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Indo-Pak rivalry set to light up CWG?

Agencies
April 6, 2018

Gold Coast Apr 6: A sporting clash which is never short of political undertones, India and Pakistan will be up against each other in their Commonwealth Games hockey Group B opener here on Saturday.

"We start favourites," declared India coach Sjoerd Marijne after his team's practice session here.

More than the politics though, Marijne was concerned about the high temperatures in Gold Coast. "It's really hot, 28-29 degrees and we play at 2:30 pm (Local Time). It will be difficult. That's why we have to stay calm," he said.

England, Wales and Malaysia are the other teams in the Group.

The two sides' last Commonwealth Games face-off happened eight years ago in the 2010 Delhi edition. India won the fixture 7-4.

Overall, the record stands 1-1 between the two sides as Pakistan had the last laugh in the 2006 Games in Melbourne. The two teams squared off at last year's Asia Cup in Bangladesh where India claimed the honours.

Under the guidance of Marijne, the form also seems to be on India's side, having claimed the Asia Cup in October. Marijne took over from compatriot Roelant Oltmans, who is now the chief coach of Pakistan.

India have four penalty corner specialists in Rupinder Pal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas. However, their poor conversion rate is a big cause of concern for Marijne.

Skipper Manpreet Singh will oversee the midfield, while SV Sunil and Gurjant Singh will be expected to lead attacks on the opposition citadel. The ever-reliable PR Sreejesh will be guarding the Indian net.

Pakistan has not had good results in the last few months. They crashed out early in the Asia Cup before going down in the four-nation invitational in Australia.

Given the turmoil, they are not expected to be much of a challenge for India but then an Indo-Pak showdown has always been known to bring out something special from both sides.

So much so that even Australian captain Mark Knowles is looking forward to it.

"This is the one (match) people should get out and watch, there is colour, there is flair and excitement. It is two sports mad nations going at each other. It will be very exciting," he said.

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Agencies
June 9,2020

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed interim changes to its playing regulations, which include the ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball and allowing home umpires in international series as per a release issued by the international body.

The ICC Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) ratified recommendations from the Anil Kumble-led Cricket Committee, aimed at mitigating the risks posed by the COVID-19 virus and protect the safety of players and match officials when cricket resumes.

COVID-19 Replacements

Teams will be allowed to replace players displaying symptoms of COVID-19 during a Test match. In line with concussion replacements, the Match Referee will approve the nearest like-for-like replacement.

However, the regulation for COVID-19 replacements will not be applicable in ODIs and T20Is.

Ban on Saliva on Ball

Players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball. If a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leniency during an initial period of adjustment for the players, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning.

Whenever saliva is applied to the ball, the umpires will be instructed to clean the ball before play recommences.

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News Network
February 29,2020

Melbourne, Feb 29: India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur on Saturday said the team management has given Shafali Verma the freedom to play her natural game, which has set the Women's T20 World Cup ablaze.

The 16-year-old announced her emergence on the global stage by becoming the second highest run getter in the ongoing tournament. She has so far scored 161 runs, hitting 18 fours and nine sixes in four matches at an astounding strike rate of 161.

On Saturday, Shafali hit a 34-ball 47 to steer India to a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka after spinner Radha Yadav produced a career-best 4/23.

"Shafali is someone who loves to play big shots, and we don't want to stop her. She should continue doing the same and she should continue enjoying her game," Harmanpreet said after the match.

India entered the semifinals with an all-win record as they led Group A with eight points from four games and the captain insisted it is important to continue the winning momentum.

"It's really important to keep the momentum when you are winning games. You really work hard, so you can't afford to lose that momentum. You can't bowl same pace and lengths on these wickets, so you need to keep rotating the bowlers."

"Today I tried to be positive and got a few boundaries. In the upcoming games I'll try to give my best," Harmanpreet said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Atapattu rued the reprieves given by her side to Shafali in the form of two dropped catches.

"I think that score was not enough, we lost couple of chances, specially Shafali, it was hard to stop her," she said.

"Yeah, I got a good start but unfortunately got out in the 10th, would have wanted to stay in there till the 16th or the 17th over. I hope we can beat Bangladesh in our last game," she added.

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News Network
March 13,2020

Mar 13: The start of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world's most lucrative cricket competition, has been postponed from March 29 until April 15 over the coronavirus, the Indian cricket board said Friday.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to suspend IPL 2020 till 15th April 2020, as a precautionary measure against the ongoing Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation," the BCCI said in a statement.

The two-month Twenty20 competition is estimated to generate more than $11 billion for the Indian economy and involves cricket's top international stars.

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