England’s next coach: ECB target IPL coaches, Pakistan’s Mike Hesson …

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have commenced their hunt for a new Test coach and have zeroed in on nine possible candidates. After losing yet another Test series, Brendon McCullum was sacked as the red-ball coach of Three Lions, bringing his four-year stint to an end. The candidates on the list of potential coaches who could replace Baz include Justin Langer, Andy Flower, Richard Dawson, Jonathan Trott, Kumar Sangakkara, Stephen Fleming, Tom Moody, Mike Hesson and Adi Birell.

Who will succeed McCullum as England Test coach?

As per The Daily Mail, Andy Flower – who is currently the coach of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL – is the preferred choice to succeed Mccullum. However, Flower has reportedly told his close ones that he is unsure if he is willing to take up a high-profile job at the age of 58. Besides, RCB mentor Dinesh Karthik had also hinted earlier that Andy would probably give the offer a pass.

Langer, who coached Australia earlier and is currently serving as LSG‘s coach in the IPL, is also on the list. The report claims that England director Rob Key had approached the ex-Australian cricketer for the role in 2022. However, the latter was seemingly uninterested. having led Australia to Ashes victory at that time. Besides, his approach made the ECB uncomforable. However, that has changed now, and the board is more than willing to have a coach who has a hard approach.

Tom Moody, who is serving as the global director of cricket for LSG, is another Australian on the list. Meanwhile, RR coach Kumar Sangakkara is another potential candidate who could replace McCullum.

The New Zealand link

Two former Kiwi players feature on the list of coaches who could potentially replace McCullum. First is former CSK coach Stephen Fleming, who was reportedly approached for the role four years earlier but had turned it down citing his committments with CSK. However, with CSK sacking him earlier this week, the ECB are once again interested in offering Fleming the role of head coach.

Another Kiwi on the list is Pakistan’s current coach Mike Hesson. As per the report, Pakistan are unhappy with Hesson’s name featuring on the list.

Only two Englishmen on list

Only two former England players feature on the list. The first one is Jonathan Trott, who worked with Afghanistan as head coach previously. However, Trott’s candidature might be in a mix as he has recently been roped in by Cricket Ireland as a short-term consultant. The other Englishman on the list is Richard Dawson.

What about Dravid, Flintoff?

Former India coach Rahul Dravid is a name that is doing rounds but isn’t on the shortlist, despite reports claiming that The Wall is uninterested in taking up a full-time coaching role. The other name that isn’t on the shortlist is Andrew Flintoff. The ex-England all-rounder is currently coaching the England Lions. However, the top brass in the ECB believe that he isn’t fit for the job as Test coach.

The post England’s next coach: ECB target IPL coaches, Pakistan’s Mike Hesson to find Brendon McCullum’s successor appeared first on Inside Sport India.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has landed itself in a new soup as Major League Cricket (MLC) franchises have accused the board of alleged extortion. As per reports, the PCB demands a whooping $25,000 fee to grant No Objection Certificates to the Pakistan players to take part in the league. Pakistan players, who take part in majority of the T20 leagues across the globe barring the Indian Premier League (IPL), are required to take NOCs from the PCB to participate in the tournaments, much akin to how other countries function as well.

PCB accused of extorting money from MLC franchises

As per Pak Passion, a source close to an MLC franchise owner accused the PCB of conveying to the franchises in the last-minute that a $25,000 fee was required to grant NOCs to Pakistan players. The source claimed that the PCB would stay silent for an entire year and ask for the fee just before the tournament when the franchises find themselves in a vulnerable position. The source went on to cite an incident from the second edition of the tournament where one MLC team had four Pakistan players and the PCB had told the franchise that they wouldn’t have to worry about the NOCs as long as the money reached their account.

“There were four Pakistani players for one of the teams, but, the PCB forgot about the fourth player and asked for three payments of $25,000. They, then extorted another $25,000 for the fourth player for an NOC just a few hours before a match was to be played. That team was wiring the money to the PCB and asking for the NOC. The PCB stated don’t worry about the NOC, if your money comes and hits our bank account before the first ball is bowled, we’ll take care of the NOC for you,” the source claimed.

The source further claimed that when the matter was raised with PCB cheif Mohsin Naqvi, the response was that this was a means of revenue for the PCB and that they had every right to ask for the money. In MLC 2026, Haris Rauf is the sole Pakistan player in the tournament, playing for San Francisco Unicorns. As per the report, this extrotion technique deployed by the PCB is forcing the MLC franchises to not consider buying Pakistan players. The source also claimed that the fee was imposed only on the MLC franchises.

“With what’s been happening, most of the franchises have decided that they’re not going to sign Pakistani players anymore. The franchises who were signing Pakistani players were suffering financially and had to pay over their budget. Owners have had enough and have told the agents of Pakistani players, we don’t want their players because of the extortion,” the source added.

The post PCB accused of ‘extortion’ by MLC franchises: $25000 per Pakistan player for NOC appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Trisha Ghosal, Birmingham

Every time Jasprit Bumrah pulls on the blue jersey, there is an expectation that something special is about to happen. It is an expectation built not on reputation alone, but on years of delivering when the stakes have been at their highest. Yet, strangely, discussions around Bumrah have often focused less on what he has done for India and more on the matches he has missed. Every injury has sparked debates over workload management. Every carefully planned return has invited questions about his commitment. And every single time, Bumrah has answered in the only way he knows—by taking the ball and changing games.

That, perhaps, is what separates him from many of his contemporaries.

Modern cricket demands that fast bowlers are managed carefully. With international cricket spread across three formats and lucrative franchise leagues occupying an increasingly significant place in the calendar, workload management is no longer a luxury but a necessity. Bumrah, whose unconventional bowling action places immense stress on his body, has been one of the biggest examples of that balancing act. The BCCI has consistently prioritised his long-term fitness over short-term availability, even if it has meant criticism from outside.

The criticism, however, rarely survives his performances.

As of today, Bumrah has taken more than 500 international wickets, an extraordinary achievement considering the number of injury setbacks he has overcome. In Test cricket alone, he has claimed over 230 wickets at an average below 20, numbers that place him among the most effective fast bowlers the format has ever witnessed. During the ongoing ODI series against England, he also became the third-fastest Indian to 150 ODI wickets in terms of balls bowled, while overtaking Ravindra Jadeja to become India’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs on English soil. Those are not merely milestones; they are evidence of sustained excellence across conditions and formats.

Statistics, though, tell only half the story.

Bumrah’s greatest quality has never been the volume of wickets he has collected but the moments in which he has collected them. Think back to India’s triumphant 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, where his spells consistently shifted the momentum of games. Think of his match-winning performances in Australia, England and South Africa, where Indian fast bowlers have historically been judged. Or even his return in the current England ODI series, coming on the back of a relatively lean IPL season, when many wondered whether he had rediscovered his rhythm. The answer arrived almost immediately, with pace and precision.

There is a reason opposition batters speak about Bumrah with such admiration. Sir Vivian Richards once famously remarked that he would rather face Dennis Lillee than Bumrah, an extraordinary compliment coming from one of the greatest batters the game has known. It is not simply Bumrah’s pace or his yorkers that make him exceptional. It is his unpredictability. A ball that seams away after three that have come in. A slower ball delivered with an identical action. A yorker executed under immense pressure. Even when wickets do not come immediately, he creates relentless uncertainty.

Perhaps that is why there always seems to be a different edge to Bumrah when he represents India. The intensity increases. The responsibility grows. So does his influence. Captains trust him with the first over, the last over and every difficult spell in between because, more often than not, he finds a way to deliver.

Critics will continue to count the matches Bumrah has missed. History, however, is far more likely to remember the matches he has won. Careers are not defined by availability alone; they are defined by impact. And few cricketers in modern cricket have had a greater impact in India’s colours than Jasprit Bumrah. Time and again, the blue jersey has brought out the very best in him and Indian cricket has been all the richer for it.

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The 2026 season of The Hundred is upon us right in the middle of the cricketing season in the United Kingdom. Today, we will be looking at the schedule for The Hundred Men’s 2026.

There have been five seasons of this competition, which offers a unique twist to limited-overs cricket. Instead of a 20-over game, common for franchise cricket, each team plays only 100 balls, in five or 10-ball spells.

For the past three seasons, the Oval Invincibles have been The Hundred Men’s champions, which brings us to the major change we will see this year.

With IPL franchises investing in the league, the Invincibles are now primarily owned by Reliance Industries, the Mumbai Indians’ owners. The team has thus been renamed MI London

Another team that has gone through a brand shift is the side formerly known as Manchester Originals. Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants, bought this team. So the Manchester side will now be called the Manchester Super Giants.

The third and final team change with IPL investments comes from the owners of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who bought out the Northern Superchargers and named them Sunrisers Leeds.

Men’s The Hundred 2026 Schedule

With all that addressed, we will now look at The Hundred 2026 schedule. Which team will play which, on what day, in what stadium, and at what time? Here is The Hundred Men’s Schedule for the 2026 season.

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