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India
Despite the loss in the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, India stay in a healthy position at the top of the table. For them to get enough points to seal their place in the WTC final regardless of other results, they need at least four wins and one draw (52 points) in their remaining seven Tests, which will give them 65.79 percentage points. South Africa can get up to 69.44 if they win each of their remaining six Tests, but Australia can only reach 62.28 with four wins and one draw (assuming they lose two to India and draw one, and win the other four Tests).If India get fewer than 52 points, then there is a possibility of them not being in the top two. For instance, if they win four Tests (48 points, 64.04%), then it’s possible for Australia and South Africa to overtake them. Sri Lanka can finish with more than 67% too, but wins for them will be at the expense of points for both Australia and South Africa. That will work in India’s favour as Australia and South Africa could then both finish below India. New Zealand can finish as high as 64.29% if they win each of their five remaining Tests.Australia
Currently in second place at 62.5%, Australia can finish on a maximum of 76.32 if they win each of their remaining seven Tests. The two teams against whom they play their remaining series, India and Sri Lanka, are also strong contenders for the final, so wins against them will doubly help Australia’s cause. Five wins will lift their percentage to 65.79, but India and South Africa can still go past them. Things will be clearer by the time they start the series against India, though, as the visitors would have finished their three home Tests against New Zealand.South Africa
South Africa’s victory against Bangladesh in the Mirpur Test has kept them in the race for a top-two finish. If they win each of their five remaining Tests they will finish with 69.44%, which will surely be enough for qualification, as only one out of India or Australia can go past that number. Four wins and a draw will leave them with 63.89, which will still keep them in contention, while four wins and a defeat will lower the percentage marginally to 61.11, which will still give them a chance if other results go their way. The second Test against Bangladesh, ahead of four home Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan later this year, is shaping up as a crucial fixture.Sri Lanka
With a full 24 points gained from their last two Tests, Sri Lanka have made a strong push towards a top-two finish in this WTC cycle. Their four remaining Tests are against two opponents who are also contenders for the final. If they win each of those matches and take home 48 more points (keep in mind over-rate deductions are always a threat), they will finish on 69.23% and assure themselves of a place in the final regardless of other results. If they lose one and win three they will end up at 61.54, which will still leave them with a chance of qualifying, depending on other results.Australia would have a clearer picture of qualification ahead of the home Tests against India•AFP/Getty Images

New Zealand
New Zealand can still finish with a percentage as high as 64.29 if they win all five remaining Tests, but that remains a tough ask despite their victory in the first Test against India in Bengaluru. Even if they win three of those five Tests and lose two, they will finish at only 50%.England
After winning and losing their first two Tests in Pakistan, England can no longer finish with more than 60 percentage points. For them to qualify with that score, they will need several other results to work in their favour.Bangladesh
The two defeats in India and now one at home to South Africa have hurt Bangladesh badly – from 45.83% they have dropped to 30.56. Even if they win each of their three remaining Tests, it is unlikely to be enough for a place in the top two.Pakistan
Pakistan’s win against England in Multan has pushed their percentage points above 20, but they can’t get above 60 even if they win all their remaining matches in this cycle.West Indies
West Indies have already played four series and have only scored 20 points out of 108. Even if they win their last four Tests, they can only finish on 43.59%.

When will the draft take place?

It all happens on September 1. The WBBL draft will take place first, starting at 3pm AEST, followed straight after by the BBL draft.

What order do the teams pick in?

This was determined by a weighted lottery a few months ago, based on last season’s finishing positions. In the WBBL, Hobart Hurricanes came out with pick No. 1 and Perth Scorchers last with pick No. 8. In the BBL, Melbourne Stars will have first pick and Sydney Sixers the eighth one.Related

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There are four rounds in all. Round one involves Platinum players only; round two Platinum and Gold; round three Gold and Silver; and round four Silver and Bronze.In the BBL, Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder have traded their second-round picks as part of Wes Agar’s move to Thunder. So, in that round, Strikers have pick 11 and Thunder pick 13. In the WBBL, Strikers have traded picks 19 and 30 to Melbourne Renegades, getting picks 22 and 27 in returnThe third round (gold and silver) of each draft goes in reverse order. So, in the WBBL, Scorchers will have consecutive picks at 16 and 17 and in the BBL Sixers will have the same.The round one WBBL order reads: 1 Hobart Hurricanes, 2 Sydney Sixers, 3 Melbourne Renegades, 4 Melbourne Stars, 5 Sydney Thunder, 6 Adelaide Strikers, 7 Brisbane Heat, 8 Perth ScorchersThe round one BBL order reads: 1 Melbourne Stars, 2 Melbourne Renegades, 3 Sydney Thunder, 4 Hobart Hurricanes, 5 Adelaide Strikers, 6 Brisbane Heat, 7 Perth Scorchers, 8 Sydney Sixers.Cricket Australia

How many overseas players will be drafted?

Each team will need to draft a minimum of two overseas players on top of their pre-signed names, meaning they can pass in only one round. The new mechanism was introduced this season to allow clubs in both competitions to sign one player before the draft and on multi-year deals if they wish. All the clubs have already taken advantage of this option.During the draft itself, the clubs will need to nominate which round their pre-signed overseas players are allocated to, based on the value of their contract. While many of them will be Platinum – the highest paid – that won’t be case for all. Renegades, for example, have already confirmed that Tim Seifert won’t be a Platinum pick. It’s also understood that in the WBBL, Brisbane Heat allrounder Nadine de Klerk will go in one of the lower bands.Clubs can sign a fourth overseas player during the draft if wanted, but they would be considered a replacement player. A maximum of three can be fielded in an XI.Replacement players can also be signed after the draft but have to come from those who have nominated, unless the tournament technical committee approves them under special circumstances, as happened with Nat Sciver-Brunt last season.

Full list of pre-signed players

Adelaide Strikers: Smriti Mandhana, Ollie Pope
Brisbane Heat: Nadine de Klerk, Colin Munro
Hobart Hurricanes: Lizelle Lee, Chris Jordan
Melbourne Renegades: Hayley Matthews, Tim Seifert
Melbourne Stars: Marizanne Kapp, Tom Curran
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine, Finn Allen
Sydney Sixers: Amelia Kerr, Akeal Hosein
Sydney Thunder: Chamari Athapaththu, Sam BillingsCricket Australia

So how much are the players paid?

There are four price bands. These figures are in Australian dollars.WBBL
Platinum: $110,000 (depending on availability)
Gold: $90,000
Silver: $65,000
Bronze: up to $40,000BBL
Platinum: $360,000-$420,000 (depending on availability)
Gold: $300,000
Silver: $200,000
Bronze: up to $100,000

Can players be retained by their previous team?

Yes, each club gets one retention pick. The basic example of a player who can be retained is one who played for the club the previous season. But there are other ways players qualify for retention. If they were signed last year but did not play (such as Danni Wyatt at Scorchers), they can be retained this year. When a club confirms which round their pre-signed player places into, that classes as their pick in that round and therefore they can’t then also use their retention.

What is player availability like?

Both competitions have now been reduced to 40-game regular seasons, with the WBBL’s new structure coming into effect this year after the BBL in 2023-24. There’s more of a squeeze on the WBBL this year while the BBL faces its usual headwinds from rival T20 leagues (SA20 and ILT20) and international cricket.The WBBL starts just seven days after the T20 World Cup finishes. There’s also various bilateral cricket at either end of the competition. India are due to play New Zealand straight after the World Cup while South Africa face England, which overlaps with the finals. England players selected for that tour will leave the WBBL but some South Africans, including Marizanne Kapp, will be available throughout and miss the T20Is.In the BBL, it’s even more of jigsaw puzzle although most of the pre-signed players have committed to a full season including the finals (that is a requirement for the 2025-26 season onwards, but optional for this one). Last season’s finals were decimated by an exodus of players to the UAE. However, some that are signed in the draft itself will again likely leave early with a host of them stating availability of six to nine games.The fixture congestion has been amplified for this season because the ILT20 has moved forward to make room for the Champions Trophy in February and will start on January 11, two days after the SA20 starts.

When do the competitions take place?

The WBBL runs from October 27 to December 1 and the BBL from December 15 to January 27.

Adelaide Strikers

MenFabian Allen, James Bazley, Jordan Buckingham, Cameron Boyce, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Chris Lynn, Jamie Overton, Lloyd Pope, Ollie Pope, Alex Ross, D’Arcy Short, Matt Short, Henry Thornton, Jake WeatheraldIn Fabian Allen, Jordan Buckingham, Ollie Pope, Alex Ross (Thunder)
Out Wes Agar (Thunder)Women Jemma Barsby, Darcie Brown, Maggie Clark, Ellie Johnston, Katie Mack, Eleanor Larosa, Smriti Mandhana, Anesu Mushangwe, Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Madeline Penna, Orla Prendergast, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Laura Wolvaardt,In Maggie Clark, Ellie Johnston (Heat), Eleanor Larosa, Smriti Mandhana, Orla Prendergast
Out Dani Gibson, Georgia Adams (Thunder), Courtney Neale, Annie O’Neil, Ella Wilson

Brisbane Heat

MenTom Alsop, Xavier Bartlett, Max Bryant, Spencer Johnson, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Colin Munro, Michael Neser, Jimmy Peirson, Will Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson, Callum Vidler, Paul WalterIn Tom Alsop, Callum Vidler
Out Josh Brown (Renegades), Sam Billings (Thunder)WomenBonnie Berry, Nadine de Klerk, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Nicola Hancock, Grace Harris, Laura Harris, Jess Jonassen, Charli Knott, Shikha Pandey, Grace Parsons, Georgia Redmayne, Jemimah Rodrigues, Mikayla WrigleyIn Bonnie Berry, Sianna Ginger, Shikha Pandey, Jemimah Rodrigues, Mikayla Wrigley
Out Amelia Kerr (Sixers), Georgia Voll (Thunder), Courtney Sippel (Sixers), Ellie Johnston (Strikers)

Hobart Hurricanes

MenIain Carlisle, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tim David, Paddy Dooley, Nathan Ellis, Peter Hatzoglou, Shai Hope, Rishad Hossain, Caleb Jewell, Chris Jordan, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Mitch Owen, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Mac WrightIn Shai Hope, Rishad Hosein, Charlie Wakim
Out Corey Anderson, Sam HainWomenSuzie Bates, Nicola Carey, Zoe Cooke, Heather Graham, Ruth Johnston, Lizelle Lee, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Tabatha Saville, Amy Smith, Lauren Smith, Molly Strano, Rachel Trenaman, Chloe Tryon, Elyse Villani, Callie Wilson, Danni WyattIn Lauren Smith (Thunder), Chloe Tryon, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Suzie Bates
Out Maisy Gibson (Stars), Shabnim Ismail, Bryony Smith, Naomi Stalenberg (Renegades)

Melbourne Renegades

MenJacob Bethell, Josh Brown, Harry Dixon, Laurie Evans, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Nathan Lyon, Fergus O’Neill, Kane Richardson, Tom Rogers, Gurinder Sandhu, Tim Seifert, Will Sutherland, Jon Wells, Adam ZampaIn Jacob Bethell, Josh Brown (Heat), Laurie Evans, Gurinder Sandhu (Thunder)
Out Aaron Finch, Nic Maddinson (Thunder) Shaun MarshWomenAlice Capsey, Sarah Coyte, Emma de Broughe, Josie Dooley, Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum, Ella Hayward, Milly Illingworth, Hayley Matthews, Sophie Molineux, Georgia Prestwidge, Naomi Stalenberg, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham, Courtney WebbIn Alice Capsey, Deandra Dottin, Nicole Faltum (Stars), Milly Illingworth (Stars), Naomi Stalenberg (Hurricanes)
Out Tammy Beaumont, Jess Duffin, Harmanpreet Kaur, Ellen Falconer, Erica Kershaw, Rhiann O’DonnellAmelia Kerr has been a big-name signing for Sydney Sixers•ICC/Getty Images

Melbourne Stars

MenScott Boland, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Tom Curran, Ben Duckett, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Glenn Maxwell, Hamish McKenzie, Usama Mir, Joel Paris, Tom Rogers, Mark Steketee, Marcus Stoinis, Beau WebsterIn Tom Curran (Sixers), Ben Duckett, Hamish McKenzie (Stars)
Out Nick LarkinWomenYastika Bhatia, Sophie Day, Tess Flintoff, Kim Garth, Maisy Gibson, Hasrat Gill, Liv Henry, Marizanne Kapp, Meg Lanning, Rhys McKenna, Sasha Moloney, Sophie Reid, Deepti Sharma, Annabel SutherlandIn Yastika Bhatia, Maisy Gibson (Hurricanes), Marizanne Kapp (Thunder), Deepti Sharma, Hasrat Gill
Out Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Sophia Dunkley, Nicole Faltum (Renegades), Milly Illingworth (Renegades)

Perth Scorchers

MenAshton Agar, Finn Allen, Mahli Beardman, Jason Behrendorff, Cooper Connolly, Sam Fanning, Aaron Hardie, Nick Hobson, Matthew Hurst, Josh Inglis, Keaton Jennings, Matt Kelly, Mitchell Marsh, Lance Morris, Jhye Richardson, Matthew Spoors Ashton Turner, Andrew TyeIn Finn Allen, Mahli Beardman, Sam Fanning, Matthew Hurst, Keaton Jennings, Matthew Spoors
Out Hamish McKenzie (Stars)WomenChloe Ainsworth, Stella Campbell, Piepa Cleary, Maddy Darke, Sophie Devine, D Hemalatha, Amy Edgar, Mikayla Hinkley, Amy Jones, Alana King, Lilly Mills, Beth Mooney, Chloe PiparoIn D Hemalatha, Mikayla Hinkley (Heat)
Out Taneale Peschel (Thunder), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Lauren Winfield-Hill

Sydney Sixers

MenSean Abbott, Jackson Bird, Jafer Chohan, Joel Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Moises Henriques, Akeal Hosein, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Todd Murphy, Kurtis Patterson, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Jordan Silk, Steven Smith, James VinceIn Jafer Chohan, Akeal Hosein
Out Steve O’Keefe, Tom Curran (Stars)WomenHolly Armitage, Maitlan Brown, Erin Burns, Mathilda Carmichael, Lauren Cheatle, Sophie Ecclestone, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Amelia Kerr, Isabella Malgioglio, Kate Pelle, Ellyse Perry, Kate Peterson, Courtney SippelIn Holly Armitage, Sophie Ecclestone, Amelia Kerr (Heat), Isabella Malgioglio, Courtney Sippel (Heat)
Out Chloe Tryon, Suzie Bates, Jess Kerr, Lindsey Smith

Sydney Thunder

MenWes Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Sam Billings, Ollie Davies, Lockie Ferguson, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Sam Konstas, Nic Maddinson, Nathan McAndrew, Sherfane Rutherford, Will Salzmann, Daniel Sams, Jason Sangha, Tanveer Sangha, David WarnerIn Wes Agar, Sam Billings, Lockie Ferguson, Nic Maddinson (Renegades), Sherfane Rutherford
Out Alex Ross (Strikers), Gurinder Sandhu (Renegades)WomenGeorgia Adams, Chamari Athapaththu, Samantha Bates, Hannah Darlington, Sienna Eve, Saskia Horley, Shabnim Ismail, Sammy Jo-Johnson, Heather Knight, Anika Learoyd, Phoebe Litchfield, Claire Moore, Taneale Peschel, Georgia Voll, Tahlia WilsonIn
Georgia Adams, Sienna Eve, Shabnim Ismail, Taneale Peschel (Scorchers), Georgia Voll (Heat)Out Lauren Bell, Marizanne Kapp (Stars), Lauren Smith (Hurricanes)

The number of upsets – Associate teams beating Full Members – and close finishes in the T20 World Cup 2024 have made Nepal captain Rohit Paudel confident that they can beat an under-pressure Sri Lanka in Lauderhill, Florida, on June 11. It will be the second game for Nepal but a more crucial fixture for Sri Lanka, who are on the brink of elimination after losing their first two matches.”Yeah, absolutely,” Paudel replied when asked about his hopes of beating Sri Lanka. “If you see in this World Cup, you’ll see that the Associate team is beating Test-playing countries. So, it is a motivation for all of us, especially moving forward to tomorrow’s game. So as a team, we believe that we are going to win tomorrow and the way we have been preparing for the last couple of months and the way we have been playing cricket for the last one and a half years, I think the belief is always there in the team and we are looking forward to tomorrow’s game.”We want to go tomorrow and showcase our talent in front of the world.”Related

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The two results that will boost Nepal’s confidence will be USA beating Pakistan and Canada prevailing over Ireland, both results from Group A. Even apart from those, Papua New Guinea gave West Indies a scare early in the tournament and Netherlands nearly pulled off another victory against South Africa in a World Cup. Afghanistan beating New Zealand may not count as an “upset” anymore, but the margin of 84 runs against a much higher-ranked team would have defied many expectations.Paudel said his team would also draw confidence from the fact that it hasn’t been a high-scoring tournament so far and barring the opening game between USA and Canada, venues in the USA have been fairly low scoring. While New York has seen the lowest scores among the three USA grounds, Dallas has also produced scores of 106, 159 and 124 for the teams batting first, after Canada scored 194 in the tournament opener.Rohit Paudel hopes Nepal continue the trend of upsets against Sri Lanka, who have lost two out of two in this T20 World Cup•Getty Images

“Scoring runs is becoming harder due to drop-in pitches and conditions,” he said. “The conditions in New York and Dallas are different from that in Florida. Florida has hosted the India-West Indies game previously. So, I think the conditions then and now are different and in the two-three days we practiced, the wickets looked good. If we respect the conditions and present our skills, we can beat any team. The team believes that. We are very confident for tomorrow.”If you look at this tournament, there have been many ups and downs. So, the team believes, and more than us, as a team, the pressure is on the Test-playing nation. We will utilise the pressure, create the pressure and we want to win the game tomorrow. So, if we do the basic things right, I think we are ahead.”Sri Lanka might have had a tough start to the World Cup with their first two clashes against Full Member sides – South Africa and Bangladesh – and even winning their last two league games may not be enough to make the Super Eight.”I think team Sri Lanka is under more pressure than us,” Paudel said. “And if you look at the conditions in the USA, there are lots of dot balls being played. Yesterday, India scored only 119 [against Pakistan]. I think overall, if you look at the conditions, whoever scores 140 is successful, and I think that’s the winning score if you look at the games. So, there are dot balls in these conditions. Whoever gets a start, they have to utilise it. Plus, like yesterday’s game, batsmen were scoring 30-40, but they were still not able to utilise the start. So, it’s a little difficult for new batsmen to play. I think as a batsman, whoever starts, we have to capitalise and get the team to win. And as a team, I think we still have that belief. The first game didn’t go as we thought, but still, as a team, we believe that we will win the next game. We are looking forward to it. We are very excited.”Lauderhill has played host to 15 completed T20Is in the past, the last of which was in August 2023, when the teams batting first – India and West Indies – had scored 178 and 165 but the teams chasing had won on both occasions. Sri Lanka had played two T20Is on this ground back in 2010 but also featured in the two warm-up games there before this World Cup, in which they first lost to Netherlands and then defended 163 against Ireland.When asked what could be a big threat from Sri Lanka, Paudel said they will have to “tackle” their spinners carefully, who have the exposure of playing “all over the world”.Nepal will get a spin boost themselves with the addition of their star legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane, who has arrived in the West Indies and is set to play their last two league games against South Africa and Bangladesh in St Vincent. He will miss the game against Sri Lanka, for which Nepal will have 14 players available, because he was denied a US visa twice last month and was a late addition to the Nepal squad for only two games, unless they make it to the Super Eight.

England’s nine-wicket rout in the first match of New Zealand’s visit represented exactly how the hosts want to play.Having lacked a ruthless streak for much of their victorious ODI and T20I campaigns against Pakistan earlier in the home summer, England crushed the White Ferns on Wednesday, first by bowling them out for 156 in 33.3 overs thanks largely to Charlie Dean’s 4 for 38 before reeling in the target for the loss of just one wicket with a staggering 28.4 overs to spare, via brutal half-centuries from Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier.Beaumont, unbeaten with 76 from 69 deliveries, and Bouchier, who had a breakout tour of New Zealand earlier this year and struck 67 off 50 balls, took England within 20 runs of victory with 137-run opening stand off just 106 deliveries. Combined with England’s spinners Dean, Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn – who took seven wickets between them – it was the sort of clinical all-round performance they had been seeking.Against Pakistan, England scrapped their way to victory in the first ODI before Nat Sciver-Brunt dominated the third, following a second-match wash-out. During the three T20Is, only Danni Wyatt’s quickfire 87 at Leeds stood out after Amy Jones and Dani Gibson rescued them from 11 for 4 in the series opener at Edgbaston and they managed to defend a modest total in the second match by bowling Pakistan out for just 79.It was those sorts of results, Beaumont said after beating New Zealand in Durham, that England had said they wanted to turn into much more dominant victories, especially given the mantra of “inspire and entertain” that has been underpinning their endeavours for the past two years.”We spoke a lot this morning about how we want to play our 50-over cricket, and what inspiring and entertaining is. At times that’s being ruthless and putting on a show like that,” Beaumont said. “To respond to that conversation and go out straight away and put it into action … in particular the bowling was absolutely ruthless.”That’s certainly the word we’ve started to use a bit more,” she added. “We want to enjoy our cricket, we want to show off, we want to show our skills and how much talent there is in that dressing-room, but actually we want to also win games of cricket and really dominate at the same time, and the two can definitely being mutually exclusive. So I think it was still a lot of fun today but still incredibly ruthless, and a bit of a statement for the start of a series.”It’s not necessarily the be-all and end-all. We still want to try and push the game forward and take the game to as many new heights as possible. But at the same time, when you’ve got the foot on the throat, we’re going to try and ram home that advantage.”England’s performance showed what they are capable of, given the talent at their disposal. Heather Knight was barely called upon after arriving with 20 runs still required, Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt went unused, while Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley were left out of the starting XI altogether, the latter having won back her place in the squad after a disappointing tour of New Zealand.Beaumont said that while Dunkley’s welcome return increased the competition for places, the same could be said for most spots in the side, as reflected by Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s call-up from an impressive domestic season as cover for injured seamer Kate Cross.Maia Bouchier got to fifty at well over a run a ball•PA Photos/Getty Images

Beaumont and Cross find themselves in a tough place, on the fringes of T20I selection with a World Cup just over three months away but important to England’s 50-over campaign in 2025 and, where applicable, the Test set-up too.And while hosting Pakistan and New Zealand hasn’t carried the same buzz as last year’s Women’s Ashes, Beaumont – England’s double-centurion in the Trent Bridge Test against Australia last June – said she was playing with more freedom now than she was back then, when England came back from a 6-0 points deficit after losing the Test and first T20I to draw by winning both the T20I and ODI series two games to one.”I found the Ashes quite difficult last year,” she said. “You have the high of scoring a double-hundred in a Test match and then literally an hour after the end of the Test, you get told you’re not around for the next 10 days – that kind of took the wind out of your sails a little bit. You then have 10 days of regional cricket and then rock up and you have to win every game of the Ashes to stay in. What the girls did in the T20s was incredible, but actually the pressure to come back in, be the opening batter, and keep that roll on and not be the one that messes it up and loses the Ashes, is pretty tough to deal with.”But unfortunately that’s the situation the likes of myself and Kate Cross are in. It feels like you’ve got to constantly make an impact to stay relevant, but that’s what you have to do. Both of us are good enough at sticking to our game and acknowledging that it’s tough, that’s how it is and it’s not going to get any easier. There’s nothing anyone can do really, unless they pick you in the T20s, but it doesn’t seem to happen. So yeah, that is what it is.”Related

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New Zealand have plenty of reflection and improvement ahead if they are to bounce back, having lost their home T20 and ODI series against England in March and April.Had 20-year-old opener Georgia Plimmer not been run out for 29 pressing on for a single after deflecting Melie Kerr’s shot off her boot straight to midwicket, New Zealand may have been able to forge a much-needed partnership. As it stood, only Brooke Halliday’s half-century stood out, and she was the sole White Ferns bowler to take a wicket after playing as a specialist batter during England’s tour of New Zealand while making her way back from a foot injury.”I was a little bit confused because I was just putting my kit on, but yeah, maybe one day when Georgia gets a little bit older, she’ll be able to say ‘no’ to Melie,” Halliday said. “We talked about recently trying to be in the crease a little bit tighter to the stumps to try and help get the single down at mid-on, so that came back to bite her a little bit there… it’s just unfortunate the way she got out, but good signs.”Individually everyone will probably reflect on batting, bowling and fielding and then we’ll come together as a group and see what we want to work on and how we’re going to approach the next game. We’re not going to dwell too much on it, I’m sure, but you’ve always got to reflect and take what you can out of a game like this.”

Lahore Qalandars’ owners, Sameen Rana and Atif Rana, have agreed to renew their rights to the franchise for another 10 years. The reigning champions and three-time winners became the first of the six PSL teams to publicly confirm their acceptance of a re-evaluation conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board.The announcement ends mild uncertainty over the ownership status of what is considered the PSL’s most expensive franchise. While neither the Qalandars nor the PCB revealed the exact figure of any team, ESPNcricinfo understands the Qalandars have been valued by EY-MENA, the financial organisation tasked with assessing each PSL side’s worth, at approximately PKR 980 million (Approx USD 3.47 million) per year.But that is not the amount Qalandars’ current owners will have to pay. After new terms around the renewals, team owners will need to pay the old value – about PKR 425 million (Approx $1.5 million) in the Qalandars’ case – plus 25% of the new valuation. It means Sameen and Atif Rana will pay about PKR 670 million (approx. $2.37 million) as an annual franchise fee. Had new owners come in, they would’ve paid the market valuation, so about PKR 300 million (approx $1.06 million) more.Related

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“The franchise has accepted the PCB’s renewal offer to continue as a PSL team for the next 10 years,” Qalandars said in a media release. “Following an independent valuation by independent experts EY MENA, Lahore Qalandars have been recognised as the most valuable team based on combined on-field performance and organisational strength. This accolade reflects the franchise’s commitment to sustainable growth and long-term development.”Shortly after, Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi also confirmed they were renewing their contract for a further ten years. ESPNcricinfo has learned their market worth was evaluated at approximately PKR 870 million (approx USD 3.1 million), up from PKR 270 million (approx USD 956,000) in 2016. Having renewed, Afridi will have to pay a franchise fee of about PKR 500 million (approx USD 1.8 million).”Retaining our franchise rights for the next ten years is both an honour and a responsibility,” Afridi said. “This is not just a continuation; it is a commitment to build bigger, aim higher, and deliver even greater value to the PSL and to Pakistan’s cricketing ecosystem. The next decade belongs to ambition, innovation, and a stronger Zalmi vision.”While the remaining franchises have yet to publicly confirm their renewal, it is expected that all, barring Multan Sultans, will ultimately do so.Qalandars have leapfrogged Karachi Kings, who were the most expensive franchise at the launch of the PSL at PKR 440 million, but who are understood to have seen the lowest percentage growth in value of the five original teams since 2016. Their current value is understood to have been set at just under PKR 800 million, meaning renewal would cost their current owner Salman Iqbal approximately PKR 640 million (approx $2.27 million) per annum.One of the points of contention in the discounted rate that retaining a franchise provides is that it only appears to apply if the new valuation is higher than the old value. Sultans, who came into the league in the third season, saw their annual franchise fee set at PKR 1.1 billion (approx $3.89 million). They have now been valued at approximately PKR 850 million (approx $3 million), the only franchise to see depreciation.To renew, however, Sultans will be required to pay the old value, given it is higher, as well as 25% of that old value as the annual franchise fee, something that has become a point of contention between Ali Tareen, the Sultans owner, and the PSL. His public criticism of the PSL led to Sultans not receiving an offer to renew when the other five sides did earlier this month, leading to Tareen threatening to take legal action.The PSL is also expected to add two new teams to next year’s edition. The names have not yet been finalised, and bidding is expected to take place early next year.

Fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani has been ruled out of Zimbabwe’s upcoming T20I tri-series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka due to a back injury. Left-arm seamer Newman Nyamhuri, yet to be capped in T20Is, has been named his replacement.There are no other changes to the squad that recently played Afghanistan at home, which Zimbabwe lost 0-3. Muzarabani, who had missed the last two T20Is of that series, picked up 2 for 41 in the first T20I.Nyamhuri, 19, has played four Tests and four ODIs, having made his international debut in December 2024. He was named in the T20I squad for the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in July but did not feature in any of the games.Led by Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe will open their campaign against hosts Pakistan in Rawalpindi on November 17, before facing Sri Lanka at the same venue on November 19. Zimbabwe will then travel to Lahore, where they will meet Pakistan again on November 23 and Sri Lanka on November 25. The top two teams on the points table will contest the final on 29 November in Lahore.Zimbabwe squad for T20I tri-series: Sikandar Raza (captain), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Graeme Cremer, Bradley Evans, Clive Madande, Tinotenda Maposa, Wellington Masakadza, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Dion Myers, Richard Ngarava, Newman Nyamhuri, Brendan Taylor

An influential administrator in Australian cricket has been appointed to the Trent Rockets board, with the Nottingham-based team becoming the seventh of eight deals to be finalised in the Hundred’s private investment process.John Knox, the chair of Cricket New South Wales, is also a partner and head of Australia/New Zealand at Ares Management, one of two private equity firms who agreed a £40 million deal to buy a 49% stake in Rockets earlier this year. Their deal to run the franchise as a joint venture with majority partners Nottinghamshire was formalised last week.It means that Surrey’s partnership with Reliance – the owners of Mumbai Indians – to run Oval Invincibles is the only deal that remains to be finalised. ESPNcricinfo understands that the involvement of over a dozen lawyers in the process has slowed progress, but that both parties hope to sign contracts later this week.Related

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The ECB said in July that the remaining two deals were “set for formal completion at a later date” after investors were “offered the option of completing later” than initially planned. The process of finalising arrangements has dragged on far longer than first anticipated, when the board set an eight-week ‘exclusivity period’ at the end of the auction process in early February.ESPNcricinfo understands that Knox’s new role on the Rockets board is independent from his role at Cricket NSW, which he has held since 2018. Knox was considered influential in the removal of Earl Eddings as Cricket Australia chair in 2021, and successfully pushed for the Cricket NSW board to assume gender diversity targets last year.Knox’s involvement at the Rockets comes at a time when Cricket Australia are actively exploring private investment in the Big Bash League. He told the earlier this year that he considers cricket to be his “life’s passion” and that he views T20 cricket as a “tremendous… growth opportunity”.John Knox has served as Cricket New South Wales chairman since 2018•Cricket New South Wales

He will serve as one of three directors on the Rockets board from the new investors’ side. Knox will be joined by Jonathan Goldstein and Joe Stelzer, who are Cain’s chief executive and senior managing director respectively. Nottinghamshire’s four board seats will be filled by senior figures at the club including director of cricket Mick Newell, who doubles as Rockets’ general manager.Rockets suffered a blow last week when Andy Flower, who has coached their men’s team throughout the Hundred’s first five seasons, signed a multi-year deal to take over from Justin Langer at London Spirit. They have not yet lined up a successor, and identifying the right replacement will be an early priority for the new board.The sale of stakes in the eight Hundred franchises raised over £500 million which will be split across the English game and help to ensure the survival of all 18 first-class counties. Gloucestershire announced last week that they had cleared all debts after “more than 20 years” of borrowing, which treasurer Nick Bryan said was a “seminal moment” for the club.

New Zealand white-ball captain Mitchell Santner has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against Australia. Michael Bracewell will lead a 14-man squad that includes returning pace duo Kyle Jamieson and Ben Sears but is missing Lockie Ferguson and Adam Milne due to injury.Santner underwent abdominal surgery last month and was hopeful of being fit for the three-match series that will be played on October 1, 3, and 4 in Mount Maunganui but has not recovered in time.”Never nice to lose your skipper,” New Zealand coach Rob Walter said. “But these things do happen. And Michael has already been the captain of this team and did a great job against Pakistan. So fully confident in how he will lead the team.”Ferguson has been ruled out with a hamstring injury while Milne has a foot injury. Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin) and Finn Allen (foot) had already been ruled out of New Zealand’s first home series of the season while Kane Williamson made himself unavailable but is expected to return for the white-ball series against England.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jamieson and Sears have been named after missing the tri-series in Zimbabwe in July. Jamieson missed the tour due to the birth of his first child while Sears was ruled out with a side injury. Walter was pleased to see Sears back fully fit.”He’s worked incredibly hard over the last 12 weeks to be back on the park and done some awesome work there,” he said. “So we’re excited to see him back in the competitive fold.”We’re building a bigger base of fast bowlers, because we understand that the program is so busy these days, but fast bowling is a key requisite for performance. So we want to make sure we’ve got as many options as we possibly can have.”Related

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Santner’s absence means legspinner Ish Sodhi is retained in the smaller squad. Sodhi played only two of New Zealand’s five matches in the Zimbabwe and missed out on the final despite taking 2 for 34 and 4 for 12 in the two games he played.Devon Conway, who signed a casual playing agreement with New Zealand this week alongside Williamson, Allen, Seifert and Ferguson, retains his place after being a late call-up to Zimbabwe where he opened alongside Seifert.New Zealand will face a relatively strong Australian side who are coming off two T20I series wins in recent months.”[They play a] very aggressive brand, which is cool,” Walter said. “I think that puts you under pressure. It certainly allows us to explore a few different options as to how we want to play against them, because it seems like they are coming with a very specific way that they want to play. So it’ll be a lovely test.”Australia will only be missing three first-choice players in Pat Cummins, Nathan Ellis and Cameron Green. Cummins has a hot spot in his lower back while Ellis will remain at home for the birth of his first child. Green is staying home to play first-class cricket for Western Australia where he will bowl for the first time since back surgery last year in preparation for the Ashes series starting in November.Mitchell Starc has retired from T20I cricket, however he had not played for Australia since the 2024 World Cup.

New Zealand T20I squad vs Australia

Michael Bracewell (capt), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

Shakib Al Hasan made history on Sunday, becoming the fifth man in the world to take 500 wickets in T20 cricket. He bowled only two overs against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots but picked up 3 for 11 in a match-winning effort for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, who consolidated their place at the top of the CPL 2025 points table.Shakib needed six balls to get the record out of the way, deceiving Mohammad Rizwan in flight and securing a caught and bowled. Two more wickets came his way as he quadrupled his tally for the season and limited the former champions to a meagre 133 for 9 in North Sound. Patriots had a tough go of it after being put in to bat with only Rizwan (30 off 26) and Evin Lewis (32 off 31) scoring more than 18 runs. There were four single-digit scores and three run-outs, epitomising an innings that never went quite right.With a target in front of them, Falcons were able to negotiate the difficult batting conditions better but even they had the odd hiccup. Afghanistan wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil continued his outstanding form as this season’s top wicket-taker with figures of 1 for 16. Patriots needed more than one man to pull off this defence though. They ran into Shakib again, this time with the bat as the Bangladesh allrounder showed off his other skill. Four other men have 500 wickets in T20 cricket but none of them have nearly as much as his 7574 runs. Shakib was 3 off seven balls before he hit Ashmead Nedd for a six down the ground and reverse-swept the next ball for four to hasten Falcons’ march to the finish line.Falcons needed 28 from 30 balls when Shakib fell. Karima Gore, who was playing the anchor’s role until then, found a couple of boundaries to ease off the pressure. He also hit the winning boundary, thus seeing off the chase with two balls to spare and bringing up his fifty as well.