Sports News

Lahore: Pakistan right-arm pacer Aamer Jamal's performance has come in for special praise from not just his side but the rival team skipper Moeen Ali after the debutant produced a brilliant final over to help his side clinch a six-run victory against England in the fifth T20I here on Wednesday.
Jamal, 26, displayed experience way beyond his years after he was entrusted to bowl the final over of the match by skipper Babar Azam. In his maiden international appearance, the 26-year-old held his nerve to defend 15 runs against Moeen.
The bowler was extremely accurate with his yorkers as Moeen managed just eight runs from the final over as Pakistan won the match to take a 3-2 lead in the seven-match T20I series.
Pakistan's score of 145 was the lowest total ever defended by any side in a T20I game in the country and Jamal's performance at the death was a key reason behind the win.
Moeen complimented the bowler who had figures of 1/13 from two overs he bowled.
"It was a very good last over and you can't take anything away from him," Moeen said after the match. "I was just hoping he missed the wide yorker... like the one I got hold of (and hit for six on the third delivery of the final over).
"With the wet ball and the ball probably being out of shape and him on his debut and nervous... he bowled really well and sometimes you have just got to give it to him," added Moeen, who is standing in as skipper as Jos Buttler is recovering from an injury.
The sixth and penultimate game of the series will be played in Lahore on Friday.&nbsp;
—IANS

Pakistan right-arm pacer Aamer Jamal's performance has come in for special praise from not just his side but the rival team skipper Moeen Ali after the debutant produced a brilliant final over to help his side clinch a six-run victory against England in the fifth T20I here on Wednesday.

 Moeen in praise of Pakistan debutant Aamer Jamal after his superb death-over bowling

Cricket

Thiruvananthapuram: Vice-captain K.L Rahul and <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/topic/suryakumar-yadav" target="_blank">Suryakumar Yadav</a> slammed unbeaten fifties to give India an eight-wicket win over South Africa in the T20I series opener at the Greenfield International Stadium on Wednesday.
On a pitch which was made for fast bowlers to make merry, as seen from the five-wicket burst provided by Arshdeep Singh and Deepak Chahar earlier in the match, South Africa bowlers too were able to take out Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli early.
With the required run rate not much high, Rahul hung in and with Suryakumar in stellar touch, they put on an unbeaten stand of 93 off 63 balls to chase down 107 with 18 balls remaining, giving India 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The hosts' were dealt an early blow when a peach from Kagiso Rabada in the second over lured Rohit Sharma into playing at it and thick edge went behind to Quinton de Kock, who dived to his right to send the Indian skipper back for a two-ball duck.
Post power-play, where India made only 17/1, their lowest score in the six overs phase, Virat Kohli tried to cut a short and wide ball from Anrich Nortje, only for the extra bounce to take the edge behind to de Kock. After hopping and fending on his first ball, Suryakumar slammed back-to-back sixes - a top-edge on pull went over third man and a nonchalant flick went over backward square leg.
Rahul, who was kept quiet by a slew of outswingers and inswingers apart from surviving close lbw shouts off Parnell and Rabada, opened up by flicking off his wrists over long-on for six off Nortje, followed by Suryakumar slapping through point for four off Keshav Maharaj.
Rahul then pulled Tabraiz Shamsi over backward square leg for six and Suryakumar ended the over by flicking hard off his wrists through deep mid-wicket for four. Suryakumar enthralled the crowd with his trademark shot when he lofted inside-out with the turn over wide long-off off Maharaj.
A pacy full toss from Nortje was lofted over cover by Rahul for six while Suryakumar placed a slower ball through point for four as India started to coast towards victory.
Suryakumar continued to collect fours with ease against Rabada and reached his second consecutive fifty in 33 balls in the next over. On the very next ball, Rahul slog-swept Shamsi over backward square leg to reach his fifty in 56 balls and complete the chase in style.
Brief Scores: South Africa 106/8 in 20 overs (Keshav Maharaj 41, Aiden Markram 25; Arshdeep Singh 3/32, Deepak Chahar 2/24) lost to India 110/2 in 16.4 overs (<a href="https://www.business-standard.com/about/who-is-kl-rahul" target="_blank">KL Rahul</a> 51 not out, <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/topic/suryakumar-yadav" target="_blank">Suryakumar Yadav</a> 50 not out; Kagiso Rabada 1/16, Anrich Nortje 1/32) by eight wickets
—IANS&nbsp;

 Vice-captain K.L Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav slammed unbeaten fifties to give India an eight-wicket win over South Africa in the T20I series opener at the Greenfield International Stadium on Wednesday.

IND v SA, 1st T20I: Rahul, Suryakumar Slam Fifties To Give India Eight-Wicket Win Over South Africa

 Vice-captain K.L Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav slammed unbeaten fifties to give India an eight-wicket win over South Africa in the T20I series opener at the Greenfield International Stadium on Wednesday.



Hyderabad: The Rohit Sharma-led India not only defeated Australia in the T20I series at home 2-1 following their thrilling six-wicket victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Sunday night, the hosts also achieved a unique record of clinching their 21st T20I win in a calendar year -- the most ever recorded by a team in men's T20Is. Pakistan had held the record until now with 20 T20I wins in 2021. Virat Kohli (63) and Suryakumar Yadav (69) were the architects of the win in the series-decider as they stitched together a century partnership. Thanks to their efforts, India overhauled Australia's 187/7 in 20 overs with just a ball to spare. This was also India's 13th successful run chase in the format in 14 attempts since 2021, according to ICC. India drew level with the Thailand women's team, which recorded 21 victories and four losses in 2019. Cameron Green (52) got the tourists off to a flyer, with the all-rounder reaching his half-century in just 19 deliveries -- a record against India -- as Australia looked set for a big total. Australia lost the key wickets of Steve Smith (9) and Glenn Maxwell (6) in quick succession, with David's last hitting helping the visitors compile a decent score of 186/7. India's run chase turned out to be a difficult one after they were reduced to 30/2. A century partnership between Kohli and Suryakumar put India back on track, but with the latter dismissed in the 14th over, the task turned out to be harder. With 11 to win off the last over from Daniel Sams, Kohli, who finished on 63 off 48 balls, hit a six off the first ball to make it five runs required off five balls. However, Kohli was dismissed the next ball with the equation further reduced to four runs needed from two balls. An edge for four through third man off Hardik Pandya's bat gave India the record-equalling win and a series victory.&nbsp;
—IANS

The Rohit Sharma-led India not only defeated Australia in the T20I series at home 2-1 following their thrilling six-wicket victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Sunday night, the hosts also achieved a unique record of clinching their 21st T20I win in a calendar year -- the most ever recorded by a team in men's T20Is.

India clinch their 21st T20I win in a calendar year; break Pakistan's record set last year

London: Frances Tiafoe clinched the Laver Cup title for Team World on Sunday, saving four match points to edge Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 7-6(11), 10-8 and give his side a 13-8 victory, here.
John McEnroe's side entered the final day of the three-day event in London trailing four-time champions Team Europe 4-8. However, with each win worth three points on Sunday, Team World turned the tables in style to win the Laver Cup for the first time.
"I don't want to talk too much because I want the party to begin very soon. But I want to thank my players. They brought energy, belief and intensity. I want to especially thank my brother Patrick, my right hand," McEnroe said during the trophy ceremony.
In front of an electric crowd at The O2, Tiafoe saved four match points in the second-set tie-break as he produced moments of magic at the crucial moments to triumph after one hour and 46 minutes.
The American's victory sparked scenes of celebration on the bench, with his teammates running onto court to embrace the World No 19, who collapsed to the floor in delight.
"It is an unbelievable feeling. Our captain Jonny Mac was tired of losing…saying we needed to get it done this year on his fifth try. All week leading up I kept saying this was our year. The guys showed up," Tiafoe said in his on-court interview.
"Felix beat Novak, Jack and Felix also played unbelievable doubles. We all did it together, it wasn't just me. I showed a lot of heart to get this done. This is big. We are going to celebrate big tonight," he added.
Earlier, Felix Auger-Aliassime moved Team World to within one win of capturing the trophy, when he upset Team Europe's Novak Djokovic 6-3, 7-6(3).
The Canadian hit his spots on serve throughout the one-hour, 35-minute clash, while he opened his shoulders outmanoeuvre the former World No. 1 and earn his first victory against Djokovic.
"I've been close a few times and in recent times to win against these great champions, so it feels great to get the win. Especially in front of the fans in this arena and for Team World," Auger-Aliassime said in his on-court interview.
In the first match of the day, Auger-Aliassime and Sock edged Matteo Berrettini and Andy Murray 2-6, 6-3, 10-8.
In an entertaining battle at the O2 in London, the Canadian and American held their nerve when it mattered, finding first serves and deep returns in the Match Tie-break to secure their victory after one hour and 37 minutes.
Sock has now won four points for his side, having teamed with Tiafoe to defeat Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Swiss star's final tour-level match on Friday night.&nbsp;
—IANS

Frances Tiafoe clinched the Laver Cup title for Team World on Sunday, saving four match points to edge Team Europe's Stefanos Tsitsipas 1-6, 7-6(11), 10-8 and give his side a 13-8 victory, here.

 Tiafoe stuns Tsitsipas to capture Laver Cup title for Team World

Tennis

London: Off-spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma's decision to run out Charlie Dean at the non-striker's end, which secured a 16-run victory for India over England to complete a 3-0 series sweep at Lord's has reignited the debate over the mode of dismissal being right in the spirit of the game.
Just as England looked to get an unbelievable win over India, thanks to Charlie's batting efforts and her stand of 35 with Freya Davies for the final wicket, Deepti saw her venturing out of the crease at the non-striker's end on the fourth ball of 44th over while in the delivery stride and knocked the bails off.
With the third umpire upholding the on-field decision of 'out', it led to boos from the crowd as India gave a winning farewell to legendary pacer Jhulan Goswami and completed a clean sweep in ODIs over England in England for the very first time.
With the debate raging over it being in the spirit of the game, many pointed out that what Deepti did was truly well and within the rules. Only last week, in the changes made by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the method of effecting a run out from the non-striker's end was moved from Law 41 of 'Unfair Play' to Law 38 of 'Run out' section, making it no longer an unfair mode of dismissal.
Former England cricketer Lydia Greenway questioned the way Deepti ran out Charlie to seal an Indian victory. "It doesn't feel like the right way to win a game. They (India) are allowed to do it, they're well within their right to get a wicket that way, but I would disagree with the way that it was managed."
She added that she would have given Charlie a warning for backing up too far before running her out from the non-striker's end. "If I was captain of that team, I would say let's give them a warning, and make sure that Charlie Dean is aware of what she's doing. As youngsters growing up playing the game you're taught to back up and Charlie was backing up, she was just focused on what was happening at the other end."
"I don't think she was trying to gain an unfair advantage, she was just simply focusing on what was in hand. What I would have liked to see was a warning if I was Indian captain, and I'd have been disappointed if England had done the same."
Asked about the dismissal igniting the spirit of cricket debate, Lydia remarked, "The spirit of cricket is a really precious thing and arguably it isn't that prominent in many other sports. It has to be looked after and protected and sometimes, when you get a rule book out, you just know whether something sits right with you or not. Regardless of whether it is in the rules or not, it just doesn't sit comfortably with me at all."&nbsp;
—IANS

Off-spin all-rounder Deepti Sharma's decision to run out Charlie Dean at the non-striker's end, which secured a 16-run victory for India over England to complete a 3-0 series sweep at Lord's has reignited the debate over the mode of dismissal being right in the spirit of the game.

Deepti's run-out of Charlie doesn't feel like the right way to win a game: Lydia Greenway

London: Indian women's cricket team gave a fitting farewell to legendary fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, on her last international game, with a 16-run victory in a low-scoring third and final T20I and 3-0 series whitewash over England at Lord's on Saturday.&nbsp;
With this, India also maintained their winning streak in the ICC Women's Championship 2022-25.
Led by a brilliant bowling display, India defended 169 at the Lord's in dramatic fashion as they got the last England wicket via runout at the non-striker's end. 
With England requiring 17 runs to win, Charlotte Dean, who fought hard with an 80-ball 47, backed up too far at the non-striker's end and Deepti removed the bails to leave the batter in tears and those watching in shock.
Earlier, put into bat, India were reduced to 29/4. However, they recovered with Smiriti Mandhana (50) and Deepti Sharma (68 not out) stitching together a crucial half-century stand. But once the partnership was broken, India lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 169 in 45.4 overs, making a below-par total.
Renuka Singh and Jhulan Goswami then delivered a fabulous opening spell to reduce England to 45/4 by the 12th over.
Rajeshwari Gayakwad struck twice in her first two overs to further dent England. 53/6 soon turned into 65/7 and the hosts had a huge uphill task on hand, but skipper Amy Jones and Charlotte Dean strung together a brilliant stand to revive England's innings.
While Jones was dismissed, Dean waged a lonely battle, continuing to push England closer to the target. The 21-year-old found support from the lower-order and an England win appeared a distinct possibility with Dean closing in on a half-century.
Freya Davies and Dean put on 35 runs for the final wicket, helping England from 118/9 to within touching distance of the target before Deepti Sharma ran Dean out before delivering the ball at the non-striker's end in her delivery stride to seal India's win.
While the dismissal garnered attention from all quarters, according to the updated ICC Playing Conditions, "running out of the non-striker" has been moved from the 'Unfair Play' section to the 'Run out' section.
The series whitewash gave India their first such win over England in an ODI series in 20 years. They had beaten England 5-0 at home in 2002. This is, however, the first time India have whitewashed a non-Asian side in a bilateral ODI series of three or more games.
It was a fitting farewell for Goswami in her final international game and her first at the historic venue since the heartbreaking loss to England in the final of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in 2017.
Brief scores: India 169 in 45.4 overs (Deepti Sharma 68 not out, Smriti Mandhana 50; Kate Cross 4-26) beat England 153 in 43.4 overs (Charlotte Dean 47, Amy Jones 28; Renuka Singh 4.29, Jhulan Goswami 2-30) by 16 runs.&nbsp;
—IANS

Indian women's cricket team gave a fitting farewell to legendary fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, on her last international game, with a 16-run victory in a low-scoring third and final T20I and 3-0 series whitewash over England at Lord's on Saturday. 

 India give Jhulan Goswami a fitting farewell with 3-0 series win over England

Karachi: England scored a thumping 63-run win over Pakistan in the third T20I, with middle-order batters Ben Duckett (70 not out) and Harry Brook (81 not out) first helping the visitors to a mammoth 221/3 and then the hosts being restricted to 158/8 at the National Stadium here on Friday evening. With the victory, England have taken a 2-1 lead in the series, and the triumph comes just a day after the visitors had suffered a humiliating 10-wicket thrashing at the same venue. This was England's highest T20I score at this stadium, and came on the back of a scorching undefeated 139-run stand between Duckett and Brook. The pair was unforgiving throughout their stay in the middle scoring at an amazing rate of over two runs per ball. Duckett made his unbeaten 70 off 42 balls with eight fours and a six, but it was Brook who was at his devastating best in the death, smashing 44 off only 17 in his 81 not out off 35 (eight fours and five sixes). England were 89/3 and shifted gears after the drinks break at the halfway stage of the innings, scoring in double-figures every over. The pair added 132 in the last 10 overs, with 69 of them being added to the visitors' total in the last five. Mohammad Hasnain was superb with the new ball, hitting perfect line and length consistently, as his first two overs leaked only 10 and got the wicket of Phil Salt, who was beaten by the pace trying to pull the right-armer's short-pitched delivery. Will Jacks, the debutant who replaced Alex Hales at the top of the order, announced his arrival at the international stage with a 22-ball 40 (eight fours) and made sure his team continued at an imposing run rate during the powerplay, hitting half of his boundaries in his 36 off 17 by the end of the first six. Usman Qadir provided the breakthrough on the second ball of his first over -- the seventh of the innings - by bowling a googly and taking the pace off it against Dawid Malan, who holed out to deep midwicket after an inside edge while attempting a reverse sweep had gone for four. Duckett began his innings with two fours in four balls, and seemed to be building a partnership with Jacks, but the latter holed out on another Qadir googly. Qadir finished with two for 48 in four. On a day when England scored at a run rate of over 11 an over, Mohammad Nawaz (none for 34) and Haris Rauf (none for 39) finished under the economy rate of 10. Pakistan required a solid start, but Mark Wood, playing his first international since November 2021 because of an injury lay-off, struck fourth ball (in the third over of the run chase) with the wicket of Babar Azam, who handed an easy catch to Reece Topley playing an uppercut. Topley struck next over rattling Mohammad Rizwan's stumps, before Adil Rashid grabbed a stunning catch at square leg off Wood, the next over, to send Haider Ali back, according to pcb.com.pk. The sixth over brought the wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed as Pakistan lost four wickets in the powerplay. Brief scores: England 221/3 in 20 overs (Harry Brook 81 not out, Ben Duckett 70 not out, Will Jacks 40; Usman Qadir 2/48) beat Pakistan 158/8 in 20 overs (Shan Masood 65 not out, Khushdil Shah 29; Mark Wood 3/24, Adil Rashid 2/32) by 63 runs.&nbsp;
—IANS

England scored a thumping 63-run win over Pakistan in the third T20I, with middle-order batters Ben Duckett (70 not out) and Harry Brook (81 not out) first helping the visitors to a mammoth 221/3 and then the hosts being restricted to 158/8 at the National Stadium here on Friday evening.

England thump Pakistan by 63 runs as Duckett, Brook score stunning half centuries

Nagpur: India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who carted Daniel Sams for 10 runs in two deliveries of the last over to help India to a six-wicket win against Australia in a truncated eight-over-a-side match, hailed skipper Rohit Sharma for his brilliant innings that helped India level the series 1-1. Sharma struck a scintillating 20-ball 46 not out that made up for the 2 hours and 30 minutes delayed start as he led from the front, blasting four boundaries and four sixes as India survived a brilliant spell by Adam Zampa (3-16) as the hosts romped to a six-wicket win with four balls to spare. Though Karthik sealed victory with nine runs needed off the eighth and final over, the 37-year-old veteran from Tamil Nadu said Rohit Sharma's innings was the better one and set up the victory. Chasing Australia's 90/5, India scored 92/4 in 7.2 overs to win by six wickets. "To come out and play such shots against a world-class bowling attack with superb. Rohit played brilliantly and he set up the win for us. I think he was a worth Player of the Match," Karthik said in the post-match press conference on Friday. Asked how he manage to pull out big shots in crunch situations after just coming in to bat, Karthik said he has been practicing for such situations, playing in the IPL for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Australia captain Aaron Finch said his team got "out-executed" in the match. "You probably plan for 5 over games and add a little bit on to it. When you are doing all your planning for World Cups you always have them in the back of your mind. We just got out-executed a little bit towards the back end," Finch said in the post-match presentation ceremony. He too praised Rohit Sharma was his brilliant innings but also singled out Axar Patel's bowling for pegging his team back on being asked to bat first. "Rohit was brilliant. And the two overs Axar bowled was probably the difference in the game. (Matthew) Wade is such a calm customer at the back end of the innings. He did a wonderful job for us. We got close," Finch signed off. Indeed, Patel made the difference for India as he halted Australia's charge by claiming two wickets in an over. But for his intervention, Australia would have managed to put in a bigger score and could have made things hander for India. But in the end, Rohit made short work of the stiff target as he led India from the front to a memorable victory.&nbsp;
—IANS

India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who carted Daniel Sams for 10 runs in two deliveries of the last over to help India to a six-wicket win against Australia in a truncated eight-over-a-side match, hailed skipper Rohit Sharma for his brilliant innings that helped India level the series 1-1.

 2nd T20I: Rohit was simply brilliant, say Karthik and Finch after India skipper blasts 46 off 20 balls

India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik, who carted Daniel Sams for 10 runs in two deliveries of the last over to help India to a six-wicket win against Australia in a truncated eight-over-a-side match, hailed skipper Rohit Sharma for his brilliant innings that helped India level the series 1-1.


Abu Dhabi: Bangladesh Women managed to defend a small total, thanks mainly to their veteran off-spinner Salma Khatun, as they defeated Thailand by 11 runs to qualify for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023. Earlier, Ireland booked their place in the showpiece event in South Africa with a four-run win over Zimbabwe. Defending 113/5 on Friday evening, built mainly on Murshida Khatun's 26 and Rumana Ahmed's unbeaten 28, Bangladesh managed to restrict Thailand Women to 102/6, with Natthakan Chantham being the lone ranger for the side, scoring 64 off 51 deliveries. Asked to bat first, Bangladesh got off to a slow start, ambling along to 27/0 at the end of the powerplay. Thailand tightened their bowling in the second half of the innings as batters got decent starts but couldn't convert them into big scores. Skipper Nigar Sultana never got going, making 17 off 24 balls before falling in the 15th over. It needed a late cameo from Rumana Ahmed, a 24-ball 28, to help Bangladesh post a total of 113/5, which still seemed below par. But Bangladesh made up for that with a strong powerplay with the ball, taking three Thailand wickets and conceding just 13 runs in the first six overs. Natthakan Chantham held the innings together from No.3, but she struggled to get support from the other end as Bangladesh kept things tight. Sanjida Akter and Salma Khatun starred with the ball for Bangladesh, taking two and three wickets each, and bowling economical spells. For Thailand, Chantham made her fifth half-century, but it wasn't enough for her team to get close enough as Bangladesh beat them to the T20 World Cup in South Africa next year. Brief scores: Bangladesh Women 113/5 (Murshida Khatun 26, Rumana Ahmed 28 not out) beat Thailand 102/6 (Natthakan Chantham 64, Salma Khatun 3/18, Sanjida Akter 2/7) by 11 runs.&nbsp;
—IANS

Bangladesh Women managed to defend a small total, thanks mainly to their veteran off-spinner Salma Khatun, as they defeated Thailand by 11 runs to qualify for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023.

Bangladesh Women secure last spot in T20 World Cup in South Africa

Bangladesh Women managed to defend a small total, thanks mainly to their veteran off-spinner Salma Khatun, as they defeated Thailand by 11 runs to qualify for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023.


Karachi: A stunning century from Babar Azam (110 not out) along with a brilliant knock (88 not out) from Mohammad Rizwan powered Pakistan to a thumping 10-wicket win in the second T20I over England and level the series 1-1 at the National Stadium, here on Thursday. After winning the toss and opting to bat first, Alex Hales and Phil Salt put on a quickfire 42-run partnership in the first five overs for England. Salt got England up and running with a six against Mohammad Nawaz and Hales followed it up with a four and six in the next over. Shahnawaz Dahani turned it around for Pakistan in the final over of the Powerplay and was on a hattrick with the wicket of Hales and Dawid Malan. England, however, did not go into a shell with Ben Duckett counter-attacking with the bat. The visitors scored seven boundaries in the next eight overs and all of them came from Duckett en route to his 22-ball 43. Just when England were once again looking dangerous, the hosts struck back with two wickets in two overs with both set batters heading back to the pavilion. Once again, the visitors fought fire with fire and took the attack to Pakistan. Harry Brook and Moeen Ali added 59 runs in just 27 balls in a partnership laced with three fours and five sixes. The captain made Pakistan pay for the dropped catch in the 18th over and finished with a flurry. With two sixes off the last two balls, Ali got to his fifty and led England to a daunting total of 199-5 in 20 overs. Needing to chase at 10 runs an over, Mohammad Rizwan made his intent clear with two boundaries in the very first over. Babar Azam too got in on the act with two boundaries of his own in the third over against Sam Curran. The carnage continued in the remaining overs of the Powerplay as the two took Pakistan to 59/0 at the end of six overs. The boundaries continued to flow even after the fielding restrictions ended as both Rizwan and Babar got to their fifties in 30 and 39 balls respectively. Moeen's decision to bring himself on backfired as the two openers smashed three sixes to accumulate 21 runs from the over. Adil Rashid was dealt with similar disdain as he was smacked for two sixes in the 15th over. The Pakistan captain became even more dangerous once he got to his half-century. After reaching his fifty in 39 balls, he only needed 23 more balls to reach his three-figure milestone. With his 62-ball century, he became the first Pakistani batter to score two T20I centuries. The two star batters remained unbeaten as they chased down the total with three balls to spare and level the series 1-1. Brief scores: England 199/5 in 20 overs (Moeen Ali 55 not out, Ben Duckett 43; Haris Rauf 2-30) lost to Pakistan 203/0 in 19.3 overs (Babar Azam 110 not , Mohammad Rizwan 88 not out) by 10 wickets.&nbsp;
—IANS

A stunning century from Babar Azam (110 not out) along with a brilliant knock (88 not out) from Mohammad Rizwan powered Pakistan to a thumping 10-wicket win in the second T20I over England and level the series 1-1 at the National Stadium, here on Thursday.

 2nd T20I: Babar, Rizwan power Pakistan to thumping 10-wicket win over England

New York: A day after he courted controversy, sensationally quitting his game with American star Hans Niemann after playing just one move, world champion Magnus Carlsen let his chess do the talking in the Julius Baer Generation Cup -- the seventh leg of the USD1.6 million Meltwater Champions Chess Tour -- wresting back the lead on an entertaining day of chess. Ahead of the final day of the preliminary stage, the Norwegian overhauled Indian youngster Arjun Erigaisi on the leaderboard with three wins and a draw to finish with 25 out of a maximum 36 points so far on Wednesday (IST). Carlsen managed to emerge leader despite having controversially thrown his Round 6 game against Hans Niemann, seemingly in protest over alleged cheating. Meanwhile, Erigaisi, who hails from Warangal in the south Indian state of Telangana, has been on fire in the ongoing event but lost only his second game on Tuesday and trails Carlsen by just one point. Fellow Indian Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa remains a danger in fourth, with Vietnam's Liem Quang Le in third. German's Vincent Keymer lifted himself up level on 19/36 with a Round 12 win. All five are nearly home and primed for the Meltwater Champions Chess Tour event's knockout stage which starts on Thursday along with Polish ace Jan-Krzysztof Duda. However, a series of big names are at risk of failing to make the cut tomorrow when the field of 16 is halved. These include Levon Aronian, Anish Giri and Ukrainian legend Vasyl Ivanchuk. Hans Niemann, the controversial American who Carlsen refused to play a full game against in Round 6, briefly dropped out of the qualification spots before crushing Aronian in just 21 moves. He stands in sixth. There was a shock Round 9 win for the youngest player in the event, 15-year-old American Christopher Yoo, who beat Giri. Round 10 saw a huge generational tussle -- fitting with the theme of the event -- between Carlsen, of 1990 vintage, and Vasyl Ivanchuk, the elder statesman in the event. Carlsen missed a chance to win instantly and then went into full defence mode, setting up a fortress in an attempt to hang on for the draw against the endgame master. After 123 high-quality moves and 70 minutes of play, Ivanchuk managed it and maintained his positive head-to-head score against Carlsen in rapid chess.&nbsp;
—IANS

A day after he courted controversy, sensationally quitting his game with American star Hans Niemann after playing just one move, world champion Magnus Carlsen let his chess do the talking in the Julius Baer Generation Cup -- the seventh leg of the USD1.6 million Meltwater Champions Chess Tour -- wresting back the lead on an entertaining day of chess.

Julius Baer chess: Carlsen wrests back the lead; India's Erigaisi just a point adrift

A day after he courted controversy, sensationally quitting his game with American star Hans Niemann after playing just one move, world champion Magnus Carlsen let his chess do the talking in the Julius Baer Generation Cup -- the seventh leg of the USD1.6 million Meltwater Champions Chess Tour -- wresting back the lead on an entertaining day of chess.


Karachi: England opening batter Alex Hales, returning to the side after more than three years, blasted a half-century as the visitors defeated Pakistan by six wickets with four balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the seven-match T20I series at the National Stadium here. With Pakistan and England priming for the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, Hales' stunning return to the international game -- aided by seven boundaries -- and Harry Brook's hitting at the back end, helped England overhaul Pakistan's 158/7 in 19.2 overs. With Hales giving a superb account of himself in just his maiden outing for England in three-and-a-half years, the opener could well be a key player in their campaign in the T20 World Cup next month. The opener moved England to 47/1 from the powerplay with Phil Salt (10) and Dawid Malan (20), and pushed along all the way until the 17th over, where he eventually fell to Haris Rauf. Replacing Jonny Bairstow in the T20 World Cup squad after his freak injury, Hales, who boasts extensive domestic experience in Australia (Big Bash League) and Pakistan (Pakistan Super League), now should lead England's tournament charge opening the batting. Pakistan, on the the other hand, were once again troubled by their lower-order batting, which again failed to fire, though the openers looked reliable. At 87/1 at the halfway mark, the platform was set for a total of 175 or more, only for a second half of 71/6, which left the host with a below-par 158. Babar Azam's side scored just 38 in the final five overs, with the loss of Mohammad Rizwan (68 off 46 balls) in the 15th over preventing a late onslaught. Iftikhar Ahmed (28 off 17 balls) tried his best, though couldn't find a partner to join him, as Shan Masood (7), Mohammad Nawaz (4) and Khushdil Shah (5) went cheaply. Asif Ali's heroics at last year's T20 World Cup are fresh in the memory, though it remains unclear who will be trusted at the death in next month's tournament. Playing his fifth T20I, Harry Brook enjoyed his best outing so far for English, making an unbeaten 42 from 25 balls, and steering his side home in the final over. Brook looked arguably the most comfortable of the English batters on the Karachi surface, hitting seven boundaries, the last of which sealing the game. The No.5 joined Hales with England needing eight runs per over, and showed maturity that belied both his age and experience, bringing the required rate down gradually in a calculated manner. Brief scores: Pakistan 158/7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 61, Babar Azam 31; Luke Wood 3/24, Adil Rashid 2/27) lost to England 160/4 in 19.2 overs (Alex Hales 53, Harry Brook 42 not out) by six wickets.&nbsp;
—IANS

England opening batter Alex Hales, returning to the side after more than three years, blasted a half-century as the visitors defeated Pakistan by six wickets with four balls to spare to take a 1-0 lead in the seven-match T20I series at the National Stadium here.

Alex Hales smashes half-century on England return as Pakistan suffer loss in opening T20I

Mohali: Australia produced a dominating performance to beat India by four wickets in the first T20I, to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, here on Tuesday.
Brilliant fifties by Hardik Pandya and K.L Rahul and a vital knock by Suryakumar Yadav powered India to 208/6 in 20 overs. While India lost the wickets of Rohit and Kohli inside the first six overs, there was a great show of intent by Hardik (71 not out off 30), KL Rahul (55 off 35) and Suryakumar (46 off 25).
For Australia, medium pacer Nathan Ellis 3/30 was the pick of the bowlers.
Chasing a big target, opener Cameron Green played a sensational knock (61) and gave Australia a flying start. However, India made a comeback by picking four wickets between the 11th and 15th over.
Eventually, Australia needed 40 runs more off the last 18 balls and Matthew Wade (45 not out off 21) played an attacking knock. He remained not out to take Australia over the victory line in 19.2 Overs with four wickets in hand.
Axar Patel was the most successful bowler for India with 3/17 while others were ordinary.
Brief scores: India 208/6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 71 not out, KL Rahul 55; Nathan Elis 3/30, Josh Hazlewood 2/39) lost to Australia 211/6 in 19.2 overs (Cameron Green 61, Matthew Wade 45 not out; Axar Patel 3/17 by 4 wickets
–IANS

Australia produced a dominating performance to beat India by four wickets in the first T20I, to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, here on Tuesday.

1st T20I: Australia Beat India By 4 Wickets, Take 1-0 Lead In 3-Match Series

Dubai: India opener Smriti Mandhana, following her recent performance in the three-match series against England, has taken the No. 2 spot in the ICC T20I rankings for batters, pushing Australian stalwart Meg Lanning to the third spot while also having the top spot -- currently held by another Australian Beth Mooney -- in her sights.
Mooney is leading the T20I batters' table with 743 points, while Mandhana is second with 731 and Lanning third with 725 points in the latest ICC rankings released on Tuesday.
Mandhana scored 111 runs during the three-match series and that helped the 26-year-old rise two spots to second overall on the latest list for T20I batters.
New Zealand counterpart Sophie Devine (715) also lost a place to the in-form India batter. India's young opener Shafali Verma is sixth with 666 points.
Mandhana also made an eye-catching move up the rankings for ODI batters, following her impressive start to the ongoing three-game series against England. The left-hander smashed a superb 91 during India's seven-wicket triumph in the opening match of the series in Hove and was rewarded by rising three places to seventh overall on the list for batters.
Several of Mandhana's team-mates also made big strides, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (up four places to ninth) and Yastika Bhatia (up eight spots to 37th) big movers following half-centuries in that match.
England pacer Kate Cross picked up two wickets in that same game and jumped three spots to 10th overall on the list for ODI bowlers, while team-mate Charlotte Dean moves up four spots to 20th.
India spinner Deepti Sharma collected her own two-wicket haul during that same game she jumps six spots to 12th on the rankings for ODI bowlers as a result.
England star Nat Sciver opted to skip the India series to focus on mental health and wellbeing and the 30-year-old lost her top ranking on the ODI all-rounders list to Australia veteran Ellyse Perry as a result.—IANS

India opener Smriti Mandhana, following her recent performance in the three-match series against England, has taken the No. 2 spot in the ICC T20I rankings for batters, pushing Australian stalwart Meg Lanning to the third spot while also having the top spot -- currently held by another Australian Beth Mooney -- in her sights.

Mandhana No.2 In Latest Icc T20 Ranking For Batters; Displaces Australian Stalwart Lanning

New Delhi: A senior All India Football Federation (AIFF) official has trashed former India star player Bhaichung Bhutia's allegations that he was not allowed to speak on the appointment of Shaji Prabhakaran as secretary-general of the football governing body during the Executive Committee meeting despite making a prior request to the federation.Bhutia, the former India captain and ace forward, had said on Monday following the AIFF Executive Committee meeting -- to which he is a co-opted member -- he was not allowed to speak about the appointment of Prabhakaran as AIFF secretary-general for which he had made a request much before schedule. Bhutia also said he was keeping the legal option open.An AIFF official, close to the development, told IANS that no doubt Bhutia was a great player but whatever the former India captain told reporters after Monday's meeting, "is far from the truth." The AIFF official said that Monday's meeting started with the note, "Confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting." In the earlier meeting on September 3, held at Football House, Prabhakaran was appointed the AIFF secretary general."When this point was raised, which included Prabhakaran's appointment as secretary-general, nobody raised any objection... so we passed it unanimously. Why didn't Bhutia raise any question?," the official asked."In fact, when the U-17 Women's World Cup issue, the Padma awards and National Sports awards were discussed, Bhutia did speak and gave his views," the official said. "Not only that, even one of his suggestions was accepted by the committee," the official further said.The last point on the agenda of Monday's meeting was, "Any other matter to be discussed with the permission of the chair." "When it was asked if anyone wants to say something, else we will end the meeting here... even then Bhutia did not raise the issue he wanted to discuss and for which he had written a letter asking the Executive Committee to add it in the agenda."Ajit Banerjee, the president of the Indian Football Association (IFA) -- a special invitee to the meeting as it was being held in Kolkata - took the opportunity to speak about the problems being faced while arranging the local league and to prepare the domestic calendar in a proper manner."Bhutia, who was sitting just a few chairs away from Banerjee, didn't speak even then and now he is crying foul," the official concluded.Bhutia had earlier written to the AIFF questioning Prabhakaran's appointment, a copy of which is with IANS."Attendance of Dr. Prabhakaran is not recorded in the roll call. But, on a reading of the draft minutes, it appears that despite not being a member of the Executive Committee, he remained present throughout the meeting."Clarifying the issue, the AIFF official said, "This (Bhutia) statement is incorrect as Prabhakaran was away in Mumbai on September 3, when the meeting was being held in Delhi."—IANS

A senior All India Football Federation (AIFF) official has trashed former India star player Bhaichung Bhutia's allegations that he was not allowed to speak on the appointment of Shaji Prabhakaran as secretary-general of the football governing body during the Executive Committee meeting despite making a prior request to the federation.

AIFF Official Trashes Bhutia's Allegations That He Was Not Allowed To Speak During Meeting

Marrakech (Morocco): Paralympic Games silver medallist high jumper Nishad Kumar set a new Asian record while Neeraj Yadav set a new National Record on his way to gold in the Marrakech Para Athletics Grand Prix in Morocco. On the final day, Neeraj won the gold medal in the discus throw F55/56 category as India ended the prestigious meet with 19 medals -- eight gold, eight silver and three bronze medals. Nishad won silve and set the new record in the process. Ajeet Kumar won gold in the javelin throw F46 category while compatriot and two-time Paralympic gold medallist Devendra Jhajaria won silver. Ramsinghbhai Govindbhai won gold in long jump T42 as did Vinay Kumar Lal in men's 400m T20/35/36/44 as did Deepthi Jeevanji in women's 400m T-13/20/37. Sprinter Shiek Abdul Kadhar won the 100m T46 race while Neeraj Yadav also topped the Discus Throw F56. Hokato Sema won silver in shotput F57 while Ajit Kumar Panchal won silver in the Discus F52 category. Anil Kumar (100m T54), Shailesh Kumar (Long Jump T42) and Mohd Yasser (Shot put F42/43/44/46) also won silver medals. Ranjeet Bhati (Javelin F57), Fathima Khatoon (Discus F56) and Shailesh Kumar (High Jump T42/47). Nearly 120 track and field medal events were conducted at the Grand Stadium de Marrakech with plenty of local stars to watch. This was the first time in the history of para-athletics, Morocco hosted a World Para Athletics Grand Prix.
—IANS&nbsp;

Paralympic Games silver medallist high jumper Nishad Kumar set a new Asian record while Neeraj Yadav set a new National Record on his way to gold in the Marrakech Para Athletics Grand Prix in Morocco.

 Indian athletes shine in Marrakech Para Athletics Grand Prix with 19 medals

Athletics

New Delhi: Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir wants the hosts to start off the T20I series against Australia with left-handed wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in the playing eleven, instead of veteran Dinesh Karthik. In Asia Cup 2022, India oscillated between picking Karthik, a specialist finisher, and Pant, a left-hander who can bat anywhere from top to middle order.
With both named in India's squad for the T20Is against Australia, South Africa and the T20 World Cup, it gives captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid ample time to see who amongst Karthik and Pant can be a better fit for the Indian team. "To start off with (in the series), Rishabh Pant. Because I have said it in the past as well, you don't pick a T20 player in your playing eleven only to play 10-12 balls. There is no guarantee/surety that he is going to win you games. Dinesh Karthik, unfortunately, has shown no interest in batting in the top five.
"Your wicket-keeper has to be able to bat in the top five and Rishabh Pant has that quality to bat at any number for that matter, number three, four, five," said Gambhir while replying to a query from IANS in the virtual press conference organised by Star Sports.
Gambhir further elaborated on how having Pant in the eleven will get India to have six bowling options. "I will definitely have Rishabh Pant in my batting order. I don't believe in the notion that you need a left-hander in the middle-order. That's not the criteria in the playing eleven, especially in a side like India. The criteria should be 'do you have the ability to win a game?', and Rishabh Pant has that ability to win the game, especially at number five. "So, Pant to start with at number five, Hardik Pandya at six, Axar at seven and see if you want to Ashwin at eight, followed by three seamers. I won't play a wrist-spinner as Ashwin can do the job which will be useful in Australia. So, Rishabh Pant is the one to start with."
Asked if he saw the possibility of having both Pant and Karthik in the playing eleven, Gambhir didn't see much value in it. "You can't do that. If you do that, you will miss out on a sixth bowler and you would not go into the World Cup with only five genuine bowlers. You need to have a backup. Unless you drop someone like a Suryakumar Yadav, or KL Rahul has a bad tournament... and you can start with Rishabh Pant opening the batting."
"Otherwise, I don't see both these guys playing in the middle-order. I feel that can't happen, India has to go with a sixth bowler. It could be Hooda, Axar Patel, Ashwin and three fast bowlers and Hardik Pandya. I don't see both these guys playing together."—IANS

Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir wants the hosts to start off the T20I series against Australia with left-handed wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant in the playing eleven, instead of veteran Dinesh Karthik.

Gambhir Wants India To Start Australia T20I Series With Pant Instead Of Karthik

New Delhi: The recent Supreme Court judgement, which allowed BCCI to make amendments in its constitution to relax the much-debated and mandatory three-year cooling-off period, has paved the way for BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah to continue for another term in office.
As per the new order, the cooling-off period for office-bearers will kick in after two consecutive terms at either the BCCI or at the state association level. So the office-bearers can now have a maximum of 12 years at one go: Two three-year terms at the state association level and two three-year terms at the BCCI, and after this, the cooling-off period will be applicable.
Before joining BCCI in October 2019, both Ganguly and Shah had already served one term each at the state level, which meant that they would have been disqualified under the existing rule. However, the latest Supreme Court decision has come as a big relief for them.
According to reports, the 33-year old Jay Shah has the backing of many state associations and he could be the next BCCI president. The Indian board is soon going to call its annual general body meeting and notices will be issued to state associations for fresh elections. With Shah taking the top position in the BCCI, former Indian captain Ganguly could take on the ICC chairman's role. However, only time will tell about these developments. Before the fresh election, IANS takes a look at the journey and background of current office-bearers in cricket administration.
Sourav Ganguly, President
Touted as one of the visionaries and legendary captains, Ganguly played his last match for India in November 2008. He entered into the cricket administration field as the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) secretary in 2014 and then president in late 2015.
He has been the president of the BCCI since October 2019
Jay Shah, Secretary
The 33-year-old Shah is the youngest office-bearer in the BCCI. Jay, who is Home Minister Amit Shah's son, has been with the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) since 2009.
After serving as an executive board member of the Central Board of Cricket, Ahmedabad, starting 2009, he became the joint secretary of the GCA in September 2013. During his tenure as joint secretary, he oversaw GCA's construction of the Narendra Modi Stadium, in Ahmedabad, along with his father Amit Shah who was GCA president at the time.
Jay Shah became a member of the finance and marketing committees of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 2015. He stepped down from the position of GCA joint secretary in September 2019.
The following month, he was elected as the secretary of BCCI and has been in the post since then. In December 2019, the BCCI selected Shah as its representative for future CEC meetings of the International Cricket Council. In January 2021, the Asian Cricket Council appointed Jay Shah as president.
Arun Singh Dhumal, Treasurer
Dhumal also hails from a political family with his elder brother Anurag Thakur currently being the Union Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs and Minister of Information and Broadcasting. Before joining the BCCI, Dhumal served as vice-president of Himachal cricket body, HPCA between 2012 and 2015 when Thakur was its president.
He also led a three-member ad-hoc committee which was formed to run HPCA in the wake of the Lodha panel recommendations to reform Indian cricket and also has the experience of representing HPCA in the BCCI.
Jayesh George, Joint Secretary
George has years of experience in cricket administration, having been part of Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) as its secretary, joint secretary, treasurer and the president as well. He was part of the KCA since 2005, before joining the BCCI.
Rajeev Shukla, Vice President
Shukla, an Indian politician, former journalist, political commentator and the former chairman of the Indian Premier League, was elected as vice-president of BCCI unopposed on Dec 18, 2020. The post of vice-president became vacant after Mahim Verma stepped down and returned to his home state, Uttarakhand where he was elected as secretary of the state's association once again.—IANS

The recent Supreme Court judgement, which allowed BCCI to make amendments in its constitution to relax the much-debated and mandatory three-year cooling-off period, has paved the way for BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah to continue for another term in office.

Team Ganguly-Shah: Tracking The Journeys Of Key BCCI Office-Bearers

New Delhi: The recent Supreme Court judgement which allowed BCCI to make amendments in its constitution to relax the mandatory three-year cooling-off period and in implementation of other key reforms, could have the long-lasting effect -- good or bad -- on cricket administration in India.
According to the BCCI constitution, an office-bearer who has held any post for two consecutive terms (three years per term), at a state association or in the BCCI or a combination of the two, shall not be eligible to contest an election without completing a cooling-off period of three years. During the cooling-off period, the person cannot serve in any capacity at either the BCCI or at the state level.
However, as per the new order/constitution amendment, the cooling-off period for office-bearers will kick in after two consecutive terms at either the BCCI or at the state association level.
So the office-bearers can now have a maximum of 12 years at one go: Two three-year terms at the state association level and two three-year terms at the BCCI, and after this, the cooling-off period will be applicable.
Notably, in December 2019, the BCCI had approached the Supreme Court to modify its own judgement of 2018, which asked for several amendments to the cricket board's constitution.
On September 14, 2022, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court -- Justices DY Chandrachud and Hima Kohli -- accepted a majority of those amendments, thus rolling back to a large extent the reforms recommended by the RM Lodha Committee in 2016, which were meant to revamp the BCCI's functioning and structure.
Merit of continuity at the top post
During the hearing on the much-debated cooling-off clause in the Supreme Court, the BCCI said that continuity and longer terms are important for office-bearers to serve Indian cricket better. For example, if an able administrator had a grand vision to build a grand stadium in his state, he would need to be in power for a few terms at a stretch, they argued.
Another example they gave is that the BCCI representative at the ICC first needed to be seen as a "regular" to understand the equations, get influential, be one among the boys and protect India's interest in world cricket. The top court found merit in their plea and the cooling-off clause was eventually tweaked.
Undoubtedly, the BCCI is one of the richest and powerful cricket boards across the world. The past and present office-bearers have ensured good relationships with other cricket boards, which is going to get even more stronger if continuity is maintained. It will also help in crucial decision making, which a new administration in office, would perhaps not take.
The case for 'cooling-off period'
The 'cooling-off period' was a major recommendation made by the Justice RM Lodha Committee to reform cricket administration in the country. As per Lodha, the idea was to have impartial cricket administrators and ensure that there is no monopoly.
''The idea was to have impartial cricket administrators and ensure that no monopoly is created by certain administrators who hold on to posts, year after year. With the presence of IPL in cricket, we wanted no monopoly from any person or body of persons,'' Justice Lodha said after the recent Supreme Court order.
''Every three years, new people come. After a cooling off period, you contest again. If you think continuity is so important, there is no point in having the concept of cooling off at all,'' he added.
The problem with the sports administrators in India is, once they occupy the top post, they don't want to leave it. The BCCI might have only few with that issue, but other sports in India have seen many administrators, who have occupied the chair for a long duration and did very little for the welfare of the game.
Even the courts have intervened to remove them from their posts for the better functioning of that sports body.
Politicians get a breather
There is no certainty whether a good sportsperson will become a good administrator. Likewise, a politician can also become a great or ordinary administrator -- at least the previous regimes have shown us that.
While implementing the Lodha Committee recommendations in 2016, the Supreme Court had ruled that no minister and public servant can become a member in the BCCI. The reference to public servants meant MPs and MLAs.
The directive to bar ministers from holding a post still stands, but the Court in the recent hearing agreed to change the clause which now allows MPs and MLAs to be part of state associations and the BCCI. In the current scenario, this amendment would be seen as a big relief for office-bearers like Rajeev Shukla, the vice-president of the BCCI, who recently became a member of the Rajya Sabha.
The entry of MPs and MLAs in the state associations and BCCI can change the whole ball game. For example, if a sportsperson wants to contest elections for a post in a sports body, he will face a serious challenge from a politician candidate to garner votes and win. Eventually, it will lead to less representation of sports personalities in the administration.
All associations to have a vote
The Lodha Committee had recommended that each state should have just one vote even if some had more than one cricket association. This led to a problem because even entities like Railways and Services lost their right to vote at BCCI AGMs.
However, the court has now re-established the voting rights of all associations that field a team in the Indian domestic circuit. Earlier, due to the Lodha Committee recommendations, cricket units like Vidarbha and Mumbai (both part of Maharashtra state, which also has the Maharashtra Cricket Association), and Baroda and Saurashtra (both part of Gujarat, which also has the Gujarat Cricket Association) were suffering, as each state had only one vote. That meant the vote was rotated among the three associations of these states.—IANS

The recent Supreme Court judgement which allowed BCCI to make amendments in its constitution to relax the mandatory three-year cooling-off period and in implementation of other key reforms, could have the long-lasting effect -- good or bad -- on cricket administration in India.

Decoding SC's BCCI Verdict & Its Likely Impact On Indian Cricket

New Delhi: One of the most critical voices against corruption in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Delhi &amp; District Cricket Association (DDCA), cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad has expressed his concern over the Supreme Court order to amend the constitution of the country's cricket governing body, saying it will lead to the same situation which prevailed before 2016.
The 63-year-old Azad said that the committee constituted by the then Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur to correct anomalies in the BCCI had made certain observations, but, unfortunately, those points, which are most important, had been removed in the new judgment. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court has allowed the BCCI plea in connection with the amendments proposed to its Constitution to relax the cooling-off period requirement. The decision will allow the current set of office-bearers, led by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, to be in office until 2025.
Ganguly and Shah had already served one term each at the state and BCCI levels and would have been disqualified under the existing rule. However, they can now serve an additional term in the BCCI. The whole conflict between the BCCI and Supreme Court started long ago and has seen a lot of twists and turns.
Asked about his thoughts on the Supreme Court judgment, the 1983 World Cup-winning team member Kirti Azad said, "It (BCCI functioning) will get back to what it used to be before 2016. And we will find a lot of these frauds taking place again and the thing will carry on. Politicians will take over and the crooks will rule the roost.
"Corruption now will be rampant, more than before it was in 2016. There is no transparency and we all know people belonging to really big political, influential families have taken over," Azad told IANS.
"Crores of rupees were spent on that (court cases) with all the state associations putting up the costliest advocates they could find. The BCCI did the same. We also fought. We had lawyers with us who did pro bono cases and it's unfortunate that these things have happened. I've also read Justice RM Lodha's press statements in an interview; he himself has said that the tenure was the most important part of it," he told IANS.
Asked why the BCCI has been reluctant and edgy about the cooling-off period, he said, "Because, the BCCI does not need any kind of experience. But unfortunately, things have changed and everybody knows why it has happened."
Kirti Azad said he was the first one to raise his voice against corruption in the DDCA and wanted to expose the ones responsible for it.
"I was suspended for exposing Arun Jaitley's corruption in the DDCA and in the BCCI. I was the whistle-blower and suspended by the Bharatiya Janata Party. I don't know why. It was not me (alone) who was talking about corruption. It was the Serious Fraud and Investigation Office (SFIO) report and former Supreme Court judge Vikramajit Sen's report, who was the administrator of the DDCA," Azad told IANS.
"I had gone to the honourable Delhi High Court in front of the double bench and pleaded my case. There should be an administrator. And that is how it was appointed. Even in the order of the double bench, they had mentioned my name that Kirti Azad, former international cricketer, World Cup champion has also appeared.—IANS

One of the most critical voices against corruption in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad has expressed his concern over the Supreme Court order to amend the constitution of the country's cricket governing body, saying it will lead to the same situation which prevailed before 2016.