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“Maybe the World Cup is postponed but the final decision lies with the ICC” : Pakistan’s Imam-ul-Haq on T20 WC

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'Playing cricket without crowd would look odd': Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq on having T20 World Cup behind closed doors
'Playing cricket without crowd would look odd': Pakistan's Imam-ul-Haq on having T20 World Cup behind closed doors

The men’s T20 world cup has been planned to host by Australia later this year. Due to the rapid spread of deadly corona virus the scheduled sports event has been called off globally.

Earlier Australia successfully host the women’s T20 world cup where Australia women’s took the trophy. The out break of corona virus almost cancelled all the scheduled sports event globally.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive, Manu Sawhney said that the elite body will be consulting the Australian government about the Men’s T20 World Cup 2020.

Seeing the possibility of cricket matches in empty stadiums, Pakistan’s opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq on Wednesday said that if the upcoming T20 World Cup happens behind closed doors, the tournament would end up losing its charm.

“Playing cricket without crowds would look odd. If T20 World Cup takes place, then I think it should take place in front of crowds. I think if it happens behind closed doors, then it would lose its charm but the final decision lies with the ICC. Maybe the World Cup is postponed. The safety of players and crowd needs to be looked at as well,” Imam-ul-Haq told reporters in a video conference.

Also read : List of Players Who Could Lose Their Slot in T20 World Cup if IPL 2020 Cancelled.

As for International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Manu Sawhney, he said that the elite body will consult the Australian government regarding the Men’s T20 World Cup 2020.

“In relation to ICC events, including the ICC Men`s T20 World Cup, we will continue to take advice from experts and authorities, including the Australian government. We will utilise all of the data and information available to us to ensure we can take responsible decisions around all competitions at an appropriate time that are in the best interests of our sport,” Sawhney said in a statement.

Also read : “MS Dhoni is a big big player” : Harbhajan Singh Passes Verdict on MS Dhoni’s Participation in ICC T20 WC

Dean Jones Prediction

Fans are also enjoying this un expected break and chance to interact with their most loved sports personalities. Now, as all cricket lovers look forward to ICC Men’s World Cup 2020 for their entertainment. Recently, an Indian cricket fan took to his Twitter handle to post his query. The fan questioned cricket experts to pick four semi-finalists in the upcoming World T20 in Australia. 

“I am still waiting for that elusive call from CSK” : Dinesh Karthik Reveals How it Feels When CSK Roped Dhoni in 2008

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Dinesh Karthik Reveals How it Feels When CSK Roped Dhoni in 2008
Dinesh Karthik Reveals How it Feels When CSK Roped Dhoni in 2008

Former Indian skipper MS Dhoni has led Chennai Super Kings to 8 finals out of the 10 seasons they have played in the Indian Premier League.

MS Dhoni has several IPL records to his name.

In April 2019, MS Dhoni became the 1st captain to win 100 matches in the Indian Premier League when he led Chennai Super Kings to a 4-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur. During a thriller against Royal Challengers Bangalore, MS Dhoni became the 1st Indian to hit 200 sixes in the Indian Premier League. He hit 7 sixes in a career-best 84 not out off 48 balls but Chennai Super Kings lost the game by 1 run.

Recalling the heartbreaking story from 2008, the wicketkeeper-batsman said it’s been 13 years and he is still waiting for a call from Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Karthik believed he would be CSK’s first pick as he was a big name already and was playing for the national side.

“In 2008, I was in Australia and the auction was happening. In the lead up to that, I was convinced that the biggest name from Tamil Nadu who is also playing for the country…I’m sure they (Chennai Super Kings) are going to pick me. The question is whether they are going to make me the captain or not…that was going on in my head. And the first name they picked as Dhoni, for 1.5 million and he was sitting right around the corner with me. And he didn’t even tell me that they are going to pick him.

“Probably he didn’t know. But that was the biggest dagger to my heart. So I thought that they would pick me later. It’s been 13 years and I am still waiting for that elusive call from CSK,” said Karthik while picking his all-time IPL XI during a conversation with Cricbuzz.

Dinesh Karthik debuted in ODI and Test before MSD. He played in IPL with the following teams:

2008–2010 ; 2014 Delhi Daredevils

2011 Kings XI Punjab

2012–2013 Mumbai Indians

2015 Royal Challengers Bangalore

2016–2017 Gujarat Lions

2018–present Kolkata Knight Riders

Average in successful chases

MS Dhoni

In successful chases since 2015, Dhoni has played in 52 matches and has scored runs at a splendid average of 91.50.

Dinesh Karthik

In successful chases since 2015, Karthik has scored runs at an out-of-the-world average of 272 runs.

Not out percentage

MS Dhoni

Dhoni has a not out percentage of 25.7% in the 70 innings he has played since 2015.

Dinesh Karthik

Karthik has a not out percentage of 47% in the 17 innings he has played since 2015

Stability provided

MS Dhoni

Dhoni has scored three half-centuries in 12 innings. He has scored 50-plus scores in 25% of the innings he has batted in at number 4.

Dinesh Karthik

Karthik has scored three half-centuries in 9 innings. He has scored 50-plus scores in 33% of the innings he has batted in at number 4.

Average at number 4

MS Dhoni

Dhoni has an average of 40.72 while batting at number 4 since 2015.

Dinesh Karthik

Karthik has an average of 52.80 while batting at number 4 since 2015.

Most dismissals by wicket-keeper in IPL History

Player Team Span Dis Mat Cat Stumps
MS Dhoni CSK, RPS 2008-2019 132 190 94 38
Dinesh Karthik DD, KXIP, MI, GL 2008-2019 131 182 101 30
Robin Uthappa RCB, PWI, MI, KKR 2008-2019 90 171 58 32
Parthiv Patel CSK, KTK, DC, SRH, MI,RCB 2008-2019 82 137 66 16
Naman Ojha RR, DD, SRH 2009-2018 75 113 65 10
WP Saha CSK, KKR, KXIP, SRH 2008-2018 74 120 55 19
Adam Gilchrist DC, KXIP 2008-2013 67 80 51 16
Kumar Sangakkara KXIP, DC, SRH 2008-2013 43 71 34 9
RR Pant DD, DC 2016-2019 41 54 30 11
Q de Kock DD, MI, RCB, SRH 2013-2019 36 50 28 8
SV Samson RR, DD 2013-2019 28 62 24 4
KL Rahul KXIP, RCB, SRH 2013-2019 27 60 22 5
MS Bisla KXIP, KKR 2010-2014 24 39 17 7
KM Jadhav DD, KTK, RCB 2010-2019 23 65 16 7
SP Goswami KKR, RR, RCB, SRH 2008-2018 22 29 15 7

“I’ve been playing some PUBG” : Prithvi Shaw Reveals How He Is Spending Time Amid Coronavirus Lockdown

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Prithvi Shaw Reveals How He Is Spending Time Amid Coronavirus Lockdown
Prithvi Shaw Reveals How He Is Spending Time Amid Coronavirus Lockdown

Mumbai batsman Prithvi Shaw is one of the best young talents in the country. The right-hander broke several records on his Test debut. Prithvi Shaw became the youngest player to score a 50-plus score on debut for India. Prithvi Shaw was also the second youngest to score a Test century for India.

The time spent away from cricket while serving a doping ban was nothing short of “torture” for him but young India batsman Prithvi Shaw said it also made him hungrier or runs. The talented 20-year-old was suspended by the BCCI in July last year until November 15 for “inadvertently” ingesting a prohibited substance, commonly found in cough syrups.

“It was a mistake. And the period away from cricket was a torture,” Shaw said while interacting with fans during an Instagram Live session on his IPL franchise Delhi Capitals’ official handle.

“Doubts and questions arise, but I kept the faith and belief. I spent some time in London where I was working on my fitness, as I wasn’t allowed to bat anywhere. When the ban got over, and I returned to domestic cricket, I was hungrier than before.

“I picked up my bat and realised I hadn’t lost my touch at all. If anything, that time off made me a more determined person,” he said.

Talking about the importance of mental health during the unprecedented health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Shaw said the key is to stay patient.

“A lot of us don’t have patience for things in life, so now is a great time to work on it. Everyone should find something to do that they like, and work towards perfecting that. That process in itself will help one grow calmer and become more patient,” he said.

Asked how he has been spending time during the nationwide lockdown, Shaw said, “I’ve been working out a bit indoors and shadow practicing to maintain my fitness levels.

“I’ve also been helping my father in the kitchen. I can cook eggs quite well, and I’m trying to learn a few new things. I’ve been playing some PUBG too.”

Talking about Delhi Capitals’ good run in the last IPL season as the team qualified for the play-offs after a seven-year gap, Shaw said the side was “like a family.”

“We had Ricky (Ponting) sir, Dada (Sourav Ganguly), (Mohammad) Kaif sir to help us with anything – the environment was perfect.”

Recalling an incident from the 2019 season, Shaw said Ponting once scared him by ordering him to take 10 rounds of the Feroz Shah Kotla ground after he reported slightly late for a pre-training team meeting.

“I was looking for some new spikes in the dressing room that day and reached the ground a bit late. I completed the entire training – fielding and batting sessions – and had no energy left to run 10 rounds of the ground.

“Luckily, I didn’t have to. Turns out Ricky sir just wanted to scare me off for my late attendance that day,” he said.

WATCH : On This Day Sachin Tendulkar smashed 14th ODI century vs Australia in Sharjah

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Sachin Tendulkar smashed 14th ODI century vs Australia in Sharjah
Sachin Tendulkar smashed 14th ODI century vs Australia in Sharjah

On this day in 1998, Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar had smashed his 14th ODI century against Australia to make sure that India qualify for the final match of the Sharjah Cup played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Irrespective of the time and medium, anyone who has watched Tendulkar’s innings can confirm that it was one of the greatest innings that he played during his international career.

After the then Australia captain Steve Waugh won the toss and chose to bat, Australia put on board 284/5 in 50 overs on the back of Michael Bevan playing exceedingly well for his 101 (103) with the help of nine fours.

While India needed 285 runs to win initially, they required 254 runs to pin down New Zealand’s net run rate qualify for the final. There was not an iota of doubt that Tendulkar would have to lead India to the target and what happened is fondly remembered as history.

Tendulkar’s attacking instincts witnessed him going after the Australian fast bowlers from the word go. In addition to the usual quintessential shots played by the batsman, Tendulkar frequently stepped down the track to hit the opposition bowlers down the ground.

Sachin Tendulkar smashed 14th ODI century

Tendulkar, who was a couple of days short of his 25th birthday, completed his half-century in the 22nd over. Apart from India losing wickets at regular intervals, a desert storm affected their chase duly.

The revised target required India to chase a 276-run target in 46 overs. With Tendulkar and VVS Laxman coming out to bat, India needed to score 237 runs to qualify for the final.

It was in the 39th over that Tendulkar reached the three-figure mark amidst a sensational applause from the spectators who were watching a batting masterpiece in front of them.

Before getting out against Australia pacer Damien Fleming in the 43rd over, Tendulkar scored 143 (131) with the help of nine fours and five sixes and ensured that India qualify for the final.

 

WATCH : On This Day Shane Watson scored maiden T20 century vs CSK in Chennai

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Shane Watson scored maiden T20 century vs CSK in Chennai
Shane Watson scored maiden T20 century vs CSK in Chennai

On this day in 2013, the then Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Shane Watson had scored his maiden T20 century against Chennai Super Kings during the 30th match of the sixth season of the tournament in Chennai.

After the then Rajasthan captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and chose to bat, Watson hit the first ball of the innings for a four through midwicket after CSK all-rounder Dwayne Bravo let the ball pass through his legs.

On the first delivery of Mohit Sharma’s second over, Watson stood his ground to elegantly hit the bowler over his had for a six. Having hit a four in the same over, Watson then targeted Chennai all-rounder Chris Morris by hitting him for a six and a four in the fifth over.

Watson, then 31, played a dominant role in a 71-run opening partnership alongside Ajinkya Rahane (16). Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni another all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja in the seventh over brought no respite as Watson hit him for a four and a six to welcome him.

While Watson crossed the 50-run mark in this over, it was also a period when RR started to lose wickets. All-rounder Stuart Binny coming out to bat eased the pressure off Watson as he hit Jadeja for two more sixes in the 17th over.

Shane Watson scored maiden T20 century

It was on the second delivery of the 18th over that Watson ran a couple of runs off Bravo to complete his maiden century in the tournament. It is worth mentioning that it was also the first century of IPL 2013.

While Watson would have loved to get going till the end, he was dismissed on the next delivery as he hit a Bravo delivery straight to Michael Hussey at extra cover. Watson scoring 101 (61) with the help of six fours and six sixes played a titular role in Royals scoring 185/4 in 20 overs.

Watson’s first century in the format ended up in a losing cause as a 90-run partnership for the second wicket between Chennai opening batsman Hussey (88) and vice-captain Suresh Raina (51) laid the foundation of a 5-wicket victory.

WATCH : Steve Smith Enhances Hand-Eye Coordination With Isolation Batting

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Steve Smith Enhances Hand-Eye Coordination With Isolation Batting
Steve Smith Enhances Hand-Eye Coordination With Isolation Batting

Australia batsman Steve Smith is making sure he keeps honing his skills even though no cricketing activities are currently taking place due to coronavirus pandemic. Steve Smith, much like every other cricketer, is spending time at home as the coronavirus wreaks havoc worldwide. Cricketers are using social media as a medium to interact with their fans during the ongoing health crisis.

Recently, Steve Smith welcomed the forced break by the coronavirus pandemic but remained optimistic about going back on the field. At home with his family during the isolation period, Smith is working on improving his hand-eye coordination through isolation batting.

Steve Smith’s hand-eye coordination

“Nice little exercise that we can do at home to improve our skills, particularly the hand-eye coordination,” said Smith in the 50-second long video on Instagram on Wednesday.

He then takes a tennis ball and hits it against a wall numerous times while focussing on the bat face and his feet movement.

“Just a little bit of #isobatting to keep up the hand-eye coordination #cricketdrill #stayhome #stayactive,” he captioned the video.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Just a little bit of #isobatting to keep up the hand-eye coordination #cricketdrill #stayhome #stayactive

A post shared by Steve Smith (@steve_smith49) on

Smith opens about his “toughest” bowler

The number one Test batsman, Smith, who recently dethroned Indian skipper Virat Kohli from No.1 position from ICC test ranking also named Ravindra Jadeja as the toughest bowler he has faced in the subcontinent.

“Jadeja in the sub-continent… why he is so good because, he hits that good length and one ball skids on and one spins, and it just all looks same out of the hand. I think consistency in length is key and then having at least one variation,” he said.

Under normal circumstances, Smith would have been currently playing for the Rajasthan Royals in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which currently stands “indefinitely suspended” because of COVID-19.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic which has so far claimed more than 1.7 lakh lives across the world, a spate of series and tournaments, including the IPL 2020, Australia’s tour of Bangladesh, South Africa’s tour of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh’s tour of Ireland have been postponed indefinitely.

AB De Villiers has Been Selected as the Greatest IPL Batsman of all Time Over Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni

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AB De Villiers has been selected as the greatest IPL batsman of all time
AB De Villiers has been selected as the greatest IPL batsman of all time

Who do you think is the Indian Premier League‘s greatest batsman of all time? MS Dhoni? Virat Kohli? Suresh Raina?

Well, the prize for the greatest batsman of the world’s richest cricket league goes to none other than RCB southpaw AB de Villiers. The South African cricketer has been named as the greatest of all in IPL’s 12-year history by a panel of experts.

AB de’s intention for T20 world cup

De Villiers captained South Africa in all three formats, although after a series of injuries he stepped down from the Test captaincy. In 2017 he stepped down from captaining the national limited-overs teams and in May 2018 announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket.

However, in January 2020 De Villiers expressed his intention to make an international comeback and play for South Africa in the 2020 T20 World Cup.

He gets his last chance to get in to the International team for the last time. South Africa’s head coach Mark Boucher has given AB De Villiers a deadline of June 1 to make himself available for the selection. Where he could make his international return for the Proteas lineup against Sri Lanka this year.

He expect to attend the “selection” after IPL 2020, but the BCCI postponed the cash rich tournament to the mid of April. Due to the rapid spread of corona virus BCCI took this decision.

Also read : South Africa’s AB De Villiers Makes an Update on his Return to International Squad If IPL 2020 Fails Amid COVID-19

Best batsman in IPL too

With his unorthodox technique and shot selections, De Villiers has been widely likened to be amongst the greatest batsmen of his generation.

Although he announced his international retirement in 2019, De Villiers continues to play franchise cricket across the world and remains an integral part of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) of IPL.

He has featured in every IPL season ever since its inception in 2008 and has gone on to represent two franchises. The South African superstar started his career with Delhi Daredevils before permanently shifting base to RCB.

In the 154 IPL matches that he has played, De Villiers has hit 4395 runs including 3 centuries and 33 half-centuries. He remains one of the main pillars in the batting department at RCB, where he has formed an explosive batting partnership with skipper Virat Kohli.

The duo has put up two 200+ and 5 100+ batting partnerships, turning RCB into among the most feared batting lineups.

AB de Villiers was selected by an experts’ panel on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected over the likes of Kohli, David Warner, Chris Gayle, MS Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Kieron Pollard, Suresh Raina, and Shane Watson.

Along with Graeme Smith, Tom Moody, Danny Morrison, Alan Wilkins, Ian Bishop, Mike Hesson and Darren Ganga voted for De Villiers or Mr. 360.

“Mr. 360. If I look at that list, I’m going to go with AB de Villiers. Mr. 360, because I have seen him score all around the park, all over the IPL,” said Danny Morrison.

The jury that elected De Villiers was made of 50 members including former cricketers (20), statisticians and analysts (10), senior sports journalists (10), broadcasters (7) and anchors (3).

 

Fans Begin Preparations for Thala MS Dhoni’s big day via #DhoniBirthdayIn77Days in Twitter

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Fans begin preparations for Thala MS Dhoni's birthday
Fans begin preparations for Thala MS Dhoni's birthday

Indian former skipper MS Dhoni played his last for India during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 against New Zealand. After that Dhoni missed the West Indies tour (and all subsequent series) last year due to his training for the parachute regiment of the Indian Army in Kashmir valley.

Dhoni’s name hit the media in January when his name wasn’t to be found in the list of annually contracted Indian players. It was widely anticipated that a stellar IPL season might open doors for Dhoni’s international comeback keeping eyes on the ICC T20 World Cup 2020.

With around 77 days remaining for the birthday of the ‘Thala’, netizens have already begun preparations for the same as they have started trending #DhoniBirthdayIn77Days on Twitter.

Also read : Gautam Gambhir Picks the Best IPL Captain Between Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni.

MS Dhoni – God Of Wicket Keeping

First Captain To Whitewash Aussies On Their Home

Dhoni is the only skipper in the history of the game to have won all three ICC trophies (World T20 in 2007, World Cup in 2011 and Champions Trophy in 2013). With the rout of the home team, Dhoni and his team became the first ever Indian side to whitewash the Australians on their grounds. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and the bowlers were the chief architects of the landmark victory

This was Dhoni’s second series win as a captain in Australia. In 2008, he had lifted the Commonwealth Bank Tri-series ODI trophy, beating the hosts 2-0 in the best-of-three finals.

First Captain To Whitewash Aussies On Their Home 🔥😎. #DhoniBirthdayIn77Days pic.twitter.com/eVin6GmefG

No of people waiting for his Comeback are Damn High 

Regards Indian former skipper MS Dhoni’s return many revealed their thoughts and plot the possibilities. Where Indian former player Sunil Gavaskar suggest Dhoni should retire silently and Sehwag advice team India to play with their current wicket keeper batsman.

Australian bowler Brad Hogg too predict the possibilities of MS Dhoni’s return to International squad if IPL 2020 cancelled.

 

Shoaib Akhtar :”I would have destroyed him or even kill him” If Wasim Akram Approached me for Match-fixing

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If Wasim Akram had asked me to do match-fixing, I would have killed him: Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar spoke about the match-fixing era in the squad and how he would not have listened to Wasim Akram if he had approach him regarding the same. Earlier Shoaib Akhtar has named Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar as one of the “greatest batsman of all time”.

“I was watching few matches of the 1990s and I was amazed to see how Wasim Akram got Pakistan through impossible situations with his brilliant bowling,” Cricket Pakistan quoted the Rawalpindi Express as saying during a television show.

“I will say it very clearly that if Wasim Akram had asked me to do match-fixing, I would have destroyed him or even kill him. But he never said such a thing to me,” he added.

Akhtar went on to clarify that he was never approached by Akram or any other person with such proposals. The Rawalpindi Express has represented his country in 46 Tests and 163 ODIs and feels that Akram’s brilliant bowling rescued Pakistan through many tough situations.

“I played with him for seven to eight years and I can quote many instances where he gave me cover by taking the responsibility of picking up the top-order wickets while leaving the tail-enders for me,” said the 44-year-old.

“He even let me bowl from my preferred bowling even though he had a lot more wickets that I did,” he added.

READ : Former Pakistan Bowler Shoaib Akhtar Points Out How he would Dismiss Virat Kohli

“After watching these old matches, I called him and apologised to for not truly appreciating his greatness while playing with him,” Shoaib Akhtar concluded.

This is not the first instance when the bowler has voiced his opinion against the corruption allegations looming Pakistan cricket.

In an interview last year, Akhtar had said, “I was always of the belief that I can never cheat Pakistan, no match-fixing but I was surrounded by match-fixers. I was playing against 21 people (sic) — 11 theirs and 10 ours. Who knows who was the match-fixer.”

“MS Dhoni has expressed his interest to play Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy” : Report

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MS Dhoni planning to play Syed Ali Trophy
The former Indian captain Dhoni has reportedly expressed his interest to play the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the next season

The former Indian skipper MS Dhoni was last seen in action against New Zealand in the ICC World Cup semifinal, a game India lost. He made himself unavailable for India’s international assignments post the WC exit and was eventually dropped from the BCCI’s list of centrally contracted players in January.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and India head coach Ravi Shastri points out that, “Dhoni’s international future depends on his performances in IPL 2020 which comes in to consider him in T20 World Cup planned later this year in Australia”.

The most awaited moment for Dhoni’s fan scattered after BCCI announcement of IPL postpone. BCCI suspend IPL 2020 till further notice amid corona virus lockdown.

Also read : MS Dhoni’s Five Controversial Moments in His Cricket Carrier Since 2004

However, according to the recent report from Sportskeeda, Dhoni is eyeing to return to the T20 cricket.

The former Indian captain has reportedly expressed his interest to play the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in the next season. This means fans can see him play for Jharkhand. He is likely to take a decision after the lockdown period gets over.

A source said according to Sportskeeda said, “Dhoni has been training in the JSCA international complex now and then and has been in touch with JSCA officials.

Watch : Indian Cricketer Suresh Raina Talk about Selectors’ Ignorance, MS Dhoni’s future

“He has expressed his interest to play Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy next year, even JSCA put forward the proposal to him. He has always expressed his interest in giving back to state cricket. He will take a decision post lockdown about this, there is no hurry either. He wants to be match ready for the IPL, and will use the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as practice.”

MS Dhoni has participated in the domestic competition for only one season and it was during the Inter-State T20 Tournament in 2007.

“It was just hard to get Sachin out” : Monty Panesar Praised Indian Legendary Batsman Sachin Tendulkar

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Monty Panesar Says "Was Most Scared Of Sachin Tendulkar" As He "Had Different Gears"
Monty Panesar Says "Was Most Scared Of Sachin Tendulkar" As He "Had Different Gears"

Mudhsuden Singh Panesar (born 25 April 1982), known as Monty Panesar, is an English international cricketer who is currently without a county cricket side. A left-arm spinner, Panesar made his Test cricket debut in 2006 against India in Nagpur and One Day International debut for England in 2007.

In English county cricket, he last played for Northamptonshire in 2016, and has previously played for Northamptonshire until 2009, Sussex from 2010–2013 and Essex from 2013-2015, He has also played for the Lions in South Africa.

Monty Panesar praised Indian players

Monty Panesar dismissed Sachin Tendulkar four times in 11 Tests but says the Indian legend was the best batsman he played against alongside Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.

Virender Sehwag was the “most destructive” of that era, Rahul Dravid was “The Wall”, but the ability to change gears made Tendulkar the best. Panesar, who played 50 Tests, got the better of Tendulkar in his debut game in Nagpur in 2006 before dismissing him twice in the Mumbai Test of 2012 when England won a rare series in India.

“Sachin was just ruthless. Once he got in, he would look to score big. But like any other batsman, he was vulnerable. He was on a different wavelength once set,” the British-Indian cricketer told PTI from the UK.

“It was just hard to get Sachin out. With him, you were always like which gear he is going to take but you had to be competitive. Having said that, I backed myself to get him out.”

Panesar said Dravid and Sehwag were the other two Indians who stood out.

“Dravid was another great, like the wall they used to say. That was the period you had batters who would just bat long. Just ruthless. With him, you can kind of felt like his bat was wider than anyone else’s.

“And Sehwag was simply amazing, the most destructive batsman at that time,” said the left-armer, who took 167 wickets at 34.71.

Agrees with Yuvraj Singh’s comment

Yuvraj Singh recently triggered a controversy by saying that the current Indian team doesn’t have role models barring Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, unlike his playing days.

Panesar agreed with Yuvraj’s views. “The way these guys (Sachin, Dravid, Laxman) conducted themselves was a lesson for all of us on how we need to be off the field. It was like ‘this is how we need to behave’.

“You look at the talent and what you do on the field but the biggest thing that struck me about Sachin was the way he conducted himself as a human being. It was like ‘his family has taught him well’,” recollected Panesar.

Talking about some of his other contemporaries, Panesar picked Sangakkara and Jayawardene as the best players of spin bowling.

“They were simply too good. I could not get them out in Sri Lanka. I didn’t find Ricky Ponting that hard to be honest, Michael Clarke was harder. Ricky came hard at the ball against spin, so I felt I could get him out. But I was most scared of Sachin because he had different gears and could still bat long.”

Panesar in isolation amid COVID-19

Panesar, like everyone else in the world, has been isolating at his home in Luton.

He has started an online fundraising campaign for providing PPE kits to care homes in England.

For someone who has battled depression, Panesar said the outbreak of COVID-19 is a harsh yet timely reminder to the human race. It has not changed his perspective towards life but “many others who did not believe in god”.

“I have always believed in god. So for me the current situation has been about connecting to the faith and keep my mind off coronavirus.

“I think what has been happening is that the people who did not believe in good has started believing in god. Atheists are saying that there is a force at play, making this world go round. That has been the biggest impact on humanity at the moment,” Panesar concluded.

Gautam Gambhir Picks the Best IPL Captain Between Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni

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Gambhir points the best IPL captain comapring MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma
Gautam Gambhir picks Rohit Sharma as greatest IPL captain ahead of MS Dhoni

Former India batsman and current Member of Parliament from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir believes that the absence of the 13th season of the Indian Premier League will make it difficult for veteran wicket-keeper batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni to stage an international comeback. Spells Out Replacement Wicket Keeper Batsman for MS Dhoni during Star Sports Cricket Connected.

Gautam Gambhir’s view on best captain in IPL

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Gautam Gambhir expressed his thoughts on how might be the best captain in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I think it’s Rohit Sharma. He has won it four times. Captaincy is all about winning trophies.”

“He will end up being the most successful IPL captain of all time as well. He has 4 already, he may finish at 6-7 maybe under his belt,” Gautam Gambhir said at Star Sports’ Cricket Connected show.

Former Team India batting coach Sanjay Bangar was also on the show and he also lauded Sharma’s capabilities as a captain.

“The number of close matches that Mumbai Indians have won actually also show Rohit’s success as captain,” Bangar said.

“He has won some very close games. The choices that he makes under pressure are good,” he added.

Also read : ‘I have attitude towards liars & traitors’ : Gautam Gambhir Slammed on Afridi’s Statement

Rohit or Dhoni?

Sanjay then went on to add: “He is backed by the result, but even from a pure captaincy point of view, the smartness and decision making, I would say Rohit Sharma.”

Ex England international Kevin Pietersen also expressed his side of the argument and claimed that MS Dhoni is still the far superior pick for him when it comes to consistency. 

“It is very difficult to go against MS Dhoni because of what everyone expects from him. How he has lived his life. What he has been through. Captaining India and then captaining CSK,” Pietersen said.

“I love what Rohit Sharma does, I love what Mumbai Indians have done. But because of consistency and living up to the weight of expectation, MS Is my guy,” he added.

Morrison backs MS Dhoni

Cricketer-turn-commentator Danny Morrison also backed Kevin’s statement on Dhoni and said: “I am looking at the vibes and inspiration and that fellow brings in and he did the same when he was in blue.”

“I want to back that guy, I wanna be in his corner. And sometimes out of nowhere, he brings out the helicopter shot. MS takes pressure like no one else.”

 

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