Let us look at some of the most-discussed cricket stories on the news on 28 June.
Edgbaston to host 80 percent capacity for England-Pakistan ODI
Edgbaston has been allowed to fill 80 percent of its capacity for the third ODI between England and Pakistan on 13 July. The contest is set to accommodate up to 19,000 spectators, which would make it the highest-attended international cricket match in England since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, spectators aged 11 or older have to show a negative Covid-19 lateral flow test result, or proof of two vaccinations at least two weeks before the scheduled fixture.
Edgbaston was at 70 percent capacity for the second Test between England and New Zealand earlier this month, with 60,000 fans watching the contest over the four days.
BCCI confirms T20 World Cup shift to UAE
The BCCI confirmed that the 2021 T20 World Cup, originally scheduled to take place in India, will be shifted to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tournament is likely to begin on 17 October.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed the development to PTI: ‘We have officially intimated the ICC that the T20 World Cup can be shifted to the United Arab Emirates. The details are being chalked out.’
However, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said the schedule of the tournament is still in progress and ‘will be done later’.
Labuschagne pulled out of Vitality Blast game due to Covid-19 scare
Marnus Labuschagne was forced to pull himself out of an ongoing Vitality T20 Blast game for Glamorgan following a Covid-19 scare. Labuschagne had missed out on the match against Middlesex on 27 June after teammate Nick Selman tested positive for the virus.
Glamorgan head coach Matthew Maynard confirmed the reason behind Labuschagne’s withdrawal while speaking to cricket.com.au: ‘The positive test came out at about half-past seven this morning (the day of the game against Middlesex) and as a precautionary measure we kept Marnus out from travelling with us today.’
Labuschagne’s countrymate Michael Neser was also withdrawn from the squad in the Middlesex fixture for the same reason.
Sri Lanka’s Avishka Fernando ruled out of England ODIs
Avishka Fernando has been ruled out of Sri Lanka’s three-match ODI series against England, starting 29 June at Chester-le-Street. Avishka sustained a Grade 2 tear to his quadriceps while fielding in the second T20I of the recently-concluded series against England. He did not feature in the third T20I because of that.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) confirmed Avishka’s injury on Twitter: ‘Avishka Fernando has sustained an injury to his right quadriceps (Grade 2 Tear). Fernando suffered this injury while fielding during the 2nd T20i played against England at Cardiff.’