Babar Azam out of Headingley opener, India close on Galle win, Barker retires — cricket digest 19 Aug 2026
Pakistan to start Headingley Test without Babar; Salman Agha handed captaincy
Pakistan will be without Babar Azam for the first Test against England at Headingley after he failed to recover from a right-hand injury sustained in the warm-up game at Beckenham, on the same hand he was struck on during the West Indies series earlier this month. The team have said there is no fracture in the middle finger, but he is still in significant pain and is being assessed with an eye on the second Test.
Salman Agha will lead Pakistan in Babar’s absence. Shan Masood has recovered from his own finger fracture, while Pakistan’s management acknowledged Babar’s unavailability creates a selection question around strengthening the batting, with the option of adding Aamer Jamal again among the considerations.
India leave Sri Lanka a record chase in Galle after Pant’s 66 and a top-order wobble
India tightened their grip on the first Test in Galle, setting Sri Lanka 288 to win after adding 193 in their second innings, with Rishabh Pant making 66 from 69 balls and Devdutt Padikkal contributing 44. Sri Lanka then slipped to 84 for 4, leaving India six wickets away from victory.
Earlier in the match, Padikkal made the most of his opportunity in B Sai Sudharsan’s absence, following up a first-innings 167. He said he had not discussed how long he might keep the No. 3 spot, and spoke of the familiarity that helped him build a 150-run stand with Karnataka team-mate KL Rahul, as well as support he has received from Rahul Dravid.
Chandimal taken to hospital after boundary dive; Sooriyabandara comes in as concussion substitute
Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal was taken to hospital for a precautionary scan after injuring his shoulder and neck while diving on the leg-side boundary during the first Test against India in Galle. He landed heavily and appeared in significant discomfort before walking off gingerly.
Pasindu Sooriyabandara was brought in as Chandimal’s concussion substitute, giving the 26-year-old a Test debut. Sooriyabandara later took a full-length diving catch running back from square leg to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja for 8.
Keith Barker retires with immediate effect after knee complaint limits his season
Warwickshire allrounder Keith Barker has retired from professional cricket at 39, citing a knee issue that restricted him to two County Championship appearances this season. Barker returned to Warwickshire on a 12-month deal after seven seasons at Hampshire, with his last Championship outing coming in the June draw against Yorkshire at Scarborough.
He finishes with 5,554 first-class runs and 544 wickets from 171 matches, including match figures of 11 for 70 against Durham in Warwickshire’s 2012 title-winning season. In 2025, Barker served a 12-month backdated suspension after a positive test for a prohibited substance, an episode Warwickshire described as an administrative error, with the National Anti-Doping Panel finding he had not sought a competitive advantage.
Surrey sign Mahipal Lomror for six matches; Somerset add Henry Nicholls for the run-in
Surrey have brought in India batter Mahipal Lomror on a six-match deal for the remainder of the County Championship season, with Will Jacks unavailable due to an ankle injury and Dan Lawrence recalled to England’s Test squad for the Pakistan series. Lomror, a left-hand batter who can also bowl left-arm orthodox, is set to join ahead of Thursday’s home match against Nottinghamshire.
Somerset, meanwhile, have signed New Zealand batter Henry Nicholls for the final six rounds as they push for a first Championship title. Nicholls is expected to arrive in time for Somerset’s game against Essex later this week.
In brief
- Keemo Paul’s all-round display helped Jamaica Kingsmen make 181 for 6 before they beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by 51 runs in the CPL.
- Australia dropped Jake Weatherald and called up Matt Renshaw for the second Test against Bangladesh in Mackay, the only change to their 13-player squad after the defeat in Darwin.
- David Warner was convicted and fined AU$1500 for mid-range drink driving in Sydney, ordered to fit an alcohol interlock device for a year, with the court hearing he tried to swap seats with a passenger as he approached a random breath test on Easter Sunday.
- Pant’s 66 and India’s bowlers left Sri Lanka needing 288 to beat India in the first Test at Galle, with the hosts closing day four on 84 for 4.
- Rishabh Pant became the first Indian to reach 100 Test sixes during the Galle Test, and the fastest player overall to the milestone.
- England begin their series against Pakistan at Headingley with Joe Root starting a second spell as Test captain, while Pakistan go into the match without Babar Azam.
- Joe Root’s return to the captaincy is framed as a reset for England’s Test set-up as they start the Pakistan series at Headingley.
- A Headingley discussion piece previews England’s first Test against Pakistan, focusing on Root’s captaincy return and the interim coaching set-up.
- A look back at Headingley in 1987 revisits Imran Khan’s starring role as Pakistan secured an innings win over England on their way to a famous series victory.
- Australia’s search for a settled Test opener continued as Jake Weatherald was the latest to be moved on, with Matt Renshaw’s recall underlining the ongoing churn since David Warner’s retirement.
- A stats-and-trivia item asks whether Bangladesh are the quickest visiting side to win a Test in Australia, after doing so on their third attempt.
- An analysis piece explores the logic behind Rishabh Pant’s six-hitting in Tests, noting he has now reached 100 in the format.
- A profile of Asitha Fernando traces the Sri Lanka seamer’s intensity and persistence, even without extreme pace or extravagant movement.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo