One of Australia's finest ever captain Ian Chappell never ever believed that a professional cricket team needs a specialist coach. "An international 'coach' is something the Australian team travels in around England," is one of Chappell's iconic pun-intended quote on what he exactly thought about cricket coaches. Back in India though, coaching senior teams - from international to IPL is a well-paid job, not discounting the glamour which is associated with it. But reality bites when one climbs down -- just a notch below at the first-class level where it's not always a bed of roses for all those plying their trade.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley believes that only politicians should work as the office bearers of the state associations so that they can rescue an important event like Indian Premier League from collapsing due to security concerns.
Out-of-favour Indian batsman Virender Sehwag has finally decided to make a shift from Delhi to Haryana for the forthcoming domestic cricket season.
'If we have one dedicated coach to train 50-100 coaches who can go back and coach their wards, that will be a very good move'
The All India Tennis Association says it will not waive 'royalty' of around US $40,000 on the Chennai Open unless the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association proves that the tournament is a loss-making venture.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India appointed former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju as the head of a four-member legal panel to help the BCCI understand the implications of the Justice Lodha Committee reforms, which have been made mandatory by the apex court.
In a dramatic turn of events, the erstwhile Indian Hockey Federation and newly-formed Hockey India decided to bury the hatchet and joined hands to bring the state associations -- both men's and women's into Hockey India's fold.
Indian cricket's one-time power centre Mumbai has lost its permanent voting status as per the new constitution of the Indian Cricket Board finalised by the Committee of Administrators (COA) appointed by the Supreme Court of India.
Australia's hapless performances in the 2-0 series loss to South Africa came in for huge criticism from the country's local media on Wednesday, with demands for heads to roll in both the dressing room and the corridors of power at Cricket Australia.
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia on Monday said the lack of top-class infrastructure still remains an impediment to the development of football in the country, while AIFF president Praful Patel lamented the absence of enough money in sports other than cricket. Considered the torchbearer of Indian football during his playing days, Bhutia felt while avenues have opened up now lot can still be done in the area of infrastructure.
Cricket Association on Bengal president Sourav Ganguly's differences with some of the other office-bearers came out in the open when the former India captain spoke how misinformation was being spread by a section about Eden Gardens' branding coming under the ambit of ambush marketing. Treasurer Biswarup Dey, who has been a known detractor of Ganguly in the CAB, had raised questions about the tendering process for Eden Gardens' branding that could come under the ambit of ambush marketing. "There was no process of tenders in CAB. Tender means an Open Tender. But in this case, it will be a restricted tender to avoid ambush marketing issues. "I know that permission from the Army and BCCI is needed for naming rights.
India will finish their home series against Sri Lanka on December 24 before leaving for South Africa on December 28. They are scheduled to play a two-day warm-up tie starting on December 30 before taking on South Africa in the first Test on January 5.
Taking strong exception to the Board of Control for Cricket in India 'misleading' everyone on key issues such as disbursement of large amount of funds to state associations, the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha-panel on Tuesday said it is unfortunate that their directions have been 'misinterpreted'.
Mumbai Cricket Association, headed by former BCCI President Sharad Pawar, would file an intervention application before the Supreme Court to highlight the difficulties in implementing Justice R M (retired) Lodha Committee's recommendations to restructure the Board. This was decided at a meeting of the MCA's Managing Committee, said a media release today from the association's joint secretaries, P V Shetty and Unmesh Khanvilkar. "In a meeting of the Managing Committee of the Mumbai Cricket Association to discuss the far ranging consequences of the Lodha Committee's recommendations, it was unanimously decided that the Mumbai Cricket Association would file an intervention application before the Supreme Court and highlight the difficulties and inconsistencies in the report," the media release said. "Accordingly, the members unanimously authorised Joint Honorary Secretaries and Vice President Ashish Shelar to seek appropriate legal advice and file necessary applications before the Court," the release added.
Former Goa Cricket Association (GCA) president Shekhar Salkar said more clarification is needed on some of the Lodha Committee recommendations calling for massive overhaul of the functioning of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and administration of the popular sport.
Former Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Ajay Shirke could find himself in trouble over reports that he tried to sabotage the forthcoming limited overs series between England India, starting in Pune on Sunday.
There was speculation that current and former players will also be asked to sign the undertakings, just like the BCCI members who have been asked to declare that they do not have 'conflict of interest' while holding functionary posts in their respective cricket associations.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India could suffer a financial loss to the tune of Rs 1600 crore if the Justice Lodha panel's recommendations on curtailing advertisement breaks during the matches is implemented.
Australia's cricket team suffered a scare following their Twenty20 International victory over India in Guwahati on Tuesday after a rock was thrown at their team bus, shattering one of the windows, its governing body Cricket Australia (CA) said.
Former BCCI President Shashank Manohar has rued that there was no one in the Board to take on N Srinivasan who is facing the heat over the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Sanjay Patel, secretary of the Board of Control of Cricket in India, was on Wednesday removed from the secretary's post by his own state association Baroda CA after a city civil court in Vadodara rejected his plea to be reinstated in BCA's managing committee.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag says he would love to be a mentor or a batting consultant for any IPL team which will give him a chance to share his knowledge with youngsters.
BCCI boss Anurag Thakur on Tuesday slammed former selection commmittee chief Sandeep Patil, saying it was "unethical" on his part to reveal certain confidential details about Sachin Tendulkar, M S Dhoni and others after his tenure ended earlier this month. Thakur stopped short of saying that action will be taken against Patil but said "right people in the BCCI" will speak to him soon over the issue which has created a major controversy. Patil, a former international cricketer, recently disclosed that the selection panel would have dropped Sachin Tendulkar before he eventually quit international cricket and that it had also considered removing M S Dhoni from ODI captaincy ahead of the 2015 World Cup.
Trying to rebuild its tattered image after a spate of controversies, the BCCI is waiting anxiously for the Justice Lodha Committee's report which is set to recommend a host of reforms for the cricket body on Monday. While the three-member committee comprising Justice (Retd) RM Lodha, Justice (Retd) Ashok Bhan and Justice (Retd)RV Raveendran is set to submit their report to the Supreme Court, the BCCI will be keenly watching the proceedings as to whether the Apex Court makes the recommendations binding or not.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday called an Emergent Working Committee meeting on Saturday in Chennai to discuss the possible implications of banned former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi's re-entry into Rajasthan Cricket Association.
Dilip Vengsarkar is set to take over as India's chief selector from Kiran More.
The National Cricket Academy under the chairmanship of M P Pandove said it will enter into a strategic tie-up with Cricket Australia along with the setting up of an independent complex to shift the facility from Bangalore, while also extending help the national cricketers of Nepal, who have been affected by the earthquake.
Foreigners registered with Indian clubs can also register with the body, formed by the country's leading footballers.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India's technical committee, headed by former India captain Sourav Ganguly, decided to have all Ranji matches from the coming season at neutral venues while inter-zonal system of the Duleep Trophy will be replaced.
Former Board of Control for Cricket in India president Narayanswami Srinivasan cannot represent the Board at the International Cricket Council's meeting next week as he has been held guilty of conflict of interest, the Supreme Court said.
Suspended FIFA President Sepp Blatter appeared before the ethics committee of world football's governing body on Thursday in a case that could end with him banned from the sport for years.
The Cricket Association of Bengal will seek permission from the Board of Control for Cricket in India to have a photograph of Sachin Tendulkar on the ticket for the legendary batsman's 199th Test, which will be staged in Kolkata.
Mumbai Cricket Association president Sharad Pawar will quit his position in six months' time after the state body accepted the Supreme Court verdict on sweeping reforms in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its affiliates in toto.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India's decision to form an ad-hoc body in Rajasthan Cricket Association to ensure the state's participation in domestic tournaments may lead to more legal tangles as the Lalit Modi faction in the RCA is planning to move the court against the BCCI.
Relieved after the Delhi high court's direction to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to issue a provisional occupancy certificate, required to stage the fourth Test between India and South Africa, Delhi and District Cricket Association vice-president Chetan Chauhan welcomed the appointment of Justice Mukul Mudgal to oversee the affairs of the match at Feroz Shah Kotla.
India Test regulars like Cheteswar Pujara and Ishant Sharma have also thrown their hat into the ring with base prices of Rs 50 and Rs 75 lakh respectively.
Unruffled by the Supreme Court order prohibiting him from taking charge and braving scathing criticism he has encountered on issues of propriety, a defiant N Srinivasan is certain to be elected unopposed as the president of the BCCI during its AGM in Chennai on Sunday.
Wankhede curator Sudhir Naik has written a strongly-worded letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India calling for action against India's Team Director Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun for their abusive behaviour during the fifth and final One-Dayer against South Africa in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Tragedy struck Indian cricket on Monday when a 20-year-old player died as a result of a freakish on-field collision with a team mate during a club match in Kolkata.