If Harbhajan can be recalled, why can't Ashish Nehra

May 27, 2015

New Delhi, May 27: If performance is the only benchmark and age just a number, then there is no reason to ignore what Ashish Nehra did in IPL 2015 to deserve a place in India's tour of Bangladesh.

nehra harbajan

Harbhajan Singh, 34, was rewarded with a Test comeback for his 18 wickets but the 36-year-old Ashish Nehra's 22 wickets for Chennai Super Kings were neither considered for Tests nor ODIs. If anything, the contrasting approach points at (a) different standards for different players and (b) quality bench strength of pace bowlers but not spinners. And in case of (b), it's a slightly worrying admittance for a country that is regarded as a traditional nursery of spinners.

While the rise in international-standard pacers in India's domestic circuit is a welcome news, national selection still depends on current form and performance. If that holds true for Harbhajan, it so does for others - and Nehra fits that block to perfection on the back of his IPL-8 heroics.

The selectors didn't need to buy an excuse to recall Nehra. Mohammad Shami is injured and Nehra is consistently back among the wickets. It was a straight pick, still the selectors favoured Ishant Sharma for Tests and Dhawal Kulkarni for ODIs on the Bangladesh tour.

Ishant is coming back from injury since being ruled out for the World Cup. In IPL 2015, the lanky pacer played just four matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad picking only one wicket. Kulkarni, on the other hand, took 13 wickets in 11 matches for Rajasthan Royals.

In comparison to Nehra's 22 sticks at a strike rate of 16.9, only Kulkarni's strike rate of 16.1 makes it to the merit list. But then Nehra bowled 62 overs and Kulkarni only 35. The thing that goes against Nehra is that he's a slow mover and at times a liability in the field. But then Harbhajan isn’t getting younger and has never been a stand-out fielder.

"I have got three or four Man of the Match awards this season and that says it all," Nehra said after his match-winning performance in Qualifier 2.

"When you pick wickets, people remember you more."

People surely do, perhaps selectors don't.

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News Network
June 13,2020

Mumbai, Jun 13: Vasant Raiji, who was India's oldest first-class cricketer at 100, died in Mumbai in the wee hours of Saturday.

Raiji was 100 years old and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

"He (Raiji) passed away at 2.20 am in his sleep at his residence in Walkeshwar in South Mumbai due to old-age," his son-in-law Sudarshan Nanavati told PTI.

Raiji, a right-handed batsman, played nine first-class matches in the 1940s, scoring 277 runs with 68 being his highest score.

He made his debut for a Cricket Club of India team that played Central Provinces and Berar in Nagpur in 1939.

His Mumbai debut happened in 1941 when the team played Western India under the leadership of Vijay Merchant.

Raiji, also a cricket historian and chartered accountant, was 13 when India played its first Test match at the Bombay Gymkhana in South Mumbai.

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and former Australian skipper Steve Waugh had paid a courtesy visit to Raiji at his residence in January when he had turned 100.

It has been learnt that the cremation will take place at the Chandanwadi crematorium in South Mumbai on Saturday afternoon.

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Agencies
January 24,2020

Mumbai, Jan 24: Former Indian cricket captain and former MP Mohammad Azharuddin on Thursday denied allegations of cheating levelled by a travel agency in Maharashtra and threatened to file defamation suit of ₹100 crore.

"Those who filed the FIR have done it only to be in the limelight. There is no truth in it. The allegations are baseless," Azharuddin said in a video message on Twitter.

Azahruddin, who is now president of Hyderabad Cricket Association, said he would soon seek advice from his lawyer and will file Rs 100 crore defamation case against those who lodged the FIR.

A case was filed in Aurangabad on Wednesday against Azharuddin and two others for allegedly cheating a local travel agent of around ₹21 lakh.

The complaint was lodged by Shahab Y. Mohammed, 49, proprietor of Danish Tours & Travels here, a former executive with the defunct Jet Airways.

"We have lodged a first information report against Mujeeb Khan (Aurangabad), Sudheesh Avikkal (Kerala), Mohammed Azharuddin (Hyderabad). No arrests have been made and further investigations are underway," Investigating Officer A.D. Nagre, of the City Chowk police station, told IANS.

According to the complainant, between November 9 and 12, 2019, Avikkal booked several international airline tickets and Azharuddin's personal secretary Mujeeb Khan promised to pay the ticket charges. He said since no payment was made, he was compelled to lodge the police complaint.

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News Network
March 31,2020

New Delhi, Mar 31: Australia batsman David Warner on Tuesday decided to shave off his head to show support towards all those people who are working relentlessly on the frontline in the battle against coronavirus.

After shaving off his head, Warner also challenged his Australian team-mate Steve Smith and India skipper Virat Kohli to do the same.

Warner, shared a time-lapse video on Instagram, of him shaving his head, and captioned the post as: "Been nominated to shave my head in support of those working on the frontline #Covid-19 here is a time-lapse. I think my debut was the last time I recall I've done this. Like it or not".

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Australia's death toll stands at 19, as per the Sydney Morning Herald.

As of 8 am today, 4460 people across Australia have tested positive for COVID-19.

The World Health Organisation had termed coronavirus as a 'pandemic' on March 11.

Earlier in the day, Australia Test skipper Tim Paine also confirmed that the side's tour of Bangladesh is unlikely due to the virus spread.
"You don't have to be Einstein to realise (the Bangladesh tour) is probably unlikely to go ahead, particularly in June. Whether it's cancelled or pushed back, we're not quite sure at the moment," cricket.com.au quoted Paine as saying.

Currently, Australia has 296 points in the WTC from 10 matches, while India has 360 points from nine matches.

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