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DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE faces a serious reality check in white­ball The wicketkeeper­batsman has not done enough to justify the think­tank’s faith SA IN INDIA making it to the Indian ribbean, came after a dis­ criticism is equally quick to tential to seriously hurt the team, he is considered most mal sequence of 3, 1 (against follow. team. For the record, Pant RAKESH RAO suited for the 20­over game. Australia), 0 and 4 (against has an average of 44.35 in MOHALI the West Indies). Shastri not pleased Tests, 22.90 in ODIs and just Story of inconsistency Clearly, Pant has not No wonder, Shastri ex­ 21.57 in T20s. The rained­off opener in the However, going beyond rep­ done enough to justify the pressed his displeasure re­ The sustained faith of the three­match T20 series at utation, Pant’s statistics in faith of the team’s think­ cently by pointing out National selectors on Pant, Dharamshala means India the shortest format tell a tank. When playing a Pant’s first­ball dismissal in in all three formats, seems and have one story of inconsistency. In 17 match­winning role, any the ODI at Trinidad last to have almost slammed the opportunity less to test innings, Pant has 10 single­ stroke­maker looks good. month, to illustrate the door on the future of the their new recruits. digit scores. Pant is no different. But point. more experienced duo of Besides the lesser­known Pant’s highest of 65 not sometimes, when he gets it Indeed, Pant’s inconsis­ in Tests names waiting in both the out at Providence, in his wrong and departs in trying tency was not missed by the and in ODIs. dugouts to come good this previous outing in the Ca­ to slog the first ball he faces, team even in the euphoria week at Mohali and Benga­ that follows his rare, ram­ Time needed luru, one man eager to paging knocks. No one questions Saha’s su­ change the current narra­ Much like Virender Seh­ perior ’keeping skills and tive is Rishabh Pant. CSA, Amul join forces wag at the start of his inter­ Karthik’s steady head in Rebuked by coach Ravi national career around two crunch situations. Shastri for his “rash stroke Press Trust of India remaining two games. decades ago, Pant, too, has Pant surely needs time to selection” in crunch situa­ NEW “Amul is very proud to delighted and disappointed mature and that seems to be tions, the 21­year­old wick­ India dairy giant Amul be associated as the his fans in almost equal the reason behind the selec­ etkeeper­batsman is facing was on Monday roped in Asian partner to the measure. tors’ persistence. some serious reality check by Standard Bank Proteas Many experts feel, given Even in T20 or ODIs, ma­ in white ball cricket. (CSA) as its new partner for the forthcoming T20 the youngster’s mindset ny feel Pant stands to gain Pant realises that de­ for the ongoing three­ matches,” Dr. R.S. Sodhi, and free­stroking approach much from the calming pre­ pending on the of the match T20I series Managing Director, to the challenges of mod­ sence of M.S. Dhoni, if avail­ shot he attempts, opinions against ’s men. Amul, said. ern­day cricket, no serious able. get reinforced. Amul, ranked 73rd “CSA is excited about corrections are needed. For now, the youngster is One among the few play­ globally, will feature on our new partnership When the going is good, all by himself. Before it’s too ing all three formats, Pant is the back of the T20 shirt with Amul,” said CSA Pant becomes the best ad­ late, he has to find ways of yet to firm up his place. of the South African Chief Executive Thabang vertisement of batsmanship contributing more to the Since Pant made an impres­ team during the Moroe. in white ball cricket. But his team, and not playing to the Talented, but... Rishabh Pant needs to put his head down and make sure to put a price on his sion during the IPL before inconsistency has the po­ galleries. . * AKHILESH KUMAR BCCI accepts FIR filed against two for CONTROVERSY Allegations of fixing surface in TNPL Karthik’s apology ‘match­fixing’ attempt TNCA has constituted a panel to look into the charges S. Dinakar DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD a full­blown crisis for the case against them. It is also DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Chennai TNPL. possible that these men are ACU chief says action taken after a leading women’s B The issue has developed There are serious questions Allegations, in particular, innocent and victims of cir­ into a full-blown crisis for cricketer alerted the unit being asked about the Tamil have been made against a cumstances. Time will tell. the TNPL Nadu Premier League. And First Class batsman with a A franchise, with a ques­ B Some cricketers have been Shayan Acharya corded the conversation she learnt that Bafna offered the they travel to the heart of the penchant for attacking crick­ tionable ownership pattern MUMBAI approached through had with one of the accused player ₹1 lakh per match dur­ competition itself. et, a top­order southpaw and rather dubious selection WhatsApp messages The Anti­Corruption Unit over the telephone,” BCCI ing the India­ series. Is the league clean? Or, with loads of experience, of its XI for the various (ACU) of the Board of Con­ ACU chief Ajit Singh told Bafna — who hails from Od­ are some cricketers dirty? and a coach who was a fine games, is under the micro­ B There is also an urgent need for the TNCA to trol for Cricket in India Sportstar. isha — also requested the Have there been any instanc­ left­hander in his time. A scope too. The side has fal­ increase the fee to the (BCCI) has registered a First player if the ODI of es of match or spot­fixing in couple of lesser­known len into bad days after a players Information Report (FIR) Modus operandi the team could also be roped this competition coaches, one without any rousing beginning. DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD against two individuals — Ra­ Kothari — who claimed to be in for the ‘plan’. last season? First Class experience, are al­ Dinesh Karthik. * FILE PHOTO kesh Bafna and Jitendra a sports manager — got in “Initially the call was Right now there is an in­ so under a cloud. Security issues access to the players in the Kothari — at the Ashok Nagar low key hotels in the districts Press Trust of India touch with the cricketer last made via WhatsApp and Baf­ vestigation by the BCCI’s An­ At this moment, these are While the security at the Police Station in Bengaluru is rather easy. New Delhi year through Instagram, of­ na said that endorsement ti Corruption Unit (ACU) to nothing more than allega­ TNPL venues during the for an alleged attempt of fering her managerial servic­ would be for a noted Indian probe into the allegations. tions. The ACU needs to met­ games is tight — there are It is here that some du­ The Board of Control for match­fixing and cheating. es. After a few weeks, he clothing brand. But soon, he Apparently, the ACU has iculously collect evidence, if four ACU officers present — bious deals, potentially, Cricket in India (BCCI) on According to the FIR, Baf­ couriered a copy of a con­ directly approached her to some evidence on a few there are any, and build a many are of the view that the could be done. There is thus Monday accepted India na had approached one of tract, but the player could fix matches. The player told players and coaches but it re­ a need for tight security at wicketkeeper­batsman Di­ the prominent members of not sign it since she was tour­ him that there was a bad mains to be seen if that the hotels. Right now, they nesh Karthik’s uncondi­ India’s National women’s ing with the Indian team. connection and he could call would be enough to nail are porous. tional apology for violating team (name withheld on re­ However, the cricketer de­ her on her regular number,” them. No international player Some cricketers have a clause of his central con­ quest) earlier this year, offer­ cided to not sign the con­ Ajit said. been approached through tract by watching a Carib­ ing her a huge amount of tract later. LS in panel WhatsApp messages. And bean Premier League money if she joined hands In February this year, Recorded conversation The TNCA, stung by the alle­ involved: ACU chief many of them have been re­ match from a participating with them. Kothari again contacted the On realising that things were gations, has constituted a pa­ ported by the cricketers to team’s dressing room. The incident happened in player and put her through fishy, the cricketer recorded nel to look into the charges. Press Trust of India out who those people the ACU. Karthik tendered an February, ahead of the limit­ to Bafna — claiming he had a the conversation and report­ The committee includes NEW DELHI are. We have recorded There is also an urgent “unconditional apology” ed­overs series against En­ business offer for her. At that ed the matter to BCCI’s ACU. former cricketers such as L. The BCCI’s ACU chief Ajit the statements of the need for the TNCA to in­ for violating BCCI’s central gland — which was part of In­ time, the player was at the Since the incident hap­ Sivaramakrishnan. Singh has ruled out the players and will try to crease the fee to the cricke­ contract clause by watch­ ternational Cricket Council National Cricket Academy in pened before an ICC event, And P.S. Raman, chair­ possibility of any track the senders of the ters in the TNPL. Right now, ing a Caribbean Premier (ICC)’s World Bengaluru, undergoing re­ the ICC anti­corruption unit man, TNPL governing coun­ international player messages,” he told an international cricketer re­ League game from the Championship. covery sessions. got into business. After in­ cil, said the tournament had being a suspect. reporters here. ceives only ₹5 lakh for the Shah Rukh Khan co­owned “Today, we have got an “Kothari was trying to sell vestigation, it observed that zero tolerance towards cor­ “There is no entire tournament and the Trinbago Knight Riders’ FIR registered against two himself as the manager of va­ “Bafna took advantage of ruption in the game. “Some players have international player... others get less. dressing room. people in Bengaluru. The rious women cricketers. It Kothari’s ineptitude and the Right from the first year of reported that they any player who has got And the TNCA has to find received WhatsApp “The BCCI has accepted FIR pertains to an approach was he who introduced Baf­ player had rightly made a re­ the TNPL, in 2016, there the message, he is a better revenue­sharing mo­ messages from certain Dinesh Karthik’s apology that was made to one of the na to the player. He ap­ port of the approach. Bafna have been reports of at­ supposed to report it to del for the TNPL so that the unknown people. and the matter is now a women cricketers of the proached her to fix matches was warned for his action tempts by some bookies to us, it’s part of his franchises do not lose mo­ closed chapter,” a Board of­ team. She reported the ap­ and play according to the and reported to the BCCI infiltrate the league. Now, “We are trying to find obligation,” he added. ney and resort to desperate ficial said. proach to us and even re­ script,” Ajit said. It has been and ICC.” the issue has developed into measures. ‘My goal is to perform well in every match’ South Africa­A looks to bounce back Ganguly skirts Kohli vs Smith I’m not the sort to feel bad about losing my spot in the team, says Saha has been brought into the India­A squad debate Ashwin Achal ing well, but I’m not the sort SA-A IN INDIA Mysuru to feel bad about losing my Ashwin Achal Wriddhiman Saha had to spot in the team. Right from Mysuru bide his time when M.S. Dho­ my childhood, I’ve carried a ni was shining bright. It was positive outlook,” he added. South Africa­A will look to only in 2014 when the latter put on an improved show retired from did Huge step against India­A in the second the door open for Saha to The Bengal cricketer took a and final ‘Test’ here, after make his name as India’s huge step towards resurrect­ the poor seven­wicket loss first­choice wicketkeeper. ing his international career a suffered in the first outing. Saha flourished on the big Though the visiting team couple of months ago, when . * PTI stage, until a hamstring inju­ he was named as one of two is packed with quality ry ruled him out of the se­ ’keepers in the Test squad players — Aiden Markram, Special Correspondent cond Test in South Africa in for the West Indies tour, Zubayr Hamza, Dane Piedt January 2018. A few more in­ alongside Pant. and Lungi Ngidi, to name a Former India captain Sou­ juries followed, forcing him few — the performance was Saha didn’t get a game in rav Ganguly on Monday out of action for more than a not up to the mark. the Caribbean, but that preferred not to get into year. The home side, mean­ didn’t stop him from helping the debate of who is a bet­ while, has three players — While Saha watched from out his teammates. ter batsman: Virat Kohli or the sidelines, Rishabh Pant Wriddhiman Saha, Shub­ ? “Fielding coach R. Sridhar established himself as an ex­ man Gill and “These are questions and I gave some tips to Pant. citing — who are part of the senior not to be answered. How He knows what to do, but we wicketkeeper­batsman. Test squad to take on South does it matter? It’s about gave him a few suggestions Africa. performance. Virat is the to help him out,” said Saha, Remains positive The trio will look to put best in the world at the mo­ the captain of India­A in the The setback could have bro­ up big numbers in their ment. So that’s what makes second ‘Test’ against South ken most sportspersons, but push to seal spots in the us happy,” said Ganguly on Africa­A here. Saha remained positive. playing XI in the Tests. the sidelines of an event. “When I was sitting out, I Pant’s poor shot selection That’s the way: gives tips to Mohammed Siraj at On Smith, Ganguly said,

didn’t feel sorry for myself or on the tour, however, came Saha to lead a practice session in Mysuru on Monday. * G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR “His record speaks for it­ carry any negative thoughts. in for criticism from coach While Gill made a crucial 90 self. 26 Test hundreds is a “The physio told me that if and some form­ in the first ‘Test’ at Thiruva­ also been included, and will deem, Vijay Shankar, Shivam phenomenal record.” I was 20, I would have reco­ er players. nanthapuram, Saha and Kul­ share the fast duties Dube, Umesh Yadav, Mo- About the ongoing In­ vered in quick time. But I “My goal is to perform deep did not feature in the with Mohammed Siraj and hammed Siraj and . dia­South Africa series, was 33, so it would naturally well in every match I play, so match. Avesh Khan. South Africa-A: Aiden Markram Ganguly said India would take a longer time for me to that if the opportunity Saha replaces Gill as cap­ (Capt.), Theunis de Bruyn, Zu- be hard to beat at home. The teams (from): bayr Hamza, Lungi Ngidi, Ge- recover. I kept that in mind, comes to play for the Indian tain for this fixture. Asked about his ambi­ India-A: Wriddhiman Saha orge Linde, Pieter Malan, Eddie and I just tried to enjoy my team, I will be ready. But for batsman Karun (Capt.), Priyank Panchal, Abhi- Moore, Senuran Muthusamy, tion of coaching India training,” Saha said. now, I’m focused on doing Nair, who was in good touch manyu Easwaran, Shubman Marco Jansen, Dane Piedt, some day, Ganguly said it “Some of my friends and well for India­A here in Mysu­ in the , has Gill, , Karun Wiaan Mulder, Heinrich Klaa- would be better to wait for On the ball: Wriddhiman Saha is just focused family were upset that I was ru. I don’t think too far been brought in. Nair, K. Gowtham, Jalaj Saxena, sen, Lutho Sipamla and Khaya the present coach, Ravi on doing well for India-A. * G.P. SAMPATH KUMAR forced out when I was play­ ahead,” Saha said. Pacer Umesh Yadav has Kuldeep Yadav, Shahbaz Na- Zondo. Shastri, to finish his stint.

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