When the national selection panel persisted with Irfan Pathan for the tri-series, they thought he will play a “vital” role in Australian conditions, not to mention his contribution in India winning the tri-series four years ago. However, the selectors and the team management, including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni don't seem to be on the same page on this, writes Hindustan Times.
After India's loss to Australia in the opening CB Series tie against Melbourne on Sunday, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the team required a “fast bowling all-rounder”. Cut to the Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) ground on Tuesday. On the eve of their tie against Sri Lanka in Perth, Irfan Pathan was running in at full steam during the nets. The way he was engrossed in his bowling and batting drills, it seemed the wait was about to end.
However, immediately after registering their maiden victory of the tri-series, Dhoni was back at it again. “We are still struggling to find a fast-bowling all-rounder,” he said on Wednesday. Does this mean the team doesn't see Irfan, who has more than once proved during his earlier India stint that he is a reliable batsman and a swing bowler, as a potential all-rounder? Or, does it mean the team management feels Irfan is still not ready for top flight cricket?, questions HT.
Coming to Sahara vs BCCI tussle, the much awaited meeting between the Indian cricket board and the Sahara group will take place on Sunday. According to sources in the BCCI, the meeting between BCCI boss N Srinivasan and Sahara chairman Subroto Roy will also be attended by other IPL officials, including IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla. Sources also said that the both the parties (BCCI and Sahara) are in the process of resolving the impasse at the earliest. “We are moving in the right direction and hopefully, Pune Warriors will be playing this year's IPL,” a BCCI source told TOI.
In a startling revelation Mashrafe Mortaza has reported to his franchise, Dhaka Gladiators, an approach from a fellow cricketer to indulge in spot-fixing during the Bangladesh Premier League. According to a report in The Tribune, Gladiators media manager Minhaz Uddin Khan confirmed the report and said they have informed the BPL of the approach. "I have told my team management (about the approach) and I'm sure they will do the right thing," Mortaza said. Mortaza, as it has been reported, would step down from the team captaincy if he suspected any irregularities during the tournament, which got underway on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's rise from war to wickets has delighted the International Cricket Council (ICC) as it looks to far bigger markets -China and the United States, says a report in Hindustan Times. Tim Anderson, the ICC global development manager, praised Afghanistan's extraordinary progress as they prepared for their first ever top level ODI, against Pakistan.
Friday's match here is fitting because Afghanistan's cricketing roots lie in Pakistan, where refugees fleeing the 1979 Soviet invasion took up the sport in dusty camps near the countries' shared border. “We are delighted with Afghanistan and they are a wonderful story for us to tell as how you can overcome the challenges and work through the system,” Anderson said.
