Latest updates from the cricket world
Moises Henriques, a former Australian international cricketer, has switched his allegiance to Portugal, his country of birth, and will captain the Portuguese team in a European sub-regional T20 World Cup qualifying tournament in Finland starting Friday. Henriques, who played Tests, ODIs, and T20s for Australia between 2009 and 2021, views helping Portugal reach their first men's T20 World Cup as a career pinnacle. Portugal, ranked 37th globally, will compete initially against Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, and Israel, with a chance to advance to the European final qualifier next year. Henriques highlighted the quality of players in Portugal's squad, many with professional experience, and expressed pride in representing Portugal, aiming to grow cricket in the country and across Europe.
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has addressed the controversy involving vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner's personal life, which includes reports of a relationship with teammate Georgia Voll while Gardner was married to Monica Wright. Wright has criticized Cricket Australia's handling of the issue and raised concerns about possible power imbalances within the team. Greenberg stated that Cricket Australia has strict workplace policies to manage such situations and is implementing further safeguards to avoid conflicts of interest, especially regarding leadership roles and selections. He confirmed that the controversy did not influence leadership appointments and affirmed Gardner's respected status as vice-captain. Gardner is currently leading the Trent Rockets in The Hundred tournament in England, with Monica Wright recently discussing the end of their marriage which began in 2020 and ended after the 2025 World Cup campaign.
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc made Test cricket history on August 13, 2026, during the first Test against Bangladesh, by becoming the highest wicket-taker among left-arm bowlers with 434 wickets, surpassing Sri Lankan legend Rangana Herath's 433. Starc dismissed Shadman Islam with a delivery that led to a catch by Nathan Lyon. He has also equaled Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev's tally of 434 wickets, placing him joint 11th on the all-time Test wicket-takers list and nearing the top 10, needing six more wickets to surpass Dale Steyn's 439 wickets. Starc has been a pivotal player for Australia since 2010, known for his pace, swing, and crucial wickets, and holds the distinction of winning all three major ICC titles. In September 2025, he retired from T20 internationals to focus on Test cricket and preparation for the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.
VVS Laxman, currently the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, is expected to take on a significant new role in Indian cricket from September 2026. Reports suggest that Laxman could be appointed either as the chairman of selectors or as the white-ball head coach, following major changes planned by the BCCI. This potential promotion comes amid a period of poor performance for the Indian team under white-ball coach Gautam Gambhir, whose position is under scrutiny after a series of losses and disappointing results in both ODI and Test formats. Laxman has been recognized for his work with young players at the BCCI Centre of Excellence and is now being groomed for a bigger responsibility in the national setup.
Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden has expressed his confidence in Shubman Gill's ability to lead the India National Cricket Team across formats, despite recent challenges. Gill began his captaincy strongly by drawing a series in England with a young squad, though the team had setbacks such as a series loss at home to South Africa. Hayden praised Gill as a promising and capable leader who will navigate the pressures of preserving Test cricket and improving India's performance, especially with the World Test Championship final approaching in June 2027. He also highlighted the strength of the current Indian team, noting that it includes a blend of young talent and experienced players who have much to prove across formats. Hayden emphasized that cricketers across eras are fundamentally talented, pointing out the promising future of this young Indian group compared to past legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.
Sri Lanka Cricket has named its 15-member squad for the Women's Asia Cup 2026, scheduled in the UAE from August 28 to September 13. Chamari Athapaththu will captain the defending champions with Harshitha Samarawickrama as vice-captain. The team aims to defend their maiden Asia Cup title won in 2024. The squad includes a mix of experienced players and young talents across batting and bowling departments. The tournament features eight teams split into two groups and will be held at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
BBC Sport has introduced a daily quiz during The Hundred cricket tournament where participants try to identify a featured cricketer. Each day reveals a new player involved in the tournament, and wrong guesses unlock additional clues. The goal is to guess the cricketer in as few attempts as possible, with scores improving by guessing earlier. The quiz is curated by Henry Cowling and runs throughout the event, encouraging cricket fans to participate and return for new challenges each day. Further quizzes and related articles on The Hundred and cricket are also available.
In the 2026 Hundred cricket competition, Welsh Fire's men and women teams showed improvement from their last-place finishes in 2025 but failed to reach the top three needed to progress to the Eliminator stage. The Cardiff-based franchise remains the worst performing team in the history of the competition, with the men's side yet to make any play-offs. Owner Sanjay Govil and Glamorgan County Cricket Club aim for success, but 2026 ended without it. The women's team finished fifth after winning their final game, led by replacement captain Georgia Wareham, despite early defeats and the loss of captain Sophie Devine. The men's team also missed the knockouts after a narrow defeat to London Spirit. Despite setbacks, players and management remain optimistic about building a stronger squad for future seasons. Fans hope changes and player retention will help the franchise improve its results next year.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta has stated that the traditional approach of playing bilateral series without proper context is unsustainable. He emphasized the need for bilateral matches to have meaning through context, culture, competition, and competitiveness to attract sustained interest and investment. Gupta reassured that ODI cricket remains viable if it is aligned with a clear purpose, particularly tied to the ICC Cricket World Cups, enabling the format to grow and thrive. He also underscored that while T20 cricket is vital for expanding the game’s reach, Test and ODI formats continue to hold significant value, especially with improved promotion and scheduling. Drawing parallels with iconic sporting events like Wimbledon, Gupta highlighted the importance of evolving cricket to maintain and grow its fan base in a changing global landscape.
In the final group matches of The Hundred men's competition, MI London narrowly defeated Birmingham Phoenix by two runs but were eliminated as they needed a larger margin of victory to advance. MI London finished fourth on points behind Manchester Super Giants and Sunrisers Leeds, who will contest the Eliminator. Earlier, Welsh Fire lost to London Spirit by six runs in Cardiff, ending their campaign in fifth place. The knockouts begin on Friday with the Eliminator matches at The Oval, with finals scheduled at Lord's on Sunday.
Ajinkya Rahane, recently retired from the India National Cricket Team, is set to make his commentary debut during the India vs Sri Lanka two-match Test series beginning on August 15, 2026. Rahane expressed excitement about providing insights during the series on Sony Sports Network and Sony LIV. Having played 85 Test matches and scored 5077 runs with 12 centuries, Rahane is expected to offer expert analysis drawn from his extensive experience, especially his knowledge of Sri Lankan conditions from playing six matches there. He will bring a new perspective on the game, leveraging his calmness and technical skills as a batter against spin-friendly pitches likely in the upcoming series venues.
Ellyse Perry scored an unbeaten 62 runs off 39 balls to help Birmingham Phoenix win by five wickets against MI London in The Hundred women's cricket at Edgbaston. Phoenix chased down the target of 121 with six balls remaining, securing only their second win of the tournament and avoiding a bottom-place finish in the standings. MI London posted 120 for 6, with Chinelle Henry scoring 42. Despite early wickets falling for Phoenix, Perry's partnership with Fatima Sana, who scored 36, steadied the chase. Perry finished the match with a decisive boundary that sealed the victory.
Cricket Australia (CA) has ended its long-standing sponsorship with betting company Bet365 ahead of its Test series against Bangladesh starting August 13, 2026. Toyota, CA's major commercial partner, will replace Bet365 with boundary rope signage for the matches in Darwin and Mackay. The decision coincides with the Australian government's stricter regulations on gambling advertisements to reduce exposure to youth. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced measures including bans on gambling ads in cross-promotional content, TV ad time caps, and restrictions on advertising on jerseys, stadiums, and online, unless users are verified as adults.
