IPL clearly the best organised league: Afridi

August 9, 2012

afridiPakistan's flamboyant all-rounder, Shahid Afridi has described Indian Premier League as the best foreign Twenty20 league that he has ever played in.

The 32-year-old cricketer, who will be playing in the Sri Lankan Premier League from August 12, said that his experience of playing in the IPL in 2008 had been the best of his career.

Afridi was responding to a question at the Moin Khan academy about the mushrooming growth of foreign T20 leagues in which international stars are becoming a necessity.

Afridi who has been part of the T20 championships in India, Bangladesh, England and Australia said his best experience came in the IPL.

"Although I played just once in the IPL but it is easily the biggest league you can play in and I enjoyed my experience. The IPL is clearly the best organised foreign league and it was a totally different experience playing in it," Afridi said.

Pakistani players were part of the first edition of the IPL in 2008, but after the Mumbai terror attacks, the same year, franchises have not signed any Pakistani cricketer for the league.

Afridi termed the absence of Pakistani cricketers from the IPL as disappointing and hoped things would change next year.

The all-rounder, who will represent Pakistan in the coming T20 series against Australia and in the ICC World Cup, also agreed that the growing number of foreign T20 leagues posed a challenge for traditional formats of the sport.

"Obviously as time passes and these foreign leagues grow, players are bound to find themselves in a position where they will have to take decisions about their careers," he said.

Afridi said the foreign leagues presented a good opportunity for top players to earn decent money and that is why they were being attracted to these leagues.

Afridi, who retired from the longer version of the sport in 2010 after leading his country in one off Test at the Lords against Australia, meanwhile pointed out that the Sri Lankan league posed a big challenge for him.

"We really don't know much about it but it will definitely help the Pakistani players prepare themselves for the coming series against Australia and the T20 World Cup," he said.

"It should be a tough league but it will put us in the proper frame of mind for the coming assignments," he added.

The Pakistan cricket Board (PCB) has under an agreement with the Sri Lankan Board allowed its players to take part in the league.



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Agencies
January 26,2020

Chennai, Jan 26: Former India cricketer Kapil Dev on Saturday said that it will be a big loss for the Indian side when MS Dhoni decides to hang up his boots.

"I think he has served the country so well and nobody has done it like him. Everyone has to retire sooner or later. He is not playing matches currently. So I don't know when he will come out one day and say -- I have had enough. I think it will be our loss because he is such a fabulous cricketer," Dev told reporters here.

In the recently released BCCI contracts list, Dhoni did not find a place for himself. The former World Cup winning captain Dev said that it is unfortunate that Dhoni was not included in the contract list.

"I feel sorry that they have not included him. 

Tendulkar, Gavaskar had to witness the same. It's not my job and I am not there to give the contract to anyone. It is the job of the cricket board. So, I don't know. You can ask this question to the cricket board. They will be able to answer this question," Dev said.

The 38-year-old Dhoni is currently enjoying some time away from the game. He last played competitive cricket during the 2019 World Cup.

Dhoni had to face criticism for his slow batting approach during India's matches in the tournament. 

Especially in the games against England and New Zealand (semi-final), he had to bear the brunt of netizens, who deemed him as the reason for the Men in Blue's loss.

BCCI released the list of central contract list of players for the period from October 2019 to September 2020.

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News Network
June 2,2020

Jun 2: Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy has spoken strongly against the killing if George Floyd in USA, and has now urged the ICC & all the other boards in the world to come together and fight the evil.

In a series of tweets Sammy wrote how the blacks have been suffering for a long time.

“For too long black people have suffered. I’m all the way in St Lucia and I’m frustrated If you see me as a teammate then you see #GeorgeFloyd Can you be part of the change by showing your support. #BlackLivesMatter,” Sammy wrote.

He also wrote, “@ICC and all the other boards are you guys not seeing what’s happening to ppl like me? Are you not gonna speak against the social injustice against my kind. This is not only about America. This happens everyday #BlackLivesMatter now is not the time to be silent. I wanna hear u.”

“Right now if the cricket world not standing against the injustice against people of color after seeing that last video of that foot down the next of my brother you are also part of the problem.”

Earlier, West Indies star batsman Chris Gayle has said racism exists in cricket too, saying he gets the 'end of the stick' even within teams.

"Black lives matter just like any other life. Black people matter, p***k all racist people, stop taking black people for fools, even our own black people wise the p***k up and stop bringing down your own! I have travelled the globe and experience racial remarks towards me because I am black, believe me, the list goes on," Gayle wrote in his Instagram story.

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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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