Premier India pacer Mohammed Shami will make his much-anticipated return to competitive cricket after a hiatus of nearly a year through Bengal’s Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh in Indore from Wednesday, announced Cricket Association of Bengal. Shami, who has been out of action since the 2023 World Cup final on November 19 due to an ankle injury and the subsequent surgery, will aim to prove his fitness in a real match situation after undergoing intense rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. “In a major boost to Indian cricket and the Bengal Ranji Trophy team, star pacer Mohammad Shami will make a comeback into competitive cricket for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group C match in Indore starting on Wednesday,” CAB secretary Naresh Ojha said in a statement. Also Read: 'What will they achieve going to CAS?': Kaneria slams Pakistan Cricket Board Ojha said Shami will spearhead the Bengal pace bowling unit and the Indian thinktank in Australia too will closely follow Shami’s outing. Meanwhile, in Elite Group ‘A’ league match, defending champions Mumbai will be playing against Services in New Delhi. After four games Mumbai are placed third place with 16 points, while Services have 13 points to their credit. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 November,2024 06:57 AM IST | Kolkata | PTIFormer Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria questioned the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by asking what will they achieve by going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after India refused to travel for next year’s Champions Trophy. As per the media reports, the PCB is exploring an option of approaching the CAS on the matter as they remain adamant about hosting the full tournament in Pakistan. Also Read: India eye batting high Kaneria said it was almost evident that India would not travel to Pakistan because of security concerns and political reasons, adding that nothing will be achieved by going to CAS. “The issue was ongoing for long that India will not travel to Pakistan for political and other reasons. They have an option of the hybrid model as they did in the Asia Cup but things should be settled as Pakistan travelled to India for ODI World Cup last year. If Pakistan go to the international court (CAS) what will they achieve out of it? There’s always the uncertainty of security in Pakistan. International teams are coming but security concerns are much higher with the Indian team,” Kaneria told IANS. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 November,2024 06:57 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSMumbai produced an all-round show to thrash Bengal by 10 wickets and win the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy here on Tuesday. In a one-sided contest at the Wankhede Stadium here, Mumbai shot out Bengal for a meagre 85 in 20 overs and got over the line unscathed to make 86 for no loss in 12.3 overs. Dhara Gujjar’s 26 from 38 balls was the only bright spot with the bat for Bengal. Mumbai’s Jagravi Pawar returned impressive figures of 3-13 from her four overs and Soumya Singh took 2-11. Also Read: Oxford bowled out for five by Anjuman-I-Islam Bengal bowlers failed to produce any challenge to the Mumbai batters as Humaira Kaazi hit five fours and a six in her 41 not out off 36 balls, while Vrushali Bhagat made 45 not out off 39 balls with six fours. “In recognition of this achievement, the MCA will match the BCCI prize money of R40 lakh, so the total will be R80 lakh, honouring your commitment and spirit. This win inspires every young woman cricketer in Mumbai to dream big and strive for excellence,” MCA President Ajinkya Naik said in a statement. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 November,2024 06:55 AM IST | Mumbai | PTIAnjuman-I-Islam Allana English School (CST) openers Afzal Shaikh and Hamza Khan were in terrific form, leading their team to a massive 647-run win over Oxford International School (Kandivli) in a second-round match of the MSSA Harris Shield inter-school cricket tournament, at the Sassanian ground, Azad Maidan, on Tuesday. The victory was much sweeter as they bowled out their opponents for a mere five runs in just 5.4 overs. Electing to bat, Afzal, making his debut, cracked his maiden double century, scoring 234 off 100 balls which included 43 fours and three sixes. His partner Hamza scored a brilliant 188 off 92 balls with 33 fours and a six to help Anjuman Islam post a mammoth 652 for four in 37 overs, including 152 penalty runs. Also Read: Is Fox’s poster featuring Kohli-Cummins a masterstroke of Aussie mental tactics? Meanwhile, Yuvraj Bhingare scored 22 off 21 balls with three fours. Parth Pawar added another 10 in six balls, including two fours. Mohammed Farooqui (8) and Hasan Kheradia (11) remained unbeaten. Medium pacer Shane Raza bowled a deadly spell of three overs, picking up seven wickets for a solitary run. Bowling from the other end, Shahid Khan claimed the remaining three wickets for four runs.
13 November,2024 06:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Rufus VedanayagamIndian batting line-up needs to get its mojo back against a resurgent South Africa to regain the lost ground on rather unfamiliar SuperSport Park conditions when the two teams clash in the third T20I here on Wednesday. Experienced Pandya Since 2009, India have played only one T20I at this venue, which they lost by six wickets in 2018 and have only one survivor from that squad in this side — Hardik Pandya. Along with that unfamiliarity factor, India will also grapple with the ordinary form of their batters, particularly when the pitch here is touted to be similar to the one at Gqeberha — quick and bouncy. In the second T20I, India batters struggled against the South Africa pacers upfront, getting restricted to 124 for six, and Centurion has similar characteristics. Also Read: Team India practice session shielded from cameras by stringent security in Perth The problem starts from the top — more precisely with Abhishek Sharma, whose extended lean run with the bat has now snowballed into a serious concern. He is in desperate need of a good outing here before the management thinks of juggling the combination. Options in Tilak, Ramandeep Even now, they can think of giving the job of partnering Sanju Samson at the top to Tilak Varma and bring in Ramandeep Singh in the middle to add more muscle to the unit. However, the senior batters like skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Pandya and Rinku Singh too cannot absolve themselves of the blame entirely for India’s struggles.Both Suryakumar and Rinku have shown only fleeting images of their prowess here while Pandya made 39 in the second match but he consumed 45 balls for it. In fact, the power-hitter took 28 balls to find his first boundary. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 November,2024 06:53 AM IST | Centurion | PTIAustralia opener Nathan McSweeney, who is set to debut against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, said he has been preparing for the “unique” challenge of facing star pacer Jasprit Bumrah. McSweeney was drafted into the Australia squad after a slew of impressive performances in the Sheffield Shield tournament and in the recent ‘A’ series against India. McSweeney, 25, will partner Usman Khawaja at the top in the series opener in Perth and during the five-Test series. “There’s probably not [much I can do to replicate how Bumrah bowls]. Obviously, he’s got a unique action. He’s one of the best bowlers in the world. “So, it’s going to be hard to mimic that. I’m just looking forward to all of that and I can’t wait,” McSweeney told SEN. Also Read: Team India practice session shielded from cameras by stringent security in Perth McSweeney, who captained the Australia ‘A’ side in the 2-0 series win against India ‘A’, said he has been watching the bowling clips of Indian quicks including Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. “I’ll definitely dive a lot deeper into it when I get to Perth. I’ve looked at a few clips of what they’re bowling attack stacks up like. I’m just trying to visualise how I’m going to go about it. Facing a new bowler can be a slight challenge to just pick up their action,” he said. “I’ve got a whole week before I head off to Perth, so, I can get mentally ready and I guess it starts now in preparation to hopefully start really well. “In the last month or so I really feel like I’m batting the best I ever have. I think I’m the best I’ve ever been prepared to take this opportunity,” he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 November,2024 06:52 AM IST | Adelaide | PTIThe Indian team arrived in Perth on Tuesday amid extremely tight security—the same level of security that is provided to English Premier League giants Manchester United, it is learnt. It’s also the same kind of protection the team got during the 2022-23 T20 World Cup match against South Africa at this venue. Strict rules have also been established for the employees working at Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) office. Employees cannot shoot any activities taking place on the field with their mobile cameras. Moreover, the entire ground has been covered with a black cloth, ensuring no one can catch a glimpse of the Indian team’s practice session. Also Read: Jaiswal gets Aussie nod as 'new King’, can Gill hold his ground? It is learnt that a few local journalists landed at the WACA to watch the Indian team members train but the visiting team management have given local authorities strict instructions not to allow anyone from Wednesday. The training session on Tuesday involved Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli. The schedule for the next two days is also set and the India ‘A’ players have joined the team. From Friday to Sunday, the team will indulge in match simulation.
13 November,2024 06:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Amit ShahIndia will be accorded a tough welcome to Australia as the Optus Stadium pitch for the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has been prepared to offer—good bounce and pace—true to the tradition of the fiery tracks in Perth. Focus on training at WACA India will enter the Perth Test, beginning from November 22, without playing any practice match as the visitors had cancelled an intra-squad side game that was scheduled to be played behind closed doors from November 15 to 17. Now, India will focus on centre-wicket training at the nearby WACA stadium, where Australia will also polish their skills. “This is Australia, this is Perth... I’m setting ourselves up for really good pace, really good bounce and really good carry,” Western Australia Cricket head curator Isaac McDonald told ‘ESPNcricinfo’. McDonald is trying to prepare a pitch that has similar traits of the one that he readied for the first Test against Pakistan in December last year. In that match, Pakistan were bundled out for 89 in the second innings as the Aussies celebrated a massive 360-run victory. The pitch too had developed cracks as that match wore on and batters like Marnus Labuschagne copped blows on their hands. Also Read: Jaiswal gets Aussie nod as 'new King’, can Gill hold his ground? Quality pace battery Overall, the three Aussie pacers—Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc—grabbed 12 of the 20 Pakistan wickets. More recently, Pakistan pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf tore through Australian line-up, bowling the hosts out for 140 in the third ODI here. McDonald said he is looking to leave some grass on the pitch to make it a bit spicier. “It’s [10 mm] a good starting point. Ten millimetres was pretty comfortable with the conditions that we had [last year] and that held the conditions together nicely for the first few days. Live grass on the pitch is speed. “Both bowling units [Australia and Pakistan] were pretty rapid last year and hoping for much the same this year [for India match],” he added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
13 November,2024 06:45 AM IST | Perth | PTIAustralia may be preoccupied with hosting Pakistan for a white-ball tour, but their attention seems firmly locked on the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. While the five-Test series looms large on the horizon, the build-up is becoming as intense as an Australia-India clash itself. Enter Fox Sports, the Australian broadcaster, who is doing its utmost to stir the pot. As Australia played Pakistan in the third ODI at Perth Stadium, the channel couldn't resist flashing promotional posters for the first Test against India, over and over again, just to remind everyone that the real action was about to begin. But here's where things took a rather bizarre turn. In a move that was both strange and yet, somehow, entirely predictable, the poster didn’t feature the usual duo of captains, Pat Cummins and Rohit Sharma. Instead, they chose to feature Australian captain Cummins, alongside none other than Virat Kohli. Now, from an outsider’s perspective, this might seem like an innocent enough decision. After all, it is just a promotional poster. But the drama it stirred in the Indian cricket fanbase. To many, it wasn’t just a harmless piece of marketing, it was an outright snub. Kohli fans, who are known for their unwavering loyalty to their hero, jumped at the opportunity to celebrate this subtle reminder that, even though Kohli is no longer captain, he continues to be the face of world cricket. And, naturally, Sharma’s supporters weren’t about to let this one slide. They saw this as nothing short of a deliberate insult. Also Read: Jaiswal gets Aussie nod as 'new King’, can Gill hold his ground? One fan, ever so eloquent, took to social media to declare, "Big insult to our Indian Captain. Fox Cricket knows who is the face of Indian cricket hence they are deliberately insulting Rohit." Others, perhaps with a bit more of a conspiracy theory flair, suggested that Fox Cricket was intentionally trying to spark a fresh 'fan war' between Kohli and Sharma fans. "Fox Cricket Australia intends to start a fresh fan war between fans of Sharma and Kohli. It is projecting Kohli as the face of Team India, because he is a popular and TRP-driven face there. Rohit Sharma fans are not going to take it lightly," one comment read. It didn’t take long for the usual fan infighting to take over, with the keyboard warriors digging in, sharpening their fingers for battle. The supporters of both stars went on the offensive, accusing each other of trying to 'claim' the spotlight in the most trivial ways. But the reason behind Fox Sports’ curious poster decision is likely far simpler than the passionate fan theories suggest. There remains a distinct possibility that the reason behind this baffling choice lies somewhere in logistics or timing. Also Read: Politics vs cricket leaves Champions Trophy up in the air For instance, Sharma is reportedly expected to miss the first Test in Perth due to the impending arrival of his second child. If that really is the case, it stands to reason that the Indian team might need to be represented by someone else in promotional material. And if Rohit’s not around, why not go for the most obvious Indian face - Kohli? After all, he’s been the undeniable star of Indian cricket for nearly a decade, and even in the absence of a captaincy role, he remains the face most synonymous with the sport and someone Australia has long feared. Now, one might argue, if that was the case, why not just feature vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, who’ll likely lead the side in Rohit’s absence? But how many fans are likely to tune in to see a poster with Bumrah’s steely face gracing the front page? Kohli, whether as captain or not, still holds the kind of universal recognition that can draw eyes, and, most importantly, a figure Australia has long dreaded, with his aggressive batting and unmatched mental toughness. Besides, Australia's cricketing ethos has always been masterfully shaped around the art of 'psychological warfare'. For decades, they have been refining their craft of intimidating opponents, not just with their cricketing skills, but with an almost Olympic-level ability to mess with the minds of anyone unlucky enough to be on the other side. From the infamous 'mental disintegration' strategies of the late '90s to today’s more refined brand of 'get under the skin' approach, Australia has always been ahead of the game in the mental gymnastics department. Forget technique or strategy, just get in the opponent’s head and make them unravel.
12 November,2024 11:07 PM IST | Mumbai | Srijanee MajumdarThe ICC continued discussions on the Champions Trophy schedule with the participating nations amid speculation that the entire tournament could be moved out of Pakistan following India's refusal to travel to the country, a source said on Tuesday. A chatter emerged that South Africa could be a viable alternative to organise next year's Champions Trophy but PTI understands that no such discussion happened in the International Cricket Council on Tuesday. Meanwhile, it was not a surprise that ICC has also put on hold the prestigious ODI tournament's launch event, which was scheduled to be held in Lahore on November 11. ICC, the game's global governing body, has received a letter from the Pakistan Cricket Board, asking for written confirmation from the BCCI for India's inability to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. The PCB has conveyed to the ICC that security is not an issue in the country which successfully hosted England and New Zealand recently and promised the same for the Champions Trophy. It remained steadfast on its stand to not have the event in hybrid model, like the last year's Asia Cup when India's matches were held in Sri Lanka. The ICC has yet to respond to the PCB and was discussing the schedule with the participating teams. The PTI has learnt that the PCB is also not keen to host the tournament outside the country, not even in the UAE. However the launch event in Lahore has been pushed back. It was being planned in Lahore as per ICC management's briefing to the ICC CEC and ICC Board on 21st October in Dubai. But this has now been put on a hold, informed an ICC insider. Also Read: Suryakumar’s savvy response on 'Pakistan kyun nahi aa rahe' steals the spotlight South Africa not being discussed as option Notwithstanding the reports in some sections in media that South Africa could be an option to host the next Champions Trophy, this option was still not talked about in any serious manner within the ICC, an insider tracking the developments claimed. The schedule is not confirmed, ICC is still in discussions and dialogue with the host and participating nations. South Africa has not been discussed as yet, the insider said. The PCB on Sunday had confirmed that it received an email from the ICC that India declined to travel to the neighbouring country. India have not travelled to Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai terror strikes. The two teams compete against each other only in ICC tournaments. (With agency inputs)
12 November,2024 10:27 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Tuesday that it has formally requested an explanation from the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding India's decision not to send its team to Pakistan for next year’s Champions Trophy. The ICC had informed the PCB last week that India would not participate in the eight-nation tournament, casting doubt on the event’s future. Pakistan had previously rejected a hybrid model that would have allowed India to play their matches at neutral venues, such as the UAE, as a compromise. The ongoing standoff between the PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has now spilled over beyond the subcontinent, reaching South Africa, where Suryakumar Yadav-led India are currently playing a four-match T20I series. In a video now circulating on Instagram, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav was approached by a fan who asked, "Mujhe ek baat bata saktein hai ki Pakistan kyun nahi aa rahe aap (Can you tell me why you're not going to Pakistan)?" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aayat Raza Qureshi (@aayatqureshi.14) Yadav, in his typically calm manner, responded, "Arrey bhaiya, hamare hath mein thodi hai (Brother, it is not in our hands)", making it clear that the decision lies outside the players' control. Also Read: Politics vs cricket leaves Champions Trophy up in the air Deteriorating political ties have meant the bitter rivals have not played a bilateral cricket series for over a decade -- squaring off only in ICC multi-nation events. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent's partition in 1947 and that rivalry is often reflected on the cricket field. Any cricket match between the two is among the most watched events on the global sporting calendar. Pakistani media reported on Tuesday that the PCB would be unwilling to accept security reasons for India's refusal to visit. New Zealand have toured Pakistan three times in the past two years, with England visiting twice and Australia once in the same period. Pakistan also visited India for last year's ODI World Cup and the PCB had expected the gesture to be reciprocated for the Champions Trophy. The Champions Trophy is slated to be played across three venues -- Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi -- from February 19 to March 9 next year. But a final schedule due to be announced this week has been postponed over the stand-off -- which PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi termed disappointing.
12 November,2024 07:31 PM IST | South Africa | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
