Captain Durga Rao Tompaki on Wednesday said it is disheartening to miss out on the chance to compete in the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup in Pakistan following India's withdrawal from the tournament while the national federation described the development as a "setback". The Indian team withdrew from the tournament after the government denied the permission to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns. The Indian team was supposed to cross the Wagah border on Wednesday for the event, scheduled to begin on Saturday. "We play with passion, and we represent our country with immense pride. We have always looked forward to competing at the biggest stage, and it is disheartening to miss out on this opportunity," Tompaki said in a media release. "However, we know that the next World Cup is just around the corner, and we remain committed to our training and preparation." The Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) had conducted a 25-day training camp in New Delhi before selecting the World Cup squad. "We have had a successful coaching camp and have seen emerging talent that we believe can lead our team to greater heights. It's time to nurture these talents and ensure that our team is ready when the next tournament comes," Tompaki added. Also Read: Indian blind cricket team not to travel to Pakistan for T20 World Cup, govt denies permission The team had initially got a No Objection Certificate (NOC), at no-cost to the government, from the Sports Ministry to participate in the tournament. However, it couldn't get clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). "While this is a significant setback for the team, CABI fully respects the government's concerns and the decision for the same," CABI said in a statement. "The team had been training rigorously and was eager to compete. However, we prioritise the government's guidance and remain steadfast in our commitment to the continued development of Blind Cricket in India." "Though the timing of the next World Cup remains uncertain, the commitment to the sport and the country remains unwavering," the statement read. The government has also not given clearance to the Indian national cricket team to travel to Pakistan for next year's ICC Champions Trophy. The BCCI had informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) about India's inability to travel to Pakistan and the global governing body, in turn, passed the information to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). (With agency inputs)
20 November,2024 03:56 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Optus Stadium at Perth, the venue of the highly-anticipated first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia, has become a subject of intrigue ahead of the clash. With both teams boasting world-class pace and spin options, both teams are finalising their team combinations as per conditions. With their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final spots at stake amid tough competition from Sri Lanka, South Africa, and New Zealand, both sides would be aiming to make the best use of Perth's usual fast and bouncy surface. The venue is a pace-dominated venue, with Australian pacers outdoing the visiting pace attacks with their average of 22.04 as compared to 36.53 by visiting pacers. Coming to spinners, the Aussie tweakers have an average of 18.61 as compared to a poor average of 108.50 by visiting spinners. Even though the surface is friendly to pace and offers bounce, there is a threat of Nathan Lyon dominating at the venue. Since the 2018-19 season, Lyon has taken 27 wickets here at an average of 18.00 in four matches, with best figures of 6/128. Also Read: What goes into preparing a drop-in pitch in Australia Lyon has delivered 187.3 of the 217.2 overs by Aussie spinners here. However, very few visiting teams have played a specialist spinner here. Mitchell Santner, Salman Ali Agha, and Roston Chase are three names. Isaac McDonald, who is overseeing the preparations for the third Test strip, is expecting quicks to enjoy "good pace and bounce" in the Border Gavaskar Trophy series opener between India and Australia. However, the weather forecast has been something to keep an eye on after several weather reports suggested unseasonal rain. In the past couple of days, there has been some rain in Perth, leading to the non-traditional preparation for the series opener. "Yeah, it is definitely not traditional Perth Test prep weather at all. Yesterday, we pretty much lost the whole day of prep, with it being under the cover. So we kind of saw the forecast early on, and we started to prep a little bit earlier than we normally would," McDonald told reporters ahead of the first Test on Friday. "So we were sitting quite comfortably. Still, it would be nice if the sun would pop out and do its job. But as of this morning, we are in a good spot. We are really comfortable as a curating team," he added. Also Read: ‘Mind games? This isn’t chess’: Harbhajan With a slight chance of weather impacting the time of play, the pitch could be affected if the rain worsens. Under such circumstances, the 27-year-old is not expecting the pitch to fall apart but only deteriorate as the game progresses. "I do not think this weather is going to make this pitch fall apart as there will be some deterioration. Grass will stand up during the game and offer that variable bounce. I think there would still be good pace and bounce on the pitch. It'll just come in. How well they look after the ball and how true the surface stays," McDonald noted. (With ANI inputs)
20 November,2024 03:00 PM IST | Perth | mid-day online correspondentWhen you talk about touring Australia, the image of batsmen struggling with fast-paced and bouncy pitches comes to mind. And when the match is played on the pitch in Perth, the situation tells an entirely different story. A few years ago, matches in Perth were played at the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) ground. Australian bowlers have always dominated opposing teams playing on that ground. However, for the past several years, the Optus Stadium in Perth has become the home of Cricket Australia instead of the WACA. Team India’s five-match Test series will also begin on this bouncy pitch in Perth. But everyone is curious about how these pitches are made. Also Read: Virat Kohli's batting marathon at Perth stadium continues despite rain Generally, aside from the Sydney ground in Australia, drop-in pitches are used on most grounds. Drop-in pitches are those prepared elsewhere and then placed in the stadium. These drop-in pitches are created under the supervision of the WACA curator to maintain the charm of Perth’s fast, bouncy wickets. The giant crane used to prepare the drop-in pitch (Pic: Amit Shah) The soil used for this pitch is also special. It is sourced from Waroona village, located about 110 kilometers from Perth in South West Australia. Experts believe that pitches made from this soil are hard and provide a unique kind of bounce. A total of five pitches have been developed over the span of three months for this cricketing season. To date, aside from a few local fixtures, one pitch has hosted an international match against Pakistan. Each pitch weighs approximately 25 tons. Also Read: ‘Mind games? This isn’t chess’ The process of maintaining the pitch’s moisture is quite precise. To preserve the moisture of the pitch, the groundsmen take out the soil every day and detect its moisture using a microwave. Water is then applied to the pitch after bringing it to the correct level. Various precautionary measures are taken by the management to ensure the hardness and bounce of the pitch remain similar to those of the WACA ground. There is a formula behind making drop-in pitches because Australian grounds are also used for Australian football competitions. Therefore, whenever the new cricket season begins, the wickets are prepared elsewhere and then placed in the stadium.
20 November,2024 01:55 PM IST | Perth | Amit ShahFormer India head coach Ravi Shastri is confident that the “already world-class” Yashasvi Jaiswal will return from the Australian tour a significantly improved batter, no matter the challenges he encounters along the way. Also Read: Ian Healy suggests 'body bashing' Virat Kohli with short-pitched balls Shastri said if Jaiswal can adapt to the challenging Perth pitch, known for its lively bounce, the young opener will play with freedom later on in the series. “I think he’ll be a better player when he leaves Australian shores. Already he’s world-class,” Shastri said at a Fox Cricket event. “He will love these pitches. He’s someone who score pretty freely as well,” 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
20 November,2024 08:16 AM IST | Perth | PTIHow would you compare the current Australian team with the ones you played against on the tours in 2003-04 and 2007-08?It was a different team in those days. This Australian team never lost in Australia, but the current one does. That was a strong team in Australia, even when they were touring abroad. But this team is vulnerable. You always did well against Australia. How could you achieve that?When situations like these used to come, you always had a point to prove to yourself that you were good enough to be around. It was always a challenge to do well against Australia. You will know your worth only by doing well against the better team. They were hard-fought battles with a lot of sledging, but I enjoyed those challenges. The more you are involved, the more you will do better. Harbhajan Singh People promote Australia as a team that play mind games. How did you counter that? We are not planning a heist at that level. You still have to play cricket. What is a mind game? They will win 3-0 or 4-0, or India will beat them 4-0. If that is a mind game, then it is immature. Mind games are when they are constantly plotting and playing with minds. How do you do that?This is not chess; it is cricket. In the end, you have a bat and a ball. There’s no mind game. If they sledge you, you sledge them back. I have never felt someone play a mind game with me in my career, like saying something, but doing something else. That would be a mind game. Also Read: Ian Healy suggests 'body bashing' Virat Kohli with short-pitched balls How do you trap or tame an Australian batter?Don’t give them a comfortable length to drive. As a fast bowler, you get excited by the bounce; the pitch has a good ‘carry’; the ’keeper constantly collects the ball at his chest height or above his waist. It’s easier for them to play that length. As a spinner, you must hit a length where the batters must come forward. On the backfoot, they always get more time to play the ball. The bowler has to adjust the length accordingly. How do you expect India to perform well in the coming series after the disastrous show against New Zealand?Their performance [against New Zealand] could have been better, but let me be very frank — those pitches did not reflect the right picture of Indian cricket. They will play well in Australia and may win the series. People say that in India, they have the advantage of having home conditions, but these are tailor-made conditions which anybody can take advantage of. Toss becomes crucial in situations where New Zealand played. India have been playing on pitches where results matter more than anything else. What advice would you give the newcomers, especially the bowlers?My only advice is to make the batter play on the front foot, whether you are a fast bowler or a spinner. Please don’t get excited about the bounce because the bounce will not get you the wicket; the correct length will get you the wicket.
20 November,2024 08:15 AM IST | Mumbai | AKSHAY LOKAPALLYUttar Pradesh fast bowler Yash Dayal has been included in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad as a backup player, pacer’s father Chanderpal Dayal said on Tuesday. Chanderpal, while revealing that Yash got a call to join the squad when he was in South Africa for the T20I series last week and joined the team on November 17, said he is hoping for his son to make his debut in the much-anticipated series. Also Read: Ian Healy suggests 'body bashing' Virat Kohli with short-pitched balls “Yash got a call — when he was in South Africa with the T20 side — that he will have to join the Test team in Australia. So he went there on November 17. He has gone as a backup,” Chanderpal 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
20 November,2024 08:08 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSLegendary Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy wants his country’s pace attack to employ every strategy, from targeting Virat Kohli’s front foot to “body bashing” him with short-pitched deliveries, to get the Indian stalwart out in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy, beginning in Perth on Friday. Healy has urged the formidable Australian pace trio of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc to try and put Kohli on the back-foot. Ian Healy “The first matchup I’m looking at is how our quicks can bowl to Kohli, and I think they should target his front pad quite often,” Healy told SEN Radio. Healy, who played 119 Tests scoring nearly 4,500 runs, feels the Aussie quicks should not target Kohli’s front foot far too often. “Don’t do it every ball because he’ll get used to it... it’s the impact ball that has to be on the front pad after he is set up with seam.” Also Read: Virat Kohli’s MRF bat fetches a price that will make your eyes pop If the tactic doesn’t work, Healy wants the bowlers to target Kohli’s body. “If that’s [front-foot tactic] not working, body bash. Bowl at the back armpit, that’s the right arm as a right-handed batsman... and it’s got to be hot,” Healy said. “Have him jumping at times if he wants to ride those deliveries—ducking, weaving or bending backwards. Get that short leg position right next to him on the leg side and if you need a bumper, it’s got to go at the badge. “So that’s the second tactic, body bashing,” opined Healy. 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
20 November,2024 08:05 AM IST | Sydney | PTIFormer all-rounder Shane Watson has advised the Australia to avoid getting into confrontations with Virat Kohli in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. “The one thing that I know of Virat is... because the fire burns so brightly and deep inside him, the intensity he brings to every ball that he is engaged in a game has been superhuman. Also Read: Virat Kohli’s MRF bat fetches a price that will make your eyes pop “Australia have to leave him alone and hope he doesn’t bring the intensity—nine out of 10 intensity—to every ball,” Watson was quoted as saying on the Willow Talk. 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
20 November,2024 07:52 AM IST | Perth | PTITop-order batter Shafali Verma was on Tuesday dropped from India’s 16-member women’s team for the three-match ODI series in Australia in December. The selectors seem to have once again lost patience with the 20-year-old batter, whose recent ODI form has been disappointing. Shafali has scored just 108 runs in six matches this year with 33 being the highest. Also Read: Shafali Verma's father expresses delight after daughter's fastest double ton in Tests The first two ODIs will be played at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on December 5 and 8 before the action shifts to WACA Ground, Perth on December 11 for the final match. 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
20 November,2024 07:51 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIAll-rounder Tejas Narkar led Convent of Jesus and Mary School (Naigaon) to a four-wicket win over Yashodham High School (Goregaon) in a third-round match of the boys U-16 MSSA Harris Shield inter-school cricket tournament at Cross Maidan on Tuesday. Leg-spinner Tejas claimed six wickets for 18 runs and later scored 27. Tejas picked up the wicket of Yashodham’s opening batsman and mainstay Yash Salasjar for 71 and then ran through the lower-order to restrict the opposition to 139 all out in 31.2 overs. Yash’s teammates Tasmay Parab and Rudra Sakpal added 23 and 21, respectively. Also Read: Centurion Neev helps St Sebastian win In reply, Convent of Jesus and Mary batters easily chased down the target, reaching 142 for six in just 24.1 overs. Openers Tejas Narkar and Aryan Deodhar (23) laid the foundation for their win. In another match, all-rounder Veer Shah was the star performer with ball and bat for Matushri Kashiben Vrajlal Valia International Vidyalaya (Borivli) in their two-wicket win over Jamnabai Narsee School (Juhu). Jamnabai Narsee restricted the Borivli boys to 122 all out in 33.2 overs. Samvir Mahesh picked up three for 39. In reply, the Borivli school’s middle-order batter Suraj Kamat contributed 23 before No. 8 batter Veer scored 26 to ensure their school got to the target, scoring 125 for eight in 37.5 overs. Meanwhile, St Rocks High School (Borivli) recorded a 296-run win over Christ Church School (Byculla) in another third-round match. Batting first, St Rocks, inspired by Vatsal Gawde’s century (102) and half-centuries from Meet Parihar (53), Mann Sanghvi (51) and Pritesh B (54 not out), posted 365 for eight in 38 overs. Christ Church were bowled out for a measly 69 in 20 overs. Narayan Thakur (three for nine), D Tiwari (two for six) and Keshav Pandey (two for 18) helped seal their win.
20 November,2024 07:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Gordon D’CostaThe Indian blind cricket team will not compete in the T20 World Cup as the government has denied it permission to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns, the national federation said on Tuesday. The Indian team was supposed to cross the Wagah border on Wednesday for the event, scheduled to be held from November 23 to December 3. Also Read: Virat Kohli’s MRF bat fetches a price that will make your eyes pop The Indian blind cricket team had got a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the sports ministry for participation but apparently couldn't get clearance from the MEA. "We have been told unofficially that the blind team will not be permitted to travel to Pakistan. We were scheduled to travel to Wagah border tomorrow. But as of now no clearance has come from the ministry officials. So, we are a bit disappointed," Shailendra Yadav, General Secretary of the Indian Blind Cricket Association (IBCA), told PTI. "They are saying when the mainstream cricket team is not safe how can you be safe there. Of course, we will accept the decision, but why hold the decision till the last minute, why not inform us a month or 25 days back. There is a process," Yadab 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
19 November,2024 10:21 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
