both ends,” said, Tavengwa Mukuhlani, the interim chair of the ACA.

“We have had conversations with our counterparts within the Asia Cricket Council, and obviously our African contingents, they want the Afro-Asia Cup to be revived,” he further added.

Cricketers from India and Pakistan might get an opportunity to play in the same lineup is the Afro-Asia Cup is held. India and Pakistan have not taken part in a bilateral relation since January 2013, and have instead only faced off in ICC and ACC competitions.

The post India and Pakistan set to play together? Afro-Asia Cup to comeback after almost 20 years appeared first on Cricket Country.

As an effort to embrace the culture of the country, Indian team took part in a quiz-style conversation related to the history and distinctive features of South Africa. Abhishek Sharma and Axar Patel were the leaders of this fun session where they questioned their teammates on different types of facts and peculiarities of South Indian team.

Touchdown Durban 🛬🇿🇦

How good is #TeamIndia's knowledge of their next destination 🤔#SAvIND pic.twitter.com/m4YjikAw6Y

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 4, 2024

Abhisek was spotted asking questions like, “Is South Africa the only country with three capitals?” followed by concluding with a hilarious question “Does Axar Patel have the loudest laugh in the squad?”

India vs South Africa squads:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.

South Africa: Aiden Markram (C), Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla, Tristan Stubbs

The post WATCH: Indian team lands in Durban, Axar Patel and Abhishek Sharma take exclusive South Africa quiz appeared first on Cricket Country.

The South African selection committee has brought light to young talent as they have included 24-year-old Mihlali Mpongwana in the T20I squad for the first time. Mihlali’s performance has been impressive as he has earned a valuable spot in the national team.

South Africa’s squad for T20I series against India:

Aiden Markram, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla, Tristan Stubbs.

India vs South Africa’s T20I series schedule:
November 8: First T20 – India vs. South Africa  
November 10: Second T20 – India vs. South Africa  
November 13: Third T20 – India vs. South Africa  
November 15: Fourth T20 – India vs. South Africa 

The post South Africa announce T20I squad for Series against India, Veteran players set to make Comeback appeared first on Cricket Country.

“I haven’t heard anything on this matter (regarding Najmul quitting from captaincy) It’s not part of our role, I’m not fully informed on this. Having played for 10 years, I’m fully prepared (for captaincy),” Taijul told reporters on Monday.

Taijul also stated that the team should remain in good condition and stay calm, accepting that some players might even get impacted by disturbances from outside.

“This is a team game. The most important thing is that the team remains in good condition. Some players may be affected by outside events, while others can continue their role with calmness. Personally, I try to stay relaxed and focus on my work. But within a team, I can’t say how each person reacts; everyone’s mindset is different. We’re not involved in management or board meetings,” he said.

The post Bangladesh star names Himself to take over Test Captaincy if Najmul Hossain Shanto quits appeared first on Cricket Country.