ESPNcricinfo staff

Kevin Pietersen turned 28 today and has declared that the England captaincy is the best birthday present ever, after he was asked to step into the role for the fifth and final ODI against New Zealand

Pietersen unfazed by birthday honour

Dwayne Smith, the West Indies allrounder, has turned his back on the Caribbean after signing a Kolpak deal with Sussex and is aiming to qualify for England

Dwayne Smith sets sights on England

List of unsuccessful night-watchman instances

List of successful night-watchman instances

Complete list of night-watchmen instances

Complete list of night-watchman instances

Brad Haddin will return to Australia to continue his recovery from a broken finger, meaning Luke Ronchi will be Australia's wicketkeeper for the remainder of the ODI series against West Indies

Haddin flies home due to broken finger

Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul has been ruled out for the remainder of the Asia Cup because of a rib cartilage injury. He has been advised two weeks rest

Injured Gul out of Asia Cup

The ICC will discuss the possibility of introducing a one-over tie-breaker instead of the bowl-out in the case of a tied ODI or Twenty20 international

One-over eliminator could replace bowl-out

Ireland's squad to face New Zealand and Scotland in the tri-series next week has been further depleted by the withdrawal of Eoin Morgan

Morgan pulls out of tri-series

Cricinfo previews the fifth and final ODI between England and New Zealand at Lord's

England seek inspiration from captain Pietersen

David Sales, the Northamptonshire batsman, has agreed a new four-year contract with the club

Sales commits to Northamptonshire

Mike Procter, the ICC match referee from South Africa, who is in Pakistan for the ongoing Asia Cup, has said that he is satisfied with the security situation in the country

Procter satisfied with security in Pakistan

Tempers flared when New Zealand lost a wicket to a run-out after a mid-pitch collision involving Ryan Sidebottom. The papers were full of it the day after

Colly's wobble

Shivnarine Chanderpaul will face Australia in the second ODI at Grenada on Friday

Chanderpaul recall boosts West Indies

The BCCI is unlikely to support any stringent action against Zimbabwe at the ICC's annual meeting in Dubai next week, a top Indian board official has indicated

India likely to back Zimbabwe

A round-up from the latest Twenty20 matches

Warwickshire through in day of washouts

Jeremy Snape, the former Leicestershire and England allrounder, has landed the role of performance coach of South Africa a week after he retired from first-class cricket.

Snape lands South African role

Former Zimbabwe batsman Grant Flower has welcomed the ICC's decision to discuss Zimbabwe's international future at next week's annual conference

Grant Flower welcomes ICC intervention

Ireland will head into the third and final one-dayer looking to square the series after the second ODI in Dublin was washed out without a ball being bowled

Second one-dayer washed out