SRK-MCA officials fracas: Mamata, Bollywood back Shah Rukh Khan; IPL should be closed, Lalu says

May 18, 2012
laluNew Delhi/Kolkata, May 18: Bollywood and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee have come out in support of superstar Shah Rukh Khan after he was banned from the Wankhede Stadium for five years following a scuffle with MCA officials.

The 46-year-old actor and co-owner of IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders ( KKR) said that he lost his cool when he saw MCA officials manhandling his daughter and other children.

B-town was all praises for the actor and took to Twitter to say that his action was justified.

Director and friend Karan Johar said, "SRK is one of the best fathers I know and protective about every child. He was being just that, a protective parent!!! Why blame a man who was just reacting as a father... who wouldn't have done the same in his place?"

Actress and new mother Celina Jaitley said, "Speaking even as a new mother of twins, when it comes to one's children a parent will go to any length to protect them, SRK is a good dad. When it comes to my children I would go to any lengths to protect them, he was being a dad at that moment... are stars not human?"

"Kahaani" director Sujoy Ghosh also voiced his support for SRK, saying, "Read about the SRK incident. I think @iamsrk was very decent about the whole thing. I'd have ripped their heads off if it was my daughter (sic)."

Director Anurag Basu said, "SRK's behaviour is completely justified, I'd have smashed their heads if it was my daughter."

Music composer-singer Vishal Dadlani tweeted, "Straight up. Touch my family, I destroy you. No question. SRK was right."

"I've got first hand reports of the fracas with @iamsrk. His daughter was touched and shoved. He protected. Well done Dad!! At Wankhede, SRK was a father, not just an actor... Please don't expect a father to apologise for protecting his baby.. Satyamev Jayate (sic)," TV actor Ronit Roy tweeted.

Mamata calls for reconsideration of ban on SRK

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday called for reconsideration of the decision to ban Shah Rukh Khan, who is the co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders and brand ambassador of West Bengal, from entering the Wankhede Stadium for five years.

"I will appeal please reconsider the decision," Mamata said when reporters sought her reaction on the decision of the Mumbai Cricket Association.

"We love Maharashtra, capital of India's business. We love Shah Rukh, Sachin, everybody. Shah Rukh is our brand ambassador and that is why you are asking me the question."

"I do not know whether it will be proper for me to comment anything about the incident. I do not want to interfere about other states' business."

"I request you not to distort my saying - whatever I am saying. It is a sensitive issue," Banerjee said.

IPL should be closed: Lalu

With the Indian Premier League hit by controversies, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday demanded that the tournament should be closed down.

"IPL should be closed," he told reporters outside Parliament House when asked to react on the spat between Shah Rukh Khan and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials and other controversies surrounding the game.

On the Shah Rukh Khan episode, he alleged that the policemen, who were present when the scuffle broke out between the Bollywood star and MCA officials, were working at the behest of certain political parties.

"All this was done in hatred," Yadav alleged.

Wankhede episode sad but not right for govt to interfere: Salman Khurshid

Law minister Salman Khurshid on Friday said the Wankhede brawl involving actor Shah Rukh Khan was "sad" but it is not right for the government to interfere in every matter.

"These are very sad developments in our society. Clashes between citizens and authorities are always very sad things," he told reporters outside Parliament.

On whether government should interfere in the matter, Khurshid said, "It is not right that government should interfere on every matter. I cannot comment on Shah Rukh incident because the authorities concerned should do something about it. The matter is not before us when it will come we will definitely take it seriously."

Khurshid, however, supported the media role in the whole episode saying media has the right to show this to public as "part of democracy".



Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
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.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
August 4,2020

New Delhi, Aug 4: Former India women's team captain Anjum Chopra firmly believes that the BCCI has a plan for women's cricket but she wants the Board to communicate its ideas more specifically.

Speaking to news agency, Chopra, who is now a successful broadcaster, said the BCCI is thinking in earnest about the progress of women's cricket.

"It's not that the BCCI is not thinking about women's cricket. I only think they need to be more specific in communication about women's cricket," Chopra said.

"I firmly believe that they must be thinking about women's cricket but the communication all this while has been very specific to men's cricket."

The latest trigger for criticism of BCCI was India's withdrawal from a tour of England in September owing to logistical issues arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chopra concedes it was "not nice" but Indian players' participation in the women's IPL, in November, will still be useful preparation for next year's ODI World Cup.

"It is heartening to see women's cricket making headlines. They should have been a part of that England tour and it did not feel nice initially but the women's IPL, irrespective of the format, will be helpful for World Cup preparations. Any form of cricket is good preparation," Chopra said.

"Missing out on a tournament is not nice, but logistically there may have been issues. And you can't send an under-prepared team."

"If you see in isolation we may have missed out on an opportunity to play in England. The more the girls play the better it is, before playing a tournament of the stature of World Cup. The assurance from the president is a very good thing."

Chopra welcomed the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI's decision to hold the women's event in the UAE alongside the IPL, which will run from September 19 to November 10. The women's IPL will coincide with the business end of the men's league.

"I am definitely happy, it's always nice to be part of any cricket anywhere across the world.

"They should have been nearing the final stages of the preparation for the World Cup by now, but because of the pandemic things did not go as planned," she added.

Chopra had a successful international career spanning over 17 years, during which she represented India in a record six World Cups and became the first woman cricketer to appear in 100 One-day Internationals.

She also felt that the pandemic would not have much impact on the women's game that has gained momentum in recent times.

"...Cricket was on pause button...Once cricket resumes and players are back on the park, everything is going to get picked up. It might take some time to get started as everything starts from zero...

"The awareness the women's game has created, I hope it stays. They will just restart, not start after the pandemic."

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
June 20,2020

Melbourne, Jun 20: If 15 teams can be allowed to enter Australia for the T20 World Cup then fans will not be stopped from watching live action from the stadiums, Cricket Australia's interim CEO Nick Hockley said on Saturday.

Hockley replaced under-fire Kevin Roberts, who recently got the boot from Cricket Australia, which is grappling with financial woes.

Different possibilities are being worked out for the T20 World to go ahead as scheduled later this year and one of them is to host the tournament before empty stands in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

However, Hockley said crowds will be allowed, though, hosting 15 teams with players, officials and support staff is "complex" as of now, hinting that probably the ICC flagship event could be pushed back.

"The reality is, and we've got much more understanding about this in recent weeks, is crowds are most likely to come back before international travel. Our biggest challenge is getting 15 teams into the country," Hockley told cricket.com.au when asked if he would like to see the World Cup proceed without fans.

"If I compare it with the prospect of a bilateral tour, you're talking about bringing one team in and then playing individual matches. But the prospect of bringing 15 teams in and having six or seven teams in one city at the same time, it's a much more complex exercise."

When specifically asked whether crowds would be permitted by the time borders have opened to the point that 15 teams will be allowed to travel to Australia, Hockley replied in an affirmative.

"That's the current thinking, yes."

Hockley said it came as a shock when he was asked by Cricket Australia to replace Roberts.

"I've had very mixed emotions. I was very shocked to be asked. I didn't see it coming at all, so I probably haven't had time yet to process it. I feel very sad for Kev (Roberts). On the other hand, I feel this is a massive privilege to be asked, it's a massive responsibility and a massive opportunity even if it's only for the next few months," he said.

Hockey did not commit when asked if he would like to assume the role full time, but he did say that he would quit as CEO of the T20 World Cup Organising Committee.

"My approach throughout my entire career has been to focus on doing the best job I can with what I've been tasked with, and the future will look after itself. And I'll continue the same approach.

"That's (T20 World Cup) been a real priority over the last 48 hours. We're reasonably well progressed and we will be appointing an interim because you just can't do both," he said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.