Hanuma Vihari confident of India doing well in the WTC Final

India’s middle-order batsman Hanuma Vihari, who is being praised all over the internet for his tremendous work in helping the people during the second wave of covid-19 in India feels that the men’s team could do great in the upcoming World Test Championship Final.

“We are in the finals and we are playing New Zealand, which is going to be challenging in these conditions, we all know that, but the Indian team can do outstanding things," Vihari, who is currently in England playing for Warwickshire in the County Championship 2021, after being unable to fetch an IPL contract for this season.

The Andhra player came into the limelight from his 161 ball 23* runs Test and tour saving innings for India against Australia in Sydney, in January this year. An injured Vihari along with Ravichandran Ashwin battled out 254 balls scoring only 62 runs and forcing a draw in a match that looked a certain loss for the Men in Blue.

The 27-year-old though has not been in form since his return from injury, scoring just a single fifty in his last 10 innings. Even in County Cricket, he has been a flop show till now, with just 100 runs in six innings at an average of 16.25 and with two ducks in his name.

But the Andhra skipper is confident that the experience of playing in England would not only help him in the WTC Final against New Zealand in Southampton but also in the subsequent five-match Test series against hosts England.

"I am trying to prepare in the best way possible for the WTC final and the England series. It's going to be interesting and exciting as well for all the Indian fans because it's the first edition of the WTC,” said Vihari who would join Team India on June 2, when the Blue brigade reaches England for the three-month-long stay.

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When Malik became captain, I had thoughts of quitting cricket: Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi, arguably Pakistan’s most famous cricketer after Imran Khan has revealed an incident where he thought of quitting professional cricket, as early as 2009. The 41-year-old felt that after his herpes in the 2009 World T20 winning campaign of the team, he wasn’t really given as much importance as he should have been and Shoaib Malik was made the skipper instead of him. “Shoaib Malik had become the captain and there was a lot of politics going on within the team,” Afridi was quoted as saying to Samaa TV. Boom-Boom recalled that at that point in time an elderly persona and the might Allah himself came to his rescue and put some sense into his mind. Talking about the elderly man, Afridi said, “He said you’re so worried about your own performance and worldly matters. Just compare your hardships to those of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and you will realise that yours are nothing." The Multan Sultans player who played 398 ODIs, 99 T20is and 27 Tests for his country shed light on the 2007 Shoaib Akhtar- Mohammad Asif controversy as well, where Ajhtar was sent back to Pakistan after having hit Asif with a bat during a dressing room argument. “Things happen,” Afridi said. “Asif had sided with me in a joke which enraged Shoaib and all this happened. But Shoaib has a very beautiful heart,” added the man who scored 11,196 runs and took 541 wickets in his 20 years long international career.

Michael Hussey will take commercial flight but to reach together with Maldives contingent on May 17

A large contingent of Australian players, umpires and commentators, who were stranded in Maldives in order to be eligible to enter Australia following the travel ban from India, is set to reach the country on Monday, May 17 via a chartered flight arranged by the BCCI. The contingent includes the likes of Pat Cummins, David Warner, Steven Smith and Michael Slater will be taken to Sydney where they will be put under quarantine in a hotel before they can head back to their homes. On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings coach Michael Hussey, who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection, will head back to Australia in a comerical flight via Qatar. The future of the players and all other participants of the IPL were unclear after the Australian federal government had imposed a travel ban on all travel, including its own citizens from India. Then, the BCCI arranged a chartered flight for them to assemble in Maldives before heading back to their homes.

Mahi sir’s advice helped me: Jharkhand’s Indrani Roy after getting maiden India call-up

It is not often that you play your first tournament for the senior state team, become top scorer and get a maiden India call-up as well. While for some it sounds ridiculously difficult, Jharkhand’s Indrani Roy begs to differ. Indrani, who is still to get an Indian Passport has been picked in all three teams (ODI, Tests and T20Is) for India Women’s England tour in June. The young wicketkeeper-batter credited legendary India Men’s skipper, MS Dhoni, for his advice, which helped her maximise her potential. Talking about a chance meeting with the former India player and current skipper of the Chennai Super Kings, Indrani said, “During a training session in Ranchi sometime last year, I had a long conversation with Mahi Sir about how to improve my game.” “He had told me that I should ensure that I improve my reflexes and movement in the five-metre radius. For wicketkeepers, that’s a key thing and he advised me that I should try and get better. That actually helped me,” she added while speaking to Sportstar. Roy, who was born Lilua of Howrah district in West Bengal, moved to Jharkhand at a young age to pursue her cricketing career as she and her parents believed that the neighbouring state had greater opportunities than their own. The decision is seemed to bearing fruit as in her very first tournament for Jharkhand, the 23-year-old became one of the main reasons for the state’s first-ever appearance in the final of the prestigious Senior Women’s One Day Trophy. “Learning a thing or two from a legend like Mahi Sir is a privilege and his advice actually helped me improve my game. Every time I hit the ground, I try to remember his tips,” said Roy who scored 456 runs in eight matches at an outstanding average of 76 and with two hundred in her kitty.

Never used the term prima donna: WV Raman issues clarification on letter to BCCI Chief Ganguly

WV Raman the former India Women’s coach has issued a clarification on his letters to Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid regarding the team’s culture and unhealthy system. The 55-year-old, who refused to indulge in the letter any further in a Tweet a few days ago, said that he wanted both the senior cricketers, who are now in a position of power to do course correction for the betterment of players. “My writing to Sourav was to propel him into action to course-correct if required. The letter dealt with the need for the system to encourage or ensure players adhere to healthy team culture,” the Chennai born told Cricbuzz in an interview. The former India player further clarified his adding of adding Dravid in the letter. He said, “Ganguly has seen it all as a former player and captain, and therefore, I felt it was better to get him into the frame. I also added Dravid because he handles cricketers of the future and might make certain aspects a part of the curriculum in the NCA if he hasn't already.” Raman had stormed a controversy in Women Cricket when he wrote to BCCI President Ganguly and Chairman of the National Cricket Academy Dravid regarding the ‘Prima-Donna’ culture in the Indian Women’s team and how it is making the dressing room situation unhealthy. Explaining his prima-donna comment which was the main reason for controversy, Raman said, “Typical of the current era, the phrase prima donna, which has never figured in the letter, has hogged the headlines! The whole point of the letter was to appraise Sourav about certain practices that need to be reviewed and rectified if he so deemed fit.” Ramesh Powar was appointed as India Women's coach after Raman's extended tenure ended in April this year. Raman had guided India Women's to their first-ever appearance in the Final of WT20 in 2020 when they were defeated by hosts Australia in iconic MCG. The match was attended by record audiences for any women's game in history.