Carse stood down as regulator probes arrest; Stars hire Pyrah; Asia Cup squads shift — cricket digest 25 Aug 2026
England replace Carse with Sonny Baker as Cricket Regulator investigates Derby arrest
Sonny Baker has been added to England’s squad for the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s after Brydon Carse was stood down while an independent Cricket Regulator investigation is carried out. Carse was briefly arrested in Derby on Saturday night on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly, before being de-arrested shortly afterwards after agreeing to leave the area, according to a Derbyshire Constabulary statement.
Carse had been with Durham after missing selection for the first Test, and the ECB said he will not be available for selection for the Lord’s match while the full facts are established. The incident has renewed focus on England players’ off-field behaviour, coming soon after the team’s midnight curfew was relaxed.
Melbourne Stars appoint Richard Pyrah as WBBL head coach, with Christie shifting to assistant
Melbourne Stars have named Richard Pyrah as their head coach for the upcoming WBBL season. Pyrah, the former Yorkshire allrounder, is currently in his third season coaching Yorkshire’s women and also worked as an assistant with Sunrisers Leeds during this season’s Hundred.
Andy Christie, who coached the Stars last season and took them to the Knockout, will move back into an assistant role as planned so he can focus on his head coach duties with Victoria in the WNCL. Pyrah has previously worked in the BBL as a consultant with Melbourne Renegades and Adelaide Strikers between 2015 and 2017.
Sri Lanka bring in Nimasha Meepage for injured Dewmi Vihanga ahead of Women’s T20 Asia Cup
Sri Lanka allrounder Dewmi Vihanga has been ruled out of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup after injuring her right knee in a practice game, with left-arm spinner Nimasha Meepage named as her replacement. Vihanga did not travel with the squad to the UAE.
Chamari Athapaththu will lead the defending champions with Harshitha Samarawickrama as vice-captain, and the rest of the squad remains unchanged. Sri Lanka begin their title defence against UAE on August 29 and are grouped with Bangladesh, Indonesia and UAE in Group B.
Pakistan women step up Asia Cup preparations with full 20-over matches against men’s academy side
Pakistan have used competitive T20 matches against the men’s side of the Abdul Qadir Cricket Academy as part of their build-up to the Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Dubai. Captain Fatima Sana said the games helped the squad handle pressure and sharpen decision-making in tight moments.
Pakistan are in Group A with India, Thailand and Hong Kong, starting against Thailand on September 1 before facing India on September 5. Sana returns to lead the side in T20Is after missing Pakistan’s July-August series in Sri Lanka to play in the Hundred.
Jason Smith ruled out of South Africa’s Namibia T20I tri-series with adductor strain
South Africa batter Jason Smith has been ruled out of the season-opening T20I tri-series in Namibia after suffering an adductor muscle strain. He will be assessed to determine his availability for the ODI leg, which begins on September 9.
South Africa have not named a replacement for Smith, who was among the more experienced players in an otherwise experimental group. The tri-series also includes Zimbabwe, with South Africa due to play Namibia first.
In brief
- In Colombo, Dhruv Jurel’s unbeaten 115 helped India declare on 503 for 9 before they took two wickets to leave Sri Lanka 8 for 2, still 495 behind.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sri Lanka seamer Asitha Fernando were each fined 25% of their match fees and given one demerit point for inappropriate physical contact in the Colombo Test.
- A closer look at Dhruv Jurel’s method highlighted how his low-key, old-school approach has made him one of the leading run-scorers in India’s Test series against Sri Lanka.
- Naveen-ul-Haq has been recalled to Afghanistan’s squad for the September T20I series against India, with Ibrahim Zadran set to begin his tenure as T20I captain.
- Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Najiha Alvi has been ruled out of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup with a knee injury, and Sadaf Shamas has been named as her replacement.
- Namibia have named an experienced squad under Gerhard Erasmus for their home T20I tri-series against South Africa and Zimbabwe, blending familiar names with emerging talent.
- Graeme Cremer is back in Zimbabwe’s T20I squad for the tri-series against Namibia and South Africa, while Richard Ngarava misses out as he recovers from injury.
- A panel discussion revisited England’s innings win over Pakistan at Headingley and what it suggested about Joe Root’s captaincy in the early days of the Flemball era.
- A stats check asked whether anyone has taken more wickets than Manav Suthar’s 17 after their first two Tests, and also looked at Bangladesh’s best Test bowling figures by a fast bowler.
- Duleep Trophy: North Zone left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq continued his rise with 5 for 39 against West Zone, drawing comparisons with Ravindra Jadeja for control and wicket-taking.
- Australia’s selection debates may increasingly weigh Nathan Lyon’s value against an extra seamer when conditions point to pace-dominated attacks, even as his spot remains secure in India.
- The Mackay Test between Australia and Bangladesh was completed in 750 balls, making it the fourth-shortest finished men’s Test and the second-shortest in Australia.
- Commentators close to Bangladesh’s set-up argued their bowlers have progressed on the Australia tour, but said the batting group now needs to match that step forward.
- An analysis linked Australia’s batting concerns to scheduling and the domestic pathway, arguing the calendar is no longer preparing top-order players to thrive consistently at Test level.
- A feature on Rishabh Pant explored why his batting remains difficult to predict even as the sport becomes more data-driven and model-heavy.
Sources: ESPNcricinfo