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“Give Associate nations more opportunity to play against Full Members on a more regular basis” : Aaron Finch and Dale Steyn make calls to grow Cricket globally

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“Give Associate nations more opportunity to play against Full Members on a more regular basis” : Aaron Finch and Dale Steyn make calls to grow Cricket globally The ongoing T20I World Cup in India and Sri Lanka has been one to remember for Associate nations. USA put the hosts India under the pump in their first match of the World Cup campaign, and the likes of Netherlands, Italy, Nepal have all almost managed to pull off big upsets. However, the story of the tournament has been Zimbabwe who defeated Australia in their group stage encounter, and have booked a place in the Super Eight. Former Australian batter Aaron Finch, and former South African bowler Dale Steyn have made calls for ICC to give more opportunities to the Associate nations. Dale Steyn stated that with the players from Associate nations already playing against the world’s best in domestic T20 Leagues, they are all but ready to take on the big teams on the International stage. “Back in the day, players would go to the IPL to find that kind of experience… at almost an international level,” Steyn observed as quoted by Cricbuzz. “Now in South Africa, it’s much the same. You’re rubbing shoulders with the likes of Phil Salt, Nicholas Pooran, Rashid Khan… that wasn’t happening before,” Steyn said. Aaron Finch stated that he still believes International cricket is the pinnacle of the game, and he would like to see Associate nations play against Full Members on a more regular basis. Dale Steyn also added that Associate nations often only appear on the big stage during the World Cup, and disappear after that. \ “International cricket still [is] the pinnacle for me. I understand how hard it is getting because of so many T20 leagues popping up and all competing for the same space. But we have to find a way to continue to grow that game globally… giving Associate nations more opportunity to play against Full Members on a more regular basis,” Finch said. “Everybody wants a piece of cricket and the problem is that somebody is going to fall short. And most of the time it’s the guys that need it most that fall short. And then when they come to these World Cups, then we can’t stop waxing lyrical at how good they are. But then for the next two, three years. We don’t see them anywhere,” Steyn said.

Mohsin Naqvi
Cricket

“Bangladesh has been treated unfairly”: Mohsin Naqvi says Pakistan T20I World Cup participation to be decided by government

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“Bangladesh has been treated unfairly”: Mohsin Naqvi says Pakistan T20I World Cup participation to be decided by government A month of standstill between ICC, BCB and BCCI finally came to an end as Bangladesh has been officially replaced by Scotland in Group C of the T20I World Cup. This came after Bangladesh Cricket Board refused to play their matches in India, citing safety concerns following Mustafizur Rehman’s removal from IPL. Pakistan Cricket Board chief Mohsin Naqvi has lashed out at ICC and BCCI for unfairly treating their Asian neighbor, Bangladesh. Mohsin has also stated that Pakistan’s involvement in the tournament would come down to the Prime Minister’s decision. Mohsin Naqvi slammed the double standards of ICC to favor the BCCI. He argued that if India and Pakistan can play their round-robin matches in Sri Lanka, then an exception could have been made for Bangladesh as well, which Mohsin believes is a major stakeholder in world cricket. “We are waiting for the prime minister to return. Bangladesh has been treated unfairly. I said the same in the board meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC). You cannot have double standards, where one country can make whatever decision whenever and do the total opposite for another country. That is why we have taken the stand that Bangladesh is being treated unfairly and should be allowed to play the World Cup in any case. They are a major stakeholder, and this injustice should not be done. The thing is that Bangladesh is the same member as Pakistan. And our stance is that if you have done this favour with Pakistan and India, then you should do the same with Bangladesh. The main reason for this is that one country cannot dictate to another. And if this dictation is attempted, then Pakistan definitely has its own stance,” he said while speaking to reporters in Lahore as quoted by Dawn. This brings a fresh matter of controversy for the upcoming edition of the T20I World Cup. If Pakistan end up pulling out of the tournament, this would mean that two Asian sides will be replaced in the tournament.

Litton Das
Cricket

“Are you sure we are going to play in the World Cup?” : Litton Das reply leaves fans and reporters guessing about Bangladesh T20I WC involvement

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“Are you sure we are going to play in the World Cup?” : Litton Das reply leaves fans and reporters guessing about Bangladesh T20I WC involvement Bangladesh Cricket Board is currently involved in an ongoing tussle with ICC and BCCI in regards to scheduling of their T20I World Cup matches. With recent developments regarding Mustafizur Rahman’s release from IPL, BCB have demanded ICC to move their matches out of India citing players’ safety. While BCCI maintain their stance that their matches cannot be moved out of India citing logistical issues, there have been several rumors on whether Bangladesh will compete in the T20I World Cup. The T20I World Cup is scheduled to begin in early February, and will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Following the conclusion of their ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) encounter, Litton Das shocked the reporters by stating that there is no official confirmation if his national team will be competing in the event. Controversies have surrounded Bangladesh cricket in the last few weeks, with former BCB Director Nazmul Islam’s comments on the players and their performances leading to widespread boycott, and also brought BPL to a temporary halt. Litton Das also slammed the quality of pitches in the BPL, stating that it is not an ideal preparation for the World Cup. There were reports of Scotland replacing Bangladesh if the Asian side pulls out of the multi-team event in the subcontinent next month. “Are you sure we are going to play in the World Cup? In fact, there is still a long time to go before the World Cup, and we are not even certain whether we will go at all. This is by no means an ideal wicket for T20 cricket. We had expected a much better wicket for a qualifier match,” Litton was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

Dinesh Karthik
Cricket

“Death bowling is a concern” : Dinesh Karthik on the issues Team Indian must address before the T20I World Cup

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“Death bowling is a concern” : Dinesh Karthik on the issues Team Indian must address before the T20I World Cup Former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik pointed out a key area of concern for Team India ahead of the T20I World Cup at home. He stated that Team India are the favorites to defend their World Cup crown, and applauded their performances in the shortest format of the game in the last two years. Team India have won 29 out of the last 36 T20I matches since the last T20I World Cup, which also includes an Asia Cup triumph in September last year. Dinesh Karthik applauded the team’s ability to be so consistent across bilateral series, which also includes victories over Australia away, and South Africa at home. “The Indian team is in a very strong position at the moment. As we sit here, they have won 29 out of the 36 matches they have played in T20 cricket post the World Cup, which is a phenomenal record to have. In a very fickle format like T20, where upsets are the norm, this level of consistency is remarkable. Winning 29 out of the last 36 games they have played is, I feel, very hard to replicate. For starters, it tells you about the strength of the team,” said Karthik on JioStar’s ‘The Experts’ View.’ “They have also played a very good Asia Cup in the recent past and went past Pakistan in the final, beating them three out of three times. If you look at the depth of this group, there’s India, there’s Pakistan, and then there are three associate nations who are still finding their feet at the international level. You would expect India or Pakistan to beat them, but the beauty of this format is that you cannot walk into any game thinking it is going to be easy,” he added. However, Dinesh Karthik was quick to point one issue in the Team India’s setup which is their death bowling. India have the best death bowler in their lineup in the form of Jasprit Bumrah, but given that they play three spinners in their lineup, they are often left with limited pace bowling options. In the last one year, we have often seen the likes of Shivam Dube bowling in the death overs, and also with the new ball. Dinesh Karthik stated that Team India will have to sort out the gaps in their death bowling department, given that they could be put well under pressure when defending scores in the upcoming World Cup. “You lose the toss, you are bowling, and suddenly, you are thinking this could be challenging at the back end. You need to get an above-par score to give yourself a chance to defend under dew. So, I would say India are in a very good place,” said Karthik. “Death bowling is a concern. I think it’s a challenge because of the way they stack up their eleven. When they have played in the subcontinent, they have gone with (Jasprit) Bumrah, Hardik (Pandya) as the second pacer, and Shivam Dube as the third, while backing their spinners heavily. At times, when the game goes deep, especially when they are defending a total, the back end can become a challenge,” he added.

Andre Russell
Cricket

“The atmosphere is the same as the IPL” : Andre Russell says SA20 at the same level as IPL

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“The atmosphere is the same as the IPL” : Andre Russell says SA20 at the same level as IPL Andre Russell has been a key addition to Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 League this season. The West Indian all-rounder recently spoke about the atmosphere and competitive spirit in the league, which he likens it to the Indian Premier League. Andre Russell is competing in the SA20 for the first time in his career, and is impressed with the fan turnaround in the stands. He also heaped praise on the talent which is coming across in the South African T20 league, and the impact of the West Indian players. “SA20 is right up there, to be honest. It’s my first time here in South Africa, and I’m really enjoying it. The atmosphere is the same as the IPL. The fans love it. Whether it’s sun or rain, they’re always out there. I think that’s the kind of support we, as players, want. They come out and cheer for the team. When you have fans behind you, it motivates you to bowl well and bat well. At the end of the day, we’re enjoying ourselves and the atmosphere too. So I’d say this league is definitely right at the top,” Russell told SA20. Speaking on the impact of West Indian players, Russell stated that they are known to bring power and energy to the shortest format of the game. He also heaped praise on the youngsters competing in the league, who have demonstrated true quality when locking horns with the world’s best. “I think it’s just the way we play. We express ourselves. As everyone says, we bring power and energy to T20 cricket. I’m happy that we have that kind of impact on T20 leagues. But at the same time, it’s important for the youngsters to keep this trend going. There are some great players coming through in South Africa, and the youngsters here are very good. Cricket is evolving, and it’s only going to get better from here,” Russell concluded. Andre Russell’s Pretoria Capitals have already booked a place in the last four, despite being outplayed in their last fixture by Paarl Royals.

Cricket

“I missed that, it happened too quickly” : Alex Carey takes a dig at India reminding them of the ‘36 all-out’ fiasco ahead of the Adelaide test

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“I missed that, it happened too quickly” : Alex Carey takes a dig at India reminding them of the ‘36 all-out’ fiasco ahead of the Adelaide test India made a great comeback during the first test held in Perth, as they batted their way towards victory courtesy of the knocks provided by the top order consisting of Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and the back in form Virat Kohli. With momentum up their sleeve, the Indians are gearing towards what could be the most important game of the Border-Gavaskar series, in Adelaide. To say that the Indians do not possess good memories in Adelaide would be an understatement, as their last visit in Adelaide has gone down in history, but for the absolute worst reasons. On December 19, 2020, the Indians were batting their second innings of the third day of the Border-Gavaskar opener. What came after will be a permanent stain in the minds of all Indians, as they were all out for just 36 runs, recording their lowest score ever in test cricket history. Going into the second test in Adelaide, Australian wicket-keeper and batsman Alex Carey had an impudent way of reminding India about their mishap four years ago, as his comments also involved the present reporters to actively take part in the humour. “There have been amazing days in cricketing history, but we won’t go out there expecting to do it again. We have a process and plan, and we try to execute it regardless of what happens. I wasn’t here for the Test match, but I missed that, it happened too quickly,” Carey said. “We are excited, and we take a lot of confidence out of our record in the pink ball Test,” the wicket-keeper added. The Aussies’ insane record in pink ball Tests Alex Carey also believes that they are the ultimate favourites going into the second test, much of that reason will go the match being played with pink ball. Australia’s record in pink ball tests is better than any other country, losing only one out of the twelve tests they have participated in. And out of those twelve tests, seven have been played in the Adelaide Oval where they have not lost yet. The Aussies also have thrice the experience with the pink ball than India, who have only participated in four home matches till now, losing one. It can be said that this match might turn out way different than what happened in Perth, so the Indians should be extra prepared for their first away pink ball test match regardless of their heroics in Perth. “I’m not sure. We are confident enough, and I’m sure India are confident from their win in Perth. It will be a great contest,” the 33-year-old said. The second test commences on December 6 at the Adelaide Oval, and with India’s confidence after the first test and Australia’s dominance with the pink ball at home, this contest is a must-watch.

Virat Kohli
Cricket

“Geniuses aren’t born overnight” : Ajay Jadeja on Virat Kohli’s form ahead of the Adelaide Test

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“Geniuses aren’t born overnight” : Ajay Jadeja on Virat Kohli’s form ahead of the Adelaide Test The first test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy highlighted many important things about both teams. With the Aussies dominating with the ball early on, it was India who were able to once again show their class on Perth courtesy of world class second innings batting from ace batter Virat Kohi along with KL Rahul and youngster Yashasvi Jaiswal.  Virat Kohli has been heavily scrutinized the whole year on his inability to find the middle of the bat, and going into the first test the Indian had an immensely forgettable series against New Zealand at home, where the whole team’s shambolic performance led to a historic whitewash as well. But once again on his pursuit to prove the doubters wrong, King Kohli scored his 30th test century and will look forward to continue this run in the whole series. Talking about his doubters and the criticism he has faced till now, former Indian batsman and analyst Ajay Jadeja has backed up the skills and ability of the 36-year-old, as he believes the genius of Virat Kohli is not born overnight. “Doubters can rest in peace… The name itself says it all. If there were doubters, they can rest in peace. Geniuses aren’t born overnight,” the 53-year-old said. “They have probably made up their mind to go back to Virat Kohli” : Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli once again having a captaincy role in IPL The 2025 IPL Mega Auction recently concluded, and it is safe to say that with the picks chosen by the Royal Challengers Bangalore, we will once again be seeing King Kohli captaining them come next year, as he was retained for a massive 21 crore fee. Kohli was somewhat sidelined after RCB decided to go the other way and make Faf du Plessis the skipper, who is now out of the team plans in 2025. Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra reflected his take on hi YouTube channel about the 36-year-old being back as the face of RCB next year. “When they have not taken anyone, they have probably made up their mind to go back to Virat Kohli, and he will once again become this team’s captain. They also thought that they wouldn’t pick anyone who was with them,” Chopra said. Virat Kohli has never been able to win the IPL Trophy before, but has come very close to obtaining it multiple times. RCB have tried their best to boost both batting and bowling through new additions like Phil Salt, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Liam Livingstone and Josh Hazlewood among others. Kohli will once again make the effort to lead his team from the front, although historically speaking about the Bengaluru team, getting into brass tacks this early should not be bothered. Also Read: “When he’s up, he’s up” : Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes they are the favorites, but have to keep an eye out on Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli
Cricket

“I doubt an overseas player in the last 15 years has come to Australia and played in this fashion” : Ravi Shastri lauds Virat Kohli after iconic ton at Perth

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“I doubt an overseas player in the last 15 years has come to Australia and played in this fashion” : Ravi Shastri lauds Virat Kohli after iconic ton at Perth There is no point left in doubting the abilities of Virat Kohli anymore. Time and again, the veteran batsman has found a way to come back and regain form like no other batsman. And at the age of 36, King Kohli yet again proved his doubters wrong and scored a world class century on day 3 of the first test against Australia. Virat Kohli now has 81 international centuries to his name, and 30 in the longest format of the game. His poor form this year in international cricket has been heavily talked and criticised about, due to the standards he has kept for himself throughout his career. The veteran produced a man of the match performance in the T20 World Cup Final against South Africa, as fans thought that he would continue this momentum in test cricket starting August. Although that was not the case, as Kohli struggled scoring and had only one half-century to his name in five home tests. This changed when India headed to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Kohli has had a knack of scoring against Australia throughout his career, and he has by far been the best overseas player to ever step foot on an Australian pitch. Scoring 100 off 143 balls with eight fours and two sixes, this marked Kohli’s seventh century in Australia, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar along his way.  “They call him the King” : Ravi Shastri on commentary Former India head coach and an iconic voice of cricket commentary, Ravi Shastri, was obviously pleased to see his captain back in form after a dry spell of matches. Shastri praised the 36-year-old on commentary as he crowned him the greatest overseas player in Australia for the last 15 years. “Seven hundreds in Australia. The big stage, the big ground. One of the bounciest pitches in the world. I doubt an overseas player in the last 15 years has come to Australia and played in this fashion,” Shastri said on Fox Cricket commentary. “He plays two Test matches and he gets two hundreds. You can’t get a better stage and to set up the series.” “They call him the King. To get a hundred in the very first Test match of the series. It is a terrific signal for India. It is ominous from Australia’s point of view. But look at the joy. It’s a popular hundred and I think fans the world over wanted to see this bloke come to Australia and perform again.” the 62-year-old added. India comfortably won the first test at Perth by a whopping 295 runs courtesy of their second innings batting prowess as Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli played stellar knocks while Jasprit Bumrah was tidy as ever with the ball. The second test starts on 6 December at the iconic Adelaide Oval. Also Read: “When he’s up, he’s up” : Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes they are the favorites, but have to keep an eye out on Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli
Cricket, Test Cricket

“I never rule great players out” : Sourav Ganguly on Virat Kohli’s poor run in Test cricket

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“I never rule great players out” : Sourav Ganguly on Virat Kohli’s poor run in Test cricket King Kohli has not had the best of times with the bat recently, with some saying that age is the main factor of his decline. The superstar’s slump was also seen to be continued against New Zealand, where he was able to score just 93 runs in an embarrassing whitewash at home. Virat Kohli and India are now in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar test series, and the right-handed batsman will be keen to put some runs on the board as he has not scored a century against the SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia) since Perth in 2018. Kohli also played just one test the last time India visited Australia in 2019, as he had to travel back due to the birth of his child. Ahead of the first test, former India captain and commentator Sourav Ganguly addressed the situation about Kohli, believing that he is not too worried about the 36-year-old as he has showed time and again to get back up after a slump. “He is hungry and knows that he has a reputation to keep” : Sourav Ganguly believes Virat Kohli will pick up form against Australia Ganguly highlighted that he never rules out great players. But calling Virat Kohli great would be an understatement, such is the standard he has maintained for himself over the years. Although, after mentioning his insane test record in Australia and how the pitches will help him, he also explained that we are watching an ageing Virat Kohli, not the young one from the past years. “I never rule great players out. He hasn’t had the best of times in Test matches (recently). He arrived in Australia early. He is hungry and knows that he has a reputation to keep. He will be playing on good pitches. He has 6 hundreds in 13 Tests in Australia. I know that was four or five years ago, it was a young Virat Kohli. He is ageing now,” Ganguly said on the Club Prairie Fire Podcast. Dada also talked about a relatable time he had come across with Rahul Dravid, who had not scored an overseas century from 2007 to 2011. But in 2011, when Dravid was in the last stretch of his career, he travelled to England and scored four hundreds in four games, at the age of 38. “I remember the case with Rahul Dravid. He did not score an overseason century between 2007 and 2011. However, he went to England in 2011 and got four hundreds in four games. I was on comms and asked him ‘mate, how long are you gonna play.’ He told me ‘I still feel i can do it’. He opened during that series, if you remember,” the 52-year-old revealed. With India’s first innings done at 150 all out, Kohli unfortunately could only manage 5 runs off 12 balls, before falling short to Usman Khawaja at slip during Hazelwood’s spell. But at the end of day 1, the Aussies are at 67/7 thanks to Jasprit Bumrah once again, who has been India’s best player in recent years and is showing no signs of stopping. For Kohli, there is still time to recover and add to his insane scoring record in the Australian pitches. Also Read: “When he’s up, he’s up” : Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes they are the favorites, but have to keep an eye out on Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli
Cricket

“When he’s up, he’s up” : Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes they are the favorites, but have to keep an eye out on Virat Kohli

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“When he’s up, he’s up” : Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes they are the favorites, but have to keep an eye out on Virat Kohli Coming out from an embarrassing 3-0 whitewash against South Africa, India will face another fierce challenge as they head to Australia for a five-match Test series. Even before the start of the series, there is worry inside the Indian dressing room as a few key players are injured, which includes Shubman Gill while skipper Rohit Sharma is also on the exit ramp. The Indians have not had the best of luck playing in Australia historically, as the home side has won 14 out of the 27 matches, while 7 of them have ended in a draw. Although, India has won the previous two test series held in Australia, and are eying for a hat-trick. Legendary Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath views high chances of his side’s victory in this series, even though Australia has underperformed in the Border-Gavaskar trophy since the past few years. “Without a doubt, especially after coming off a 3-0 loss against New Zealand, you’ve got plenty of ammunition to back yourself up, so put the pressure on them and see if they’re up for it,” said McGrath on CODE Sports. “I think he’s quite an emotional player” : Glenn McGrath’s assessment on Virat Kohli form It has not been Kohli’s best year when it comes to producing unreal numbers with his bat like he used to, showing a few glimpses of it here and there, and that has been a major thorn and concern for the team’s plans. But McGrath believes this series could be the turning point in his year and Australia should not take him for granted. “If they go hard at him, if he gets in the fight with emotions, there’s a bit of chat out there, who knows he might sort of lift,” said McGrath. “But I think he’s probably under pressure a little bit, and if he has a couple of low scores to start with, he could feel it. I think he’s quite an emotional player. When he’s up, he’s up, and when he’s down, he sort of struggles a little bit,” the 54-year-old added. The Australian is not wrong, as in the past we have seen how sheer emotions have outplayed even the worst kinds of situations Virat Kohli was put in. While Kohli’s form may have become unpredictable in his last years, one thing everyone knows is that they can back him up at any given scenario. His antics against Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup come to mind. If we look past his recent scoring records, the Indian batsman has performed relatively well against Australia, that too across all formats of the game. As for the four Australian tours he has been a part of, he has averaged 54.08, which is well, more than ideal. India will certainly look to rely on the skills of the 36-year-old veteran whenever the going gets tough, as Virat Kohli will never not be a key player, regardless of his form.

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