India need to execute their plans against Bangladesh: Glenn McGrath

June 9, 2015

Chennai, Jun 9: Australian pace great Glenn McGrath said that Indian team would need to execute their plans properly during their one-off Test match against Bangladesh starting in Fatullah on Wednesday.

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"There is only one test and they need to play like any other test. When you play in a test series you think about the next test. You do not think about the second or third test here," McGrath said.

"They (Indians) must have prepared themselves for the single test and they need to execute their plans. It is just another test match," said McGrath who is currently the coaching director of the MRF Pace Foundation here.

The Bangladesh tour, which also features three ODIs, will see Ravi Shastri once again donning the role of Team Director. The former India captain has said India doesn't need a head coach now and he might fill up the role if needed. Asked to define the role of a chief coach and a team director, McGrath said: "I do not know what Ravi is doing is different to what a team coach will do. I do not know what the job description is for Ravi. If he is not, then I do not know again."

Talking about the ongoing series of Australia and England against the West Indies and New Zealand respectively, he said: "I think the way the Australians are playing they can win 10-0. If England want to be competitive, they have to really lift themselves."

On his objectives for MRF Academy, McGrath said: "For me personally, we are only giving the facility for the spinners to use and they have their own spin coach here and he is working with them.

"Troy Cooley (Australia's National Cricket Centre head coach) has brought in fast bowlers for training at the Academy. In order to have few games here he has brought couple of batsmen and bowlers including spinners here. "I will work with the boys of the Academy and the junior fast bowlers from Australia and BCCI is sending couple of boys for training here till June 20. We still focus on the fast bowlers. I cannot teach on how to play against spin."

Asked about Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who was awarded Man of the Tournament in the 2015 World Cup, McGrath said: "He always had the potential and bowl at 150kmph, left armer and swings the ball. He is a one day player and knows the one day well very well. "He can bowl with new ball and take couple of wickets and come back with the older ball and bowl good yorkers that not many bowlers in world cricket can do, perhaps excepting Malinga and no one else. He bowls such good yorkers in one day games.

"Still, he can bowl well in test too. I think the confidence that he has got in one-dayers he has carried it to the tests too. World cups, one day games and T-20 games suit his type of bowlers."

Emphasizing on yorkers, McGrath said: "I do not think that the bowlers practice enough at the nets. If you are practicing to bowl yorkers at the nets, you need to bowl behind the line. If you are bowling no balls, you are practicing the wrong way. "Even if you are bowling good yorkers in the nets, you going over the front line and if you do not practice at the nets you cannot straightaway bowl your length in a competitive game," he added.

Heaping praise on the budding young bowlers at the MRF Academy, McGrath said: "I can bet that every one of the boys from MRF Academy is good. I had already mentioned Varon and Ishwar and hopefully they get more opportunities. "Ashwin Christ is coming up well. He always had the potential and now he has started thinking about himself as to what he could do in a game. That is what you want the bowlers to do. They have to think for themselves and set plans and execute them." On ICC rule of having one more fielder during powerplay and allowing one more bouncer, the 45-year-old said: "Probably if you got one more fielder when the power play is up, obviously then you can protect one portion of the field.

"Some batsmen look at the short ball as a scoring option. Again it depends on the bowler. He should know what fields that he requires. It is something that a bowler needs to show more perfection that can work in his favour," he added.

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News Network
February 4,2020

Feb 4: India captain Virat Kohli on Tuesday said the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash has impacted his outlook towards life, which he feels, is sometimes taken for granted in pursuit of control over the future.

Bryant, a two-time Olympic gold-medallist and one of the most decorated basketball players of all time, died in a helicopter crash last month along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who was also a budding hoopster.

"Firstly, it was a shock to everyone. I grew up watching those NBA games in the morning and watching what he did on court. But when someone that you have looked up to in some ways, passes away like that, it does put things in perspective," Kohli said on the eve of the first ODI against New Zealand here.

"...at the end of the day, life can be so fickle. It's so unpredictable. I think a lot of the times we get too caught up in the pressures of what we have to do tomorrow...we really forget living life and enjoying life and just appreciating and being grateful for the life we have," he added.

Kohli said a tragedy like this makes one realise that nothing can be more important than enjoying every moment of existence.

"...it did put things in perspective for me massively. It just makes you feel like not wanting to have control of things in front of you all the time, and just embracing life and appreciating it.

"You start looking at things from a different point of view suddenly and you want to enjoy every moment you're going through. You realise that what you're doing at the end of the day is not the most important thing. The most important thing is life itself," Kohli signed off.

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News Network
April 6,2020

London, Apr 6: As the coronavirus brings the international sports calendar to a grinding halt, news agency Sport looks at three long-standing habits which could change forever once competition resumes.

Saliva to take shine off swing bowling

It's been a tried and trusted friend to fast bowlers throughout the history of cricket. But the days of applying saliva to one side of the ball to encourage swing could be over in the aftermath of Covid19.

"As a bowler I think it would be pretty tough going if we couldn't shine the ball in a Test match," said Australia quick Pat Cummins.

"If it's at that stage and we're that worried about the spread, I'm not sure we'd be playing sport."

Towels in tennis - no touching

Tennis players throwing towels, dripping with sweat and blood and probably a tear or two, at ball boys and girls, has often left fans sympathising for the youngsters.

Moves by officials to tackle the issue took on greater urgency in March when the coronavirus was taking a global grip.

Behind closed doors in Miki, ball boys and girls on duty at the Davis Cup tie between Japan and Ecuador wore gloves.

Baskets, meanwhile, were made available for players to deposit their towels.

Back in 2018, the ATP introduced towel racks at some events on a trial basis, but not everyone was overjoyed.

"I think having the towel whenever you need it, it's very helpful. It's one thing less that you have to think about," said Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas when he was playing at the NextGen Finals in Milan.

"I think it's the job of the ball kids to provide towels and balls for the players."

Let's not shake on it

Pre-match handshakes were abandoned in top football leagues just before the sports shutdown.

Premier League leaders Liverpool also banned the use of mascots while Southampton warned against players signing autographs and stopped them posing for selfies.

Away from football, the NBA urged players to opt for the fist bump rather than the long-standing high-five.

"I ain't high-fiving nobody for the rest of my life after this," NBA superstar LeBron James told the "Road Trippin' Podcast".

"No more high-fiving. After this corona shit? Wait 'til you see me and my teammates’ handshakes after this shit."

Basketball stars were also told not to take items such as balls or teams shirts to autograph.

US women's football star Megan Rapinoe says edicts to ban handshakes or even high-fives may be counter-productive anyway.

"We're going to be sweating all over each other all game, so it sort of defeats the purpose of not doing a handshake," she said.

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Agencies
January 23,2020

Aurangabad, Jan 23: An FIR has been registered against three people including former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin for allegedly duping a travel agent, Mohammad Shadab, of more than Rs 20 lakh.

However, Mohammad Azharuddin has refuted allegations and said: "I strongly rubbish the false FIR filed against me in Aurangabad. I am consulting my legal team and would be taking action as necessary."

Azharuddin's personal assistant Mujeeb lives in Augurangabad and has good relations with the travel agency of Shadab.

The travel agent alleged that Mujeeb asked him to book some flight tickets but did not pay the amount.

The police have booked the three under Section 406, 420 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

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