Boucher considers IPL departure of top SA players as win-win situation

South Africa head coach Mark Boucher feels that top SA players departing in the middle of the tour to play the Indian Premier League is a win-win situation. Reasoning why the Proteas players had to go for the IPL even as a series was going on, Boucher, 44, said, “We have known this for some time because the BCCI and CSA have a long-standing agreement to release players for IPL and the scheduling didn’t quite work out because of the Covid-19 situation,”.

The former wicket-keeper batsman further went on to explain why the key players missing is a win-win situation for the Rainbow nation’s cricketing prospect. “I think their appearances in the IPL going into the World T20 will help us,” Boucher told Media personnel during a Press Conference.

“Playing in a good strong competition against top strong opposition who they are likely to face in the World T20 they are going to get first-hand information about the different venues, the opposition we expect to meet up in the World event,” he added.

The coach also feels that it is going to present younger players and domestic stars with an opportunity to prove themselves. “Look at it positively they are not going on holidays and it also gives us an opportunity to have a lookout over other guys in the fray.”

South Africa plays Pakistan in three ODIs and four T20Is over the next 12 days and the first game begins today, 2nd April at the Supersport Park, Centurion. Key players such as Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi would depart for IPL after playing just the first two ODIs.

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Paddy Upton recalls MS Dhoni - Gary Kirsten partnership that won India World Cup in 2011

Today is the 10th anniversary of India’s memorable World Cup win in 2011 and the team’s then strength and conditioning coach Paddy Upton still has fond memories of how things unfolded on the night of April 2, at the Wankhede Stadium. Upton recalls that Dhoni, who has had the habit of sitting inside the well-glassed dressing room and not in front of the dressing room, knocked the glass separating him and the coach Gary Kirsten. It was a sign language conversion between the ‘leaders of the team who were on the same page’ as Kirtsne nodded in his agreement for Dhoni’s decision to bat ahead of Yuvraj Singh. Upton recalls his own feeling and intuitions when Dhoni was walking downstairs to bat at the number four position. In a column written for The Indian Express, Upton revealed how he had asked Gary Kirsten if he has any sense of what was to come at the end of the game. “Gary didn’t have to stand up and have a conversation with Dhoni to discuss the merits and demerits of the move. It was just the two leaders of the team being on the same page. The knock on the glass, him pointing to himself, Gary’s nod… and it was done. I do remember very clearly when Dhoni walked down the stairs, I turned to Gary and said “Do you realise Dhoni is going there to fetch us the World Cup?” I had absolute conviction that Dhoni would come back with the trophy,” Upton wrote in his column.

Sachin Tendulkar hospitalised due to Covid-19; wishes fans on anniversary of World Cup triumph

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar has been hospitalized after testing positive for the novel Coronavirus infection a few days back. Tendulkar tweeted the development expressing hope of his return from the hospital very soon. He also extended congratulations to his countrymen and fans on the 10th anniversary of India’s second World Cup win in 2011. Notably, Tendulkar has returned from the Road Safety World Series where he was the skipper of the champion Indian Legends team. He was the first player to have tested positive for the virus and then others players such as Yusuf Pathan, S Badrinath, Irfan Pathan have also returned positive for the contagious virus. On the other hand, today marks a complete decade of India’s World Cup win in 2011 under the leadership of MS Dhoni. Winning the world cup was the only big elusive thing for Tendulkar for a long time. He had featured in five world cups before the 2011 edition which was always supposed to be the last one in his career. Thankfully for him and the whole of India, the team rose to the occasion and won the glittering trophy to give a perfectly fitting tribute to Tendulkar on April 2, 2011.

Anand Mahindra fulfils promise; gifts T Natarajan 'Thar' commemorating historic triumph

Indian pacer T Natarajan has received the Mahindra Thar that the industrialist and the chairman of Mahindra Motors Anand Mahindra had promised after India’s win over Australia by 2-1 in Brisbane. A gratuitous Natarajan has given back his signed maiden Test jersey from the Gabba Test. Natarajan thanked Mahindra for recognising his journey and said that the love and affection he has received from people in the past few months have been overwhelming. Mahindra had commended six Indian players such as Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Shubhman Gill, T Natarajan, Navdeep Saini & Washington Sundar for their immense grit in the final game of the series and beating all daunting odds in pursuit of their excellence in a Tweet. All six players commended and chose to be honoured by Mahindra made his debut at the Test level in the series against Australia. He had also called Indian young players inspirational figures in all arena of life and hence he expressed pleasure to gift all of them a Mahindra Thar. India were down and out in the first innings of the fourth Test against Australia at the Gabba before a magnificent partnership between Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar resurrected them towards respectability. Then, just when Australia were going away with the runs at a brisk pace to force a declaration and a result to win the series, Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur shared nine wickets between them to peg back the Aussies.

ICC meeting highlights | 'Umpire's call' to continue; Women's U-19 WC postponed

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that the ‘Umpire’s call’— an issue that has mounted the controversies around the Decision Review System will stay in regulations. After a virtual meeting of the ICC Cricket Committee, its head and former Indian captain Anil Kumble said “the principle underpinning DRS was to correct clear errors in the game whilst ensuring the role of the umpire as the decision maker on the field of play was preserved, bearing in mind the element of prediction involved with the technology,” and “Umpire’s Call allows that to happen, which is why it is important it remains.” However, the committee has not overlooked the need to change and has approved some amendments in the currency prevailing protocols. The committee has empowered fielding captains to ask the on-filed umpire about their views on batsmen’s intent of playing a shot before deciding for the DRS call. Notably, under current regulations, the on-filed umpires are empowered to reserve their views within themselves till the captain goes for the DRS call or the stipulated period of 15 seconds to go for the review to get over. There have been many umpire’s calls in recent months that have ignited the debate on the margin that hawk-eye considers before ruling the balls missing or hitting the stumps. Now, to help bowlers, the committee has mandated to lift the height margin of the Wicket zone to the top of the stumps that will create uniformity in impact, both in terms of the height of the delivery and the width of the stumps. In the third amendments, the committee has asked the third umpire to ensure a relook of any short-run call adjudged by the on-field umpires and correcting before the next ball will be bowled. The ICC Cricket Committee has not given up the demands of players such as Virat Kohli and Shane Warne, who have been staunch critics of umpire’s calls and rather ruled in favour of it citing that protects the human angle of the game.