Former England captain Andrew Strauss to spend more time with family while his wife Ruth undergoes treatment for cancer

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Oct-2018Andrew Strauss has stepped down as director of England cricket after three-and-a-half years in the role, in order to spend more time with his family while his wife Ruth undergoes treatment for cancer.Strauss, who handed over many of his day-to-day duties to Andy Flower during the 2018 home summer, will take on a more flexible role with the ECB, and will play a part in assisting Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, in recruiting a full-time successor ahead of England’s tour of the Caribbean in the New Year.It means, however, that he will not now be at the helm as England enter a defining year in 2019, when they host the World Cup for the first time in 20 years, then take on Australia in a home Ashes campaign.”After three-and-a-half incredible years with the ECB, I have taken the difficult decision to step down from my role as Director of England Cricket,” said Strauss.”Next year is potentially the most important the game has had in this country, with the World Cup on home soil and a home Ashes series, and we have an incredible opportunity to do something special. It is vital that the Director of Cricket can give consistent guidance and support to England Cricket through this period.”Strauss’s appointment in May 2015 came in the wake of England’s disastrous showing at that year’s World Cup, and he endured a gruelling first few weeks in the job, including terminating Peter Moores’ second spell as England coach, as well as drawing a line under any prospect of Kevin Pietersen earning an international recall.On his watch, England have taken significant strides towards becoming a genuine force in white-ball cricket – following his appointment of Trevor Bayliss as head coach in 2015, England reached the final of the World T20 the following year and go into next summer’s World Cup as favourites.The Test team’s fortunes have plateaued in the same period, although Strauss’s appointment of Ed Smith as the new national selector has seen the beginnings of a revival in the long-form game. This summer’s 4-1 series win over India atoned in part for a disappointing display during the Ashes, a tour that was at times overshadowed by the circus that surrounded the squad in the wake of Ben Stokes’ arrest in Bristol last September.Dawid Malan chats with England director of cricket Andrew Strauss•Getty Images

Strauss had intended to remain on the tour throughout the series, but chose to fly home in the wake of England’s defeat in the second Test at Adelaide after hearing the news of his wife’s diagnosis.”Taking time out this summer to support my wife and kids, as Ruth goes through treatment for cancer, has given me the chance to fully consider what’s right for England and what’s needed at home,” he said. “The role in cricket requires total focus and commitment to deliver the best results, yet right now I need far more flexibility than could ever be possible in my position in order to support my family.”I will not be leaving the game completely – initially helping Tom to shape the role for my successor, then supporting a range of other ECB projects – but it’s important to see someone else in place for a crucial summer in 2019.Harrison responded to the decision on behalf of the ECB. “We’re very sad to see Andrew step down from the role and we all wish him and his family the very best,” he said. “He deserves huge respect for the way he has managed his role, fully supported Ruth and their boys and calmly considered this decision. And it’s hard to overestimate his contribution since joining us in May 2015.”He is an exceptional talent and it is easy to see how he has made a success of each step in his career – moving from dressing room, to captaincy, to commentary, to a key role in the governing body – and all the while being the most popular of colleagues.”Andrew has brought enormous credibility, measured thinking, strong leadership and exceptional insight and we have been extremely fortunate to have worked so closely with him for the last three and a half years. He has improved the ways we work and set the direction for the men’s Test, one-day and T20 teams.”

The Football Association has defended the new England kit after a backlash over Nike changing the colour of the St George's Cross.

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New Nike shirt released this weekBacklash over changing colour of St George's CrossFA defends the decision and stands firmWHAT HAPPENED?

Nike switched the traditional red cross on the collar of England's Euro 2024 shirt to a navy, light blue, and purple flag. While the Football Association say it was meant as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team, and the sportswear giant described it as a "playful update" – a row has erupted over it being 'woke'. Despite the backlash, the FA has stood firm over the jersey.

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A FA spokesperson said: "The new England 2024 Home kit has a number of design elements which were meant as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team. The coloured trim on the cuffs is inspired by the training gear worn by England's 1966 heroes, and the same colours also feature on the design on the back of the collar.

"It is not the first time that different coloured St George's cross-inspired designs have been used on England shirts. We are very proud of the red and white St George's cross – the England flag. We understand what it means to our fans, and how it unites and inspires, and it will be displayed prominently at Wembley tomorrow – as it always is – when England play Brazil."

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The debate over this topic has been fuelled by the likes of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said the flag should not have been changed, and Reform UK MP Lee Anderson, who denounced the move as "virtue signaling woke nonsense."
"When it comes to our national flags, we shouldn't mess with them because they're a source of pride, identity, who we are, and they're perfect as they are," said Sunak.

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Getty WHAT NEXT?

Many football fans have demanded the original flag be reinstated and an online petition has collected thousands of signatures, meaning this story may continue to rumble on. On the pitch, England host Brazil on Saturday, followed by Belgium on Tuesday in two friendly matches.

Cole Palmer slammed "poor" Chelsea after the Blues were forced to share the spoils with 10-man Burnley despite the England star's brace.

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• Chelsea held to a 2-2 draw
• Palmer scored both goals
• Warns his team-mates they must improve

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Despite playing with a man advantage for more than half of the game due to Lorenz Assignon's red card, Chelsea failed to capitalize and were held to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Palmer put in an impressive shift by netting two goals against the Clarets but was furious with his team-mates and didn't mince his words in expressing his disappointment after the match.

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  WHAT PALMER SAID

  Speaking to after the match, Palmer said: "It’s poor, it can’t happen. Especially when they go down to ten men. The changing room is really down. When we went down to ten men, we were 1-0 up and just got too comfortable. Same story, we kill ourselves every week. It’s got to improve from us as players.

  "We had many chances and then that time we defended soppy. It’s very disappointing. On a personal level, it’s good to score two, but if you don’t get the three points they count for nothing. I think it’s our consistency all around the pitch, being alive and not switching off like we did today. We seriously have to do some consistency if we want to do something."

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  The draw against relegation-threatened Burnley epitomized Chelsea's struggles duringr Pochettino's reign, sinking the Blues to a new low. Burnley, displaying resilience and determination, twice came from behind with 10 men, courtesy of goals from Josh Cullen and Dara O'Shea, to snatch a vital point in their battle against relegation.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  After the draw, Chelsea find themselves languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table with 40 points from 28 matches. The result intensified the pressure on Pochettino, with disgruntled fans voicing their discontent by booing the players at Stamford Bridge at the final whistle. The Blues return to action in a prestige clash with Manchester United on Thursday.

Rangana Herath, the most-successful left-arm bowler in Test history, will retire after the first Test in Galle, having told the selectors that he is reluctant to play through an entire three-Test series.Galle is a sentimental venue for Herath – not only did he make his Test debut there in 1999, he also needs only one more wicket to join Muttiah Muralitharan in having taken 100 wickets at the ground. It was at this venue that Herath also reignited his career at the age of 31, taking five wickets in a Test against Pakistan in 2009, after having been suddenly called up to the Test side while he was playing league cricket in England.Herath, 40, has not played a complete three-Test series since January 2017, having since left two India series early due to injury, before playing no more than one of the three Tests in West Indies in June this year. Herath has had to manage knee injuries for several years now; the strain of carrying Sri Lanka’s spin attack since the retirement of Muralitharan is understood to have caught up to him.His retirement will leave a substantial hole in the Sri Lanka side, with offspinner Dilruwan Perera likeliest to replace him as leader of the spin attack, for the remainder of the England series at least. Sri Lanka also have three other spinners in the squad: all-sorts offspinner Akila Dananjaya, left-arm wristspinner Lakshan Sandakan, and left-arm orthodox bowler Malinda Pushpakumara. Of the remaining spinners only Dilruwan has played more than 10 Tests, however.A beloved figure across the island, Herath’s retirement will also bring to an end one of the most remarkable careers in modern cricket. Not only is he the 10th most successful Test bowler in history with 430 wickets, all but 36 of those dismissals came after he had turned 31, with Herath having struggled to maintain a place in the Test side in the first decade of his career. No bowler has also taken as many as his 230 wickets after turning 35. If he takes five wickets in his final Test, he could move up to seventh on the all-time list, passing Richard Hadlee (431 wickets), Stuart Broad (433) and Kapil Dev (434).Herath is also the last active Test cricketer to have made his debut in the 1990s.The Galle Test begins on November 6.

Sri Lanka came to life during their 219-run DLS thrashing of England in the fifth ODI and Thisara Perera suggested his T20 side would be on the attack again

Andrew Fidel Fernando26-Oct-2018Fresh from piling on 366 against England in the final one-dayer, Sri Lanka are hopeful the tables they turned on Tuesday will remain upended, that the boots will stay switched, and that their batsmen will continue their plunder in the T20 on Saturday. Sure, victory in the fifth ODI came in a dead rubber against a substantially weakened England side, but its emphatic nature – the 219-run DLS win was Sri Lanka’s biggest this decade – has injected fresh energy into what had been an ailing limited-overs side.In particular, Sri Lanka may seek to target England’s key bowlers. In the fifth ODI they succeeded in taking more runs off legspinner Adil Rashid than they previously had in the series. Sri Lanka’s new T20 captain Thisara Perera said an aggressive approach against Rashid could pay dividends again.”If you take the last game, whatever we wanted to do against Rashid worked, I thought,” he said. “We wanted to be positive against him. When we have that mindset we can put a bowler under pressure. So we urged the batters to go out and play positively. But we also kept an eye on the variations to expect from each bowler.”The batsmen who began Tuesday’s onslaught were Niroshan Dickwella, who has had a good limited-overs leg of this tour, and Sadeera Samarawickrama, who made his maiden international fifty. The pair put on Sri Lanka’s first century opening stand since July 2017, and may have the opportunity to provide more early-overs fireworks. Because Kusal Perera remains sidelined with a quad strain, Samarawickrama has been brought into the squad, and will likely open the innings again.”We gave them the last couple of games hoping to get a good start, because we have to give players opportunities often,” Thisara said. “I thought they grabbed it by both hands. We have just a few games before the World Cup and we hope to settle on a side, rather than allowing new players to come in and find places.”On a personal note, Thisara believes the T20 captaincy came back to him on account of his much improved batting and bowling form in 2018. He had been T20 limited-overs captain for a stint in late 2017, before being replaced by Angelo Mathews in the role, but now takes the job back from Mathews. Having had three poor years between 2015 and 2017, Thisara has made an emphatic recovery this year, and averaging 37.66 and striking at 176 with the bat, even if his bowling in the shortest format hasn’t been as good as it has been in ODis.”Captaincy was not something that I expected,” he said. “I was keen on representing the country, and captaincy came to me as I became senior. I was taken out as captain this year, but when I started performing again I was entrusted with leadership again. If I can perform as a player and continue to lead the side I will be happy with that.”

Two teenage batsmen came together to lift New South Wales into a dominant position

Andrew McGlashan06-Nov-2018

There was a glimpse at the future of Australian batting talent at the SCG as 18-year-old Jack Edwards struck his maiden first-class century and 19-year Jason Sangha his first Sheffield Shield hundred.Then after youth it was experience as Trent Copeland struck three times late on to give New South Wales a firm grip on the contest with Tasmania wobbling at 3 for 108.All the talk, however, was of Sangha and Edwards, who came together with the innings uncertainly placed at 5 for 181 on the second afternoon. They added 180 for the sixth-wicket in a display of assured batting with crisp and confident strokeplay which had started to take shape when they counterattacked against the second new ball the previous evening. It was thought to be just the third time two teenagers had scored hundreds in the same Sheffield Shield innings.The strongly-built Edwards was first to his milestone off 145 balls, following his maiden List A century which came in the JLT Cup earlier this season. Sangha’s ton followed from 161 deliveries, his first in state cricket but his second overall after the hundred he made against England last year playing for a Cricket Australia XI. It was a notable bounce back from Sangha after he bagged a pair in the previous Shield match against Victoria.”I was pretty nervous in the 90s but with Jason in the 90s as well made me feel a bit better about it knowing he was probably just as nervous,” Edwards said. “We told each other just to keep going, there were a few lazy shots from myself where I just needed Sangha to tell me to refocus.”Not everyone’s timing was quite as good as the pair, though. “I know Jason’s family was here, mine didn’t arrive until after I got out – which is typical, but that’s fine,” Edwards said.”I was speaking to Jack, we played an Under-14s game here and to both to score centuries here at the SCG was an amazing feeling,” Sangha said. “So good to be out in the middle when Jack got his. A great day for both of us.”Edwards fell the ball after reaching his hundred as he tried to clear the field against the offspin of Beau Webster while Sangha slapped Matthew Wade’s occasional medium pace to cover as the Blues looked to push on beyond 400.Useful innings from Steve O’Keefe and Copeland extended the New South Wales total until a declaration 40 minutes before tea.Sean Abbott had a very close lbw shout turned down in his first over, but the Blues should have had a wicket before the break when Edwards blotted his copybook somewhat by spilling a catch at deep square as Alex Doolan top-edged a sweep against Nathan Lyon who had been brought on in the sixth over.As with the Tasmania attack, the Blues bowlers found it tough going on a docile pitch and it wasn’t long before the slips were dispensed with. Spin looked the likelier route for wickets, but it was Copeland who made inroads before the close.Doolan cut a short ball to point and three balls later Jordan Silk was given caught behind playing the hook although replays showed the ball had come flush off his helmet. Silk’s walk off the field was understandably slow.Copeland wasn’t done, either, as he had Webster taken down the leg side off an inside leaving much for the Tasmania middle order to do, although the forecast for the third day was not great.

The batsman said the decision was taken so that he could focus on his limited-overs career

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2018Ambati Rayudu has called time on his first-class career in order to focus on limited-overs cricket. Rayudu, who recently made a comeback into the Indian ODI side, communicated the decision to the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) on Saturday.Rayudu will continue to play international and domestic matches in the shorter versions. He had a successful outing in India’s recently concluded five-match ODI series against West Indies, hitting a century in the fourth ODI to cement his claim to what had been a fairly long search to fill the No. 4 spot in the Indian team.The 33-year-old Rayudu had begun his career with the HCA, making his first-class debut as a teenager in 2001. He played only the one game that season, but the next year he made an immediate impact with 210 and 159 not out against Andhra in just his third match. However, Rayudu had a rocky ride at Hyderabad with reports of differences with Arjun Yadav, and he soon moved to Andhra – one of the four teams he would eventually represent in domestic cricket.Yadav, son of former India player Shivlal Yadav, is the current Hyderabad coach.His stint with Andhra was also short, and he came back to Hyderabad before joining the now-defunct Indian Cricket League, thus being banned from participating in any BCCI-sanctioned tournaments. When the ICL dissolved and its players returned, Rayudu also returned to Hyderabad, but moved out a season later to Baroda. In 2016-17, he signed up with Vidarabha, although injuries prevented him from playing a single first-class match for the team though he did turn out in a few domestic limited-overs matches.Rayudu returned to Hyderabad before the 2017-18 season, but since making his debut for India in 2013, Rayudu has not played in a full Ranji season. Last year, he played only three matches for Hyderabad, scoring 278 runs at an average of 69.50 with a century and two fifties.He ends his first-class career with 6151 runs in 97 matches, at an average of 45.56 with 16 centuries. The 210 he scored in his third first-class match remains his highest score.

Isobel and Cecelia, who played for nearly two decades in the international circuit, announced their retirements after Ireland’s loss in their final group-stage match in the World T20

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2018Ireland’s Joyce twins, Isobel and Cecelia, announced their retirement from international cricket after Ireland’s eight-wicket loss to New Zealand in their final group-stage match in the World T20. It was also the last international game for their team-mates, Clare Shillington and Ciara Metcalfe, who had, in May this year, announced that the tournament would be their last. All four have been in the international circuit for nearly two decades, with 37-year-old Shillington having debuted in 1997.While Shillington and Metcalfe received a guard of honour from players of both teams before taking the field, the Joyces informed their decision to their team-mates only during the post-match huddle.

BREAKING: @izzyjoyce and @CeceliaJoyce44 have announced they are retiring from international cricket alongside @CiaraJMetcalfe and @ShillersC.

Thanks for the memories, and best of luck for your post-playing careers! pic.twitter.com/UwOZRtODB2

— ICC World Twenty20 (@WorldT20) November 17, 2018

Allrounder Isobel, who made her Ireland debut in 1999, has played 79 ODIs and 55 T20Is, while opening batsman Cecelia, who entered the international circuit two years later, has played 57 ODIs and 43 T20Is. Isobel had also led Ireland in 62 games before stepping down as captain following the World T20 in 2016.”I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for us. The next 10-12 months will be about transitioning the team as we don’t have any international fixtures coming up,” Laura Delany, the Ireland captain, said.Earlier this year, their brother Ed Joyce, who has represented both Ireland and England, announced his retirement from professional cricket, following Ireland’s inaugural men’s Test match against Pakistan in Dublin. Five Joyce siblings have represented Ireland in all – Dom, who played three ODIs in 2006-07, and Gus, who played one first-class game for Ireland in 2000.Post-retirement, all four players are set to stay involved in the game, with Cecelia focusing on her role as vice-president of Ireland’s player association and the other three taking up coaching roles.

Goalkeeper Alexander Nubel is reportedly on the verge of extending his contract at Bayern Munich but will remain on loan with Stuttgart.

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• Nubel to receive five-year contract extension
• Will stay on loan with Stuttgart next season
• Is viewed as Neuer's successor

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Sky Germany, the German stop-stopper, who is presently on loan at Stuttgart, will sign a new contract that runs until 2030. The Bavarians want to keep him committed to the team for an extended period of time because he is widely viewed as one of the possible successors to the ageing Manuel Neuer.

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  Bayern have reportedly also held talks with Stuttgart regarding the extension of Nubel's current loan deal that was supposed to end this summer. The extension of the loan would keep the 27-year-old with Die Schwaben until the summer of 2025, after which he will return to the Bavarian side on a permanent basis.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Nubel has had a very good season with Stuttgart under Sebastian Hoeness as they have the fourth best defence in the league having conceded fewer goals than even Bayern themselves. Die Schwaben sit in third place, level on points with Nubel's parent club and could even surpass them in the league standings with Bayern struggling over the past few weeks.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR NUBEL?

  The goalkeeper will take his place in between the sticks when Stuttgart take on Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, April 13 as they look to solidify their spot for next season's Champions League.

Phil Foden joined an exclusive club as he bagged a hat-trick for Manchester City in the much-needed win over Aston Villa.

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Foden joins exclusive club of players in EuropeBecomes fifth player to score 20+ goals and record 10+ assistsNetted second hat-trick of the season against VillaWHAT HAPPENED?

With a scintillating performance against the Villans that saw Foden score his second hat-trick of this season, the England international has now joined an elite group of players who have scored 20+ goals and provided 10+ assists in the current 2023-24 campaign while playing in the top five leagues in Europe, per Opta.

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The exclusive group of players is thoroughly dominated by English stars as it features four Three Lions stars – Foden, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Ollie Watkins – while Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is the fifth member.

DID YOU KNOW?

After Wednesday's clash, the 23-year-old now has 14 league goals to his name this season, the most he has scored in a single Premier League campaign with the second-highest tally being 11 during the 2022-23 season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PHIL FODEN?

The England and City star is likely to feature for his club on Saturday as Pep Guardiola's side take on Crystal Palace in another important Premier League fixture in the title race.