Australia head coach Andrew McDonald says the call on how many of their players can play the 2027 IPL will wait until after their five-Test tour of India. The schedule is heavy: 20 Tests and 14 white-ball games in the next twelve months, with the IPL window sitting between that tour and the World Test Championship final.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Cameron Green and Travis Head are all on franchise lists, and Josh Inglis is with Lucknow Super Giants. McDonald made it clear the priority is managing the fast bowlers' workloads and keeping them fit through a long stretch of Test cricket.

The IPL stays an option, not a promise. Australia will look at each player's form and fitness, match by match, before making a call.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has warned more than a dozen former players of two-year sanctions after they played in an unsanctioned T20 league in Zambia. The Asian Legends League in Lusaka was stopped once the Zambia Cricket Union said it never approved the tournament.

Players who took part without the right approvals now face a two-year ban from getting NOCs for overseas leagues, and they won't be eligible for PCB or PSL assignments. Mohammad Hafeez, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Akmal pulled out once they heard approvals were missing.

Imran Nazir, Yasir Shah and Mohammad Irfan are among those understood to have played. Some returned without the payments they expected.

Ajinkya Rahane revealed he sent Yashasvi Jaiswal off the field during the 2022 Duleep Trophy final to prevent the youngster from receiving a four-match ban. The incident occurred when Jaiswal became involved in a heated altercation with South Zone batter Ravi Teja.

Rahane said the match referee had already prepared the suspension letter when he intervened as West Zone captain. The referee tore up the letter after Rahane took responsibility for removing his teammate from the field.

Jaiswal went on to score 265 in the match and made his India debut the following year. Rahane said he sensed the situation was spiralling and acted to protect his teammate's career from potential long-term consequences.

Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming has been appointed as England Test coach, with Joe Root returning as captain. Fleming led Chennai Super Kings to five Indian Premier League titles during his 17-year tenure but has never previously worked as head coach of a national team.

Root, 35, captained England to a record 27 Test wins in 65 matches between 2017 and 2022. He replaces Ben Stokes, who retired from international cricket in June. Fleming will not be in charge for the Test series against Pakistan beginning August 19, with assistant coach Marcus Trescothick serving as interim head coach.

Fleming said the role is one of the most prestigious coaching positions in world cricket. Root described the appointment as a huge motivator and said Fleming has proved to be an exceptional leader. Fleming will begin preparations for the South Africa Test tour in December after spending time with his family in New Zealand.

Southern Brave's hopes of reaching The Hundred knockout stages ended after a 10-run defeat to Manchester Super Giants at Southampton. Moeen Ali and Tristan Stubbs produced two direct-hit run-outs to restrict the visitors, but the target proved just out of reach.

Super Giants lost eight wickets for 30 runs after reaching 119 for none, finishing on 149 for eight. Stubbs remained unbeaten on 53 in the chase, but Brave could not complete the required runs.

The result leaves four teams level on 16 points fighting for the final two knockout places, with Trent Rockets already assured of a top-three finish.

Charith Asalanka and Eshan Malinga took six wickets between them as Galle Marvels dismissed Jaffna Kings for 123 to win their maiden Lanka Premier League title. Galle's bowlers kept Jaffna under pressure all the way and struck regularly, never letting the Kings build any momentum. The low total left Jaffna well short in the final.

Jaffna had reached the title match on the back of strong showings earlier in the tournament, but their batsmen couldn't find any rhythm once Galle started to chip away.

Mitchell Santner scored an unbeaten 52 off 23 balls as Trent Rockets beat MI London by six wickets at The Oval. The win moved Rockets to 24 points, eight ahead of the four teams on 16 points.

Rockets chased 148 after MI London posted 147 for seven. Sam Curran top-scored with 72 off 46 balls for the hosts.

Rockets need only to avoid defeat in their final group match against Southern Brave to secure a top-two finish and automatic qualification for the Lord's final.

Monica Wright, the estranged wife of Australia vice-captain Ashleigh Gardner, demanded that Cricket Australia remove Gardner from the leadership role over an alleged affair with teammate Georgia Voll. Wright said CA's silence implies support for the conduct.

Cricket Australia responded that it considers the matter private and personal, adding that all relationships within its workforce must comply with its Respect at Work policy. Gardner has received support from her WBBL franchise, the Sydney Sixers.

Wright and Gardner married in April 2025 and separated after the relationship deteriorated during the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup. Gardner has since moved out of their Sydney home and begun divorce proceedings.

Irfan Pathan says Pakistan media published a fake story claiming he tried to interview Babar Azam and got turned down. Someone had taken a photo of a young Bangladeshi reporter who'd been refused and stuck Pathan's face on it. The piece picked up more than a million views on social media before the lie surfaced.

He spoke about it on JioHotstar's Cheeky Singles and shrugged it off. These things happen often enough that he doesn't bother answering each one — otherwise he'd never get on with his day.

Pathan played 141 Tests between 2003 and 2012, scoring 2,821 runs at 26.12 with one hundred and eleven fifties. With the ball he took 301 wickets at 29.85, including nine five-wicket hauls. In the IPL he turned out for Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions.

Pakistan all-rounder Hamza Nazar got a two-year ban from all domestic and international cricket after the PCB ruled he gave incomplete and misleading information on his visa application. The board also slapped him with a PKR 1 million fine. A three-member inquiry committee heard his defence before delivering its findings.

The 27-year-old had played 16 first-class matches, 15 List A games and 10 T20s, scoring 1,005 runs and claiming 47 wickets. Last month the selectors added him to Pakistan's red-ball training camp in Lahore ahead of the two-Test series against West Indies.

Andrew Flintoff has resigned as head coach of England Lions after less than two years in the role. The 48-year-old will focus on his position with Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League. He thanked England managing director Rob Key for the opportunity to work with young players.

Flintoff led the Lions on their tour of South Africa in May and June. His side lost both four-day matches and two of three 50-over games. He previously coached Northern Superchargers in The Hundred for two seasons.

Mike Yardy will take over as interim head coach for the four-day match against Pakistan at Beckenham on August 12. The Lions will also play Sri Lanka in two T20 warm-up matches in September. ECB performance director Ed Barney said Flintoff transformed the Lions environment during his tenure.

Sri Lanka Cricket has decided that fans won't pay to watch India play two Tests this month. Galle hosts the first from August 15, and the SSC in Colombo stages the second between August 23-27. The board made the call after years of empty stands, even when India toured. Crowds were thin again during the Lanka Premier League, so the hope is that free entry might pull people back.

Former South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel was appointed head coach of Joburg Super Kings ahead of the upcoming SA20 League season. Morkel replaces Stephen Fleming, who stepped down from all Super Kings head-coaching roles and was named England men's Test team head coach. Morkel played one Test, 58 ODIs and 50 T20Is for South Africa between 2004 and 2015. He has been part of the Joburg backroom since the franchise's inception and also served as a T20 consultant with South Africa and Namibia. Rupa Gurunath, owner of Joburg Super Kings, said Morkel understands the Super Kings philosophy and has built strong relationships with players and staff. The fifth edition of SA20 starts on January 17, 2027.