Easton McMorris dies aged 86
Former West Indies opening batter Easton McMorris died at the age of 86. McMorris made his Test debut in 1958 against Pakistan. His only Test century came against India in a home series in 1960/61. He scored 564 runs in 13 Tests at an average of 26.85.
'I had the privilege to engage with Mr McMorris on a few occasions over the years. I found him to be an encouraging and selfless gentleman,' CWI president Ricky Skerritt said. 'Easton was a true stalwart of the game and contributed significantly at all levels, on and off the field.'
Lakmal to retire after India tour
Suranga Lakmal has announced that the upcoming tour to India will be the last series of his international career. Lakmal has played 86 ODIs, 11 T20Is, and 68 Tests. In Test cricket, he was primarily used for overseas series, and has so far picked 168 wickets.
'I'm indebted to Sri Lanka Cricket for giving me this astonishing opportunity and having faith in me to bring my motherland honour, as it has been absolute pleasure to be associated with the board that shaped my professional life and also enriched my personal development,' he said.
Keegan Petersen out of New Zealand tour
Keegan Petersen has been ruled out of South Africa's upcoming tour to New Zealand after testing positive for Covid-19. He has been replaced by Zubayr Hamza. Petersen played an instrumental role in setting up a 2-1 series win against India, where he was named Player of the Series.
Hamza has so far played five Test matches, the last of which came against England in 2020. Both Tests will be played in Christchurch.
Eight Indian players test positive for Covid-19
Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shreyas Iyer are among eight Indian players to have tested positive for Covid-19. The rest of the squad are isolated, and they will begin the training session only after returning negative in the RT-PCR test to be conducted on Thursday.
The three-match ODI series versus West Indies are set to be staged in Ahmedabad, from 6 February.