Dhoni silent on fixing; Scindia demands Srinivasan's resignation

May 29, 2013
Mumbai, May 29: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday was forced to join the silent brigade on the spot-fixing scandal even as calls for the resignation of BCCI?President N?Srinivasan began to emanate from within the board.

dhoni1Dhoni was bombarded with questions regarding the spot-fixing issue during Indian team’s departure press conference in Mumbai ahead of the Champions Trophy. But Dr R N?Baba, media manager of the BCCI, parried the queries, acting according to the diktat of the cricket board to not entertain any questions on the episode.

Ever since the scandal broke out, Dhoni, captain of the Chennai Super Kings team owned by Srinivasan, has not said anything on the issue and he did not address the media even at the IPL?final in Kolkata. On Tuesday, media personnel hoping to get the captain’s views were left disappointed lot. But the BCCI?could not prevent one of its own influential members from speaking out against Srinivasan.

Step down: Scindia

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Power Minister and the head of BCCI’s Finance Committee, urged Srinivasan to step down from the top job, at least till the enquiry against Gurunath Meiyappan — son-in-law of the board chief — was completed. Meiyappan was arrested last week for his alleged link with bookies.

“From my point of view, not for a second am I assuming that anybody is guilty. In the interest of propriety and in the interest of the game at this point of time when there is a question mark surrounding an individual, surrounding the team (CSK) and surrounding the manager of that team who happens to be a family member, I believe in all sense of the word propriety that Mr Srinivasan must step aside,” said Scindia.

Three-member panel

The day also saw the BCCI forming a three-member panel to probe the allegations against Meiyappan, India Cements Ltd (owners of CSK) and Jaipur IPL?Pvt Ltd (owners of the Rajasthan Royals). The three-member panel includes Sanjay Jagdale, secretary of BCCI, Justice Jayram Chouta, former judge of Karnataka and Madras High Courts, and Justice R?Balasubramanian, former judge of the Madras High Court.

Scindia was scathing in his criticism of Srinivasan. “If you consider the conflict of interest he is in, as one of his family members is alleged of wrongdoing, then propriety demands that he should step aside. I would have done the same had I been in his place. Willy-nilly we are responsible for the wrongdoing of our family members to some extent. Example has to be set from the top,” Scindia, who also heads the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, said.

“Let the inquiry take place and in the event that he is completely clear, certainly let him be reinstated. But at this time when cricket needs to be cleansed and when there is a question mark at the top, it would be in the interest of the game that Srinivasan steps aside,” Scindia added.

Former BCCI?president IS Bindra too had demanded Srinivasan’s resignation terming the Tamil Nadu strong man “an arrogant person and administrator.” However, Scindia’s comments might have come as a shock for Srinivasan as he became the first member within the BCCI?hierarchy to speak against the board president.

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Agencies
April 25,2020

London, Apr 25: Former Australian cricketer Graeme Watson who was fighting cancer, has died at the age of 75.

Primarily a middle-order batsman and a medium-pace bowler, he featured in five Tests from 1967 to 1972 and two ODIs in 1972, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The all-rounder earned the national call during the 1966-67 tour of Rhodesia and South Africa. Watson slammed a half-century in the first innings of the second Test of the series.

However, the medium-pace bowler was ruled of the next test after suffering an ankle injury. He returned for the fourth Test in Johannesburg where scalped his career-best 2 for 67 but failed to leave a mark with the bat as Kangaroos lost the series.

In 1971-72 he moved to Western Australia and played a major role in their Sheffield-Shield win in 1971-72, 1972-73, and 1974-75 seasons.

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Agencies
August 1,2020

Colombo, Aug 1: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed his interest in playing the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), scheduled to start from August 28.

Pathan is among 70 foreign players to have shown interest in playing the LPL, ESPNcricinfo reported.

It is believed that Pathan has taken permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take part in the competition. 

BCCI doesn't allow active players to participate in other T20 leagues but Pathan announced his retirement in January this year.

Former swashbuckling all-rounder Yuvraj Singh also played in a foreign league last year. He played for Maratha Arabians in the T10 League in Abu Dhabi.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Pathan will now be put in a player draft unless one of the five franchises choose him to be a marquee player. The details of the draft, and the franchise owners, are yet to be finalised and announced. 

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is also waiting on some government clearances even as it decides on franchise owners. The five franchises will represent Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna.

On Monday, SLC Executive Committee granted approval for the tournament.

"The 23 match League will be played on the four international venues of R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Rangiri Dambulu International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium and Suriyawewa Mahinda Rajapakse International Cricket Stadium. Five teams named after the cities of Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Dambulla and Jaffna will participate in the League," SLC said in a statement on Monday.

Sri Lanka has controlled the spread of COVID-19 better than many other cricket-playing nations.

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News Network
March 2,2020

Mar 2: Indian captain Virat Kohli was left frustrated and deflated as New Zealand won the second Test inside three days in Christchurch on Monday to sweep the series.

India started the day at 90 for six and were all out for 124, before New Zealand chased down the required 132 to win for the loss of three wickets in 36 overs.

It ended a disappointing tour for India and Kohli as New Zealand, who won the first Test by 10 wickets early on day four, wrapped up the series with ease.

New Zealand are now unbeaten in their last 13 home Tests, winning nine of them, and in the past decade their record as hosts is played 39, won 20, drawn 13 and lost five.

In the latest series, on traditional New Zealand green wickets, India managed scores of 165, 191, 242 and 124, reflecting the low contributions from Kohli of 2, 19, 3 and 14.

Kohli came to New Zealand as the world's top Test batsman and oozing charm as he described New Zealand as the “nice guys” of cricket.

But during the series he lost his top ranking to Australian Steve Smith and when Kane Williamson went for three in the first innings of the second Test the pressure showed when he gave the New Zealand skipper a very animated send-off.

There was further evidence of frustration when he was caught on camera yelling an obscenity at a group of New Zealand supporters on Sunday.

The end came quickly for India on day three as Tim Southee and Trent Boult tormented the batsmen with their variety of inswing and outswing deliveries targeting both sides of the stumps.

Hanuma Vihari was the first to fall, in Southee's second over, when he turned a legside delivery too fine and was caught by BJ Watling diving to his left.

Five balls later and with no addition to the score, India's other overnight batsman Rishabh Pant was caught behind off a Boult delivery that swung away.

Mohammed Shami was caught for five by Tom Blundell at deep mid-wicket and Jasprit Bumrah was run out when trying to give the strike to Ravindra Jadeja, who was unbeaten on 16.

Boult and Southee signed for most of the dismissals with Boult taking four for 28 and Southee three for 36. The swing pair accounted for 25 of the 40 Indian wickets in the series.

There was enough seam and swing available for India to keep the New Zealand batsmen guessing but Bumrah and Umesh Yadav were unable to apply consistent pressure and Mohammed Shami was troubled by a sore shoulder.

New Zealand coasted through a century opening stand by Tom Latham and Blundell before losing three quick wickets.

Latham notched his 18th half-century and second of the Test before he was caught behind off Yadav for 52, Kane Williamson had a short stay for five, and Blundell went for 55.

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