Sehwag raises questions by skipping net session again

September 29, 2012

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Colombo, September 29: The Indian team's way of handling senior opener Virender Sehwag and the player's own attitude in this ongoing World Twenty20 is certain to raise questions whether all is well in the Indian camp.

On the eve of the high-voltage match against arch-rivals Pakistan, Sehwag was again seen skipping the entire net session although he did participate in a football game.

While skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli also did not bat during the hour and half net session having played Friday's match, it was inexplicable to watch Sehwag relax and enjoy a chit-chat with other team members when serious questions are being raised about his form and commitment in the shortest format.

During the afternoon training session, the Indians enjoyed their game of soccer for close to 75 minutes - a lengthier session by their standards. Sehwag was goalkeeper of one team and played the entire duration.

Finally, when the net session started, it was again Irfan Pathan who was all padded up and had the first hit in one of the two nets.

The fact that Pathan, who scored 31 off 30 balls against Australia, batted first in the batting session is seen as an indication that he may again open against Pakistan.

Skipper Dhoni has always had a penchant of bowling 'wrong one' to Indian media and it won't be a surprise if Sehwag walks alongside Gautam Gambhir against Pakistan as Irfan Pathan's technique was not good enough for handling a crafty bowler like Umar Gul.

However one expected Sehwag to have a decent hit at the nets when likes of Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Gambhir all looked serious during the session.

Sehwag was seen present in a melee chatting in a relaxed manner with Dhoni and Kohli. While Dhoni and Kohli had a reason not to bat, Sehwag, if he is fit (as claimed by team management) had no reason not to bat at all.

World T20's over the years have not been a happy experience for the 'Nawab of Najafgarh'. Even during India's victorious campaign in the 2007 edition, Sehwag missed the final giving Yusuf Pathan a chance to make his international debut.

During 2009 edition in England, there was a huge controversy as to whether the opener had carried an injury into the tournament which led to skipper Dhoni marching in with the entire team to read out a press statement.

In the 2010 edition in West Indies, Sehwag missed the entire tournament with an injury as India went in with Murali Vijay.

The 2012 edition is also turning out to be an unhappy one for him and it only depends on Sehwag to change the current script.

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News Network
January 12,2020

New Delhi, Jan 12: Flamboyant India all-rounder Hardik Pandya was on Saturday pulled out of the India A team's tour of New Zealand after he failed mandatory fitness tests in Mumbai.

The selectors had picked him in the squad without testing him in the Ranji games.

Tamil Nadu captain Vijay Shankar has been drafted into the India A team and he has already boarded the flight to New Zealand where they will play two 50-over warm-up games, three List A games and two four-day 'Tests' against the home A team.

It has been learnt that Pandya failed a couple of mandatory fitness tests and his scores were well below the permissible range suggesting that he is far from being fit for international cricket. In this situation, pulling him out of the India A squad was expected.

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News Network
April 19,2020

Zurich, Apr 19: Former Indian captain Bhaichung Bhutia was among the 50 footballers to take part in the FIFA's initiative to pay tribute to 'humanity's heroes' amid the coronavirus pandemic.

FIFA, in its statement, expressed gratitude towards all the healthcare workers and other professionals who are giving their all to ensure society continues to function in the face of the coronavirus.

"To all of these heroic people: football thanks you, football remembers you and football supports you," FIFA said in a statement.

FIFA shared a video on their official Twitter handle where footballers from present and past came been seen applauding the frontline workers.

The 50 fotballer were Bhutia, Holger Badstuber, David Beckham, Lucy Bronze, Gianluigi Buffon, Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Iker Casillas, Deyna Castellanos, Giorgio Chiellini, Charlyn Corral, El Hadji Diouf, Youri Djorkaeff, Han Duan, Magdalena Eriksson, Samuel Eto'o, Pernille Harder, Javier Hernandez, Luis Hernandez, Kaka, Harry Kane, Carli Lloyd, Harry Maguire, Diego Maradona, Marta, Vivianne Miedema, Ajara Nchout, Michael Owen, Mesut Ozil, Norma Palafox, Pavel Pardo, Park Jisung, Pele, Gerard Pique, Alexia Putellas, Sergio Ramos, Nicole Reigner, Wendie Renard, Roberto Carlos, James Rodriguez, Ronaldo, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Virginia Torrecilla, Yaya Toure, Marco van Basten, Danielle van de Donk, Ivan Vicelich, Arturo Vidal, Javier Zanetti and Zinedine Zidane.
"As footballers, we are used to receiving applause, but this time, we have the opportunity to show our appreciation for the many people who are risking their lives to protect ours," FIFA.com quoted Beckham as saying.

"You are humanity's heroes and we want to show that all of football supports you and everything that you do to defend all of us," he added.

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April 7,2020

London, Apr 7: Bowling coach Waqar Younis feels that it was the absence of pacers Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir which saw Pakistan getting whitewashed during Australia tour last year.

Amir and Riaz had quit the red-ball format ahead of the matches against Australia in 2019.

"Just before the Australia series, they ditched us and we had the only choice to pick youngsters.

We were the new management and decided to go on with taking in the younger lot and groom them. ESPNcricinfo quoted Younis as saying.

Pakistan was not able to win a single match in Australia as they got defeated both in T20Is and Test series.

"It's not like we have lost a lot, but yes they left us at the wrong time. But anyway, we don't have any grudge against them," Younis added.

"We cannot control players' choice on what they want to play, but then there should be a mechanism so we all are on board. "It's not like I am saying we could have won in Australia but we could have done better than what we have done," he opined.

Amir gave up the red ball format in July in order to manage his workload and extend his white-ball career for Pakistan as well as in T20 leagues around the world, while Riaz took an "indefinite break" from Test cricket in September last year.

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