India announce 12-man squad, ICC dismisses PCB's case against BCCI and more- Cricket News Today, 20th November 2018

Welcome to Sportskeeda's Cricket News Today, a section that covers a summary of the trending news topics of the day in the world of cricket.

India are all set to take on Australia in the T20I series opener at The Gabba in Brisbane tomorrow. After a disappointing loss against Kiwis in the first Test, Pakistan skipper blames poor shot selection as the reason for their downfall on Day 5. PSL draft for the next season gets underway with few big names ready to go down the hammer.

Here's a look at some of the top stories that made the Cricket headlines today:

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Indian team announces 12-man squad ahead of the T20I at The Gabba

Ahead of the T20I series opener at The Gabba in Brisbane, Men in Blue have announced a 12-man squad who will contest to feature in the first T20I against Australia on November 21. Virat Kohli-led side decided to spill beans on their probable playing XI which might take the field against Australia in the first T20I.

There were no surprises as India decide to go in with three pace bowlers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Khaleel Ahmed. Unfortunately, there was no place for Umesh Yadav for the first T20I.

In the batting order, Virat Kohli returns to the fold as KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik retain their place in the starting XI. Rishabh Pant will don the gloves for his side as Manish Pandey fails to make the cut into the side.

Krunal Pandya and Yuzvendra Chahal will battle for the final spot in the team. Moreover, the elder of the Pandya brother might just be the tempting option with his all-around skills.

Virat Kohli and Co. will be looking to begin the tour on a high by registering a win in the first game of the tour and set the tempo for the games to follow.

Here's the selected squad for the first T20I:

We've announced our 12 for the 1st T20I against Australia at The Gabba #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/c6boLtieGf

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 20, 2018

ICC Dispute Panel dismisses PCB's case against BCCI

ICC today dismissed Pakistan Cricket Board's case against Board of Cricket for Control India with no further challenge possible against the decision of the panel. The two cricketing bodies who have been engaged in a regular dispute over matters of renewing of cricketing ties between the two Asian giants, saw an end to the matter after ICC dismissed PCB's case against the Indian cricket board.

PCB had made an appeal to ICC for BCCI not honouring the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two boards in 2014. As per the MoU, both the nations were slated to feature in six bilateral series in the time period of eight years between 2015 and 2023.

However, BCCI refused to conduct any cricketing relations with the neighbours citing reasons of lack of government clearance. As a result, PCB sought a compensation of USD 70 million from BCCI for not abiding by the signed treaty in 2014.

"Following a three-day hearing and having considered detailed oral and written submissions, the Dispute Panel has dismissed the PCB's claim against the BCCI," the ICC said in a release.

Bans on the trio not to be lifted, says CA

In what was believed as a lifeline to put an end to Australia's dismal run in past one year, Cricket Australia (CA) today decided to uphold the bans on Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft.

The suspension which was imposed in March 2018, will now see Smith and Warner back in action in March '19 while Bancroft will make a comeback after serving a ban of nine months in late December this year.

The move to lift the bans by CA was indeed after the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) pressurized the board to re-think about its decision and allow the players to return to the cricketing fold.

The Cricket Australia Board has carefully considered all elements of the ACA submission and has determined that it is not appropriate to make any changes to the sanctions handed down to the three players," CA interim chair Earl Eddings said in a statement.

Finch wary of other threats apart from Kohli

Just before both the teams take the field on November 21 in the first T20I in Brisbane, skippers from both the camps attended the pre-match conference to share their views ahead of the much-anticipated series which lies ahead in prospect.

While India is a menacing opponent to play against in this form of the game, Australian skipper acknowledges his counterparts as a bunch of match-winners especially in the shorter version of the game.

Finch, who praised Kohli for his ability and the current form, is wary about the challenge of tackling other Indian players other than Kohli. He considers the team will not only focus on the Indian skipper but also other potential players in their team.

You can't underestimate anyone in the Indian side. Obviously, Virat is probably the best player in the world at the moment and has been for some time in the two shorter formats in particular.