Mithali should stop blackmailing coaches and putting her interest first over team: Ramesh Powar

Agencies
November 29, 2018

New Delhi, Nov 29: Ramesh Powar, the India women’s team coach, alleged ODI skipper Mithali Raj of ignoring her role and batting for own milestones in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 at West Indies.

In his e-mailed report on India’s performance, addressed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) CEO Rahul Johri and General Manager cricket operations Saba Karim, Powar called the senior player with “minimum inputs in team meetings,” adding, “not a single word of appreciation came from her after finishing at the top of the table.”

Mithali, in a letter to the BCCI on Tuesday, had accused Powar and Committee of Administrators (CoA) member Diana Edulji of discrimination.

Powar, who took charge as interim coach, replacing Tushar Arothe in July, in his defense voiced that Mithali “could not understand and adapt to team plan. She ignored her role and batted for her own milestones. Lack of keeping the momentum going which was putting extra pressure on other batters. Worked really hard as a coach to address her power hitting, batting skills and running between the wickets in almost every session.”

“In practice games, she was struggling to score quickly, as wickets were low bounce and slow. The intent was missing. Could not lean and execute shots due to limited ability in skills and fitness,” he said.

The plan was “to make most of the power play as the power play was a most important phase of the match (considering slow pitches) to score big with hardball and it was a challenge to score against spinners.” As a result, “it was conveyed to her logically that she will be batting in the middle order and she agreed too. (before New Zealand match),” he added.

Explaining the change in the batting line-up, Powar said, “Mithali’s lack of intent to score quickly in practice games prompted us to open with Taniya Bhatia (in first league game vs. New Zealand), who always shown intent every time she batted. We used Taniya and Hemlatha in power play vs. New Zealand which got us 24 runs in 13 balls. It’s not always about individual milestones, it’s always about team strategies and executions (team first).”

According to Powar, “After the New Zealand game, we had a practice session where Mithali was showing anger and attitude, which was disappointing.”

Explaining the batting order of Mithali to the selectors, Powar said, “I gave the explanation of making most of the power play and if needed Mithali can bat in middle/lower order, on which selector said that she can only open or can’t figure in the team. We as team management convinced her that she is a key player and we will use her experience as and when needed. A lot of young players look at her as a role model and dropping her will hamper team environment.”

Before Pakistan match, Powar said he was “shell-shocked” by the information that Mithali was on the verge of retiring from not just the World T20 campaign, but her entire career.

“Video analyst Pushkar Sawant came to my room with the news that fielding coach Biju George conveyed to him that Mithali is upset about not changing the batting order and not allowing her to open in Pakistan match. She has packed her bags to leave with the announcement of retirement in the morning. I was shell shocked to understand why? The team had just beaten one of the top teams (New Zealand) and Mithali Raj a legend is still complaining about her batting position (which she agreed upon) and threatening to leave. (instead, should be happy with the positive start of world cup campaign of team India),” he said.

“I was saddened and baffled by her attitude. It gave me an impression that for Mithali Raj she comes first and then team India. I called the team manager early in the morning and discussed the issue. I did not convey this to captain and vice-captain as I don’t want them to lose their focus of most important match, India vs. Pakistan of the group stages..during breakfast on match day I told Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana that we will open with Mithali and they agreed. Conveyed Mithali also about her opening the innings against Pakistan.”

To prevent any adverse effects on the team, Powar said, “We opened with Mithali Raj due to pressure from traveling selector and Mithali’s threatening behavior (retirement) to go back home if not given a chance to open the innings.
Chasing 134, India reached the target in the penultimate over with Mithali finishing with a half-century but Powar said the late finish hurt the side’s net run-rate, which tends to be a crucial determining factor in global events.

“After Pakistan match, Mithali asked for a meeting with me through team manager Trupti Bhattacharya, which I obliged. She conveyed that she is not a very good player for this format compare to one day format where I convinced her that she is the most experienced player in the team and can adapt easily as she had scored a good hundred vs. Sri Lanka, batting in the middle order in ODI series (which reminded me she as captain) did not take the field for first 11 overs due to fatigue after batting and we lost the match as all bowling plans were known to her which she did not share with vice-captain Harmanpreet due to her sour relationship. She agreed to bat in middle order after hearing team plan from me.”

Powar then gave her “one more opportunity” in the third match against Ireland to “prove her ability” as an opener and “execute the team strategies that is to bat with intent (dominance).” And Mithali hit second fifty in a row to bag successive Player-of-the-Match awards. But the coach underlined the 25 dots in the 56-ball 51. “That added extra pressure and cost us Smriti (Mandhana), Jemimah’s (Rodrigues) wicket and net run-rate.”

Powar while talking about Mithali’s injury which she sustained during the third match said, “Physiotherapist informed us that she is not available for selection due to mild fever and a minor injury to the knee, which she got recovered in one day (quite strange). As a coach, I asked her to take rest in the hotel so she can get better and recover quickly but she did not listen and came to the ground for Australia match, which was surprising.”

When the team arrived in Antigua for semi-finals, Powar created two groups for a low-intensity practice session with first group consisting of five players for batting skills specifics and another group for warm up, team game and fielding. Mithali was in the 2nd group but she wanted to come with us in the first group.”

“I requested her to come with a 2nd group do warm up and skip the team game and come for the batting skills with practice bowlers as everyone was involved in a team game. (she was supposed to do fielding with the team after batting which she did not). I stayed and watched her bat for 10 mins and went in the ground to check how is a session going inside the stadium. Vikas Pandit was there to supervise her session. I came back with a physiotherapist to watch her bat again. After finishing batting in net, physiotherapist and I asked how she is feeling as it was her first net session after a break. She responded with a nod as if our question does not matter to her.”

A day before the semi-final, Powar revealed that the team manager told him that she (Trupthy Bhattacharya) received an abusive and threatening call from Nausheen (former player) stating that what you were doing with Mithali as she cried whole night and her mother is worried. Nusheen also threatened that you all will face consequences.”

“Out of panic, team manager took physiotherapist to her room to check on her. As described by the team manager, Mithali wanted to go back home as she was very upset that coach is not looking after a legend player like her. She threw a lot of tantrums and created chaos,” he said.

“Once hearing all this from Mithali, team manager came to me and described the whole episode, we immediately called Saba Karim (General Manager, cricket operations, BCCI) and informed the matter. He told us to sort the matter out amicably. He also told us to concentrate on crucial and important world cup semi-final match,” he added.

Powar, who had to speak with few players regarding preparations of all important semifinal match, claimed that he received a message from Mithali that “she does not want to speak with the coach.”

“Her irresponsible behaviour took my time away as I was supposed to speak with few players regarding preparations of all important semifinal match, which could not happen. As I needed to prepare team meeting notes, I took a leave.”

Powar, whose interim contract ends on November 30, also added that Biju George gave him the feedback that Mithali wasn’t interested in fielding drills.”I hope Mithali Raj stops blackmailing, pressurizing coaches and also stops putting her interest first then team ‘s. I hope she will look at the bigger picture and work towards the betterment of the Indian women’s cricket,” he concluded Mithali’s performance report.

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News Network
March 6,2020

Melbourne, Mar 6: Experienced middle-order batter Veda Krishnamurthy believes that "destiny" is in favour of first-time finalist India to win their maiden ICC Women's T20 World Cup title provided they get a grip on their nerves in the summit clash against Australia on Sunday.

India will have a psychological advantage going into the final as they had stunned the defending champions by 17 runs in the tournament opener.

The Harmanpreet Kaur-led India reached the final on the basis of their unbeaten record in the tournament after their semifinal against England was washed out on Thursday.

Krishnamurthy, who was a part of the Indian team that finished runner-up to England in the 2017 Women's ODI World Cup, knows the pain of missing out on a world title.

"It's all about destiny, and I'm a big believer in destiny. I feel like this is the way it was meant to be. There is a joke going around that this World Cup is made in such a way that it's helping us, starting from the wickets to everything else," she was quoted as saying by the tournament's official website.

"Being in the final is just reward for the way we played in the group stages. There was an advantage to having won all our games with the weather not in our hands."

The team's first target of reaching the final having achieved, the 27-year-old player said the Indians now need to hold their nerves and remain focussed leading up to the big day on Sunday.

"We said the first aim was to get to the final and take it from there. We've crossed the first stage. We need to make sure we hold our nerves and we do what we need to do on the final day," she said.

India's recent rivalry with Australia has taken fascinating twists and turns, with Kaur's outfit chasing down 173 in their recent tri-series, then getting home by 17 runs in the T20 World Cup opener.

But all is not hunky-dory for Krishnamurthy on the personal front. Considered a great finisher, she has recovered from a series of single-digit scores in the tri-series to score 20 from 11 balls in a finishing role against Bangladesh.

Having amassed just 35 runs from four matches in the tournament so far, the Karnataka batter knows her role in the team.

"As an individual, the role given to me is very consistent in the last year. They've put the effort in the last year to keep me there and I've been supported by every individual, not just one or two. The entire team, with all the support staff, have shown faith in me," she said.

"I know coming into the World Cup, I would play a crucial role to finish the innings well, which I felt I was unable to do in the last World Cup in the West Indies," she added.

Krishnamurthy said specific roles have been set for every player of the squad and they all are trying to contribute as much as they can to help the team achieve its goal.

"I was very motivated to do my role and I've been working on that. It's not just me, all 15 players involved know what their role is," she said.

"I'm happy we're all putting in efforts and executing our role properly. Even if it's a smallish contribution of saving a couple of runs, it's all panned out really well."

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News Network
June 2,2020

New Delhi, Jun 2: Manchester United's Paul Pogba on Monday paid tribute to George Floyd, stressing that violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated and they have to stop.

Pogba took to Instagram to write: "During the past few days I have thought a lot about how to express my feelings about what happened in Minneapolis. I felt anger, pity, hatred, indignation, pain, sadness."

"Sadness for George and for all black people who suffer from racism Every day! Whether in football, at work, at school, Anywhere! This has to stop, once and for all! Not tomorrow or the next day, it has to end today! Violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated," he added.

Protests erupted in Minneapolis and other US cities on Tuesday after Floyd, an African-American man, died following his arrest by the four officers.

A viral video showed a police officer, Derek Chauvin, pinning 46-year-old Floyd to the ground with his knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyd died at a local hospital shortly thereafter.

The four police officers were fired. Chauvin was also charged with murder and manslaughter, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

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zaki ahmed
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Jun 2020

This photograph in the above mentioned article is of Floyd Mayweather Jr , the world welterweight & super heavy weight champion & wrongly menitoned as Pogba .

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News Network
March 4,2020

Sydney, Mar 4: Teenage Indian batting sensation Shafali Verma on Wednesday rose to the top spot in the ICC women's T20 International rankings, riding on her stellar run at the ongoing World Cup here.

The 16-year-old Verma takes over from New Zealand's Suzie Bates, who had been the top batter since October 2018 after wresting the spot from West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor.

However, Smriti Mandhana has slipped a couple of rungs to sixth in the latest list.

Verma and England spinner Sophie Ecclestone will go into the semifinals of the event as the top ranked batter and bowler respectively. India will take on England on Thursday.

Verma's explosive batting at the top of the order saw her score 161 runs in four innings, including knocks of 47 and 46 against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. It helped her become only the second India batter after Mithali Raj to top the women's T20I batting rankings, according to an ICC statement.

Ecclestone, who took eight wickets in four matches including a best of three for seven against the West Indies, is the first England bowler to be number one since Anya Shrubsole in April 2016 and the first England spinner at the top since Danni Hazell in August 2015.

Among the Indian bowlers, Poonam Yadav is up four places to eighth after a good run in World Cup.

Some valiant performances from Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Athapaththu have seen her move from 18th to 14th spot for batters.

England's Nat Sciver is again in the top 10 and captain Heather Knight in the top 15 for the first time.

South Africa opener Laura Wolvaardt has advanced 23 places to 44th, while Pakistan's Aliya Riaz has gained 24 places and is 48th while New Zealand's Maddy Green is in the top 100 after advancing 28 slots.

In the bowlers' list, leg-spinners Amelia Kerr of New Zealand (up two places to fourth) and Australia's George Wareham (up nine places to 10th) have made significant gains in the latest rankings update.

Other bowlers to advance include new-ball bowler Diana Baig of Pakistan (up 34 places to 13th), Shashikala Siriwardena of Sri Lanka (up seven places to 14th), Anya Shrubsole of England (up five places to 17th), Dane van Niekerk of South Africa (up 12 places to joint-22nd) and Shikha Pandey of India (up 23 places to joint-22nd).

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine is now the sole number one all-rounder after coming into the tournament as a joint number one along with Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry.

India's Deepti Sharma has advanced nine places to seventh, the first time that she is among the top 10 in the all-rounders' list after also moving up to 53rd among batters.

Australia remain at the top of the T20I team rankings with 290 points and England in second position with 278.

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