West Indies Pacer Shannon Gabriel Announces International Retirement
West Indies pacer Shannon Gabriel announced his international retirement. Having debuted in 2012, Gabriel was an integral part of West Indies' Test line-up and played his last game versus India during the two-match home series in 2023. Gabriel retired from the international level having represented West Indies in 59 Tests, 25 ODIs and 2 T20Is. He accounted for 166, 33 and 3 scalps in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, respectively. The speedster was known to hit the deck hard and extract seam movement off the surface.
Zaheer Khan Succeeds Gautam Gambhir as New Mentor for Lucknow Super Giants
Former India bowler Zaheer Khan succeeded Gautam Gambhir as the new mentor for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), as announced by the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise. Zaheer, who represented Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during his playing stint, will take the role from IPL 2025.
Gambhir served as the mentor of the side for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, having worked with them since the launch of the franchise. During his successful stint, Gambhir led LSG to back-to-back playoffs and was renowned for his aggressive nature in the middle.
England Batter Dawid Malan Announces International Retirement
England batter Dawid Malan announced his retirement from international cricket as he dropped the curtains on his illustrious career. Having represented England in all three formats, he retired with a unique distinction of having scored a hundred in both white-ball and red-ball cricket. His last international appearance was at the ODI World Cup in India in 2023 and was since overlooked for the international set-up.
Malan made his debut in June 2017 when he was 30. He got rewarded for his excellent form during the South Africa series as he made his Test debut. He was part of the England squad during the Ashes in 2017 in Australia and was the fourth-best batter during the tour. Despite his excellent run in the T20I and Test format, it was not until 2019 that he was handed an ODI cap.
Aug 28, 2024
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah Elected Independent Chair of ICC Unopposed
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah was elected unopposed to be the new International Cricket Council (ICC) chief. The news was announced by the ICC. Shah will succeed Greg Barclay as the Independent ICC Chair. He'll start his tenure from December 1, 2024.
Shah is going to be the fifth Indian to head cricket's global body after Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N. Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar. He's also the youngest ICC chief, aged 35.
After becoming the ICC chair, Shah will have to let go of his position in BCCI and ICC's F&CA committee as well.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the global governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England, and South Africa. It was renamed as the International Cricket Conference in 1965 and adopted its current name in 1987. The ICC has its headquarters in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
BCCI Introduces Prize Money for Players in All Junior and Women Events
In a significant development, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday introduced prize money for player-of-the-match and player-of-the-tournament award winners in all women's and junior cricket competitions at domestic level.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah Shah announced that in men's cricket, prize money will be awarded for player of the match in Vijay Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali tournaments.
This initiative aims to recognise and reward outstanding performances in the domestic circuit.
In Duleep Trophy, the champions now get Rs. 1 crore and runners-up team receive Rs. 50 lakh, while winners of Vijay Hazare Trophy get a cheque of Rs. 1 crore and the team finishing second best Rs. 50 lakh.
Aug 27, 2024
Pakistan's Sole Para-Athlete Haider Ali Leaves for Paris
Haider Ali, Pakistan's only para-athlete participating in the Paris Paralympics, departed for the French capital along with his coach Akbar Ali. The opening ceremony scheduled on August 28 will mark the official commencement of the Games after the successful conclusion of the Olympics earlier this month. Haider, a native of Gujranwala, will represent Pakistan in the F37 category of the discus throw event on September 6. This will be Haider's fifth appearance at the quadrennial event. He won a gold medal in the discus throw at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics with a throw of 55.26 meters.
India Shines at Asian Surfing Championships 2024
In a significant achievement for Indian surfing, the national team secured a silver medal at the prestigious Maruhaba Cup, a team event at the Asian Surfing Championships 2024. The competition, held in Thulusdhoo, Maldives, concluded marking a new chapter in India's surfing history.
The Indian team, comprising Kamali P, Ajeesh Ali, Srikanth D, and Sanjay Selvamani, demonstrated exceptional skill and teamwork throughout the event. Their journey to the podium was marked by consistent performances, showcasing the growing prowess of Indian surfers on the international stage.
The final results of the Maruhaba Cup were as follows:
Japan: Gold Medal (Score: 58.40)
India: Silver Medal (Score: 24.13)
Taipei: Bronze Medal (Score: 23.93)
China: Fourth Place (Score: 22.10)
Tanvi Patri Wins Asian U15 Title
Thirteen-year-old Tanvi Patri from Odisha cemented her status as one of India's most promising badminton prodigies by clinching the girls' singles title at the U-15 Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Junior Championships in Chengdu, China.
She defeated Vietnam's second seed Thi Thu Huyen Nguyen 22-20, 21-11 in a 34-minute final.
Waqar, Misbah, Saqlain among 5 Mentors Appointed for New Domestic Event
The Pakistan Cricket Board named stalwarts Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis as mentors of five teams taking part in the Champions Cup domestic tournament.
The big names in Pakistan cricket were appointed mentors on three-year contracts following a transparent and robust recruitment process, according a PCB statement.
The PCB said the first assignment of the mentors in the PCB Domestic Cricket Season 2024-25 will be the Champions One-Day Cup, which will be held in Faisalabad from September 12-29.
Aug 26, 2024
Fatima Sana Named Pakistan Skipper for Women's T20 World Cup
The Pakistan Cricket Board named Fatima Sana as their captain, replacing Nida Dar for the upcoming ICC Women's T20 World Cup in UAE from October 3-20.
Bowling all-rounder Fatima, who has featured in 41 ODIs and 40 T20Is, has previously led Pakistan emerging and domestic sides. She also captained Pakistan to a famous ODI win against New Zealand in a Super Over in Christchurch, in December 2023. Pakistan has been clubbed with Australia, India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in Group A.
Diamond League Athletics: Mondo Duplantis Breaks Pole World Record
Sweden's sensational pole vaulter, Mondo Duplantis, once again made headlines by shattering his own world record. At the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Poland, Duplantis soared to an astounding height of 6.26 metres on his second attempt, surpassing his previous record by one centimetre.
Earlier in Paris, Duplantis had soared to gold with a remarkable 6.00 metres, requiring merely four successful attempts. Yet, his night was far from over, as he went on to break his previous world record, clearing an astounding 6.25 metres.
Bangladesh Creates History in Rawalpindi, Record Maiden Test Win over Pakistan
Bangladesh scripted history as they recorded their maiden Test win over Pakistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The win marked Bangladesh's first Test win over Pakistan in 14 attempts. They had previously lost 12 matches while securing a solitary draw since their first meeting in 2001. Bangladesh has now beaten nine of the 11-Test playing teams they met. They are yet to register a win over India and South Africa.
The win marked Bangladesh's 20th Test victory across 143 matches and seventh away from home. The Tigers have previously won in twice in the Caribbean and Zimbabwe besides solitary wins in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Aug 25, 2024
Chess Great Kramnik Takes Polygraph Test
Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik became the first player to undergo a polygraph test, a measure introduced by the World Chess Organisation to combat cheating by players in online matches as well as over the board tournaments.
The World Chess Organisation runs the chessarena.com for FIDE, the official chess body that organises tournaments across the world.
The World Chess introduced voluntary polygraph testing as a significant new tool in its anti-cheating arsenal. It said the chess world has been fraught with cheating allegations, including $100 million lawsuits, and one of the most vocal critics of cheating has been Vladimir Kramnik himself. Known for his advocacy for fair play, Kramnik had participated in and won the "Clash of Blames" against Jose Martinez Alcantara, a match that highlighted the importance of addressing cheating in both online and over-the-board chess.
Shikhar Dhawan Announces Retirement from International and Domestic Cricket
Opener Shikhar Dhawan announced his retirement from the international and domestic cricket.
Dhawan, who has played 34 Tests, 167 ODIs and 68 T20Is for India reflected on his career, which lasted 20 years, since making his first-class debut in 2004. Dhawan's best came in the 50-over format in which he amassed 6793 runs at an average of 44.11. He averaged 40.61 for his 2315 Test runs
Dhawan's stint in the IPL also helped him build a big fan following. He played for Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians and Punjab Kings.