In Case You Missed It: Curtain calls and marching orders

It's been a week of goodbyes, expected but still deeply felt. England are having a trying Ashes campaign already, and Zimbabwe and Bangladesh cricket have to put their houses in order. Steven Smith, meanwhile, is having the time of his life and elsewhere India are bulldozing their way through the West Indies. Here's all the good, the bad and the ugly that went down this week.

Lyon and Cummins complete crushing victory for Ashes lead
England sleepwalked to a familiar defeat after Australia blew them away for for 146 on the final day at Edgbaston, leaving them with a host of questions early in the series. Daniel Brettig found a 30-year-old parallel in Australia's win at Headingley in 1989. And Mark Nicholas saw the beauty and power of human reform in Steve Smith's magnificent innings.

Afghanistan board suspends Mohammad Shahzad indefinitely
More trouble for the Afghanistan wicketkeeper after he was sent home from the World Cup: the ACB has said Shahzad did not adhere to a policy that requires players to seek the board's permission before travelling out of the country

Hashim Amla, a patch of calm on rough seas
Alma called curtains on his 15-year international career last week, but will continue to play domestic cricket. Andrew Fidel Fernando pays tribute to the batsman who, each time he batted, was playing for the idea that his team should reflect South Africa's diversity.

If you want life lessons, watch Dale Steyn bowl
South Africa's highest wicket-taker has retired from the format he loves the most and tributes have been pouring in. Sidharth Monga tips his hat to Steyn, who he says was compelling to watch when at his best, but also when he struggled, because he never once gave up.

Brendon McCullum to retire after Global T20 Canada
Four years after his international retirement, the former New Zealand captain is bidding farewell to all cricket, saying the drive to keep going has been harder to maintain in recent months.

'I had nowhere to go, so I went to the bottle'
Former India spinner Maninder Singh talks to Hemant Brar about losing his way after his all-too-brief spell at the top, and the hard road back

Please don't let this be the death of Zimbabwe cricket
The Zimbabwe Cricket crisis came to a head last month when it became the first Full Member to be suspended by the ICC, for failing to ensure there was no government interference in the game. Now, though the spat between the SRC and ZC has supposedly been resolved, it's unclear what the resolution entails. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's spots at the men's and women's World T20 Qualifiers have been handed to Nigeria and Namibia. Liam Brickhill questions the ICC's move, which could ring the death knell for cricket in a country where athletes are already struggling.

Bangladesh cricket in need of systemic overhaul
Bangladesh are in the midst of their worst run since 2014, and their few successes have come despite administrative chaos back home. Mohammad Isam says the BCB is a mess and needs to get its house in order before it's too late

'As an allrounder I have a lot to do in every department because competition has gone up'
Annesha Ghosh sits down for a chat with Deepti Sharma, who, as she gears up for her KSL debut, is also honing her skills as India's premier allrounder to take on a hectic international schedule later in the year

English with a hint of Aussie
Scott Oliver gets Nick Compton to pick a team from among the best cricketers he played with

Who was the leading spinner in the 2019 World Cup?
And who is the only South African to have scored a triple-century in Test cricket? Give the TCM quiz a go.