680 stories from 4 sources
The month in Cricket
Longest running story: 34 days
Click on a headline to see stories that shaped it.
Threads
8 threads
Australia began the month reshaping an injury-hit Test plan, then seized early control before South Africa recovered to level the series. South Africa completed the turnaround in Cape Town, winning 2-1 and exposing Australia’s recurring batting and selection problems.
West Indies turned India’s home ODI strength into a contest by completing record chases and exposing weaknesses in India’s fielding, death bowling, and late-innings decisions. India recovered in the ODI series, but West Indies forced a 2-2 T20I draw and ended India’s 12-series home winning streak when rain abandoned the decider.
England entered the month managing workloads, wicketkeeper options, and World Cup concerns before changing its coaching structure and expanding its central-contract group. Pakistan and Sri Lanka then exposed the same fielding, death-bowling, and selection weaknesses, increasing the pressure on England’s rebuild.
Pakistan began by reshaping its T20 leadership and squad, with Sahibzada Farhan and Sadaqat driving wins over Sri Lanka. Further leadership and selection changes followed in the Test side, while Pakistan recovered from a poor group-stage display to win the tri-series final.
Afghanistan reached a tri-series final after eliminating Bangladesh and then used its deep bowling attack to defeat Zimbabwe. The side followed that breakthrough with a resilient 3-0 T20I sweep, strengthening its claim as an increasingly complete team.
India took control of the New Zealand T20I series through aggressive chases and a recovery from 70 for 5, with Tilak Varma strengthening his case. New Zealand’s depleted attack and late response narrowed the margin, but India still won the series 3-2.
A proposed 12-team World Test Championship offered expansion as a response to the financial strain of bilateral cricket. At the same time, rain, bad light, a disputed pitch, and poor Durban attendance showed the practical and commercial pressures already facing the format.
Lancashire ended James Anderson’s 25-year county association without closing off an immediate retirement decision. His move toward franchise ownership and Lancashire’s subsequent farewell discussion then left his return to competitive cricket close to an endpoint.
Week’s Recap