With most people struggling with the Coronavirus pandemic-caused lockdown, staying upbeat is becoming a challenge.

Former Mumbai club cricketer and coach Kishore Harkisandas Kuvavala, 73, who is also a laughter therapist, is trying to make a difference albeit in the virtual space.

For the last 18 days, every evening at 6.30, Babulnath-resident Kuvavala goes live goes live from his Facebook account in an attempt to make people laugh and relieve some stress.

'Stress, a bigger threat'

He claims around 350 to 400 people join him live everyday for his fitness and laughter sessions. "Most people are worried about Coronavirus even if they are confined 24x7 to their homes. They are only watching and hearing about the pandemic during the day through various mediums. Corona will not be the biggest killer, but stress will surely have a huge impact on everybody.

There is nothing else left for people to talk about except Corona, it seems these days. So, I am trying to ease a bit of tension that's surrounding us today. Laughter is the best medicine. I have been championing this cause for over two decades now. I feel it can make a lot of difference to people especially in these times," a fit Kuvavala tells mid-day.

Kuvavala has always believed in leading an active life. He played competitive cricket on Mumbai's local circuit till he was 50. Kuvavala owes a lot to cricket. He got the Bank of Baroda job for his cricketing credentials. "I led the bank team too," he says with pride.

He played the famous Dr HD Kanga Cricket League in the 'A' Division for Young Maharashtra Cricket Club. He was also a Managing Committee member of the Mumbai Cricket Association in 1988-89 before taking up coaching.

Fitness first

Kuvavala decided to work towards spreading awareness on the importance of fitness after giving up the sport. In 1995, he began his journey as a laughter therapist, starting with lessons at Priyadarshini Park. Before the lockdown, Kuvavala and his group of 30 to 35 people would gather each morning at Chowpatty on Marine Drive for their dose of laughter. "Do we ever laugh at ourselves? When we do that, we laugh from the heart. There is an expression and feel involved in it. It is the best form of exercise. It fills you up with positivity," explains Kuvavala, who is often invited by top hospitals for laughter sessions. He also conducts laughter therapy activities for corporates. "I do that for a fee, though," he clarifies. "People nowadays have forgotten to laugh," he remarks.

With anxiety and sadness around due to the pandemic, all that Kuvavala wants to ensure is that people do not stop smiling.

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Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar responded to Sunil Gavaskar after the former India skipper said that it was more likely to snow in Lahore than a bilateral series to take place between India and Pakistan any time soon. Akhtar pointed out in a tweet that there was indeed snowfall in Lahore last year. "Well Sunny bhai, we did have a snowfall in Lahore last year.. So nothing is impossible," said Shoaib in his tweet which included an image of Gavaskar with his quote and an image of snow in Lahore.

Akhtar was the first to suggest that India and Pakistan should play a bilateral series to raise funds in the fight against coronavirus for both countries. Gavaskar however said in a Youtube chat with former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja that any possibility of such a series happening is next to nothing. "There are more chances of snowfall in Lahore than bilateral series between India and Pakistan," said Gavaskar in a Youtube chat with former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja.

"Both teams will keep on meeting in World Cups and ICC tournaments, but a series between them seems unlikely right now." Earlier, Akhtar's suggestion got backing from his former teammate Shahid Afridi. But India's 1983 World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev said that the match wasn't needed because India doesn't need funds.

"The entire world is fighting against coronavirus and we need unity in our region to defeat this common enemy. Such negative comments don't help at all. I don't see anything wrong with Shoaib Akhtar's suggestion for Pakistan and India to play cricket. "Kapil's reaction has surprised me. I expected better from him and feel one should not talk like this in these crisis times. Sport is supposed to bring people together and build bridges. It is pretty disappointing," Afridi had said.

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India's limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma has become brand ambassador of 'CricKingdom', a cricket academy based here which will also facilitate coaching through its online platform after the global COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

CricKingdom's online platform "will connect student, coaches, academies and facilities into an integrated ecosystem'. It will help in booking of coaches, ground/nets along with management of academies. "CricKingdom seeks to merge the time-tested theories that has produced legends in the game along with modern scientific training methodologies," Rohit was quoted as saying in the press release.

"The vision is far-sighted and it seeks to make every aspect professional and structured," said Rohit, who is also being proposed to be a Director. The academy also has Mumbai medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni as one of its mentors. There are at least 20 coaches associated with this venture and most of them have worked at the grassroots and junior level. Notable names include Pradeep Ingale, Parag Madkaikar, Subhash Ranjane and Prathamesh Salunkhe. The coaching on offer is for four categories -- from 5-8 years, 8-13 years, 13 years and above and club and elite level cricketers.

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Dinesh Karthik understands the reason for his exclusion from India's ODI team after an underwhelming 2019 World Cup but what he can't comprehend is the T20 snub as that is one format where he is still confident of making significant contributions. Karthik, who has played 26 Tests, 94 ODIs and 32 T20s over a 15-year-career, is used to making comebacks but to make another one will be tougher than ever for the 34-year-old. And he knows that. "My record in T20s has been good. A big tournament like the World Cup did not go exactly as per the plan. I could understand the one day bit (being dropped from ODIs) but even now I would like think that I stand a good chance in returning to the T20 side.

"I have done well even in the recent domestic games that I have played. I have no reason to doubt myself (that I can't make another comeback)," Karthik told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Out of the three formats, he averages best in T20s " 33.25 with a strike rate of 143.52. Does getting dropped hurts? "It does hurt, no doubt about that. I have always had this burning desire to play for my country and it hasn't diminished one bit." It was a rollercoaster ride for Karthik leading up to the World Cup as he was dropped for the home ODI series against Australia, India's last before the showpiece event.

However, the selectors picked him in the squad over Rishabh Pant for his "better" wicket-keeping skills. Eventually, Pant too became part of the World Cup side after Shikhar Dhawan fractured his thumb in the middle of the tournament. Karthik failed to make an impact in two innings he got in the World Cup including the semifinal which India lost to New Zealand. In fact, Indian team management drew heavy flak from all quarters for fielding three specialist keepers (MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant and Karthik) in playing XI while ignoring specialist batsman Kedar Jadhav.

He was assigned the role of a finisher in the T20 side and his most significant knock came in the 2018 Nidahas Trophy final where he hit a last-ball six to win India the title. Though he has slipped considerably in the pecking order, Karthik remains hopeful of another comeback. KL Rahul is currently being tried as a wicketkeeper-batsman in limited overs cricket at the expense of Pant. Sanju Samson too is in the mix but which route the new selection panel takes remains to be seen.
The KKR captain, who was preparing hard for the IPL before the lockdown was announced, seems to be comfortable in his own skin.

"That is how the sport has always been for me. Full of ups and downs. It has taught me a lot of things. It (being out of the team) is not something new to me so I am comfortable in the space that I am in. "There is a T20 World Cup round the corner and I know if I do well, I stand a good chance of making the team. I know it gets tougher every time. The team is getting stronger all the time and it is great to watch. But it is my duty to get better as a player and the rest will take care of itself," the Tamil Nadu veteran said.

The IPL, which has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, would have been an ideal platform for Karthik to make his case for his umpteenth comeback. But considering the circumstances, the game has taken a backseat. "With everything that has been happening, I am not able to think too much about the IPL. I have moved into a state where I have accepted that it is not going to happen for now. Before the lockdown, I was practising really hard for the IPL, just like I did it every other tournament.

"There is still a lot of hope (of playing for India again), it is always there. In fact, the entire world is living on hope right," said Karthik, who is keep himself fit with regular workout sessions at home. On how he is dealing with the lockdown, he added: "If at all, anybody is well acclimatised for a situation like this, it is the sportspersons. We tend to move around the world, stay in hotel rooms all alone, so to a large extent we are used to it.

"The whole world is doing it (staying at home) at the moment, fighting for one cause. Hopefully, we can eradicate this virus."

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The International Cricket Council (ICC) is 'exploring all options available' to them to complete the World Test Championship amid the coronavirus pandemic. "We are continuing planning for ICC events as they are but given the rapidly evolving situation as a prudent and responsible measure we are also undertaking a comprehensive business contingency planning exercise," a source within ICC told ANI. "This includes exploring all options available to us based on a range of scenarios connected to the pandemic," the source added.

The source further added that as of now, no decision has been taken. The coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on sports all across the globe and cricket also had to bear the brunt of the deadly virus as several series have been postponed owing to COVID-19. In the ongoing World Test Championship, a total of 71 Test matches will be played across 27 series over two years. The championship began on August 1 last year when Australia faced England in Ashes.

The top two teams will then contest in the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2021 in the UK. Currently, India hold the top spot on the World Test Championship table with 360 points followed by Australia and New Zealand with 296 and 180 points respectively.

The second ICC World Test Championship will run from July 2021 to June 2023.

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Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan is making most of the forced break by spending quality time with his family at home with the ongoing lockdown in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

From washing clothes to playing and training with his kids at home, Dhawan has been keeping himself busy with all kinds of different activities.

On Thursday, he posted another video of him dancing with his son Zoravar on a popular Bollywood song "Daddy Cool".

"Life is so much fun with this mastikhor insaan! Sachi bolu toh daddy aur beta dono hi cool! Love this little one," the left-handed opener captioned the video on Instagram.

Recently, he had revealed he is trying his hand at playing a flute and honing his overall musical skills.

"Playing a musical instrument, the vibrations you can feel inside your body. Music gives you peace and everybody should try to learn how to play a musical instrument now especially because we have so much time to spend at home due to the lockdown," Dhawan had said while chatting with India middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer on Instagram Live.

Before that, the southpaw alongwith his wife Ayesha, had recreated popular Bollywood number "Dhal gaya din, ho gayi sham" from the movie �Hamjoli'.

The 34-year-old had earlier posted a hilarious video in which he was seen washing the clothes of the house and in the background the Bollywood film song- 'Jab se hui hai shaadi, aansu baha hoon ...' was playing.

In normal circumstances, Dhawan would have been currently involved in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which now stands "indefinitely suspended" due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The entire sporting calendar has come to a grinding halt with the coronavirus outbreak which has claimed more than 1.4 lakhs lives across the world thus far.

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Javagal Srinath spearheaded India's pace attack in the 90s with aplomb but former South African seamer Shaun Pollock believes the Indian never got the credit he deserved. Srinath played 67 Tests and 229 ODIs between 1991 and 2003, taking 236 and 315 wickets respectively. "I thought India's Javagal Srinath didn't get the credit he deserved," Pollock said during a Sky Sports podcast discussion with former West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding and England's Stuart Broad.

"In my era, you had great combinations like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis for Pakistan and Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh for West Indies. Australia had Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee. You now have James Anderson and Stuart Broad in this era." Pollock, who snapped over 400 Test wickets and amassed more than 3,700 Test runs in 108 Tests, said one bowler who left an indelible mark on him early in his career was West Indian pace great Malcom Marshall.

"(Malcom) Marshall was next level and I was lucky enough to meet him early in my career as it made me think about fast bowling in a completely different way," he said.

However, since his retirement in 2008, Pollock has been most impressed by his fellow countryman Dale Steyn, who had overtaken him as South Africa's leading wicket taker in Tests in December, 2018.

"But since I've stopped playing, l cannot have enough respect for (Dale) Steyn. His ability to shape the ball upfront at high speed and then come back later and reverse it," he said. "He cranked it up on flat wickets and had such a good action and variations. He is something special and his stats back it up."

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It is common for any captain to have a favourite player and when it came to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it was Suresh Raina, who enjoyed unstinted backing from the former India captain, feels Yuvraj Singh. One of India's greatest limited-overs cricketers, Yuvraj remembered how Dhoni faced selection dilemma when he had to choose two out of him, Yusuf Pathan and Raina in the playing XI during the 2011 World Cup.

"Suresh Raina had a lot of support then, because MS used to back him. Every captain has a favourite player and I think Mahi really backed Raina at that time," Yuvraj said told 'Sports Tak'. Ultimately all three players made the playing XI (although Yusuf was dropped from playing XI mid-tournament) with Yuvraj playing a pivitol role in winning the title. "Yusuf Pathan was also performing well at that time and even I was doing well and was also picking wickets. And Raina was not in a good touch then," he said.

"They did not have a left-arm spinner at that time and I was picking wickets so they did not have any choice," he added. The swashbuckling batsmen also revealed questions were raised over the bat he used to famously hit Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over during the 2007 T20 World Cup, leading the match referee to check the willow. "The Australian coach at that time came to me and had asked if there was a fibre behind in my bat and asked if it was legal. Has the match referee checked it? So I told him to get it checked."

"Even (Adam) Gilchrist asked me who made our bats. So match referee had also checked my bat. But honestly, that bat was very special for me. I have never played with a bat like that. That one and the 2011 World Cup bat, there were special." Yuvraj was lavish in his praise for Sourav Ganguly for nurturing young talent and picked the BCCI President as his favourite skipper. "Dada would be my favourite captain. He supported me a lot, the most. We were young also so he nurtured the talent," Yuvraj said.

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The threat of online corrupt approaches does not cause much anxiety to BCCI's head of Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) Ajit Singh, who says Indian players are well aware of the modus operandi of fixers and are quick to report anything suspect. The ICC ACU head Alex Marshall, in an interview to 'The Guardian', said that prolonged lockdown and players using various social media platform could lead to corrupt approaches being made and people need to tread carefully. Singh said BCCI ACU is in control. "...we have made our players aware about the way people approach you and modus operandi through social media. We have told them 'look this is how they (potential fixers and bookies) would approach you'," the veteran IPS officer told PTI in an interaction. "(They will) try and behave like a fan and then try to meet you through someone who may be your acquaintance," he added. "Somehow these elements try and touch base with players. Most of them (India players), whenever it happens, they do report to us that I have got a contact."

Most of the top players, with millions of followers, have been very active online with Q and A sessions on twitter, interactive chats on instagram and Facebook live. So is the BCCI's ACU team tracking the online content? "Whatever can be tracked online, we do that. But obviously the physical verification part of going out and checking locations is out of question in times of a lockdown," he spoke about practical problems. "But if something comes to our notice, it automatically goes into our database and once lockdown is over, we will verify those if the need arises." Singh said the easiest aspect of tracking social media content is that it doesn't require too much manpower. "A few men who know their jobs can do it pretty well," the former DGP of Rajasthan said. But Singh said that, in his two year stint, all current India players have been honest and upright, very aware about their responsibilities. "We are not adversaries of players. The players and ACU are one team. It's the people who are trying to corrupt the games, they are the ones we need to track down." He said that both tracking social media and physical verification of corrupt approaches has its own set of challenges.

"Those who were trying to corrupt the players with physical presence and those using fake IDs on social media handles, converge at some point," he said. "Either it's the same person with a fake ID who tries to approach the player or uses someone on his behalf. So there is a pattern of convergence. One has to follow both the lines," he added. Singh said even former players have approached the ACU when they have found something unusual. "There have been things coming from current players and also retired players. There has been information coming from them. Things that they doubted, which look suspicious. "Any information is useful. Even if it's a false alarm, it raises the awareness level of the players as well as the skills of the team investigating it," the retired top cop said. There are some structural plans for the BCCI's ACU which will only materialise once normalcy returns after the COVID-19 pandemic. "Every zone will have a zonal head as it had been said earlier. A few zones don't have zonal heads, so we will fill those posts," he said.

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Former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s wife Sakshi Dhoni is quite an active celebrity on Instagram.  Sakshi Dhoni's posts on Instagram always gets the attention of her fans and this time its no different.

While on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sakshi and husband MS Dhoni are busy spending their time at their home in Ranchi. Sakshi Dhoni, who is famously known by her dear ones, for her playful and fun-loving nature, shared a photo of her about to bite MS Dhoni's toes while he is busy on his cell phone. “Times when you crave attention from #mrsweetie!” Sakshi captioned her post that received over three lakh ‘likes’ within a few hours.

 

 

 

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Times when you crave attention from #mrsweetie !

A post shared by Sakshi Singh Dhoni (@sakshisingh_r) onApr 19, 2020 at 3:40am PDT

MS Dhoni and Sakshi Dhoni are one of the biggest star couples in the world of cricket today. MS and Sakshi Dhoni were childhood friends and share a close bond. They got married in 2010 and had a baby named Ziva, five years later, in 2015.

MS Dhoni's future in cricket is the biggest topic these days as he last played a match was in the 2019 World Cup semifinals against New Zealand. Away from the game since then, Dhoni has been making most of his free time spending it with his wife Sakshi, daughter Ziva and family.

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Cricket is rightly considered as a religion in India and is the most celebrated sport in the country. Whoever makes a career in cricket has one longing wish to play for the country and Indian cricketers rightly inspire with their story and innumerable achievements. With a dream to become a cricketer since childhood, Jeel Pareshbhai Gajipara grew up looking at his hero Mahendra Singh Dhoni's journey as a sportsperson. Gajipara born on October 24, 2001, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat is a notable name in the cricket. Since his school, he was fascinated by the sport after which he decided to make become a cricketer.

Currently, he is pursuing his B.Com from GLS University. The young and good looking guy also loves to do modeling. However, he considers cricket as his only passion in life. He has played for both domestic as well as international tournaments. He has played for many tournaments from Nepal, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. The batsman has also created many records for himself including his smashing batting of 97 runs from 32 deliveries for the Mumbai domestic team. Some of his other best scores include 136 runs in 67 deliveries, 116 runs in 71 deliveries and 177 runs in 122 deliveries respectively.

These batting scores totally show his love for the sport and prove that he is here to stay. His hard work and passion for cricket will one day surely fulfill his dream. Calling MS Dhoni as his idol, Jeel has a dream of playing for India and be successful as the former Indian skipper. "Before playing for India, I want to play in the IPL (Indian Premier League)", he quoted. For his achievements, Jeel was also featured in a Gujarati newspaper and had his interview on E24 news channel. The young blood's journey is commendable and we hope to see him play for the Indian Cricket Team one day.

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The ICC's Chief Executives Committee (CEC) will discuss the financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic over a conference call on Thursday in which the World Test Championship and the ODI league schedule will also come up for deliberation. The ODI league was to start in June but the first series under it -- South Africa's away three-match rubber against Sri Lanka in the first week of June -- was cancelled on Monday due to the pandemic.

ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said: "This meeting is the first step of a collective process as we assess the impact of this ongoing global pandemic and work together so the sport can emerge from it in a strong position. "We need to share knowledge and start to build a deep understanding of what it will take to resume international cricket." It is clear that no concrete decision can be taken unless the ICC is able to figure out how many events it will lose due to the global lockdown which has brought the world to a standstill. "We are almost at the halfway point of the World Test Championship, and the Super League is yet to commence so we will consider a range of options for each with our Members. But it's still some way to go before," a senior ICC Board member told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Sawhney admitted that they have a tough road ahead in uncertain times. "The scale of this task should not be underestimated and will encompass a myriad of factors until the public health situation has improved to a point that it is safe for our players, our employees, our fans and in a way that will not impact the public health situation adversely. "Countries will start to reopen at different stages and in different ways and we will need to respect that and have a holistic view of this to enable us to take well-informed decisions that mitigate the various risks as much as possible," the ICC Chief Executive added. Sawhney said that ICC is taking advice from Australian government with regards to hosting the World T20 in October.

"...we will continue to take advice from experts and authorities, including the Australian government. We will utilize 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." The senior official, who has attended a number of ICC board meetings, made it clear that cancellation of another couple of Test series could heavily impact the WTC calendar. "Look, we had to finish the league phase by March 2021 with final at Lord's in June, 2021. India are more secured as they don't have any cancelled series till now and their next Test series in Australia starts end of November," the official said. "But England already have lost one against Sri Lanka. Also you don't know if West Indies and Pakistan can tour England this summer," he added. Although everyone is tight-lipped, an option of extending the calendar for the WTC might be explored where teams get to complete their bilateral Test engagements. Add to that, the 13-team ODI league with points system, where each team has to play eight bilateral 50-over series (three-match series). The ODI league will continue till March, 2022.

As per points table as on March, 2022, India as hosts (automatic qualification) and seven other teams will qualify directly to the World Cup. The bottom five will play a Qualifier with five associates and top two from there will complete the 10-team World Cup in 2023. "At this time CEC will discuss the collective process to consider impact of COVID-19 on the sport. The members would like to get an understanding from each other as to when cricket might restart in their respective regions and under what conditions," a CEC member said. It has also been learnt that as of now, the ICC won't tinker with the existing World T20 schedule in October-November as save 'Big Three' -- India, Australia and England-- the smaller nations might find it difficult to sustain without the event is expected to generate. In case the World T20 is shifted, the revenue stream, especially cash-flow will be severely affected. India will be represented at the CEC meet by BCCI secretary Jay Shah.

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Reminiscing the old days, Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Monday shared a classic throwback picture with brother Krunal.

In the 2011 photo, the duo are smiling while posing for the camera with a 'desi swag.'

 

 

 

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Throwback to 2011 😅 How time changes @krunalpandya_official Swag mera desi hai

A post shared by Hardik Pandya (@hardikpandya93) onApr 20, 2020 at 6:42am PDT

"Throwback to 2011, How time changes @krunalpandya_official, Swag Mera desi hai," Hardik captioned the post on Instagram.

The flamboyant all-rounder, who was out of the Indian team due to back injury, made a comeback during the South Africa tour of India.

The first match of the series got washed out due to rain, and the series was eventually postponed following the outbreak of coronavirus.

Pandya made his ODI debut against New Zealand at Dharamsala in October 2016.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all sporting action across the world has been stopped including the 13th edition of the IPL.

On April 16, the IPL 2020 was suspended till further notice due to 'evolving global health concerns'.

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Sunil Gavaskar says India can swap the T20 World Cup with Australia and host it this year instead of the scheduled 2021 edition, provided the COVID-19 curve flattens in the country. Global sporting activities have come to a halt due the COVID-19 pandemic, jeopardising events like the 2020 T20 World Cup, scheduled in Australia from October 18-November 15.

India are supposed to host the next edition in 2021. "As we all know, Australia has barred foreigners from entering the country till September 30. The tournament starts mid-October so it is looking difficult at the moment," Gavaskar told India Today.

"Next year the T20 World Cup is in India. If India and Australia come to an agreement and the COVID-19 curve in India flattens out, they can swap. It can be held in India this October-November and next year in Australia around the same time."

The IPL too has been indefinitely postponed but there is a possibility of it being held in September. "If it (T20 WC swap) happens that way, IPL is just held prior to T20 World Cup so there is enough practice for the players. Then you can have T20 World Cup in November and Asia Cup in December in UAE. December is a much better time to host a tournament in the UAE," said the 70-year-old.

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Ex-Australia skipper Michael Clarke has revealed that legendary spinner Shane Warne shared a boisterous relationship with former coach John Buchanan and they never got along. Speaking on Big Sports Breakfast, Clarke said: "The fact him and John didn't get on and Warnie didn't respect John Buchanan as a coach at all, that he thought I'm not getting told what to do from this dude. "If it was Ricky Ponting there, Warnie would have found a way to either bite his tongue or he might have said something to Ricky one-on-one...it wouldn't have been in front of everyone. At that stage Warnie was so done with John Buchanan he didn't care," he added.

Clarke, the 2015 World Cup-winning captain, also divulged details of the Australian dressing room culture when both him and Warne were together in the side. He said that the leg-spinner chose cigarettes for the three-day training camp instead of the essential items which the players were allowed. "For someone like Warnie who loved a smoke, he pretty much told them he is not coming unless he can bring his smokes. It was World War five," Clarke said.

According to Clarke, Warne and Buchanan had a deal where the latter told the former that he would have to chuck a piece of clothing for every pack of cigarettes he took. "Warnie flicked his three pairs of undies, flicked his three pairs of socks and put six packs of darts in and off we went.

"In the middle of the bush, sleeping bag only, no cover, no shelter, on the ground and it was pitch black. All you could see was this orange light coming out of someone's sleeping bag and it was Warnie just sucking his dart back," Clarke said.

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Veteran India wicketkeeper-batsman and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni seems to be enjoying his quality time back at his lavish farmhouse located in Ranchi.

MS Dhoni's wife Sakshi Dhoni apparently shared ain Instagram Live video in which Mahi can be seen giving his daughter Ziva a ride on a motorbike in their farmhouse. 

The video was also shared by MS Dhoni's Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings on Twitter immediately after it went viral. CSK went on to caption the photo with some fun play of words: "Thala Suthifying, literally. #WhistlePodu VC: @SakshiSRawat."

Thala Suthifying, literally! 😍ðŸ¦ÂðŸ’› #WhistlePodu VC: @SaakshiSRawat pic.twitter.com/0xpOxVoVET

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 20, 2020

Sakshi Dhoni had also shared a cute photo of herself and MS Dhoni during lockdown as she playfully goes to lick his toes while he was immersed in his mobile phone.

In normal circumstances, MS Dhoni would have been currently leading three-time champions CSK in the 13th edition of the IPL. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the cash-rich league has been postponed indefinitely by the BCCI.

The former captain's participation at this year's T20 World Cup remains in doubt as he hasn't played international cricket since India's defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the World Cup semi-final last year.

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Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts has expressed the board's desire to host a five-Test series against India later this year. India's tour of Australia currently consists of four Tests and three ODIs. However, Roberts has hinted that there could be an additional Test in the series when Virat Kohli and company reach their shores in November. Terming their relationship with the BCCI as 'strong', Roberts said a five-Test series is a possibility but not a certainty at this stage. "There's no certainty about that [five-Test series] for the coming season, but what I can say is that the relationship between the BCCI and Cricket Australia is really strong," Roberts told reporters on a video call.

"We've discussed a shared desire to evolve to five-Test series between Australia and India in the future. "It's something we've both committed to in principle in the future, the big question is whether or not we can bring that in before the next future tours cycle in 2023. "We don't know what prospect there is of that next season, but certainly with a changing landscape...we won't rule out a possibility of that until we get closer to the time," he added.

Kevin Roberts

Roberts also revealed the board is looking at the prospect of hosting all the matches at a single venue in their bid to keep the players and staff safe amid Coronavirus pandemic. "We won't rule anything out in terms of the Indian series. Along with the BCCI and Indian players, we want to stage a series that inspires the cricket world, whether or not there are people in the stands," Roberts said.

"We need to face into all possibilities. Fortunately, we have a little bit of time to work out the scenarios," he added. The cancellation of the Test series against India could cost Cricket Australia potentially up to $300 million (R2307 crore) in lost TV revenue.

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Former India batsman and Zimbabwe coach Lalchand Rajput has created a training module encompassing both the physical and mental aspects, and is monitoring his players' progress through the use of technology. Like in India, the lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended in Zimbabwe, too. "We have given a training programme to the players. The activities we have included are the ones which can be done at home like skipping, side to side running and thera bands. We have also included stretching and Yoga activities," Rajput told PTI.

According to Rajput, he shared the training-cum-fitness programme with the team's trainer and Zimbabwe cricket director of coaching, who shared it with the players. "Skipper Sean Williams messages me sometimes about what he does, also one-two others are also in touch with me. Not all players are from Harare (a prominent city)," he added.

Citing an example, he said he has asked the batsmen to follow a simple drill - put a ball inside a sock and hit it indoors. According to the Zimbabwe head coach, there are some players who reside in bungalows and he has asked them to do short sprints inside its premises. "I have asked the trainer to follow up with the players on a day-to-day basis and he informs me on weekly (basis) about the development," he added.

Rajput, who has been a manager with the Indian cricket team, said he has asked the players to also follow the programme given by the psychologist to keep their mind free of any negativity. Rajput has asked the Zimbabwe cricket board to give at least a month's time for training when sporting activities resumes.

"Once the action resumes, it won't be feasible to immediately start the tours as they will need practice," said Rajput, who also thanked Zimbabwe Cricket for providing help. On a personal front, Rajput headed home following the Zimbabwe tour of Bangladesh.

Rajput, who has also coached Afghanistan and domestic teams, is enjoying spending time with his family.

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Gloucestershire batsman George Hankins has been arrested for a drunk-driving incident in Surrey following a car crash.

Hankins, who has featured in 28 first-class games, was arrested after the collision in Portsmouth Road, Cobham, on April 19 and will now appear in Guildford Magistrates' Court in July, reports BBC Sport.

"Gloucestershire Cricket has been made aware of an incident - being investigated by Surrey Police - regarding one of its players, who has been based in Surrey during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The club is in touch with the player concerned and has initiated a full internal investigation," the club said in a statement.

The 23-year-old has scored 961 first-class runs since making his debut in 2016 against Durham. He has also featured in 15 List A games and seven T20 games - scoring 535 and 17 runs respectively.

Gloucestershire is the same club where ace India Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara was supposed to play the first six matches of this year's County Championship. The deal was, however, called off earlier this month due to the COVID-19 pandemic which is spreading rapidly in the United Kingdom and has claimed thousands of lives in the country.

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India's top-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara misses playing badminton on the outdoor courts. Sporting action across the world is on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic and in India a nationwide lockdown in place till May 3 has imposed restrictions on movement of people.

Pujara, used to enjoy badminton outdoors apart from cricket. Now he plays with his wife or with his Saurashtra team-mate Jaydev Unadkat. "Usually when I am at home in Rajkot, we go and play badminton on weekends on proper courts. That is something I am missing," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Pujara as saying.

"With my wife - she wants to learn. At times if Jaydev Unadkat is in Rajkot, he is a decent badminton player, so I play with him," he added. Pujara also revealed that he is very competitive when it comes to playing badminton and he cannot let anybody win.

"No, no. I can't allow my wife to win. I can't allow anyone to win against me at badminton. That is not possible. I've been telling her that she has to get better at it and win that way. I don't want to lose to make her happy that she has beaten me. As a sportsperson your mentality is to make sure that the other person becomes stronger than you," Pujara said.

Pujara was supposed to be in the UK, playing for Gloucestershire, at this time of year, but all plans have been tossed away due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He had signed a deal in February to represent the county for the first six matches of the championship. He was set to become Gloucestershire's first Indian player after Javagal Srinath in 1995.

But with the first seven rounds of the Championship postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and international travel severely limited, he will be unable to fulfil his deal. The batsman was last seen in action during India's two-match Test series against New Zealand.

Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif had thought the famous NatWest Series final, which India won defying odds against England, was lost when Yuvraj Singh got out in their daunting chase of 326 at Lord's in 2002.

India, led by Sourav Ganguly, won the final by two wickets with three balls to spare riding Yuvraj and Kaif's sixth-wicket stand of 121 runs. The Men in Blue were 146/5 at one stage when the pair joined hands and from there the rest was history.

Kaif remained unbeaten on 87 to take India home with Zaheer Khan at the other end but Yuvraj got out in the 42nd over on 69, with India still needing 59 for victory and four wickets in hand.

"When you (Yuvraj) got out, I thought the match is gone. I did not think we will win," Kaif said in an Instagram Live chat with Yuvraj.

"I was set, you were there. So I believed if we played till the end India win will. But you got out and India lost hope and my heart broke," Kaif added.

The victory, also remembered for Ganguly celebrating by opening his shirt at the Lord's balcony, changed Indian cricket forever in ways more than one.

Kaif also picked out Yuvraj's 25-ball 58 against Australia in the 2000 U-19 World Cup where the former was the captain as one of his best knocks despite the decorated southpaw smashing six sixes and having many other memorable knocks in his illustrious career.

"That innings, the way you dominated the likes of Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson was amazing. You have many superb knocks, you hit six sixes...but to me at the U-19 level to see someone bat like that...was special. We all knew you will go far and play for a long time," Kaif said.

Rated as one of the best fielders in India, Kaif said he worked on his fielding as he wanted to stand out in one of the departments.

"I always wanted to be different and I wanted to focus on fielding. I worked really hard on my fielding."

Yuvraj added that he and Kaif changed the momentum for India on the field during those days.

"At point and cover we changed the momentum in a lot of ways. Now the team has so many good fielders but I feel we changed the momentum," said Yuvraj, himself a livewire.

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Over the years Ajinkya Rahane has faced several bowlers on different surfaces across the globe, but playing against England speedster James Anderson in his home country has been the most challenging task for the India Test vice-captain. While insisting that every bowler in international cricket is challenging, facing Anderson in English conditions was the toughest for Rahane by his own admission.

"(But) especially talking about one particular bowler - James Anderson in England is really challenging. He knows the conditions well. He (Anderson) is the one," said Rahane on an Instachat live chat orgainsed by his employer 'Indian Oil' on Tuesday. Rahane, who has amassed over 4000 runs in Test cricket and has a century in England, the West Indies apart from India, emphasised on the need to be mentally fit during the coronavirus-forced lockdown period.

"(At) this point of time, it is important to be positive mentally. Mentally, I'm visualising my cricketing stuff, batting. As an international athlete, cricketer, it is important to be mentally fit," said Rahane, who revealed that he is a Black belt holder judoka. Sporting activities across the globe, including cricket has come to a grinding halt because of the pandemic. Even this year's cash-rich Indian Premier League has been postponed indefinitely due to the deadly disease, which has claimed nearly 1,78,000 lives globally and more than 640 in India.

Even though he is disturbed by the suffering of people, Rahane looked at the positive side of the lockdown. "First of all, definitely this is a sad thing, which is happening. But, looking at the positive side, I'm getting time to spend with my daughter and family. My daughter is six-and-a-half months old, I'm lucky to be with her," the right-handed batsman said. He also said that batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and tennis ace Roger Federer are his role models and meeting the multiple-time Grandslam champion at the 2015 Australian Open was a fanboy moment for him.

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Controversial Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) general secretary Vinod Tihara is in a Meerut jail for allegedly violating GST norms, a development which has come to light a month after he went "incommunicado" and fuelled speculation of being self-isolated with symptoms of COVID-19. "A Delhi resident named Vinod Tihara was arrested by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) wing of Noida on March 17 on allegations of violations of GST norms and is currently in Meerut jail," SSP Meerut, Ajay Sahni, told PTI.

The SSP's version was later corroborated by Meerut Jail Superintendent Dr B P Pandey, who gave more details on the charges against Tihara. "Vinod Tihara, a resident of Delhi's Rohini has been in Meerut jail since March 17. The case no is 2/20 and he has been charged under Customs Act 132 and 135," Pandey said. Under Section 132 of Indian Customs Act, "if a person knowingly makes, signs or uses, or causes to be made, signed or used, any false declaration, statement or document in the transaction of any business relating to the customs, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both."

Under section 135, there are multiple clauses and sub clauses dealing with "misdeclaration, fradulent evasion and carrying, concealing or purchasing goods which are liable to confiscation." There was no immediate clarity on the exact violation Tihara has been accused of committing. Tihara is Delhi cricket's representative at the BCCI and an influential figure in state's cricket body. He had been "unreachable" since mid-March leaving DDCA officials, including members of his faction, flummoxed.

"For the longest time, we were under the impression that Vinod ji has tested positive for COVID-19. One or two people who contacted his family members were told that he is under isolation. His phone is switched off for the past one month," a senior DDCA office-bearer told PTI. During a recent online hearing in a matter of financial misappropriation of funds, organised by DDCA ombudsman Justice (Retd) Deepak Verma via Skype, one of the body's lawyers, known for his proximity to Tihara, told the apex council members that he had tested positive for novel coronavirus.

"We all freaked out as we had met Tihara till March 15 at various places. We told him that why weren't we informed as we all needed to quarantine ourselves. "He then changed track and said that if you people would have been COVID-19 positive, then you would have known by now. It was very suspicious," the Apex Council member who was suspended that day, said.

In fact, some of the members are now wondering how did a letter signed by Tihara in support of one of the lawyers, whose service was being terminated, was submitted to Ombudsman, when all this while he had been in jail.

It is understood that because of the lockdown, his bail plea has been deferred.

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Former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq believes the difference between India and Pakistan teams during his playing days was that Indian players played for themselves while Pakistani players played for the team.

"When we played against India, their batting was more powerful than us on paper. But even our batsmen scored 30 or 40 runs, it was for the team, but for India, even if they scored 100 runs, they played for themselves," Inzamam said during the chat show with Ramiz Raja on YouTube.

"So, that was the difference between the two sides," he added.

Inzamam, who represented the national team in 120 Tests, 378 ODIs and 1 T20I between 1991 to 2007, played at a time when Pakistan used to dominate India on the cricket field.

However, in recent times, the tables have turned with India having an upper hand over their Asian neighbours.

Overall, Pakistan and India have played 59 Tests, 132 ODIs and 8 T20Is against each other in which India have won 9, 55 and 6 matches respectively while Pakistan have emerged victorious in 12, 73 and 1 games respectively.

When it comes to 50-over World Cup, India have won all the seven matches they have played against Pakistan. In T20 World Cup, India have won four out of five matches against Pakistan while the remaining one yielded no result.

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West Indies cricketers haven't received their match fees since January as Cricket West Indies (CWI) seem to be struggling to generate funds amid coronavirus pandemic which has stalled the game.

According to a report published in ESPNcricinfo, international West Indies men players have not been paid their match fee for the Ireland series at home and the subsequent tour of Sri Lanka in February-March.

Meanwhile, international women players of the country are owed match fees for the four matches they played in the Women's T20 World Cup held in February-March.

"Cricket West Indies is facing a tough time financially," CWI chief executive officer Johnny Grave told ESPNcricinfo. "Whilst all of our contracted players have received their salaries and allowances, and some players have received prize money and match fees, there is still money that is outstanding and we are trying to settle these player payments as a priority."

"We are two months behind making match fee payments," he added.

West Indies players' association secretary Wayne Lewis revealed players have been receiving their allowance salaries but not their match fees.

"The players who are contracted, their monthly salary (and allowances) are up-to-date," Lewis said. "The problem we are having is the retained players in the regional first-class competition have not been paid their match fees for the eight rounds that have been played so far."

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has also pointed out that it will become increasingly difficult for cricket board across the world to continue giving salaries to players and staff if matches are not held in the near future.

"Cricket fans are starved now and the coronavirus pandemic has brought life to a standstill but I don't think cricket boards can survive for long like this. They can't continue to pay out salaries and expenses without having cricket activities it would be disastrous for them," Raja said in a video uploaded on his Youtube channel.

"I would also urge the Pakistan Cricket Board to think on these lines and hold talks with other boards to see how cricket activities can be resumed even behind closed doors."

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The numbers are heavily in favour of Mahendra Singh Dhoni but former India batsman Gautam Gambhir says spin legend Anil Kumble was the best India captain he has ever played under. Gambhir has high regards for Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly as India skippers, but believes Kumble would have been phenomenal as captain had he led the national team for a longer period.

"From the records point of view it obviously has to be MS Dhoni. He has won every ICC trophy possible. He has done fabulously well, he has handled the pressure for a very long time. Sourav (Ganguly) has also done well. "But one person I would definitely, would have liked to captain India for a long time should have been Anil Kumble. I played 6 Test matches under him and had he captained India for a long time would have broken many records," Gambhir said on Star Sports 'Cricket Connected' show on the occasion of IPL's 12th anniversary.

"From the records point of view Dhoni is right up there but for me the best captain I played under is Anil Kumble," Gambhit, who is now a BJP MP, added. Kumble was appointed as India captain after Rahul Dravid in 2007 and led the side in 14 Tests -- winning three, losing six and drawing five. But his stint as captain lasted little less than a year as he retired in November 2008, following which Dhoni was appointed as the skipper in all three formats. Gambhir also picked Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma as the all-time great IPL captain. "I think it's Rohit Sharma . He has won the IPL four times and his captaincy is all about winning trophies," he said. "He will end up being the most successful IPL captains of all-time as well, probably he will finish with 6 or 7 titles under his belt."

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That Sachin Tendulkar is possibly one of the greatest cricketers India has produced is stale news. But did you know that he dubbed for his movie Sachin: A Billion dreams – in three different languages, namely Marathi, Hindi and English. The movie made by Ravi Bhagchandka was the first of sorts sports movie given that it had no-frills of a typical Hindi potboiler. And that, we hear was one of the conditions on which the Master Blaster agreed to allow the movie to be produced. Apparently, the producer chased Sachin for a good 8 months till the Master Blaster finally gave him the go-ahead.

While Ravi Bhagchandka was unavailable to comment, we heard that during the dubbing of the movie, Sachin developed a cough and a severe sore throat. (What else can one expect after dubbing in three different languages), but the God of Cricket did not quibble. He simply gulped down cups of green tea and hot water and just like on the field, he kept his composure and stayed at the job.

Wait, there are some more beans to spill - we can bet you have never heard before – that Sachin saw his own movie a mighty 15 times or more before it hit the theatres. This, we are told is because of the excessive dubbing and also because of the purist that he is – he just had to make sure that every sound and visual matched perfectly.

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Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is convinced that MS Dhoni will not play for India again, adding to the guessing game over the former captain's future. Dhoni, 38, has not appeared for club or country since last year's 50-over World Cup and India's Coronavirus lockdown could threaten his chances of getting back into the national team.

IPL-caused hurdle

The Indian Premier League, the main platform before this year's scheduled T20 World Cup, is likely to be truncated or cancelled because of the pandemic. Harbhajan, who plays with Dhoni at IPL side Chennai Super Kings, said that international retirement was on the cards for Dhoni and that he was increasingly being asked about his teammate. "It's up to him. You need to know whether he wants to play for India again," Harbhajan said in an online forum. "As far as I know him, he won't want to wear India's blue jersey again. IPL he will play, but for India I think he had decided the [2019] World Cup was his last."

Meanwhile, India's limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma said he has no idea what's happening with elusive former captain Dhoni, about whom he hasn't heard anything since India's semi-final exit from the World Cup last year. With the IPL postponed indefinitely, the chances of an improbable India comeback look even more bleak for Dhoni, who has not played cricket for months now.

During an instagram chat with Harbhajan, Rohit said that he has "no news about Dhoni". "We don't know what's happening with him. We haven't heard any news about him. The last match of the World Cup was in July. From there, till now we haven't heard anything, I have no idea," Rohit said during the live chat.

'MS is off the radar'

In his typical tongue-in-cheek manner, Rohit said that anyone who wants to know about Dhoni should personally contact him. "When MS Dhoni is not playing cricket, he goes off radar. He goes underground. Whoever wants to know, can directly go to him, you know he stays in Ranchi. You can't go now but after the lockdown, you take a car, bike or flight go to his place and ask him 'What are you going to do? Will you play or not?" he quipped.

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Former India skipper Kapil Dev was pulled up by former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi after he turned down Shoaib Akhtar's proposal for a India-Pakistan series to raise funds to fight the Coronavirus outbreak. But Kapil has made it clear that he is standing his ground.

"You could be emotional and say that yes, India and Pakistan should play matches. Playing matches is not a priority at the moment. If you need the money then you should stop the activities at the border. The money which will be spent can be used to build hospitals and schools. If we really need money than we have so many religious organisations, they should come forward. It is their responsibility. We offer so much money when we visit the religious shrines, so they should help the government," Kapil told Sports Tak.

In fact, he wants everyone to look at the larger picture and not even think about cricket at present. "I am looking at the larger picture. Do you think cricket is the only issue we can talk about? I am rather worried about the children who are not being able to go to schools and colleges because that is our young generation. So, I want schools to reopen first. Cricket, football will happen eventually," he added.

Afridi had earlier said: "Kapil's reaction has surprised me. I expected better from him and feel one should not talk like this in these crisis times. Sport is supposed to bring people together and build bridges. It is pretty disappointing," he said.

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Former Australian cricketer Graeme Watson who was fighting cancer, has died at the age of 75. Primarily a middle-order batsman and a medium-pace bowler, he featured in five Tests from 1967 to 1972 and two ODIs in 1972, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The all-rounder earned the national call during the 1966-67 tour of Rhodesia and South Africa. Watson slammed a half-century in the first innings of the second Test of the series.

However, the medium-pace bowler was ruled of the next test after suffering an ankle injury. He returned for the fourth Test in Johannesburg where scalped his career-best 2 for 67 but failed to leave a mark with the bat as Kangaroos lost the series.

In 1971-72 he moved to Western Australia and played a major role in their Sheffield-Shield win in 1971-72, 1972-73, and 1974-75 seasons.

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Australia's world number one pacer Pat Cummins finds India's middle-order mainstay Cheteshwar Pujara the toughest batsman to bowl at in Test cricket and called him a "pain in the back" for his team.

With his solid batting at number three, Pujara had played an influential role in India's historic triumph Down Under in 2018-19. Cummins held Pujara in high esteem when asked which batsman he found toughest to bowl to during a Question & Answer session that was arranged by the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA).

"There are a lot of them out there, unfortunately. But I am going to go with someone different, and he is (Cheteshwar) Pujara from India. He was a real pain in the back for us," Cummins said. The unassuming Pujara had helped India claim their maiden Test series victory in Australia last year by amassing a staggering 521 runs at an average of over 74 with three hundreds and a half-century. Cummins recalled the difficulty the Australian bowlers faced in dislodging Pujara.

"He (Pujara) was an absolute rock for them in that series. (He was) really hard to get out. Just ultra concentration all day, day after day. He is the hardest one in Test cricket so far, I think," Cummins added. Pujara was named the Man of the Series for his stellar showing, proving to be the player that made all the difference.

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Former Indian captain Kapil Dev said that his new bald look with a beard is inspired by West Indies great Viv Richards whom he described as his hero and 2011 World Cup-winning Indian captain M.S. Dhoni.

"I had seen Sir Vivian Richards on your Instagram. He is my hero so (I thought) why not? I'll follow my hero. I also saw Dhoni who is also my hero and he had cut his hair after winning the World Cup. So I thought why not, now I have the chance so I did it," Kapil said in a video tweeted by Chennai Super Kings.

Richards respond to the CSK tweet, saying: "Hahaha You took the right inspiration my friend @therealkapildev (sic.)"

Dhoni had famously cut off his long locks after winning the 2007 World T20 and even sported a semi-bald look after winning the 2011 World Cup.

Kapil's bald look with a beard is also quite similar to what Richards has carried for the better part of his retired life. The two have faced off on the field a number of times, most prominently in the final of the 1983 World Cup in which Kapil's rather unheralded Indian team stunned the mighty West Indies and won the trophy.

It was only the third time that the tournament was being held and the first time that a team apart from the West Indies had won it.

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Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh recalled how former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff angered him that led to the southpaw hitting six sixes off Stuart Broad during the inaugural edition of the ICC World T20 in 2007.

Yuvraj slammed six maximums in one Broad over during his majestic 14-ball 58 which ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides as India won the match by 18 runs.

"Freddie was just being Freddie - he said a few words and I said a few words back," Yuvraj said during a BBC podcast.

"I was just happy the six sixes came against England because I got hit for five sixes by Dimitri Mascarenhas a few weeks earlier in an ODI.

"When I hit the sixth six, obviously the first look was at Freddie but the second look was at Dimitri, who gave me a smile."

Yuvraj also recalled the subsequent conversation with Stuart Broad's father Chris. He revealed Broad senior asked him for a signed jersey for 'almost' finishing his son's career.

"His dad, Chris Broad, is a match referee and he came up to me the next day and said 'you almost finished my son's career and now you need to sign a shirt for him'," Yuvraj said.

"So I gave my India jersey and wrote a message for Stuart saying, 'I have been hit for five sixes so I know how it feels. For the future of England cricket, all the best'.

"Stuart is one of the best bowlers in the world now. I don't think any bowler from India could get hit for six sixes in an over and then have such a fantastic career," he added.

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Pakistan's top female cricket star and former captain Sana Mir retired from international cricket on Saturday and sports lovers from the country have showered honours on her achievements in the game.

The 34-year-old Mir announced her retirement after 14 years in cricket which she was honoured as one of the most successful female spin bowlers in ODIs cricket history, reported Xinhua news agency.

Sana Mir took to Instagram to share a heartfelt post about her retirement.

 

 

 

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For all my fans and cricket lovers, words fall short when I want to thank all of you for your love, support and encouragement you extended in the past 15 years. It has been an honour to serve Pakistan in cricket and to wear the green Jersey with absolute pride. It is time for me to move on. In sha Allah the service will continue in essence in a different form. Pakistan Zindabad. 💚🏏🇵🇰

A post shared by Sana Mir (@mir.sana05) onApr 25, 2020 at 2:18am PDT

Mir said in a statement that it was an honour for her to serve Pakistan and she has retired with absolute pride, adding, "words fall short when I want to thank you all for the love, support and encouragement in the past".

Here are some of the fan reactions on Instagram as well as Twitter.

aqsa_javed__ - I'll miss you my inspiration for sure thankyou for motivating me and yeah you have set a very high goal for every girl out there. Thankyou for making Pakistan so proud. Pakistan zindabad

saboora1532 - Sana you are the biggest inspiration for all of us ...We love you ... Your hard work and your passion has made so many people to rethink over the fate of Pakistani girls in cricket... Thank you And God Bless You

omama__siddiqui - Thankkkkk you for whatever you did for Pakistan and cricket for those great and wonderful 15 years!!! You deserve all the love, support, and appreciation for being an amazing, strong, and courageous woman. Stay happy and loved for the rest of your life You have been an extraordinary inspiration for thousands of women around the world. Thank you for being SANA MIR!!!!!

ovaisfazal7
Thank you for your services. You will be missed on the field. But your passion and dedication for the game have left a deep impact on how women are perceived in sports. LEGEND!!! May Allah guide and bless you in all your endeavours. Ameen

i_am_muhammadusman - I wish you best of luck for your future endeavours, Miss Sana Mir. We are proud of you. Thanks for your services for the country.

amalmurtaza - Congratulations and all the very best for whatever comes your way! You are Pakistan’s pride and our family’s too mA!

A fan named Adil Tasawar said on Twitter, "when we talk about Pakistan women cricket, one person first in our mind she is Sana Mir, thank you Sana you give honour and dignity."

Another fan named Shamilo paid tribute, saying, "Sana Mir truly changed the course of women's cricket, became the first household name in the women's game. That in and of itself is an achievement, but she also helped create a legacy of players behind her."

Four years after her appearance at the international level cricket, Mir took the reins of Pakistan women team as captain and played a vital role to lift the team's international ranking. She led Pakistan team to win gold medals from the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games.

Inputs from IANS

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The pressure to replace iconic Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps was "immense" due to high expectations from fans says K L Rahul, who has been doing the wicket-keeping duty for India in the limited overs format for some time now.

Dhoni quit Test cricket in 2014 and has not played for India in the limited overs format since last year's ODI World Cup in England. Rahul kept the wickets in the limited overs series against Australia in January this year and also during the team's tour to New Zealand. "I was nervous when I was doing it for India because of the crowd pressure. If you fumble, people feel that you cannot replace MS Dhoni. The pressure of replacing a legendary wicket-keeper like MSD was immense as it involved people accepting someone else behind the stumps," Rahul told Star Sports on its show 'Cricket Connected'.

Rahul, who has played 32 ODIs and 42 T20Is, said keeping the wickets is not alien to him since he dons the gloves during the Indian Premier League (IPL) and also when he plays for his Ranji side Karnataka. "People who follow cricket know that I haven't been away from wicket-keeping for too long as I donned the gloves in the IPL and every time I played for Karnataka," the 28-year-old said.

"I am always in touch with wicket-keeping but am also somebody who is more than willing to take up the role if the team needs me to," he stressed. Dhoni's career is a matter of intense speculation. Many former players feel that it won't be easy for Dhoni to make it to the national squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia.

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India opener Shikhar Dhawan and wife Ayesha on Monday put out a video on social media to send an important message regarding domestic violence. With people staying at home amid coronavirus lockdown, reports of domestic violence have also come out a lot more in recent times.

While I enjoy my time at home with my loving family, I am truly disheartened and sad to hear about domestic violence still existing in today's time & we need to put an end to it. Choose a kind and loving partnership and say no to violence. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/ulh1zb0zmY

— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) April 27, 2020

Dhawan, who is currently spending time with his family during the lockdown period, urged people to put an end to this social evil by choosing the right partner for themselves.

His Twitter post read: "While I enjoy my time at home with my loving family, I am truly sad and disheartened and sad to hear about domestic violence still existing in today's time and we need to put an end to it. Choose a kind and loving partnership and say no to violence."

India is currently on a nationwide lockdown till May 3 as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus. In India, more than 27,000 people have been infected by the virus so far while in excess of 850 individuals have lost their lives.

In normal circumstances, Dhawan would currently be playing for Delhi Capitals in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) but due to the pandemic the tournament has been postponed indefinitely by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

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Temperamental Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal was on Monday banned for three years by the PCB for failing to report corrupt approaches ahead of the country's premier T20 league this year. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had suspended the 29-year-old in February pending an anti-corruption investigation by its disciplinary panel.

The PCB charged him for two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of its Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents in February this year ahead of the Pakistan Super League -- a T20 event also featuring international cricketers. Akmal had decided against appealing against the charges last month. "Umar Akmal handed three-year ban from all cricket by Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan," read a tweet from the official handle of the PCB's media department.

Akmal was suspended hours before his PSL team Quetta Gladiators was to take on Islamabad in the opening match of the 2020 edition. Reacting to the ban imposed on him, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja said time has come to criminalise match-fixing. "So Umar Akmal officially makes it to the list of idiots! Banned for 3 years. What a waste of a talent! It's high time that Pakistan moved towards passing a legislative law against match fixing. Behind bars is where such jack asses belong! Otherwise brave for more!!"

Raja tweeted. Akmal is the younger brother of former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, who played 53 Tests, 58 T20s, and 157 ODIs for Pakistan, and cousin of current captain Babar Azam. Akmal, who last played for Pakistan in October, has featured in 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20s, scoring 1003, 3194 and 1690 runs respectively. Akmal promised a lot after making a hundred in New Zealand on his Test debut, but failed to live up to the high expectations that came with some fine performances early in his career. Constant run-ins with the authorities also marred his stop-start career. Akmal had earlier escaped a PCB ban in February for allegedly making crude remarks to a trainer during a fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

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Australia cricketer David Warner has been on fire on social media by sharing various photos and videos on Instagram and Twitter as well as being part of many live sessions on these sites.

David Warner’s wife, Candice is also not too far behind. Quite a social media enthusiast herself, Candice Warner Instagrammed this picture to her 2.2 lakh followers, having swapped costumes with her husband David. “Switching it up on a Monday. @davidwarner31 looking the goods in my old costume #fun #switchitupchallenge,” she captioned her post.

 

 

 

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Switching it up on a Monday. @davidwarner31 looking the goods in my old racing costume. #fun #switchitupchallenge

A post shared by Mrs Candice Warner (@candywarner1) onApr 26, 2020 at 10:55pm PDT

Candice Warner's Instagram post received over 30,000 ‘likes’ within a few hours. Candice was a professional Ironwoman and surfer before becoming a model.

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Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja has welcomed PCBs decision to ban Umar Akmal on corruption charges, saying the batsman has officially made it to the "list of idiots" and that people like him should be put in jail.

Umar has been banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board from all forms of cricket for three years after pleading guilty to failing to report match-fixing approaches.

"So, Umar Akmal officially makes it to the list of idiots! Banned for three years. What a waste of a talent! It's high time that Pakistan moved towards passing a legislative law against match fixing. Behind bars is where such jack a**** belong! Otherwise brave for more!!" Raza said in a tweet.

PCB informed about the ban imposed on Akmal on Monday on Twitter and said: "Umar Akmal handed three-year ban from all cricket by Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel Mr Justice (retired) Fazal-e-Miran Chauhan."

Umar, who has played 16 Tests, 121 ODIs and 84 T20Is for Pakistan, had earlier stated in an interview that he was offered money to skip matches against India. He had also revealed that he was asked to leave two deliveries in a match by the bookies.

"I was once offered $200,000 for leaving two deliveries. I was also offered to skip matches against India," Akmal was quoted as saying by GeoTv.

Umar's brother Kamran reacted to the three-year ban, saying that he was shocked to hear the decision.

"We will reach out to every platform for justice and will definitely exercise our right to appeal," Kamran was quoted as saying by GeoTv, adding that there are instances when punishments of lower degrees were allotted for similar charges.

"It is incomprehensible that why Umar Akmal is penalised so severely," he objected, adding that a detailed decision is awaited in this regard.

Umar had not requested for a hearing before the Anti-Corruption Tribunal after he was charged for two breaches of Article 2.4.4 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code in two unrelated incidents.

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Former Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is still not over the disappointment of missing Sachin Tendulkar's wicket in the lost 2011 World Cup semifinal against India and is now deriving solace from English umpire Ian Gould's recent assertion that the iconic batsman was indeed out. Tendulkar, who made crucial 85 runs in the semifinal at Mohali, was on 23 when Gould ruled him out LBW off Ajmal. But third umpire Billy Bowden, after a review, overturned the decision.

Gould, who served on the ICC's elite panel of umpires, recently said that he would stands by his decision of giving Tendulkar out. Recalling the incident, Ajmal, now 42, said, "It was straight in front and I was 100 percent sure he was out. Shahid Afridi, Kamran, Wahab and other players asked me was he (Tendulkar) out and I told them he is gone." He said he was heart-broken after the third umpire ruled Tendulkar not out. "I never got a chance to bowl to him in a Test so whenever I played against him in white ball cricket I always wanted to do my best. "More disappointing was that we lost the semifinal and it is obvious that Tendulkar's 85 runs made all the difference," he said on a television channel," he said.

"Even today, the third umpire's decision baffles me. Maybe luck was with him that day and he went on play such a crucial innings for his team," said Ajmal who played 35 Tests between 2009 and 2014, taking 178 wickets. He also took 183 wickets in 113 ODIs and 85 in 64 T20 Internationals. Ajmal said Gould was upset after his decision was overturned by the third umpire. The off-spinner's career, however, came to an unceremonious end after a tour of Bangladesh. His bowling action was reported in 2014 and he could not cope with the subsequent modification and retired in 2017.

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Flamboyant West Indies opener Chris Gayle has called his former teammate Ramnaresh Sarwan "worse than coronavirus", accusing the Guyanese of plotting his exit from Caribbean Premier League outfit Jamaica Tallawahs. The big-hitting Gayle, who has since moved to St. Lucia Zouks, blamed Sarwan for an alleged fallout with Tallawahs franchise, which did not retain him for the 2020 season after playing for them as a marquee player last year.

The opener claimed that Sarwan was behind his ouster as the former middle-order batsman wanted to take control of the franchise. "Sarwan, you are worse than the coronavirus right now," Gayle said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel. "What transpired with the Tallawahs, you have a big part to play because you and the owner are like this (very close). You were the one at my last birthday party here in Jamaica, giving big speech about how far we have come."
Sarwan is the assistant coach of Jamaica Tallawahs.

Continuing his ballistic attack on his former West Indies teammate, Gayle went on, "Sarwan, you are a snake. You are so vindictive. You are so immature. You still stabbing people in the back. "When are you planning to change? Don't even consider seeing the 'Universe Boss' and saying 'Yo Chris' because I am telling you this straight up, that's it."

Gayle played his first four CPL seasons with Tallawahs before turning out for St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the next two seasons respectively. He returned to Tallawahs the previous season as a marquee player before his alleged fall-out with the franchise.

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Former India player VVS Laxman on Tuesday conducted his first online session for batsmen of Ranji Trophy runners-up, Bengal, and to start with, he focussed only on the mental aspect. During his two separate 45-minute sessions with Abhishek Raman and Kazi Junaid Saifi, Laxman also had in attendance Bengal coach Arun Lal, cricket operations manager Joydeep Mukherjee, and state U-23 coach Sourasish Lahiri. Bengal opener Raman, who frittered away a bright start last season, was given lessons on how to deal with failures and ways to regain confidence. "We talked about our last season. What were my mindset through the season."

A session with lot to learn from and how to prepare the mindset during ups and downs of the season," Raman said in a statement issued by the Cricket Association of Bengal. Raman started the season with successive hundreds, against Kerala and Andhra, but eventually aggregated 406 runs at 25.37 from 10 outings. Laxman talked about how to control the mind in order to avoid playing loose shots, importance of batting in the the first one hour of play on bowling friendly pitches. Rookie batsman Kazi, who made his debut and went on to play two matches, was told about how to ensure a seamless transition from age-group to senior cricket. "It was a very useful and important session today. Laxman sir was sharing his experience with me, how it is normal to be nervous, to be doubtful but at the same time one need to keep faith in himself and his abilities.

"What I learnt is that cricket is a learning process and you have to be consistent in your thought and preparation," Kazi said. The CAB will continue with its online classes with focus being on their top-order batsmen, their biggest letdown in an otherwise eventful season when they reached their first Ranji Trophy final in 13 years. But their dream to lift the title for the first time since 1989-90 remained unfulfilled with the team's top-order batting failing to rise to the occasion against Saurashtra. CAB president Avishek Dalmiya said this exercise is the way forward at a time when the world is under lockdown owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our cricketers are at home yet working out under the guidance of the trainers. We also need to keep them in the proper frame of mind. "And the right way to do it was to engage them with mentors and coaches who would analyse their performances from the previous season and chalk out ways to overcome the challenges," he said.

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It was on this day in 1997, that the former Sri Lanka batsman Aravinda de Silva became the first player in the history of cricket to score two unbeaten centuries in the same Test.

The right-handed batsman achieved the feat against Pakistan in Colombo. Opting to bat first, de Silva came into bat with Sri Lanka 124/2.

De Silva played a knock of 138 runs in the first innings from 208 balls. His innings was studded with 19 fours and this knock took Sri Lanka's total to 331.

Pakistan was bundled out for 292 in the first innings and this gave hosts Sri Lanka a lead of 39 runs.

In the second innings, de Silva played an unbeaten knock of 103 runs off just 99 balls and this helped Sri Lanka to declare their second innings at 386/4, setting Pakistan a target of 426 runs.

Pakistan managed to hang on in the second innings and the side registered 285/5 and as a result, the match ended in a draw.

De Silva played 93 Tests and 308 ODIs for Sri Lanka. He was also a part of the 1996 World Cup-winning squad.

He registered 6,361 runs in the longest format at an average of 42.97.

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England Test captain Joe Root has revealed that he has faced a variety of sledges in his cricketing career, including comparison with American comedian and chat show host Ellen DeGeneres for his looks.

"I've been called Ellen DeGeneres on a number of occasions over the course of my career," Root told BBC Radio 1.

"I think there's a likeness there," he added.

The 29-year-old opted for 'Mardy Bum' by the Arctic Monkeys and 'She Moves In Her Own Way' by the Kooks as his opening two 'Mancave Anthems' while appearing on the pop music station to select some of his favourite records.

Earlier in March, Root, in an open letter addressed to the British public, had stressed on the importance of team work as a society in their fight to defeat the coronavirus pandemic which has swept the world off its feet.

"As England players we've tasted some desperate days and enjoyed exhilarating highs and tried to stay grounded throughout.

"But over the last few weeks I'm sure that many of you, like us, have experienced intense emotions as the pandemic has spread. Perhaps you have lost a loved one, fear for someone who is ill or are sick yourself.

"Perhaps you are worried about families and friends and are anxious about what the future holds. Never has teamwork been more important in our society," Root had written in the letter.

Professional cricket in England remains suspended till July 1 because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which has claimed over 2 lakh lives across the world thus far.

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Indian fast bowler S Sreesanth has heaped praise on legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun and said that the 20-year-old will definitely play for India.

The speedster also said that Arjun has a brilliant action and a great rhythm.

In 2019, Arjun was picked for Rs five lakhs, after an intense bidding process, by Akash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburb for the second season of the Mumbai T20 League.

The all-rounder was one of the favorite players as almost every team had bid for him which led to an intense bidding session.

Sreesanth first wished Sachin Tendulkar a happy birthday on Twitter and the batting legend replied to the former pacer on social media as well. 

Thanks for the wishes Sree! My best wishes to you and everyone at home. Stay healthy Stay safe.

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) April 27, 2020

"Thanks a lot Sachin Paaji..u made my day, great to hear from you..love and warm regds to all at home..nd great to c Arjun doing well ..he is got a brilliant action nd great rhythm..he will surly play for India," Sreesanth said while replying to Sachin in a tweet.

Thanks a lot Sachin Paaji..u made my day, great to hear from you..love and warm regds to all at home..nd great to c Arjun doing well ..he is got a brilliant action nd great rhythm..he will surly play for 🇮🇳✌🏻🤗🤗🤗

— Sreesanth (@sreesanth36) April 27, 2020

Sreesanth has played 27 Tests and 53 ODIs for India. He has also played 10 T20Is and was a key cog in the bowling wheel of team India during ICC T20 cup 2007 in South Africa.

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Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar spoke regarding an interesting story from the 1999 Adelaide Test featuring former Australia speedster Glenn McGrath. Tendulkar revealed how he managed to win a game of chess on the field against the player of McGrath's quality.

The 'Master Blaster' explained how he first remained calm and patient when McGrath was in full flow but cut loose the next morning and put pressure back on the bowler.

"In 1999, in our first match at Adelaide... the first innings there was hardly 40 minutes to go in the day's play. Glenn McGrath comes and bowls five or six maiden overs to me," Tendulkar told Star Sports during a video chat that was tweeted by BCCI.

"That was their strategy... 'let's frustrate Sachin. 70 per cent of the ball should go to (wicket-keeper) Adam Gilchrist and 10 per cent close to his bat. If he plays or chases deliveries outside the off-stump we have succeeded'.

"So I kept leaving as many deliveries as possible. There were some good deliveries where I was beaten as well. But I said 'well bowled and now go back and bowl again as I am still here'," he added.

"I remember hitting him for a few boundaries the next morning because it was a fresh day and we both were at the same level. They had a strategy but I knew their strategy was to frustrate me.

"I thought this evening I am patient but tomorrow morning I am gonna play the way I want. You won't control how I want to play but I would control where you are going to bowl."

Tendulkar also had a word of advice for current cricketer as to how to keep themselves mentally fit during lockdown. Due to coronavirus pandemic, all cricket across the world has been postponed for the time being and Tendulkar stated sometimes it is good to stay away from the game for a brief period.

"First of all I would like to tell them to recharge their respective batteries. It is important to have some off time. When you are playing regularly it is not easy to be at the top of your game. It is good to move away from cricket for a while to recharge your batteries," he said.

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England's Ben Stokes has said his Australian rival and IPL teammate Steve Smith is a "genius" as well as "strange" as he hailed the number one Test batsman. "He's still strange to play against and he's still strange to play with. And the best thing about it is that he admits it," Stokes said in a podcast broadcast by their Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. "But I feel to be a genius you have to be a bit strange and you know he's certainly both," Stokes said from Britain. "Personally, I could not think about cricket in the way that he does when it comes to batting.

I could never be like that. Obviously, he's on all the time but that's why he averages 60-plus in Test cricket." The 30-year-old Smith averages over 62 in 73 Tests and improves to 65.11 when playing against arch-rivals England. Smith was the leading scorer in the 2019 Ashes in England, retained by Australia after the series finished 2-2, with a whopping 774 runs in four matches.

Ben Stokes

"Even though he plays for Australia, biggest rivals England and Australia, you've just got to hold your hands up sometimes to players like that and go 'yeah you're on a different level when it comes to batting,'" said Stokes, who scored 441 runs in five matches during the series. "You have to be on a different level with something to be like those guys when it comes to batting." The flamboyant all-rounder also threw his backing behind Test cricket, saying the five-day format is the "pinnacle" for him and there is no room to tinker with it.

The International Cricket Council has floated the idea of four-day Tests to deal with the cluttered cricket calendar, but the plan met with intense criticism from many within the game.

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Former Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke is reportedly still seeing fashion designer Pip Edwards, but doesn't want the world to know. According to British tabloid, The Daily Mail, Michael was spotted at Pip's apartment, but made a dash for it moments later.

Michael, nicknamed Pup, and Pip broke up earlier this month as the former cricketer was not too happy about the publicity that accompanied their relationship.  However, on Monday morning, he was spotted with Pip at Sydney's Bondi Beach.

It is learnt that the couple emerged from Pip's home in a black car at around 9am and drove to a nearby juice bar. Pip, who turned 40 on the day, then headed to collect their order, but on noticing the paparazzi, left in a huff, forgetting to pick their drinks.They then drove back to her place from where Michael took off on his motorbike. Later, Pip returned to the juice bar and picked up three juices.

Michael separated from his wife of seven years, Kyly in September last year. They have a daughter Kelsey Lee, four.Pip has a teenaged son Justice.

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VVS Laxman speaks about Sachin Tendulkar’s batting against Shane Warne on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected: “Sachin was really well prepared for the Test match in Chennai. In the first innings, he was dismissed for 4 runs. He hit a boundary and then tried to play a big shot over mid-on, hitting against the turn and was caught by Mark Taylor.

VVS Laxman went on to reveal saying, "I remember Sachin locked himself in the physio’s room and only came out after almost an hour. When he came out, we could see his eyes were red. I felt he was very emotional because he was unhappy in the manner he was dismissed."

VVS Laxman continued, "Then, in the second innings, the way he blasted and hammered Shane Warne, who was bowling into the rough outside the leg stump. Warne was using the depth of the crease and when he used to pitch it up, Sachin used to hit it through the mid-off, mid-on region. He went on to get a hundred. That battle with Shane Warne is the best I have seen.”

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Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag on Wednesday expressed grief over the demise of the ace Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan.

Taking to Twitter, Sehwag condoled the death of the 'great talent' and wrote, "A great actor and a great talent. Heartfelt condolences to his family and well-wishers #IrfanKhan."

A great actor and a great talent. Heartfelt
Condolences to his family and well - wishers #IrfanKhan

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 29, 2020

Former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin lauded Irffan's skills and termed him a 'versatile artist'.

"Saddened to hear about the shocking demise of #IrfanKhan. A truly talented & versatile artist and a great human being. May Allah grant him the highest place in Paradise. My heartfelt condolonces to the family & friends #RIPIrrfan," Azharuddin tweeted.

Khan passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53.

Khan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

He was regarded as a fine actor by fans and critics alike with critically acclaimed films like 'The Lunchbox' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit.

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