Cricket news roundup – 16th March 2019: Bangladesh players return home

After their chilling experiences during the Christchurch attack, Bangladesh players are on a flight back home, with much support from the rest of the cricket world. Elsewhere, Afghanistan take control of their second ever Test and JP Duminy announces his plan to retire from ODIs after the World Cup.

Bangladesh players on the way home after Christchurch attack

After living through an ordeal no cricketer should have to, the Bangladesh players, all nervous laughs, are on their way back home.

The Bangladesh players recounted their chilling accounts of the Christchurch terror attack. Mominul Haque told Cricbuzz that had the team reached the mosque “five minutes earlier, we would have been inside the mosque and everyone would have been finished.”

Haque said the players were “scared and crying” and added: “I cannot express in words how scared we were at that point of time. You cannot imagine what it takes to see such horrendous incidents in front of your own eyes.”

Afghanistan assume control in Dehradun

Afghanistan ended the first day in Dehradun in a dominant position after bundling out Ireland for 172 in the teams’ second-ever Test.

Mohammad Shahzad’s quick 40, along with steady knocks from Rahman Shah (22*) and Hashmatullah Shahidi (13*), helped Afghanistan end the day at 90/2, a deficit of just 82.

Earlier, Ireland faced the risk of being shot out for less than 100 – they were 85/9 – before George Dockrell (39) and Tim Murtagh (54) added a fighting 84 for the final wicket. Murtagh scored his maiden Test fifty as well, and the knock might yet help Ireland survive this.

JP Duminy to retire from ODIs after World Cup

JP Duminy, the South Africa all-rounder, has announced he will retire from ODIs after the 2019 World Cup. Duminy will continue playing T20Is, however.

The all-rounder has been on the side-lines recently – he didn’t play at any level between October 2018 and March 2019 – and he said that spell gave him clarity on what he wanted to do.

“While a decision like this is never easy, I also feel that it is the right time for me to pass on the baton. I will still be available to play international and domestic T20 cricket, but would also like to invest more time towards my growing family, who are my number one priority.”

Supreme Court clears Sreesanth

S Sreesanth, the disgraced former India bowler, has set aside the life ban imposed on him by the BCCI for spot-fixing during IPL 2013.

The court has instead asked the BCCI to consider another punishment within the next three months. However, it rejected Sreesanth’s plea that he not face any punishment at all, given he had been acquitted in the spot-fixing case.

Sreesanth has been battling for the last few years to clear his name. He was arrested in 2013, along with Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila, for allegedly spot-fixing in an IPL match. All three players were handed life-bans by the BCCI.

In 2015, the players were cleared of charges in the court after it was decided there was no sufficient evidence. After the life ban was then revoked, in 2017, the Kerala High Court reimposed the ban.

Lucy Doolan calls it quits

Lucy Doolan, who played 40 ODIs and 33 T20Is for New Zealand Women, has retired from professional cricket after a career spanning 14 years. She last appeared for New Zealand in 2013.

“The body doesn’t quite bounce back like it used to. And I think the plan was always to come back and play a couple more years after a few years off and then call it a day.”

Doolan made her debut for New Zealand in England in 2008, and went on to score 868 runs and take 60 wickets in international cricket.