Faf du Plessis heaps praise on AB de Villiers after his announcement of retirement

1st T20I | Pakistan pacers rattle Bangladesh top order early in the game

The Pakistan pace attack led by Hasan Ali troubled the Bangladesh top order in the early overs of the 1st T20I being played at Dhaka on Friday, November 19. The Bangladesh opening batters in Mohammad Naim Sheikh and Saif Hasan had no answers to the swing and bounce extracted by the Pakistan pacers and were back in the hut by the third over of the game. Hasan Ali looked in good touch after his below-average World Cup outing and bowled true to his nature, moving the ball at a nippy pace. His partner, 20-year-old Mohammad Wasim Jr, playing only his 5th T20I bowled brilliantly in tandem with his senior partner and scalped two wickets for himself inside the powerplay. Bangladesh batsmen found it difficult to get away in the initial overs but changed their strategy from the fourth over of the match. Their counterattacking ploy did not come off for the home side as they lost their third wicket inside the fifth over of the game. At the time of writing, Bangladesh were 25 runs for the loss of three wickets after the powerplay on a pitch that looked much livelier than the ones that have been offered by the BCB in the recent past. Click here for a detailed commentary of the game.

AB de Villiers announces retirement from all forms of cricket

In a sudden move from one of the modern-day greats, AB de Villiers has announced retirement from all forms of the game. “It has been an incredible journey, but I have decided to retire from all cricket. Ever since the back yard matches with my older brothers, I have played the game with pure enjoyment and unbridled enthusiasm. Now, at the age of 37, that flame no longer burns so brightly,” he said in a Twitter post. “That’s the reality I must accept - and, even if it may seem sudden, that is why I am making this announcement today. I’ve had my time. Cricket has been exceptionally kind to me.” More to follow

Now, Azeem Rafiq apologises for historic anti-semitic remarks

After igniting the debate around discrimination and racism in Cricket, especially in England, after his public outburst against the Yorkshire County, all-rounder Azeem Rafid himself has attracted stern opinions from the people after one of his historic social media posts surfaced online. The post was made in the year 2011 and has been rated “anti-semitic” by all sections of media and his critics. Azeem has issued an apology for the same and shared his emotions of being “ashamed” at writing those posts a decade back. The Times unearthed his exchange with former Warwickshire and Leicestershire player Ateeq Javid where Azeem can be seen criticising an unnamed third player for not spending money as “he is a Jew”. Azeem took to his Twitter account to express his grief and feelings while saying that he is “a different person today” than the one he was as a 19-year-old at the time of those social media exchanges. “I am ashamed of this exchange and have now deleted it so as not to cause further offence. I was 19 at the time and I hope and believe I am a different person today. I am incredibly angry at myself and I apologise to the Jewish community and everyone who is rightly offended by this,” Azeem Rafiq said.

Alex Hales denies another allegation of racism reported by The Sun

There is no end of trouble for Alex Hales as after the allegations of racism by Azeem Rafiq, British Newspaper The Sun has published his image in blackface from New Year Eve in the year 2009. The right-hander has offered his explanation that he was unaware of the offensive nature of the message it was giving. He reiterated his stance against racism and discrimination. “In 2009, I attended a New Year’s Eve musical tribute fancy dress party,” Hales, 32, told The Sun. “I dressed in tribute to my musical hero, Tupac Shakur, someone who I’ve admired from childhood and, at the time, did not realise the offensive nature of this.”I echo my statement from earlier in the week and stress how much I deplore racism and discrimination in all its forms.” Hales was blamed for being racist at the core for naming his dog “Kevin” the same name Gary Ballance had given to people of colour in the Yorkshire dressing room. Hales denied those allegations as well and said that there was no discriminatory motive behind naming his dog, Kevin. The Sun report also claimed that the England and Wales Cricket Board has taken cognisance of Hales’ historic photo and they have initiated an investigation.