Category: Sports

The Australian media has mocked Indian captain Rohit Sharma, labelling him “Captain Cry Baby” on the front page of ‘The West Australian’ on Monday after the last day of the Boxing Day Test match was played out in Melbourne.

Australia defeated India decisively, taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. 

Australian batters number 10 and 11 built a partnership of 61 runs in the fourth over of the game. During this time, fielders made several mistakes, visibly angering Rohit. 

The very next day, on the fifth day of the game, Western Australia’s sports page targeted Indian captain Rohit Sharma.

Earlier, on the first day of the fourth Test match of the series, Virat Kohli had got into a fight with Australian debutant Sam Konstas, for which he was slammed from all quarters. 

At the end of the 10th over of the match, Virat and Konstas clashed on the shoulders, which led to an altercation between the two, but Usman Khawaja and the umpires intervened.

Virat Kohli was then warned,  fined 20 per cent of his match fee and given a demerit point.

After the incident went viral, The West Australian newspaper ran the headline ‘Clown Kohli’, which angered Indian supporters and fans.

Later, the newspaper published a picture of its 19-year-old cricketer Sam Constas the next day and chose inappropriate words in the caption of the photo, stating, “Virat I am your father”. 

Virat Kohli also got into an argument with a journalist at the airport upon his arrival in Melbourne.

Indian Test cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has decided to retire from Test cricket, multiple media reports have claimed. 

Rohit will announce his retirement at the end of the ongoing Five-Test series against Australia. Top officials of the BCCI and selectors are reportedly also aware of Sharma’s impending plans and his unwillingness to change his decision to retire.

The final date and time of his retirement are still under wraps but Indian media has claimed that he will likely announce his retirement at the end of the fifth Test match in Sydney.

He has scored only 31 runs in six innings of the three Test matches. 

Rohit Sharma retired from T20 format during the presentation ceremony after winning the final of the T20 World Cup in June this year.

At present, Australia is leading 2-1 in the Test series while one Test match was drawn.

It is time for Rohit Sharma to go, says Indian journalist

Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta has said that, “It is time for captain Rohit Sharma to go”, adding to a chorus of speculation on the star player’s career. 

“If he does not announce his retirement, it will be a surprise for me,” Gupta said on the digital platform Sports Tak. The Indian journalist discussed Rohit Sharma’s retirement from captaincy at a time when the team’s performance was under discussion on the second day of the Boxing Day Test on Friday.

Vikrant said, “There is not a single player in India who has told the chief selector that I have had enough. If Rohit Sharma had intended to retire, he would not have opened the innings. When the runs are not coming, the  captain’s respect in the dressing room starts to decrease. No one in cricket remains a captain for life.”

The journalist pointed out that there has been a system of captains coming and going in Indian cricket. “A new captain will come, and social media will have influence on this matter. Rohit is a very good person, he does not have a bad or rude attitude on the field, but the matter is about the Indian team here.”

When the Indian captain came into the field as an opening batsman in the first innings, Pat Cummins dismissed him on an individual score of just 3.

Rohit Sharma scored 3, 6, 10 and 3, respectively, in five innings during the series against Australia, scoring only 22 runs in total.

Rohit Sharma will step down as captain: Sunil Gavaskar

Former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar has predicted that Rohit Sharma will step down as captain if he does not perform well in the upcoming Test matches.

“If Rohit Sharma flops in Melbourne and Sydney, he will resign and will not wait for the selectors’ decision. He will definitely play the last two Test matches, but if Rohit Sharma does not score runs in the last two matches, I think he will step down as captain,” Gavaskar predicted. 

He speculated that Rohit will not become a burden on the team. “He is a cricketer who cares a lot about the team.”

Rohit Sharma has scored only 152 runs in the last 13 Test innings at an average of 11.83, for which he is facing a lot of criticism.

Sharma is currently under criticism due to his recent form and leadership decisions, particularly following India’s losses against New Zealand and Australia.

With netizens losing it over what many speculated to be Australian cricketer Travis Head’s “explicit” celebration in the Test against India, commentator James Berisha has provided context for the same.

Part-time bowler Head on Sunday claimed the wicket of India’s Rishabh Pant, who was batting cautiously with just 30 runs off 104 balls. With Head breaking Yashasvi Jaiswal and Pant’s critical partnership, he celebrated by making a circle with one hand and dipping the index finger of his other hand in it.

With cricketing fans, especially those from India, speculating what the celebration meant, commentator Berisha has shed light on it.

“When Head took four wickets for 10 runs against Sri Lanka in 2022, he jokingly said that now he needs to dip his fingers in ice. This was an indication that his fingers had worked hard, so due to fatigue, they needed to be soaked in ice,” he said.

Earlier, the Australian cricketer himself also posted a photo wherein he was seen sticking his index finger in a glass full of ice.

The picture was reportedly from after the match against Sri Lanka. “Had to put the digit on ice,” he wrote.

Australia defeat India by 184 runs in fourth Test

Australia defeated India by 184 runs in the fourth Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday.

The Indian team was bowled out for 155 runs while chasing a target of 340 runs.

Only two batsmen from India could reach double figures. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 84 while Rishabh Pant scored 30 runs.

Captain Pat Cummins and Scott Boland took three wickets each for Australia.

During the first innings of the fourth Test, Australia scored 474 runs while the Indian team was bowled out for 369 runs, giving the host team a lead of 105 runs.

The Australian team scored 234 runs in the second innings, giving India a target of 340 runs to win.

 Australia has won two matches, India has won one match, and one match has been drawn in this five-match Test series.

South Africa qualified for the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) by defeating Pakistan in the Centurion Test on Sunday.

Australia is almost confirmed as the second finalist in WTC with the win over India.

2024 has been a year of chaos for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with controversies at every turn. Here are the biggest challenges, from leadership changes to team disputes, that the Board faced this year.

Appointment of Mohsin Naqvi as PCB Chairman 

In February, Mohsin Naqvi, who was serving as the caretaker Chief Minister of Punjab, was appointed the 37th chairman of the PCB. His selection drew criticism from various quarters, primarily because of his limited cricketing background. Critics argued that his appointment was politically motivated rather than based on merit. 

PSL 2024 Controversies 

Spectators were reportedly barred from bringing pro-Palestinian banners into stadiums, sparking outrage on social media. The PCB faced backlash for its perceived suppression of free expression.

Several fans were arrested for chanting slogans in support of former Prime Minister Imran Khan during matches, raising concerns over political interference.

Restructuring of the National Selection Committee

Under Naqvi’s leadership, the PCB revamped the National Selection Committee, increasing its size to seven members with equal voting power. The move was intended to make the decision-making process more democratic but was met with scepticism. 

Muhammad Amir and Imad Wasim, who had both retired, were included in the T20 World Cup squad.

Shaheen Afridi’s Removal as Captain 

The PCB made the controversial decision to remove Shaheen Afridi as the captain of Pakistan’s T20 team, citing the need for “strategic changes” and “better team dynamics”. But insiders claimed it stemmed from disagreements between Afridi and the management. After his removal, Babar Azam was appointed as captain before the T20 World Cup 2024.

Poor Performance in the T20 World Cup 

Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup was one of the year’s most spectacular failures. The team failed to progress beyond the group stage, suffering defeats against lower-ranked teams, including the United States. The dismal outcome sparked outrage among fans and analysts, who criticized the PCB for poor planning, inadequate preparation, and flawed team selection.

Dismissal of selectors Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq 

Following the T20 World Cup disaster, the PCB dismissed selectors Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq, holding them responsible for the team’s failure. Both Riaz and Razzaq defended their tenure, pointing fingers at systemic issues within the PCB.

Controversial central contracts 

Yet another controversy sprang up when PCB announced the details of central contracts for the 2024-25 season. Fakhar Zaman was excluded from the central contract following a Tweet in favour of Babar Azam. Many saw this as punitive and demotivating, especially since he had been a key performer for Pakistan in the past. 

Termination and reinstatement of Haris Rauf’s central contract 

Haris Rauf faced a temporary termination of his central contract after opting to play in the Big Bash League instead of a home series. The PCB reinstated his contract after he clarified his position, but the incident highlighted miscommunication and strained player-Board relations.

Resignation of Coach Jason Gillespie 

Former Australian cricketer Jason Gillespie resigned as Pakistan’s red-ball coach, citing “irreconcilable differences” with the PCB. His departure just before a crucial Test series against South Africa added to the turmoil, with critics pointing to PCB’s mismanagement and lack of a cohesive strategy as contributing factors.

India’s sabotage of Champions Trophy 

Political tension between India and Pakistan spilled over into cricket once again when India refused to play their Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan. The PCB agreed to a fusion model, allowing India to play their games in the UAE.

Former fast bowler Mohammad Amir has lashed out at former coaches for keeping bowler Muhammad Abbas out of the team for three years. 

In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: “The national team coaches who kept Muhammad Abbas out of the team for three years due to pace should be brought to the fore. It took the fast bowler three years to return to the team. Abbas’ performance is a slap in the face to those.”

Abbas took seven wickets in the first Test match against South Africa, while in the second innings, he bowled the best  figures of his career by taking six wickets for 54 runs.

The Pakistan team suffered a two-wicket defeat in the Centurion Test against South Africa after a thrilling match, but fast bowler Abbas, who became a part of the national Test team after three years, performed brilliantly in this match.

Australia defeated India by 184 runs in the fourth Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday.

The Indian team was bowled out for 155 runs while chasing a target of 340 runs.

Only two batsmen from India could reach double figures. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored 84 while Rishabh Pant scored 30 runs.

Captain Pat Cummins and Scott Boland took three wickets each for Australia.

During the first innings of the fourth Test, Australia scored 474 runs while the Indian team was bowled out for 369 runs, giving the host team a lead of 105 runs.

The Australian team scored 234 runs in the second innings, giving India a target of 340 runs to win.

 Australia has won two matches, India has won one match, and one match has been drawn in this five-match Test series.

South Africa qualified for the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) by defeating Pakistan in the Centurion Test on Sunday.

Australia is almost confirmed as the second finalist in WTC with the win over India.

The year 2024 is coming to an end, and in these 12 months, many names in the world of cricket were seen reach new heights in their careers, while some cricketers set important records, and others started a new chapter in their personal lives.

Here is a list of eight famous cricketers who started their new lives and got married in 2024.

Shoaib Malik
Former Pakistan cricket team captain Shoaib Malik, after separating from former tennis star Sania Mirza, married Pakistani TV actress Sana Javed on January 19, 2024, in a private ceremony that garnered a lot of media attention.

Ollie Stone
England player Ollie Stone married his fiancée Jessica on October 12, 2024. He had to leave the English team, which was on tour in Pakistan, for his wedding and return home. Immediately after the wedding, he returned and rejoined the team.

Rashid Khan
Afghanistan cricket team’s renowned all-rounder Rashid Khan got married on October 3, 2024, while his brothers Amir Khalil, Zakiullah, and Raza Khan also tied a knot.

David Miller
South African batsman David Miller married his long-time girlfriend, Camilla Harris, on March 10, 2024, in a lavish ceremony in Cape Town. Former Pakistan cricket team captain Wasim Akram revealed that Miller “moved up his wedding date because of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).”

Miller’s stellar performance helped his team, Fortune Barisal, win the BPL trophy for the first time.

Venkatesh Iyer
The year 2024 was a year of immense happiness for Indian cricketer Venkatesh Iyer; first of all, the all-rounder gained a lot of attention with his performance while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024, and his team was also successful in winning the trophy of the event.

On June 2, 2024, he married his ‘love’ Shruti Ragunathan in a private ceremony.

Pakistani Women Cricketers

Alia Riaz
Pakistan women’s cricket team player Alia Riaz married Ali Younis on April 12, 2024. Younis is a former banker and now a cricket commentator. He is also the younger brother of former Pakistan cricket team captain Waqar Younis.

Javeria Khan
Former Pakistan Women’s Cricket Team captain Javeria Khan married Waqas on February 5, 2024. Their grand wedding ceremony was held in Karachi and attended by their relatives and friends.

Javeria represented the Pakistan Women’s Team in 228 international matches and retired in March 2024, a month after her wedding.

Sidra Amin
The last marriage of an international cricketer this year was Sidra Amin, another player of the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Team. She tied the knot with Adil Masood on December 28 in a private housing society in Lahore.

An 87-year-old record for the number of spectators during the Australia-India Boxing Day Test match has been broken.

By the first session of the fifth day of the Australia and India Test match, 351,104 spectators had come to the arena to watch the match. 

A Test match played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1937 was watched by 350,034 spectators at the Australia-England Boxing Day Test.

In addition, 90,293 spectators came to the Pakistan-India match at the MCG in the T20 World Cup 2022.

The Boxing Day Test match is mostly popular in Australia, which traditionally begins on December 26 after Christmas, where the host team competes against the visiting team at the historic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

South Africa qualified for the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) by defeating Pakistan in the Centurion Test, after which the other finalist team will face India and Australia.

On Sunday, South Africa defeated Pakistan by two wickets in a thrilling match in the first Test of the two-match series to take a 1-0 lead in the series and also made it to the final of the World Test Championship for the first time.

Before the start of the two-match series against Pakistan, South Africa needed to win only one match to qualify for the World Test Championship final.

However, after defeating Pakistan in the first Test, the result of the second Test match of the series will not have any impact on South Africa as the Proteas have already qualified for the World Test Championship final to be held at Lord’s in June next year.

South Africa is currently first on the World Test Championship points table, Australia is second, and India is third.

After Pakistan’s defeat in the first Test, India and Australia are now in tough competition to make it to the final of the World Test Championship.

What will India or Australia have to do to qualify for the WTC final?

After the draw of the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India’s points average has come down from 57.29 to 55.88, while Australia’s points average is 58.89.

India has only one match left after the Melbourne Test, while Australia still has three games left.

Australia also has to play a 2-Test series against Sri Lanka after the series against India.

If India wins the Melbourne Test against Australia and the last Test of the series, which is to be held in Sydney, is won by Australia and the series is drawn 2-2, then India will complete its WTC cycle with 126 points and an average of 55.26 points.

However, Australia can then overtake India by drawing both Tests against Sri Lanka or by winning at least one of them and qualifying for the World Test Championship final.

The same situation will happen if Australia wins the Melbourne Test but loses in Sydney. The series must be tied 2-2 at the end.

If India draws the Melbourne Test and wins in Sydney, they will finish the WTC cycle with 130 points and an average of 57.01 points.

In this case, Australia will have to beat Sri Lanka 0-2 to qualify for the WTC final.

If India loses the Melbourne Test but manages to draw the Sydney Test, the Indian team will end its WTC cycle with 118 points. However, Australia can overtake them by the end of the series against Sri Lanka and go to the final.

If India draws both the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, they will finish the WTC cycle with 122 points and an average of 53.50 points.

In this case, Australia will have to win at least one match against Sri Lanka to surpass India and qualify for the final.

Given the current situation, Australia has a better chance than India to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, easily get out of the if-but situation and play the final of the World Test Championship once again.

South Africa defeated Pakistan by two wickets on Sunday in a thrilling contest to win the Centurian Test.

South Africa lost eight wickets on 98 runs, but Maraco Jasnen and Kagiso Rabad took Pakistani bowlers head on. Rabada scored 31, and Jansen scored 16 runs to win the first Test by two wickets.

When play began on the fourth day of the first Test match of the series being played in Centurion, South Africa scored 27 runs in pursuit of 147 runs, losing three wickets.

Tony de Zorzi scored two, Kelly Warren two, David Bedingham 14, Ryan Rickelton and Corbin Bosh 0, while Tristan Stubbs returned to the pavilion after scoring one run.

Aiden Markram and captain Timba Bawuma formed a partnership of 43 runs, but Markram lost his wicket after scoring 37 runs. Timba Bawuma played a resistant innings of 40 runs with the help of 4 fours and a six.

For Pakistan, Mohammad Abbas took six while Naseem Shah and Khurram Shahzad took one wicket each.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, India’s newest Test centurion, owes his success to his father’s sacrifices. 

Nitish scored a century against Australia in the fourth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy on Saturday. Mutyala Reddy, Nitish’s father, was at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and saw his son score his first international and Test century. 

Nitish reached the milestone by hitting Scott Boland for a four. His father was moved to tears while Nitish kneeled on the field, placed his helmet on the bat, and looked up to thank God. Captain Rohit Sharma and his teammates applauded as Nitish walked off the field at 105, not out.

Nitish said, “I wasn’t serious about cricket in my early days. My father’s decision to leave his job and the financial struggles they faced motivated me.”

 
He dedicated his first jersey to his father, who was overjoyed. Nitish first showcased his talent in Andhra Pradesh’s age-group tournaments, catching the eye of former India wicketkeeper MSK Prasad. He made headlines with a 441-run knock against Nagaland in the 2016-17 Vijay Merchant Trophy.

Despite doubts about Nitish’s abilities, his father supported his dream by providing better training facilities. Nitish made his first-class debut three years later and was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for 20 lakh Indian rupees in 2023. 

Nitish debuted internationally in a T20I against Bangladesh in October 2024 and later signed a six crore INR contract with SRH. His consistent performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have silenced critics, with 284 runs in six innings at an average of 71, making him India’s top scorer in the series.

Nitish’s century not only secured his place in Indian cricket but also helped India out of a tough spot. His family, who travelled from India to Melbourne, expressed their pride. His sister talked about their tense but confident hope, while his father called it a special day, especially against a strong team like Australia.