A four-wicket haul against the Victoria XI at the MCG has put Tabraiz Shamsi in line for a Test debut under lights in Adelaide

Firdose Moonda at the MCG19-Nov-20161:14

‘Crazy seven months for me’ – Shamsi

Just like Kyle Abbott is not exactly sure when he is going to be able to make the move ball move, Tabraiz Shamsi does not really know whether the Australian batsmen can pick him, but as long as the wickets come, he does not mind the uncertainty.”That’s the theory going around and with theories, you can’t say it’s a given thing because it’s not a proven thing,” Shamsi said at the MCG where his 4 for 72 against a Victoria XI put him in line for a Test debut. “I am really happy with the way I have gone personally against them.”Shamsi was picked for the Test squad on the back of a stellar 2015-16 first-class season – he was joint-second on the wicket-charts with 41 scalps at 19.97 – and performances in shorter formats which suggested he could be a handful. Shamsi took 3 for 36 in his third ODI against Australia in Port Elizabeth last month and was South Africa A’s third-highest wicket-taker in a 50-over quadrangular series in Australia this winter.The talk in South Africa is that Shamsi’s variations render batsmen illiterate and that he was brought on this tour specifically to play in Adelaide. He was seen practising with the pink ball on his own during the Hobart Test and even though it may be harsh on Keshav Maharaj, who also debuted on this tour, South Africa may want to use Shamsi as a trump card in the day-night fixture.Shamsi confirmed the pink ball wears “a lot more than the red ball”, and is therefore more likely to bring spinners into the game. Wristpin with a pink ball has emerged as particularly tricky for batsmen and even though Shamsi is not sure of exactly how difficult it is, he hopes he can prove a handful anyway.”There’s a theory about legspinners and batsmen not picking it,” Shamsi said. “The guys say it’s harder to pick the seam off the legspinners so maybe there is a difference but at the end of the day you have to put the ball in the right areas.”Conceding more than six an over, as Shamsi did in the warm-up match, may not speak much for his disciplines which may be why Shamsi continues to be coy about his chances of playing. It’s almost as if he knows that he travelled as a reserve, or a surprise package, and is focusing more on being part of the Test squad than the starting XI. “That’s not up to me [if I debut],” he said. “I’ve just got to go and do my bit. If it comes I’ll be happy. If it doesn’t, the team is doing well so either way it’s a win-win situation.”Like his team-mates, Shamsi repeated the mantra that South Africa are not merely satisfied with a series win. They want a whitewash too. “We came here to win the series. We’ve done that. Our mission is not over yet. We are going to try and win the series 3-nil.”

BCCI president Anurag Thakur has accused the Shashank Manohar-led ICC of “arm-twisting” the Indian board and not taking it seriously

Arun Venugopal10-Sep-20162:50

‘Felt like the captain left a sinking ship’ – Thakur

BCCI president Anurag Thakur has said the board is being “arm-twisted” on two fronts: as a result of the Lodha committee’s recommendations for structural reform, and due to the change at the top of the ICC, where Shashank Manohar has taken charge as the independent chairman. Thakur also took exception to Manohar’s remarks that his priorities lay with the ICC and not the BCCI. Manohar had suggested that it wasn’t his responsibility but that of the BCCI representative to look after the board’s interest at the ICC table.”I think these [Lodha] recommendations and [the] change in ICC [regime] are arm-twisting BCCI both at home and at the ICC which is not good for Indian cricket,” Thakur said. “The situation of BCCI – a global leader till the recommendation of the Lodha committee… now with the new ICC regime they are trying to sideline the BCCI, one of the most important stakeholders in global cricket today. Just [because of] one recommendation, we are not taken seriously.”Thakur, who is in Greater Noida to watch the final of the Duleep Trophy, told reporters that the BCCI, by virtue of being a “global leader”, had an obligation to look after the interest of smaller boards. He reiterated the BCCI’s concerns over the budget for next year’s Champions Trophy in England, which the Indian board felt was three times as much as what was allotted to India for the World T20 earlier this year.”Yes, BCCI should look after its interests, but BCCI does not only limit itself to look after BCCI’s interests,” Thakur said. “If he [Manohar] is saying that he has got nothing to do with the BCCI, BCCI is one of the 105 members and one of the most important stakeholders of the ICC today. And, that is why we have raised the issue – when the others kept mum – that we want to go through the Champions Trophy budget.”Compare the World [T20] Cup with the Champions Trophy – we had 56 matches, Champions Trophy has close to 15 matches; we had eight venues, they had only three venues; it was a 49-day event and the Champions Trophy is only a 20-day event. So the per-match cost is three times higher. Every single penny saved is every single penny earned, not only for BCCI but for 105 countries.”When you talk about the two-tier Test system, BCCI could have got benefits by joining hands with those associations like Australia and England, but we stood by countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and to an extent like West Indies.”Thakur questioned Manohar’s motives for amending the ICC constitution, which played a part in his being elected unopposed as the first independent chairman of the world body. He contended that Manohar hadn’t taken all members into confidence before the amendments were made.”Mr Shashank Manohar was on the board to make certain changes, amendments. As the president of the board he should have taken into confidence all the BCCI members which he did not,” he said. “The amendments were made and he became the independent chairman. Once he has become the independent chairman, he left the BCCI when BCCI needed him the most.”

Leicester City manager Dean Smith doesn't expect to be in charge at the King Power Stadium next season, according to a new update.

Is Smith doing a good job at Leicester?

The former Aston Villa boss replaced Brendan Rodgers in the Foxes hotseat last month, coming in on a short-term basis as he looked to keep them in the Premier League. Things haven't panned out too successfully, however, with Leicester now in serious danger of heading to the Championship next weekend.

Monday's 0-0 draw away to Newcastle United means they will have to win at home to West Ham on Sunday afternoon and hope that Everton fail to beat Bournemouth at Goodison Park in order to remain in the top flight.

The performance at St James' Park was extremely cautious – their first shot of the game was in second-half stoppage time – and while a point away to a team who have qualified for next season's Champions League is quite commendable, there was a real lack of ambition on show. It again raised question marks over the job Smith is doing and whether he will still be Leicester's manager once the 2023/24 season gets underway.

Will Smith be in charge next season?

According to Football Insider, the 52-year-old has "told friends" that he doesn’t believe he will be at the King Power beyond the summer. The report goes on to state: "Even if Smith oversees a remarkable escape from relegation, he is not expected to land the managerial post on a permanent basis."

Instead, Leicester are believed to have earmarked Graham Potter as Smith's preferred successor.

In truth, Smith always felt like a short-term appointment at Leicester, much in the same way Sam Allardyce arguably is at Leeds United, so it is no great shock to hear that he thinks his future lies elsewhere.

If the Englishman was to pull off a stunning safety mission on Sunday and keep the Foxes up, those high up at the club could have a change of heart, but Potter does feel like a more exciting choice moving forward, even in the event of relegation.

Things may have gone badly for the Englishman at Chelsea, but the Blues have been a mess all season long and it would be unfair to judge him too harshly, instead focusing on the superb job he did in charge of Brighton, playing attack-minded football and finishing ninth in the Premier League last season.

Football writer Aaron Catterson-Reid has slammed the news that talented teen Charlie Patino now looks likely to leave Arsenal in the summer.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

As the Gunners look to build a team that can consistently challenge for Premier League titles in the coming years, big moves can be expected in the summer window.

Indeed, there has already been plenty of talk in the media about Mikel Arteta potentially adding the likes of Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo to his midfield.

Of course, though, if one or both of those two were to arrive in North London, this could spell trouble for other options within the squad.

With that potentially in mind, it sounds as though talented youngster Patino no longer sees a path to first-team action with Arsenal.

Indeed, as per The Athletic, the 19-year-old is expected to leave on a permanent basis at the end of the season, with the club "receptive to his desire to seek" senior football elsewhere.

In reaction to this, Catterson-Reid warned that it could be a big mistake, writing on Twitter: "This is a Gnabry situation. That’s how good Patino is. This is such bad news for Arsenal."

Will Patino leave Arsenal this summer?

Arsenal fans will no doubt remember how they let Serge Gnabry football slip through their fingers as a youngster before ending up becoming a star with Bayern Munich. That must have scarred many supporters and they won't want to see the same happen with Patino.

After all, the teenager has shown the potential to be a future top talent having scored on debut for the Gunners and since excelled while out on loan at Blackpool this season.

Indeed, after scoring in the FA Cup against Southampton, his current boss Mick McCarthy said (via The Athletic.): "He has a right go at it, Charlie. He's a young man and sometimes he doesn't always get it right.

"He might press and get played past, but in the first half, he lost it in front of us about 20 yards into their half and won it back in the 18-yard box at the other side of the pitch. I said, 'If you can do that, you'll do for me'.

"The willingness to do it is great. I've loved working with him for the last few days, he's going to be a very good player."

No doubt, Patino has plenty of potential but there is no guarantee he will be a star. Even so, if he does leave in the summer, Arsenal would be wise to include some sort of buy-back clause in any contract as Manchester City have done with Romeo Lavia.

In a fresh attempt to convince the BCCI, ICC general manager Geoff Allardice will travel to India next week to carry out a presentation on the Decision Review System

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Oct-20161:27

Will look to introduce DRS in future – Kohli

In a fresh attempt to convince the BCCI, ICC general manager Geoff Allardice will travel to India next week to carry out a presentation on the Decision Review System (DRS). India are the only team to have not subscribed to the DRS after being the first to experiment with it, in 2008.The BCCI’s reluctance is well known and recent board presidents – from N Srinivasan to Shashank Manohar to Anurag Thakur now – have expressed the same reservation on the referral system: that unless technology is 100% perfect, India will not use the DRS.The ICC has consistently called for a uniform referral system to be used by all teams. In July, ICC chief executive David Richardson had revealed that its cricket committee and chief executives’ committee wanted the ICC to take “more control” of the DRS.Incidentally, the ICC cricket committee’s head is Anil Kumble, also the current India coach. Kumble and Allardice have witnessed the research carried out by a team of engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who were last year asked by the ICC to independently assess the performance of the technologies that are part of the DRS: ball tracking and edge detection. The MIT team gave a detailed presentation to the ICC cricket committee during the annual conference in June.Allardice is likely to highlight the MIT research during his presentation, which is likely to be attended by the top brass as well as key officials of the BCCI. The key point that Allardice will drive home is how the DRS and its various components have become more reliable since the system’s inception in 2008.It is understood that the ICC wanted to do this presentation earlier, but a convenient time could not be worked out. “They wanted to showcase improvements that have been made after the MIT research,” a BCCI official said. “This is something they have been wanting to share for quite some time. We need to wait and see what are the improvements exactly, considering DRS is made up of two to three elements.”India’s upcoming home Test series comprise five matches against England followed by a one-off Test against Bangladesh, before ending the season with a four-Test series against Australia. It is understood both BCCI and ECB have not worked on the MoU for the series so far and hence it is too premature, officials pointed out, to speculate whether the DRS would be used or not.The BCCI official was not sure whether senior Indian team members like MS Dhoni and Test captain Virat Kohli, along with Kumble, will attend the meeting considering they were busy with the ODI series against New Zealand.During his reign Dhoni never categorically expressed his opinion on the DRS. In contrast, Kohli has consistently said he is open to the referral system.

On a day of contrasting openers and innings at the SCG, David Warner blasted his way to the first century before lunch in Tests in Australia, then 20-year-old Matt Renshaw dug in to become Australia’s seventh-youngest centurion

The Report by Daniel Brettig02-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:42

Chappell: ‘Misbah played into Warner’s hands’

David Warner enshrined himself among the greats of the game’s past before Matt Renshaw secured his Australian future. On a day of contrasting openers and innings at the SCG, Warner blasted his way to the first century before lunch in Tests in Australia, then 20-year-old Renshaw dug in to become Australia’s seventh-youngest centurion.If Warner’s innings was the favourite of a festive New Year’s crowd, Renshaw will have delighted Australia’s selectors, coaches and players with a display of the sort of calm assurance so vital to Test match success. Renshaw styled much of his game on England’s Alastair Cook: working the ball repeatedly off his hip then driving and cutting occasionally he played very much the spit of an innings the older man made against Australia on this ground six years ago.Having played a major role in Australia’s win in Melbourne by scoring a rapid century, Warner doubled down with another intimidatory batting effort against Pakistani bowling that mixed the presentable with the ordinary on a blameless SCG pitch. Warner joined Victor Trumper, Charles Macartney, Sir Donald Bradman and Majid Khan as the only other men to score a century in the very first session of a Test. Majid was the most recent batsman to get there, making his century against New Zealand in Karachi in 1976-77.While Warner was unable to go on for long after the interval, Renshaw wedged himself into the wicket, and was composed through the departures of Usman Khawaja and the captain Steven Smith before Pete Handscomb, another bright young thing, settled in. With the debutant Hilton Cartwright and an out of touch Matthew Wade below them, this pair played with some care to reach stumps.After Smith won the toss and announced two changes to the Melbourne team, Steve O’Keefe and Cartwright, Warner rocketed away with a volley of boundaries in the first two overs of the match, the second of which was bowled by one of Pakistan’s inclusions, Imran Khan. From there it seemed only a matter of Warner keeping his wicket intact and getting enough strike, two tasks he performed without much trouble as barely a ball beat the bat.There were runs either side of the pitch for Warner; a lack of straight-driven boundaries reflecting both the pugilism of his method and also the shortish lengths favoured by Pakistan’s bowlers. Pull shots and punches through the covers were most prevalent, all played with a level of hustling intent that suggested Warner always knew the hundred before lunch was on.David Warner celebrated his 18th Test century off only 78 balls•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

In the end Warner was able to go from 95 to 100 with a two and a three from the bowling of Wahab Riaz, the first a pull shot and the second a punch behind square on the off side that should only have been worth two but became the pivotal third via a misfield. Warner’s celebration was typically ebullient; he had already made history in a match just two hours old.It was to be Wahab who sent Warner back to the dressing room, via an SCG standing ovation, when he coaxed an indeterminate edge when trying to run the ball down through the gully region. Khawaja’s edge arrived a few overs later from a more aggressive attempt to score, and it was Renshaw who got the balance right.Smith, having been so dominant in Melbourne, surprised in edging an attempted cut at Yasir Shah and falling to an excellent catch by Sarfraz Ahmed, the prelude to a nervy period in the 90s for Renshaw after tea. On 91 his visor wore the brunt of a Mohammad Amir bouncer, and a check-up from the team doctor Peter Brukner was required before Renshaw continued.In the end a hurried single was enough to take him to the milestone, triggering an outpouring of joy that reminded all present of the difficult spells he has already negotiated whether against Vernon Philander in Adelaide, Amir at the Gabba or a fiery Wahab here. Handscomb was meanwhile reprieved when Sarfraz failed to go with a Yasir legbreak that could have resulted in a stumping.More runs flowed from Renshaw’s bat, his stroke range expanding in direct correlation to the amount of time he spent in the middle. There is plenty of power in his tall frame, but the aversion he shows in the formative stages of his innings will serve him well in what now seem likely to be many years of Test batting to come.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a difficult season that has been turned around by Julen Lopetegui.

The Spanish coach took over from Bruno Lage when Wolves were bottom of the table, and with three games to go, his side are safe from relegation and already looking ahead to next season.

As this thrilling campaign draws to a close, the summer transfer window awaits, as Lopetegui will have his chance to put his stamp on the squad he took over from both Lage and Nuno Santo prior.

The Midlands side have been linked with a number of both potentially inbound and outbound players ahead of the summer, with the future of Ruben Neves a question that will likely be answered at the end of the season.

It has been rumoured that one of the Championship’s most highly-rated players could make the move to Molineux, in a deal that could see the Portuguese captain’s heir arrive in Wolverhampton.

19-year-old Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott has been a name lauded in the country’s second division this season.

Described by Pep Guardiola as an “unbelievable player” following Manchester City’s FA Cup clash against Bristol City, the youngster is on the watch list for a host of clubs this summer.

Transfer expert Dean Jones told GIVEMESPORT revealed earlier this year that a number of Premier League clubs have been eyeing the starlet, including Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Newcastle United and Wolves.

City have placed a £30m price tag on the budding English talent, who has been a vital cog in their squad this campaign.

What could Alex Scott bring to Wolves?

The young central midfielder ranks in his club’s top ten performers this season, averaging a Sofascore match rating of 6.83 in the Championship.

Just a teenager, the Guernsey-born star has made 42 appearances in the league, cementing himself as a key member of Nigel Pearson’s set-up and a player attracting Premier League interest.

With Ruben Neves’ future in doubt, Scott could prove to be Loptegui’s natural successor to the Portuguese should he depart.

The two bear a host of similarities in their roles for their respective squads, with the second-tier star hitting numbers close to Neves on average per game.

As per Sofascore, the Wolves midfielder averages 2.3 tackles per match, as well as maintaining a passing accuracy rate of 84%. Scott follows closely to the 26-year-old, with a 79% pass rate and making an average of 1.8 tackles a game.

The Wolves captain is famed for his ability going forward too, and Bristol’s number 7 has been efficient in attack as well as sitting back in midfield, registering four assists this season in comparison to Neves’ single assist.

The Wolves skipper has made 174 appearances in the Premier League during his stay in the Midlands, so typically his numbers would rate higher. The slim differences between the two, however, highlight the potential that Scott has in his game, and with his age comes a vast area to grow.

Praised by his current boss Pearson, Scott was called a “versatile and promising” player with a lot of “football intelligence.” That final ringing endorsement is certainly similar to Neves who boasts an excellent football brain.

Only time will tell if Lopetegui can seal the deal with a host of competitors battling for the midfielder, but he could be a true heir to Wolves’ expectedly departing captain.

Middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane has been ruled out of the fourth and fifth Tests against England with a finger injury

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-20161:01

Quick Facts: Manish Pandey

Middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane has been ruled out of the fourth and fifth Tests against England with a finger injury, while fast bowler Mohammed Shami is an uncertain starter for the Mumbai Test, beginning Thursday.Karnataka batsman Manish Pandey replaced Rahane in the squad, while Shardul Thakur was brought in as back-up for Shami, who has a sore knee. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is likely to be the first-choice replacement in the XI for Shami, while Karun Nair is likely to take Rahane’s place.Pandey and Thakur had to be pulled out of ongoing Ranji Trophy matches and flown to Mumbai. Pandey was playing against Maharashtra in Mohali, and Thakur against Punjab in Rajkot.The BCCI said Rahane had suffered “an avulsion fracture on his right index finger” after getting hit by a ball during a practice session on the eve of the Mumbai Test. He managed only 63 runs in five innings in this series. The board also said that Shami’s fitness was being monitored and a decision on his inclusion in the XI would be taken on the morning of the match.Shami has had trouble with his leg since the start of the series, when he was seen clutching his hamstring on the first day in Rajkot. The team management, however, said he was merely suffering from cramp and he continued to play the remainder of that Test and those that followed in Visakhapatnam and Mohali. Shami was especially potent with reverse-swing, taking 10 wickets at an average of 25.20.If Shami doesn’t make it, India are almost certain to play Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took a five-wicket haul in the last Test he played. That was why Kohli wasn’t too worried about Shami’s availability.”If you see, whoever has stepped in has given match-winning performances,” he said. “You speak about Bhuvi, he has come in at St Lucia once and in Kolkata once, and both times he has picked up five wickets, and he has been the match-winner for us. I am not worried because the guys sitting outside are waiting for opportunities. It is not like that they are not looking forward to playing, which is I think a great sign for the team and that is why whoever has played at any stage has given those performances for us. As I said they are pretty keen to step on to the field to grab the opportunity with both hands.”Pandey, Rahane’s replacement in the squad, had himself hurt his finger while playing a Ranji Trophy game in November. He returned to action last week, making 75 and 58 against Saurashtra. Thakur, meanwhile, has been a more consistent presence this season, claiming 13 wickets in six matches, including a six-wicket haul against Bengal last week. He had been picked in the 17-man squad for the four-Test tour of the West Indies in July-August, but did not get a game.

Chelsea are 'in the race' to sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Manuel Ugarte as Mauricio Pochettino aims to bolster his midfield ranks, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Manuel Ugarte?

According to Football Insider, Chelsea manager Pochettino is said to have had a phone conversation with Ugarte in a bid to try and convince the midfielder to pitch up at Stamford Bridge this summer.

The Blues are trying to construct a structured deal that will match his release clause of £52 million and the 22-year-old is reportedly keen to test himself in the Premier League.

As per Record via The Daily Mail, Paris Saint-Germain also want to sign Ugarte and have offered a significantly larger financial package to the Uruguay international as they endeavour to entice the midfielder to Le Parc des Princes.

PSG are believed to be offering Ugarte £2.5 million (€3 million) to join the Ligue 1 giants. The outlet also claims that in Chelsea's bid, youngster David Datro Fofana moving to Sporting Lisbon on loan has also been floated by Blues' chiefs.

It has now been claimed that Chelsea are closing in on signing him, but it remains to be seen as to whether this is correct.

Chelsea are set for something of a midfield revamp in the off-season and Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic all look to be in negotiations regarding potential moves away from SW6.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that it will be left up to Ugarte over whether he wants to join Chelsea or PSG in the summer.

Jacobs told FFC: "It's quite a fluid situation because it just depends on what the player ultimately wants, assuming both clubs are able to agree a package and a structure with Sporting. There are still some legs on this story, but it is fair to say that both PSG and Chelsea at the time of recording are in the race for Ugarte."

Would Manuel Ugarte be a good addition to Chelsea's midfield?

Ugarte would add some youthful energy and bite to Chelsea's engine room and would be a major asset under Pochettino if the Argentinian is able to convince him to join the Blues.

Across 2022/23, Ugarte has made 47 appearances in all competitions for Sporting Lisbon, registering one assist, as per Transfermarkt.

The 22-year-old is also extremely reliable in possession and has managed to record a pass success rate of 91.8% in the Primeira Liga this season, according to WhoScored.

FBRef also detail that Ugarte ranks well in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions in the art of tackling, managing to make an average of 4.63 per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the first percentile for this metric.

Chelsea are undergoing something of a transition period at Stamford Bridge and Ugarte may be the ideal candidate to add some stability in midfield as Pochettino looks to build ahead for 2023/24.

The series between India and Pakistan’s women’s teams, which counts towards ICC Women’s Championship points, is in major doubt. The two have till the end of October to play the series, but the BCCI has not responded to the PCB’s queries on the series since May with either a confirmation or rejection. If the series is not played, an ICC spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo that the matter of how the points will be awarded will be referred to the event’s technical committee. The PCB wants India to forfeit the six points available for the series if they do not agree to play.Pakistan is due to host India for this series, which is supposed to consist of three ODIs, and the PCB is open to holding the series in the UAE. Eight teams are part of the ICC Women’s Championship; the top four at the end of the championship, which runs over two and a half years, gain automatic entry into the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England. The bottom four will have to qualify via a ten-team qualification tournament in early 2017.”The two sides have until the end of this month to play the series, which has to be hosted by Pakistan,” the ICC spokesperson said. “If the series doesn’t go ahead, then the matter will be referred to the Event Technical Committee.”A BCCI official said the board has not made a decision on the matter yet, and that it would be binding on the Indian government’s call. “This is for the government to decide. The BCCI doesn’t have a say in this,” the official said. “We still have time to make a decision.”Cricketing ties between India and Pakistan are currently stalled, given the political tensions between the neighbours. The men’s teams have not played a bilateral series against each other since December-January 2012-13, when Pakistan visited India, but had met in various multi-team tournaments since then, including the World Cup, World T20, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup. The latest Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two boards in May 2014 featured six series from 2015 to 2023, but the series which was supposed to be played last December in the UAE was shelved; then, too, the BCCI had said it was up to the government to sanction the series.There have been two major instances of teams refusing to play matches due to non-cricketing reasons in the past, and both times those teams had to forfeit the points. In 1996 Wills World Cup, West Indies and Australia refused to send their teams to Sri Lanka due to security issues arising out of the civil war; points for both the games were awarded to Sri Lanka. In 2003 World Cup, England forfeited their match with Zimbabwe, and New Zealand forfeited their match with Kenya, both due to security concerns due to political unrest.In the ICC Women’s Championship, India currently sit sixth on the table with 13 points five points adrift of the top four. Pakistan are seventh with eight points. If the six points for the series are awarded to Pakistan, neither side will have a chance to directly qualify for the World Cup. Pakistan Women, regardless, are set to tour New Zealand for three ODIs in Nelson from November 13 to 17, counting towards the championship. It is understood the PCB wanted to play the India series ahead of this tour.India and Pakistan’s women’s teams are also scheduled to play the Asia Cup in Thailand between November 25 and December 5.