World Cup Cricket final leaves Kiwi fans on sticky wicket

Agencies
July 12, 2019

Wellington, Jul 12: The Black Caps' surprise runs to the Cricket World Cup final has created a dilemma for fans in New Zealand after sports bars across the country failed to anticipate their team's success.

Matches at the England-hosted tournament are being played in the middle of the night for Kiwis and most had written off the Black Caps before their upset semi-final win over India.

That includes the hospitality industry, which needs special licences for bars to operate throughout the night when there are big sporting events.

"It takes 20 working days for a late liquor licencing application to be processed, obviously no one in Wellington thought we'd get to the final because no one has asked," a Wellington City Council spokeswoman said.

New Zealand media reported similar issues around the South Pacific nation, leaving cricket fans on a sticky wicket about how to watch the Black Caps' bid for a maiden title.

The match starts at 9.30 p.m. Sunday in New Zealand and will finish around 5.30 a.m. Monday if it goes the distance, but sports bars are only licenced until 4:00 a.m.

So supporters can either watch the match at home or join fellow fans in a bar and run the risk of being turfed out at 4:00 if neither of the finalists repeats the collapse that marred New Zealand's appearance in 2015 final.

Wellington City Council's spokeswoman said the unexpected nature of New Zealand's appearance meant there would be no fan zones in the capital.

She also offered a novel suggestion to supporters if they managed to find a venue screening the match that was open all night: "You could watch it without drinking!"

New Zealand has won support from an unexpected quarter, with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation backing the Black Caps after England humiliated their team in the semi-finals.

"In the spirit of Australia's penchant for unashamedly claiming any sporting success from across the ditch as its own, the Black Caps are clearly firming as Australia's choice for Sunday's Lord's showdown," it said.

The sentiment is unlikely to be welcomed by Kiwis still smarting from their mauling by Australia in 2015 final and feeling morally superior after the 1981 underarm bowling controversy.

Regardless of the result, bleary-eyed Kiwi fans may welcome the late Australian prime minister Bob Hawke's advice after his country pulled an all-nighter in 1983 to watch a victory in America's Cup.

"Any boss who sacks anyone today for not turning up is a bum," he said.

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News Network
July 12,2020

New Delhi, Jul 12: Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to do away with 'umpire's call' whenever a team opts for a review regarding a leg-before wicket (LBW) decision.

The Master Blaster has also said that a batsman should be given out if the ball is hitting the stumps.

Whether more than 50 per cent of the ball is hitting the stumps or not should not be matter, he further stated.

"What per cent of the ball hits the stumps doesn't matter, if DRS shows us that the ball is hitting the stumps, it should be given out, regardless of the on-field call," Tendulkar tweeted.

With this tweet, the former India batsman also shared a video, in which he has a discussion with Brian Lara regarding the working of DRS.
"One thing I don't agree with, with the ICC, is the DRS they have been using for quite some time. It is the LBW decision where more than 50 per cent of the ball must be hitting the stumps for the on-field decision to be overturned," Tendulkar said in the video.

"The only reason they (the batsman or the bowler) have gone upstairs is that they are unhappy with the on-field decision, so when the decision goes to the third umpire, let the technology take over, just like in tennis, it's either in or out, there's nothing in between," he added.

This call for doing away with umpire's call has been recommended by many former players.
Whenever a verdict pops up as 'umpire's call, the decision of the on-field umpire is not changed, but the teams do not lose their review as well.

ICC recently introduced some changes to the game of cricket, and they gave all teams liberty of extra review as non-neutral umpires will be employed in Test matches due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As a result, all teams will now have three reviews in every innings of a Test match. 

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News Network
April 24,2020

New Delhi, Apr 24: Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said he doesn't think Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play for India again, adding to the guessing game over the future of the superstar former captain.

Dhoni, 38, has not appeared for club or country since last year's 50-over World Cup and India's coronavirus lockdown could threaten his chances of getting back into the national team.

The Indian Premier League, the main platform before this year's scheduled T20 World Cup, is likely to be truncated or cancelled because of the pandemic.

Harbhajan, who plays with Dhoni at IPL side Chennai Super Kings, said international retirement was on the cards for Dhoni and that he was increasingly being asked about his teammate.

"It's up to him. You need to know whether he wants to play for India again," Harbhajan said in an online forum.

"As far as I know him, he won't want to wear India's blue jersey again. IPL he will play, but for India I think he had decided the (2019) World Cup was his last."

Dhoni, who gave up Test cricket in 2014, started training for the Super Kings in March but has not commented on his international future.

Dhoni led India to win the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007. He hit a six to seal the 2011 World Cup final victory and, along with it, his status as a national hero. He has amassed 10,773 runs from 350 ODIs.

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News Network
March 27,2020

New Delhi, Mar 27: India skipper Virat Kohli on Friday made a heartfelt appeal to the citizens of the country, asking them to follow social distancing as a precautionary measure against the coronavirus pandemic.
He also went on to say that over the past few days, he has seen some people still taking to the streets, and added that if people still continue to venture out, then they are not being honest with the country.
Kohli released a small video clip on Twitter, making the public appeal and captioned the post as: "Please wake up to the reality and seriousness of the situation and take responsibility. The nation needs our support and honesty"
"Today, I am talking to you as a citizen of the country. Whatever I have seen over the past few days, I have seen people not following the lockdown, it has made me feel that some people are taking the battle against COVID-19 very lightly. I request you all to please follow social distancing, whatever the government is asking you to do, please follow it," Kohli said in the video released on Twitter.
"Think about what can happen to your family members because of your negligence. Our medical experts are fighting this battle day in and day out. If you are still going out to the streets, then I don't think you are being honest to your country," he added.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to impose a 21-day lockdown in the country as a precautionary measure against coronavirus.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases have risen to 724 in India (including 640 active cases, 66 cured or discharged people) and 17 deaths.
The World Health Organisation had termed the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on March 11. 

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