BCCI slam Asia Cup schedule, Bangladesh choke, and more - Cricket News Today, July 26 2018

There has been a lot going on in the world of cricket over the past 24 hours. The Asia Cup schedule was announced a few days ago, which received a lot of backlash due to its scheduling.

Bangladesh took on West Indies in the second ODI of the three-match series but things didn't go according to plan.

As we get ready for the first Test between India and England, which is set to begin in a few days from now, let's take a look at the things which made news today (26 July 2018)

#5 England announce squad for 1st Test against India

The England cricket team recalled Rashid Khan to the Test side as they announced a 13-member Test squad to take on India in the first of the five-match Test series which begins on August 1 in Birmingham.

Moeen Ali, too, was included in the squad apart from the leggie Rashid. Meanwhile, Jamie Porter received his first Test call-up and has replaced Chris Woakes in the side, who is recovering from an injury.

The selectors' decision to pick Rashid in the side received a lot of flak from pundits and former cricketers, including Michael Vaughan.

However, Ed Smith, the chief selector cleared the air about his selection.

"Adil fully understands that if he wishes to be eligible for Test cricket in the 2019 season, he must have a county contract to play four-day cricket. Moving forward, England Test players must be committed to the County Championship. Clearly, the one-off circumstances around Adil’s return to the Test squad are unusual. However, the selection panel was unanimous in believing that Adil should be selected in England’s squad," he said while speaking to the Telegraph.

India are currently taking on Essex in a warm-up game being held at the County Ground, Chelmsford. They managed to score 395 in the first innings, with Dinesh Karthik top scoring with 82 runs to his name. Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya, all scored half-centuries.

#4 BCCI slam Asia Cup schedule; Sehwag feels India should not participate

India

are

to face Pakistan in the Asia Cup to be held in September

Just a couple of days ago, the Asia Cup schedule was announced and India are supposed to be playing back-to-back games on September 18 and 19, with the latter being against arch-rivals Pakistan.

However, BCCI hit back by calling the schedule "mindless"

“The scheduling is mindless. There appears to be zero application of mind. How can you accept a scenario where India plays a game today and tomorrow it will face its arch-rival Pakistan who will have a two-day period of rest?," a BCCI official said to CricketNext,

“This is unacceptable and has to be revisited. Maybe for the organisers, it is just a money-spinning game but for us, it is important that there be equity in scheduling,” he added.

Former Indian cricketer, Virender Sehwag was of the opinion that India should not play the Asia Cup itself.

"Why is there such hue and cry overplaying the Asia Cup? Don't play the Asia Cup. Prepare the team for the home series or the away series. It's really difficult to play back-to-back games," said the former opening batsman in a conversation with IndiaTV.

#3 Ravi Shastri asked for green top for warm-up game

India

are

currently taking on Essex in the warm-up game

With India currently taking on Essex in a warm-up game at Chelmsford, it was reported that coach Ravi Shastri asked the curator to leave some grass atop the pitch.

“The pitch? It is good. The grounds man asked me there was enough grass on, do you want the grass to be taken off? I said absolutely not. It is your prerogative. What you give us, we play. I said leave it. There was grass there, so don’t take anything off.

“Our challenge is to beat the opposition. We take pride in performing wherever we go. We want to be the best travelling side in the word. So the last person who will make a complaint will be this Indian team,” he said.

He felt that the Indian batsmen will have to cope with such pitches throughout the tour so they should start preparing for it from the very beginning.

#2 Virat Kohli honoured with 'International Cricketer of the Year' by Barmy Army

The Barmy Army

Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli was honoured with this prestigious award for the second year in a row by the Barmy Army, who are a group of English cricket fans.

Kohli is currently on tour with the Indian side, who are preparing for the first Test against England by taking on Essex in a warm-up match taking place at Chelmsford.

He managed to score a well-crafted half-century in the first innings as India piled up 390 runs on the board.

#1 Bangladesh choke as Jason Holder leads Windies to last over win

Rahim walks back to the pavilion

With 8 runs required off the final over, Bangladesh grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory as they failed to finish off the game.

Mushfiqur Rahim was still at the crease when the final over began but was dismissed by a full-toss in the very first delivery. The lower order batsmen who came after that failed to finish the game off as the Windies managed to win the match by just 3 runs. By doing so, they levelled the three-match ODI series 1-1.

The Windies managed to score 271 in their 50 overs with Shimron Hetymer top-scoring with a century to his name. Bangladesh responded really well with Mushfiqur, Shakib al Hasan, and Tamim Iqbal all scoring half-centuries, however, they managed to lose in the last over.