Mahmudullah receives Guard of Honour, stands chance to retire with unique feat

Shimron Hetmyer thanks team management for clarity of role after Man of the Match performance

Shimron Hetmyer repaid the faith shown by the team management before the series against Australia with a Man of the Match performance in the second T20 of the series that helped the Windies take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Having excelled to a 36-ball-61 innings, Hetmyer rated his innings as one of the best innings he has played in his 32-match long T20 international career. He outlined the role of setting up batting innings the team management has given to him after the triumph. “I think it was one of my best T20 innings. I think I paced it quite well. It really worked out for me with the guys backing me and giving me that role to be the person to take it as deep as possible. Once you do, you have a free license really and kudos to the team for giving me that role,” Hetmyer said. Hetmyer has not had a lot of runs in his armour coming into the series against Australia but the skipper Kieron Pollard has given him and Nicholas Pooran loud public support. He had said that Hetmyer is rich in talent and will come good for Windies sooner rather than later. Hetmyer ratified his captain’s faith by a blistering knock and would like to carry on with the momentum after a hard-earned return to form.

Irish wicket-keeper Neil Rock tests positive for COVID-19, two other members put into isolation

Irish wicket-keeper batsman Neil Rock who recently earned a call-up to the national side for the T20I series against the Proteas has tested positive for COVID-19 and has subsequently been put to self-isolation. Stephen Doheny has been named as his replacement and just like Rock he is yet to make his international debut. "Team management was informed of the positive result today, and Rock has been isolated from the squad as he awaits a follow-up test at the team hotel," Cricket Ireland was quoted as saying in a press release on Saturday (July 10). "Doheny, meanwhile, will undergo a COVID test this afternoon and - given a negative outcome - will join the squad tomorrow,” the statement added. It has been confirmed that one of the support staff and a player has been deemed close contact of Rock and has been put to isolation following the safety protocols at place for the Ireland-South Africa limited-overs series. "Due to our biosecurity measures and contact tracing, we are satisfied that we do not have any genuine close contact cases and this should therefore have minimal impact on the squad. "However, out of an abundance of caution due to the proximity of the series start, we will test one player and one staff member who had confirmed they spent a short amount of time with Neil with correct COViD safe precautions in place. We expect them to test negative and re-join the squad tomorrow,” the statement read. Meanwhile, the three-match ODI series between hosts Ireland and South Africa is slated to kick off on July 11 in Malahide. The three-match ODI series will be followed by as many T20s.

Harleen Deol's mother reflects on her commitment, bravery after world-class catch in England

Harleen Deol’s leap in the air to pluck a blinder of catch in the first T20i against England was a monumental occasion for the Punjab-born girl as the world recognised his feat calling it one of the best catches to have ever taken in the game of cricket. However, for her mother Charanjeet Kaur, it was a moment of reckoning and an opportunity to reflect back on the struggles and injuries Harleen had to deal with in the initial phase of her career. In an interview with The Indian Express, her mother explained that Harleen has had shown a big heart to pull out miraculous things from her early days only and she has had gone as far as playing with injured fingers in her domestic career. She said that the fact that great players and voices of the game such as Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Nasser Hussain commenced Harleen is nothing but rewards for her hunger and immense hard work. “Harleen started playing cricket at the age of seven and I still remember her coming home from the Yadvindra Public School ground after bowling with a broken finger within months of her starting her career. Once while playing for Himachal Pradesh in Gujarat, she bowled despite an injured finger. To see her take such a sensational catch without worrying about the fall and getting praise from players like Sachin Tendulkar, V V S Laxman and Nasser Hussain apart from leaders and fans is the biggest reward for Harleen’s hard work,” said Deol’s mother Charanjeet Kaur to The Indian Express. Her coach at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Academy, Pawan Sen too has fresh memories of Harleen’s fearless approach while doing fielding practices and recalled the unusual fielding drills the all-rounder did in her early career that is coming to help her at the international level. “Like any young cricketer, Harleen had her fears of diving and sliding to stop the ball. We trained the HPCA Academy trainees to slide on wet pitch covers to end the fear of sliding and diving on the ground. It helped her. Along with her bowling and batting. She has evolved to be a very good fielder and to earn praise from the cricketing world shows her hard work,” said 51-year-old Sen. Harleen Deol plays for India Women for her batting and bowling and with that catch, she has established herself as one of the potent fielders for the women in blue.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla returns as the Bengal U-23 coach

Former Bengal all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla returned to cricketing venture when he was appointed as the Bengal U-23 coach ahead of the new season. Shukla had called it quits from all forms of cricket in order to join politics back in 2016. He became an MLA from Howrah and then served as the minister of State Sports and Youth Services under Aroop Biswas. The former all-rounder was made the Howrah district president of TMC but stepped down from his post before the last assembly polls in order to return to cricket and give his time to the game. “Let’s work together. Looking forward” is what Shukla had to say after his appointment as the Bengal U-23 coach. Meanwhile former India legend VVS Laxman has been retained as the batting consultant for the senior team while Shib Shankar Paul, a former Bengal fast bowler was appointed as the bowling coach of all the Bengal squads. "On behalf of the Association, I wish the Former Cricketers who have been given newer responsibilities all the best and am confident that they would be able to use their wealth of experience to help Bengal Cricket earn laurels in the forthcoming domestic season," CAB president Avishek Dalmiya was quoted as saying in a statement. There have been some changes made to the personnel in the women’s team. Rituparna Roy has been appointed as the head coach while Charanjit Singh would serve as the assistant coach of the senior women’s team. "We have made some new appointments keeping in mind their merit and talents. We want Bengal cricket to shine and we have made changes that we deemed fit to that end," CAB Secretary Snehashis Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI. "We wish the new appointees all the best and hope they can get the best out of the various Bengal teams,” he further added.