Three members of the South African women’s cricket team tested positive for the COVID-19 virus ahead of assembling for a training camp to prepare of a proposed tour of England.
Cricket South Africa on Friday said a total of 34 tests were conducted on the players and support staff with the infected trio, who were not named, being removed from the preparations, which start in Pretoria on Sunday.
They will have to self-isolate for 10 days.
South Africa plan two separate training camps over the next month in anticipation of getting government permission to travel to England for a series of limited-overs internationals in September.
South Africa’s strict COVID-19 lockdown has been loosened to allow sports teams to begin practising but there have been no matches apart from an exhibition game last weekend.
Some 24 players were called up for the camps, which is the first time they have assembled since reaching the T20 Women’s World Cup semi-finals in Australia in March.
The proposed tour to England is part of preparations for the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand next year.
India vs South Africa in UAE:
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is likely to explore the possibility of a three-match white-ball series against South Africa in United Arab Emirates ahead of the Indian Premier League, according to a report in Times of India.
The report added that three-match series between India and South Africa will be a ‘catalyst’ for STAR, who are eyeing Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) home broadcasting rights as well.
In May, there were reports that India and South Africa were planning to play three T20Is in South Africa depending on the COVID-19 situation.
Patel also confirmed that Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will be the three main venues and when asked about whether the tournament would be played behind closed doors, he said that “depends on the UAE government.”
After a lot of hurdles the much awaited 13th edition of Indian Premier League(IPL) has it’s last chance to show up. After the ICC’s decision of postpone of T20 World Cup IPL gets in card.
BCCI confirms that UAE will host the IPL 2020 from September to November 2020. Speaking to IANS, IPL Chairman Patel said that the window has been zeroed in on. “We have had a discussion and we are looking at the September 19 to November 8 window for this edition of the league. We have informed the franchise about the same,” he said.
The window could see some discussion as the England and Australia players will be engaging in a series in the UK till September 15 and that could mean them missing the first few games of their respective franchises. But Patel said it shouldn’t be an issue and these things are set to be discussed in the Governing Council meeting that is to be held next week.
England And Australia Players Expect to Reach UAE:
“Shouldn’t be a problem. The England-Australia series ends on September 15. So, we should have them flying in directly to Dubai. We will discuss the final matters in the governing council meeting next week,” he said.
The official announcement might happen only after the Indian Premier League’s Governing Council meeting, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has joined the franchises in making logistical plans for the 13th edition of the cash-rich league to be played in the UAE as reported by IANS.
Apart from the IPL teams, logistics and operations teams from the BCCI will also be heading to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah to see to it that preparations are on in full swing and there is no execution woes. If the UAE airlines don’t start operations then all will fall back on chartered planes.
The ICC on Monday announced that the T20 World Cup cannot be held in Australia in October-November as the time isn’t conducive to host so many teams in the country as the threat of the coronavirus pandemic isn’t over yet. This has opened the door for the BCCI to host the IPL in that window.
Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli is not only a performer on field, but he also grabs headlines off the ground. Recently, Kohli created buzz with his retro look.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently on Twitter shared the teaser of Indian cricketer Mayank Agarwal’s chat show, Open nets with Mayank, which is going to feature Kohli in the upcoming episode.
Putting out the clip, the BCCI tweeted, “Look who’s gone retro with sunglasses Watch out for this episode of #OpenNetsWithMayank featuring #KingKohli.”
In most parts of the teaser, the skipper can be seen adjusting his glasses. Towards the end of it, Mayank, giving him a compliment, says “nice glasses.” To which Kohli replies by saying “thank you” and telling Mayank that he is going retro.
The likes of BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, among others, have appeared on the show. Kohli is one of those cricketers who are also quite active on social media. The right-handed batsman today shared a picture showing him in an ODI and Test jersey.
Referring to his journey in international cricket from 2008 to 2020, he wrote, “With many learnings along the way, I’m grateful for your love and support you guys have shown me.” It was his 1000th post on Instagram.
He will be soon seen in action in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which will take place in the UAE. The tournament is slated to be held between September 26 and November 7.
Indian cricketer Ravindra Jadeja is one of the stylish players in the team. He is also quite active on social media. Recently, the all-rounder posted a picture of himself on social media, in which he can be seen dressed in a blazer, red T-shirt and white trousers.
Sharing the photo on Twitter, he wrote, “Ready for my Netflix date.” Responding to his post, IPL team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) tweeted, “Looks like a dress to kill, not chill.” Jadeja plays for CSK in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Last month, the all-rounder, showing his creative side, posted a shayari for former Indian skipper MS Dhoni along with his photo. The picture shows Dhoni looking at a poster of Jadeja. “Tumhari nazron mein humne dekha … ajab si chhahat jalak rahi hai (I saw an unusual love reflecting in your eyes),” wrote Jadeja.
Jadeja over the years has become an important part of the Indian team. He contributes not only with his balling or batting, but also fielding.
Last month, cricketing almanac Wisden named him India’s Most Valuable Player in Test cricket in the 21st century. The almanac made the announcement after analysing Jadeja’s performance using CricViz, a detailed analysis tool.
He was also rated as the second most valuable Test player worldwide. Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan grabbed the top spot on this list.
He will be seen donning CSK’s yellow jersey in the IPL, which will be played in the UAE from September 26 to November 7. Jadeja has clinched 213 wickets in 49 Tests and 187 in 165 ODIs. Besides, he has scored 1,869 runs in the longest format and 2,296 runs in the limited over cricket.
Indian Premier League is set to return to UAE for the second time after it hosted the first leg of 2014 edition due to the general elections being held in India that year. This time around it’s the coronavirus pandemic that has brought IPL to UAE shores.
Even though BCCI got the window to host the IPL 2020 in September-November this year in the account of T20 World Cup Postponement, having the tournament in India could have been possible because of the increasing caseload of the Covid-19 cases in India.
BCCI had no option left but to take the tournament outside of the country. Initially it was UAE and Sri Lanka which were looked at potential places to host with UAE more or less controlling the spread of the virus, while Sri Lanka was one of the least affected countries by the virus.
Why UAE for IPL 2020
UAE was zeroed down – 1. Because it has hosted the event earlier. 2. Logistically, UAE could pull off something similar or at least close to what England and Wales Cricket Board have managed by creating a bio-secure bubble for their international series against West Indies in England. The Dubai Sports City, which includes the Dubai International Stadium and the ICC Academy, is ready as a potential venue for the T20 league.
“The stadium has nine wickets on the top in case a large number of matches have to be accommodated within a smaller time-frame. We will not be scheduling any matches there to keep the wickets fresh,” Dubai Sports City’s Head of Cricket and Events Salman Hanif was quoted as saying by Gulf News.
IPL 2020 set to played in UAE
In the ICC complex alone, there are 38 wickets – spread over the two Oval grounds, the simulated turf wickets as well as the state-of-the-art indoor facilities in case they want to beat the heat.
How UAE works out better for the organisers and the franchises:
Other major aspect that may have tilted the scales in UAE favour is their superior infrastructure and practice facilities along with flight connectivity. For franchises, UAE provides them with a much safer and much more manageable option of regrouping.
The players generally prefer to stay in Dubai since Sharjah is only a 30-minute drive from there while Abu Dhabi takes one-and-a-half hours. According to various media reports, franchises have started to set up a base for the team.
Mumbai Indians, who have a commercial partnership with the JW Marriott group, are reportedly planning to set up their base at their Dubai property. Other franchises are also planning similar hubs there, reports the Telegraph.
Cricket Stadiums in UAE
While there is still no confirmation about the venues, and the same can be expected after IPL Governing Council Meeting set for July 24, broadly speaking UAE has two Test venues and three other grounds that have hosted List A and T20 games.
Dubai has the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi has Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and in Sharjah, there is Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium. Dubai also has the ICC Cricket Academy Ground No. 1 and two Dubai Cricket Council Grounds.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Dubai International Cricket Stadium and Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium are test venues, while ICC Cricket Academy has hosted ODIs and T20Is. The Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium stadium complex also features a pair of smaller grounds called Nursery 1 (also known as Tolerance Oval) and Nursery 2.
Tolerance Oval was used for a Twenty20 International between the United Arab Emirates and Australia in October 2018.
Fans could be Allowed
UAE is also looking at allowing fans to he stadiums as well considering the UAE have the Covid-19 situation in controls in the Emirates. The UAE has recorded more than 50,000 cases and over 300 deaths. India’s case count, on the other hand, has crossed the 10 lakh mark, including over 25,000 deaths.
“Having spectators in stadiums is subject to government approval. We will have a detailed discussion before deciding anything. There’s still time and we might consider it if the IPL is cleared to be held here,” Mubashir Usmani, general manager of Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), told The Telegraph from Dubai on Friday.
What happened in the 2014 Edition
In 2014 the first 20 matches of the league were played in the UAE split across three venues – Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah Cricket Stadium. While Sharjah hosted six matches, Dubai and Abu Dhabi hosted seven each.
On this day, 12 years ago, the decision review system was for the first time trailled in a Test between India and Sri Lanka at the SSC. After a lot of reluctance the BCCI had agreed to incorporate in the Test, who were initially against the system.
The first player to ask for a DRS was India’s Harbhajan Singh, when an lbw appeal against Malinda Warnapura was turned down by the on-field umpire. Later in the Test, Virender Sehwag also became the first victim of the DRS. While the first player to survive a review call was Tillakaratne Dilshan, who continued batting even after having been given out by the on-field umpire.
The match wasn’t a memorable one for India as they lost by an innings and 239 runs. Riding on tons by Waranapura, Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweeera, Lanka posted a daunting total of 600.
India were no match to their counterparts and batted twice in the match. In the first innings, they scored 223, while VVS Laxman scored a 56 — only fifty in the innings.
It was a worse performance in the second innings, as India were bundled out for 138, with Gautam Gambhir scoring 43 only. Muttiah Muralitharan was the pick of the bowlers, who bagged 11 wickets in the match. Ajantha Mendis too bagged eight wickets in the match.
What was interesting is that all Indian wickets — except for one bagged by Nuwan Kulaeskara — went to either Muralitharan or Mendis. The hosts Lanka, went on to win the three-Test series 2-1, with India winning the second Test at Galle.
Bangladesh Tour to Sri Lanka Cancelled:
The Bangladesh cricket crew’s tour to Sri Lanka one month from now was deferred attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has unleashed ruin on universal games plans around the world. Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said on Wednesday that it was educated by Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) that their players are yet to be prepared to participate in a worldwide arrangement.
The ICC T20 World Cup is a tournament held every two years – there was even an occasion when it was held within a gap of a year. However, the situation the world faces itself with right now is such that the tournament will now be held only after 5.5 years from its previous edition.
The 2020 version of the T20 has been officially postponed by a year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One year is a long, long time in international cricket, particularly in the shortest format of the game where the form is fickle. The nature of the format is such that players who were confident of featuring in the 2020 edition might not necessarily make it to 2021 one.
While form and injuries are unpredictable, aging is not. Players who would have been eyeing the 2020 tournament now suddenly have the challenge of preserving their body for international rigors for one more year.
Let’s look at some of the players whose plans might – or might not! – be affected.
MS Dhoni
The former India captain turned 39 earlier this month. It’s hard to know whether he was eyeing the 2020 tournament given he hardly makes his plans public. It’s harder to know the Indian team’s plans for Dhoni as well. Dhoni’s close ones have maintained that he’s not thinking about retirement, although he last turned out for India only in July last year in the World Cup semifinal against New Zealand.
Dhoni might have wanted to be a ‘back up’ of sorts if India’s plans of investing in Rishabh Pant/KL Rahul didn’t work. He was eager to play the IPL for CSK and even turned up early for practice sessions before the tournament was postponed. But will he be able to do that for another year? Dhoni will be 40 by November 2021, and the chances of younger Indian keepers outperforming him will be higher too.
As always, Dhoni’s future remains a mystery.
MS Dhoni Indian former skipper
What about others in the Indian team?
India now have more time to get their middle order sorted. They have been having issues beyond the top 3 in white-ball cricket, and the postponement allows them to try out more options. Current ones like Shreyas Iyer face a challenge of maintaining/upping their game, while others get more time to stake a claim for spots. It’s likely that we’ll see two IPLs in a short duration, which should throw up more options for the Indian team as well.
Apart from the younger players, a few veterans too could welcome the postponement. Players like Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, R Ashwin and Krunal Pandya, who were in the scheme of things at different times in the past, will look at the future with optimism.
Dwayne Bravo
Bravo pulled himself out of retirement earlier this year with an eye on the T20 World Cup. With a change of guard in the West Indies cricket board and under Kieron Pollard, Bravo said he hoped to make an impact especially given the inexperience in the pace department.
Bravo even played five T20Is since then with decent returns. But he too will be 38 next year during the T20 World Cup. The inexperienced pacers could gain more experience, and Bravo’s age might also work against him. It will be interesting to see if he extends his international career to help West Indies defend the T20 World Cup title.
Dwayne Bravo
Chris Gayle
Perhaps the best ever T20 batsman, Gayle last played a T20I in March 2019. With Lendl Simmons and Brandon King forming a strong partnership at the top, West Indies haven’t turned to Gayle. His – and West Indies’ – plans for the T20 World Cup was unclear, but the postponement could bring an end to such chances. He will be 42 in November 2021.
Chris Gayle
AB de Villiers
“He was definitely in line. If fit, I would have loved to have AB de Villiers. I think any team would have loved to have AB de Villiers in their team. While we were pushing for him, now we will have to see when the T20 World Cup is going to happen now.”
This is what South Africa T20I captain Quinton de Kock said on the Cricket Connected show on Star Sports recently. De Villier had retired in 2018 but was eyeing a comeback for the tournament this November, before fate had other plans.
There was controversy last year in the World Cup when reports emerged that de Villiers had wanted to play the tournament, albeit a bit too late. South Africa performed poorly in the tournament and exited in the league stage. This time, his plans were made clear much earlier and was very much in line as de Kock said.
De Villiers will be close to 38 by November 2021. While form and fitness might not be an issue with the legendary batsman, his desire to break out of retirement could be a factor.
AB de Villiers
What about others in the South Africa team?
Like de Villiers, other veterans like Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir too will be affected by the postponement. Steyn, who has retired from Tests and last played an ODI in March 2019, has been focusing on his T20 career. He will be 38 by the T20 World Cup 2021 – not the youngest for a pacer.
Tahir is already 41 and has retired from ODIs, but has also expressed readiness to play T20Is. However, he last played a T20I in March 2019 although he remains active in the franchise cricket world.
Lasith Malinga
“My only target is to play knock-out round in the T20 World Cup. If Sri Lanka qualify for the knockouts, I would not mind retiring anytime after that.”
Sri Lanka’s T20I captain and one of the legends of white-ball cricket has already indicated that he would retire after the T20 World Cup. Like Steyn, Malinga too will be 38 by November 2021 which will only increase his challenge.
Malinga leads a young Sri Lankan side which is undergoing transition for quite a long time, which means his role is crucial on and off the field. Like most pacers, he too had had his share of fitness issues through his career; can he stick on for another year?
Lasith Malinga
Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez
Malik and senior teammate Mohammad Hafeez won surprise recalls to the Pakistan T20 squad for the home series against Bangladesh after being constantly ignored after the World Cup.
Hafeez, who will be 40 next year, has already said he will be available for the tournament even if it is postponed.
“I gave retiring from T20 cricket after the World Cup a lot of thought. Just like when I retired from Test cricket, I decided to retire on my own terms. It took into consideration my own goals, as well as the interests of Pakistan cricket. I want to retire from T20 cricket after playing a big tournament in which I perform well, and hopefully go out on a winning note. This is my plan, and if the World T20 is postponed to November or some later time, that doesn’t mean I won’t play it,” he had said last month.
Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez
Malik, meanwhile, will be 39 and often spoke about taking it series-by-series. Whether their plans hold good for another year remains to be seen, especially given how fickle selection is in Pakistan cricket.
Former batsman AB de Villiers was in line to make an international comeback and play the T20 World Cup, says South Africa’s white-ball captain Quinton de Kock.
Former captain Faf du Plessis and newly-appointed head coach Mark Boucher had confirmed that conversations had been ongoing to bring de Villiers back into South Africa’s T20I squad.
“He was definitely in line. If fit, I would have loved to have AB de Villiers,” the 27-year-old de Kock said while speaking on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.
“I think any team would have loved to have AB de Villiers in their team. While we were pushing for him, now we will have to see when the T20 World Cup is going to happen now.”
The former Proteas skipper de Villiers, who announced his retirement from international cricket in 2018, had expressed his desire to return. However, the quadrennial tournament has now been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the delay in the tournament, doubts have resurfaced about de Villiers’ return.
The 36-year-old de Villiers has featured in 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20Is for South Africa. He recently was a part of the inaugural 3TC tournament in Centurion and put on a show with the bat and helped his team clinch the gold medal.
“I don’t know what to expect, to be honest. It has been quite a few months now and nothing really has been properly scheduled yet,” de Villiers was quoted as saying by iol.co.za.
“Obviously I would just like to get out there and play cricket. There are lots of talks, but in the meantime, I will stay fit in the gym and hit cricket balls. Hopefully, the virus moves on and we can get back to as normal as possible in no time.”
Not just the 2020 World Cup, but reports of de Villiers ready to come out of retirement and play in the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales was doing the rounds, however, the move didn’t materialise in the end.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has dethroned Jason Holder to become the number one Test all-rounder, according to the latest ICC rankings that were released on Tuesday.
On ending the 18 months reign of the West Indies captain at the top, Stokes has become the first England cricketer to achieve the feat since Andrew Flintoff in May 2006.
Stokes was trailing Holder by 54 points ahead of the Old Trafford Test between England and the West Indies. But with his majestic performance, that helped England win the second Test of the ongoing three-match series, the 29-year-old has jumped to the top.
Stokes is leading Holder by 38 points after taking his tally to 497 points – the highest by any all-rounder since Jacques Kallis aggregated 517 points in April 2008.
Meanwhile, his marathon innings of 176 and the 260-run partnership with fellow centurion Dom Sibley had been instrumental in England’s commanding total of 469/9 in the first innings.
In an attempt to garner some quick runs, the left-handed batsman was asked to open in the second innings on Day 5. Stokes came all guns blazing and scored 78 runs off 57 deliveries in a way only he can.
Stokes showed his impeccable commitment in fielding as as well. He chased a Blackwood punch down the ground off his own bowling just before tea on Monday. The red cherry found the fence but not before England’s World Cup hero dived in his attempt to stop it.
Stokes also bowled long and probing spells, finishing the match with three wickets. Stuart Broad claimed three wickets to raise England hopes of a series-levelling win early on.
It was riding on his all-round performance that England defeated the West Indies by 113 runs at the Old Trafford to bring parity in the three-match Test series.
Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has started training in the nets after a gap of few months and joining him are India internationals Mohamamd Shami, Rishabh Pant and Umesh Yadav. Recently, Chennai Super Kings shared a video in which Raina can be seen with Rishab Pant in his net session. The Instagram post writes as “AnbuDen Lions ft. @sureshraina3 and Dilli’s young gun @rishabpant @ruphas”
He also said that former Indian skipper MS Dhoni would have good time training with them. The left-handed batsman said that he lives nearby to Hindon Airport, adding that they see glimpse of MS Dhoni’s helicopter. Raina said that Dhoni will also see the helicopter when he comes to their ground and enjoy practising with them.
He advised people to stay positive in the prevailing situation. The batsman highlighted that the soccer and cricket has started once again, mentioning the England vs West Indies series.
Raina said that things have been challenging for quite some time, but as sportstars and entertainers, they have to come out and play. He also asserted that it would not be too exciting to play without audience in the ground, but he will have to make CSK fans in Tamil Nadu and across the world proud by performing well.
He has often posted videos and photos of him training on the ground. Recently, the left-handed batsman shared a video of him hitting big shots in the nets. The caption of the video read, “Ready to smash another week, new goals, positive mindset. Let’s do this!”
Retired Indian cricketers Irfan Pathan and Yuvraj Singh shared a light-hearted banter on social media after Pathan praised Ben Stokes for his performance in the second Test between England and West Indies.
Stokes was the Man of the Match having scored 176 and 78 in Manchester, apart from picking up three wickets. Pathan, an all-rounder himself, took to Twitter to say:
“Indian cricket will be unbeatable anywhere in the world if they have a match winning all-rounder like Ben Stokes.”
Yuvraj jumped in, asking “Are you saying we don’t have a all-rounder who’s a match winner?”
Are you saying we don’t have a all-rounder who’s a match winner 😜?
Yuvraj used the opportunity to praise Irfan too, before the conversation came to a close. “I knew that was coming ! Waise aap bhi kuch kam nahi they !”
Pathan played 29 Tests, 120 ODIs and 24 T20Is for India, scoring more than 2500 runs and picking up 301 wickets across the formats. He was also the Man of the Match in the final of the inaugural ICC World T20, where India beat Pakistan.
Yuvraj, the Man of the Series in the World Cup 2011, played 40 Tests, 304 ODIs and 58 T20Is, scoring 11,778 runs and picking up 159 wickets.
Pathan Draws Similarities Between Ganguly and Kohli:
Earlier Former India fast bowler Irfan Pathan has said Virat Kohli is the right guy to guide youngsters who come into the senior team after playing U-19 cricket, given the India captain himself has made a successful transition from junior cricket to the top level in the sport.
Irfan Pathan pointed that Virat Kohli is very similar to Sourav Ganguly when it comes to backing youngsters in the team. Pathan pointed out how Rishabh Pant has got the backing of Kohli in the recent past despite the young wicketkeeper-batsman’s struggles in international cricket.
Pathan said U-19 cricketers need to evolve constantly and be mentally strong to make a successful switch from the junior level to the senior level.
In 2016, on this day (July 22) Indian skipper Virat Kohli scored his first double-century against West Indies. The double ton came in Kohli’s 42nd Test.
The batsman also became the first Indian captain to score a double century overseas.
As for the match, after winning the toss and electing to bat first at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, India lost the wickets of Murali Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara early.
Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli stitched a healthy 105-run partnership to put India in a commanding position. Kohli went on to also share a huge partnership of 168-runs with Ravichandran Ashwin (113) to help India cross the 500-run mark.
The maiden double hundred was very much appreciated by the great Sir Vivian Richards, who was present at the ground. India won the match by an innings and 92-runs.
#OnThisDay in 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣6️⃣, @imVkohli scored his first ever double century against the Windies and also became the first Indian Captain to score a double century overseas! 🤩
— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) July 22, 2020
Currently, due to coronavirus, Team India has not yet resumed with their international cricket. The chief executive of Cricket Australia (CA), Nick Hockley, has announced that Indian cricketers and staff will most likely be asked to undergo two weeks of quarantine before the four-match Test series.
As per the recent reports of ESPNCricinfo, this scenario will also bring the Adelaide Oval and its newly constructed hotel firmly into view as the sort of biosecure bubble.
The Indian cricketers could, however, be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which is said to be hosted by United Arab Emirates (UAE). With the postponement of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020, it has opened doors for the IPL to be conducted.
