Arjuna Ranatunga alleges 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka was fixed

Agencies
July 15, 2017

New Delhi, Jul 15: In a shocking development, former Sri Lankan great Arjuna Ranatunga has alleged that the 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka was fixed.

According to a report in Sri Lanka`s English newspaper Daily Mirror, Ranatunga, while reacting to former skipper Kumar Sangakkara`s comments on whose behest the 2009 tour of Pakistan was arranged, said: "Sangakkara wants an inquiry into the tour of Pakistan then they should have one. But I think we should also inquire into what happened to the Sri Lanka team during the 2011 World Cup final. I think this is something that the Sports Minister should look into rather than concentrating on fitness issues."

Ranatunga, who was on commentary duty during the World Cup final which was hosted in Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium, has taken the war of words with Sangakkara to a different level.

The 53-year-old, who is now Sri Lanka`s Minister of Petroleum and Renewable Resources, also demanded an inquiry into the result of the match at a press conference at the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation office in Colombo.

"I cannot reveal what happened on that day, but I would someday reveal the truth. So, I think we should hold an inquiry into this matter," he added.

Under Sangakkara's captaincy, the Lankan Tigers posted a total of 274 runs batting first, which was successfully chased down by the Men in Blue as a result of two stupendous knocks from Gautam Gambhir (97) and skipper MS Dhoni (91 not out).

Earlier, Sangakkara had asked for an inquiry into why the team was sent to Pakistan when there were no proper answers to security concerns.

In March 2009, militants attacked the Lankan cricket team bus in Lahore, killing six Pakistani policemen and injuring some of the visiting players.

No top-ranked team has toured Pakistan since.

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Agencies
April 12,2020

London, Apr 12: Former Formula 1 legendary driver Stirling Moss died at the age of 90 on Sunday.

"All at F1 send our heartfelt condolences to Lady Susie and Sir Stirling's family and friends," Formula 1 said in a statement.

Often referred to as the greatest driver never to win the world championship, Moss contested 66 Grands Prix from 1951 to 1961, driving for the likes of Vanwall, Maserati and Mercedes, where he famously formed a contented and ruthlessly effective partnership with lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

In his 10-year-long stint at the tracks, Moss took 16 wins, some of which rank among the truly iconic drives in the sport's history - his 1961 victories in Monaco and Germany in particular often held up as all-time classics.

Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia on public roads for Mercedes at an average speed of close to 100mph, while he also competed in rallies and land-speed attempts.

Following an enforced retirement from racing (barring a brief comeback in saloon cars in the 1980s) after a major crash at Goodwood in 1962, Moss maintained a presence in Formula 1 as both a sports correspondent and an interested observer, before retiring from public life in January of 2018.

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News Network
July 2,2020

Jul 2: Cricket Australia has decided to not use the Dukes ball from this summer's Sheffield Shield, having used it alongside Kookaburra for four seasons.

CA has confirmed that the Kookaburra ball will be used for the entire 2020-21 first-class season.

Australia has been using Dukes ball since the 2016-17 season in Shield matches with an aim to help its cricketers prepare for the hostile English conditions.

CA's Head of Cricket Operations, Peter Roach, said the decision to axe the Dukes was the right call. "The introduction of the Dukes ball has been a worthwhile exercise, particularly in the lead up to overseas Ashes series where the Dukes is used so well by our English opponents," Roach said.

"We have been happy with how the ball has performed when used in Australian conditions over the past four seasons. We do, however, feel that reverting to one ball for 2020-21 will provide the consistent examination of our players over a full season that CA and the states are presently seeking. The Kookaburra is the ball used for international cricket in Australia and many parts of the world and we see benefits this season of maximising our use of it," he added.

Roach said the ineffectiveness of spinners in first-class cricket in recent times played a role in CA's decision to do away with the Dukes. "We have noted that spin bowlers in the Sheffield Shield have been playing less of a role in recent seasons, most notably in games when the Dukes ball is in use. We need spinners bowling in first-class cricket and we need our batters facing spin. We hope that the change to one ball will have a positive benefit here," he said.

The CA official, however, didn't rule out the possibility of re-introducing it later.

"We see a definite opportunity to reintroduce the Dukes ball at some stage in the future."

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News Network
July 16,2020

Kolkata, Jul 16: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday went into home quarantine after his elder brother and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) joint secretary Snehasish Ganguly tested positive for Covid-19.

Snehasish, a former Bengal first-class player, has been admitted to the Belle Vue hospital in Kolkata after his COVID report came positive.

"He was suffering from fever for the last few days and his test report came positive today. He's been admitted to Belle Vue Hospital," a CAB official said.

"The reports arrived late in the evening. As per health protocols, even Sourav will have to be in home quarantine for a stipulated period," a source close to the BCCI President added.

Snehasish had shifted to their ancestral house, where Sourav is based, in Behala after his wife and in-laws at his Mominpur residence tested positive for the dreaded virus.

The former India captain was, however, unavailable for a comment on the development.

Recently, during an interview to India Today, Sourav had spoken about how life around him has changed, making people more vulnerable.

"My brother visits our factories everyday and he is more at risk," the former batting star had said

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