Articles by Null,Sarah Waris

Technology

Latest ICC Test team rankings: Updated standings after Zimbabwe register innings win over Afghanistan

Batting first, Afghanistan suffered a collapse, and were all out for 127 after they were 77-1 at one stage. Brad Evans was the star with the ball, picking up his maiden five-for, finishing with 5-22 in 9.3 overs.In reply, Zimbabwe put on 359, led by a hundred from Ben Curran. Sikandar Raza contributed an 88-ball 65 at No.6, as Zimbabwe crossed the 350-run mark. It ensured they did not have to bat again, as Afghanistan were unable to put on a fight in their second outing. Barring opener Ibrahim Zadran, no other batter crossed 35, as they were all out for 159, giving Zimbabwe an innings win in the one-off Test. It was their biggest Test win, and just the third victory by an innings in the format. Zimbabwe also won a Test for just the second time since March 2021.Updated ICC Test rankings after ZIM vs AFGThe result saw Zimbabwe jump over Afghanistan in the ICC Test rankings, to No.11. They have 12 rating points, while Afghanistan are now at the bottom, at No.12, with 10 rating points.PositionTeamMatchesPointsRating1Australia3037321242South Africa2528731153England4044691124India3638811085New Zealand252409966Sri Lanka272364887Pakistan221705788West Indies292036709Bangladesh2716486110Ireland51523011Zimbabwe182081212Afghanistan66210Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.

5 days ago

Technology

Mohammad Rizwan saved by hit-wicket law loophole after bizarrely hitting stumps at stumps

Pakistan, who scored 333 batting first, were 94-4 in their second innings, leading by 23 runs when the last ball of day three was bowled. Keshav Maharaj sent down a tossed-up delivery on the off-stump, which the batter, on 16 at that point, drove to the fielder at cover. As soon as he hit the ball, Rizwan knocked the stumps with his bat accidentally before walking towards the pavilion. The South Africa fielders immediately went up in appeal for ‘hit wicket’, but the umpire Sharfuddoula dismissed it quickly.Read more: Latest ICC Test player rankings: Pakistan spinner jumps to career-best No.2, overtakes Wasim Akram on all-time listThe Proteas, however, were animated: Replays showed that the fielder had not yet thrown the ball back to the keeper when Rizwan broke the bails. With the ball still in play, South Africa felt they had a late wicket as the ball was still in play. However, the decision to rule him not out was the correct one.Why was Rizwan’s not-out hit-wicket decision the correct one?MCC’s law 35.2 clarifies the circumstances under which a batter will be ruled not out in case of a hit wicket: “The striker is not out hit wicket if any of the following applies:it occurs after the striker has completed any action in receiving the deliveryit occurs when the striker is in the act of running, other than setting off immediately for the first runit occurs when the striker is trying to avoid being run out or stumpedit occurs when the striker is trying to avoid a throw in at any timethe bowler after entering the delivery stride does not deliver the ball. In this case either umpire shall immediately call and signal Dead ballthe delivery is a No ballIn Rizwan’s case, he struck the ball cleanly towards cover and, without attempting a run, hit the stumps with his bat while walking away. Since this happened after he had completed his stroke and there was no further batting or running action involved, it fell outside the situations listed under Law 35 that define a legitimate hit wicket dismissal.As per Law 35.2, a batter cannot be given out if the wicket is broken after completing the act of playing the delivery. Therefore, Rizwan was correctly deemed not out despite the ball still being in play.Watch the incident here: Image credit: YouTube / Sports TVFollow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.

5 days ago

Technology

India vs New Zealand, Women's World Cup weather forecast: What's the latest rain prediction in Navi Mumbai?

Both teams will be in desperate need of a win when they take on each other at Navi Mumbai on Thursday. India are currently fourth on the table, with two wins from five games. They have lost three games in a row and will be eyeing a comeback in their last two league matches of the competition.New Zealand, on the other hand, have been at the receiving end of rain in the tournament: Two of their five matches have been washed out in Colombo, leading to skipper Sophie Devine expressing her frustration at the scheduling. They’ve won one game in the tournament and would ideally want to win their last two games to secure a place in the semi-final.Also Read: How India can qualify for the World Cup semi-final even if they lose to New ZealandIndia vs New Zealand, Women’s World Cup: What is the weather forecast?According to Google Weather, the weather for Thursday in Navi Mumbai is not the most uplifting: There’s a prediction for heavy thunderstorms, with nearly 75 per cent prediction of rain. While the start of the match - 3 pm local time - is expected to be clear, the rain will pick up around 5 pm, with the showers continuing till midnight.BBC Weather suggests Thursday morning will be “sunny with a gentle breeze”, but rain will make an appearance as the day progresses. There's an 11 per cent chance of rainfall around 4.30 pm local time, which increases to around 70 per cent by 8 pm. The rain is expected throughout the night, only relenting around 2.30 am on Friday.Accuweather also does not have the greatest news: The morning will be humid, with the real feel touching 41 degrees Celsius, while the evening will have “a couple of thunderstorms”. Heavy rain is expected to last around 90 minutes.Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.

5 days ago

Technology

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26 points table: Updated team rankings after round three

Ten teams are taking part in the ongoing edition of Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament, which began on October 6. Till the third round, a total of 15 matches have been played, with Peshawar leading the table with 53 points.How does the Quaid-e-Azam points table work?According to the latest Playing Conditions for the Quaid-e-Azam, the points system is as follows:Outright win: 16 points + any bonus points earned.Drawn or washed-out match (if play started): 5 points + bonus points earned.Tied match: 8 points + bonus points earned.Win by an innings: Extra 2 bonus points.Team follows on but draws the match: 1 bonus point.Team follows on but wins the match: 2 bonus points.Match abandoned without a single ball bowled: 5 points each.Batting Bonus Points(Only for first innings, and only for runs scored within the first 100 overs)250 runs: 1 point300 runs: 2 points350 runs: 3 points400 runs: 4 points450 runs: 5 pointsBowling Bonus Points(Only for first innings, and only for wickets taken within 100 overs)6 wickets: 1 point7 wickets: 2 points8 wickets: 3 points9 wickets: 4 pointsExtra Bowling Bonus Points(Only for first innings, within 100 overs, based on restricting runs)Bowling the team all out for 300 runs or less: +1 pointBowling the team all out for 250 runs or less: +2 pointsBowling the team all out for 200 runs or less: +3 pointsUpdated points table for 2025/26 Quaid-e-Azam after round threeTeamsMatchesWonLostDrawPointsPeshawar Region320153Multan Region311144Abbottabad Region310243Karachi Region Blues311142FATA Region311141Sialkot Region310239Lahore Region Whites301229Bahawalpur Region301228Islamabad Region301222Faisalabad Region301219Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.

5 days ago

Technology

175, 203, 17, 100*: Uncapped South Africa batter rescues first-class side from 20-4 with third hundred in four innings

The 24-year-old Esterhuizen found himself walking out to bat in the 16th over of the innings, after his team had lost their four wickets for 20 runs at Johannesburg. The Lions soon slipped to 25-5, before he steered the team to a respectable total alongside Delano Potgieter. While the latter was dismissed on 77, Estherhuizen went on to score his third professional hundred. He remained unbeaten on 100 off 195 balls, as Lions were all out for 239 in 79.5 overs.Who is Connor Esterhuizen?A promising youngster from South Africa, Esterhuizen has been in remarkable form in the tournament, with three centuries in four innings, including two scores of 150 or more. He started the 2025 CSA 4-Day Series with a knock of 175 against Western Province, before making 203 against the Dolphins. He currently tops the run-scorers list, with 495 runs at an average of 165.Read more: South Africa spinner joins Australia great in Asia club of two with record seven-for vs PakistanEsterhuizen made his first-class debut in March 2023 and has scored 947 runs in 21 innings thus far at an average of 45.09. His 11 List A matches have yielded 342 runs at 42.75 with a high score of 87*. He has also represented MI Cape Town in the last two editions of the SA20, scoring 219 runs at 31.28. This year, he struck a 43-ball 69 while opening the innings against Pretoria Capitals, helping his team post 201-5.He also played for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the 2022/23 season of the ILT20, scoring 27 runs in four games. Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.

5 days ago