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Pakistan welcome but where's the window: MS Dhoni

June 1, 2012

Doni


It goes without saying that the choc-a-bloc cricket calendar has taken its toll on players' fitness and also led to audience fatigue. This issue was once again highlighted by Indian captain MS Dhoni on Wednesday. While everyone at a media event here on Thursday seemed excited about the possible revival of Indo-Pak bilateral ties, Dhoni wondered how a series could be fitted in given the cramped schedule.

"It will be good if the Pakistan team comes here. At the same time, I am not sure where they (the administrators) will fit in. We are open to playing them," was Dhoni's reaction on Pakistan Cricket Board chief Zaka Ashraf's recent visit and his efforts to revive Indo-Pak cricket.

That aside, the Indian skipper, tongue firmly in cheek, made it clear how badly he needs the one and a half month's break. On being asked about his plans, Dhoni said: "We have played continuous cricket for three-four years now. I would not like the break to be cut down any further," Dhoni said and added that he would engage himself with his social commitments.

It has indeed been a long and tough year post World Cup for him with a series of disappointing results. Credit goes to him that he hasn't flinched during the period, hardly missing any game barring the Adelaide Test in January. It's apparent that it's his fitness and mental toughness that have helped him sustain the grind. Talking about his workload, Dhoni said: "Bulk of my workload is as a wicketkeeper. Keeping for 90 overs a day for such a long period isn't easy. Sometimes it becomes 190, specially in Sri Lanka. The reason I've been able to take the load is because I had started off training to become a footballer. That helped me develop strong legs."

Meanwhile, Dhoni, who was here for the launch of a sports gym, said he was surprised at Kevin Pietersen's retirement from the shorter formats of the game.

"It's surprising. This means he won't be a part of the T20 World Cup. While that is good news for a rival team's captain, I love his batting. One can't forget the impact he had in this year's IPL," Dhoni remarked.



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Agencies
June 8,2020

New Delhi, Jun 8: Indian pacer S Sreesanth has slammed England all-rounder Ben Stokes for questioning MS Dhoni's intent during a World Cup match, saying that the former captain will end Stokes' career.

Stokes in his book titled 'On Fire' had questioned Dhoni's intent during India's 31-run defeat at the hands of England in the premier tournament last year.

"For Ben Stokes, I will only say that you should pray that Dhoni does not play against you in the future. Dhoni does not forget things easily," Sreesanth said during a Live session on Helo.

"I wish Stokes all the best for whenever he faces Dhoni again, be it IPL or an England vs India match. You must be earning in millions now, Dhoni Bhai will end your career. Dhoni will strike the ball everywhere and he (Stokes) can never dismiss Dhoni. Before he (Stokes) opens his mouth, he should make sure to wear a helmet," he added.

Former West Indies pacer Michael Holding had also come out in support of Dhoni and said that the wicket-keeper batsman wanted to win the match against England.

"Well, people will write anything in books these days, because people are a lot more free with their opinions and when they are writing books, they need to be making headlines at times," Holding had said on his official YouTube channel.

"...It was not the game that India had to win, but I don't think anyone can say that was a team tactic to lose the game. I watched that game and it appeared to me as if India weren't putting up their 100 percent, but I realised it was not the case when the expression on MS Dhoni's face told me that he desperately wanted to win, so I do not think it was a team decision to not try to win," he had added.

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Agencies
April 12,2020

London, Apr 12: Former Formula 1 legendary driver Stirling Moss died at the age of 90 on Sunday.

"All at F1 send our heartfelt condolences to Lady Susie and Sir Stirling's family and friends," Formula 1 said in a statement.

Often referred to as the greatest driver never to win the world championship, Moss contested 66 Grands Prix from 1951 to 1961, driving for the likes of Vanwall, Maserati and Mercedes, where he famously formed a contented and ruthlessly effective partnership with lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio.

In his 10-year-long stint at the tracks, Moss took 16 wins, some of which rank among the truly iconic drives in the sport's history - his 1961 victories in Monaco and Germany in particular often held up as all-time classics.

Moss won the 1955 Mille Miglia on public roads for Mercedes at an average speed of close to 100mph, while he also competed in rallies and land-speed attempts.

Following an enforced retirement from racing (barring a brief comeback in saloon cars in the 1980s) after a major crash at Goodwood in 1962, Moss maintained a presence in Formula 1 as both a sports correspondent and an interested observer, before retiring from public life in January of 2018.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
August 3,2020

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will not end its partnership with Chinese companies. Vivo, the Chinese smartphone maker, is the main sponsor of the new IPL season as well. Apart from Vivo, PayTM and Dream 11 will also be at the helm of the 13th edition of the IPL. The IPL governing council meeting on Sunday decided to retain the old sponsors.

As soon as the IPL GC announced the decision of retaining the sponsors, a huge number of fans took to Twitter to slam the board for the same. #BoycottIPL started trending as the users urged others to boycott the tournament for the Chinese connection.

Earlier, the demand for exclusion of Chinese companies from the IPL was strong in the wake of the India-China border dispute. But the BCCI cannot abruptly end its collaboration with them. Because of the signed contract itself. And in this age of declining economy, it is difficult to find new sponsors quickly.

The current BCCI contract with Vivo is for five years. Vivo has invested Rs 2,199 crore to become the main sponsor of the IPL. The contract was signed in 2017. However, the BCCI’s move is paving the way for new discussions as calls are mounting across the country to boycott Chinese companies.

The BCCI announced other important decisions besides retaining sponsors. The IPL will be held from September 19 to November 10. The Indian government has given permission to the BCCI to hold the IPL in the UAE. With this, all obstacles in the way of organizing the tournament were removed.

The IPL matches will be played at 7.30 pm Indian time (6 pm UAE time). Most matches are about one match a day. There are a total of ten ‘double headers’ (two matches a day) in the tournament. Franchisees are allowed to appoint as many replacements as they want in the new season in view of the new health situation. At the same time, the maximum number of players a franchise can accommodate is 24. The BCCI is also planning to host a women’s IPL tournament.

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