England weigh Root-Trescothick stopgaps, Middlesex sack Cornish, CPL squads take shape — cricket digest 25 Jul 2026

· Cricombo Editorial

ECB consider Root and Trescothick as interim Test captain and coach for Pakistan series

Joe Root is the frontrunner to lead England in the first Test against Pakistan next month, with Marcus Trescothick also in line to step up as interim head coach if the ECB’s recruitment process runs beyond the August 19 start date at Headingley. The board has not made final decisions on either role, with Rob Key running the search alongside an external headhunter and speaking to candidates this week.

Stephen Fleming, Jonathan Trott, Richard Dawson and Tom Moody are among those understood to be in the frame, while Andy Flower has already ruled himself out. The ECB have also left the door open to a job-share, though timelines may hinge on whether their preferred candidate is tied up elsewhere.

Middlesex sack chief executive Andrew Cornish after Cricket Regulator investigation

Middlesex have confirmed the dismissal of chief executive Andrew Cornish, eight months after he took a leave of absence following a Cricket Regulator investigation into his conduct. Cornish had been charged with misconduct by the Regulator, who have yet to publish their findings.

The club announced earlier this month that former British Cycling chief executive Jule Harrington had been appointed interim chief executive, in a statement that did not mention Cornish.

CPL 2026 squads sharpen up: Tariq back at TKR, Tahir retained, Phillips joins Amazon Warriors

Usman Tariq has re-signed with Trinbago Knight Riders for CPL 2026 after a key role in their 2025 title run, while Guyana Amazon Warriors have kept Imran Tahir and added New Zealand allrounder Glenn Phillips. Phillips is expected to be fit in time after a side injury suffered during the second Test against England at The Oval, where he made his maiden Test hundred.

TKR have also brought in USA bowling allrounder Amshi de Silva and South Africa batter Matthew Breetzke. Around the league, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots picked Naseem Shah, with the possibility of a meeting with brother Hunain Shah at Jamaica Kingsmen; Tim Seifert and Noor Ahmad return to St Lucia Kings, with Noor set to pair with Maheesh Theekshana; Quinton de Kock and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are back with Barbados Tridents; and Antigua & Barbuda Falcons have signed Shadab Khan and Sufiyan Moqim for seven matches, with Moeen Ali and Kusal Perera available for the full season. The seven-team tournament runs from August 7 to September 20 across eight nations and will overlap with the Hundred, the ETPL and the LPL knockouts.

West Indies look to build on Sri Lanka series as Chase manages finger issue ahead of Pakistan Tests

Roston Chase said his recent 194 against Sri Lanka brought “relief” after a difficult year with the bat, and believes leading by example sharpens the group’s belief in its captain. Chase is still dealing with an injured right index finger and said it is “not 100%”, leaving some uncertainty over how much he will be able to bowl in the first Test against Pakistan, which starts on Saturday.

West Indies have trimmed their squad to 15, with Alzarri Joseph having declined selection, John Campbell injured and Anderson Phillip dropped; Kirk McKenzie returns and left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop has earned a maiden call-up. Coach Daren Sammy said the side can see “some light coming through” after the Sri Lanka result, while Amir Jangoo’s shoulder remains a concern and could yet mean more wicketkeeping duties for Shai Hope depending on balance.

Arlott to swap Warwickshire for Yorkshire on three-year deal from 2027

England seamer Em Arlott will leave Warwickshire at the end of the 2026 season after agreeing a three-year contract with Yorkshire. The 10-cap quick said she wanted a fresh challenge and was drawn by Yorkshire’s plans after their move into Tier One this season.

Arlott highlighted the chance to play alongside Lauren Winfield-Hill and Jess Jonassen, while Warwickshire head coach Ali Maiden said the club were disappointed to lose her but supported the decision.

In brief

  • Birmingham Phoenix edged Trent Rockets by 10 runs at Edgbaston after piling up 214 for 4, with Joe Clarke’s 68 leading a match that featured 29 sixes across the two innings.
  • Trent Rockets thumped Birmingham Phoenix by nine wickets in the women’s Hundred at Edgbaston after bowling Phoenix out for 64, the joint-second lowest total in the competition’s history.
  • Alex Lees’ 132 set up Durham’s 72-run Metro Bank One-Day Cup win over Sussex, with Ben Stokes blasting seven sixes in an unbeaten 73.
  • Somerset posted 352 for 7 and beat Gloucestershire by 35 runs at Taunton, Joshua Thomas finishing 97 not out as Graeme van Buuren’s 96 not out came in a losing chase.
  • Leicestershire chased down 271 to beat Surrey by five wickets at Guildford, with Rishi Patel making 110 and Hamza Shaikh adding an unbeaten maiden List A hundred.
  • Kent got home by five wickets against Northamptonshire at Canterbury, Harry Finch’s 85 and Chris Benjamin’s unbeaten 55 outweighing Northants’ contributions in a one-run defeat.
  • Josh De Caires starred in Middlesex’s 160-run One-Day Cup rout of Hampshire, top-scoring with 75 before taking 6 for 35 as Hampshire were dismissed for 124.
  • Yorkshire squeezed past Glamorgan by two wickets at Neath, Finlay Bean’s 43 not out steering a tricky chase after Ben Cliff’s 4 for 29.
  • Worcestershire began their One-Day Cup title defence with a three-wicket win over Derbyshire at New Road, Fateh Singh’s 6 for 32 proving decisive in a low-scoring game.
  • Pakistan top-order batter Abdullah Fazal has been ruled out of the West Indies and England Test series with a lower back injury sustained in training at Tarouba.
  • Rahmat Shah will captain Afghanistan’s ODI side for the first time in a five-match series against Ireland starting August 5, with Fazalhaq Farooqi and Yamin Ahmadzai included in the 15-man squad.
  • West Indies head into the first Test against Pakistan at Tarouba as slight favourites, with rain a potential factor at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy’s first Test.
  • India have steadied themselves in their Zimbabwe tour, though the series continues to be shaped by difficult batting conditions in Harare.
  • Sonny Baker closed out Manchester Super Giants’ eight-run Hundred win over London Spirit at Lord’s, adjusting from his yorker-heavy approach to hit a testing length and remove Liam Livingstone.
  • Mayank Yadav reflected on the injury-hit period since his 2024 India debut and said he has been focused on returning to the level he showed before.
  • The World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle continues to take shape as teams jostle for position across ongoing series.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo