An unfortunate announcement was issued by the England & Wales Cricket Board, confirming that another prominent athlete from the ECBs history had died at 83. John Edrich is known for influencing an entire generation of cricket supporters, with displayed skillsets being riveting & noticeable for anyone watching. John Edrich sustained seventy-seven test series with England’s National Cricket Team. Considered a legendary icon from Surrey, John participated in twelve centuries & finished his career at 43.54 with England.

Surrey supporters that famed John Edrich know the cricketer for competing in the “First Class” and “List A” divisions in England. His tenures in both exceeded 720 official matches. John Edrich was considered one of Great Britain’s most knowledgeable & experienced cricketers until his passing. The batting average of Edrich is the First Class and List A Divisions were ranked at 45.47 to 35.23, respectively.

Rumours suggest that John Edrich died from complications with leukaemia. Those rumors are falsified, with the famed batsman dying of natural causes in his home. Family stood by his side in Edrich’s final moments. John Edrich survived treatments for leukaemia by taking infections of mistletoe extracts. Before learning of the unfortunate cancer, John served as the President of Surrey County Cricket Club.

The Accolades

Characteristics of bravery were standard with John Edrich, who didn’t back down from anyone that rivalled his cricketing skillsets. Fearsome bowlers from prior decades like Wayne Daniel, Andy Roberts, and Michael Holding wouldn’t find the talents needed to overcome John. It’s these skillsets that enabled John Edrich to become an “MBE of Great Britain” in 1977. Records are still sustained by John Edrich decades after retirement. No other cricketer has acquired fifty-two fours, which is still the highest number of any test series in EBC history. Those accolades allowed Edrich to acquire the “Wisden’s Cricketer of the Year” award in 1966. Learning of his passing has saddened older supporters & condolences have come in the thousands for the Edrich Family.

The England National Cricket Team is mourning the loss of Robin Jackman, who died at the age of seventy-five. There weren’t any complications in his death & the former cricketing legend passed peacefully amongst relatives. It’s saddening news for older supporters of England’s National Cricket Team, with Robin Jackman holding historic prominence for this organization. His tenure with ENCT sustained four tests series & fifteen one-day international events, where dozens of wickets were acquired. Between 1966 & 1982, Robin Jackman held prominence in the England national division of cricket. He would sustain one shy of four hundred matches, with 1400+ wickets acquired over sixteen seasons.

Robin Jackman shocked the British cricketing community after retiring in 1982, with an immediate move to South Africa being sustained with wife Yvonne Jackman. The move was made after commentating positions were offered to Robin in South Africa. It’d prove the right decision, with his namesake becoming famous across the nation & now considered legendary worldwide. Statements regarding his death were issued by Cricket South Africa & the England Wales Cricket Board. Learning of Robin Jackman’s death has saddened the CSA and ECB, knowing that a legendary icon won’t lend his voice to any other matches going forward. Condolences were also issued to family & friends of Robin Jackman, expressing their assistance during these difficult times.

The Life of Robin Jackman

Robin Jackman defeated the odds throughout his life. Considered of Indian heritage, Robin was born in 1945. Namesake awareness of Robin didn’t occur until 29-years afterwards in 1974, with his prominence not coming until six-years later in 1981. When Robin Jackman become popular amongst cricketing fans, he would become a regular in test series for England.
His last official match-up as cricketer was in 1982 against Pakistan, where he acquired fourteen crickets & enabled Britain to win the series. It’s was a prominent way for Jackman to leave his athletic career. Individuals in South Africa will remember Robin for his commentating capabilities, with British supporters remembering for Jackman’s iconic skillsets on the field.

Seasonal events regarding England’s national cricket team have been announced & postponed throughout 2020, with venues sustaining minimal infections continuing onwards. Other test series, like the South African ODI, was terminated because of unexpected outbreaks. Similar infection levels are hoped to be avoided when England heads to Sri Lanka for two consecutive tours. Players concerns for personal & family safety have announced they’ll not participate in the Sri Lankan tours, with individuals like Ben Stokes confirming he won’t compete until the India ODI Competition. Jofra Archer also confirmed he’ll compete in India’s upcoming tournament, meaning he’ll avoid the Sri Lankan tour.

The last two competitions involving the England national cricket team haven’t seen Ben Stokes in contention. The reason being his father’s death, prompting his immediate attention towards family proceedings. That hasn’t been the case with Jofra Archer, who has sustained all ECB Covid-Bubbles to guarantee his contention since March 2020. Christmas festivities are forcing prolonged isolation for Jofra Archer, meaning he’ll be unavailable for the Sri Lankan tour.

Jofra Archer confirmed that he’s isolating himself from family & friends for the first tour in India since Covid-19. Other notable members in England’s national cricket team won’t be attending. Announcements were issued that Rory Burn & Ollie Pope being unavailable for competition. For Burns, it’s because of his newfound fatherhood that arrives in January 2020. Ollie Pope isn’t permitted by medical personnel to compete because of residing injuries in his right shoulder. Pope won’t resume his contractual obligations until the India ODI Tour, which arrives on January 22nd in the new year. England coaching personnel have planned for Rory Burns, Ollie Pope, Jofra Archer, and Ben Stokes to return to competition by January 22nd.

The Replacement Squad

Coaching personnel have had to elect reserve cricketers to account for player losses with Burns, Pope, Archer, and Stokes. The below players have contributed to the success of England’s national cricket team over the last five years. Below are the guaranteed personnel competing at the Sri Lankan Tour on January 13th, 2021.

• Moeen Ali.
• Ben Foakes.
• Ed Smith.
• John Bairstow.
• Stuart Broad.
• Jimmy Anderson.

The international cricketing community found themselves disappointed by the announcement of England & South Africa’s ODI Series being terminated. Cancellation was implemented after continued infections were confirmed amongst team personnel & players, forcing an unexpected outbreak it what was supposed to be a Bio-Secure Hotel. Both teams were staying inside this facility.

Details regarding which players & team personnel with South Africa to England haven’t been revealed, with both organizations evoking family privacy. Notice was also given that employed personnel with the Bio-Secure Hotel in Cape Town have contracted Covid-19, prompting all staff to immediately leave the facility. Disinfection methods have been initiated, with England players expected to return home before December 24th.

Determining if cancellation was required took two days of negotiating between the ECB & CSA. Cricket South Africa was determined to continue onwards with the ODI Series, while the English & Wales Cricket Board wanted team personnel home immediately. Statements issued by both governing associations emphasised that the mental & physical health of footballers is more valuable than monetary gains associated to continuing the ODI series. Announcements were issued about rescheduling, with the CSA & ECB mentioning that suitable timeframes for when England can return to South Africa will be discussed in January 2021.

Initial Cancellations

The opening match wasn’t sustained, with organizers having to cancel the Cape Town game at Newlands Field. Postponements continued onwards into the following Sunday & Monday, learning multiple cricketers with South Africa had unintentionally infected England’s players. No party is blaming the other, as the nation of South Africa has sustained drastic infection volumes for coronavirus. Outbreaks were theorized by medical personnel long before England traveled to South Africa. It’s known that two players with England had contracted coronavirus, with multiple team personnel receiving confirmed infections. South Africa has three players contracted with Covid-19, and a similar volume of team personnel infected with the virus. All individuals infected are expected to make a full recovery.

Sporting events worldwide continue battling against the Covid-19 Pandemic, with confirmed infections prompting immediate cancellations. International cricket has combatted the coronavirus beyond expectations, with the prolong streak coming into question for December. Medical personnel testing for Covid-19 located positive infections on December 4th, forcing the series-opening round into cancellation. Details on the rescheduling of these matches came after medical personnel determined negative results for South Africa & England. This has enabled the England & South Africa ODI Series to be rescheduled for December 6th in Paarl. Cape Town will host the remaining matches on December 7th and 9th.

Updates regarding the medical conditions of South Africa’s cricketers was provided, noting that Proteas Squad Members have returned negative results & are ready for competition against England. Emphasis was issued that testing will continue daily until the conclusion of the South Africa & England ODI Series.

Possible outbreaks of coronavirus haven’t stricken England’s National Cricket Team, with cricketers respecting Covid-19 measures for physical distancing. It’s allowed for most athletic personalities employed with England to avoid infection. Concerns rose tenfold when learning that South Africa players were positive with Covid-19, which follows after national outbreaks of Covid-19. Healthcare concerns amongst English cricketers have grown since arriving in South Africa, with players suggesting that ECB Governors are testing protocol limits to extreme levels. Infection amongst England’s cricketers is possible in South Africa.

Don’t Break the Rules.

South Africa’s National Cricket Team has refused to identify the individuals that tested positive for coronavirus publicly. Internal sources indicate those players have severe symptoms & aren’t expected to appear in South Africa’s T20 Series for 2021. The reasoning for not identifying these individuals is because protocols would have been broken.

CSA Legislation around Covid-19 created conditions that allow players to quarantine & remain entertained. Whichever players contracted coronavirus likely attended outdoor events after losing to England last week by 3-0, continued infections from South Africa will mark the immediate departure of England’s National Cricket Team & cancellation of remaining matches.

For the England Squad, the T20 series in South Africa has been a success. It was also the location where David Malan debuted his talents and helped England to claim a win the T20 series over the South African squad.

The win meant that England sealed its victory with only a single match left to play. It also saw David Malan value on the squad taking a lead forward. Malan began his professional cricket career playing for Boland as a left hander before returning to London for a gap year. That led for Malan picking up a contract with Middlesex and taking him down a professional career that saw him jump to No. 1 in the T20 ranks for

Malan scored an impressive run

During the game, Malan had a homecoming that saw him having an impressive run that helped the team to chase a goal of 147 after his 50 score over 18 outings.  While Reeza Hendricks, a South African cricketer who plays for the Highveld Lions, eventually fell Malan on the rope while chasing a second six. Hendricks managed to grind out 29 of 31 balls while dealing with England’s power-hitters before battering 26 from his next nine.

While it was clear that England has regrets at being unable to complete the chase, Eoin Morgan, who was instrumental in helping England score the victory was still on the pitch at the end. Morgan was helped by Chris Jordan scored the winning runs leaving a ball to spare.

After the match, Malan commented, when asked whether his local knowledge was helpful stated: “Absolutely zero. That wicket played so different to what I’m used to here. It was slow and really difficult to time the ball. It was nice to be back but it would have been fantastic to have a crowd in and my parents here, although my high-school coach was one of the guys throwing the ball back when it went over the boundary for six.”

Beyond the courage displayed against England, it is evident that the skills needed for next year when the T20 arrives in India will be critical for participating squads success. Next years Cup, which is being sponsored by MPL Sports, will include squads from around the world including England, New Zealand and Australia.

Fixtures for the 2021 England Cricket Campaign have been revealed by the ICC. Influential matches include Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka arriving to Great Britain’s borders for tours sustaining several days. Fixtures also notified supporters that South Africa & New Zealand will compete in England for an ODI/T20I Series event. These announcements are notable because a full season is being announced, ensuring that ICCs World Test Championship finale will advance onwards by June 2021. Championship settings won’t begin until the Sri Lanka tour series is completed in July. Detailed scheduling was provided for India’s, Pakistan’s, and Sri Lanka’s respective tours.

Sri Lanka will begin their contention against England’s National Cricket Team on June 29th, 2021. It will sustain three matches, with the most prominent being held at England’s Durham. There’ll also be games held at the Oval & the Bristol. It’ll be days after competing against Sri Lanka that England moves towards their tour with Pakistan, which will comprise of three matches in the ODI format. An additional three games will follow in the T20I format with Pakistan for England immediately afterwards.

August 2021 will see the five test matches with India begin. Four of five games are being sustained at Trent Bridge, with the final match being held at the Old Trafford. India’s competition with England will finalize on September 10th, meaning that the series will sustain longer than one month, with the competition beginning on August 4th.

Pakistan, the Rivals.

The National England Cricket Team have plenty to prove with these matches. Pakistan have dominated against the British powerhouse previously, with prior series ever draws for losses for England. That won’t be repeated against in their home nation. However, Pakistan is international crickets most prominent team & will likely display the same formidable skills that acquired them victory at the 2019 Cricket World Cup. England will have to implement new strategies to guarantee the slightest opportunity of contention against Pakistan.

Cricketers from the England National Team travelled from Manchester to South Africa, expecting to compete against the South Africans & dominate over another nation for victory in 2020. Rumours began circulating amongst respective institutions like the BBC & SkySports that the Test Series could be cancelled. November 16th saw these cricketers receive reassurances that matches will continue as scheduled. Team management themselves informed cricketers that an immediate return home wouldn’t be required. The government also confirmed that speculation on tense relations between the ECB & CSA was being held.

Heated discussions were held between leaders of South Africa’s Cricket Association, with the England & Wales Cricket Board refusing to accept the requests of CSA leadership. It was one month prior that leaders in CSA were found guilty of misconduct & mismanagement, prompting the resignation of numerous members, including CSAs Chief Executive Officer. Government federations have investigated CSA leaders ever since the October 2020 scandal. Investigative methods used by the government agency are said to have factored into the heated arguments.

Follow the Rules

The Minister of Sports & Olympics for South Africa proposed an interim meeting to resolve these issues. Board members with the CSA refused this meeting, prompting more significant tensions & the involvement of the ICC. International Cricket Council Advisors forced the two governing bodies to engage in discussions, refusing to intervene on internal negotiations to split earned profits. The International Cricket Council informed they’d ban Cricket South Africa from competing in global competitions if a refusal is given.

The International Cricket Council has grown tired of CSA tactics, which often include abusing regulations & avoiding punishments. ICC Advisors are looking to change that moving forward. It should be clarified that South Africa hasn’t competed since March 7th because of the Covid-19 pandemic & scandal from October 2020. Not being permitted to compete against England would be devastating for South African crickets.

The England & Wales Cricket Board made a surprising announcement regarding one of their lifelong employed personal. Phil Neale, the “England Men’s Cricket Operations Manager”, has confirmed his retirement. October 31^st saw the long-time manager confirm that starting on November 1^st he’d be leaving his duties. His decision to retire ends twenty-one years of service for the ECB & England Men’s Cricket Team.

Phil Neale received employment from the England & Wales Cricket Board in 1999. His time spent with the organization saw multiple changes in leadership, with Neale providing reliable & consistent services which maintained his employment through shifts of management. Six head coaches came & went while Phil Neale maintained operations for the ECB. He’ll remember influential moments in England Cricket history, with roughly 890+ matches occurring throughout his twenty-one years of service.

The Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket releasing a statement regarding Neale’s retirement. Ashley Giles thanked Phil Neale for his lifelong contribution to England Cricket & for displaying loyal service to his nation when being offered employment by other teams. It should be noted that during Neale’s career, he’d never show disloyalty to England. This applied even when competing in professional cricket during the late 90s. Phil Neale would spend the majority of his career at Worcestershire Club, acquiring the 1988 & 89 Championships. His legendary status as cricket grew during the Sunday League in 1987 & 1988, where Phil Neale acquired two back-to-back crowns.

Ready for Retirement

When questioned on why he’s leaving the England & Wales Cricket Board, Phil Neale noted that he wouldn’t have ever known the right time to retire. That throughout the pandemic family-time has become more important & prompted a change of mindset. He knew that retiring before returning to the pitch for England’s next test series in South Africa was required, or the time for retirement could’ve come considerably later.

Phil Neale retires from the England & Wales Cricket Board after sustaining a role as player to corporate leader. His career sustained forty-five years, which included ten seasons with the Worcestershire Club. It should be mentioned that before competing in professional cricket, Phil Neale played in the EFL with Lincoln City for 369 official matches.