The agreement would divert China's attention and keep them busy in the Pacific theatre, probably resulting in a reduction in threat perception in our area of interest in the Indian Ocean, notes Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
BCCI secretary Jay Shah spoke on a range of subjects related to Indian cricket, IPL's place in the global cricket calendar, running the cricket establishment in times of COVID-19 and the road ahead for both Indian cricket and IPL.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday.
Ravindra Jadeja and his wife Riva Solanki met Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The Pakistan Cricket Board is hoping for the best and preparing for the worst as it seeks to mitigate financial setbacks stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, its chief executive, Wasim Khan, said. On the face of it, the disruption caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak could not have come at a worse time, striking in mid-March when the Pakistan Super League (PSL), worth about $300 million to the governing body, was about to enter the knockout stage.
Australia's 2011 Tour De France winner Cadel Evans has admitted meeting the Italian doctor at the heart of the Lance Armstrong scandal more than a decade ago but said they never discussed doping.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India is likely to back the candidature of New Zealand's Greg Barclay over Singapore's Imran Khwaja in the elections for ICC chairman, a post vacated by India's Shashank Manohar after two terms in July this year.
Virat Kohli would hope for a turnaround when India take on an under-prepared Sri Lanka in the second Test in Bengaluru
The novel coronavirus lockdown has been a traumatic experience for many cricketers and teams will have to change their approach to mental health when the game resumes, mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton has said. Cricket, the South African added, does not have a good track record of managing players' mental health, which is likely to suffer as the game's suspension drags on.
Facts on the Commonwealth Games to be held in Australia's Gold Coast:
England showed glimpses of their best in last two games, says Morgan
The Kiwis will have greater concern over their lack of finishing after squandering two last over winning positions in two consecutive games, and the series along with.
Member boards from England and Australia are open to the idea while BCCI boss Sourav Ganguly has said that 'it is too early' to talk about it.
India will start their World Cup campaign on June 5 as the BCCI will have to maintain a mandatory 15-day gap between the IPL final and international assignment as per the Lodha Committee recommendations.
Despite severe restrictions imposed on the number of bulls, bull-tamers and spectators thanks to the pandemic, Jallikattu organisers are hopeful of the show going on this Pongal.
Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI's demand is for a tournament involving the 'Big Three' of India, Australia and England plus another country to be slotted into an already bursting schedule, putting it on course for a clash with the ICC, which has enjoyed a period of calm in recent years at its Dubai headquarters. India's 'Super Series' proposal is a concern to many in the game, including the executive chairman of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA), Tony Irish.
The Sydney Morning Herald, on Monday, reported that plans for a nine-nation Test championship were under way and the ICC was set to give the concept a green light on Friday at a meeting in Auckland.
England captain Eoin Morgan will lead England against South Africa at Newlands on Tuesday in their first One-day international since they claimed the World Cup in dramatic fashion at Lord's in July, and he said the aim now is to make sure that was not a one-off success.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday announced cancellation of the Asia Cup T20, scheduled to be held in September, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan originally had the hosting rights of the six-team continental event but considering the alarming COVID-19 situation, the PCB board had decided to swap it with Sri Lanka.
After helping Saurashtra win their maiden Ranji Trophy title last month, little did he know that he would be spending all his time at home. Pujara is enjoying the 'forced' break and most of his time goes into entertaining his two-year-old daughter.
'He is great to have as a captain -- he just keeps everything simple and doesn't change his emotions too much, which in the heat of the battle, (helps) to keep your mind clear'
When defending champions Australia compete in the Women's Twenty20 World Cup final in Melbourne on Sunday, they will earn the same as their male counterparts would - in stark contrast to their rivals, India. In cricket-mad India, male players are revered as gods, paid handsomely and showered with lucrative endorsement deals, from watches and shoes to snacks, headphones and even toothbrushes. The women barely get a look-in.
Spin legend Shane Warne has thanked star batter Virat Kohli for "passionately supporting" Test cricket, a day after he stepped down as skipper of the Indian Test team.
In India, many cities lack bicycle lanes and proper pavements. This, coupled with heavily congested roads, creates a danger to cyclists. Furthermore, the low costs of bicycles may make it more economical to buy than to rent.
The 2016 Rio Olympics has witnessed some scintillating performances, wherein many young athletes achieved glory for their nation. The Rio Games also saw legendary athletes like Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps delivering as per expectations and extending their domination in the Olympics history. But, there were some unfortunate ones, who fought horrifying injuries in Rio. Rediff.com lists seven such ill-fated injuries from the Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Former Olympic swimming champion Cameron van der Burgh has said he has been battling the new coronavirus for the last two weeks and that athletes who continue to train for the Tokyo Games are exposing themselves to "unnecessary risk". South African Van der Burgh won gold in the 100m breaststroke at the 2012 London Olympics and silver in Rio four years later before retiring in 2018.
International cricket will gingerly ease out of a 117-day shutdown in Southampton next week but the scars of the COVID-19 pandemic will be clearly evident at the Ageas Bowl. An encounter between the fourth and eighth ranked teams in Test cricket is hardly a pinnacle but England's series against West Indies could offer a glimpse into a future where the game plods on under the shadow of the new coronavirus.
'We are trying to see whether Test championship can generate interest'
It was waiting to happen after India's unceremonious World Cup exit and on Wednesday the Board of Control for Cricket in India ended Virat Kohli's run as India's white-ball captain with a rather matter-of-fact statement, handing the reins to Rohit Sharma "going forward".
The inaugural edition will see top nine Test teams -- Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies -- fight for the top honours in 72 Test matches across 27 series over the next two years
With thumbs down from currently the most influential international cricketer, ICC might find it difficult to implement 'four-day Test'.
Part-time off-spinner Glenn Maxwell can see himself playing a bigger role behind specialist spinners Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa.
Deep down, Kohli perhaps well understands that in the most challenging of conditions, his team needs more than just his sheer force of will to succeed. It requires that extra skill, tenacity and temperament. His jigsaw is near-ready; he just needs to find the final pieces, observes Dhruv Munjal.
Kuldeep Yadav picked 5-99 in his maiden Test Down Under.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday
Former opener Sunil Gavaskar predicted an India win by a 4-0 or 3-1 margin, depending on the weather, adding that the visitors would emerge victorious anyway as England is depleted without the likes of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer.
Sourav Ganguly will have his hands full during his nine-month tenure
Afghanistan were granted Test status in June by the International Cricket Council, putting them in an elite group of 12 sides permitted to compete in the longest form of the game.
SoftBank-backed Ola Electric took the wraps off its maiden e-scooter offerings -- Ola S1 and S1 Pro -- for a commercial launch on Sunday. With prices starting from Rs 99,999 (excluding state government incentives, registration fee, and insurance cost), the Bhavesh Aggarwal-founded firm said the e-scooters are designed and engineered in India for the world and will deliver the best scooter experience to the consumer. He suggested that after 2025, sale of petrol-powered two-wheelers should not be allowed.
