I don’t want glorification: Hanuma Vihari stays humble as praises pour in for his Covid relief work

When the second wave of Covid-19 struck India in early April, most of the Indian cricketers were busy with the Indian Premier League. Hanuma Vihari, the Test match specialist for the Indian team, too was busy playing county cricket for Warwickshire, but he was doing what most of the active cricketers weren’t. Vihari, 27, was putting all his efforts into helping people in distress, by providing leads in getting beds, oxygen concentrator and Remdesivir vials as much as he could.

"I don't want to glorify myself - I am doing it with the intention of helping people at the ground level, who actually need every help possible in these difficult times. It is just the start," Vihari told PTI in an interview from England.

The Andhra Pradesh cricketer got into the limelight after helping the Indian team salvage a draw in the Sydney Test last year on a tour of Australia, by batting out more than 400 deliveries. The right-handed batsman has created a team of 100 volunteers in various areas of Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka and has been going all out to reach the distressed in these trying conditions.

"Yes, I am a cricketer, well known but I am able to help because of their untiring efforts to reach the distressed. Even my wife, sister and a few of my Andhra teammates are part of my volunteer team," credited the India squad member for the World Test Championship Final to be played in England.

Although he has an aim to do more service, the former Sunrisres Hyderabad player was shocked to see that people were not able to get a bed in hospitals.

"With the second wave being so strong, getting a bed became a difficulty and that is something which is unthinkable. So, I decided to use my followers as my volunteers and help as many people as I can,” he said. “My goal is to actually mainly reach out to those people who are not able to afford or arrange for plasma, beds and essential medicine. But this is not enough. I would like to do more service in the future," Vihari added.

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Australia’s limited-overs tour sandwiched between South Africa and Pakistan long tours of Caribbean

The West Indies is ready to welcome what is going to be a heck of a cricketing summer starting June 2021. After the announcement of Pakistan and South Africa's Test and T20I tours to the Caribbean, Cricket West Indies also confirmed that the Kangaroos would be touring the group island for two limited-overs series, a five-match T20I series and three-match ODI series, starting July 9. While the T20i fixtures will all take place at the Daren Sammy Stadium in St. Lucia, the same place where the Proteas would play their five-match T20I series against the Men in Maroon, Barbados’ Kensington Oval would be the venue for the three ODIs. The Day/ Night games would also be a part of the International Cricket Council's ODI Super League, which will determine automatic qualification for the top seven teams for the 2023 ODI World Cup to be held in India. This would be Australia’s first visit to the Caribbean since the 2016 Tri-Series, which they won beating the West Indies in the final. South Africa was the other team. Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave was excited about the summer announcements. He said, "To host three international teams back-to-back in five territories is unprecedented, and putting these fixtures together was an enormous Covid-related logistical challenge." Just after the end of these three series, the Caribbean Premier League would begin in St. Kitts and Nevis. T20i Series Schedule First T20: July 9, Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia Second T20: July 10, Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia Third T20: July 12, Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia Fourth T20: July 14, Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia Fifth T20: July 16, Daren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia ODI Series Schedule First ODI: July 20, Kensington Oval, Barbados, Second ODI: July 22, Kensington Oval, Barbados Third ODI: July 24, Kensington Oval, Barbados

Pakistan confirms tour of West Indies; to play 2 Tests and 5 T20Is in July-August

It is going to be a jam-packed cricket season for the Caribbean as after South Africa’s confirmation of a tour, the Pakistan cricket team have also scheduled a two-match Test and five-match T20Is tour of the West Indies to take place in the July-August window. After the conclusion of South Africa’s sojourn in the Windies on July 03, the Maroon brigade will get busy with the Men in Green starting July 27. The Pakistan team arrive in the Caribbean on July 21. The five T20Is have been divided between Barbados and Guyana with the first two taking place at Kensington Oval, Barbados back-to-back on 27 and 28 July. The teams then move to South America where they will play the last three T20Is at the Guyana National Stadium, two of them back to back on 31 July and August 01, before the finale on August 03. Post the T20I series, the caravan would move to Jamaica where both the Tests will be held at Sabina Park, starting with the first one from August 12-16. The second Test is scheduled from August 20-24, followed by the Pakistan team’s departure on August 25. On the occasion of this announcement, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan, said, “The tour to the West Indies is always a valued and prized tour for the Pakistan cricket teams.” Keeping in mind the World T20 later this year, the PCB decided to cut short the Tets series by one match and include extra T20Is instead in the plan. “In consultation with the Cricket West Indies and keeping an eye on this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, we have agreed to replace one Test match with two additional T20Is. This is aimed at providing further T20 content for both teams, as we continue to prepare and build-up to the global ICC event,” Khan informed. T20I Series Schedule 27 Jul – 1st T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados 28 Jul – 2nd T20I, Kensington Oval, Barbados 31 Jul – 3rd T20I, Guyana National Stadium, Guyana 1 Aug – 4th T20I, Guyana National Stadium, Guyana 3 Aug – 5th T20I, Guyana National Stadium, Guyana Test Series Schedule 6-7 Aug – Two-day practice match, Guyana 12-16 Aug – 1st Test, Sabina Park, Jamaica 20-24 Aug – 2nd Test, Sabina Park, Jamaica

South Africa announce West Indies tour; 2 Tests, 5 T20Is on the menu

Cricket South Africa announced its Men’s team’s bilateral tour of West Indies for the first time in 11 years. The team would play a two-match Test series which would be followed by a five-match T20I series. Although the Proteas will arrive in St. Lucia on June o1, the Test series would begin with the first Test on June 10 at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground. For the T20I series, the teams would move to Grenada where they will play matches at the National Cricket Stadium, St George’s, beginning with the first one on June 26. Director of Cricket, CSA, Graeme Smith was delighted to announce the tour and thanked the Cricket West Indies and the respective governments for agreeing to host the team at the time when Covid-19’s second wave has been wreaking havoc in the world. “We are extremely pleased to have the men’s team’s tour to the West Indies officially confirmed. Covid-19 has played havoc with the ICC Future Tours Programme and we are thankful to Cricket West Indies and the governments of St. Lucia and Grenada for ensuring that the tour goes ahead as planned,” Smith said in a media release. The last time South Africa toured West indies, they clean swept the T20Is (2-0), ODIs (5-0) and won the three-match Test series 2-0. Test Series Schedule 10 – 14 June – 1st. Test, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia 18 – 22 June – 2nd. Test, Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia T20I series schedule 26 June – 1st. T20I, National Cricket Stadium, St George’s, Grenada 27 June – 2nd. T20I, National Cricket Stadium, St George’s, Grenada 29 June – 3rd. T20I, National Cricket Stadium, St George’s, Grenada 01 July – 4th. T20I, National Cricket Stadium, St George’s, Grenada 03 July – 5th. T20I, National Cricket Stadium, St George’s, Grenada

Mumbai Indians pacers laud coach Shane Bond, Bumrah calls him a huge influence

Mumbai Indians bowling coach Shane Bond has been a great influence on him feels Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The two have been together at the Blue and Gold brigade since 2015, when Bumrah, who arrived at the franchise through a talent scouting by John Wright in 2013, was just two years old into the set-up. “I met him for the first time in 2015,” said Bumrah in a video uploaded on MI’s official Twitter handle. “As a child, I had seen him bowl and was always fascinated by the way he used to bowl and operate for New Zealand,” added the 27-year-old. Bumrah then went on to say that Bond has had a great influence on his bowling career. He further said that he talks to his IPL coach about his game, even when he is on India duty. “He helped me a lot to open my mind to different things that I could try on the field. That relationship grew from there and has gotten better by the day. Even when I am away with the Indian team, I keep in touch with him,” said Bumrah. Other pacers which included three from Bond’s home country New Zealand (Trent Boult, Jimmy Neesham and Adam Milne) also felt that the 45-year-old has been a great addition to their respective careers. Milne, 29, who is considered as a prodigy of Bond and has played under his guidance at both Mumbai Indians and Sydney Thunder in BBL, says, “He‘s been huge for me in my career. Right from when I was a 17-year-old and had very limited knowledge of the game, he has given me little tips here and there without trying to control me.” Bond on his part called Jasprit Bumrah the best death bowler in the world right now.