MS Dhoni will be India's trump card in World Cup 2019: Zaheer Abbas

Agencies
May 22, 2019

May 22: "Brain" of his cricket team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be India's trump card at the World Cup because of his vast experience, reckons former Pakistan skipper Zaheer Abbas.

India grabbed the Twenty20 World Cup under Dhoni's leadership in 2007 apart from winning the ODI World Cup in 2011. The team also won the Asia Cup twice (2010 and 2016) under Dhoni and the Champions Trophy in 2013.

His lightning skills behind the stumps are still intact but his image of the world' best finisher took a hit, recently.

However, Abbas said at a big event like the World Cup, Dhoni's experience will count a lot.

"India has a genius called Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the team. He is the brain of cricket in the team. He understands the game so well and has experience of leading India in two World Cup wins. His experience will be vital for both captain and coach and he can be their trump card," Abbas told news agency Bhasha.

"Also, it is the first World Cup under Virat Kohli's captaincy and he would be eager to prove his mettle as a captain," he felt.

Abbas also said the pitches in England will suit the strong Indian batting line-up where 400 or 450 runs in an innings could be a possibility.

"We have seen that in the recently-concluded Pakistan-England series, that over 300 runs were scored and chased. Now in the World Cup, 450 runs could be a possibility as there is no grass on the wickets and bowlers will get little help from the conditions," said the stylish batsman who was called Asian Bradman during his playing days.

"In such a scenario, India will benefit as they have one of the strongest batting line ups. English wickets are now a batsmen's paradise," he said.

There has been a lot of talk about who should bat at no 4 for India but Abbas said there should not be many changes in the top order.

"It is purely a captain's decision but my view is that the top four batting order shouldn't be changed frequently. You can make changes in the lower middle order but not at the top," said the veteran who has played 78 Tests and 62 ODIs for Pakistan between 1969 to 1985.

Pakistan, Australia, England and New Zealand are the top contenders for the semifinals apart from India, according to Abbas.

"Fitness will be the key in this World Cup given the format and the weather in England. I think that the fittest teams will reach the last four."

When asked about the Pakistan team which has seen some last moment changes in the final squad, Abbas said that this is the "best possible combination".

"They should now forget the loss against England and focus on World Cup. They must improve their fielding," said the veteran.

Pakistan have failed to win a single WC match against India so far. Can the team break this jinx this time?

"The record is with India but Pakistan can beat any team on their day. It will depend on who handles the pressure well. It will be the match of the tournament for sure, no matter who wins."

India and Pakistan will lock horns on June 16 in Manchester.

"For me, Indo-Pak cricket rivalry is much much bigger than the Ashes and like every cricket fan, I am eager to see that match," he said.

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News Network
March 23,2020

Colombo, Mar 23: Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara has said he is currently in self-quarantine, following his government's guidelines for those recently returning from Europe, which has now become the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The authorities are concerned over people returning from the most-affected COVID-19 countries in Europe not registering with the police and practising isolation.

"I have no symptoms or anything like that, but I'm following government guidelines," Sangakkara told News First.

"I arrived from London over a week ago and the first thing was there was a news bulletin saying that anyone who had travelled from within March 1 to 15 should register themselves with the police and undergo self-quarantine. I registered myself with the police."

The former captain said this even as the government confirmed there have been at least three cases of recent returnees attempting to hide the novel coronavirus symptoms from authorities.

Both Sangakkara and his former teammate Mahela Jayawardene have been active on social media, urging Sri Lankans to avoid panic and to exercise proper social distancing, as the country went into curfew on Friday evening.

Sri Lanka has so far reported more than 80 active COVID-19 positive cases in the country.

Across the world, the number of infected has crossed three lakh besides a death toll of more than 14,000 people.

Meanwhile, former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie has also gone into a two-week isolation after returning from the United Kingdom.

Gillespie, who is the head coach at Sussex, had been in Cape Town with the team for a pre-season tour, which was cut short as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

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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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News Network
April 27,2020

Lahore, Apr 27: Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has been banned from all forms of cricket for three years for failing to report spot-fixing offers, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced Monday.

Umar, who turns 30 next month, pleaded guilty to not reporting the fixing offers which led to his provisional suspension on February 20 this year.

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