It is time for revenge: Yuvraj Singh

November 8, 2012

Yuvraj

Chandigarh, November 8: The battle-bugle has been sounded. Citing the 4-0 drubbing that India got at the hands of England last year, comeback king Yuvraj Singh has sounded a warning for the Englishmen before the Test series starts in Ahmedabad from November 15.

Yuvraj, who was in the city for a promotional event, said that the Indian team will look to avenge the whitewash that they got when they toured England.

"Last year when we toured England, it was a difficult time for us. This time we would like to give it back to the Englishmen. This is definitely a revenge series for us. They have a number of good players in their ranks, the likes of Kevin Pietersen but we will look to win the series. It will be a good series, a hard-fought one," quipped Yuvraj, making his first public appearance after getting selected for the Test squad.

Brushing aside any doubt about his fitness and whether he can last the rigours of 5-day cricket, Yuvraj felt that his body at present is 'perfectly toned' for extremities of Test cricket.

"Right now I am feeling fit and fine. My body is perfectly toned for Test cricket. I will be going to the 3-day conditioning camp where they (Indian team management) will assess my fitness levels. I cannot wait to get back to play Test cricket," said Yuvraj.

When asked about his return to the Indian Test squad, Yuvraj couldn't hide his excitement and said, "I was sort of excited about this when I got the news. Of course this is big news for me, as I would be coming back into the team after more than a year or so. Though I have played the Twenty20 World Cup but I always wanted to play Test cricket."

Meanwhile, contrary to what many cricketing pundits have endorsed, that India should go for the kill by producing spin-friendly wickets, Yuvraj said, "I am ready to play on any kind of wicket. Whether it is spinner-friendly or a wicket assisting the pacers, I just want to go out there and perform. At the end of the day, the wicket doesn't matter, what matters is that we win against England."

The southpaw had scored a magnificent double century (208) against Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy semifinals, dispelling any doubts over his fitness levels and then followed it up with a half-century and a five-wicket haul against England in a practice match.

Yuvraj, will now join his teammates at the Brabourne stadium, Mumbai for a 3-day conditioning camp from November 9-11 before the Test series starts.

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News Network
June 27,2020

Jun 27: India's Test batting mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara cannot describe in words the influence that Rahul Dravid has had on his life but says he will always remain grateful to him for teaching the importance of switching off from cricket.

Often compared to Dravid, who was considered the 'wall' of Indian cricket, Pujara said he is thankful to Dravid for teaching him how to keep personal and professional lives separate.

"He helped me understand the importance of switching off from cricket. I had the same thought, more or less, but when I spoke to him, it gave me a lot of clarity about it and I was sure of what I needed to do," he told ESPNcricinfo.

"I also saw in county cricket how they keep personal and professional lives separate. I value that advice a lot. Many people consider me to be focused. Yes, I am focused, But I also know when to switch off. There is life beyond cricket."

In his illustrious international career, Dravid amassed 13288 runs in 164 Tests and 10889 runs in 344 ODIs. He also captained India in 79 ODIs, winning 42 of them, which includes the world record of 14 successive wins while chasing.

"I cannot say in one line what Rahul bhai means to me. He has always been an inspiration, and will remain one," Pujara said.

His mental fortitude and batting technique is often compared to Dravid but Pujara said "despite my enchantment with him" he never tried to "copy him."

"There is a similarity in our games, but that's not because of my fascination with him. That came mainly through my experiences with Saurashtra, where I learned that scoring a hundred alone isn't enough, you have to carry your team," he said.

"That is how I learned responsibility - it is about helping my team to raise a big total, and for that I ought to attach importance to my wicket. I learned that from my junior cricket days with Saurashtra, which was a weaker team in domestic cricket."

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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."

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Agencies
March 13,2020

New Delhi, Mar 13: The remaining ODI series between India and South Africa has been called-off amidst the rising concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

"The second and third ODI between India and South Africa in Lucknow and Kolkata respectively are called off," the BCCI source told media persons.

The first match of the series was abandoned due to rain and wet outfield without a toss at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium on Thursday.

The second and third ODI was scheduled to be played at Lucknow and Kolkata on March 15 and 18 respectively. Earlier on Thursday, the BCCI has decided to play the remaining two ODIs behind closed doors.

"After holding discussions with the MYAS and MOHFW, the BCCI on Thursday announced that the remaining two One-day Internationals (ODIs) of the three-match series of South Africa tour of India, 2020, will be played without any public gathering, including spectators," the BCCI had said in a statement.

The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has advised all the federations to avoid large gatherings.

World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday had declared the coronavirus outbreak a 'pandemic' and expressed deep concerns.

The coronavirus disease was first detected in Wuhan in China's Hubei province, in late December, and has since spread worldwide.

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