Junior National Selection Chief Venkatesh Prasad Resigns

Agencies
March 3, 2018

New Delhi, Mar 3: Former India seamer Venkatesh Prasad has tendered his resignation from the post of chairman, junior national selection committee, less than a month after the country won the U-19 World Cup.

Prasad, who has worked as the head of the junior national selection committee for 30 months, of late shared a cold relationship with the BCCI mandarins.

It has been learnt that Prasad cited personal reasons for stepping down and has also mentioned that he doesn't want to fall under the purview of 'Conflict of Interest'.

"It's still not clear but there are chances that he might be joining any IPL franchise and that's why he wanted to avoid a potential conflict of interest," a senior BCCI official told PTI from Mumbai.

When acting president C K Khanna was asked about the resignation, he said: "I tried to convince him but it seems he has made up his mind. He has been one of the finest talent spotters and deserves due credit in selecting a world champion junior team."

Prasad, in 2016, was tipped to become the chairman of the senior selection committee, but BCCI decided to continue with him in the junior panel.

Interestingly, Prasad is only one among the six national selectors (3 juniors and 3 seniors) to have played more international matches than all senior selectors put together (33 Tests and 161 ODIs).

Recently, after the Indian junior team won the U-19 World Cup, the selection panel was not given any cash reward.

However, the senior selection panel and women's panel had been handsomely rewarded by BCCI after both the senior men's and women's team lost the finals of the Champions Trophy and World Cup respectively.

COA member Diana Edulji had gone on record saying "selectors were rewarded for selecting good team" -- a comment that had raised a few eyebrows as both teams lost their summit clashes.

However, many believe that Prasad had irked a senior office bearer and that is why the junior selection committee never got cash award after the World Cup triumph.

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Agencies
January 14,2020

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News Network
June 24,2020

New Delhi, Jun 24: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has slammed UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for not allowing recreational cricket to resume.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had described the cricket ball as a 'natural vector of disease' and ruled out recreational cricket's return in the country.

Hearing Johnson's argument, Vaughan tweeted: "Hand sanitiser in every players pocket. Use every time you touch the ball ... SIMPLE ... Recreational Cricket should just play from July 4th ... utter nonsense it's not being allowed back ... #Cricket."

Johnson was responding to a question from Conservative MP Greg Clark in the House of Commons, and it was then that Johnson said that it is too soon to lift current restrictions to allow the return of recreational cricket.

"The problem with cricket as everybody understands is that the ball is a natural vector of disease, potentially at any rate. We've been around it many times with our scientific friends," ESPNCricinfo had quoted Johnson as saying.

"At the moment, we're still working on ways to make cricket more COVID-secure but we can't change the guidance yet," he added.

Johnson had announced various relaxations on Tuesday, but the return of recreational cricket was not a part of them.

However, this statement given by Johnson will have no impact on the Test series between England and West Indies, scheduled to begin from July 8.

However, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has said that it is looking to resume recreational cricket in the country around July 4.

The board has also said that cricket is a low-risk sport as it is a non-contact sport.

"We believe that cricket is a non-contact sport, with very low risks of exposure, and that it can be played as safely as many other activities being currently permitted," the ECB said in an official statement.

"It is our strong desire to work with Government to see the return of recreational cricket on or around 4th July, as they continue to lift other restrictions more broadly across society," it added.

All international cricket has also been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it is set to resume to from July 8 as England and West Indies will lock horns in the three-Test series.

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News Network
April 24,2020

New Delhi, Apr 24: India's World Cup-winning former opener Gautam Gambhir performed the last rites of his deceased domestic help after her mortal remains could not be sent to her home in Odisha due to the coronavirus-forced national lockdown.

Gambhir, also a BJP Lok Sabha MP, posted a tribute on his Twitter page for his employee Saraswati Patra, who was working at his residence for the past six years.

"Taking care of my little one can never be domestic help. She was family. Performing her last rites was my duty," he tweeted.

"Always believed in dignity irrespective of caste, creed, religion or social status. Only way to create a better society. That's my idea of India! Om Shanti," said the 38-year-old Gambhir, who played 58 Tests for India between 2004 and 2016.

Media reports in Odisha said the 49-year-old Patra hailed from a village in Jajpur district.

She was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital a few days ago and was battling diabetes and high blood pressure for a long period. She breathed her last while undergoing treatment on April 21.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Steel Dharmendra Pradhan appreciated Gambhir.

"Taking care of Saraswati throughout the course of her illness, he also ensured her dignity in death by performing her last rites himself since her mortal remains could not be sent to her family back home in Odisha," Pradhan, who also belongs to Odisha, tweeted.

"His act of compassion will enliven the faith in humanity for millions of poor, who are working far from their home for livelihood and will garner respect from all folds of the society."

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