While Sharma was the chairman of the selection committee, Harvinder was one of the members of the panel. The BCCI decided not to extend their tenures after India’s T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal exit calling for fresh applications to have a new panel.

It is learnt that more than 60 applicants have applied including Sharma and Harvinder. Sunil Joshi and Debashish Mohanty, who were members of the sacked panel, decided not to reapply.

Some of the prominent names to have applied for the post are Venkatesh Prasad, Dodda Ganesh, Maninder Singh, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Nayan Mongia, SS Das, Sameer Dighe and Ajay Ratra. Current junior selection committee chairman S Sharath is believed to have applied for the post.

According to the criteria set by the board, a candidate should have played seven Test matches or 30 first-class matches or 10 ODIs and 20 first-class matches and retired from the game atleast five years ago. The new BCCI selection committee also have to select a new captain for the T20 format.

Currently, Rohit Sharma is India’s all-format captain.

The post Chetan Sharma, Former Selection Committee Chairman, Reapplies For BCCI Selector’s Job appeared first on Cricket Country.

Chasing Pakistan’s 159/8, India were in a spot of bother before Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya forged a 100-plus stand to revive India. While Pandya was out for a crucial 40, it was Kohli, who led India to victory.

Needing 31 in the last two overs, Kohli’s back-to-back sixes in th final two balls of the 19th over turned the game in India’s favour. Rauf admitted those hits were ‘class’ and stated had Pandya or Dinesh Karthik hit them, it would have hurt the pacer.

It is okay, he’s Virat Kohli and he’s all class – Haris Rauf

Respect ♥️pic.twitter.com/ffK2yGKfmt

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) November 30, 2022

“I executed my plans against India, it was Virat Kohli’s sheer class that he hit those sixes against me. Had those sixes been hit by Dinesh Karthik or Hardik Pandya, I would have been hurt. But since those were by Kohli, were all class,” Rauf said.

In the end, Kohli was not out at 82 off 53 balls that included six fours and four sixes. Koli too hailed the innings as his best in T20Is. “Till today Mohali was my best innings against Australia. Today I will count this one higher,” Virat told on October 23 after the match during the presentation ceremony.

India were knocked out in the semifinals against England, losing by 10 wickets while Pakistan went to play the final. In the summit clash, Pakistan lost to England.

The post Haris Rauf Recalls Virat Kohli’s Sixes At T20 World Cup; Says ‘Would’ve Been Hurt If Others Hit Those’ appeared first on Cricket Country.

Guptill isn’t retiring from international cricket and will be available for selection for New Zealand. However, NZC has stated that, although Guptill will be available for selection, preference will be given to players with central and domestic contracts.

The 36-year-old opener has been a part of New Zealand white ball squads for the past 14 years. However, he did not play in the recently completed T20 World Cup 2022, and was not selected for the current T20 and ODI series against India.

Guptill is the third New Zealand player to request a release this year, after Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme.

“Playing for my country has been a massive honour, and I’m grateful to everyone within the BLACKCAPS and NZC for their support,” said Guptill, who is New Zealand’s leading T20I run-scorer and the third-highest in the ODIs.

“But, equally, I’m realistic enough to understand the need to consider my options in the current circumstances. With this release, I’m still available for New Zealand, I have the chance to explore other opportunities, and I also get to spend more time with my family – which is important,” he added.

“We understand Martin’s position,” said NZC chief executive David White. “He’s been a fantastic batsman for us for a long period of time, and we certainly don’t wish to stand in his way as he explores other opportunities.

“Martin’s been a giant of the white ball game, a committed and well-respected member of the BLACKCAPS, and has earned the right to play out his career on his own terms.

“He leaves his contract with our best wishes.” A replacement to fill Guptill’s central contract vacancy will be named in due course.

The post Martin Guptill, New Zealand Batter, Released From Central Contract With Immediate Effect appeared first on Cricket Country.

“It (Abu Dhabi T10) certainly improved my game with spin over the last few years, and it’s still an area that I’m looking to get better at, so I’ll be sure to try and top up as much as I can over the next couple of weeks,” said Hales, who would be representing Team Abu Dhabi in the league.

One of the explosive batters in modern day cricket, Hales has provided ample evidence of his batting abilities whenever he walked out to bat.

The right-hander also feels playing in different conditions in different countries all the year round, one has to keep topping on certain areas of his game every time.

“On the subcontinent pitches you more often not tend to have a bias towards spin and you have to make sure you adapt your methods. And I think that’s one of the key things as a franchise cricketer.

“As you’re playing tournaments in different countries and conditions all year round, so you have to keep topping up on certain areas of your game all the time, otherwise you soon get found out,” added the Englishman.

While Hales’ talent and style of play is well documented, the he explained that playing franchise cricket around the globe requires constant work on his skill set. Hales noted that the T10 format adds more to his game.

“I loved the two seasons I’ve played before and I feel like I always leave the tournament a better player, especially when it comes to playing T20 again. The games that you play in T10, you have to tee it up from ball one, I feel like that always helps you in the T20 format too,” he said.

Hales went on to add that taking on the spinners in conditions in Asia needs a little adaptation and noted that his training stints in India have helped him achieve his targets up until now.

The Englishman has been in tremendous form in the T20 World Cup 2022 with 212 runs from six matches. His 86 not out off just 47 runs against India in the semifinals was worth mentioning.

“I’ve played a lot of cricket in UAE so I’m pretty familiar with what to expect, so hopefully I can hit the ground running.

“We have limited time for practice really with the packed schedule, but in the past, I’ve spent time in training camps in India, so I’ve got a rough idea of what my game plan is going to be. I’ve got my methods and hopefully they can work well in this tournament,” stated Hales.

The post Abu Dhabi T10 League Improved Alex Hales’ Game Against Spinners appeared first on Cricket Country.

That performance helped him achieve a career-best rating of 869 points. Although his rating dropped to 859 after his dismissal for 14 in the semifinal against England, his position has remained undisturbed as other batters in his proximity failed to produce any eye-catching performances.

The 32-year-old amassed 239 runs during the T20 World Cup 2022 at an average and strike-rate of 59.75 and 189.68 respectively, and also finished as the third-highest run-scorer in the event.

Meanwhile, England’s Alex Hales also made significant gains. Hales, who smashed an unbeaten 86 from 47 deliveries in the semifinal against India, climbed 22 places up to No 12. Hales finished as England’s second-highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup, with 212 runs at an average of 42.40.

Hales has been in superb form ever since his comeback to the England side earlier this year. He has amassed 430 T20I runs in 2022, at an excellent average of 30.71 and an equally good strike-rate of 145.27. Other batters who made progress in the top-10 are Babar Azam and Rilee Rossouw.

The Pakistan skipper scored a match-winning fifty in the semifinal against New Zealand, gaining one spot to climb to No 3. South Africa batter Rossouw also jumped to seventh after New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips dropped to the eighth spot. Rossouw had scored a magnificent century against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup.

Other batters in the top five other than Suryakumar and Babar are Mohammad Rizwan, Devon Conway and Aiden Markram. Both Rizwan and Markram have managed to hold on to their second and fifth positions respectively, whereas Conway dropped down to fourth after losing his third position in the rankings to Babar.

In the bowling charts, Adil Rashid has been the biggest gainer after his extraordinary performances in the semi-final against India and the final against Pakistan. Rashid registered figures of 1/20 and 2/22 in the two matches respectively, gaining five spots to move up to No 3.

His compatriot Sam Curran also gained two spots to move to No 5, after a Player of the Match performance of 3/12 in the final against Pakistan. Wanindu Hasaranga continues to remain the top-ranked bowler, followed by Rashid Khan. In the all-rounders’ rankings, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Nabi and Hardik Pandya continue to occupy the top three spots.

The post Suryakumar Yadav, India’s Star Batter, Retains Top Spot In ICC T20I Batting Rankings appeared first on Cricket Country.

Babar Azam-led Pakistan made it into the finals of T20 World Cup 2022 despite losing their first two matches of the super 12 stage. Netherlands’ upset victory over South Africa opened the doors of semi-finals for them. The former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar was impressed with the performance and said they would only get better.

Akhtar on his YouTube channel said “It’s ok guys, I stand with you Pakistan. Shaheen’s injury was a turning point. I wanted the match to go to the last over. It was unfortunate but it’s ok. You have made me happy because Pakistan put up a marvellous fight tonight. India’s bowling couldn’t save them from this England batting line-up, they couldn’t take one wicket. It was a seaming track tonight and Pakistan gave them trouble.”

He told them not to feel disappointed as they would only get better from here. He said “Pull your chin up. Your heads should be high, there is no reason to be demoralized. It’s been a good battle. Just be strict with your team selection and fitness regime. Next year, there’s another World Cup in India (next year). I am telling you guys, whoever wants to be the hero, go and lift the trophy at Wankhede Stadium and bring it back to Pakistan. This is a challenge for you. Go, work on your fitness and there’s the 50-over World Cup in India. That should be our World Cup.  Pick up yourself, train hard and the next World Cup is ours”

The post Shoaib Akhtar’s Bold Message To Babar Azam-led Pakistan Following Loss In T20 World Cup Final appeared first on Cricket Country.

However, fan witnessed an ugly spat between two former Pakistan players Moin Khan and Sikander Bakht. It was the post-match show of the final between England and Pakistan. The argument started when Moin and Bakht were joined by Abdul Razzaq and Aaqib Javed.

Aaqib Javed claimed that PCB is walking on BCCI’s footstep by issuing NOCs to players for participating in international leagues. However, Bakht disagreed to it. Javed said “IPL ne 14 saal se players ko bahar jaane se rok diya. Aaj tak achhi performance nahi aayi World Cup me. Jab tak aapke players England, South Africa, Australia, CPL nahi jaayenge, tab tak seekhenge kaise? Aur ye India karta hai, toh hamaare chairman ne bhi NOC dena shuru kar di.(IPL didn’t allow Indian players to go out and play. They haven’t performed in the World Cup since. If you don’t let your players play abroad, how will they learn? Only because India do this, our chairman also started issuing NOCs for the same)”

Bakht disagreed and said even England doesn’t allow their players to leave during the county season. He said “During the season toh nahi jaane dena chahiye. During the season, England County se kahi bhejte hain? Be honest. Off-season, bilkul jaane dena chahiye. England me County season ke darmiyaan leagues khelne ki ijaazat hoti ya nahi, ye pata lagaayein aap. Agar aapki apni cricket ho rahi ho toh bacchey ko bahar nahi jaana chahiye.(I don’t think you should allow them during the season. Even England don’t send their players during County season. If you are having cricket season, your players shouldn’t go out and play)”

“Ye aapke thought hain(This is your thought),” Moin Khan intervened. Bakht in response to this referred to Moin Khan’s son Azam playing in the Caribbean Premier League and made an explosive remark by saying “Aapke sahabzaade jaate hain, vo theek hai(We know, your son plays),”

Moin Khan replied and said “Sahabzaade ki baat nahi hai. Mujhe dekhke baat karein, aakhein milaake baat karein. Domestic season ko agar aap compare karenge international season se, vo galat hai. ‘Mera beta khelta hai’, aap ajeeb baatein kar rahe hain. Mera beta deserve karta hai isliye khel raha hai. Bekaar baatein kar rahe hain aap. (It’s not about my son. Look at me and then talk, look at me in the eye. You can’t compare domestic season with international seasons. My son deserves, that’s why he’s playing. You’re talking nonsense)”

However, the anchor present in the studio intervened and changed the subject before things could get uglier between the two former Pakistani players.

The post Mera Beta Deserve Karta Hai. Bekar Baatein Kar Rahe Hai Aap: Former Pakistan Cricketers Get Into Heated Spat appeared first on Cricket Country.

In an exclusive conversation with CricketCountry, Kaneria said, “For Rishabh Pant, you will have to understand which format he has done well. He has done well in ODIs and Test cricket. Leaving out Pant was the right call and with the opportunity Dinesh Karthik got and the role that he was given, he was doing really well. You don’t change anything if it doesn’t work in 2-3 games. And if you play Rishabh Pant as an X-factor, you have to realise, you will have to send him early. You get Suryakumar Yadav down the order. But send him early. In a semi-final, you are playing Rishabh Pant and when KL Rahul got out, they should have sent Rishabh Pant to get runs going and give him license to kill. Unfortunately, no one in the dressing room can think out of the box,” said Kaneria

Talking about India’s performance, the former Pakistan leg-spinner reckoned that India’s performance in the tournament was way below-par and the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) did play a part in that.

“India’s performance in this World Cup was not up to the mark. We also need to look at the games India played. There are three big teams that they had to play with and out of the three big teams, they lost to two big teams. They lost to South Africa and then they lost to England. And other than that, they played against Bangladesh, same venue and same ground and they were chasing down and almost won that game. Overall looking into the Indian team, very sad to see that a lucrative IPL – 90 per cent revenue generated and everything but can’t handle the pressure of a knock-out game,” Kaneria added.

“India won the T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 under MS Dhoni. In 2008, the IPL started. In 2011, India won the 50-over World Cup and that is it. After the IPL, India has not won a single T20 ICC tournament. And if you look closely, in ICC events, most of the Indian players get injured.  In a major event like World Cup, Bumrah and Jadeja are not available. And where did the injury come from? It is the IPL because they are playing too many games. I think they need to look into this IPL thing and see that their main players have to cut down on the number of matches they play. So the franchise needs to look into this,” Kaneria said before signing off.

The post T20 World Cup 2022: Picking Dinesh Karthik Ahead Of Rishabh Pant Was The Right Call, Says Former Pakistan Leg-Spinner Danish Kaneria | EXCLUSIVE appeared first on Cricket Country.

The cricket fraternity congratulated the Three-lions for their victory in the huge tournament and wished Pakistan for their exceptional performance with the ball in the final. However, it was Mohammed Shami’s reply to Shoaib Akhtar that went viral. 

Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar tweeted a heartbreak emoji following the loss. Mohammed Shami’s reply to Akhtar’s tweet set the internet on fire. He replied to Shoaib Akhtar’s tweet and wrote “Sorry brother. It’s call karma.”

The tweet from Shami received a lot of heat from Pakistani fans. Shoaib Akhtar replied to it too by posting Harsh Bhogle’s comment on Pakistan’s loss and captioned it with “And this what you call sensible tweet ..”

And this what you call sensible tweet .. pic.twitter.com/OpVypB34O3

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) November 13, 2022

Shahid Afridi also spoke on the matter during an interview with Sama TV. He said “Cricketers serve as ambassadors. We should continually strive to bridge the gap between the two countries (India and Pakistan). Things like this, which foster enmity among individuals, should not happen in my opinion. What could we expect from the common guy, who is illiterate and foolish, if we do this? We should cultivate relationships, and athletics are one activity that will help us do just that. We’d like to play against them and see them in Pakistan.”

“You should not do such things even if you are a retired player. You are currently playing with the squad; you should avoid such things,” Afridi added. 

The post This Foster Enmity Among Individuals: Shahid Afridi Reacts To Mohammed Shami’s ‘Karma’ Tweet appeared first on Cricket Country.

One of the big reason for Pakistan’s loss was the injury of Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 13th over. He landed badly on his leg while taking the catch of Harry Brook. He got the catch but the injury forced him to move out of the ground for the rest of the match.

Iftikhar Ahmed had to ball his remaining balls and this allowed English batters to release the pressure on them and make a comeback in the match. Many Former cricketers have been saying that it was the injury of Afridi that took the game away from Pakistan.

The former World Cup winning captain Imran Khan said the same. He too believed that Shaheen’s injury was the moment England took the game away from them.

“I used to tell my team to fight till the last bowl. Try your best. But when the result comes and you have given your best, then it is God’s will. But what is not in your hands, the way Shaheen Afridi was injured, no one can do anything about that,” Dawn.com quoted Imran Khan.

“And unfortunately, it happened at a time when the match was at a very important stage and Shaheen could have made a difference. I am not saying that we could have won but it was at a time when the game could have been changed,” Imran Khan added.

Imran Khan also appreciated the Pakistani bowling line-up for their efforts in defending a low score like 137 and said “I especially want to say that our fast-bowling attack […] from what I saw today […] is the best fast-bowling attack in the world. Our team right now is among the best teams in the world.”

The post Shaheen Afridi Could Have Made A Difference: Former Pakistan Skipper Reacts To PAK’s Loss In Final appeared first on Cricket Country.