Top Stories: Things that made news in the cricket world today

Ben Stokes withdraws from Pakistan Tests, sensibly prioritizes family over cricket

• Ben Stokes, the England vice-captain, has withdrawn himself from the three-match Test series against Pakistan.
• It goes without saying that the hosts will find it tough to fill in the all-rounder’s void with two matches remaining.
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Cheteshwar Pujara picks his current World Test XI

• Cheteshwar Pujara, the Indian batting stalwart, picked his World Test XI, built with some of the best players in the business.
• Virat Kohli and Steve Smith were Pujara’s picks at number four and five respectively.
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‘Azhar Ali missed a few tricks’ – Wasim Akram after Pakistan’s defeat in Manchester Test

• Former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram reckons that Azhar Ali missed out on a few tricks during the opening Test against England.
• However, Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes’ brilliance took the Brits to a three-wicket win and a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
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Zimbabwe call off their five-match T20I series against Afghanistan due to COVID-19 surge

• The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on international cricket, with many bilateral series leading to cancellation or postponement.
• At present, the government have necessitated stringent regulations to curb the spread of novel coronavirus across the country.
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‘I believe Pakistan can still win the series’ – Inzamam-ul-Haq confident for Azhar Ali and Co after Manchester defeat

• Pakistan’s defeat against England at Old Trafford, Manchester on Sunday in the inaugural match of the three-match Test series has raised a lot of questions over the team management.
• The visiting team had a strong start as they managed to put up a decent score of 326 on the board in the first innings.
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I want to see Shubman Gill open the batting for KKR: Dean Jones

• Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones reckons that Shubman Gill should open the batting for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
• In the previous season, Gill didn’t flatter to deceive and was rightly retained by KKR for the 2020 edition.
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