Flintoff steps down as England Lions coach; Gay injury worry; Bangladesh 54 all out — cricket digest 08 Aug 2026

· Cricombo Editorial

Flintoff steps down as England Lions head coach, Yardy to take next week’s Pakistan tour match

Andrew Flintoff has resigned as England Lions head coach, ending a stint that began in September 2024 after his return to cricket following a serious Top Gear accident. The decision comes a week after England men’s managing director Rob Key publicly defended him from newspaper criticism, and after Flintoff was appointed Sydney Thunder coach in June.

Flintoff had been due to oversee a Professional County Club Select XI in a four-day tour match against Pakistan starting on Wednesday at Beckenham, but England Under-19s coach Mike Yardy will now take charge. The ECB’s men’s performance director, Ed Barney, credited Flintoff with helping reshape the Lions environment and accelerating young-player development.

England face opener concern after Emilio Gay hurts shoulder in One-Day Cup

Emilio Gay’s right-shoulder injury has left England potentially scrambling for opening cover just 12 days before the first Test against Pakistan at Headingley. Gay, who broke into the Test XI this summer in place of Zak Crawley and made two half-centuries against New Zealand, retired hurt on 9 during Durham’s One-Day Cup match against Middlesex at Chester-le-Street.

England named their squad for the first two Pakistan Tests only a day earlier, and there are no obvious like-for-like opening options within it alongside Ben Duckett. Selection discussions involved new Test head coach Stephen Fleming, returning captain Joe Root, selector Marcus North and Key, and they may need to revisit alternatives if Gay’s injury proves serious.

Bangladesh’s 54 all out deepens Darwin doubts; Simmons ‘disappointed’ as Taijul injury monitored

Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons admitted the tourists had “let ourselves down with the bat” after collapsing for 54 in the second innings of their tour game against a Cricket Australia XI at Marrara Oval, the venue for next week’s first Test. Bangladesh lost by an innings and 38 runs, with rookie left-arm quick Campbell Thompson taking eight wickets as the innings lasted only 17 overs and Tanzid Hasan’s 22 the lone double-figure score.

The match had earlier been steadied by Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s 109 after Bangladesh slipped to 110 for 6, while Hasan Mahmud took 4 for 42 in the CA XI’s 355 and Taskin Ahmed and Mehidy grabbed two wickets each. Bangladesh are also waiting on Taijul Islam, who suffered a bone contusion on his left index finger while batting and did not bowl; the team remains optimistic he will be fit for the first Test starting August 13.

McDonald flags tough IPL calls as Australia map out fast-bowler management before the Ashes

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has indicated the national side may have to make hard decisions over Test players’ IPL involvement next year, with fast-bowler workload a central concern ahead of an intense run that includes the Ashes. Australia begin a packed 12-month stretch on Thursday with two Tests against Bangladesh, followed by tours and home series across formats, a five-Test tour of India, a one-off 150th anniversary Test against England, and then a five-Test Ashes tour in June and July, with a World Test Championship final also possible.

Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Cameron Green and Travis Head are currently on IPL lists, with Josh Inglis also in Lucknow’s squad. McDonald said the IPL can bring performance benefits but must be balanced against the need for bowlers to “reset”, noting previous friction after some players arrived late last season while managing injuries under Cricket Australia guidance.

Shakib says he will return for Bangladesh court cases if government guarantees security

Shakib Al Hasan has said he is willing to go back to Bangladesh to face court proceedings if he receives government clearance that his security will be ensured. The former Bangladesh captain has not returned since May 2024 and is currently in Sri Lanka with Jaffna Kings in the Lanka Premier League.

Shakib is among 147 people charged in connection with an alleged murder during the 2024 protests in Bangladesh. His recent appearance at a press conference alongside Sheikh Hasina, the deposed former prime minister now living in India, has sparked outrage at home, and sports minister Aminul Haque said the government’s earlier tolerant stance had changed, insisting Shakib would have to return “through the legal route”.

In brief

  • Antigua and Barbuda Falcons edged Jamaica Kingsmen by two wickets off the last ball on the opening night of CPL 2026, with Tajinder Singh top-scoring and Alzarri Joseph taking three wickets.
  • Rashid Khan’s six-for and Ibrahim Zadran’s 84 helped Afghanistan beat Ireland by 92 runs in Bready to go 1-0 up in the five-match ODI series after the first match was washed out.
  • Sunrisers Leeds knocked Birmingham Phoenix out of the men’s Hundred with a win at Edgbaston, Ryan Rickelton making 65 and Brydon Carse and Matthew Potts sharing six wickets.
  • Jos Buttler reflected on becoming the leading run-scorer in men’s T20 history, crediting technical advice from Marcus Trescothick.
  • Somerset thrashed Surrey by 188 runs in the One-Day Cup after Tom Lammonby’s career-best 114 powered 368 for 9.
  • Worcestershire chased 334 to beat Sussex by four wickets, Jake Libby finishing 109 not out for a third straight One-Day Cup century.
  • Essex squeezed past Glamorgan by three runs in the One-Day Cup as Luc Benkenstein’s maiden List A hundred (140) proved just enough despite Timm van der Gugten’s 118 not out.
  • Yorkshire moved to the brink of the One-Day Cup knockouts by beating Derbyshire by five wickets at Scarborough, with Sam Whiteman making 94 in a chase of 279.
  • Nottinghamshire beat Northamptonshire by six wickets in Chesterfield, Freddie McCann’s 91 leading the chase of 260.
  • Nick Kelly’s 86 steered Leicestershire to a three-wicket One-Day Cup win over Warwickshire after the Bears were bowled out for 220.
  • Lancashire kept their One-Day Cup play-off hopes alive by beating Gloucestershire by four wickets at Emirates Old Trafford, George Balderson finishing 56 not out after Cameron Bancroft’s 98.
  • Middlesex chased 304 to beat Durham by three wickets in the One-Day Cup, with Joe Cracknell’s 84 and Naavya Sharma’s 4 for 46 featuring in a match where Alex Lees hit 103 and Emilio Gay retired hurt.
  • Sri Lanka Cricket announced selected free entry for the public to the grass embankments at Galle and the SSC for the two-Test series against India.
  • Kuldeep Yadav’s spell helped shape India’s spin plans on day one of their tour match in Sri Lanka, where the SLC XI openers put on a century stand and India’s seamers had a tougher outing.
  • Canada v Scotland in World Cup League 2 has been set up as men’s 5000th ODI, after recent washouts meant other matches missed the landmark.

Sources: ESPNcricinfo