'India's Bowling Stronger...': Shubman Gill And Co Receive Big Verdict For England Test Series
"With India, I actually think the bowling is stronger at this stage. I hope they get to a stage where I am proved wrong and that the batting shines again - Yashasvi and Rahul have a great partnership, Gill gets into form, Pant gets back to the format he is best at. Look- I think, the No Virat Kohli situation… in the minds of many people, we had started getting used to a scenario when he won't be around. 2 years before Tendulkar finished you knew that the change was going to come, you had started to get your mind around the fact that he may not be there. The great thing about this sport is, great players go and then great players come in.. that is the one thing we must be excited about in this series…how are all these players going to take one step up in their career," Bhogle told NDTV.
When it comes to India's bowling, Bhogle explained that Bumrah will make a huge difference in English conditions and even tipped the likes of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna to perform well.
"Largely because India' s batting is untested in these conditions. That is my view at the moment. I am waiting to be proven wrong.. it is the start of the series. Since Bumrah is around, even when he is not playing he will make a huge difference. I am very happy that you made a mention of the two names we do not talk about their stellar careers- Shami and Ashwin. In Siraj, another player we don't talk often about, may not be enough of a box office material, but he has been fantastic over the years. Prasidh Krishna is full of promise.. I liked what I saw of Akash Deep in Aus. These conditions might favour him. Sourav Ganguly has spoken about Arshdeep Singh...If the pitch is dry, Kuldeep will come in."
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NDTV
8 minutes ago
- NDTV
National Sports Governance Bill To Be Implemented Within Next Six Months: Mansukh Mandaviya
Its passage through Parliament achieved smoothly, the landmark National Sports Governance Bill will be implemented within the next six months and preparatory work like "drafting of rules and identification of infrastructure" has already started, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told PTI on Wednesday. In his first interview after the passing of the bill in both houses, Mandaviya also justified as "standard safeguard" the bill's provision that gives government discretionary power to "impose reasonable restrictions" on international participation of Indian teams and individual athletes under "extraordinary circumstances". "This bill will be implemented as soon as possible. Within the next six months, all procedures will be completed to ensure 100 per cent implementation," Mandaviya said in the exclusive interaction at his residence. The passing of the bill makes India the 21st country to have a sports law. Implementation of its most significant provisions would require the setting up of a National Sports Board (NSB), which would provide affiliation to National Sports Federations (NSFs), a National Sports Tribunal (NST) for dispute resolution and a National Sports Election Panel (NSEP) to oversee NSF elections. "Creation of posts and other administrative approvals will follow established procedures of the Department of Personnel and Training and the Department of Expenditure," Mandaviya said "The aim is to ensure that both institutions (NSB and NST) are fully functional at the earliest possible date consistent with statutory and procedural requirements," he added, while reiterating that the bill is "the single biggest reform in sports since independence". The bill has been largely supported by the NSFs as well as athletes. The Indian Olympic Association, which was at first skeptical, has also backed it after extensive discussions with the minister. Standard safeguards With the passing of the bill, the unsaid understanding of the government having the final say on India's participation in international events has been formalised. This is an issue that crops up mostly when arch-foes Pakistan are involved in times of high border tensions as has been the case since this year's Pahalgam terror attack. Mandaviya said the government discretion in the bill has not been codified with any particular country in consideration. "The provision empowering the government to stop international participation is a standard safeguard seen in sports laws globally, intended for use in extraordinary circumstances," Mandaviya said. "It covers situations such as national security threats, diplomatic boycotts, or global emergencies, and is not directed against any particular country. "In practice, decisions regarding sporting engagements with Pakistan have been shaped by broader government policy and security assessments, particularly after major incidents affecting bilateral relations," he added. He cited the absence of bilateral cricket between the two countries since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks as a case in point. "...full senior men's cricket tours to Pakistan have not taken place since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and high-profile matches have often been moved to neutral venues. Such decisions are taken on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs and security agencies. "The Act formalises the government's ability to act decisively and lawfully in such situations, while ensuring that any decision remains consistent with India's commitments under the Olympic Charter and the statutes of relevant international sporting bodies," he said. "This reflects the Modi government's clarity in protecting national interest while upholding global sporting obligations." Speaking about the challenges that he faced during the consultative stage of the bill, Mandaviya said he took it upon himself to clear doubts with extensive presentations for all stakeholders on the nitty-gritties of the document. "The first major challenge was the fragmented legal landscape, with over 350 ongoing sports-related court cases that had stalled governance in many National Sports Federations. "The second challenge was balancing the demand for autonomy, as required under the Olympic Charter and International Federation statutes, with the need for public accountability and transparency," he explained. "The third challenge was addressing the wide variation in operational capacity, professionalism, and resources across different federations and state associations," he said. Mandaviya said consensus was achieved through more than 60 rounds of structured discussions, including plenary meetings, one-on-one engagements, and a Chintan-Shivir with stakeholders such as state sports ministers from all over the country. "I gave an entire day to NSF representatives, an entire day to athletes, coaches. I gave presentations to explain each and every clause of the bill. I explained to them why I think the clauses were needed. I did not impose, I asked for their feedback. "I told them that they should tell me what kind of bill they wanted, what kind of governance they wanted," he said. "Not just that, I also consulted sports lawyers in the High Court and the Supreme Court. All the suggestions were duly taken into consideration. I also went through each and every one of the 600 public suggestions," he added. A prominent name with whom Mandaviya consulted was former sports minister and Congress leader Ajai Maken, who prepared the draft sports bill in 2011 but could not push it beyond cabinet consultation. "In 2013, honourable Ajay Maken ji brought this bill to the cabinet but it could not be passed. It was because the moment the bill mentioned good governance in federations, vested interests within NSFs, especially those with political background, were against coming under any kind of governance scrutiny," he said. Athletes wanted representation Asked about the specific demands put forth by athletes during his interaction with them, Mandaviya said, "They wanted representation. Women athletes wanted representation, they asked where are we? And it was a legitimate question given that women athletes have been doing well consistently." The bill ensures that at least four women and two athletes of outstanding merit will have to be a part of any NSF's Executive Committee, the overall strength of which has been capped at 15. Confident that India's sporting landscape will go through a positive transformation due to the new law, Mandaviya said next on the agenda is a medal strategy to bring India into the list of top five global performers in the next two decades. "In the coming days, we will bring in a sports medal strategy. It would create the roadmap to figure where we should be in five years, next 25 years. What should be the planning for this. "Athlete is a part of society and sports is a people's movement," he said.
Hindustan Times
8 minutes ago
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Washington Sundar avows Stokes' handshake controversy fired up Indian team on England tour: ‘It brings out a lot'
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Indian Express
8 minutes ago
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‘I just want to get runs and a load of wickets consistently in the same games': England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed on comparisons with Steve Smith
With five centuries and 23 wickets in the English County Championships Division Two, Lancashire and England Test all-rounder 20-year-old Rehan Ahmed had broken a number of records in First Class cricket this year. Last month, Ahmed had played a knock of 115 runs and had taken 13 wickets against Derbyshire in an English County Championships match and had become the first English player to have taken 13 wickets and a century in a first class game since Ian Botham achieved the feat in the Jubilee Test in 1980. With comparisons with Australian batsman Steve Smith, who too started as a spinner first and later developed into one of the leading run-scorers in Test cricket for Australia, already doing the rounds, Ahmed believes he cannot stop bowling ever. 'I love bowling, too! Whenever I've played for England, it's been as a bowler. I still do think that's my first skill and I am trying to learn as much as I possibly can. Leg-spin is an art that you can never perfect. It's about working as hard as possible. I want to bowl as much as I possibly can. I enjoy it. I love being part of the game as much as I can. So I just want to get runs and a load of wickets consistently in the same games,' Ahmed told The Telegraph when asked about comparisons with Steve Smith. In 2022, a young Ahmed had become England's youngest Test cricketer at the age of 18 years and 26 days when he made his test debut against Pakistan at Karachi. In 2023, Ahmed became England's youngest player in ODI as well T20I and has so far played in five Tests, six ODIs and 10 T20Is for England. Last year, Ahmed had scored four fifties and has taken 13 wickets in the cCounty Championships for Leicestershire. This year, Ahmed, who turns 21 on Wednesday, has scored a total of 760 runs in ten matches including five centuries with four consecutive centuries and has claimed a total of 23 wickets at an average of 19.00. Ahmed was offered the opener's role in the third game of the championship with regular opener Rishi Patel being injured and the 20-year-old scored only his second First Class hundred in the game against Lancashire. Ahmed would then drop to the number three role and would score four more hundreds in the next seven games of the team apart from shining with the ball. When asked about how he feels about his all-round game, the youngster was quick to admit about how he sees his game. 'I still feel like I'm a bowler who bowls and a batter who bats. I want to be very good at both. Whether that takes me years or happens quickly, I will always be striving to be the best all-rounder I can. I asked for the opportunity to open. I feel I train hard enough on my batting to bat in the top order. When I was batting lower down, I felt like I was always chasing the game. But at three, in your head you have more time to shape the game. I'm not saying I play all that time, but it makes me more relaxed knowing it's there. And also, when you bat at No 3, there are often only about three fielders in front of the bat. It can be easier to get a good start. It's also nice having that responsibility, to take the game on yourself. I feel that if I occupy the crease long enough, I will always find ways to score. I just had to find a way to stay out there long enough. I am surprised that I've kept my head switched on long enough to get five hundreds, but I'm delighted,' shared Ahmed. With Shoaib Bashir getting injured last month during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against India, England team management had called Liam Dawson as Bashir's replacement in the team. With his all-round heroics under his belt, Ahmed shared how he aspires to be part of the England squad for The Ashes. 'I've never been to Australia. Never played there. It looks a great place to play, and the Ashes is an incredible occasion. I'd love to be a part of it. I know the management, if they pick me, they back me 100 percent. If they don't, it's because they don't think I'm the right man for the job there. I have full faith in their judgement. If you asked any man on the street if they wanted to play in the Ashes, they'd jump at the chance. If I don't go, it'll be a great watch,' Ahmed said.
