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NDTV
5 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Gautam Gambhir, BCCI Selectors Criticised For Ignoring Kuldeep Yadav: "I Think People Have Forgotten..."
The fourth India vs England Test is on but there is still no sign of Kuldeep Yadav. Several former players opined that the wrist-spinner would come in handy in England. However, Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill have persisted with Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja for their all-round capabilities. Kapil Pandey, the childhood coach of Kuldeep Yadav, felt hard done by the repeated snubs that Kuldeep has had to endure. 'It is strange that India is using left-arm spinners despite having a wrist spinner in the mix. Look at how Shane Warne fared in the English conditions. England doesn't have an option. They don't have a world-class spinner like Yadav. I feel sad that Bashir played three Tests, but Yadav didn't play one. Our players are getting out to Bashir is more surprising. I think I can also bowl like Bashir (laughs),' Pandey told S portsBoom. 'They flew in pacer Anshul Kamboj from India, and he is playing the match. It can't happen without the recommendation of the coach or captain. I don't have a problem if anybody gets an opportunity, but imagine the pressure of playing in a series-defining match. If he fails to perform, his career will be over.' Pandey added that Kuldeep's record is great. "We have to decide whether we are looking for a batter or a bowler. If he is a bowler, he should play as a bowler, and he is a top performer, who picked 21 wickets against England in only six Tests. And he also has a hundred (117) in the Ranji Trophy, if you are talking about batting. Three years ago, he also had a 40 against Bangladesh in international cricket," he told "I thought he would play all five Tests given his form in the ICC Champions Trophy [seven wickets in five matches], and the Indian Premier League [15 wickets in 14]. He is one rare spin bowler who has two ODI hat-tricks. Suddenly, I think people have forgotten about the champion Kuldeep Yadav. Whenever they have dropped a player, it has been him." "He has to pick a five-for again to reclaim his spot. He went for the tour thinking how he would bowl in the first match at Leeds, but his first match is yet to come. He has been out of the side irrespective of the nature of the track; seam or spin,' said Pandey.

Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Kuldeep Yadav's coach rips into Gambhir, Gill for leading conspiracy theory against spinner: 'His career will be over'
Since making his debut against Australia at Dharamsala in 2017, Kuldeep Yadav has surprisingly played just 13 Tests for India. He averages 22.16 in the format and has taken 56 wickets with four 5-wicket hauls and an economy rate of 3.55. Still, the left-arm wrist spinner fails to find any takers when it comes to breaking into the Indian Test team. For years, Kuldeep found himself behind in the pecking order with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja leading India's spin attack. However, with the retirement of Ashwin last year at the end of the Boxing Day Test against Australia, it was believed that Kuldeep would replace him as India's leading spinner. Still no Kuldeep Yadav in India's Playing XI(Reuters) But alas! Here we are. Four Tests into the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, and Kuldeep is nowhere close to being part of the Playing XI. Watching his disciple getting ignored time and again, Kuldeep's childhood coach, Kapil Pandey, hit out at the team management, sensing foul play. Pandey fails to understand why Kuldeep is left out constantly when every other player gets a chance. "We have to decide whether we are looking for a batter or a bowler. If he is a bowler, he should play as a bowler, and he is a top performer, who picked 21 wickets against England in only six Tests. And he also has a hundred (117) in the Ranji Trophy, if you are talking about batting. Three years ago, he also had a 40 against Bangladesh in international cricket," he told SportsBoom. "I thought he would play all five Tests given his form in the ICC Champions Trophy [seven wickets in five matches], and the Indian Premier League [15 wickets in 14]. He is one rare spin bowler who has two ODI hat-tricks. Suddenly, I think people have forgotten about the champion Kuldeep Yadav. Whenever they have dropped a player, it has been him." Kuldeep needs to send a reminder, says Pandey Kuldeep Yadav could have been the X-factor for India in the fourth Test against England at Manchester. However, with India trailing 1-2 in the series, the team chose a cautious approach, sticking with the Jadeja-Washington Sundar combination for their batting contributions. Pandey expressed disappointment that Kuldeep, 30, despite a strong record against England, was sidelined for four consecutive Tests, while highlighting the spinner's dedication and hard work in preparing for the England tour. "He has to pick a five-for again to reclaim his spot. He went for the tour thinking how he would bowl in the first match at Leeds, but his first match is yet to come. He has been out of the side irrespective of the nature of the track; seam or spin," said Pandey. "He has to understand that he is playing for the country, and not every cricketer gets that opportunity. He has to stay positive because this series won't be there after a few days, and a new series will come. He will get his chances, and he has to remind people how he bowled Babar Azam in the World Cup in 2019 and caught Kane Williamson off his bowling in the Champions Trophy final this year." If Shoaib Bashir can play, why can't Kuldeep Yadav? Pandey is baffled by Kuldeep Yadav's continued exclusion from the Indian Test squad, especially when newer players like Sai Sudharsan and Anshul Kamboj have been given Test debuts in the ongoing series. Despite Kuldeep's proven ability, he consistently finds himself overlooked. Pandey took aim at head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill, strongly suggesting a bias against his former student. Pandey is amazed at how India is reluctant to try out Kuldeep, whereas England have constantly backed Shoaib Bashir. "It is strange that India is using left-arm spinners despite having a wrist spinner in the mix. Look at how Shane Warne fared in the English conditions. England doesn't have an option. They don't have a world-class spinner like Yadav. I feel sad that Bashir played three Tests, but Yadav didn't play one. Our players are getting out to Bashir is more surprising. I think I can also bowl like Bashir (laughs)," said Pandey. "They flew in pacer Anshul Kamboj from India, and he is playing the match. It can't happen without the recommendation of the coach or captain. I don't have a problem if anybody gets an opportunity, but imagine the pressure of playing in a series-defining match. If he fails to perform, his career will be over."


Indian Express
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Gill is trying to copy Virat Kohli,' ‘Not happy with the language & words used': Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwary bashes Shubman
New India Test captain continues to receive flak on his aggressive approach, which was shown during the third Test against England at Lord's, where things got heated between him and English opener Zak Crawley. On the evening of Day 3, tempers rose when Crawley tried to run down the clock. Gill, usually a calm one on the field, was seen furious at Crawley's tactics and had a heated exchange with him. Former Indian player Manoj Tiwary joins the long list of critics and said Gill is trying to copy Virat Kohli, which is not helping his batting. 'I don't like the way captain Gill is going about things. I think he is trying to copy what Virat did last time. And as a result, it is not helping his batting,' said Tiwary as quoted by SportsBoom. 'Ever since he became a captain in the IPL, I have noticed that he is getting into an aggressive mindset, and having animated chats with umpires. It was unlike Gill. He doesn't need to show that kind of aggression, and doesn't have to prove anything,' he added. Former Bengal captain feels Gill can be aggressive without giving it back verbally. 'I know a captain should lead from the front, but this much aggression is not required. It takes your energy away. He can stick to his style of being aggressive. It doesn't mean that you have to always give it back verbally. Aggression can also be shown by winning Test matches,' he said. 'India could have easily led the series 2-1. Such aggression is not good for the game, especially from the captain of the Indian cricket team,' Tiwary added. Tiwary seemed upset to hear the language that was used in the heat of the moment. 'I am not happy with the language and words that are coming in the audio when they are near the stumps. You are representing the Indian cricket team. I think this has become a trend, as previous captains have probably used such words to express their anger, but this needs to be controlled. If you use slang, the next generation will pick it up,' he said.


Daily Mirror
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gary Anderson slams 'boring' new age of darts players and begs old rival to return
Gary Anderson admits he longs for rivals like Phil Taylor to return to the darts circuit as he opened up on the new generation, labelling them boring and claiming they're not as good as they think they are Gary Anderson has taken aim at the new generation of darts stars and claimed that they are "boring, absolutely boring" as he longed for the "good old days" to come back. The Flying Scotsman made his feelings known during the opening round of the World Matchplay as he hailed the sport's environment back when the likes of Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis were among the top guns. Anderson revealed how, despite being rivals on the oche, the players on tour would socialise with each other. Nowadays, in an era where social media has taken over, the young generation who are now competing with the veterans have little interest in having a chat with Anderson claiming they're "too busy looking at their phones". Anderson, who won his first round match in the World Matchplay as he dispatched of Luke Woodhouse, admitted that the youngsters have taken centre stage but was keen to take them down a peg or two. He told SportsBoom: 'The good old days, that's when darts players were darts players. Me, Lewis, Taylor, Kevin [Painter], we used to sit and have a crack and a laugh. Aidy Lewis was brilliant, and I wish he comes back. I do miss him. 'Nowadays nobody talks to anybody. You don't have a good laugh; you don't have a bit of banter. The youngsters are boring, absolutely boring. You talk to them, they're too busy looking at their phones. "These youngsters, they're here to do a job. They've got to the stage now that they've realised, they've got a great chance in life to make a lot of bloody money and boost themselves. "But they need to calm down and think this is my job and that's it. They're good but they aren't that good. That's what you've got to remember.' Littler's rivals have commented on how the sport's sensation conducts himself behind the scenes. The Nuke makes no secret of the fact he loves his gaming, which is a major interest when he's not competing. Stephen Bunting previously told The Express: 'We see him week in week out on the Pro Tour. He's literally sat there on his phone, he'll be watching Manchester United play, or he'll be playing a game." It doesn't appear to be impacting the teenager though as he averaged over a ton during his round one battering of Ryan Searle in Blackpool. Littler cruised into the second round by virtue of a 10-2 victory over Searle, landing his first-ever win at the Winter Gardens in the process. Top seed and last year's winner Luke Humphries was the shock exit of round one. Gian van Veen pulled off a shock to dump out the reigning champion with a 10-8 victory on the opening night. Humphries ended the match with just a 29 per cent success rate on the doubles and 20 doubles missed.

The Herald
14-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Test cricket is the pinnacle — Brevis
For any youngster coming up in the pipeline, donning the Proteas Test baggy green is a dream which fuels their ambitions. For 22-year-old batting prodigy Dewald Brevis, that dream became a reality in Bulawayo in June when the explosive batter played in his debut Test at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. He went on to score an attacking half-century in his first Test innings as he made light work of the Blessing Muzarabani Zimbabwe bowling attack. He was fearless in his shot selection and execution, accessing every corner of the field at will as though he were not on debut. In an exclusive interview with the day after the Proteas sealed a 2-0 series win over Zimbabwe, Brevis opened up for the first time about his Test debut. 'I must say it was very special,' he said. 'Obviously, the half century on debut was really special. 'But for me, to win a series like my first one that I'm a part of, well, in the playing 11, I was a part of the squad in Bangladesh, we won there as well. So that was special. 'But to play and to be a part of this series, especially in your first Test series, it's special. 'I wouldn't have wanted anything else. 'The team played very well, it was a fun few days, and I really enjoyed every moment out there. 'I just realised how special this format is to play in, and it is the pinnacle. 'My special moment would have been when I received the baggie. 'It's still here next to me on my desk in my room. So, I look at it every now and then. 'But it's special. It's a dream come true. 'And I'm glad to be a part of it and can't wait for what the future holds. 'I think definitely I always knew, and I've always had the ambition to play Test cricket. 'It's always been very close to my heart and something that I want. 'What I want to do is play Test cricket. So, I think it will always remain very special for me.' The youngster's half century on debut in the first Test would be the only time he went past the 50-run mark in the two-match series as the Zimbabwe bowling attack got the better of him. With that in mind, Brevis embraces that he still has a lot to learn and is motivated to keep honing his red-ball skills with the hopes of breaking into the full-strength Proteas Test team. 'I think it's very important to always know that there's always room to improve. 'You always learn, no matter how old you are, how long you've played. 'That's the beauty of cricket — you can always get better. 'That's what I always strive for. So, I've learnt a lot in this. 'The key thing for me is I really enjoyed it. 'For me, the main thing is I want to just be the original Dewald who plays, and sometimes you need a tiny bit of patience to really succeed in your own way. 'I know every time I've been out there, maybe there's a few small little errors, but I've played how I need to play and how I want to play, but I can, and I know I'll only become better the more I play and the more you have a feel for it. 'But it was very special, and I really enjoyed every moment.' —