Dhoni accused of lying to IPL probe panel

March 28, 2014

New Delhi/Mumbai, Mar 28: India cricket captain MS Dhoni gave a false statement to protect Gurunath Meiyappan in the IPL fixing scandal, the Supreme Court was told Thursday. If true, the charge can even lead to a life ban for breach of the BCCI’s anti-corruption code.Gurunath_Meiyappan

Appearing before the justice Mudgal committee that the scandal, Dhoni, who captains Chennai Super Kings in IPL, said Meiyappan, the son-in-law of BCCI chief N Srinivasan, was a mere cricket enthusiast and had nothing to do with CSK.

“The captain of the Indian team is guilty of corrupt practice,” senior counsel Harish Salve told the court which was taken aback when told that Dhoni was also the vice-president of Srinivasan’s India Cements that owns CSK.

Dhoni gave a “false statement to get him (Meiyappan) off the hook. He indulged in a cover-up which is a corrupt act”, said Salve appearing for Aditya Verma, petitioner and secretary of the Cricket Bihar Association (CAB).

In its report, the Mudgal panel said Meiyappan, arrested on charges of betting and passing team information before being released on bail, was indeed a CSK official.

Quoting from the Mudgal report, Salve said, “There is evidence in the form of India Cements’ letter asking BCCI to issue passes for Meiyappan under the title of team owner.”

According to the report, Dhoni said Meiyappan held no shares in the company that owned CSK and hence, could not be considered a CSK owner.

“Further, Dhoni took the stand that Meiyappan had nothing to do with the cricketing affairs of Chennai Super Kings and was a mere cricket enthusiast,” the report said. The Mudgal panel though established that Meiyappan was a team official as per IPL rules.

If proved, this could mean Dhoni flouted the BCCI’s anti-corruption code. It says a participant who covers-up or is otherwise complicit in any acts or omissions committed by his/her coach, trainer, manager, agent, family member, guest or other affiliate shall be treated as having committed such acts or omissions himself and shall be liable accordingly.

The offence can invite punishment ranging from one-year to a life ban. The BCCI disciplinary committee can also let off the player with a fine.

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News Network
June 13,2020

Mumbai, Jun 13: Vasant Raiji, who was India's oldest first-class cricketer at 100, died in Mumbai in the wee hours of Saturday.

Raiji was 100 years old and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

"He (Raiji) passed away at 2.20 am in his sleep at his residence in Walkeshwar in South Mumbai due to old-age," his son-in-law Sudarshan Nanavati told PTI.

Raiji, a right-handed batsman, played nine first-class matches in the 1940s, scoring 277 runs with 68 being his highest score.

He made his debut for a Cricket Club of India team that played Central Provinces and Berar in Nagpur in 1939.

His Mumbai debut happened in 1941 when the team played Western India under the leadership of Vijay Merchant.

Raiji, also a cricket historian and chartered accountant, was 13 when India played its first Test match at the Bombay Gymkhana in South Mumbai.

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and former Australian skipper Steve Waugh had paid a courtesy visit to Raiji at his residence in January when he had turned 100.

It has been learnt that the cremation will take place at the Chandanwadi crematorium in South Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.

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News Network
May 18,2020

Karachi, May 18: Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan believes it is at least five years too early to compare Virat Kohli and Babar Azam as the Indian skipper has proven himself in "every kind of situation" and the latter has not.

"Virat Kohli is far more experienced than Babar. He has at least five years more experience of top cricket and he is at the peak of his career," said Younis, Pakistan's leading run-getter in Tests.

"Kohli has far more exposure than Babar and he has been in every kind of situation and proven himself. No one gets 70 international centuries like that and this are proof of his class and abilities. He has scored runs in every situation and all opposition."

Younis said said Babar still has a long way to go.

"Babar has been in top cricket for just around five years. He has got a very impressive batting average across all three formats and he is getting better by the day.

"You see him batting and you can see he has got the same qualities that Kohli had at the start of his career."

Besides amassing 70 international hundreds, 31-year-old Kohli averages more than 50 in all three formats. The India skipper has scored more than 20,000 runs while 25-year-old Babar has 6680 runs across formats though the Pakistan limited overs skipper has played significantly lesser number of games.

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News Network
February 18,2020

Feb 18: Spinner Poonam Yadav claimed three wickets as India geared up for the ICC women's T20 World Cup with a thrilling two-run win over the West Indies in a low-scoring warm-up match in Brisbane on Tuesday. Electing to bat, India posted a lowly 107/8 in their stipulated 20 overs before returning to restrict the West Indies to 105/7. Chasing 108 to win, West Indies were comfortably placed at 57 for one in 13 overs when Deepti Sharma struck, cleaning up opener Lee-Ann Kirby (42) to trigger a collapse. Soon skipper Stafanie Taylor (16), Chedean Nation (0) and Deandra Dottin (1) were back in the hut as West Indies slipped to 67 for five in the 17th over.

Hayley Matthews (25) and Chinelle Henry (17) blasted three fours and a six in the 19th over to leave them with 11 to get off the last six balls.

Henry blasted Poonam for a four but the Indian dismissed Matthews in the fourth ball.

West Indies needed three runs off the last ball but Henry was caught by Veda Krishnamurthy.

Earlier, India's top-three failed to fire as they were reduced to 17 for three in 3.1 overs.

Opener Smriti Mandhana (4) lasted just six balls, while Jemimah Rodrigues (0) failed to open her account.

Young Shafali Verma blasted a couple of fours before being caught by Britney Cooper off Shamilia Connell (2/20).

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (11), too, didn't stay long, while Krishnamurthy was cleaned up by Afy Fletcher (1/26), as India slumped to 52 for five in 11.2 overs.

Deepti Sharma made a 32-ball 21 before becoming a victim of Anisa Mohammed (2/16), while Pooja Vastrakar (13) was removed by Aaliyah Alleyne (1/9).

Stafanie taylor then got rid of Taniya Bhatia for 10. Shikha Pandey finally smashed a 16-ball 24 to give some respectability to the total.

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