Tag: Cricket

Women’s cricket Premier League is an exciting concept but beware of match fixers

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The concept of the women’s cricket Premier League will be a huge leap forward for women’s cricket in India and is very likely to have a positive impact on world cricket too. The format of the tournament has been well thought out and is likely to help more talent to emerge from the small towns and rural areas as well as the established cricket centres. For too long women’s cricket has been a poor cousin of the men’s version of the game and the Premier League for women is the first step to rectify this anomaly.
But amidst all the euphoria the organisers have to also take steps to guard against malpractices. As everyone knows, where there is big money there are big crooks. The men’s IPL has been hit by match fixing and spot fixing issues from time to time. Now that big money is coming into women’s cricket too and there will be increased interest by spectators and sponsors, there is a strong likelihood that crooked elements will make an attempt to put their sticky fingers into the jackpot here as well.
It would be tragic for all sports if our talented women players are lured by money to cross the thin line dividing honesty and dishonesty. Earlier, in the wake of the 2013 spot-fixing and betting scandal, which rocked the cricket world, three cricketers namely S. Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by the Delhi Police. Two teams, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, were suspended for two years.
However it seems that the lessons of the 2013 IPL were quickly forgotten. The malady cropped up again last year. The CBI booked seven suspected punters in connection with two separate cases related to the alleged fixing of 2019 IPL matches “based on inputs” from Pakistan. A few days before the start of the IPL 2022, the former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor confessed that he was asked to fix matches by Indian businessmen.
So it is clear that bookies and underworld characters are closely watching all developments in cricket. There is no doubt that they will also try to interfere with women’s cricket now because of all the money flowing and attention into the game. This is an aspect that the BCCI watchdogs must carefully guard against. If all goes well, cricket fans can look forward to some exciting contests between the women players.
It was in October 2022, that the BCCI announced that it was planning to conduct a five-team tournament which would take place in March 2023. The new tournament was informally known as the Women’s Indian Premier League. However, the name was later changed to simply Women’s Premier League. The tournament is scheduled to be held from March 4 to 26 and will feature 22 matches at the Brabourne Stadium and DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
At the recently concluded player auction, India’s Smriti Mandhana and England all-rounder Natalie Sciver-Brunt struck it rich. Royal Challengers Bangalore coughed up Rs 3.40 crore to sign Smriti Mandhana. The hard hitting batter is already in the highest bracket in India’s central contract for women cricketers with an annual retainership of Rs 50 lakh.
Natalie Sciver-Brunt joined Mumbai Indians, coached by former England captain Charlotte Edwards, for Rs. 3.20 crore. This is a huge sum even for an overseas player. It is ten times more than the highest salary in the Women’s Hundred competition in England. With so much money being offered, India will soon become the world centre for women’s cricket just as it has become for the men’s version.

In the first season, all matches will be played in Mumbai on two grounds namely the Brabourne stadium and the DY Patil stadium. But as the tournament expands over the next few years, it will be necessary to add more cities in the list. So the day is not far off when Hyderabad will become part of the show and fans in Hyderabad will be able to witness live, the hard fought matches of the women’s Premier League.
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#Womens #cricket #Premier #League #exciting #concept #beware #match #fixers
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 14, 2023
Maharajas who played dirty politics and hampered development of Indian cricket

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The smooth progress of Indian cricket has frequently been hampered by the whims and egos of the people in power. It happens now and it happened in the past too. Back when Indian cricket was in its nascent stage, the most powerful people in the sport were the wealthy Maharajas. Two of these royal figures, namely the Maharajkumar of Vizianagaram and the Maharaja of Patiala, played a key role in promoting the game but they also indulged in petty politics and treated cricket as their personal fiefdom.
Moreover, the two of them were also at loggerheads with each other and each one tried to become the topmost figure in Indian cricket.
Former diplomat Natwar Singh, who also served as Minister for External Affairs, has written an interesting book about the Maharaja of Patiala Bhupinder Singh. Nobody knows the facts better than Natwar Singh because his wife was Princess Heminder Kaur, granddaughter of the Maharaja. There are some interesting anecdotes mentioned by Natwar Singh in his book titled The Magnificent Maharaja.
The ruler of Patiala was an avid cricket fan and did many things to develop the game in India in the 1930s. But he was also given to sudden mood changes like many rulers who enjoyed tremendous power. According to Natwar Singh, the Maharaja used to refer to ace cricketer Lala Amarnath as a “chokra.”
On one occasion he was annoyed with Lala for some reason. He instructed the famed fast bowler Mohammed Nissar to bowl bouncers at Lala and hit him on the head. “If you can hit that chokra on the head, I will give you a village as a jagir,” the Maharaja told the fast bowler. The towering Nissar, then considered being one of the fastest bowlers in the world, tried hard to do the job that the Maharaja had assigned to him. But Lala Amarnath was too quick and skillful. He avoided the ball every time and Nissar had to remain without his promised gift.
Then there was another occasion when the Maharaja’s mood changed in favour of Lala. “Listen here, chokra. For every run you score today I will give you a gold coin,” said Bhupinder Singh. Lala gladly seized the opportunity, scored a century and got a bagful of gold coins from the Maharaja.
As for the Maharajkumar of Vizianagaram, he was a person whose internecine political games often ruined the progress of cricket. His quarrel with Lala Amarnath was famous and is talked about even today. Well known author Mihir Bose has written: “If Vizzy had been content with being a cricket sponsor, his name would be one of the most revered in Indian cricket. But he was consumed with the ambition to be a great cricketer himself.”
His wealth earned him great influence in Indian cricket. In the early thirties, he donated fifty thousand rupees to the BCCI which was starved of funds. It was a huge sum. With some manipulation, Vizzy got himself named as captain of India in 1936 when the Indian team went to England. The senior players in the squad, including Amarnath, C.K. Nayudu and Vijay Merchant were highly displeased with Vizzy’s methods and therefore the team became divided between Vizzy loyalists and rebels.

But worse was to follow. During India’s match against Minor Counties, Amarnath had a back injury. Nevertheless Vizzy made Amarnath pad up, but did not send him to bat. Other batsmen were sent ahead of him. It prevented Amarnath from resting. An angry Amarnath muttered in Punjabi, “I know what is transpiring.” Vizzy took this comment as an affront, and teamed up with the squad manager Major Jack Brittain-Jones to take revenge. Lala Amarnath was sent back to India for indiscipline. It is also alleged that once Vizzy offered Mushtaq Ali gold watch to run out Vijay Merchant.
Such misdeeds earned Vizzy a bad name and an inquiry held after the tour found that Vizzy was the guilty party in the quarrel with Amarnath. Thereafter, Vizzy maintained a low profile and later became an administrator. He also went into politics and became an MP from Visakhapatnam before he passed away in 1965.
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#Maharajas #played #dirty #politics #hampered #development #Indian #cricket
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 12, 2023
India has unique distinction: It produced several cricket captains of other nations too

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India enjoys a unique distinction in world cricket. It is the birthplace of several cricketers who went on to become captains of teams from foreign lands. No other nation has produced so many outstanding cricketers who became captains of teams belonging to other countries. There seems to be something in the air of India with its ancient traditions that gives rise to people of diverse talents.
Among the players who were born in India but went on to become captains of England are Douglas Jardine (born in Bombay), Colin Cowdrey (born in Ooty) and Nasser Hussain (born in Madras / Chennai). Then from Pakistan, there are Asif Iqbal (born in Hyderabad, Deccan), Javed Burki (Meerut), Hanif Mohammad (Junagadh), Saeed Ahmed (Jalandhar), Inthikab Alam (Hoshiarpur), Majid Khan (Ludhiana) and Mushtaq Mohammad (Junagadh).
Majid Khan (Ludhiana)
This is a list of only the captains. There are dozens of players born in India or of Indian origin who represented other countries in international cricket. Two prominent India-born players in this category are Bob Woolmer and Robin Jackman both of whom played for England. Jackman was born in Shimla in 1945 where his father, an army major with the 2nd Gurkha Rifles was stationed. The family returned to Britain in 1946 where Robin found success as a cricketer.
Douglas Jardine was best known for captaining the English team during the 1932–33 Ashes tour which became notorious as the Bodyline series. He was born in Bombay to Scottish parents–Malcolm Jardine who was a former first-class cricketer and Alison Moir. At the age of nine, he was sent to St Andrews in Scotland to stay with his mother’s sister.
Douglas’ father Malcolm was born in India too (in Shimla) to a family which had been connected with India for many years. Douglas Jardine’s grandfather was William Jardine, a barrister and later a judge in Allahabad.
Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey’s story is quite similar. His father, Ernest Arthur Cowdrey, was born in Calcutta and later ran a tea plantation near Ooty and that is where Colin was born. Colin had no schooling in India, but his father and servants taught him cricket as soon as he could walk. He went on to play for England in 1954, became a captain in 1959, and led the team on and off for the next decade.
Nasser Hussain was born in Madras (Chennai). His father, Raza Jawad ‘Joe’ Hussain, was a keen cricketer. Reportedly he was a descendant of the Nawab of Arcot. Nasser’s mother Shireen (originally Patricia Price) is English. His father moved the family to England in 1975.
While it may not be very surprising that several Pakistan captains were born in India before the partition, it is extraordinary that a captain of Pakistan was born in India even after the two nations were parted. That man was Asif Iqbal who was born in Hyderabad, played for Osmania University and then migrated with his family to Pakistan where he extended his cricket career till he became captain of Pakistan.

One man whose life had several unusual occurrences was Bob Woolmer. He was born in Kanpur in 1948 at the Georgina McRobert Hospital which is opposite the Green Park stadium in Kanpur. His father was a cricketer too. His name was Clarence Woolmer who had represented Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji trophy.
At the age of 10, Woolmer was watching a cricket match along with his father and he witnessed the legendary Hanif Mohammad making a world record of 499 runs. Many years later, coincidentally Woolmer (then coach of Warwickshire) also witnessed Brian Lara breaking the record that Hanif Mohammad had made thirty-five years ago. The two events luckily were witnessed by Woolmer.
Tragically Woolmer died under suspicious circumstances in the West Indies in the midst of the 2007 World Cup. The mystery surrounding his death has not yet been solved and continues to be one of the strangest incidents in international cricket.
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#India #unique #distinction #produced #cricket #captains #nations
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 11, 2023
India has unique distinction: It produced several cricket captains of other nations too

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India enjoys a unique distinction in world cricket. It is the birthplace of several cricketers who went on to become captains of teams from foreign lands. No other nation has produced so many outstanding cricketers who became captains of teams belonging to other countries. There seems to be something in the air of India with its ancient traditions that gives rise to people of diverse talents.
Among the players who were born in India but went on to become captains of England are Douglas Jardine (born in Bombay), Colin Cowdrey (born in Ooty) and Nasser Hussain (born in Madras / Chennai). Then from Pakistan, there are Asif Iqbal (born in Hyderabad, Deccan), Javed Burki (Meerut), Hanif Mohammad (Junagadh), Saeed Ahmed (Jalandhar), Inthikab Alam (Hoshiarpur), Majid Khan (Ludhiana) and Mushtaq Mohammad (Junagadh).
Majid Khan (Ludhiana)
This is a list of only the captains. There are dozens of players born in India or of Indian origin who represented other countries in international cricket. Two prominent India-born players in this category are Bob Woolmer and Robin Jackman both of whom played for England. Jackman was born in Shimla in 1945 where his father, an army major with the 2nd Gurkha Rifles was stationed. The family returned to Britain in 1946 where Robin found success as a cricketer.
Douglas Jardine was best known for captaining the English team during the 1932–33 Ashes tour which became notorious as the Bodyline series. He was born in Bombay to Scottish parents–Malcolm Jardine who was a former first-class cricketer and Alison Moir. At the age of nine, he was sent to St Andrews in Scotland to stay with his mother’s sister.
Douglas’ father Malcolm was born in India too (in Shimla) to a family which had been connected with India for many years. Douglas Jardine’s grandfather was William Jardine, a barrister and later a judge in Allahabad.
Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey’s story is quite similar. His father, Ernest Arthur Cowdrey, was born in Calcutta and later ran a tea plantation near Ooty and that is where Colin was born. Colin had no schooling in India, but his father and servants taught him cricket as soon as he could walk. He went on to play for England in 1954, became a captain in 1959, and led the team on and off for the next decade.
Nasser Hussain was born in Madras (Chennai). His father, Raza Jawad ‘Joe’ Hussain, was a keen cricketer. Reportedly he was a descendant of the Nawab of Arcot. Nasser’s mother Shireen (originally Patricia Price) is English. His father moved the family to England in 1975.
While it may not be very surprising that several Pakistan captains were born in India before the partition, it is extraordinary that a captain of Pakistan was born in India even after the two nations were parted. That man was Asif Iqbal who was born in Hyderabad, played for Osmania University and then migrated with his family to Pakistan where he extended his cricket career till he became captain of Pakistan.

One man whose life had several unusual occurrences was Bob Woolmer. He was born in Kanpur in 1948 at the Georgina McRobert Hospital which is opposite the Green Park stadium in Kanpur. His father was a cricketer too. His name was Clarence Woolmer who had represented Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji trophy.
At the age of 10, Woolmer was watching a cricket match along with his father and he witnessed the legendary Hanif Mohammad making a world record of 499 runs. Many years later, coincidentally Woolmer (then coach of Warwickshire) also witnessed Brian Lara breaking the record that Hanif Mohammad had made thirty-five years ago. The two events luckily were witnessed by Woolmer.
Tragically Woolmer died under suspicious circumstances in the West Indies in the midst of the 2007 World Cup. The mystery surrounding his death has not yet been solved and continues to be one of the strangest incidents in international cricket.
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#India #unique #distinction #produced #cricket #captains #nations
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 11, 2023
What qualities made great cricket captains successful?

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What are the qualities that make a cricket captain successful?
According to former England skipper Ray Illingworth, it is very important to be versatile. “A captain needs the patience of a saint, the diplomacy of an ambassador, the compassion of a social worker, and the skin of a rhino,” is what Illingworth has written in a book on captaincy. Selection headaches and internal politics may require even greater levels of adaptability on the part of the team leader.
One of India’s most successful captains was M S Dhoni. He was made captain almost by chance. It turned out to be one of the best decisions that were ever made by the BCCI. Dhoni is the only Indian captain to lift three big trophies namely the T20 World Cup (2007), the 50-over World Cup (2011) and the Champions Trophy (2013). Moreover he also took India to the top of the ICC Test rankings.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Twitter)
Dhoni had the ideal qualities to lead the team. He had the ability to remain calm and think clearly even when under great pressure in the battles. And he could also get the cooperation and obedience of his teammates. In this matter, Dhoni was fortunate that he was an established player whose talent and skill was evident in his game.
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s case was very much the opposite. Pataudi was pitchforked into the post after Nari Contractor was injured. Being only 21 years old, Pataudi was one of the youngest players in the team. But he was put in charge. In his autobiography Tiger’s Tale, Pataudi describes how he had to lead his seniors against one of the most fearsome rivals in the world. It was a trial by fire. But he managed to get the cooperation of his seniors and in due course became a highly respected leader.
Clive Lloyd
Clive Lloyd faced a rebellion within his ranks after losing the 1983 World Cup against India. The book, Fire In Babylon describes how Gordon Greenidge was one of his harshest critics. Facing a backlash after the loss, Lloyd offered to resign. But a few saner elements within the board eventually prevailed and he was retained as captain. Soon after that the West Indies came to India and Lloyd’s men took their revenge in no uncertain terms. So Lloyd’s captaincy regained firm ground. Lloyd, being an exceptionally brilliant batsman, also had that personal charisma to lead. The players generally looked up to him and he led by example.
Mike Brearley
Mike Brearley in his book titled On Form has stated that even captains can be in or out of form from time to time. Sometimes a captain can make all the right decisions by instinct. Something in his head tells him which bowler to bring in. Or where to place a fielder. Everything that he does turns out to be right. At other times, it all goes to pieces and every decision goes wrong. Why this happens is a mystery.
While Brearley was famous for his tact and man management skills, Alan Border was a different type of captain. He laid down the rules like a lawmaker of the Wild West, and it had to be followed. Those who did not follow would have to face the shooting. In Hyderabad we journalists had a brief glimpse of Border’s style. He was playing in a match at the Gymkhana Ground in Secunderabad when we asked him to spend a few minutes with us and answer some questions. He said: “OK gentlemen, I will give you ten minutes.”

But just when we started our conference by the side of the ground, it began raining. So we all scampered inside and arranged a few chairs in a vacant room. Border followed us inside and announced: “Gentlemen, you have wasted five minutes already.”
Thereafter we had asked barely three questions when the Aussie captain announced: “That’s it. I have given you the ten minutes that I had promised.” And he walked out of the room. His personality was like that. He just stuck to his guns under all circumstances.
So, different team leaders have different methods. There is no formula. It depends on each captain’s own mental makeup, their equation with the rest of the team and how they wish to handle their work. There is no prescription that will work under all circumstances. Success in leadership can be achieved by a variety of methods as each of the great captains has proved.
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#Whatqualities #great #cricket #captains #successful
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 8, 2023
Umran Malik Jaise Hamaare Domestic Cricket Mein Bhare Pade Hain; We Have 12-15 Bowlers Who Can Bowl 155KPH – Kashmir News

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Umran Malik Jaise Hamaare Domestic Cricket Mein Bhare Pade Hain; We Have 12-15 Bowlers Who Can Bowl 155KPH
Umran Malik has been a great addition to the pace battery of team India in the recent series. After a successful Indian T20 League 2022 with the Hyderabad franchise, Umran Malik became a sensation. His sheer pace has been the talk of the town since his debut in the international arena.
Umran has been spoken of highly by not only former cricketers but some of the legendary pacers in world cricket. Having been mentored by the one and only Dale Steyn at Sunrisers Hyderabad and receiving solid backing from none other than the great Wasim Akram, Umran has rapidly caught everyone’s attention. Even Brett Lee, one of the fastest bowlers of all time, compared Umran to a Ferrari and was shocked at his omission from India’s T20 World Cup squad.
However, amid all this pomp, Pakistan pacer Sohail Khan has come up with yet another bizarre take, this time on Umran, saying that although the 23-year-old is a promising talent, ‘bowlers like him’ are very common in Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure.
Sohail Khan shared a statement over Umran Malik on Twitter that has now gone viral. However, fans remained confused as they failed to diagnose who this Sohail Khan is. However, he might be the cricketer who has played for the Men in Green. Sohail Khan said: “Umran Malik is a good bowler and I’ve seen him bowl. But we have 12-15 bowlers in Pakistan who play tape ball cricket and can bowl 155KPH.” Speaking of the career of Sohail Khan, he has played nine Tests where he has picked 27 wickets in 17 innings. Then, in 13 ODIs and 5 T20Is, Sohail Khan took 19 wickets and five wickets respectively.
Speaking about Umran Malik’s performance so far in 2023, he took seven wickets in the three-match T20I home series against Sri Lanka. Then, Umran Malik took five wickets in two ODIs against the Lankans at home. After that, he played only one ODI against the Kiwis where Umran took one wicket for 52 runs. In the recently concluded T20I series, Umran Malik took two wickets in two matches.
Here is how fans have reacted to the comment by Sohail Khan on Twitter:
“Umran Malik is a good bowler and I’ve seen him bowl. But we have 12-15 bowlers in Pakistan who play tape ball cricket and can bowl 155KPH,” Sohail Khan.
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 2, 2023
I think he missed saying ” but those bowlers do not have the temperament for International level matches, so get dropped after 1-2 matches”
— RahlS_2017 (@RSu27738855) February 2, 2023
H kon ye Sohail Khan..ise pucho ki cricket sirf speed game hi h kya..there is no value of speed in cricket..150+ wale bowler vo nhi kr skte jo 135 vale kr skte h (australia me 2 bar test series jitna)
— Dr. jhatka (@MainpalVarma) February 2, 2023
Inke muh pe koi ban lgao bhai
— DR.CHIRAG DEVDA 🇮🇳 (@chirag_devda21) February 2, 2023
Shameless porkistan… Inse koi puchha 🤣🤣🤣
— Debasis MohapaTra (@ImDeb26) February 2, 2023
Umran Malik jaise hamaare domestic cricket mein bhare pade hain

“I feel this Umran Malik guy is a good bowler. I’ve seen 1-2 matches. He runs fast and has kept other things is check as well. But if you think of fast bowlers with speed in excess of over 150-155 kph, I can count 12-15 players right now who play tape-ball cricket. If you go visit the trails organised by Lahore Qalandars, you’ll find many players,” Sohail said on The Nadir Ali podcast.
“Iske (Umran Malik) jaise toh bohot hain. Domestic cricket bhari padi hai hamaari. (Our domestic setup is filled with bowlers like Umran Malik). When a bowler comes through in our domestic level, he becomes a bonafide bowler. Like Shaheen, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf… these are bowlers who know their stuff. I can give you plenty of names.”
Umran, one of the world’s quickest, has already bowled the fastest delivery by an Indian clocking in 156kph against Sri Lanka, and has been tipped as a threat to Shoaib Akhtar’s record for the fastest delivery of all time.
As of now, Umran Malik has played eight ODIs and T20Is so far for the Men in Blue. In those ODIs, he has taken 13 wickets at an economy of 6.45. In those T20Is, Umran has taken 11 wickets, at an economy of 10.48. So, fans have enjoyed the recent success of this young pacer in these two formats.
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#Umran #Malik #Jaise #Hamaare #Domestic #Cricket #Mein #Bhare #Pade #Hain #Bowlers #Bowl #155KPH #Kashmir #News
( With inputs from : kashmirnews.in )

February 4, 2023
Hyderabad: 3 arrested for cricket betting; over Rs 12L seized

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Hyderabad: Three members of an online cricket betting gang were arrested by the Commissioner’s Task Force along with the Shahinayathgunj police on Friday.
A total amount of Rs 12,05,000 and four cell phones were retrieved from the accused.
Out of ten, a total of three people were arrested while seven others are absconding currently.
The prime accused Vikas Agarwal, a bookie based out of Barkatpura was suffering from a financial crisis and hence took to betting through online applications.
He then came in contact with Mahendra Patel and Rajendra Patel and all three of them organised betting via web applications ie. Radhe Exchange Goshamahal, Hyderabad by obtaining an online cricket betting line from Sagar, a resident of Mumbai.
On February 1, they started online cricket betting by using cell phones for the 3rd India vs New Zealand T20 match at Ahmedabad with known punters by betting amounts and earning money illegally.
The arrested accused and seized money and phones were handed over to the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Shahinayathgunj police station for further action.

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#Hyderabad #arrested #cricket #betting #12L #seized
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 3, 2023
Tendulkar felicitates women’s U19 World Cup-winning cricket team

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Ahmedabad: Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday felicitated the India U-19 women’s cricket team for its triumph in the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in South Africa, saying the feat will encourage many girls to take up the sport and realise their dreams.
“I would likely to congratulate you on the magnificent achievement. The entire nation will celebrate (the triumph) for years to come.
“For me, my cricketing dreams started in 1983 but by winning this World Cup, you have given birth to many dreams. It was a magnificent performance,” Tendulkar said during the felicitation ceremony just before the start of the series-deciding third T20I between India and New Zealand here on Wednesday.
“By winning this World Cup, you have given a dream to young girls in India to represent the country.
“The beginning of the WPL (Women’s Premier League) is going to be the biggest thing. I believe in equality for men and women, and not just in sports. There should be equal opportunities,” he added.
Tendulkar said the BCCI is doing its best for the growth of women’s cricket in the country.
“What BCCI has been able to do and the officials’ contribution in helping women’s cricket prosper, I think it’s a sign that we will really do well (in future).”
During the brief felicitation function, which was also attended by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, president Roger Binny, vice-president Rajeev Shukla and treasurer Ashish Shelar, the dignitaries handed over a cheque of Rs five crore to the victorious India U-19 women’s team as announced by the board secretary earlier.

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#Tendulkar #felicitates #womens #U19 #World #Cupwinning #cricket #team
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 1, 2023
PM Modi Calls Winter Games, Snow Cricket In Kashmir “An Extension Of Khelo India Movement”

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SRINAGAR: Prime Minister, Narinder Modi on Sunday spoke about Snow Cricket held at Syedabad, Pulwama, Kashmir in his Man Ki Baat.
In the programme, PM Modi said that apart from Snow capped mountains and natural beauty, there is much more to know and admire about Kashmir.
The PM said that in Syedabad, Pulwama of Kashmir the Snow Cricket was held in winter games. He said that Snow cricket is more entertaining, this makes it even more interesting that those games help to identify players who shall play for Team India in future.
The PM said that snow cricket is an extension of the Khelo India Movement. He hoped that those players will win medals for the nation in future and will wave Tricolor high.
He suggested to tourists, “Next time when you visit Kashmir, take your time to watch such programmes too”. That will make your trip more memorable, he said.
Sports activities across Pulwama have touched a new milestone with the provision of sports infrastructure in all Panchayats.
Pertinently, under the mission of play fields in each panchayat, land in Syedabad (Pastuna) Panchayat of Tral Sub Division was identified and Playfield was developed under MGNREGA in FY 2022-23, and the village witnessed a big tournament during this winter.
The Cricket match in Chilaikalan (chilling season across Kashmir) was held in Syedabad (Pastuna) on the smooth surface of Snow for the first time during this winter.

The sports theme of this winter game was Snow Cricket and was a local talent hunt in cricket. This is for the first time that youth were directly benefited by CSSs.
This facility not only fulfills the aspirations of Pulwama youth but also strengthens the vision of “Youth-led development” of PM.
The Youth has reciprocated to the sports spirit and chennalised their achievements and energy on the platform of Khelo India. Now more youth are getting attracted to sports activities across Pulwama.
This is a positive and a vibrant change, and shall have far reaching and best results in coming times with youth getting engaged in sports which develops the competition and leadership qualities
Earlier, Prime Minister has also lauded the efforts made by Manzoor Ahmed Elahi, an entrepreneur from Ukhoo, Pulwama who is providing pencil slates to big firms of the country.
PM has also mentioned the efforts of two brothers namely Bashir Ahmed and Munir Ahmad who have set an example in the realm of self employment. Despite being highly educated both brothers started a vermicompost startup and supply organic manure to farmers at reasonable prices. The vermicompost startup is also a novelty in the Organic Agriculture produce.
People of Pulwama have expressed immense gratitude to Prime Minister by mentioning Pulwama multiple times in Mann Ki Baat for inspiring the youth.
Deputy Commissioner Pulwama, Baseer Ul Haq Choudhary in this context has said that Honorable Lieutenant Government administration is committed for constructive engagement and empowerment of youth of Pulwama.

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#Modi #Calls #Winter #Games #Snow #Cricket #Kashmir #Extension #Khelo #India #Movement
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

January 30, 2023
Hyderabad Cricket has become a banana republic; no sensibility, no direction except losing matches

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Hyderabad cricket is in a pitiable state. It has recently recorded its worst ever performance in the Ranji Trophy Championship. In the past Hyderabad used to be known for it’s daredevilry. Its batsmen never hesitated to play their shots. The bowlers used to be very crafty – especially the spinners who were among the best in India. They could break the spine of the strongest batting line ups. Hyderabad also used to be a rival that the big guns took very seriously.
Now Hyderabad has declined to unprecedented depths in the Ranji trophy. The six defeats are testimony to the team’s abject failure. Hyderabad finished with just one point from seven matches and was demoted to the Plate group for the next season. This is the third time that Hyderabad has faced this ignominy.
Those who love Hyderabad cricket passionately are in despair. How long will this torture go on? How many defeats and humiliations will it take to shake the HCA administration out of its slumber?
The famous basketball coach of the USA, John Robert Wooden once said something that applies very aptly to Hyderabad’s present condition. He said: “Failure against rivals is not fatal. But failure to change one’s methods can be fatal.” Meaning, the best of teams may fail from time to time. But as long as they learn from that failure and change their methods, they are safe. Success will come one day. But in Hyderabad, no lesson has been learnt from failures and nothing has changed.
Year after year we see the same story being repeated. The internal squabbling between administrators continues endlessly. The local league cricket is not being conducted in a systematic and progressive manner. Recently the media exposed how the increase in the number of teams has led to a further increase in malpractices.
A former well experienced state player who is now a top official in one of the cricket clubs told this correspondent that in 2019-2020 the number of teams in the A-1 Division 3-Day league was suddenly increased from 18 to 35 without any rhyme or reason. Now the number has risen further.
“This has brought down the standard at the topmost level of the Hyderabad leagues. Because players can now score a century or take five wickets against obscure rivals and thereby stake a claim for a place in the state side. In the season of 2021-2022 the same story was repeated. And this season has started badly again. Things are going wrong because rules are being flouted regularly with utter impunity,” he pointed out.
“When so many teams are playing, obviously there is a lack of top quality grounds. What is the standard of the pitches and outfields on which league matches are played? Does anybody pay any attention to these important aspects of the game? On poorly maintained grounds, players cannot show their skill. There is enough money in the game to improve infrastructure. But it is not being done. If the conduct of league tournaments does not improve, it logically follows that there will be no improvement in Hyderabad cricket,” he lamented.

Another official pointed out that many questionable decisions were made in Hyderabad’s participation in domestic tournaments. Many choices were haphazard and irrational. For the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament, seven different opening pairs were tried out. Eleven new players made their debut. Players with immense potential were overlooked and players with little experience and poor scores were selected. Players who succeeded in one match found themselves dropped for the next match. There was not even a semblance of stability in the side. The coaching staff consisted of only one head coach without any assistant coach or fielding coach.
As the saying goes in all sports, the grassroots level is where the talent takes root. That organisation which can improve cricket at the lowest level will rise to great heights at the topmost level. But in Hyderabad nobody seems to care. The HCA seems to have developed a skin so thick that the worst humiliation cannot bring about a sense of shame.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

January 29, 2023