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Defeat against Australia a tough pill to swallow: Hope

Agencies
June 7, 2019

Nottingham, Jun 7: Wicket-keeper Shai Hope admitted the manner of West Indies' defeat to Australia was a hard pill to swallow after his side enjoyed a commanding position for majority of the game at Trent Bridge.

Australia, who were reeling at 79/5, recovered from the batting collapse to post 288 all out on the back of a match-winning knock by Nathan Coulter-Nile (92) and a valuable anchoring role by Steve Smith (73).

A brilliant bowling spell by left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc (5/46) was sufficient to ensure a 15-run victory for Australia – despite Hope's composed knock of 68.

"This is going to be a tough pill to swallow having basically been dominating the game for the majority of it and then not being able to cross the line," Hope said.

"Regardless of what happens we have to play cricket on the day. We always play the best we possibly can and the better team will win on the day," he added.

It was ultimately scant consolation but both Hope and outfielder Sheldon Cottrell grasped stunning catches during the game.

Hope delighted the crowd when he flew to his left to scoop up a one-handed grab that removed Usman Khawaja for 13 off the bowling of Andre Russell.

But the 25-year-old admits he was bettered by Cottrell's effort to finally dismiss Smith – as he caught the ball one-handed while tip-toeing along the boundary rope, then flicked the ball back in the air as he crossed the rope before stepping back on to the field complete the catch.

"Easily (the better catch), that was an amazing effort. At first I wasn't sure if he had it but then I realised it was a proper catch."

"For mine, it was just one of those things. I just had to go – I didn't really have much time to think. Andre bowled a pretty decent delivery and I just saw the white thing and tried to catch it."

The West Indies' seam quartet of Russell, Cottrell, Carlos Brathwaite and Oshane Thomas caused havoc with aggressive, short-pitched bowling with the new ball before Australia recovered and Hope insists the team will continue with the tactic.

"Most definitely, as long as you get wickets with the new ball you always put teams under pressure," he said.

"It was just unfortunate we couldn't drive home and get the tail in a bit earlier. But that's how cricket plays and we know Australia are a quality side. They've shown us that they can build," Hope said.

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said the Women's IPL or the Challenger series, as it is better known, is "very much on", ending speculation about the parent body not having a plan for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team.

The men's IPL will be held between September 19 and November 8 or 10 (final date yet to be locked in) in the UAE due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in India. The women's IPL will also be fit in to the schedule, according to the BCCI chief.

"I can confirm to you that the women's IPL is very much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also," Ganguly told PTI ahead of the IPL Governing Council meeting later on Sunday.

The BCCI president, who is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on waiver of the cooling-off period to continue in the position, did not divulge details but another senior official privy to the development said that women's Challenger will be held during the last phase of IPL like last year.

"The women's Challenger series is likely to be held between November 1-10 and there could be a camp before that," the source said.

The former India captain also said that the centrally contracted women players will have a camp which has been delayed due to the prevailing situation in the country.

"We couldn't have exposed any of our cricketers -- be it male or female to health risk. It would have been dangerous," Ganguly said.

"The NCA also remained shut because of Covid-19. But we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you that," he added.

The BCCI's cricket operations team is chalking up a schedule where Indian women are likely to have two full-fledged white-ball series against South Africa and the West Indies before playing the ODI World Cup in New Zealand. 

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News Network
June 9,2020

Jun 9: Former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy has released a video, alleging racism within the SunRisers Hyderabad camp. Last week, Sammy had lost his cool after learning the meaning of the word "Kalu", which he alleged was directed at him during his Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with the SunRisers Hyderabad. The T20 World Cup-winning Windies skipper had said that he along with Sri Lanka player Thisara Perera were sometimes called that word when they played for SunRisers Hyderabad. However, Sammy did not specify as to who directed these slurs at him, but now the player has released a video, saying he will message all those who called him that word.

"I have played all over the world and I have been loved by many people, I have embraced all dressing rooms where I have played, so I was listening to Hasan Minhaj as to how some of the people in his culture describe black people," Sammy said in a video posted on his Instagram account.

"This does not apply to all people, so after I found out a meaning of a certain word, I had said I was angry on finding out the meaning and it was degrading, instantly I remembered when I played for SunRisers Hyderabad, I was being called exactly the same word which is degrading to us black people," he added.

Sammy said that at the time when he was being called with the word, he didn''t know the meaning, and his team-mates used to laugh every time after calling him by that name.

"I will be messaging those people, you guys know who you are, I must admit at that time when I was being called as that word I thought the word meant strong stallion or whatever it is, I did not know what it meant, every time I was called with that word, there was laughter at that moment, I thought teammates are laughing so it must be something funny," Sammy said.

"Now, I realise it was degrading, I will be texting you guys and I will ask you as to when you called me with that name, did you all mean it in any bad way or form? I have had great memories in all my dressing rooms, so all those who used to you call me with that word, think about it, let's have a conversation, if it was in a bad way then I would be really disappointed," he added.

The former Windies skipper has been a vocal supporter of the protests that are currently going on in the United States over the death of an African-American man named George Floyd.

Sammy had also made an appeal to the ICC and other cricket boards to support the fight against social injustice and racism.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Indore, Jan 8: Skipper Virat Kohli struck an unbeaten 30 as India beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the second Twenty20 international in Indore on Tuesday.

The hosts rode a 71-run opening stand between KL Rahul, who hit 45, and Shikhar Dhawan, who made 32, to chase down their target of 143 in 17.3 overs and take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after the first match was rained off.

Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga took the wickets of the Indian openers but Shreyas Iyer, who scored 34 before falling to paceman Lahiru Kumara, and Kohli, who hit the winning six, got the team home.

The third match is on Friday in Pune.

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