Let us look at some of the most-discussed cricket stories on the news on 20 August.
Punjab Kings sign Nathan Ellis for the IPL UAE-leg
As per a Cricbuzz report, Punjab Kings have roped in Nathan Ellis for the UAE leg of the IPL, starting 19 September. Punjab signed Ellis after two of their Australian seamers – Jhye Richardson and Riley Meredith – ruled themselves out of the remainder of the tournament.
‘We were not aware of the fitness status of Jhye and Riley until yesterday. We have signed Ellis as a replacement player,’ Satish Menon, PBKS CEO told Cricbuzz. Menon further stated they will announce another signing ‘in a day or two’.
Ellis is part of the Australian side as a reserve for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
BCCI postpones Ranji Trophy to 5 January
The BCCI has delayed the start of this season’s Ranji Trophy from 16 November 2021 to 5 January 2022. It will run till 20 March. The BCCI made the decision to provide all 38 teams enough preparation time. Several state associations requested for time to prepare for the Ranji Trophy because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the revised domestic calendar, both limited-overs competitions – the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy – will be held before the Ranji Trophy. While the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be played from 27 October to 22 November, the Vijay Hazare Trophy will run from 1 to 29 December.
Cairns no longer on life support after second heart surgery
Chris Cairns is off life support and is currently recovering following a second emergency heart surgery at the St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, as confirmed by his lawyer Aaron Lloyd: ‘I’m pleased to advise that Chris is off life support and has been able to communicate with his family from hospital in Sydney.’
Earlier this month, Cairns had suffered an aortic dissection (a major medical emergency) in Canberra, where he lives with his family. Since then, he was on life support, in the ICU, under observation.
Razzaq moves from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Central Punjab
Abdul Razzaq has moved from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Central Punjab as the head coach. The PCB has now juggled four head coaches of the six provincial teams ahead of the new season.
Former Central Punjab coach Shahid Anwar will join Southern Punjab, while Abdur Rehman of Southern Punjab will move to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Ijaz Ahmed Jr, who won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with Central Punjab before being sacked mid-season, will take over Northern.
Under Razzaq’s guidance, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have won all three trophies in Pakistan’s domestic cricket.