Latest news with #NationalCricketAcademy
NDTV
14 hours ago
- Sport
- NDTV
PCB Takes Massive Step For Centrally-Contracted Cricketers: "Mandatory..."
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday made it mandatory for all centrally-contracted and international players to play at least one domestic event during the season when free from national commitments. The PCB felt that the only way to improve the quality of players was to make the domestic structure more competitive. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who chaired the meeting, said it would allow domestic players and youngsters to play alongside international players and share dressing room with them. "It will benefit the domestic players in the long run and be prepared for what to expect at the International level," he said. The meeting was attended by national team's new white-ball head coach, Mike Hesson, Salman Ali Agha, the captain of the T20 side, Usman Wahla, the head of international cricket affairs and Aaqib Javed the Director National Cricket Academy. The PCB also decided to start work on issuance of new central contracts for 2025-26 and meet the July 30 deadline, having missed it in last two years. The PCB last year introduced new first class, ODI and T20 competitions known as the Champions Cup and even hired five mentors for all five teams at hefty salaries but decided to scrap the Champions Cup for the coming domestic season. Usman Wahla also confirmed the international commitments for the next six months including home series against South Africa and Sri Lanka and tours to West Indies and Bangladesh. Listen to the latest songs, only on
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Hardik Pandya's ultimate praise for Bumrah after smashing yorker breaks GT's heart: ‘It's like Mumbai housing prices'
Jasprit Bumrah proved once again why he is considered to be a cheat code in every format of the game he plays. The ace speedster was exceptional in Mumbai Indians defending 228 against Gujarat Titans in the Eliminator of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season on Friday. In a match where 436 runs were scored between both teams, Bumrah walked away with the figures of 1/27 from his quota of four overs. After the win in the Eliminator in Mullanpur, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya heaped praise on Bumrah, saying having a bowler of his calibre is a luxury for any captain. At one stage, Gujarat Titans were running away with the game with Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar going all guns blazing. Jasprit Bumrah was then brought into the attack in the 14th over as Mumbai Indians searched for a wicket. The pacer did not disappoint as he rattled the stumps of Sundar (48) with a pitch-perfect yorker. Sai Sudharsan lost his wicket soon after and as a result, Gujarat Titans stumbled to a 20-run loss. Speaking with the host broadcaster at the post-match presentation, Hardik said, 'It's very simple. Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him Bumrah. When you have that, it's a luxury. It's like Mumbai housing prices - he's that expensive.' 'I was just watching the scoreboard, and I thought if we can keep extra runs at the end, I had the bowlers to bowl it. It was important that Jassi came and bowled that over so that the margin became longer (the 18th over),' he added. Bumrah missed the initial few matches of the IPL 2025 season due to a back spasm. However, upon receiving the clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bumrah joined the squad, and the team have not looked back ever since. In the Eliminator, Mumbai Indians won the toss and opted to bat first. Rohit Sharma and Jonny Bairstow played knocks of 81 and 47, respectively, as Mumbai Indians posted 228 runs on the board. Speaking about Rohit Sharma's knock, Hardik Pandya said, 'The way Ro batted. He took his time and once he got into rhythm, it was beautiful.' Sai Sudharsan (80) and Washington Sundar (48) tried their best to take Gujarat over the line but in the end, the task proved too much to achieve. 'At one point in time, the game was even-stevens. I thought the wicket got better in the second innings. It started to come on well, they got into a rhythm, and we realised we need to hold our nerves and back our boys,' said Hardik. 'The way Jonny batted and started.. for him to make his debut for us, it's a special franchise, coming in and playing the way he played,' he added. Mumbai Indians will now take on Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, June 3.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
T Dilip reinstated as fielding coach; Shubman Gill could miss second warm-up
A month after the Indian cricket board (BCCI) sacked him as part of a support staff rejig, it has reinstated T Dilip as the fielding coach for India five-Test tour to England starting next month. Dilip, most famous for handing out medals to the best fielder of the match during the T20 World Cup last year, was given a one-year contract. The BCCI was looking for a foreign fielding coach but they couldn't find a suitable candidate. 'We have decided to reappoint Dilip for a year and he will be travelling with the Indian team for England. His contract so far is for one year,' a source in the Indian board confirmed. A long-time staff at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, he has worked closely with cricketers such as Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal among the current crop, apart from the previous batches. Ravi Ashwin, the retired off-spinner, once called him a celebrity coach, and hailed him for improving India's slip catching. 'Close-in catching, in places like short-leg, is a very difficult thing. You don't get good fielders like this. Jaiswal himself volunteers and stands up. He also does head-to-head work. So, all in all, we didn't get to see Dilip sir's name not getting mentioned more prominently,' he said. It would be a decisive aspect in England too, where slip catchers could expect a lot of nicks, and their tasks would be complicated by the breeze. Dilip, who was part of the NCA set up after being an understudy of Mike Young, the fielding coach of the now defunct Deccan Chargers, joined the team towards the end of the 2021, during the T20 World Cup as part of Rahul Dravid's support staff. After Dravid and his group's tenure ended after the T20 World Cup last year, only he was given an extension till March 2025. The Indian team will be flying with coach Gautam Gambhir, fielding coach Dilip, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, bowling coach Morne Morkel and assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate. Meanwhile, the Indian team management has asked Ten Doeschate to fly to England and assist the India A side. Nine players of India A, coached by former batsman Hrishikesh Kanitkar, are part of the Indian Test team, and will look to get acclimated to the conditions before the first Test on June 20 at Leeds. India's new Test captain Shubman Gill is likely to miss the second warm-up game at Northampton, which will be played on June 6. Gill is currently leading Gujarat Titans for IPL which has qualified for the qualifiers. The final is scheduled on June 3, and if his team qualifies, it could be a scramble to reach England in two days' time. So the team management has decided to give him some rest before the 46-day tour starts.
Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Mohammad Wasim Jr likely to miss Bangladesh series due to injury
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Wasim Jr is likely to miss the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh due to an injury. Wasim Jr was named in Pakistan's T20I squad for the home series against Bangladesh; however, according to sources, he is yet to recover from the injury he sustained during the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL). Medical staff have advised him to rest for a week, the sources added. Furthermore, the right-arm pacer is expected to undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The three-match T20I series will begin on Wednesday, May 28, with the second and third matches scheduled on May 30 and June 1. All matches will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20Is: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub.
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Athlete who aced the Test
A middling start, an incandescent middle stage and a slow decline define Virat Kohli's Test career. Still, his retirement from cricket's longest format seems a touch drastic. Kohli's goodbye note on Instagram that came close on the heels of Rohit Sharma's exit marks a seismic change in the Indian squad. Walking in at number four, a slot that the great Sachin Tendulkar made his own, Kohli lent the spot his unique aura and energy. There were no nerves while the Delhi lad slipped into the Mumbaikar's shoes. At one point, Tendulkar's twilight and Kohli's beginning ran parallel and it was evident that a hallowed baton was being passed. Kohli has impressive numbers in cricket's longest format as 9230 runs and 30 hundreds signify. Yet an average of 46.85 also points towards a bit of an underachievement, considering his enormous skill. He leaves as India's fourth-highest run-getter in Tests after Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar, and it is a rarefied club. Among his international peers, be it Joe Root, Steve Smith or Kane Williamson, Kohli held his corner. At one point, he was on par in terms of runs, hundreds and average. And as a box-office draw, he got the crowds. This is an intangible which cannot be entirely measured, but Kohli had an effect on fans the world over. He emptied out bars, stirred debates. Yet, the fact that he played relentlessly across formats, besides the Indian Premier League (IPL) in summer, meant that he hardly had time off to sort out a technical glitch or a sore muscle. Inexorably from among this Fab Four, his returns began to dwindle. Visible traits With Kohli, his strong personality, aggressive playing style and the dominance across formats, all combined to yield a brand equity that made the world sit up and take notice. It is no surprise that a business daily has analysed his marketability and financial leverage once he announced his retirement from Tests. His visible traits are a passionate embrace of the sport and the resultant sheer energy he bequeaths. There is never a dull moment when Kohli is on the ground. The stride towards the batting crease is quick as he twitches the bat, flexes his shoulders and takes strike. Be it defending or attacking, there was a certainty to his shot-making. That was the case largely through his career until the final stretch, when an over-eagerness to play almost every delivery around the off-stump made him vulnerable to the quicker bowlers. If this was a frailty that crept in late, there is no mistaking the quiet strength residing within him. In his nascent years with the Delhi team, he lost his father during a key Ranji game against Karnataka, but still turned up and dished out a crucial knock. As the India Under-19 captain, in a chat at Bengaluru's National Cricket Academy, he came across as being self-aware and confident. But as it happens in that transition from under-19 to the senior India colours, Kohli lost his way a bit. A restlessness was evident and even as he was smooth in ODIs and Twenty20Is, it took a while for him to settle into Tests. Man in the mirror There was a moment at a fancy hotel in Bengaluru once where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team was staying. An interaction with Kohli was organised, and he, a young Turk back then, spoke with disarming candour. This was all about addressing the man in the mirror. He spoke about losing his way, taking a few things for granted, not focusing enough on the game or watching what he ate; and then he turned things around. He made a choice to train hard, monitor his diet and be the best he can be on a cricket field. Truth be told, Kohli maintained that intensity all through his Test career stretching from 2011 to the latest final pause. Form may wane, technical flaws can crop up and it is an issue often triggered by age and slowing reflexes and yet, he battled against time. The gym sessions lengthened, the time at nets was doubled and fielding drills were followed with exactitude and exuberance. This was a star not willing to vanish, this was a warrior ever keen for battle. Even during his last Test series, the one in Australia which concluded this January, Kohli gave it his all. A hundred at Perth in the first Test seemed to be a hint of a second wind, but it eventually became a false dawn, and he slowly petered out. However, in all the grand sporting theatres in Australia, be it the Melbourne Cricket Ground or the Sydney Cricket Ground, crowds applauded him. Many Australians felt that among all visiting players, he was the most Australian in spirit — tough as nails, abrasive at times, and always in the thick of action. At times, lines would be crossed like he did with young Sam Konstas and it made for some ugly viewing, but that is how Kohli is. Much like Steve Waugh, who wanted the close-in fielders to sledge him, Kohli preferred some hard words just to get fired up. It was in Australia during the 2011-12 tour that Kohli came into his own, and when he toured Down Under in the 2014-15 season, he struck four hundreds in that series. Kohli, batter supreme, had found his mark and there was no looking back till he eased past his thirties. The cover-drives and pulls were from the top-drawer. If the drought towards the end, evident in just three hundreds in his last 20 Tests, was hard to watch, his storied career earlier had a slump and an equally riveting comeback. During the 2014 tour of England, James Anderson was having Kohli for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Perhaps there was a denial within the Indian batter as at nets, he would often fine-tune his slog-sweep against spin. Just that before spinner Moeen Ali could turn his arm over, Kohli would be back in the hut with Anderson having the last laugh. Dominating Anderson When Kohli got back to Old Blighty in 2018, he was in a rarefied zone. Anderson was negated, runs flowed, two hundreds were etched and an old bogey was discarded. It was this same can-do spirit that equally defined Kohli the skipper. With 40 triumphs in 68 Tests, he is statistically India's greatest captain in the long format. There was the queasy rumble with Anil Kumble as coach, but subsequently, Kohli forged a bond with Ravi Shastri. As personality types, they were similar and India was on the ascendant, being number one in Tests. The away series win in Australia in the 2018-19 season was a crowning glory for Kohli. And just like the assumed Aussie spirit within him, he goes away in an unsentimental way. 10000 Test runs could have been his as even at 36, Kohli's excellent fitness would have yielded him another few seasons. But in walking away, Kohli showed that he is his own man, while fans would still see him in ODIs and in the IPL. Kohli, the batter, sharp fielder and eternal cheerleader of crowds, will be missed in Tests. He was evangelical about cricket's purest version. He remains one of a kind.
