Rehan Ahmed and Jordan Cox have been called up to England’s white-ball squad for their upcoming tour of the West Indies. Ahmed will join the team directly from Pakistan, while Cox will be available for the ODIs but will miss the T20 leg due to his preparation for the New Zealand Test series.
Pakistan’s white-ball specialist, Iftikhar Ahmed, has expressed his frustration at being asked to bat as low as number 7 and 8 in recent limited-overs matches. He firmly believes he is a tailender, not a middle-order batter, and is eager to prove his worth in the upcoming Champions Cup.
Brendon McCullum, the architect of England’s successful ‘Bazball’ approach in Test cricket, has been appointed as the new coach of England’s white-ball teams. McCullum, who has extended his contract until 2027, will lead England in the One-Day International and Twenty20 formats, bringing his aggressive style of play to the limited-overs game. He replaces Matthew Mott, who was sacked after England’s disappointing defense of their World Cup titles.
England’s interim Test captain Ollie Pope believes Brendon McCullum’s ‘Bazball’ philosophy can transform the fortunes of the limited-overs teams. McCullum, who has extended his contract until 2027, will take charge of all formats from January. Pope highlights McCullum’s positive influence and optimistic approach, emphasizing his ability to bring out the best in players. With England’s white-ball teams facing recent struggles, McCullum’s arrival brings hope for a revival.
KL Rahul, the flamboyant Indian batter, opens up about his journey from being perceived primarily as a Test player to becoming an indispensable part of India’s white-ball teams. Rahul attributes his transformation to his hard work and the opportunity to showcase his skills in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2016.
England legspinner Adil Rashid believes the team has the mindset of champions heading into June’s T20 World Cup, despite their failure to defend their 50-over crown in India last year. Rashid insists that the struggles in the 50-over format should not be related to their T20 title defense, emphasizing that the shorter format requires a different approach. England white-ball coach Matthew Mott echoes Rashid’s sentiments, expressing confidence in the squad and suggesting that captain Jos Buttler will rely more on intuition in his decision-making. Rashid highlights the importance of freedom and spontaneity in T20 cricket, believing it allows teams to perform better. The England legspinner also praises the ECB’s new tape-ball competition, seeing it as a potential talent pathway, citing Haris Rauf’s success story as an example.
