Author: Soorya G

Former member of the ICC Elite Umpire Panel Asad Rauf had a go at compatriot and former Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal over the latter’s claim of the ICC’s bias against Pakistani players. Ajmal created somewhat of a controversy after he suggested that his ban from international cricket was primarily due to the ICC having a propensity to sideline Pakistan players at the slightest opportunity. His action was deemed illegal in 2014, following which the spinner’s career took a massive nosedive.  Rauf was bemused at Ajmal’s remarks and disclosed that Saeed had, in fact, bowled 63 deliveries against Sri Lanka that were deemed illegal. He…

Veteran Spanish coach Ernesto Valverde has made a return to coaching, as he was unveiled as Athletic Bilbao’s new coach on June 30. The Spaniard is Bilbao’s longest-serving coach, having managed a club record 306 games for the club, in his two previous stints at the club, between 2003-2005 and 2013-2017. Valverde’s return was one of the promises made by then-presidential contender Jon Uriarte prior to the elections. Valverde has a wealth of experience in managing clubs at the top level, having previously been with Valencia, Olympiakos, Villareal, and Espanyol, before joining Barcelona in 2017. He was hugely successful for the Blaugrana, finishing the 2017/18 La…

Flamboyant batsman and Indian white-ball squad vice-captain KL Rahul has begun his journey of recovery after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia. The Karnataka man went under the knife in Germany, and it is being reported that the procedure was successfully completed. However, the injury is a rather tricky one, and the rehabilitation process is expected to be slow. Typically, recovery from hernia surgery takes between six and 12 weeks, and as a result, Rahul will miss a major chunk of action over the next two or three months. The Indian side will hope that Rahul will be able to…

Stalwart former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has suggested that recently appointed Indian all-format skipper Rohit Sharma could be relieved of his responsibilities as T20I captain. Sehwag feels that the lighter workload will allow the six-time Indian Premier League champion to prolong his career and reduce the load on his body. Rohit has not been able to consistently feature in all of India’s games after taking charge of all three sides, with injuries and workload management taking him out of action. The Mumbai Indians skipper is also likely to be ruled out of the final Test match of the England series,…

Newly appointed Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has reportedly ordered his players to return to training immediately as the pre-season campaign approaches. The Dutchman is also said to have placed some additional demands, instructing the groundsmen to trim the grass to about 15mm, as he aims to work on the team’s passing, a key element of his style. Ten Hag’s teams are known to play a particularly eye-catching style of football, inspired by Pep Guardiola’s approach to the game, as his side typically employs a high-possession based strategy with an intricate passing element to it.  Credit: Getty Images However, the United…

Brazil and Leeds United winger Raphinha is in high demand as Arsenal have prioritised his signature after securing the services of playmaker Fabio Vieira from Porto FC and young winger Marquinhos from Sao Paulo.  The Gunners are also believed to have completed the signing of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City for a fee of about 45 million euros as Mikel Arteta’s side sees a massive influx of players this summer window. However, other top clubs are also interested in Raphinha, with Catalan giants Barcelona as well as Chelsea and Tottenham eyeing the player.  The Blaugrana, however, looks like an unlikely destination for Raphinha at the moment. The Spanish heavyweights are in the…

The T20 world champions laboured to a tense victory against a gritty Sri Lankan side at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo to gain a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match T20I series between the two sides. Wanindu Hasaranga’s brilliant individual performance, however, will be a positive takeaway for the Sri Lankans despite their inability to close out the game after putting the opposition in trouble. For the men from Down Under, it was Matthew Wade who again proved to be the difference in yet another tight game. Australia, who were without ace speedster Mitchell Starc, won the toss and decided to put the hosts…

Skipper Babar Azam led Pakistan to a victory in the first ODI against the West Indies, scoring a classy century to take his side home. The hosts faced a tough challenge from the Windies, who fought till the very end. Shai Hope brought up his 12th ODI century as Windies racked up 305 on the board at Multan. The wicket-keeper also got to 4000 runs in One-Day Internationals in the process, at an average in excess of 50. However, Hope’s century went in vain as Pakistan were able to chase the total down, thanks to Azam’s century and a blitzkrieg from Khushdil Shah.  https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1534615762605858820 Fifties from Imam…

Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been reappointed as the captain of the Test match side after Mominul Haque recently stepped down as skipper following a poor run of form. The latter decided to concentrate on his batting and therefore made a choice to give up captaincy. Wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das has been named vice-captain. Mominul was appointed the team’s captain in 2019 after Shakib was suspended by the International Cricket Council for failing to report corruption allegations. In 17 games, The 30-year-old led his team to three Test victories, two draws, and 12 defeats. Credit: Getty Images Shakib has led the squad to…

Former West Indies captain and veteran batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan has announced his decision to resign from his role as selector of the men’s senior and junior panels in the West Indies Cricket Board with immediate effect. The decision comes barely a few months into his term, which was to run until 2024. There was no explanation given as to Sarwan’s resignation, with the veteran – who originally took up the role in January – citing personal reasons. Credit; Flickr / @BrooksLaTouche Former leg-spinner Robert Haynes will serve in the interim as senior panel selector in addition to his role in the junior…