New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup-winning Indian team led by Rohit Sharma are set to arrive home as the players finally left for Delhi after being stranded in Barbados for three days due to Hurricane Beryl.

The T20 World Cup-winning squad, accompanied by its support staff, several BCCI officials, the players’ families, and 22 Indian journalists left Barbados around 6 am on Wednesday (IST).

Rohit Sharma, Shivam Dube, and Mohammad Siraj gave an update on ‘Instagram’ of their departure with a picture of them holding the T20 World Cup trophy with the caption, “Coming home.”

Upon their arrival in New Delhi, the Indian team will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi around 11 am. Soon after the meeting with the Prime Minister, the team will depart for Mumbai.

A source has confirmed to IANS that in Mumbai, the “BCCI has arranged an open-top bus ride followed by a function at the Wankhede Stadium.” The bus ride is expected to be around Marine Drive and is likely to start around 4 pm.

The World Cup winning team was originally scheduled to depart from Barbados at 11 am local time (8:30 PM IST) on Monday but the departure was delayed due to Hurricane Beryl, which intensified from category 3 to 5.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Former South Africa cricketer and SA20 league commissioner, Graeme Smith has praised the performance of the Proteas men’s team at the T20 World Cup and noted the increased positivity around South African cricket, both locally and internationally.

The Proteas lost narrowly to India by seven run in the Final as Smith wished to congratulate the team. “We are proud of the Proteas’ achievements at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.” he said.

“From the outset, the league, alongside cricket South Africa, has wanted to provide South African cricketers with the opportunity to be exposed to a higher level of domestic cricket where the players are able to rub shoulders and learn from some of the best the game has to offer.

“Coupled with a unique fan experience that has brought the cricket-loving public back to our stadiums to support our heroes on the field, there is now a bridge that joins provincial and international cricket. Players are exposed to high-pressure and competitive cricket and this experience stood them in good stead in the US and Caribbean,” he added.

Smith was particularly pleased to see the leading wicket-taker in the history of SA20 Ottniel Baartman having made his debut at a global showpiece and excelling.

“Ottniel is the epitome of a SA20 success story. A relatively unknown player that has transformed and grown in confidence due to experiences with the Sunrisers Eastern Cape is phenomenal. Despite playing in his very first T20 World Cup, he backed his skills under immense pressure. The four wickets against the Netherlands and the last over against Nepal definitely stands out,” he said.

The 43-year-old feels the Proteas’ results in the US and Caribbean plays directly into the hands of SA20’s overall objectives.

“People can be positive about cricket in the country again. These are things that are important to us. Together with cricket South Africa, we are committed to continuing to provide opportunities and platforms for our players to excel and inspire the next generation of cricketing talent in South Africa.

“Hopefully we have played a role in benefiting South African cricket through the SA20. It has been encouraging to hear players’ positive comments about the League throughout the T20 World Cup, with players crediting the opportunity it has created to contribute to South Africa’s cricketing talent,” said Smith.

He also wished to congratulate Proteas’ men’s T20 captain Aiden Markram on his superb leadership skills for the tournament.

“Aiden was particularly good during the tournament. He was tactically astute, had good plans and was brave enough to make the big calls and then get all his players to commit to it. We have of course seen Aiden captain in this manner before over the course of the past two SA20 seasons, leading the Sunrisers Eastern Cape to back-to-back championship titles, but now he has transferred this experience to the international arena,” said the former Proteas captain.

The entire Proteas T20 Cup squad are due to participate in South Africa’s premier T20 competition Season 3, which will commence on January 9 to February 8, 2025.

–IANS

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Silverstone (England), July 3 (IANS) The ripple effects of what transpired in the final ten laps of the Austrian GP is expected to be on full display at the Silverstone Grand Prix this weekend.

Three time World Champion, Max Verstappen and the only man who has shown any kind of threat to the Dutch, Lando Norris made contact at the Red Bull Ring which resulted in Norris having to retire the car.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has made comments on the event and how Verstappen will react this weekend stating “he is not going to change”.

“I understand they’ve (Max and Lando) spoken already, I don’t think there is any issue Certainly, from Max’s side, he’s not going to change. There’s an element, I think, of Lando learning how to race Max and they’re discovering that. Inevitably, there is going to be more close racing between the two of them as the cars look so close over the forthcoming races,” said Horner to Sky Sports.

Norris won his first ever race at the Miami Grand Prix earlier in the season and has constantly finished in the top three.

Mclaren as a team has drastically improved this season to the extent that Verstappen himself admitted that Red Bull may not be the fastest car on the circuit anymore.

Norris and Mclaren know that Red Bull is in a vulnerable position but they have failed to capitalise on their advantage as the team should be winning races more often and will hope Lando’s home race at the British Grand Prix falls in his favour.

“Max (Verstappen) is a hard racer – he’s probably one of the hardest racers on the circuit and everybody knows that if you’re going to race against Max, he’s going to give as good as he gets. I’m sure it’s going to be a partisan crowd for the British drivers as it is for Max in Holland, but I think whenever we go to those tracks there is always respect for the other drivers,” Horner added.

Verstappen has a comfortable lead in the drivers championship with 237 points to his name. Lando being his nearest competitor sits at 156 points, a gap which widened when Lando was forced to retire his car.

“He’ll have his head down and he won’t change. He’s the racer he is and I’m sure he’ll race just as hard this weekend,” concluded the Red Bull team principle.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Many were unsure how wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant would fare on his return to international cricket through the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.

He had scored 446 runs in 13 matches on return to competitive cricket for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2024 and looked at his best behind the stumps, an aspect where many had kept their eyes on, especially after his right knee was reconstructed and needed lengthy rehabilitation post injuries sustained in a life-threatening car-accident in December 2022.

But Pant thrived at his new number three position in the side, amassing 171 runs in eight innings, averaging 24.42 at a strike-rate of 127.61, as India went on to lift the trophy for the second time at Barbados.

He also impressed with his wicketkeeping skills, taking 13 catches and effecting a stumping to set the record for most dismissals by a keeper in any edition of Men’s T20 World Cup. From being in a period of utmost pain and uncertainty towards what future had in store, Pant now finds himself as a T20 World Cup champion.

Before departing for New Delhi from Barbados with the Indian team, Pant took to social media to reflect on the remarkable 18-month period of him being on crutches, doing all simple things like climbing stairs, shuffling and running to go all the way in lifting the T20 World Cup trophy at Barbados.

“Blessed, Humbled & Grateful. God has it’s own plan,” wrote Pant. In another post, Pant posed with his winner’s medal and captioned, “This medal hits you differently.”

From a life-threatening accident to becoming a T20 World Cup winner, it has been an absolutely incredible journey for Pant, which reinforces the belief of people in hardwork, perseverance and determination having the power of making life turn from any situation towards glory via hardwork, determination and perseverance.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley congratulated the Afghanistan men’s cricket team for their victory over Australia in the league phase of the recently concluded T20 World Cup and reiterated commitment to resume bilateral cricket with the Asian nation.

Earlier this year, in March, Cricket Australia postponed a men’s T20I series against Afghanistan, scheduled for August this year, citing the deterioration of human rights for women and girls in the country. This decision followed their previous postponement of an ODI series against Afghanistan.

“We hope for progress and will continue to discuss and maintain contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board. They had a fantastic tournament with phenomenal players and played with great passion. Regarding our bilateral matches, we have consulted extensively with stakeholders, including the Australian government, and chose to postpone our last couple of series with Afghanistan on human rights grounds,” Hockley replied to IANS query in a selected media interaction.

“We maintain a close relationship and regular dialogue with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and want to see cricket thrive worldwide for both men and women. We hope for progress and continue to discuss and maintain contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, aiming to resume bilateral cricket against Afghanistan in the future,” he said.

The CA chief also highlighted the Afghanistan women’s team’s exile in Australia and their request to the ICC to play. Hockley confirmed that discussions on this topic would likely take place in upcoming ICC meetings, while also noting that several Afghan women cricketers are already integrated into local cricket clubs in Australia.

“We understand that the Afghanistan women based in Australia have written to the ICC. We have meetings coming up in Colombo in July, and I’m sure it will be a topic of conversation. The Afghan women in Australia are engaged with the cricketing community, but it’s not something we were directly involved in,” he said.

Hockley also hinted at the possibility of organising a tri-series involving cricketing powerhouses India and Pakistan in Australia. This announcement comes as a significant development, given that the two cricketing giants have not played a bilateral series since the 2012–13 season, limiting their encounters to global ICC events.

“Pakistan and India are traditional rival teams; there is a lot of excitement for their matches,” Hockley said.

While no formal talks have been initiated yet, he reiterated Cricket Australia’s openness to facilitate and support such initiatives. “To the extent that we’d be able to facilitate or help in that, we’d be very open to do so. However, the final decision rests with the respective cricket boards of India and Pakistan.”

This statement underscores CA’s willingness to bridge the gap between the two nations, leveraging Australia’s neutral grounds to bring fans the electrifying experience of India-Pakistan cricket outside of ICC tournaments.

The excitement surrounding an India-Pakistan series is palpable, particularly after their recent clash in the 2024 T20 World Cup group stage held in New York, which attracted 90,293 spectators.

India emerged victorious by six runs, with Rohit Sharma’s team eventually lifting the trophy, while Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, failed to advance beyond the group stage.

Reflecting on the enthusiasm for these matches, Hockley shared, “Given the schedules, we haven’t had formal discussions in that regard, but we have said it on the record that we will be happy to host the India vs. Pakistan bilateral series.”

The Melbourne Cricket Club and the Victorian government have also expressed interest in hosting such high-profile games, following the massive turnout and success of past events.

Moreover, Hockley highlighted the necessity for bilateral series to carry more weight and significance, akin to the World Test Championship (WTC) structure. “The ODI World Cup, which India hosted last year, was fantastic. I think the ten-team format, where every game counts, is excellent.

“From an Australian perspective, we would continue to value all three formats and would also want that each bilateral series must have consequences in terms of qualifications for the World Cups,” he concluded.

–IANS

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