‘Where is cricket going? The younger generation want more satisfaction’ (2026-01-20T13:11:00+05:30)

Former Australia cricketer Mark Taylor embraces day-night Test match idea

Sydney: Pink-ball day-night Test matches, which make their debut this week in Adelaide, should only be the beginning of a cricket revolution, former Australian captain Mark Taylor said on Monday. Taylor, a Cricket Australia board member, is advocating the introduction of four-day, 100-over Test matches and a clearly defined Test championship. He wants all Tests to begin on Thursdays, allowing them to build to a Sunday evening climax. "As someone said to me years ago, why are we surprised when people go to one-day cricket and T20 cricket more than they do a Test match, when we put all the one-dayers and T20s on in school holidays and at night," he told the Sydney Daily Telegraph. "And we put Test matches on during the week outside of school holidays." Taylor said he had discussed his ideas at an International Cricket Council level and they were now gathering some momentum with different options being brought forward. "You've got to look at the game as a whole. Where is cricket going? The younger generation generally want more instant gratification and I think over five days to keep them interested in the game is not so easy," he said. "People are more about who is the best in the world at the moment. They like watching World Cup finals if you're always working towards who is the best Test team in the world, that can only help the game." Taylor said a Test championship would likely include a similar scoring system to football, where three points are awarded for a victory and one given for a draw. Australia face New Zealand in the first-ever day-night Test in Adelaide from Friday and Cricket Australia has reportedly already contacted the Pakistan Cricket Board about securing a similar game in Australia for the next southern summer. The chief of the Federation of International Cricketers' Association, Tony Irish, warned against significant changes happening too quickly. He said that while players should be given credit for allowing this week's Adelaide Test to go ahead, it should be seen as an experiment. "This match needs to be seen strictly as an experiment. If there's one thing that everyone agrees on, it's that the pink ball in Test cricket is a big unknown," Irish told Fairfax Media. "The views of the players following the Test match have to be central to any future decisions."‘Source: The Asian Age, Image: https://upload.wikimedia.org

Why the UAE is the Ideal Destination for International Cricket (2026-01-02T13:45:00+05:30)

Every cricket fan globally follows the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy event with great excitement. Teams across the world are working on their plans to win the championship glory. These top nations maintain their dominance with Australia while India and England keep their positions while Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa attempt to join them. Players from both the new and experienced generations will face challenging battles at this event. Despite intense competition worldwide the United Arab Emirates stands out by becoming the main center of cricket today.

UAE: The Ideal Cricketing Destination

The UAE has several modern cricket venues that bring energizing cricket action to sports lovers like Dubai International, Sheikh Zayed, and Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Top-quality venues at these locations enable players and spectators to enjoy cricket in its best form. The facilities host many spectators using modern lighting and surface treatments to create top-level views for all audiences. The UAE has successfully attracted major international cricket events through their network of new and updated stadiums while investing in cricket facilities.

The UAE gains a key location benefit by being between major football world regions. Its location between Europe, Asia, and Africa enables visitors and competitors to arrive by multiple routes from every corner of the world. The UAE’s excellent hospitality services along with its well-connected transport systems and top-notch entertainment draws many people to its major cricket competitions. The UAE has hosted both the IPL and PSL events while being selected as a safe country for international tournaments.

Weather and Infrastructure

The UAE has an ideal weather that benefits cricket because of its sunshine and low rainfall. Many matches run smoothly in the UAE because there is little rainfall and sunny days almost every month of the year. The UAE maintains steady weather conditions throughout the year making other regions’ seasonal problems irrelevant to match postponements. High-quality playing spaces and improved training centers support effective cricket performance at this location.Alongside cricket the United Arab Emirates supports various infrastructure features that enhance this sport. The UAE offers top-quality lodging and exceptional hotels alongside event areas to delight players and spectators alike. Cricket tourism ranks high in Dubai because cricket fans love to attend games while exploring the sights of the city. The UAE keeps growing its cricket leadership position as the government partners with international cricket bodies and supports sports promotions. Why the UAE is the Ideal Destination for International Cricket

Why do cricket balls have to be so hard? (2026-01-02T13:44:00+05:30)

John Arnold, University of South Australia and Tom Wycherley, University of South Australia

The game of cricket is believed to have originated in rural England sometime in the 16th or 17th century.

The earliest versions of cricket balls had no standard size, weight or stitching: they were handmade by locals and consisted of a round leather case filled with materials such as cork or wool.

As there were no set requirements or construction methods, each ball was different, and this affected how it bounced, moved and rebounded off the bat.

However, cricket spiked in popularity in the first half of the 18th century, which prompted consistency in the rules and equipment to ensure fairness and facilitate further growth of the game.

The modern cricket ball

Modern balls consist of four main components: a cork and twine (string) core, a leather casing, a raised middle section (the seam) with stitching on either side and a wax or lacquer coating.

Balls are either red (for long formats such as international Test matches), white (for shorter formats such as One Day Internationals or Twenty20 games) or pink (for day-night Tests and first-class games).

The laws of cricket state that when new, the ball should weigh between 5.5 and 5.75 ounces (155.9–163 grams) and have a circumference of 22.4–22.9 centimetres.

For women’s cricket, the ball can weight slightly less (140–151g) and for junior cricket (under 13) even less again (133–144g).

A set of technical standards was formalised in 1994 which stipulate the mechanical requirements for factors such as hardness, to help different manufacturers produce balls with more consistency and ensure fairness across the globe.

So why are balls so hard?

Cricket balls are the product of centuries of tradition and the extreme physical demands of the game. They must be robust and hard-wearing, able to withstand repeated high-force impacts from both the bat and the pitch over the course of a match.

Consider the forces involved when a ball is struck by a bat.

Reasonable estimates of peak forces when the ball is struck by the bat are about 17 kilonewtons (the weight of 1,700 kilograms) – enough to lift a 1.7 tonne car off the ground.

The ball also repeatedly impacts the pitch at high speeds, experiencing shear forces that gradually wear its surface. On deteriorating pitches, this wear is even more pronounced.

In Test cricket, a single ball can be bowled up to 480 times (80 overs) before the fielding team is allowed to request a replacement.

While cricket ball construction has evolved over the past 300 years, its main elements have remained largely consistent.

The introduction of the seam – the raised stitching that runs around the ball’s circumference – and the practice of shining one side of the ball to create swing are fundamental aspects of match play.

These features allow bowlers to generate movement in the air – challenging batters and shaping the strategy of the game.

The materials, construction and physical characteristics of the ball – including size, mass and density – determine its mechanical properties and influence how it bounces, spins and interacts with different surfaces and equipment.

These properties are central to cricket’s nature and style – changing them would fundamentally alter the way the game is played.

Tradition and the physical requirements of the game have ensured this construction is tried, tested and fit for purpose, creating the ball we know today.

Is the ball dangerous?

Bowlers vary their deliveries to deceive the batter and gain a tactical advantage. This can include changing the speed or where they aim the ball.

A specific strategy fast bowlers may use is to aim to bounce the ball directly at a batter’s upper body or head (referred to as a “bouncer)”.

This can be used to intimidate the batter and/or force them to make a mistake.

Perhaps the most infamous example of this was the 1932–33 Ashes series, in which the English cricket team controversially used a consistent “bodyline” delivery approach to contain Australian batting legend Don Bradman.

Various rule changes since the 1990s have limited the number of bouncers that bowlers can deliver, making the game safer.

At the elite level, cricket balls are commonly bowled at speeds of 130–150 kilometres per hour.

Occasionally, fast bowlers can exceed 160km/h. At amateur and recreational levels, bowlers commonly still reach 100km/h.

When a person is struck – whether it be a batter, fielder or umpire – the ball hardly rebounds and the momentum is absorbed by the body.

The force is also concentrated in a small area, making serious or even fatal injury possible – particularly if contact is made directly to the head.

The exact force depends on the timing, location and angle of impact. But there’s no doubt the combination of a small, dense ball moving at high speed and stopping almost instantly makes cricket-ball injuries potentially deadly.

There have been fatal incidents, albeit rare. The most high-profile such incident was the death of Phillip Hughes in 2014, who was hit on the neck in a Sheffield Shield match and died two days later from a vertebral artery injury.

The number of deaths has declined significantly in the past 30 years, most likely due to widespread use of enhanced safety equipment, especially helmets, by batters and close-in fielders.

So while a layperson may view cricket as a non-contact sport, the truth is batting and fielding require great courage, considering the hardness of the ball and the speeds it can reach.

John Arnold, Senior Lecturer, Sport & Exercise Biomechanics, University of South Australia and Tom Wycherley, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Exercise Science, University of South Australia

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Like night and day: why Test cricket changes so much under lights (2026-01-01T10:30:00+05:30)

Vaughan Cruickshank, University of Tasmania; Brendon Hyndman, Charles Sturt University, and Tom Hartley, University of Tasmania

Cricket’s first Test match was played between Australia and England in 1877.

The next Ashes match, starting at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday, will be Test number 2,611.

It will also be the 25th day-night Test.

Many people criticised the introduction of day-night Tests – including challenges posted by the pink ball (not red, as used in day clashes), visibility issues during twilight, and concerns that cricket is putting commercial interests ahead of the sport’s integrity.

But just how are day-night Tests different from traditional day matches?

History of day-night Tests

Australia and New Zealand played the first official day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval in 2015.

Day-night matches were introduced to increase the popularity of Test cricket and to play it at a time when it could attract larger crowds and a greater primetime audience on television.

From a commercial angle, the move has worked. Evening sessions draw larger crowds and television audiences.

Australia has embraced day-night Tests more than any other country, playing in 14 of the 24 completed day-night Tests. England is next with seven.

Australia has also hosted 13 of the day-night Tests, eight of them in Adelaide. India is next with three.

Cricket Australia and various state governments negotiate summer schedules and venues, with only Adelaide, Brisbane and Hobart hosting day-night Tests so far.

Australian dominance

The Australian team’s familiarity with day-night cricket may partly explain its outstanding record of 13 wins and one loss.

In contrast, England has only won two of its seven day-night Tests, losing all three against Australia.

Familiarity and more opportunities have contributed to Australian dominance of day-night Tests. The top four leading wicket-takers in day-night Tests are Australian.

Mitchell Starc leads (81 wickets in 14 Tests) while the best by an English player is the now-retired James Anderson with 24 wickets in seven Tests.

Australia also has the top five run scorers in day-night Tests.

Marnus Labuschagne (958 runs in nine Tests) is the current leader and has the chance to be the first player to score 1,000 runs in day-night encounters. Joe Root (501 runs in seven games) is the top Englishman at sixth on the list.

How things change under lights

Day-night games have several key differences to day Tests, such as the ball, the conditions and tactics used.

To make day-night Tests work, manufacturers had to develop a ball that’s visible under floodlights, yet durable enough for Test conditions.

Traditional red balls are too difficult to see at night, whereas white balls (used in shorter cricket formats) become dirty and discoloured too quickly.

After years of experimentation with orange and yellow versions, the pink ball emerged as the best compromise. It was trialled in domestic competitions and one-day internationals before being used in Tests.

Batting and bowling under lights is very different from daytime play because the pink ball behaves differently.

Its thicker coating keeps it shiny for longer, which gives fast bowlers more swing and seam movement.

This is most obvious when the ball is new and also during the twilight session, when dew can add extra moisture to the pitch.

Additionally, more grass is often left on the pitch to help reduce damage to the ball.

This all makes life more difficult for batters.

Spinners, though, often struggle because the ball’s harder coating and extra dew reduce grip and turn.

Players have also spoken about the difficulty of adjusting their eyes as daylight fades and floodlights take over. Fielders can also lose sight of the ball against the dusky sky.

In day Tests, the average runs per wicket increases slightly from session one to session three, with scoring rates also increasing slightly across the day. This pattern suggests batting becomes easier as the ball softens and the pitch flattens, while bowlers tire and conditions remain stable across daylight hours.

In contrast, session two is the easiest to bat in during day-night Tests. Batting is much harder in session one (when the ball is often new) and in session three under lights.

Pink ball scoring rates are similar to daytime matches but bowlers strike more often.

What about tactics?

Teams have learned to plan around the evening session (session three), when the fading light and cooling air can make batting harder.

Captains often time their declarations or new-ball spells to coincide with the twilight period and choose to bat first.

Fast bowlers in particular relish the chance to attack under lights and many batters say adapting footwork and timing against the moving pink ball is more difficult.

Comparing results

In short, day-night Tests are harder for batters. Fewer runs are scored, wickets fall more quickly, and games generally finish earlier.

When comparing all Tests from the past ten years, teams in day-night matches score about 150 fewer runs per game and bowlers need ten fewer balls to take each wicket.

Day-night Tests also tend to end with a result sooner, with matches on average being around 50 overs shorter. Notably, none of the 24 day-night Tests played so far has ended in a draw, compared with 14% of day Tests.

Thursday’s second Ashes Test at the Gabba will be the fourth day-night Test at the Queensland ground.

The Australians lost the previous day-night Gabba Test, to the West Indies last summer, which will give England some hope after their disastrous loss in the opening Ashes clash in Perth.

Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania; Brendon Hyndman, Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University, and Tom Hartley, Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

NZ rise to second in WTC rankings after 323-run win against WI (2025-12-23T11:54:00+05:30)

IANS Photo

New Delhi, (IANS): New Zealand climbed to second on the ICC World Test Championship table after completing a dominant 323-run win over the West Indies in the third and final Test at Mount Maunganui.

The comprehensive victory lifted New Zealand above South Africa, with only Australia ahead of them in the WTC standings.

New Zealand's next assignment is a three-match World Test Championship series against England, scheduled for the middle of next year.

The West Indies, meanwhile, remain ninth on the table and will return to action at home next year in a series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

The Black Caps sealed the result midway through the final session at Bay Oval, with left-arm seamer Jacob Duffy claiming the final wicket to bring the match to a close. The performance also capped off an outstanding series for Duffy, earning him the Player of the Series award.

Duffy was the standout bowler in the West Indies’ second innings, returning figures of 5/42 as the visitors were bowled out for 138 while chasing a daunting target of 462. He finished the series with 23 wickets, playing a central role in New Zealand’s 2-0 series win and a strong start to their World Test Championship campaign.

In the process, the left-armer surpassed a long-standing national milestone, breaking Richard Hadlee’s record for the most wickets by a New Zealander in a calendar year. His third five-wicket haul of the series took his tally beyond Hadlee’s previous mark of 80.

"I saw that list (most wickets in a calendar year) at lunch time, and there were some cool names on there, so to be up there on any sort of list with those sort of names was special," Duffy admitted.

New Zealand’s bowlers were backed up by a monumental effort with the bat, led by openers Devon Conway and captain Tom Latham. The pair created history by becoming the first opening combination in Test cricket to each register two centuries in the same match.

Conway’s contributions were particularly notable, as his scores of 227 and 100 made him the first New Zealander, and just the 10th player overall, to record both a double century and a century in a single Test. He was rewarded with the Player of the Match accolade."I don't think it's sunk in yet. It will take some time for me to get my head around what happened in this Test match. But I'm really glad we got the win," Conway said. NZ rise to second in WTC rankings after 323-run win against WI | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Yes, cricket is a contact sport. We have safety gear – but we need to do more (2025-11-24T14:08:00+05:30)

Acabashi/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA Stephen Townsend, The University of Queensland and Alan Pearce, Swinburne University of Technology

Early on Thursday, a seventeen-year-old cricketer died in hospital after being injured in a training session in Melbourne days earlier.

While details of the tragic accident are still emerging, it appears Ben Austin’s death was the result of being struck by a bouncing ball.

Cricket Victoria told the ABC Ben was wearing a helmet, but not a neck protector, at the time of the impact. The ball appears to have struck the base of his skull or high on the back of his neck, an area that remains exposed by most cricket helmets.

For those who knew Ben, the emotional weight of his passing cannot be overstated.

Understandably, it has also raised questions about the effectiveness of protective equipment used in cricket.

What we know about neck and head injuries

This kind of injury immediately recalls the blow that killed New South Wales and Australian international batsman Phillip Hughes during a Sheffield Shield match in 2014.

Hughes’ death prompted the introduction of neck protectors attached to the back of batters’ helmets. But the injury risks had been known long before he died.

Data available since 2013 for elite cricketers showed that 17% of head injuries occurred at the back of the skull and 6% occurred at the neck, with no contact to the helmet.

A 2023 study in elite Australian cricketers reported 22% of injuries in state and national level cricketers were to the neck.

In 2020, a review of available evidence found the head/face/neck was the second most commonly injured body region in community cricket.

This suggests the injury is common across all levels of the game, and points to the difficulty of fully protecting players from head injury with a helmet alone.

Current rules for helmets

The International Cricket Council requires any helmet worn in international matches to be compliant with the British Standards. In 2019, these were updated to include specifications for neck protectors.

Since 2019, Cricket Australia requires all players in its competitions to wear a helmet while batting and when fielding close to the batter. This includes Sheffield Shield, domestic T20 competitions such as the Big Bash League, and international fixtures with Australian teams.

Since 2023/24, Cricket Australia has also made neck protectors mandatory for its players, when they are facing fast or medium pace bowling.

Essentially, this means all elite cricketers playing in Australia are required to protect both their head and neck during training and games, going beyond the International Cricket Council’s requirements.

While evidence suggests helmets have reduced injuries overall, we don’t know about neck injuries specifically, given data is grouped together under “head and neck injuries”.

Different rules for community sport?

The rules are less concrete for community level cricket.

Cricket Australia “strongly recommends” community level players wear a helmet compliant with the British Standard from 2013. Neck protectors are also “strongly recommended” but not mandatory for community players.

However, enforcing helmet and neck protector use is left up to local associations.

We can’t speculate whether a neck protector would have prevented this tragic death in Melbourne.

But what is clear is that the potentially fatal consequences of a fast-moving cricket ball are not confined to the sport’s elite levels.

Resistance to protective gear

Helmets did not become commonplace in Australian cricket until the 1980s, a trend which sports physician Peter Brukner argues led to a significant decrease in the number of deaths.

But cricket is often seen as a genteel and generally safe game, especially compared with football codes. This perception – combined with the sport’s historical emphasis on tradition, forbearance and toughness – can make it difficult for new safety technologies to gain traction.

English player Dennis Amiss was the most prominent early proponent of wearing a helmet, famously donning a modified motorcycle helmet for the 1977 series against Australia.

A decade prior, suggestions Australian players should wear helmets to protect themselves from a ferocious West Indian bowling attack were debated in the press as a sign “sportsmen of the present day are going soft”.

Much earlier, a 1935 editorial in The Referee dismissed the deployment of protective equipment, including helmets, as “fastidious, ridiculous, and unchecked”.

Even the 2015 introduction of neck protectors was met with initial resistance from prominent players such as David Warner and Steven Smith, who argued the devices were restrictive and uncomfortable.

All sport is contact sport

Research and public debate on brain trauma in sport has mainly focused on combat and contact sports such as boxing and football. But the tragic deaths of Phil Hughes and now, Ben Austin, are a reminder that all sports are contact sports.

These accidents also show the risks are not confined to elite sport. Further attention must be paid to monitoring and mitigating the risk of brain injury in community sport.

Devices such as neck protectors can partially mitigate these risks – but they need to be normalised at all levels of sport.

To do this, Cricket Australia should mandate their use at the community level. At the elite level, we need prominent and charismatic athletes to break through the cultural stigma associated with their use.

Stephen Townsend, Research Fellow, UQ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland and Alan Pearce, Professor, Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Health Science, Swinburne University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Speechless; World Test champions for a reason: Cricket fraternity reacts to South Africa’s 'sensational win' over India (2025-11-19T11:45:00+05:30)

Kolkata: South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma and India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj walk off the field after South Africa defeated India by 30 runs on Day 3 of the first Test match between India and South Africa, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, November 16, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

New Delhi, (IANS) Members of the cricket fraternity have reacted to South Africa’s remarkable 30-run win over India at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens as the visitors secured a 1-0 lead in the two-game series on Sunday, calling it a "sensational and crazy victory" for the Proteas.

The two sides reached a result on just the third day of the Test, as the bowlers dominated the proceedings throughout the eight sessions. On what was a difficult pitch to bat on, the Proteas put on a terrific fight, both with bat and ball, and proved why they were the reigning World Test Champions.

Several ex-cricketers shared their thoughts on X after the Temba Bavuma-led side claimed their first win in India in 15 years. Reacting to the win, former South African legend AB de Villiers wrote, “Crazy good win that! Well done Proteas. I’m speechless.”

Former India cricketer Sreevats Goswami said, “And this is why South Africa are world test champion for a reason ! India and the jam packed stadium at the Eden gardens will be extremely disappointed.

Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin praised the visitors’ efforts, saying, “Huge result for SA. Great game and well played to the proteas.”

“INCREDIBLE!! CRAZY EVEN!!!,” wrote Mpumelelo Mbangwa.

Former India player Irfan Pathan was critical of India’s batting, opining that their ability had gone down, but praised the World Test Champions’ game. He also lauded skipper Temba Bavuma’s fighting knock and said, “Skills to play spin on turning tracks around the world have definitely gone down, but this kind of batting from India shows how much our own ability has dropped too. Soft hands, wrist work,all of it has declined drastically. Brilliant win from the WTC South Africa. Temba Bavuma’s batting in the second innings was the highlight of the match.”

Former cricketer Venkatesh Prasad said, “While we have been excellent in white- ball cricket. We can’t call ourselves a top Test side with such planning. Selections without clarity and over-tactical thinking are backfiring. Poor results over a year in tests barring a drawn series in England.”

Wasim Jaffer was critical of the hosts’ performance and believed that they had not learned anything from their series loss to New Zealand as he wrote, “Looks like we haven’t learned our lesson from NZ series loss. The gap between our spinners and opposition spinners reduces on pitches like this. We need to go back to classic Indian pitches, like the ones in 2016-17 season when Virat was captain and Eng and NZ toured.”

Tabraiz Shamsi, elated with the result, wrote, “Wowwwwwwwwwwww!!!!! We've suffered for so many years in test cricket in India. This is massive!”

Former Protea legend Graeme Smith, meanwhile, wrote, “That’s a sensational win from our men in India one to celebrate.”

Former South African skipper Faf du Plessis had a one word reaction as he penned, “PROTEAS !!!!”

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif praised South Africa’s team selection as he wrote, “South Africa showed if you bowl well two spinners are enough to win a test match in india.”The two teams will next face each other in Guwahati for the second Test, starting on Saturday at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium. Speechless; World Test champions for a reason: Cricket fraternity reacts to South Africa’s 'sensational win' over India | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Women’s ODI WC win was magnificent moment, one to remember for ages, says Gavaskar (2025-11-13T11:53:00+05:30)

Navi Mumbai: Indian players celebrate with the winners’ trophy during the victory lap after India won the ICC Women’s World Cup final ODI cricket match against South Africa Women at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday, November 3, 2025. (Photo: IANS/X/@BCCIWomen)

New Delhi, November 3 (IANS) Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar hailed India’s historic Women’s ODI World Cup triumph as a defining moment in the country’s cricketing journey, adding that it’s something which will be remembered for ages.

Navi Mumbai: India’s Richa Ghosh with her mother and father during the celebrations following India’s victory in the ICC Women’s World Cup final ODI cricket match against South Africa Women at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday, November 3, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

In a rain-delayed final at a packed DY Patil Stadium on Sunday, India posted a formidable 298/7, thanks to Shafali Verma’s 87 and Deepti Sharma’s brisk 58. In reply, South Africa were bowled out for 246 despite a valiant 101 from captain Laura Wolvaardt, with Deepti picking a five-wicket haul.

Navi Mumbai: Former cricketer Mithali Raj celebrates with the trophy after India won the ICC Women’s World Cup final ODI cricket match against South Africa Women at DY Patil Stadium, in Navi Mumbai on Monday, November 3, 2025. (Photo: IANS/X/@BCCIWomen)

The historic win, which can be the turning point for women’s cricket in the country, has since sparked celebrations across the country. “What a wonderful time it was at the D.Y. Patil Stadium yesterday when Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women's team, took the catch for India to win the ICC Women's World Cup. What a moment it was. It was a magnificent moment,” Gavaskar said in a video posted on his Instagram account on Monday.

India overcame a challenging league phase, including three losses on the trot, to script a remarkable turnaround in the knockout stages and win their first ever senior women’s title. Earlier this year, India had successfully defended their U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Malaysia.

Navi Mumbai: India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana with music composer Palash Muchhal during the celebrations following India’s victory in the ICC Women’s World Cup final ODI cricket match against South Africa Women at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday, November 3, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

“It was terrific to see the way the girls fought. They came back after having a difficult league stage, but the captain showed great character, great determination and went on to win the World Cup. It's a moment to savour, it's a moment to cherish, it's a moment to remember for the ages,” Gavaskar added.

Navi Mumbai: ICC Chairman Jay Shah presents the winners’ trophy to India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur during the presentation ceremony after India won the ICC Women’s World Cup final ODI cricket match against South Africa Women at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday, November 3, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

He further described the victory in Navi Mumbai as a landmark moment for both men’s and women’s cricket in India. “It's a wonderful moment in the history of Indian cricket, men's and women's. Many, many congratulations to Harmanpreet Kaur and her team for giving us so much happiness, so much joy. The entire cricketing community is very, very proud of you. Well done, congratulations.”

Navi Mumbai: India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur with teammate Harleen Deol poses with the trophy during the celebrations following India’s victory in the ICC Women’s World Cup final ODI cricket match against South Africa Women at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday, November 3, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

Navi Mumbai: India’s players celebrate with the trophy during the presentation ceremony after winning the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday, November 3, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

Women’s ODI WC win was magnificent moment, one to remember for ages, says Gavaskar | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Yes, cricket is a contact sport. We have safety gear – but we need to do more (2025-10-31T11:53:00+05:30)

Acabashi/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA Stephen Townsend, The University of Queensland and Alan Pearce, Swinburne University of Technology

Early on Thursday, a seventeen-year-old cricketer died in hospital after being injured in a training session in Melbourne days earlier.

While details of the tragic accident are still emerging, it appears Ben Austin’s death was the result of being struck by a bouncing ball.

For those who knew Ben, the emotional weight of his passing cannot be overstated.

Understandably, it has also raised questions about the effectiveness of protective equipment used in cricket.

What we know about neck and head injuries

This kind of injury immediately recalls the blow that killed New South Wales and Australian international batsman Phillip Hughes during a Sheffield Shield match in 2014.

Hughes’ death prompted the introduction of neck protectors attached to the back of batters’ helmets. But the injury risks had been known long before he died.

Data available since 2013 for elite cricketers showed that 17% of head injuries occurred at the back of the skull and 6% occurred at the neck, with no contact to the helmet.

A 2023 study in elite Australian cricketers reported 22% of injuries in state and national level cricketers were to the neck.

In 2020, a review of available evidence found the head/face/neck was the second most commonly injured body region in community cricket.

This suggests the injury is common across all levels of the game, and points to the difficulty of fully protecting players from head injury with a helmet alone.

Current rules for helmets

Since 2023/24, Cricket Australia has also made neck protectors mandatory for its players, when they are facing fast or medium pace bowling.

While evidence suggests helmets have reduced injuries overall, we don’t know about neck injuries specifically, given data is grouped together under “head and neck injuries”.

Different rules for community sport?

The rules are less concrete for community level cricket.

However, enforcing helmet and neck protector use is left up to local associations.

We can’t speculate whether a neck protector would have prevented this tragic death in Melbourne.

But what is clear is that the potentially fatal consequences of a fast-moving cricket ball are not confined to the sport’s elite levels.

Resistance to protective gear

Helmets did not become commonplace in Australian cricket until the 1980s, a trend which sports physician Peter Brukner argues led to a significant decrease in the number of deaths.

English player Dennis Amiss was the most prominent early proponent of wearing a helmet, famously donning a modified motorcycle helmet for the 1977 series against Australia.

Much earlier, a 1935 editorial in The Referee dismissed the deployment of protective equipment, including helmets, as “fastidious, ridiculous, and unchecked”.

Even the 2015 introduction of neck protectors was met with initial resistance from prominent players such as David Warner and Steven Smith, who argued the devices were restrictive and uncomfortable.

All sport is contact sport

These accidents also show the risks are not confined to elite sport. Further attention must be paid to monitoring and mitigating the risk of brain injury in community sport.

Devices such as neck protectors can partially mitigate these risks – but they need to be normalised at all levels of sport.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Rohit Sharma becomes oldest Indian batter to take No. 1 spot in ICC men's rankings (2025-10-30T13:01:00+05:30)

Sydney: India's Rohit Sharma celebrates after scoring a century during the third ODI cricket match between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, in Sydney, on Saturday, October 25, 2025. (Photo: IANS)

Dubai, (IANS) India opener Rohit Sharma has achieved the top ODI batter ranking for the first time in his career. The right-handed player has also made history by becoming the oldest batter ever to claim the No. 1 spot in the ICC men's rankings at the age of 38.

Rohit advanced two positions to reach the top after delivering an outstanding unbeaten century in the third and final ODI between India and Australia in Sydney, where he guided his team to a commanding nine-wicket victory. The seasoned right-hander was in excellent form alongside veteran Virat Kohli (74 not out) as he hit 13 fours and three sixes, marking his 33rd ODI century for India.

Rohit's efforts have propelled him past Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran and India’s Shubman Gill to reach the number one spot in ODI cricket batting rankings for the first time. He has maintained a position in the top 10 for most of the past decade.

Notably, Ibrahim became the first Afghanistan batter to ever top the ODI batting rankings – briefly between the second and third ODIs in Australia, when Gill dropped below him and Rohit had not surged to the top.

The former captain wasn't the only Indian player to improve in the updated rankings this week; spinner Axar Patel gained recognition for a solid performance in Sydney, moving up in both the bowling and all-rounder categories.

Axar climbs six places to 31st position in the ODI bowling rankings and advances four spots to eighth overall, just behind Mitchell Santner in the ODI all-rounders list.

Among the top 10 ODI bowlers, New Zealand spinner Mitchell Santner climbs three spots to fourth, while Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood advances two spots to eighth. Additionally, England's Harry Brook makes a notable leap of 23 places to rank 25th among ODI batters.

The latest Test rankings have shifted somewhat after South Africa's notable eight-wicket win over Pakistan in Rawalpindi. The standout benefit goes to seasoned spinner Keshav Maharaj, who moves up significantly due to his Player of the Match performance.

Maharaj jumped nine places to reach a career-high 13th among Test bowlers, thanks to his nine wickets in the match. His teammate, Simon Harmer, also climbed the ranks, rising 26 spots to occupy 45th place after taking six wickets in the second innings of the same game.

South Africa's Aiden Markram has risen two spots to 15th, while Tony de Zorzi has moved up seven places to share 47th in the Test batting rankings after the Rawalpindi Test. Additionally, Kagiso Rabada has climbed eight positions to 11th among Test all-rounders.

There is some good news for Pakistan as captain Shan Masood climbed five spots to tie for 42nd place among Test batters. Meanwhile, South Africa's impressive showing in the first T20I against Pakistan in Rawalpindi has caused several players to advance in the updated T20I rankings.South Africa's fast bowler Corbin Bosch jumps 40 places to rank 53rd and shortens the gap in the T20I bowlers' list. Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz improves eight spots to sixth, while promising opener Saim Ayub moves up five places to 49th on the batting rankings. Rohit Sharma becomes oldest Indian batter to take No. 1 spot in ICC men's rankings | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com