June 7, 2025
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World Test Championship

WTC Final: Josh Hazlewood confident ahead of Lord’s clash, eyes return after injury layoff | Cricket News

WTC Final: Josh Hazlewood confident ahead of Lord’s clash, eyes return after injury layoff | Cricket News

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Josh Hazelwood (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood expressed confidence about bowling in England ahead of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s on June 11. Having taken 52 wickets in 12 Tests in England at an average of 26.07, including five wickets in his recent Ashes appearance at Lord’s, Hazlewood plans to increase his pace before the crucial match.Hazlewood hasn’t played Test cricket since December 2024 at The Gabba against India due to a calf strain. Scott Boland, who replaced him, claimed a 10-wicket haul against India at Sydney, creating competition for the third seamer’s position at Lord’s.“Any time I bowl in England, I’m reasonably confident. I’ve had some good tours here over the last 10 years, and Lord’s in particular. I haven’t lost before at Lord’s yet as a player, certainly in red-ball cricket for sure, and we have had a couple of good wins there over the years.”“Today is sort of post-flight and just to get moving. I will probably nail down a few more overs tomorrow and then over the next few days, tick a lot of boxes,” Hazlewood told ICC on Saturday.Hazlewood’s recent participation in IPL 2025, where he won the title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has helped him maintain his bowling rhythm despite a minor shoulder niggle. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy “I ticked over some good overs just before the (IPL) Final in Ahmedabad in different weather than this, and it was quite a tough session. And then obviously, every time you play a game in the IPL, you’re probably going to get almost seven or eight overs in, if you really want to.”Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?“So in and around with warm-ups, and obviously the four overs in the game. And we bowled second a lot of the time in IPL, so that was sort of two warm-ups, so you can squeeze in overs here and there, and things are going pretty well.”“Everyone looks in good shape. We’ve all been in different parts of the world playing or training over the last couple of months, so it’s good to get everyone together and catch up with everyone yesterday and the day before and get all on the same page moving forward.”

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India tour of England | 'I’m always under pressure,' says Team India coach Gautam Gambhir | Cricket News

India tour of England | ‘I’m always under pressure,’ says Team India coach Gautam Gambhir | Cricket News

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Mumbai: India’s Test cricket team captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir during the pre-departure press conference ahead of the five-match Test cricket series against England, in Mumbai. (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)(PTI06_05_2025_000349A) Mumbai: India head coach Gautam Gambhir always feels like a marked man. Recently, in a TV interview, he had stated that some former players questioned his competence as coach when the team lost in Australia, and how issues were created about the distribution of the Champions Trophy reward.The knives had already started to get sharpened when a team usually dominant at home lost 0-3 to New Zealand before the trip Down Under last year.If one thinks victory in the Champions Trophy in the UAE would have eased the spotlight, Gambhir says he is under no such illusion. “Regardless of whether I would have won the Champions Trophy or not, I’m always under pressure. Being the Indian coach, you want results. It does not change with winning or losing.”The England tour will be another tough gig for Gambhir as he leads a young captain and a young team, sans the superstars of the past, as India eye an improved show in their bid to qualify for the final of the 2027 World Test Championship. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy While the endless supply line of players in white-ball cricket makes his task for the shorter formats easier, the transition in red-ball cricket is a potentially rocky path. Overseas Test success is something that Indian coaches are evaluated on and Gambhir is aware of it. “It’s a good opportunity to do something special for the country,” he said. “We have a talented squad and a bunch of players who are willing to express themselves and do something special.”One of the talismans in the squad is the genius called Jasprit Bumrah. One saw in Australia how heavily India’s attack depended on him. With the medical team and chief selector ajit Agarkar making it clear that Bumrah’s workload will be monitored and he will play only three of the five Tests, it is a tricky call for Gambhir to decide which of the five Tests Bumrah will feature in. “We have not taken that call which three games he is going to play,” he said, adding: “It depends on the state of the series and which way the series is heading. I’m sure he is aware of that too.”

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Who is Rob Walter? New Zealand's cricket new head coach, who replaces Gary Stead | Cricket News

Who is Rob Walter? New Zealand’s cricket new head coach, who replaces Gary Stead | Cricket News

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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JUNE 06: Rob Walter speaks to the media after signing as the New Zealand Cricket Head Coach at NZC on June 06, 2025 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images) New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Friday has appointed Rob Walter as the new Head Coach of the men’s cricket team in all three formats as a replacement for Gary Stead.Stead was New Zealand head coach in all three formats from 2018 until earlier this week, when NZC announced it was seeking a replacement. He won the World Test Championship in 2021, and made three white ball finals during his seven year tenure.The 49-year-old South African takes up the Black Caps job from the middle of June, and will lead the side on their upcoming tour of Zimbabwe. Poll Will Rob Walter be a successful head coach for New Zealand across all formats? Walter has guided South Africa to the semifinals of the 2023 World Cup and the Champions Trophy earlier this year in the ODI format and to the final of the T20 World Cup last year.Who’s that IPL player?New Zealand is not an unknown territory for Walter. He had before coached New Zealand’s Otago province for five years and at the Central Districts association.“It’s an amazing opportunity to work with such a talented group of players and support staff through a period of time in which so many global events, as well as massive bilateral series will be contested,” Walter said. “I just can’t wait to get started. It’s exciting, it’s challenging and the opportunity is enormous.” Bombay Sport Exchange Episode 3: Kane Williamson exclusive on NextGen cricketers to watch out for The 49-year-old Walter was high on New Zealand Cricket’s list of preferred candidates from the moment it decided to pursue another all-formats coach, ruling out Stead who guided the Black Caps to the inaugural World Test Championship.“Rob is a world-class coach with an outstanding pedigree,” NZC chief executive Scott Weenink said. “His success in New Zealand’s domestic game combined with his recent achievements on the global stage with South Africa makes him the ideal candidate to lead the Black Caps.”Walter’s contract means he will lead the Black Caps to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, as well as three major ICC tournaments, including the 2027 World Cup.

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Chinnaswamy Stadium Stampede: Victims Family Demands Answers

Shubman Gill aims to craft own captaincy style for India’s Test team, not fazed by Bazball

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India’s new Test captain Shubman Gill has said he does not intend to follow any particular style of leadership, instead hoping to shape his own identity as he gains experience. Gill, however, stressed his focus on providing teammates with clarity and a secure environment to perform at their best. Gill was addressing the media for the first time since being appointed as India’s Test captain. He and head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) headquarters on the eve of the team’s departure to England for a five-match Test series. Named captain last month by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee, Gill takes over following Rohit Sharma’s retirement from Test cricket. He will lead a youthful and relatively inexperienced squad in England, with both Rohit and Virat Kohli stepping away from the longest format in June. “My style of captaincy will be my own; it will develop with experience. I will want to make the players feel safe, comfort them, and build strong bonds. Players need to feel secure… only then can they give 100 percent,” said Gill. At 25, Gill is among the youngest to lead the Indian Test side in recent years. While he lacks leadership experience in red-ball cricket, he captained India during a five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe in 2024 and led Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, embracing the pressure that comes with the role. However, in first-class cricket, Gill has captained Punjab in just five matches, winning only one. Gill admitted he was overwhelmed upon learning of his appointment, having been chosen ahead of experienced players like Jasprit Bumrah and KL Rahul, both former captains. “When I came to know about the Test captaincy, I was overwhelmed by the honour and the opportunity. It is a big responsibility, and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said. GILL NOT BOTHERED BY BAZBALL TALKS India’s campaign in England will mark the beginning of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. The first Test begins on 20 June at Headingley, Leeds. England, under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, have reinvented their Test game with an ultra-aggressive style dubbed ‘Bazball’. While they were outplayed by India in their 2023 away series, they remain formidable at home, having won 15 of their 20 Tests since the duo took charge. Gill, however, remained unfazed by England’s aggressive approach. “They play a certain way. I think we saw that when they came to India as well,” he said. “It’s very exciting for us. It gives us an opportunity, a great challenge. If we are very proactive with our execution and with our plans, I think it would put them under immense pressure.” Published By: Akshay Ramesh Published On: Jun 5, 2025 Tune In

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