Handscomb optimistic Australia will hold T20 World Cup

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“Peter Handscomb (R) said there were positive signs for Australian sport. ©AFP” /> Sydney (AFP) – Australia batsman Peter Handscomb said he was hopeful the Twenty20 World Cup would proceed as planned later this year, citing signs other Australian sports were preparing to end COVID-19-related suspensions. All sports including cricket are currently on hold in Australia and strict travel restrictions have cast doubt on whether the 16-nation tournament will go ahead in October and November. But Australia’s success in containing the virus has seen the National Rugby League and Australian…

Banned cricket hero Shakib auctions bat for Bangladesh virus victims

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“Former Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan is revered at home despite being banned for two years for failing to report a match-fixing approach. ©AFP” /> Dhaka (AFP) – Former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan, banned in October for failing to report a match-fixing attempt, raised almost $24,000 for the country’s coronavirus campaign by auctioning the bat he used to score 606 runs at last year’s World Cup. The winning bidder at the online auction Wednesday was a New York-based Bangladeshi, said Arif R. Hossain, co-founder of an organisation established to…

Family man Woakes ready for ‘quarantine’ Tests

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“Restrictions – England’s Chris Woakes is prepared for behind-closed-doors Tests at ‘bio-secure’ venues . ©AFP” /> London (AFP) – England paceman Chris Woakes believes players will accept being “quarantined” if that helps Test cricket resume following the coronavirus outbreak. Cricket worldwide has been brought to a standstill by the spread of COVID-19, with the start of the English season delayed until May 28 at the earliest. England are meant to begin a three-Test series against the West Indies on June 4 but it now looks increasingly likely those matches will…

County cricketers play waiting game during virus lockdown

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“Hampshire’s Tom Alsop celebrates reaching a century in Southampton. ©AFP” /> London (AFP) – County cricketer Tom Alsop is kicking his heels because intial financial fallout from a prolonged shutdown. Hampshire player Alsop has been placed on the furlough scheme — which sees 80 percent of wages up to a certain level covered by the British government.The players are in talks with the club about the remaining 20 percent. The 24-year-old, who says county cricketers’ wages are “very good for what we do”, said the issue pales into insignificance compared…

Pakistan’s Malik asks for cricket ban to be dropped

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“Salim Malik, seen here in 2008, was banned for life after he was accused of offering members of the Australian team bribes to underperform. ©AFP” Karachi (AFP) – Former Pakistani cricket captain Salim Malik pleaded with sporting authorities Wednesday to drop his lifetime ban and allow him the chance to coach. Malik, 57, was found guilty of match fixing after a judicial inquiry in 2000 in a scandal that rocked the cricket-mad nation. Australians Shane Warne, Mark Waugh and Tim May had accused him of offering them bribes to underperform…

‘Corruptors may take social media route’ – ICC cautions players, agents

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COURTESY BY: https://www.espncricinfo.com/ In a proactive measure, the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has asked players across the world to remain alert to corrupt elements attempting to take advantage of the current global lockdown by trying to contact them via social media. The ACU believes what might seem to be an “innocent” message from an “unsolicited contact” may actually be a “prelude to a corrupt approach”. Consequently, on April 14, the ACU sent out an ‘Alert Notice’ to all member boards, players, player agents and players’ associations, asking everyone to be…

PCB begins online fitness tests of centrally contracted players

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COURTESY BY: https://www.cricingif.com/ In unprecedented circumstances amid the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to go ahead with the online fitness tests to ensure that players are not slacking off and becoming sluggish. Therefore, in this first phase of the tests, left-arm batsman Haris Sohail, Mohammad Abbas, Asad Shafiq and former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed have undergone rigorous testing at home – monitored through video link. Test opener Shan Masood, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim are also part of the list of players who were tested…

More bad news from ICC headquarters regarding T20 World Cup 2020

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COURTESY BY: https://cricflare.com/ The coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc across the sporting world, cancelling and postponing every event in its path. Much like all other field sports, cricket too has been hit hard by the global crisis as countries strengthen rules and regulations in a bid to combat the sporead of the disease. With Australia having sealed its borders for six months till September 30 to deal with the coronavirus crisis, there is a growing feeling that the T20 World Cup scheduled to take place from October 18 to November 15…

South Africa confirm their tour of Sri Lanka is off

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COURTESY BY: https://cricflare.com/ South Africa, on Monday, confirmed that their white ball tour of Sri Lanka that was to be contested in June has been called off due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both the nations were due to lock horns in 3 ODIs and as many T20Is, with the 50-over matches South Africa’s first in the International Cricket Council’s new ODI league. The pandemic has been haunting cricket activities all around the world. As of now, every international and major domestic event stands suspended due to the crisis. If not…

England’s Moeen ready to return to Tests despite ‘scapegoat’ past

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“Moeen Ali is ready to return to Test duty for England. ©AFP” /> London (AFP) – Moeen Ali says he is ready to return to Test action for England after a self-imposed exile from the red-ball game despite having been made to feel like “a scapegoat” in the past. All-rounder Moeen missed the Test matches during England’s winter tours of New Zealand and South Africa after taking a spell away from the longest format of the game. The 32-year-old, who continued to play limited overs matches for England, has been…