Page 22 - Cricket

Sarandeep Singh appointed as Delhi's new Ranji cricket team coach

Former India off-spinner and national selector Sarandeep Singh will be the new head coach of Delhi's senior team for the upcoming domestic season. He was appointed by the three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the state unit. Sarandeep will be assisted by bowling coach V Aravind and batting coach Bantu Singh, both of them continuing from last year. In a new position created by the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), the senior men's team will have two mentors -- Atul Wassan for white ball and Robin Singh Junior for red ball. Reema Malhotra will be mentor of the women's team. Last year's coach Devang Gandhi, who made quite an impression on both the seniors and juniors in the team will not be available this season due to personal reasons and didn't apply for the coach's post. It is understood that the CAC comprising former India players Surinder Khanna, Nikhil Chopra and Anjali Malhotra had two choices for the top job --- Sarandeep and former Delhi coach KP ...

Travis Head smashes career-best 154 as Australia beat England in 1st ODI

Travis Head was at his belligerent best in smashing a career-best 154 not out to underpin Australia's chase of 316 to win the first one-day international against England on Thursday and gain a 13th straight victory in the 50-over format. It was the left-handed opener's sixth ODI century and his first since a similarly brutal knock of 137 in Australia's victory over India in the World Cup final 10 months ago. The tourists needed a big innings from someone after Ben Duckett hit 95 in England's 315 all out at Trent Bridge, a ground known for being a batter's paradise with short boundaries. England would have hoped for more after being 211-2 after 32 overs, only for Australia's spinners including part-time slow bowler Marnus Labuschagne (3-39) to slow down the run rate and take nine wickets in total, many at crucial times. England's final seven wickets fell for 83 runs, with Head even getting involved with two of the wickets. Head then let rip with with the bat, hitting 20 fours and

Ricky Ponting joins Punjab Kings as head coach on four-year contract

Australian great Ricky Ponting was on Wednesday appointed head coach of Punjab Kings, replacing compatriot Trevor Bayliss in the under-performing IPL franchise. The former Australian captain has made the switch to Punjab Kings from Delhi Capitals, a team he was part of for seven years. "We are delighted to have Ricky on to guide and build our team for the next four seasons. His experience is crucial to help us develop a squad to deliver on-field success," franchise CEO Satish Menon said. An IPL source added that Ponting will take a call on the rest of the support staff. Under Ponting, Delhi Capitals became a force to reckon with though the elusive title never came. The team reached the final in 2020. He has also coached Mumbai Indians. Punjab too have never won the IPL since the league's inception in 2008 and the four co-owners will be hoping the World Cup-winning captain takes them all the way. Punjab's sole final appearance came way back in 2014 and they are one team which is o

When Gambhir recited 'Hanuman Chalisa' and Kohli chanted 'Om Namah Shivay'

They are both quintessential Delhiites with an aggressive streak to deal with intense situations but when it comes to the extraordinary, both India head coach Gautam Gambhir and star batter Virat Kohli find inner strength from their faith in the divine. As they sat down for a rather unconventional chat, curated by the BCCI for its official website, Kohli and Gambhir dwelled on the many similarities they have and as it turns out, faith in almighty is one of them. When Gambhir was trying to save a Test match against New Zealand in Napier a decade and a half back, he recalled how 'Hanuman Chalisa' helped him find the resolve to play that epic knock that was spread over two days. Similarly, in 2014, Kohli hit four Test hundreds Down Under and he would pay his obeisance to Lord Shiva by chanting 'Om Namah Shivay' while batting. Gambhir was the one to reveal this during his interview by Kohli when the conversation turned to spirituality. "Let's talk about a few moments in India-Australi

Harry Brook's mantra for his interim England captain role in ODI cricket

Harry Brook's message will be simple as he heads into a brief spell as England cricket captain. Whatever you feel like doing, just do it, he said with a smile on Wednesday. With that philosophy, Brook should fit right into the modern approach adopted by England in test cricket, and soon in all formats, when he takes temporary charge of the ODI team for the five-match series against Australia starting Thursday at Trent Bridge. Brook has taken on the ODI captaincy because of an injury to regular skipper Jos Buttler. From January, England's white-ball teams will also be led by Brendon McCullum, the current coach of the test team who will unify the roles to continue the so-called Bazball revolution of English cricket. Brook said that will invariably see the teams' philosophies merge into one. It's all going to be played fairly similar," Brook said in a news conference at Trent Bridge, where the first ODI will take place. We're going to have the same principles or however we want to g

NZ fast bowler O'Rourke rocks SL with two early wickets in 1st Test

New Zealand fast bowler William O'Rourke rocked Sri Lanka with two early wickets as the hosts took lunch at 88 for two on the opening day of the first Test at Galle on Wednesday. A tall right-arm quick, O'Rourke was on the money and troubling the Sri Lankan batters. He had Dimuth Karunaratne caught behind with a sharp rising delivery and then two overs later cleaned up Pathum Nissanka with a yorker. After an opening spell of five overs that accounted for both the openers, O'Rourke returned for a second spell before lunch and troubled both Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews. Mathews was hit on the gloves by a sharp rising delivery and was forced to retire when on 12. The Sri Lankan team management confirmed that he is out of danger and will bat at the fall of the next wicket. Dinesh Chandimal, relieved of wicket-keeping duties and batting at No. 3 instead of his customary No. 5, was unbeaten on 30, but he had some nervous moments. Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat. New Ze

Can fans hope for an Indian batting resurgence in Tests at home?

While the Indian batters used to take advantage of the familiar conditions to their best abilities in the past, the recent trend hasn't been as dominating as it used to be.

We want him to bring the best out of him: Rohit Sharma on KL Rahul

Blinding streaks of brilliance interspersed with gloomy barrenness often wrap KL Rahul's Test career in unfair inconsistency but skipper Rohit Sharma hoped that the "clear message" given to him will help the elegant batter to take his career forward in the longest format. Rahul oozed class while making a hundred against South Africa in Centurion in 2023, and an 86 against England at Hyderabad earlier this year. But before that his performance went through a trough for two years, with the batter making just a fifty in 12 innings. However, Rohit remained a firm believer in Rahul's talent, and that also was an indication that the Bengaluru man will start in the first Test against Bangladesh on Thursday here. "I think with KL, you know, the kind of quality he has, everyone knows about it. The kind of message that has been given to him from our side was very simple: we wanted him to play all games. We want him to bring the best out of him. And it is our duty as well to bring the best ou

ZEEL refutes $940 million Disney Star claim over ICC TV rights deal

Claim came as former failed to pay $1.4 bn within deadline

Zampa to play 100th ODI; knows he may never play test cricket for Australia

Adam Zampa is a cornerstone of Australia's white-ball set-up and will play his 100th one-day international in the opening match of the series against England on Thursday. As for ever playing test cricket, the leg-spinner believes he might have missed his chance especially when it comes to the Ashes. We have lots of test cricket and there's still a bit of drive to play that," Zampa said on Tuesday at Trent Bridge, where the five-match series will begin. But, in terms of playing in England or playing in Australia against England, I don't think it's a possibility. With Nathan Lyon having locked down the role of first-choice spinner for more than a decade, and the likes of Todd Murphy, Mitchell Swepson and Matthew Kuhnemann all options, Australia can get by in test cricket without Zampa. Not so in the shorter formats, where the 32-year-old Zampa is the Australians' highest-ranked Twenty20 bowler and their second highest-ranked ODI bowler. Twelve of Zampa's 99 ODI caps to date have co

Delhi's new integrated stadium in Dwarka to be functional by 2027: DDA

Delhi Development Authority is building the stadium under the public-private partnership model with Omaxe as their partner

I don't view them as favourites: Travis Head ahead of Test series vs India

Aussie top-order batter Travis Head has scored 715 runs in 10 test matches against India so far, including one century and 3 fifties.

Respect his cricketing brain: Khawaja heaps praise on Ashwin's brilliance

Australian opener Usman Khawaja has over the years relished his on-field battles with star Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who according to the southpaw is a man who always has a plan up his sleeve. Ashwin (39 wickets) is the third-highest wicket-taker among Indian bowlers in Test matches in Australia, only behind Anil Kumble (49) and Kapil Dev (51) apart from topping the charts across all bilateral series (home and away) with 114 scalps which also includes seven five-for. "Ravi is a very good bowler. He is very strategic. He always has a plan," Khawaja told Star Sports. "He tries to figure it out and stay ahead of the game, which I respect. I respect his cricketing brain. It's always cool to play against him, and I look forward to the challenge," he was all praise for Ashwin's tactical nous. This will be Ashwin's fifth Test tour of Australia, having been part of the sides that played in 2011-12, 2014-15, 2018-19 and 2020-21 although on last two tours, he had injury issues. Do

First Pakistani woman nominated to ICC as international cricket umpire

Saleema Imtiaz became the first Pakistani woman to be nominated to the ICC international panel of development umpires, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Sunday. Imtiaz's nomination on the panel means she is now eligible to officiate in women's bilateral international matches and ICC women's events. "This isn't just a win for me, it's a win for every aspiring female cricketer and umpire in Pakistan," Imtiaz said in a statement. "I hope my success motivates countless women who dream of making their mark in the sport. "This moment reflects the growing influence of women in cricket and the PCB's commitment to fostering that development." Imtiaz's daughter, Kainat played 40 international games for Pakistan that included 19 one-day internationals and 21 T20s. Imtiaz said she had always wanted to make her own name in the field of umpiring ever since her daughter made her international debut against South Africa in 2010. "My own dream was to represent my country at an international lev

Indian batter Shubman Gill set to be rested for Bangladesh T20Is

India vice-captain Shubman Gill are among prominent players who will be rested for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh starting October 7 as part of BCCI's workload management policy. Gill, India's No.3 in Test matches, is a vital cog in the team's top-order alongside Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal and is expected to play all 10 Tests this season. Apart from Gill, a few more important players will also be rested keeping the the three- Test series against New Zealand in mind. India will start their upcoming international season with a two-Test series against Bangladesh in Chennai from September 19 followed by the second match in Kanpur starting September 27. "Yes, Shubman will be rested for the Bangladesh T20I series. If you look at the fixture, the three T20Is will be played on October 7 (Gwalior), 10 (Delhi) and 13 (Hyderabad). Now first Test vs New Zealand starts October 16. "So with a turnaround of three days, it is important to give Gill a break," a

If I need to play domestic cricket to test fitness I will: Mohd Shami

India pacer Mohammed Shami wants to ensure 100 per cent fitness post ankle surgery rehabilitation and, if need be, he will play domestic cricket without setting a timeline on his much-anticipated international return. Shami last played in the 2023 ODI World Cup final and has since been sidelined by injury for which he underwent surgery earlier this year. Speaking at the Cricket Association of Bengal's (CAB) annual awards ceremony, where he was felicitated for his stellar performances, Shami expressed his desire to be in top shape before returning to the field. "Koshish jaldi hi kar raha hoon kyun ke main janta hoon kaafi time ho gaya hai team se bahar rehte hue (I am working hard to make a comeback soon because I know I have been out of action for quite some time). However, I want to ensure there is no discomfort when I return. I've to work on my fitness, so that there is no discomfort," Shami told reporters. "The stronger I return, the better it is for me. I don't want to rush and

There will never be any dull moment with Gautam Gambhir around: Ajay Jadeja

India head coach Gautam Gambhir will push for an aggressive approach and will not allow the opposition to take the initiative in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, feels former batter Ajay Jadeja. India host Bangladesh for a two-match Test series beginning in Chennai from September 19, to be followed by three T20Is. "It is very clear, his approach is aggressive. One thing is sure, there will never be a dull moment with him around, he will always try something. He will do what he believes," Jadeja told reporters when asked about the Indian team's approach under Gambhir during the upcoming series. "He (Gambhir) will not be somebody who will sit back and let things flow. He will be out there, he will try things like we saw Suryakumar Yadav becoming captain suddenly. I am looking forward to the excitement we are going to see this year." The 53-year-old Jadeja, who's mostly remembered as a top ODI batter with 5359 runs from 196 matches at an average of 37.47, was ...

Indian setup operates by itself, goal will be to protect that: Morne Morkel

"What isn't broken shouldn't be mended" is the mantra of new India bowling coach Morne Morkel, who loves how the Indian cricket set-up runs on auto-pilot, and says his new assignment will involve helping that system "get better in small ways". Morkel, who has worked with current head coach Gautam Gambhir in Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), has been in India enough times and seen it from close quarter to understand how it works and where he would fit into the ecosystem. "Coming here, this is a set-up that operates by itself and so to protect that and make it better in small ways is going to be the goal," Morkel told BCCI.TV, making it clear that his focus is on minor tweaks rather than overhauling what works. He also feels that super seniors like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah will always lead the charge and his job will be to be the sounding board as part of the support staff. "We are quite lucky to have quality senior players and they

Liam Livingstone whacks England to a series-tying T20 win over Australia

Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell shared 90 runs off 47 balls to lead England to a Twenty20 series-tying win over Australia at Sophia Gardens. The series will be decided on Sunday at Old Trafford. Set 194 to win, England slipped to 79-3 when Phil Salt walked into an apparent trap laid by fellow stand-in captain Travis Head, holing out to Matthew Short, but Livingstone and Bethell broke the back of the chase. Bethell's dismissal for 44 off 24 balls with the finish line in sight disrupted England but Livingstone carried them to the brink of victory with a superb 87 off 47, including five sixes and six fours. He was bowled with the scores tied and Brydon Carse senselessly slogged in the air next ball to give part-timer Short, who had previously taken only two international wickets, a shock maiden professional five-wicket haul. However, Adil Rashid steered to backward point for the single England needed for a three-wicket win with six balls to spare and to tie the series ...

SACA reaffirms commitment to women's cricket after CSA greenlights Afg ODIs

Without disapproving of CSA's decision to go ahead with the ODI series against Afghanistan, the South African Cricketers' Association (SACA) voiced its support for promoting women's participation in cricket. South Africa will face Afghanistan in three ODIs from September 18 to 22 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, but the Asian nation continues to be the only ICC Full Member not to have a women's team. The Proteas Men white-ball series against Afghanistan later this month is one such series that forms part of the FTP. We respect the position of CSA in this regard as the national governing body for cricket, said Andrew Breetzke, SACA CEO and also the board member of the World Cricketers' Association (WCA). However, on behalf of all professional cricketers in South Africa, it is incumbent upon SACA to reaffirm our commitment to supporting and promoting the participation of women in cricket. The deteriorating human rights for women under the Taliban rule cannot be ignored in the context of .