Feared not scoring ton for Australia again, says Warner

Agencies
June 13, 2019

Taunton, Jun 13: David Warner had feared not scoring a hundred in international cricket following his ball-tampering ban but the Australian opener dispelled those fears by making a match-winning 107 against Pakistan in the World Cup here.

The dangerous opener has made a successful comeback alongside Steve Smith after serving a one-year ban for ball-tampering.

Warner revealed his innings, which proved the foundation of Australia’s 41-run win on Wednesday, filled him with both joy and relief after wondering whether he would ever get the chance to enjoy a similar moment ever again.

"Yes, definitely, there was always that going through my mind," nodded the left-hander when asked about the possibility that his hundred in the Boxing Day Test against England in December 2017 might have been his last in the baggy green.

"That’s what drove me to keep being as fit as I can, to keep scoring as many runs as I can in the Twenty 20 tournaments I played in, and really enjoy playing in grade cricket. I think going through these tough times and regrouping put myself in the best way to come back into international cricket."

Warner had stayed away from the spotlight during his time away but opened up after this triumphant performance while paying tribute to his wife Candice who was his "rock" in tough times.

"I was always coming back to international cricket if selected. The thing that kept me going was my wife and two young kids. I got great support at home from the family. My wife at home, she’s been my rock - she’s unbelievable, disciplined, selfless."

"I hold a lot of credit to her, she’s a strong woman. She got me out of bed a lot in those first 12 weeks and got me back running and training as hard as I could. Just to maintain my level of fitness and hard work, she nailed that into me."

Warner, now the second highest scorer in the tournament with 255 runs, quickened his scoring rate at Taunton after his slowest-ever ODI fifties in previous knocks against Afghanistan and India.

"Against Afghanistan, I felt like I had no rhythm; the next game (versus the West Indies), I got one that kicked off the wicket but I was a bit lazy."

"In the last game (against India), I didn’t play the way I know I can play. So it was a bit of relief in a way (to get the hundred). Against India, I hit a lot of fielders and you feel like you’ve got no rhythm."

"Today was one of those wickets when you’re still looking to score while keeping it tight - we had to try to adapt to those conditions."

However, the perfectionist in Warner was annoyed that he got out so soon after reaching his 15th ODI ton.

"I still feel I left a lot out there, with 70 balls to go. And with the way we were trying to build partnerships again, I hold myself responsible for the way we fell apart there."

Australia had looked like crossing 350 at one stage before ending at 307.

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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
March 31,2020

New Delhi, Mar 31: Australia batsman David Warner on Tuesday decided to shave off his head to show support towards all those people who are working relentlessly on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.

After shaving off his head, Warner also challenged his Australian team-mate Steve Smith and India skipper Virat Kohli to do the same.

Warner, shared a time-lapse video on Instagram, of him shaving his head, and captioned the post as: "Been nominated to shave my head in support of those working on the frontline #Covid-19 here is a time-lapse. I think my debut was the last time I recall I've done this. Like it or not".

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australia's death toll stands at 19, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.

As of 8 am today, 4460 people across Australia have tested positive for COVID-19.

The World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a 'pandemic' on March 11.

Earlier in the day, Australia Test skipper Tim Paine also confirmed that the side's tour of Bangladesh is unlikely due to the virus spread.
"You don't have to be Einstein to realise (the Bangladesh tour) is probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June. Whether it's cancelled or pushed back, we're not quite sure at the moment," cricket.com.au quoted Paine as saying.

Currently, Australia has 296 points in the WTC from 10 matches, while India has 360 points from nine matches.

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News Network
June 24,2020

New Delhi, Jun 24: Star Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan deeply regrets his "silly mistake" of not reporting a corrupt approach by an Indian bookie to the ICC, leading to his one year suspension from the game.

Shakib was banned for two years, one year of it suspended, for failing to report corrupt approaches during an IPL edition by an alleged Indian bookie named Deepak Aggarwal.

"I took the approaches too casually When I met the anti-corruption guy and told them and they knew everything. Gave them all the evidence and they knew everything that happened," Shakib told Harsha Bhogle on 'Cricbuzz in Conversation'.

"To be honest, that's the only reason I was banned for a year, otherwise I'd have been banned for five or 10 years," he added on the ICC's investigation.

The 33-year-old, who was in brilliant form before the ban, amassing 606 runs in the 2019 World Cup in the UK, said he regrets how he went about the situation.

"But I think that was a silly mistake I made. Because with my experience and the amount of international matches I've played and the amount of ICC's anti-corruption code of conduct classes I took, I shouldn't have made that decision, to be honest."

Lesson learnt, Shakib's advice to all young criceters is to never take any such message lightly.

"I regret that. No one should take such messages or calls (from bookies) lightly or leave it away. We must inform the ICC ACSU guy to be on the safe side and that's the lesson I learnt, and I think I learnt a big lesson," he added.

The all-rounder, whose ban ends on October 29, said he became a bit arrogant and never felt he was doing anything wrong by not reporting the bookie's approach immediately.

"Because you do most things right in your life, you tend to get arrogant with some decisions. You may not realise but you're doing wrong by the books. It never came to my mind that I am doing something wrong

"It was just a feeling of 'okay, what's going to happen, leave it' and I continued with my life. But that's the mistake I made. And that happens," Shakib said.

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