Tag: BCCI

  • Indian cricket board official makes false accusation, says PM Khan involved in match-fixing, deletes tweet later

    Indian cricket board official makes false accusation, says PM Khan involved in match-fixing, deletes tweet later

    Vice-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Rajeev Shukla yesterday responded to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s tweet about the current political situation of Pakistan.

    Congratulating Pakistan Captain Baber Azam for his performance in the second Test match against Australia, PM Khan hinted at horse-trading by the Opposition parties in his tweet. “Unfortunately I could not watch this match as I am fighting on another front against match fixing where huge amounts of money are being used to lure my players!”

    However, Rajeev Shukla misunderstood Imran Khan’s tweet and wrote, “ICC anti-corruption should take cognisance of this statement and coming from a prime minister who was also a legend cricketer.”

    Shukla also tagged International Cricket Council (ICC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the tweet.

    Rajeev, after receiving many comments pointing out that PM Khan’s tweet was about the current political situation in Pakistan, deleted his tweet and said that he was “being sarcastic”.

    “I was also being sarcastic on Imran Khan tweet of political match-fixing on the eve of Holi which is known for humour and colours. Bura na mano holi hai,” wrote Shukla.

    However, Twitter users are not buying Shukla’s explanation.

  • ‘It will generate revenue’: Ravi Shastri calls for legalisation of sports betting in India

    ‘It will generate revenue’: Ravi Shastri calls for legalisation of sports betting in India

    Former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri has said that he is all for legalising sports betting in India and it is time that the country catches up to an excellent way of generating revenue, which will only help the authorities to keep a control on it in official ways.

    Sports betting is illegal in India as of now. As per reports, in 2018, the Law Commission of India had recommended the legalisation of regulated betting and gambling activities in sports. It has also been said that the efforts of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are “ineffective and insufficient to tackle the menace of illegal and underground betting”.

    Titled as ‘Legal Framework: Gambling and Sports Betting Including in Cricket in India’, the report stated: “Incapability to enforce a complete ban has resulted in a rampant increase in illegal gambling, resulting in a boom in black-money generation and circulation. Since it is not possible to prevent these activities completely, effectively regulating them remains the only viable option.”

    The Law Commission also recommended classifying gambling into two categories, namely ‘proper gambling’ and ‘small gambling’.

    While in conversation with an Indian media outlet Indian Express, Ravi Shastri was asked whether he will be in favor of or against if sports betting was legalised in India. The former Indian team head coach said that he would be in favour of legalising betting on sports.

    He said that other countries were benefitting from it tax-wise and it would generate tremendous income for the government. He also asserted that the more the authorities tried to curb it or stop it, the more betting will rise through alternate channels, hence it was better to earn from it by legalising it in a proper way.

    “I think it will generate tremendous revenue for the government. Tax-wise, it’s the way of the world at the moment. The more you try to shut it down, the more it will be in your face through alternate channels. I think it’s extremely important that it should be legalised in a proper way and it’s a good platform for things to be done officially and properly,” Shastri stated.

    Meanwhile, he called the BCCI the most efficient cricket board in the world in the last 40 years and lauded the politicians for running the Indian cricket board and doing an excellent job in administering cricket in India.

  • Sourav Ganguly says he likes Virat Kohli’s attitude but ‘he fights a lot’

    Sourav Ganguly says he likes Virat Kohli’s attitude but ‘he fights a lot’

    Former Indian cricketer and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly has said that he is a huge admirer of Virat Kohli’s attitude, however, he expressed unhappiness with the crickter’s tendency to pick up fights with everyone.

    Read More – Rohit Sharma replaces Virat Kohli as India’s ODI captain, to take over from South Africa series

    Ganguly made the comments in an event in Gurgaon while answering which player has the best attitude according to him. “I like Virat Kohli’s attitude but he fights a lot,” said the BCCI president.

    Both the Indian cricketing giants left the fans confused after Kohli contradicted Ganguly’s statements regarding captaincy shuffle.

    Kohli, while addressing a press conference ahead of India’s tour to South Africa, claimed that he wasn’t asked to continue to lead the side in the shorter format. However, days before the presser, the BCCI president said in an interview that he personally approached Kohli to remain at the helm in T20Is.

    In the same presser, India’s Test captain also put an end to the speculations of a rift between him and senior batter Rohit Sharma, stating he has been doing the same for the past two years and urged people to look beyond it.

    Ganguly was also asked about how to manage stress, to which the former India captain had a very sarcastic answer. “There is no stress in life. Only wife and girlfriend give stress,” he said.

    Meanwhile, after Kohli’s explosive presser, the BCCI president refused to comment much about it and asserted that the BCCI will deal with it.

    Kohli and his unit are currently in South Africa where they will play a three-match Test series starting from December 26.

  • Rohit Sharma replaces Virat Kohli as India’s ODI captain, to take over from South Africa series

    Rohit Sharma replaces Virat Kohli as India’s ODI captain, to take over from South Africa series

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named Rohit Sharma as the new ODI captain of the Indian cricket team. He will take over from his predecessor Virat Kohli starting the three-ODI series against South Africa in January 2022.

    Read More – Video: Ravi Shastri saying goodbye to Indian cricketers, Kohli goes viral

    BCCI tweeted: “The All-India Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Mr Rohit Sharma as the Captain of the ODI & T20I teams going forward.”

    The announcement comes on the day the Indian board announced India’s squad for the three Test series starting December 26. Several floating reports in the media suggested that the change in guard was inevitable, before the board decided to end the suspense with a tweet. With it, Kohli’s near five-year-long limited-overs captaincy tenure has come to an end.

    Rohit, who took over as India’s T20I skipper after the T20 World Cup, led in the recently-concluded three T20I series against New Zealand, which the home team comfortably won 3-0. With Kohli already stepping down as India’s T20I captain, it was only a matter of time before Rohit took over as the team’s limited-overs captain. He was also promoted as India’s vice-captain in Tests, the deputy to Kohli, taking over from an out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane.

    Rohit has led India in 10 ODIs, out of which the team won eight. The biggest achievement of Rohit’s ODI captaincy came in 2018, when in Kohli’s absence, India won the Asia Cup in the UAE, beating Bangladesh in the final. The team won all its league matches, barring a thrilling tie against Afghanistan.

  • ‘ICC a politicised body, we need to reduce our dependence on it’: Ramiz Raja

    ‘ICC a politicised body, we need to reduce our dependence on it’: Ramiz Raja

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja has disclosed that 50 per cent of the board’s budget is based around the funds it gets from the International Cricket Council (ICC) whose “revenues are generated mainly from India”.

    Appearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial affairs on Thursday in Islamabad, Ramiz said it was time for PCB to reduce its dependence on funding from the ICC and start tapping the local market.

    “ICC is a politicised body divided between the Asian and Western blocs and 90 per cent of its revenues are generated from India,” the PCB Chairman said.

    Ramiz said the ICC had become more of an event management company and PCB would have to make its voice heard if it does not want a repeat of the cancellation of confirmed series by New Zealand and England.

    What New Zealand did was unacceptable because till now they have not shared any information with us on what led them to abandon the series in Pakistan. But they are now trying to reschedule the series, he said.

    Ramiz hinted of some good news regarding the postponed New Zealand series in a week’s time.

    He indicated that the New Zealand cricket board was working on a new schedule to tour Pakistan.

    Read More – Ramiz Raja ‘erroneously’ tweets about ECB chairman’s resignation, deletes later

    Senator Raza Rabbani suggested that Pakistan should now not play against New Zealand and refuse any series but Ramiz pointed out that this would not be possible as Pakistan was part of the international cricket community.

    The good thing is that they are working on something, which means they want to amend things with us, he said.

    The New Zealand cricket team had arrived in Pakistan on September 11 for the first time in 18 years to play three ODIs and five Twenty20 Internationals but left on September 19 without playing any match after their government and security agencies advised them to return home citing “security concerns”.

    Ramiz, in a candid briefing to the senators, also made it clear that he would unveil his plans for Pakistan cricket and the board in a week or 10-days’ time while in four weeks’ time he would have his team ready.

    Read More – New Zealand cricket chief open to rescheduling of abandoned Pakistan series

    “To me, it is simple if the national team cannot do well and win matches, it means that everyone in the board from the tea man to the top official have failed in their duties,” he said.

  • New Zealand to tour India for T20, Test series after abandoning Pakistan tour

    New Zealand to tour India for T20, Test series after abandoning Pakistan tour

    New Zealand will be visiting India in November to play three Twenty20 Internationals and two Test matches, two months after abandoning their tour of Pakistan over “safety concerns”.

    The series against New Zealand will kickstart India’s 2021-22 home season, which includes four Tests, three one-days and 14 T20Is, the Indian cricket board said in a statement on Monday.

    In a move that disappointed cricket analysts and enthusiasts, New Zealand called off their limited-overs tour of Pakistan minutes before the opening fixture in Rawalpindi on Friday following a security alert from their government.

    India could not host the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL) or the T20World Cup because of the Covid-19 surge in the country this year.

    Both tournaments have been shifted to the United Arab Emirates, with Oman also hosting some T20 World Cup matches.

    West Indies will arrive in India in February to play six limited-overs matches, followed by Sri Lanka who will face their hosts in two Tests and three T20 matches.

    South Africa will tour India in June to play six T20 matches.

    Meanwhile, after New Zealand, England also cancelled their men and women teams’ tour to Pakistan.

  • England vs India Test match cancelled due to Covid-19 cases in Indian team

    England vs India Test match cancelled due to Covid-19 cases in Indian team

    Following ongoing conversations with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that the fifth Test between England and India has been cancelled.

    The ECB, on Friday September 10, in a statement mentioned: “Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth Test between England and India Men due to start today at Old Trafford, will be cancelled.”

    “Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team.”

    “We send our sincere apologies to fans and partners for this news, which we know will cause immense disappointment and inconvenience to many,” the statement added.

    The development comes on the back of intense discussions between the BCCI and the ECB after India’s assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar returned a positive Covid-19 test on Wednesday. Later head coach of Indian team Ravi Shastri tested positive.

    While three members of the contingent – Patel, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar – were identified as immediate contacts of Shastri, it was far more difficult to determine who the close contacts of Parmar were, considering he was treating a wider group of players. This included Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. These players have been mingling among the wider group, which has made identifying close contacts even more complicated.

    Meanwhile, as per ESPN cricinfo, the series result would be determined by the ICC match referee Chris Broad based on whether the ECB accepts India’s fears of a larger outbreak in their camp as “acceptable non-compliance” as per the WTC playing conditions. If the ECB does accept it, India will win the series 2-1. But if it doesn’t, and instead challenges that outcome, the matter will go to the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee. Currently India have pocketed 26 WTC points from the series while England have 14 out of the available 48 points.

  • Herschelle Gibbs defies BCCI, will come to Pakistan

    Herschelle Gibbs defies BCCI, will come to Pakistan

    President Kashmir Premier League (KPL) Arif Malik on Monday said that former South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs is coming to Pakistan despite threats from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), reports Geo News.

    Malik said that India should understand that players are coming to play cricket in the KPL, adding that this is not politics.

    “Herschelle Gibbs is coming to Pakistan despite threats [from the BCCI],” he said, adding that India also stopped international commentators from participating in the KPL and that the league is trying to bring in more foreign players for the tournament.

    He hoped the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not block players’ NOC for the tournament.

    The KPL chief said people in Indian Occupied Kashmir are also excited about the tournament and said that the league is working to ensure they can also catch the action live on TV.

    Meanwhile, England’s veteran spinner Monty Panesar has excused himself from participating in the league.

    Taking to Twitter, Panesar confirmed that he has decided not to participate in the KPL. The former left-arm spinner feared he would have to face grave consequences if he participates in KPL.

    Earlier on July 31, South African cricketer Herschelle had slammed the BCCI for threatening players and stopping them from playing in the KPL.

  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be held in UAE, Oman

    ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be held in UAE, Oman

    ICC has officially announced that Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 is to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.

    The cricket governing body announced the news on their social media accounts.

    Earlier, it was reported that the T20 WC 2021 is set to begin from October 17 in the UAE, with the final for the 16-team tournament scheduled for November 14. The tournament will start days after the Indian Premier League (IPL) final, which is likely to be held on October 15.

    As per details, the venue for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has been shifted to the UAE and Oman, with the tournament set to run from October 17 to November 14.

    The tournament was originally set to be staged in India, but had to be shifted given the deadly second wave of Covid-19 there.

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will remain the hosts of the event, which will now be held across four venues – Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.

    The first round of the tournament, comprising eight qualifying teams, will now be split between Oman and the UAE. Four of these teams will then progress to the Super 12s round where they will join the eight automatic qualifiers.

    “The BCCI is looking forward to hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 tournament in UAE and Oman,” said Saurav Ganguli in the official statement.

    The upcoming edition will be the first Men’s T20 World Cup played since 2016, when the West Indies beat England in the final in India.

    The eight teams competing in the preliminary stage are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman and Papua New Guinea, before the play-off stage and the Final on November 14.

  • BCCI suspends IPL 2021 indefinitely

    BCCI suspends IPL 2021 indefinitely

    The Board of Cricket Control India (BCCI) has indefinitely postponed the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) following several positive cases of COVID-19 across teams over the past couple of days.

    The decision was taken in an emergency meeting called after players of Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad tested positive for COVID-19. Hyderabad’s Wriddhiman Saha and Delhi’s Amit Mishra were the players who had tested positive and have now been put into isolation.

    The BCCI had contemplated moving the whole tournament to one city but the coronavirus outbreak in the IPL setup left them with no choice but to cancel the event.

    In a media statement, the IPL said the decision was “unanimously” taken by the tournament’s Governing Council along with the top brass of the BCCI.

    “The BCCI does not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved in organising the IPL,” the statement said. “This decision was taken keeping the safety, health and wellbeing of all the stakeholders in mind.”

    “These are difficult times, especially in India and while we have tried to bring in some positivity and cheer, however, it is imperative that the tournament is now suspended and everyone goes back to their families and loved ones in these trying times,” read the statement further.

    “The BCCI will do everything in its powers to arrange for the secure and safe passage of all the participants in IPL 2021,” it added.

    As per reports, IPL officials also consulted a few franchises for their take on the situation and it is believed that some suggested to call it off totally. Other reports have suggested that the tournament has been postponed for a few days only.

    Meanwhile, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel confirming the news said the decision was taken for the safety of all stakeholders as the number of cases in the tournament bubble continue to rise by the day.

    India on Tuesday reported 3,57,229 new case, taking the overall case count past the 2 crore mark to 2,02,82,833.