Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has slammed former England skipper Nasser Hussain for his comments on the Indian team not being tough enough before Sourav Ganguly took over as captain. Hussain had earlier spoken about how tough Ganguly-led Team India were on Star Sports show "Cricket Connected". "Nasser (Hussain) went on to say that earlier the team would be wishing the opposition good morning and smiling at them etc. See this perception: That if you are nice then you are weak. That unless you are in the face of the opposition, you are not tough," Gavaskar wrote. "Is he suggesting that Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh to name just a few were not tough? That just because they went about their business without any chest-thumping, swearing, screaming and pumping their arms in obscene gestures, they were weak?" Gavaskar further questioned about Hussain's knowledge of the Indian teams before Ganguly was appointed captain in the year 2000.
Hockey India prez asked to step down
The Sports Ministry has asked Hockey India (HI) president Mushtaque Ahmad to step down, declaring that his 2018 election was violative of the national sports code’s tenure guidelines. In a July 6 letter addressed to HI secretary general Rajinder Singh, the Ministry asked the federation “to conduct fresh election for the post of president” by September 30 for the remaining term. “...the matter has been examined...and it has been observed that Mushtaque Ahmed had earlier served as treasurer in Hockey India from 2010-2014 and secretary general from 2014-2018. The instant term 2018-2022 of Mushtaque as president is his third consecutive term as office-bearer in HI,” the letter said. “Thus his election as president of HI is not in consonance with the government guidelines limiting age and tenure of office-bearers of National Sports Federations,” it added. Under the Sports Code (of 2011), office-bearers of an NSF can have only two consecutive terms of four years each. But after later amendments, a president can hold office for three terms.
BCCI CEO Johri’s resignation accepted
Indian cricket board’s (BCCI) CEO Rahul Johri has stepped down from his position. Johri had tendered his resignation in December last year which was finally accepted by the board last week. As BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah were settling down in their roles, Johri was given an extension after he had tendered his resignation. “He has decided to move on a long time ago. He wanted to leave after the IPL if it had happened as per schedule. But BCCI thought they could use his services during these uncertain times to keep the board functioning amid lockdown,” a BCCI source said. Johri was brought in when Anurag Thakur was the BCCI president in 2016. He was seen as the key man in the day-to-day running of BCCI when the SC disqualified all the veteran office-bearers. He became the trusted lieutenant of the SC-appointed committee of administrators.
Ball tampering during 1989 India-Pak series
Former India wicketkeeper Kiran More has said ball tampering was almost a norm during the team’s 1989 Test tour of Pakistan. More, however, said that neither side reported the other for it and everyone learnt how to scratch the ball and then generate reverse swing. “In those days, scratching the ball was allowed, so you used to get reverse swing, big time,” More said on a podcast. “It was like, nobody used to complain from both sides. Everybody used to scratch the ball and reverse swing the ball. It was difficult to bat, it was not easy to bat. Even Manoj Prabhakar learned on our team how to scratch that ball and reverse swing that ball and Pakistan found it challenging.” More said that the umpires were pretty much powerless to deal with it. While the officials had a word with captains K Srikkanth and Imran Khan, there wasn’t too much of a difference because of it. Wasim Akram was the highest wicket taker with 18 scalps while Prabhakar had taken 11.
