IPL Chairman Brijesh Patel confirms; BCCI seeking window around ICC World T20 to complete IPL 2021

IPL 2021 | Michael Hussey tests Covid-19 positive, to face uncertainty over going back home

A day after the bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji tested positive for the novel coronavirus, batting coach Mike Hussey has also tested positive. The development came in the backdrop of the IPL governing council suspending this year’s edition for an indefinite period. "Hussey was tested and his sample came positive. We sent it for retesting but that has also come positive," PTI quoted an unnamed IPL source. Hussey testing positive for Covid-19 will most likely complicate his return to Australia where the federal government has imposed restrictions on people including players coming from India that is hit severely by the Covid-19 pandemic. Other players, support staffs and commentators are reportedly looking to spend their time in the Maldives in order to be eligible for getting entry to their homeland. But, Mike Hussey might well have to go through a tougher route. The 14th edition of the IPL was on its way till the halfway stage before cores of Covid-19 cases struck teams. First, cases were reported from the Kolkata Knight Riders camp then the Chennai Super Kings along with the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Delhi Capitals. Initially, the BCCI and the IPL governing council started with rescheduling the matches one after another before finally giving up on this season and avised all stakeholders to go back to their homes and spend time with their families.

Fomer Australian cricketer Stuart MacGill kidnapped by former partner's brother last month

Former Australia Test cricketer Stuart MacGill was kidnapped from his home in Syndey on April 14 and was threatened and beat in some other part of the city, as per various media reports in Australia citing the federal police. According to a report in The Age, one of his abductors was the brother of his recent partner Maria O’Meagher. The person is named Marino Sotiropoulos, who is the owner of Aristotle’s restaurant in Neutral Bay, where the former leg-spin bowler works as a general manager. The other three men have been identified as Son Minh Nguyen, and brothers Frederick and Richard Schaaf. Sotiropoulos was accused of being a member of a criminal gang and of supplying a significant commercial quantity of a controlled substance. Another report in The Australian claimed that Sotiropoulos saw the kidnapping of McGill as a potential chance to end his debt but Detective Acting Superintendent Anthony Holton has said that the 44-year-old MacGill did not owe any money to the charged group, including Sotiropoulos. MacGill made his debut in 1998 and shone to prominence after bowling magnificently on the tour of West Indies in 1999. He could play only 44 Tests and only one one day internationals for Australia.

Shakib, Mustafizur to undergo 14-day institutional quarantine on Bangladesh return

Bangladesh’ Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rahman, who were both part of the now postponed Indian Premier League, would have to undergo 14-day institutional quarantine on return to their home nation. The Bangladesh Cricket Board had applied to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) for relief in their player’s quarantine rule, but the office declined, saying everybody must follow the same protocol. Professor Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, director-general of DGHS told Cricbuzz that the players must undergo the compulsory quarantine. "They will have to do 14-day institutional quarantine. BCB had applied to us for them (reducing the quarantine period) but we have informed them that they don't have any other choice but to follow the rule that is applicable for everyone,'' he said. "They have to complete the quarantine in our specified quarantine centre and that can be either Hotel Sonargaon or Hotel Raddison," the DG added. Bangladesh like many other nations have imposed a ban on flights from India due to the deadly second wave of Covid-19 prevalent in the latter country. For Shakib and Mustafizur, who both played for Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals respectively, to return to Dhaka, special arrangements would be made by BCB. Both these players have been named in the squad for a three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka which begins on May 23 at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

Sky Sports to broadcast County Championship after IPL 2021 gets postponed

The County Championship is going to have a Television broadcast of a round-robin match after long as Sky Sports have decided to provide LIVE coverage of Middlesex’ clash with group leaders Gloucestershire at Lord’s in London from May 6. The announcement was made on Sky Sports Cricket’s official Twiter account on Tuesday, May 4. Sky would basically assist and add to the regular Middlesex CCC stream coverage, which won a lot of appreciation for its multi-camera set up and great commentary during the Bob Willis Trophy last year and in the first four matches of this season as well. International commentators on contract with Sky like Mike Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Rob Key and Ian Ward would join Middlesex’ own Adam Collins and Matt Floyd to provide commentary and expert analysis of the game for all four days. Atherton while speaking to Sky Sports about the opportunity to commentate in one of the most prestigious and oldest First Class tournaments, said that he was excited about it. "The Championship has been terrific. These days, with the wonders of modern technology, all the counties stream their games so anybody has been able to watch a county stream,” the former England cricketer said. "We've seen lots of interesting games, lots of great cricket, some good storylines as well with players coming back into form like young Haseeb Hameed at Nottinghamshire,” said the 53-year-old who played 115 Tests and 54 ODIs for England, scoring 9527 runs with 18 centuries to his credit. “There are lots going on and the streams have been terrific so fingers crossed for dry weather over the four days from Thursday!,” added the Lancashire Legend who scored nearly 22 thousand First-Class runs with 54 centuries in his kitty at an average of 40. Gloucestershire in its previous four encounters have always won chasing a total, including the 348 against Leicestershire in their previous encounter. The only match in which they batted first, they ended up drawing it against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl. Middlesex on the other hand have won only one of their four encounters, losing the rest three.