England fast bowler John Turner has retired from professional cricket at the age of 25. Persistent injuries, including a stress fracture that sidelined him for over a year, prompted the decision.

Turner played two ODIs and two T20Is against the West Indies in 2024 and took 97 wickets in 53 matches across formats for Hampshire. He made his professional debut in the 2021 Royal London Cup.

Hampshire director of cricket Giles White said Turner had been a key part of the county's recent success, including four T20 Finals Day appearances.

Ravindra Jadeja is the only player from India's 2015 Test squad still active in the side ahead of the Sri Lanka series. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have all retired from Tests since that tour. Jadeja reclaimed his place later in 2015 and has since added batting depth to his left-arm spin.

Saurashtra head coach Niraj Odedra said Jadeja's mindset change was the key factor in his evolution from specialist bowler to all-round contributor. Jadeja scored a maiden Test century against West Indies in 2018 and followed it with 175 not out against Sri Lanka in Mohali. He made 63 in the recent warm-up match after being promoted to number four.

India arrived in Sri Lanka on August 3 and play the first Test in Galle on August 15. Jadeja's ability to bat anywhere from four to eight and contribute in the field continues to influence selection discussions.

Dindigul Dragons opened their Tamil Nadu Premier League campaign by beating iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, and the man who made it happen was Nirankar Sharma. The 26-year-old leg-spinner, who left Madhya Pradesh for a shot at Tamil Nadu cricket, came up with three for 21 in his first match.

Ashwin is mentoring this year, not playing, and Varun Chakravarthy is out with a hamstring. Nirankar waited years for the chance and said the Dragons management, Ashwin and B Indrajith had all backed him. He called it the perfect debut and is picking up tips from Ashwin as he goes.

The Asian Cricket Council announced the dates and fixtures for the Women's Asia Cup on Thursday. The eight-team tournament will be played in the T20 format in Dubai from August 28 to September 13.

India will face Thailand on August 30, Hong Kong on September 3 and Pakistan on September 5 in Group A. Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UAE and Indonesia make up Group B. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals on September 10 and 11, with the final scheduled for September 13.

Sri Lanka are the defending champions after beating India by eight wickets in the 2024 final in Dambulla. All matches will be played under lights at the Dubai International Stadium with a start time of 6:30pm local time.

Henry Pryor, the inventor of the Merlyn bowling machine, died aged 92. England used the machine in the 2005 Ashes, the first series they won in 18 years.

Pryor started work on Merlyn after he found existing machines useless while coaching in inner-city schools. The device could copy Shane Warne's spin and line, so England players could face something close to the real thing.

He licensed the design to Bola, and the first production units appeared in 2009. Pryor leaves his wife Anna and eight children.

India began preparations for their two-Test series against Sri Lanka with a three-day warm-up match against SLC XI in Colombo. The batting group has been told to use the sweep shot and get down the pitch against spin, the two areas where they struggled in recent home series against New Zealand and South Africa.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir told the team they must be ready with every answer when the first Test begins on August 15. Steve Smith and Cheteshwar Pujara succeeded in Sri Lanka by using their feet to smother the turn, while Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey relied on the sweep shot.

Sri Lanka's spin attack includes left-arm spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Dunith Wellalage, along with off-spinners Dhananjaya de Silva and Ramesh Mendis. India will face a similar trial by spin on turning pitches in Galle and Colombo.

Jacob Bethell won't play any of the three Tests against Pakistan. He hurt his right knee during the ODI series in India back in July and hasn't played since. The 22-year-old missed The Hundred too.

Jordan Cox steps in at number three. He made his debut earlier this summer. Ollie Pope is back as spare keeper-batter after the Ashes axe, while Brydon Carse and Dan Lawrence also return to the 16-man group.

Marcus North said the side needed a mix of youth and experience for Pakistan. Cox gets the number three spot that Bethell would have held.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has ordered a major overhaul of the Bengaluru Centre of Excellence fitness programme. A string of injuries left the side thin on options, and internal reviews pinned part of the problem on the lack of clear fitness standards. Players had been assessed with customised tests rather than a single set of benchmarks.

Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane credited Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri for toughening up Indian cricket, especially in overseas Tests. Rahane said the duo made the team more aggressive and proactive rather than defensive.

Rahane said when MS Dhoni stepped away from Test cricket, Kohli and Shastri changed the mindset. He added that Kohli always told players to attack from the first ball if they felt like it. Under their leadership, India won two Test series in Australia.

Rahane expressed concern about India's recent Test results. He said Test cricket needs character and the ability to play through tough sessions, something he has not seen enough of in recent years.

Mel Hussain, 62, will captain England in the Over-60s Cricket World Cup starting in Canada on Sunday. His younger brother Nasser played in two senior World Cups for England in 1999 and 2003 but exited after the group stage on both occasions.

Mel reached the final of the previous Over-60s World Cup two years ago and lost to Australia. He believes England will reach the final again and predicts the decider will be against the same opponents. England have been drawn in a seven-team group alongside West Indies, India and New Zealand.

Three players withdrew from the squad last month due to health and injury issues. Captain Edward Gordon Lennox said the replacements have not affected squad depth and that standards in senior cricket are improving.

Former India batter Robin Uthappa believes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has the potential to leave a bigger mark on white-ball cricket than Sachin Tendulkar. Uthappa warned that the 15-year-old's long-term success will depend on how carefully his career is managed.

Uthappa cited the examples of Vinod Kambli and Prithvi Shaw as talented players whose careers lost momentum. He said Sooryavanshi's first test will be staying focused on cricket over the next five years rather than getting distracted by fame and commercial opportunities.

Sooryavanshi was named Player of the Series after scoring 151 runs at an average of 50.33 in India's 3-0 T20I sweep of Zimbabwe. He jumped 230 places in the ICC T20I batting rankings to reach a career-best 48th position.