There is a lot going on. So I thought I’d resurrect this column for today and merely provide pointers to a few news items of interest.
- Virender Sehwag, who succumbed a groin injury in the T20 semi-final against Australia, looks an uncertain starter for tonights’ Finals against Pakistan. He will undergo a fitness test on match-day and a decision will then be made on whether or not he will play.
- M. S. Dhoni (back strain) and Yuvraj Singh (tendonitis of the elbow) are also nursing niggles.
- Shoaib Mallik, the Pakistan captain hopes that, just as Pakistan did in 1992, the team will lift the T20 World Cup will once again lift a World Cup in the holy month of Ramzan!
- M. S. Dhoni indicates that he is very happy with the current team and cites Manoj Tiwary, Suresh Raina and S. Badrinath as the batting banch-strength.
- After hurting his ankle during one of the practice sessions at the T20 World Cup, Piyush Chawla is out of the 7-match ODI series against Australia. Hopefully, he will be replaced in the team, which already has 2 spinners, by a pace bowler or an allrounder like Joginder Sharma!
- Michael Hussey is also out of Australia’s 7-match ODI-tour of India. Queenslander, James Hopes replaces him in the team.
- The PCB has offered $10,000 to each Pakistan player for having beaten Australia in the leage-stage of the T20 World Cup. It has now offered each player Rs 5 Lakh (Rs 500,000) for reaching the finals of the T20 World Cup. We on i3j3 will be hoping that PCBs coffers aren’t further eroded after tonight!
The BCCI meanwhile confirmed that it has received a few applications for India Coach — including one from me perhaps? — via cricketboRAd@gmail.com, that impressive email id of theirs. The coach, however, will only be appointed after the Australian ODI series, but before the Pakistan series. Niranjan Shah confirmed that he was happy with M. S. Dhoni’s captaincy and announced that it was likely he would be made India’s Test captain too. Wonder what the selection committee makes of this?
– Mohan
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