Rahane retires, Fleming leads England coach shortlist, Hazlewood eyes Bangladesh return — cricket digest 30 Jul 2026

· Cricombo Editorial

Ajinkya Rahane retires from all cricket with immediate effect

Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from international cricket and all formats, bringing an immediate end to a 12-year India career that ran from 2011 to 2023. He played 85 Tests, 90 ODIs and 20 T20Is, finishing with 5077 Test runs (12 hundreds), 2962 ODI runs (three hundreds) and 375 T20I runs.

Rahane’s standout moment came as stand-in captain on India’s 2020-21 tour of Australia, when he led the side to a 2-1 series win after the 36 all out in Adelaide. His last competitive appearance was for Kolkata Knight Riders in the most recent IPL; he captained KKR in the last two seasons, and the franchise will now need a new skipper.

Stephen Fleming emerges as ECB’s preferred choice for England Test head coach

Stephen Fleming is understood to be the ECB’s leading candidate to succeed Brendon McCullum as England’s Test head coach, following talks with managing director Rob Key. Fleming left Chennai Super Kings earlier this month and brings extensive franchise experience, plus a long association with English cricket through spells at Middlesex, Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, and as a coach with Southern Brave.

It is still unclear whether Fleming would be in place for England’s first Test against Pakistan on August 19 at Headingley. Among the key calls ahead is the Test captaincy: Ben Stokes has backed Harry Brook, though Brook already leads England’s white-ball sides, while the ECB have also considered Joe Root as an interim option.

Hazlewood tweaks build-up as he targets long-awaited Test return against Bangladesh

Josh Hazlewood says he would like to play alongside Scott Boland more often rather than compete directly with him for a place, as he works towards a Test comeback against Bangladesh in Darwin next month. Hazlewood, 35, has not played a Test since July 2025 after missing the Ashes with hamstring and calf issues, and he is five wickets shy of 300 in the format.

Australia have adjusted Hazlewood’s preparation in an attempt to reduce the risk of further injury, with tailored bowling blocks replacing the usual match-heavy lead-in. With Nathan Lyon back fit and a spinner expected to be required in Darwin, Hazlewood and Boland are likely to be vying for one spot alongside Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, though Hazlewood believes a heavy 12- to 18-month Test schedule will create opportunities for a wider group that also includes Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett.

Adam Zampa switches to Queensland; BBL destination still on hold

Adam Zampa will play his domestic cricket for Queensland this summer when available, after leaving New South Wales. The move has been approved under the rules for nationally contracted players and is expected to give Zampa better access to training facilities, given he lives in Byron Bay and Brisbane is significantly closer than Sydney.

Which BBL club he turns out for remains undecided, with contracting currently under an embargo while the competition finalises its 2026-27 rules. Zampa is exploring options after three seasons with Melbourne Renegades, having previously represented Melbourne Stars, Adelaide Strikers and Sydney Thunder.

Duckett questions early Hundred crowd dip after Rockets win in Cardiff

Ben Duckett said he was surprised by smaller crowds at the start of this season’s Hundred, with total attendance a few thousand down on the equivalent stage last year. Duckett, the tournament’s leading run-scorer so far, pointed to the quality of the competition—boosted by the introduction of a fourth overseas player per XI—and said the empty seats did not reflect the standard on show.

The ECB are projecting overall ticket sales to finish slightly below 2025, with the scale of operational change after control of the eight franchises passed to counties and new owners cited as a major factor. Duckett’s comments came after he hit an unbeaten half-century as Trent Rockets beat Welsh Fire at Sophia Gardens.

In brief

  • Trent Rockets handed Welsh Fire their first defeat of the men’s Hundred season at Sophia Gardens, chasing down 123 with 28 balls to spare as Ben Duckett finished 52 not out in a nine-wicket win.
  • Beth Mooney’s 57 and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s unbeaten 37 guided Trent Rockets past Welsh Fire by eight wickets in the women’s Hundred.
  • MI London and London Spirit shared the points in the women’s Hundred after a tie at 151 apiece, with Georgia Jones making 49 and Marie Kelly 45 in Spirit’s chase.
  • Lhuan-dre Pretorius struck 64 off 28 and Dewald Brevis helped London Spirit beat MI London by seven wickets in the men’s Hundred at the Kia Oval.
  • Ed Barnard’s 140 set up Warwickshire’s first Metro Bank One-Day Cup win of the campaign, a 45-run victory over Surrey at Edgbaston.
  • Will Rhodes hit 148 not out as Durham edged Glamorgan by three wickets in a Metro Bank One-Day Cup thriller at Gosforth, chasing 327.
  • Sussex Sharks got off the mark in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup by chasing down 317 to beat Essex by five wickets at Arundel, with Charlie Tear leading the pursuit.
  • Will Luxton followed up his earlier List A hundred with another—126—as Yorkshire chased 231 to beat Worcestershire by six wickets at York.
  • Nat Sciver-Brunt says she still wants to bowl again despite ongoing calf issues and has suggested she could miss England’s ODI series against Ireland next month while continuing rehab.
  • Litton Das has been appointed Bangladesh’s ODI captain, replacing Mehidy Hasan Miraz, while Najmul Hossain Shanto remains Test captain.
  • Former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Shane McDermott has been appointed Afghanistan’s assistant and fielding coach and will join the squad on August 1 ahead of their ODI series against Ireland.
  • Pakistan seamers Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad received one demerit point each for aggressive celebrations in the first Test against West Indies in Tarouba, with Shahzad also fined 15% of his match fee and Abbas officially reprimanded.
  • Roston Chase and Jomel Warrican will lead West Indies’ Barbadian contingent from the Test squad against Pakistan to attend Garry Sobers’ state funeral in Barbados.
  • Ishan Kishan will captain East Zone in the season-opening Duleep Trophy, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi named vice-captain; Mohammed Shami and Mukesh Kumar are included, while Riyan Parag and Akash Deep were not considered as they recover from surgeries.
  • Madhya Pradesh offspin allrounder Saransh Jain, 33, has earned his first India call-up after being named in the squad for the two-Test series in Sri Lanka.
  • A tribute recalled Garry Sobers’ enduring pull on crowds and his impact during seven seasons of county cricket with Nottinghamshire.
  • A feature examined how Pakistan and West Indies’ shared fast-bowling identity has begun to diverge, drawing on recent events from their Test series.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo