Let us look at some of the most discussed cricket stories on the news on 26 May.
Almost 18,000 fans allowed at Edgbaston
The second and final Test match of the upcoming series between England and New Zealand, from 10 June at Edgbaston, will feature around 18,000 spectators each day, as announced by the Warwickshire County Cricket Ground. This is 70 per cent of the total capacity of the ground.
This will be the first international match for England since 2019 in front of a crowd. The project is set to be part of the UK government’s pilot event regarding mass participation.
Foakes ruled out of New Zealand Tests
Ben Foakes has been ruled out of England’s upcoming Test series against New Zealand. Foakes tore his left hamstring on 23 May after slipping on socks while walking inside the dressing room during Surrey’s County Championship fixture against Middlesex. He is expected to be out of action for three months.
This also makes it unlikely for him to feature in the first Test match against India, starting 4 August at Trent Bridge. His assessment and rehabilitation will now be managed by the Surrey medical team.
ICC ODI Bowlers’ Rankings: Mehidy Hasan Miraz jumps to No. 2 spot
Mehidy Hasan Miraz has moved up to second place in the ICC bowlers’ rankings in ODIs, after figures of 4-30 and 3-28 in the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka. Miraz became the third Bangladeshi bowler, after Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak, to be ranked in the top two in the format.
Miraz’s teammate Mustafizur Rahman also broke through to the top ten. Mustafizur went up eight spots to No. 9, after returning 3-34 and 3-16.
Alex Wakely retires from all cricket at 32
Alex Wakely, 32, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Wakely captained Northamptonshire to two T20 titles, in 2013 and 2016. He is one of two male skippers alongside Nottinghamshire's Dan Christian (2017 and 2020) to achieve that feat.
Since making his List A debut in 2005, Wakely played 371 matches across all formats, scoring 12,007 runs. He also led England in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup.