PAUL ALLOTT: Bob would have been the last person to think of himself as an all-action hero, but it described my old friend better than he ever knew.

PAUL NEWMAN: If cricket returns this summer, one key proposal by the ECB is for the Test and white-ball sides to play at the same time to enable as much action as possible to take place. 

PAUL NEWMAN: It is not without irony that Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, spoke of rewarding cricket's 'core audience' if the game can squeeze a truncated season into this summer.

RICHARD GIBSON: The 31-year-old represents another arrival straight from his country's Test team, having featured in their most recent match, England's series-clinching victory in Johannesburg.

Ben Stokes, the hero of England's dramatic World Cup triumph and the miracle of Headingley last summer, has been named the leading cricketer in the world.

JOFRA ARCHER: Being chosen as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year is one of the most prestigious awards imaginable. Even being nominated alongside some big names feels great.

Ashley Giles says England's players will have 'no excuses' for not being fully fit to start a truncated cricket season he still believes can take place later this summer.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY TIM RICH: Ian Gould has just been walking on the seafront at Hove. It is eerie; empty. He retired as an international umpire after 13 years following last summer's World Cup.

With no cricket to fill the live schedules as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, Ben Stokes rewatched his 'miracle of Headlingley' for the first time with his epic 135 not out performance.

Coco Cuhna made the mistake of suggesting to her cricket coach boyfriend that it might be fun to see if he could show her how to bat when she saw him whacking a few tennis balls into a net.

The traditional toss of the coin was due to return to the County Championship on Sunday but the half-dozen grounds scheduled to host fixtures stood empty.

Cricket's county champions are still planning for a truncated season and believe a Twenty20 Blast-dominated schedule will help the game avoid the financial black hole facing football.

Phil Neville played alongside former all-rounder Andrew Flintoff for Lancashire's age-group sides, and also went on to make an appearance for their second XI before turning to football.

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor and wicket-keeping great Adam Gilchrist believe pay cuts are inevitable for the country's cricketers as the sport gears up to deal with the financial crisis.

Can you guess the England cricket star who posted a throwback picture of himself alongside his sister on Instagram? He's wearing his first Nottingham Forest shirt in the photo.

If cricket returns while Covid-19 is still a threat, bowlers will be asked to throw clothing and other things such as sunglasses beyond the boundary rope instead of handing to officials.

EXCLUSIVE BY PAUL NEWMAN: Cricket's biggest counties are most in danger of collapsing under the financial pressure of the coronavirus pandemic, claims Richard Thompson.

The ECB have been given a free run at reorganising their international summer plans after West Indies prioritised their three Tests in England over home series against New Zealand and South Africa.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: Sportsmail has learned that all players are entitled to 12.5 per cent of their deals even if the competition does not take place.

Sportsmail revealed in November that assistant coach Paul Collingwood had already been earmarked to take charge of the one-day home series against Ireland, scheduled for September.

The ECB had initially announced that no cricket would be played in the UK until May 28 at the earliest, but - as expected - the pandemic has caused a further delay.

The prospect of the sanctioned use of artificial substances to alter the condition of the red ball, under the supervision of umpires, has been debated this week by the ICC's medical committee.

ECB chief Tom Harrison revealed on Friday that he had offers 'on the table' from both New Zealand and Australia, as English cricket explores all options in a bid to fulfil its fixture list.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: Hampshire are willing to host more than one Test this summer, with chief Rod Bransgrove confident club can help get cricket up and running again in a biosecure environment.

NASSER HUSSAIN and DARREN GOUGH come together for Sportsmail via Zoom to talk about old times, this England team and what the Dazzler did next…

One of the deepest thinkers in the England squad has concerns over the safety of players and concerns about playing cricket while so many people are losing their lives.

We still don't know for sure when we will start playing again but I'm going to assume that it will be July 1. That's my target date, and that means I am aiming to be in the best shape possible to bowl.

Cricket manufacturer Kookaburra have developed a wax applicator that would allow balls to be shined without using sweat or saliva during the coronavirus crisis.

Dukes, the manufacturers of balls used in English home Tests, have dismissed the need for artificial substances to aid shining if international cricket is played this summer.

With ECB chief Tom Harrison warning of a £380m black hole in the game's finances if no cricket is possible, Connor remains hopeful England will still be able to face India and South Africa.

Sportsmail's experts give their views on what the 61-year-old former FA chief executive must do to ensure English cricket survives, recovers and improves.

LAWRENCE BOOTH: When Graham Williams walked out to bat at Lord's on May 21, 1945, it had not been a fortnight since Germany's surrender.

EXCLUSIVE BY MATT HUGHES: Players at all counties with the exception of Surrey have already taken wage cuts of up to 20 per cent and talks are planned for next week over another salary sacrifice.

The actor has been involved in a clinical trial for a drug called PRO-140 since early this year. And on Tuesday, he received the news from his doctor that his virus is no longer detectable.

She has always shown her magnanimous side throughout their confrontations. In the Twitter image she sits at a table with the Two And A Half Men star and their daughters.

Charlie Sheen opened up about his life in the year since he publicly announced he was HIV-positive and revealed that when he was first diagnosed he thought about suicide.

Erstwhile spouses Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen took their two daughters, 12-year-old Sam and 11-year-old Lola, to a Twenty-One Pilots concert in Anaheim on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old appeared to comply with authorities as he disembarked his plane so it could be inspected by police, who were joined by sniffer dogs.

A producer has come forward with explosive new claims about Corey Haim's alleged abusers, claiming that in 2008 that former child star told him that he had been assaulted by Jackson.

Nick recently claimed Heather kidnapped their 13-year-old daughter Barbie and asked fans for help locating the child who he said he had not seen for a month

Lenny Dykstra tells The Hollywood Reporter that in late 2013 he asked Sheen about the death of his former right-hand man Rick Calamaro, and he was told that Sheen 'iced' him.

Denise Richards has called on ex-husband Charlie Sheen to help her pay an outstanding bill that is keeping the 47-year-old from seeing her beloved horses Lily and Hansel, according to The Blast.

He's in an ongoing legal battle. Back in June 2017, an ex-lover sued Charlie Sheen for failing to disclose his HIV diagnosis before they had unprotected sex.

The 52-year-old actor could be seen passing out pills alongside 17-year-old rapper Lil Pump in a clip for the single Drug Addicts.

The 52-year-old actor originally bought the property in 2006 for $7.2 million, so selling at the adjusted price would still see him accumulate a $2 million profit on his lavish property.

The Hollywood bad boy is charging fans up to $1500 to attend his upcoming Australian shows

Charlie Sheen's first-ever Australian speaking tour will be held in November, with the Hollywood star visiting Sydney and Melbourne.

He recently revealed he is on the verge of bankruptcy.

His ex-wife Denise Richards has been named a Real Housewife Of Beverly Hills. And amid rumors that he will guest-star on the show, Charlie Sheen was glimpsed stepping out in Malibu.

During their four year marriage, Charlie and Denise welcomed daughters Sam, 14, and Lola, 13, together. The couple married in 2002 before officially divorcing four years later.