Top Stories: Things that made news in the cricket world today

ICC reacts after mobile phone was used in Karachi Kings dugout in PSL 2020

• Cricket has seen many instances for unfair usage of technology being done during matches.
• And, in a recent controversy that came up during the on-going Pakistan Super League, saw calls being made from the dugout during the match, which brought the tournament into the cricket community’s discussions for wrong reasons.
• (Read more about the story)

Entry gate of Motera Stadium collapses ahead of the arrival of US President Donald Trump

• The Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad is hogging the headlines recently as it is set to become the world’s largest stadium after its inaugural on February 24.
• All eyes will be on US President Donald Trump, who will be visiting the stadium during his two-day visit to India.
• (Read more about the story)

‘When I met Stuart Binny, we were both nowhere’ – Mayanti Langer

• Mayanti Langer, the popular sports presenter, had to hustle along at the start of her career.
• But presently, she is one of the renowned figures in India’s sports broadcasting.
• (Read more about the story)

Jason Gillespie lauds Ishant Sharma’s five-wicket haul against New Zealand

• The Indian cricket team might be staring down the barrel in the first Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington but the fact that they managed to restrict the Kiwis to 348 was largely due to the lion-hearted effort from pace spearhead Ishant Sharma.
• After having passed the fitness test and travelling to New Zealand at the nth hour, Ishant braved jetlag to put on a lion-hearted effort for his side by claiming his 11th five-wicket haul; his second in three innings at Wellington and in as many Test matches for the Men in Blue.
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IPL changed Indian cricket, PSL will do the same for Pakistan: Shahid Afridi

• Shahid Afridi, the former Pakistan all-rounder, reckons that the Indian Premier League (IPL) has helped Indian cricket grow leaps and bounds over the years.
• The 39-year-old also feels that in the future, the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will also play the same role for Pakistan cricket.
• (Read more about the story)

‘Batsmen don’t get out anymore’ – Ravichandran Ashwin downplays India’s inability to dismiss the lower-order

• Some things in life fail to change and the inability of the Indian bowlers to dislodge the lower-order of the opposition is one of them.
• The third day of the first Test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington was just another testification of the aforementioned fact.
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South Africa call up Reeza Hendricks for final two T20Is against Australia

• The South African team’s misery continued as they faltered to their biggest defeat in T20Is when Australia beat them by 107 runs at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
• The home team was skittled out for just 89 runs in the chase of 197-run target thanks to some amazing bowling from left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, who picked up a fifer, which included a hat-trick as well.
• (Read more about the story)

Bangladesh emerges as a most-searched team on Google amid Women’s T20 World Cup 2020

• ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 got underway on February 21 amidst all the glitz and a glittering opening ceremony.
• Indian eves defeated hosts and defending champions Australia to kickstart their campaign in the tournament on a positive note.
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‘MS Dhoni should play till the 2023 World Cup’ – Venugopal Rao

• MS Dhoni, the former Indian skipper’s future as an international cricketer is currently the talk of the town. Nobody knows what the future holds for the veteran wicketkeeper.
• However, there is one player that is in favour of Dhoni to play until the 2023 World Cup whereas many former players want him to bid adieu to international cricket.
• (Read more about the story)

‘He missed the trick’ – VVS Laxman dissapointed with Virat Kohli’s captaincy on the third day of Wellington Test

• Indian Cricket Team is staring down at a defeat in the opening Test of the two-match series at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
• And, the dwindling form of two of their best players- Jasprit Bumrah and skipper Virat Kohli- have been at the heart of continuing dismal returns in the ongoing Test.
• (Read more about the story)

West Indies fined for slow over-rate in first ODI against Sri Lanka

• West Indies have been fined 40 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Colombo yesterday.
• Javagal Srinath of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions after Kieron Pollard’s side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
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Mark Boucher sends a stern warning to South African players ahead of T20 World Cup

• That South African cricket is going through its worst phase- both on and off the pitch- will not be an aberration.
• After having lost a closely contested series against England, the Proteas’ hopes of taking strides towards zeroing on a match-winning combination for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia were ripped to the tatters when they were knocked over for their lowest-ever total of 89 by the Aussies in the first T20I at the Bullring.
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Ishant Sharma slams Jasprit Bumrah’s critics

• Just a few bad games on the field and the majority of the cricketing ecosystem forgets who you really are, even if you are a world-class bowler.
• It is indeed funny how the fans jump into conclusions by judging a player after a few bad spells and India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been treated badly by a certain section of fans on social media.
• (Read more about the story)

Mayanti Langer reveals that she got rejected for IPL four times in a row

• Mayanti Langer Binny is one of the biggest faces in the world of sports broadcasting today. From initially hating cricket to rejecting the offer to host the now-defunct Indian Cricket League to hosting global events including Hockey World Cup, FIFA World Cup 2010, 2012 Summer Olympics and of-course ICC events including the 2015 and 2019 World Cups and now the Indian Premier League, Langer has done it all in the past decade.
• But everything has not been as hunky-dory for Langer-Binny in her career.
• (Read more about the story)

‘If he is guilty, then you can shout as much you want’ – Kamran Akmal on Umar Akmal

• The fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League was all set to kickstart in a magnanimous manner but then it was dealt with an absolute shocker when it came to light that out of favor former batsman Umar Akmal had been reprimanded for breaching the PCB code of conduct.
• The precociously talented Akmal was accused of having contact with the bookies, which he initially denied before finally accepting the same after damning evidence of his call intercepts were presented to the former Pakistani International by the anti-disciplinary committee in the presence of who’s who of the Pakistan Cricket Board [PCB].
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Virat Kohli among the most valuable athletes on Twitter

• Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper has emerged as the run machine for Team India across all the formats.
• He is rated as one of the best batsmen across the globe.
• (Read more about the story)