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Leicestershire left-arm seamer named as replacement, with Stone likely to take place in team

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2024Josh Hull, the Leicestershire left-arm seamer, has been added to England’s squad for the final two Tests against Sri Lanka, following confirmation that Mark Wood will play no further part in the series after suffering a thigh injury.Hull, 20, is one of the most exciting young players on the county circuit, although his first-class record is modest with 16 wickets at 62.75. Standing at 6ft 7in, he played a key role in Leicestershire’s triumph in the Metro Bank One-Day Club last season, and impressed earlier this month on his England Lions debut, taking five wickets across two innings at New Road to help inflict a seven-wicket defeat on Sri Lanka’s tourists in their only warm-up game.He has only taken two wickets in three Championship games this season, but showcased an ability to push the speed gun up towards 90mph when making his debut in the Hundred for Manchester Originals last month.”It was about half nine last night when I got the call from Brendon McCullum,” Hull told BBC Radio Leicester. “It’s a very special moment.””It’s come around pretty quickly, I didn’t think it would happen this fast, but I am really excited to be joining them””I was happy with how I performed [for England Lions] but I never thought it would lead to a call this early. They’ve got Olly Stone there as the first replacement, so it will be a great opportunity to join up and be part of that environment.”Hull is currently in Bristol, taking part in Leicestershire’s Championship fixture with Gloucestershire, and is expected to join up with England’s squad in London on Monday ahead of the second Test at Lord’s, which begins on Thursday. The final Test of the summer, at the Kia Oval, takes place from September 6-10.Hull’s inclusion is the only change to England’s 13-man squad for the remaining two Tests, with Nottinghamshire’s Olly Stone likely to step into Wood’s role for what would be his fourth Test appearance, and his first since New Zealand at Edgbaston in June 2021. Stone has also been playing Championship cricket for Nottinghamshire this week, after being released from the England squad on the opening day of the first Test, alongside the reserve batter, Essex’s Jordan Cox.Related

• Olly Stone confirmed as Mark Wood's pace replacement for Lord's Test

• Mark Wood in doubt for remainder of Sri Lanka series after sustaining thigh injury

• Joe Root drops anchor as England go 1-0 up over spirited Sri Lanka

• Ollie Pope passes first captaincy test, though his own returns beg to differ

• Angelo Mathews: Replacement ball 'changed the entire momentum of the game'

Wood’s status had been in some doubt from the moment he pulled up midway through his 11th over of Sri Lanka’s second innings on Friday evening. He took no further part in the match, and was subsequently sent for a scan midway on Saturday morning, with the results revealing a muscle strain in his right thigh.Though unfortunate in the short term, the diagnosis of a strain, rather than a tear, will be a relief for Wood and England, given the team’s busy winter schedule which includes three-Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand in the lead-up to Christmas.In his absence, England were made to battle for victory in the first Test, with Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal batting through the morning session of the fourth day to help post a taxing target of 205, which was eventually hunted down with five wickets standing, thanks to an unbeaten 62 from Joe Root.England squad for final two Tests: Ollie Pope (capt), Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Dan Lawrence, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Olly Stone, Chris Woakes

Ireland’s spin-bowing coach says tighter lines and fuller lengths can help their spinners fare better in the second Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando23-Apr-2023In the first Test, Ireland’s spinners managed three wickets in 85.3 overs. By comparison, Sri Lanka’s spinners claimed 15 wickets in 85.4 overs.This was the biggest difference between the sides, and it is this chasm that Ireland’s spin-bowling coach Nathan Hauritz is charged with closing, ahead of the second Test. Being more consistent with tighter lines and fuller lengths was one route to improvement, Hauritz said. But so was winning the toss and bowling in friendlier conditions, on a worn track.”About 75% of their deliveries were getting us play off the front foot,” Hauritz said. “Admittedly the wicket was turning a bit more day two and day three when they were bowling. But if you’re not going to make them play off the front foot – the wicket’s too slow – they could sweep, or use their feet. We’ve addressed that. What matters is how they overcome it when the pressure’s on.”It’s Andy Balbirnie’s first time captaining against two of the best Test-playing countries. It’s not just a simple matter of putting the ball in the right spot. You’ve got to know when to take advantage of the momentum, and know when to wind back. We’re trying to be as proactive as we can. That’s challenging when you’re bowling first on day one and the ball’s not moving off the straight. The bowling needs to be more consistent. That’s a challenge coming from North County at minus two/ minus four degrees.Related

• Mendis: 'Future of Test cricket is to not play out many dot balls'

• Karunaratne wants to step down as captain after Ireland Tests

“What I will say is though if we get the opportunity to bat first and put a score on the board, I back our spinners to create a lot of problems. But bowling first in these conditions is the hardest thing you can ever do as a spinner. And the wicket was incredibly flat. It was about trying to hang in. We have been here (in South Asia) six or seven weeks, so we should be pretty well acclimatised. But in Sri Lanka it sucks it out of you – you need to hang in there and outlast them.”Part of Ireland’s challenge, which Sri Lanka’s players also acknowledged at the end of the first Test, was to move away from limited-overs style field settings with the spinners in operation. Hauritz reflected on how well Sri Lanka had done that in the first Test.”If you’re putting 10 out of 10 balls in one spot, and one spins and one doesn’t, it becomes very challenging to face,” he said. “Over here, you don’t need to do anything fancy. It’s very boring work. You’re able to create that pressure with the fields, and the heat, and everything gets on top of you.”As soon as a batting group you start to get on top, they, as a bowling group, change the fields. You see someone like Lorcan Tucker – as soon as he starts to sweep they put men out. They don’t change the way they bowl. They just keep doing the same thing and they make you change.”I have no doubt that being exposed to these conditions will help our spinners, but it’ll also help our batters play spin, moving forward.”

His unbeaten 51 and economical four overs helped Fortune Barishal to an easy eight-wicket win

Mohammad Isam11-Feb-2022How the match played outShakib Al Hasan’s superb run in the format continued as he became the first player to win Player-of-the-Match awards in five consecutive T20 matches. His unbeaten 51 and economical four overs helped Fortune Barishal to an easy eight-wicket win against Minister Group Dhaka. It rounded off their league phase in style, but the result left Dhaka prone to elimination if Chattogram Challengers and Khulna Tigers both win their matches tomorrow.Dhaka’s scorecard included only two batters with double-figure scores as they struggled to 128 for 9 in 20 overs. In reply, Barishal took only 15.3 overs to complete the 129-run chase, with Shakib adding 83 runs for the unbroken third-wicket stand with Najmul Hossain Shanto.Big hitBarishal got an early boost from Munim Shahriar, who struck three sixes and as many fours in his 37 off 25 balls. Shakib struck 51 off 25 balls, his third fifty in this season’s BPL. He struck six fours and two fours, while Shanto supported him with a run-a-ball 28 that had two fours.Dhaka had no such luxury when they batted. Tamim had no support from anywhere although he made 66 off 50 balls with nine fours and a six. Only Shuvagata Hom contributed with 21, hitting one six and two fours.Mujeeb ur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 15 while Dwayne Bravo and Mehedi Hasan Rana also took two wickets each. Shakib took 1 for 21 from his typically stingy four overs.Big missDhaka’s batting has not been up to mark this season. Mohammad Naim’s disastrous time ended with him making just six runs, while Jahurul Islam, Mahmudullah and Shamsur Rahman also got out cheaply. The tail too caved in quickly, as they played their second consecutive game without Mashrafe Mortaza.

According to a BCCI official, the player who was approached immediately shared his concerns with the anti-corruption unit

PTI04-Oct-2020A player competing in IPL 2020 has “reported a corrupt approach”, putting the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit (ACU) on a high alert.The current edition of the IPL is being held in the UAE in a biosecure environment, which has significantly reduced the chance for persons with dubious credentials approaching the player directly. The threat though still remains by and large due to the online network of corruptorsThe BCCI ACU chief Ajit Singh, who is leading an eight-man team in the UAE, confirmed the development to PTI. “We are tracking him. It will take some time,” Singh, the former DGP of Rajasthan, said when asked if the alleged corruptor has been nabbed.As per anti-corruption protocols, the name of the player or franchise is not revealed for confidentiality purposes.With players and support staff staying in a bio-bubble, unlike other years, the ACU is concentrating more on the possible online corrupt approaches. Most of the players are on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter where unknown people masquerading as fans try to befriend them.A senior BCCI official said all the players, whether overseas or Indian, have attended multiple anti-corruption classes.”The best part is that the player who was approached immediately sensed that something is fishy. He had a suspicion and he immediately shared his concerns with the ACU. Every player, even those who have come from the Under-19 are well aware of each and every anti-corruption protocols,” the BCCI official, privy to the development, told PTI on the condition of anonymity.Due to health safety protocols this year, the ACU had organised its mandatory counselling sessions virtually for all the eight teams.The BCCI has tied up with UK-based company Sportradar, which offers “integrity services” to prevent betting and other corrupt practices during the upcoming IPL through its Fraud Detection Services.

The India captain, however, had a word of warning for England’s big-hitting batsmen, saying going gung-ho from ball one can backfire in the knockouts

Andrew Miller in London23-May-2019Virat Kohli, India’s captain, says it is a great compliment to have been name-checked by Jofra Archer as the wicket that England’s newest fast-bowling recruit most wants to claim in the forthcoming World Cup, and believes that he has an “X Factor” that justifies his fast-tracking into England’s 15-man squad for the tournament.However, Kohli also suggested that the batting line-up that has lifted England to No.1 in the world rankings is “obsessed” with becoming the first team to post 500 runs in a single ODI innings, and warned that they would struggle to play their full-throttle expansive game when the pressure ramps up at the sharp end of the tournament.Sitting next to England’s captain, Eoin Morgan, at the World Cup captains press conference in East London, Kohli took his chance to fire the first shots in the psychological battle between the two teams that most pundits believe are the likeliest to contest the World Cup final at Lord’s on July 14.If the World Cup captains could choose another player from the opposition team•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

India’s captain has recent experience of World Cup glory, having played a role in the 2011 victory over Sri Lanka in Mumbai, whereas England have never won the tournament in 11 events dating back to 1975, and have not won a knock-out match since reaching the final in 1992.And while England’s batsmen were in ominous form going into this year’s event, having become the first ODI side in history to put up 340-plus totals in four consecutive matches, en route to a 4-0 win over Pakistan, Kohli hinted that life would not be quite as simple for Morgan’s big-hitters when there’s a trophy at stake, as they discovered in 2017 when losing to Pakistan in a low-scoring Champions Trophy semi-final in Cardiff.”They [England] seem to be obsessed with getting to 500 before anyone else,” Kohli said. “They smash it from ball one and for the full 50 overs.”It could be pretty high-scoring, but 260/270 is going to be as difficult to get as chasing 370, 380 in a World Cup.”England’s record total displayed on the Trent Bridge scoreboard•Getty Images

The World Cup’s history bears out Kohli’s warning. Only twice has a total more than 300 been posted from the semi-finals stage onwards – although it was Australia who twice achieved the feat against India, in the final in 2003 (359 for 2) and the semi-final in Sydney in 2015 (328 for 7).”I don’t see too much high-scoring in the later half of the tournament,” Kohli added. “Some teams might get on a roll, but you’ll see 250 defended as well as because of the kind of pressure that comes with it.”When you get closer to the knockout phases, that is going to bring greater pressure and no-one is going to go gung-ho from ball one. Generally teams will find a way, but I see pressure playing a massive role.”For that reason, England may well be grateful for the added firepower that Archer adds to their bowling ranks, in the wake of a quietly impressive first bow in international cricket against Ireland and Pakistan earlier this month.Speaking on in the wake of his naming in the final 15, Archer had said that he wanted to get Kohli’s wicket above all others – not least because, in their four IPL clashes to date, his Rajasthan Royals team-mate Shreyas Gopal had bagged the big one before he could get him in his sights.”I’d quite like to get Virat out, because I wasn’t able to get him in the IPL because I think a leggie [Gopal] got him in every game he played,” he said.Jofra Archer celebrates the wicket of Fakhar Zaman•AFP

“Did he say that?” asked Kohli at the captain’s event. “That’s news to me, news to Morgs as well. I don’t really focus on these things.”I take a lot of pride in performing well for the team and making a big impact on each game I play so, if Jofra said that, it’s a big compliment as he himself is a world-class bowler.It is high praise coming from a player of Kohli’s calibre, who will go into the World Cup as the No.1 ranked batsman in both Test and ODI cricket, following a stellar run of form that has included nine 50-over hundreds since the start of 2018.And though their head-to-heads at the IPL have been limited, Kohli has seen enough of Archer’s talents with the white ball to know what he will offer to England’s bowling attack.”The way he has come through at the IPL over the last couple of years, I have seen him and he’s played all round the world and done well, so there’s a good reason why he’s been fast-tracked into playing for England in a tournament like the World Cup.”I think he’s going to be the X-factor because he has all the skillsets and he’s very different from anyone else. He can generate a lot of pace which can be intimidating and you don’t really expect that from his run-up. He’s just a great athlete and I’m sure the England team will be delighted to have him and he will be exciting to watch at the World Cup. I personally will be watching his bowling because whatever I’ve seen of him he is really impressive.”

With one to defend off the last over, the seamer started with a wide but then had Scotland’s No. 11 Brad Wheal caught behind with his next delivery to spark wild celebrations

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo12-Mar-2018Zimbabwe 210 (Ervine 57, Sharif 5-33, Leask 4-37) tied with Scotland 210 ( Berrington 47, Cremer 3-21, Chisoro 3-42)
Scorecard Zimbabwe and Scotland battled to a tie in a thrilling match at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Both teams were already assured of a place in the Super Six stage ahead of this encounter, but there was no let up in intensity, nor in the interest of the fans, who once again turned out in big numbers and were treated to a nail-biting finish.
Scotland seemed to be cruising in pursuit of 211 during Richie Berrington and George Munsey’s 76-run fifth wicket stand, but Berrington’s dismissal for 47 gave Zimbabwe the chance they needed, and in a pressure-cooker atmosphere they chipped away to reduce Scotland to 171 for 8. No. 10 Mark Watt’s brave hitting took Scotland to the brink, but when he fell in the penultimate over, the match turned again. Yet more drama was to follow, as a Blessing Muzarabani yorker tailed wide down the leg side wide to bring the teams level with six deliveries still to be bowled. Pulling his length right back, Muzarabani then had Brad Wheal caught behind with his next delivery to spark wild celebrations.Zimbabwe’s great escape brought an end to a topsy-turvy day in which both teams traded blows and the bowlers dictated the path of the match. After Zimbabwe opted to bat, Safyaan Sharif starred for Scotland with the ball, recording his maiden ODI five-wicket haul, while Michael Leask’s offspin brought a career-best 4 for 37.Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine were the only Zimbabwean batsmen able to make an impact, and their dismissals proved timely for Scotland. Zimbabwe were rolling along at almost five-and-a-half runs an over when Taylor played on for 44, and Ervine’s wicket for 57 in the 44th over meant Zimbabwe had no set top-order batsmen left to take on the bowling at the death.Between times, Sharif’s probing spells and Leask’s consistency meant the rest of Zimbabwe’s batsmen were only able to put together one partnership worth more than fifty – between Taylor and Solomon Mire for the third wicket. Sharif’s first over of the match went for 16 as Cephas Zhuwao started in blistering fashion, but with his next seven overs and four deliveries he collected 5 for 17, including a maiden.Sharif put his yorker to particularly good effect. With it, he removed Hamilton Masakadza leg before just as he was starting to hit his stride. Later in the innings, once again it was a yorker that beat Cremer for pace and pinged him on the toe in front of his stumps as Zimbabwe slipped to 187 for 7. Finally, it was another very full delivery that shattered Blessing Muzarabani’s stumps to bring Zimbabwe’s innings to a close in the 47th over.But the yorker wasn’t Sharif’s only trick, and he was also backed up by some sharp fielding. Zimbabwe were tottering at 152 for 5 when he removed Sean Williams to put Scotland firmly in control. It was a classic set-up for the left-hander, Sharif angling the ball in and then moving it away to take the outer half. Calum MacLeod was perfectly positioned, close in at gully, to take the catch.At the other end, Sharif received excellent support from Scotland’s spinners. Scotland used four slow bowlers, who bowled 29 overs for 139 runs, with Leask striking while, at different points, Mark Watt and Tom Sole helped Scotland to keep control of the game.Zimbabwe also relied heavily on spin, and left-arm spinner Tendai Chisoro – picked ahead of seamer Kyle Jarvis for this match – opened the bowling from the Airport End. He opened the door for Zimbabwe with the early dismissal of Matthew Cross, who sliced under a drive to be caught by Williams at cover point.Chisoro also had Sole caught behind in his opening spell, but Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer bruised his figures – and those of Muzarabani, as Scotland raced past fifty in the Powerplay. Graeme Cremer brought himself on in the 12th over to turn the match once again, Coetzer playing too early at a legbreak to be caught and bowled for 39. Cremer returned later in the innings, bowling from the opposite end, to break the partnership between Berrington and Munsey and renew the pressure on Scotland.Each one of Zimbabwe’s bowlers contributed something, with Chatara, Williams and Raza also taking a wicket apiece. Muzarabani seemed the only weak link, having been targeted by Coetzer early on and Leask at the death as Scotland’s no. 8 threatened to take the game away with a run-a ball 28 not out. But he, too, took a wicket, and in the end it was the one that mattered, ensuring Zimbabwe and Scotland would each take three points through to the Super Sixes.

A round-up of the Central Zone games from the first round of the Inter-State T20 tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2017Half-century stands for the first two wickets, Naman Ojha leading them both, helped Madhya Pradesh hold off Railways for a last-over victory at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.MP’s chase of 156 began with a 61-run opening stand between Ojha and and 22-year-old debutant MS Raghav (32 off 16, with seven fours). Ojha then put on 50 for the second wicket with Harpreet Singh (26) and it seemed like MP would cruise. Railways, however, hit back with four wickets for 24 runs, including Ojha’s for 54, to set up a tense finale. It took a timely cameo from Sohraab Dhaliwal at No. 7 (16* off 9) to take MP over the line with one ball and five wickets to spare.That left Mahesh Rawat on the losing side after he had cracked a 38-ball 63 with nine fours and a six. His innings was built on the foundation provided by a 53-run stand for the second wicket between Ashish Singh (32 off 23) and Faiz Ahmed (40 off 42). Despite their batting order banding together, though, Railways couldn’t put up a strong enough score.File photo – Sarfaraz Khan hit an unbeaten 31-ball 52 as UP defeated Chhattisgarh by eight wickets•BCCI

Chattisgarh made a bright start to their first T20 match, with a century stand for the second wicket, but it did not suffice as they ended up losing to Uttar Pradesh. After electing to bat, Chhattisgarh captain Mohammad Kaif was dismissed for a second-ball duck. Abhimanyu Chauhan (56 off 54) and Amandeep Khare (72 off 50) then put on 113 for the second wicket to lift them to 157 for 5. Medium-pacer Amit Mishra took 2 for 27 for UP. In their chase, UP got off to a solid start and were 70 for 2 in the tenth over when Sarfaraz Khan (52* off 31) joined Akshdeep Nath (58* off 45) to put on an unbroken 92 off 59 balls that took UP to an eight-wicket win.

Dale Steyn is in doubt for the New Year’s Test in Cape Town, after he was ruled out of bowling for the remainder of the ongoing Durban Test with a shoulder strain

Firdose Moonda in Durban29-Dec-2015Dale Steyn is in doubt for the New Year’s Test in Cape Town, after he was ruled out of bowling for the remainder of the ongoing Durban Test with a shoulder strain. A scan during the third day’s play, when Steyn had to leave the field twice, was “inconclusive”. It showed no tear to the muscles, tendons or ligaments around his right shoulder, but Steyn is still experiencing discomfort and remains “touch and go” for the second Test.Steyn returned from seven weeks of recovery after he sustained a groin strain in the first Test against India in Mohali. In Durban, he bowled 25.1 overs in England’s first innings – a workload large enough to cause another, unrelated injury. He experienced pain in his right shoulder on the first day of the match but resumed bowling on the second morning. It was only on the third afternoon that he was forced off after bowling 3.2 overs in the second innings and clutching his shoulder in pain. He was not taken for a scan immediately. Instead, with a view to not being penalised for being off the field if he could bowl, Steyn stayed on the park and then delivered three more balls only to leave again in the 21st over.At that point, he was taken for the scan but on his return, he was back on the field again. He threw underarm and with his left arm for the rest of the day. He was due to test his fitness on the fourth morning to see if he could take any further part in the match but, after experiencing more discomfort, was ruled out of action for the rest of the match. With only two days between the Boxing Day and Cape Town Tests, Steyn will be in a race against time to determine whether he can play the second Test.More than the selection conundrum, South Africa will be concerned over Dale Steyn’s second injury in successive series•AFP

If Steyn is unable to play in Cape Town, 20-year-old tearaway Kagiso Rabada will fill in as the third paceman and Morne Morkel will be tasked with leading an attack that will also include Kyle Abbott. South Africa will probably also look for cover in the form of some of their franchise players, which could put Hardus Viljoen in line for a maiden call-up. The Lions quick took ten wickets in a first-class match last week and has already taken six in this week’s fixture. Marchant de Lange and Chris Morris are other options South Africa will consider.What will concern the management more than the selection conundrum is that this is Steyn’s ninth injury in the last two-and-half-years, and second in successive series. Already, questions have been raised about his long-term future after suggestions in an Afrikaans newspaper that he may retire from the longest format.Workloads have been a central theme in South Africa over the last few days. The same publication made stronger claims that AB de Villiers is considering calling it a day because of a cluttered schedule and general unhappiness with the current set-up.

Preview of the match between Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur

The Preview by Sidharth Monga30-Apr-2013

Match facts

May 1, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Jacques Kallis hasn’t been fluent with the bat this season•BCCI

Big Picture

Teams usually go into the IPL targeting one win more than half the matches they play, and then take it from there. Nine has been the magic number all captains have been talking about. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils have played nine games each, and are six and seven wins away from that magic number.The phrase captains quote most is about doing things right and letting results take care of themselves. Knight Riders and Daredevils haven’t quite been able to do that so far. Knight Riders have relied on spin, but their local batsmen have let them down. Daredevils have the big names in both the batting and bowling department, but they haven’t fired as much as they would have liked.They don’t have much time left, and need to start winning consistently to keep the league interesting. The halfway point is way too early for teams to be ruled out of the playoff stakes.

Form guide

Delhi Daredevils WLWLL (most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders LWLLL

In the spotlight

What has Twenty20 reduced Jacques Kallis to? In the last match, bogged down by his tournament strike rate of 106, with others failing to make up around him, he premeditated a ramp, and ended up playing from well wide of off with eyes nearly closed to get dismissed. He looks stylish when he bats, he is a classy batsman without doubt, but he shouldn’t have to resort to such ugly shots.Mahela Jayawardene, David Warner and Morne Morkel usually take the three overseas slots for Daredevils, but they haven’t been able to sort out their fourth foreign player. They have tried Andre Russell, Johan Botha, Jeevan Mendis, Ben Rohrer and Roelof van der Merwe without any success. Will they go a step ahead and play with eight Indian players?

Stats and Trivia

• Gautam Gambhir is the second highest run-getter in all IPLs, behind Suresh Raina, but he has hit the most fours: 280.
• In nine matches, Daredevils’ wicketkeepers put together have registered four dismissals, the worst per-match rate in the league.

Quotes

“Hi guys, continue your support, KKR flight has hit slightly rough weather….am sure we’ll soon take control. Need your wishes”

Malaysia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are among the countries Pakistan are considering as options to host their limited-overs series against Australia

Umar Farooq20-May-2012Malaysia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are among the countries Pakistan are considering as options to host their limited-overs series against Australia in August. The series was set to be held in Sri Lanka, but SLC pulled out last week due to a clash in the series schedule with the first season of the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL). The PCB said that a final decision on the venue will be taken within a week.”It was indeed a setback to our plans when Sri Lanka pulled out,” Intikhab Alam, PCB director international cricket, told reporters in Lahore. “But they have their own reasons and we have no problem with it however and have been searching for alternatives. Malaysia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are the options we have marked. A decision will be taken within next one week.”In March this year, the SLC had agreed in principle to host the series. At that time, there had been no decision on the SLPL. The proposed first season of the league had been cancelled last year and it was only earlier this month that a new deal was signed by the Sri Lanka board to hold the SLPL this August.Pakistan and Australia are due to play five ODIs and three Twenty20 internationals against each other. The original plan was to play just one Twenty20, but with the World T20 immediately after the series, the countries’ boards have agreed to play two extra matches.Pakistan have had to play their home series in neutral venues since the attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009. While the United Arab Emirates has been Pakistan’s usual “home” venue since then, the venue was ruled out due to the extreme heat and the month of Ramzan.Pakistan’s last home series against Australia was played in England, in the summer of 2010, after which they have hosted all their home series, including one against Sri Lanka and England, in the UAE.Malaysia last hosted an international series in 2006, when India, Australia and West Indies played a tri-series in Kuala Lumpur.