EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE THE HINDU DELHI SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2020 SPORT 15 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE How Azharuddin opened up Dhoni will get one ICC Board discusses last chance: Banerjee contingency plan Press Trust of India selves. The ICC manage­ a new chapter for Tendulkar NEW DELHI Childhood coach says the icon is using ment will continue our con­ The International Cricket tingency planning around Former India skipper recalls the tour which saw the ‘Little Master’ don a new role the facilities at home to stay fit Council (ICC) Board dis­ ICC events and will also Press Trust of India cussed, via teleconference, work with Members to ex­ CRICKET KOLKATA on Friday various contin­ plore all options available to M.S. Dhoni’s much­antici­ gency plans for its flagship us based on a range of sce­ V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM pated comeback with the tournaments, including the narios connected to the HYDERABAD IPL may not happen any World T20 and World Test pandemic.” Mohammad Azharuddin and time soon, but his child­ Championship, in the wake When a Board member Sachin Tendulkar shared a hood coach Keshav Ranjan of COVID­19 pandemic. Sou­ was asked what happens if special bond when it came to Banerjee remains hopeful rav Ganguly was welcomed England, which is due to scripting some of the most that the wicketkeeper­bat­ as the BCCI representative host Pakistan and West In­ memorable moments in In­ sman will find a place in In­ on the Board. dies at home is unable to do dian cricket history. dia’s T20 World Cup squad. ICC Chief Executive Manu so, he said the matter of On March 27, 1994, at “In the current scenario, Sawhney said, “We continue points allocation will be re­ Auckland in New Zealand, the IPL looks unlikely and to undertake a comprehen­ ferred to the technical com­ skipper Azhar, in consulta­ we will have to wait for sive business continuity and mittee. tion with the manager Ajit Mohammad Azharuddin. BCCI’s call. His (Dhoni’s) po­ contingency planning exer­ A couple of Board mem­ Wadekar, promoted Tendul­ * FILE PHOTO: K.V.S. GIRI sition will become tough ob­ cise which will allow us to bers felt that World T20 in kar to open the innings for viously. But my sixth sense adapt to the rapidly evolving Australia is not under threat the first time, and the rest is knew Sachin had the talent. says he will get a chance in world in which we find our­ as it is still some time away. history. The gifted cricketer He just needed that oppor­ the T20 World Cup, which M.S. Dhoni. responded with a stunning tunity to showcase his abun­ will be his last,” Banerjee * FILE PHOTO: K. PICHUMANI onslaught on the Kiwi bow­ dance of talent,” Azhar said. told PTI from Ranchi. ling, scoring a 49­ball 82 But, what was it about Sa­ The Chennai Super Kings badminton court, and a run­ Disappointing to see our (15x4, 2x6). chin’s batting that made you captain trained in Ranchi in ning corridor.” How exactly did that mate­ take the call? “He is an attack­ the lead up to IPL 2020 and “Let’s wait for the BCCI’s sincerity questioned: rialise? “I had been noticing ing batsman and with the also led the camp in decision. There are no tour­ that nothing big was happen­ field restrictions on, we Chennai. nament. ICC tournaments ing with Sachin even though thought once he gets going “I spoke to him last after are off till June. So we will BWF secretary­general he was batting well at No. 5 half the job is done for the he returned from Chennai have to wait and see.” placing money above and 6. We (Wadekar sir and I) team,” the 57­year­old, form­ and I’m in constant touch Head coach Ravi Shastri BADMINTON players’ safety. talked on this issue and de­ er India captain said. with his parents. He’s doing had earlier said the IPL Press Trust of India In an open letter, BWF se­ cided to let Sachin open after Even Sachin acknow­ his fitness training and is ful­ would decide the fate of NEW DELHI cretary general Thomas regular opener Sidhu (Navjot ledged it in his autobiography ly fit. Dhoni, who turns 39 in July. The Badminton World Fed­ Lund said the decision to go Singh) was unwell,” recalled Playing It My Way. “I went India greats including Su­ eration said it is “disap­ ahead with the All England Azhar, in an exclusive chat up to Azhar and our manager Experience counts nil Gavaskar and Virender pointing” that some top Championships was made with The Hindu on Friday. Ajit Wadekar, a former India “True that he has not played Sehwag had raised a ques­ players questioned its “sin­ based on the best advice at captain and a leading bat­ a tournament (since July tion mark on the return of cerity and motives” when it that time. Sachin’s desire sman of his time, and plead­ 2019) but for someone with the 2011 World Cup­winning continued with the All En­ “It has been very disap­ “And, importantly, Sachin al­ ed with them to give me an 538 International matches, I skipper. gland Championships des­ pointing to see some mem­ so wanted to open and we are opportunity at the top of the don’t think it would take “I’m sure BCCI (presi­ pite the rapidly­growing bers of the badminton com­ glad that he went on to be­ order,” he wrote. much time to adjust.” dent, selectors, captain) are threat of COVID­19 pandem­ munity speculate on the come one of the greatest bat­ “I can’t take credit for his “He trained in Chennai aware of the scenario. They Smashing start: Sachin Tendulkar’s 82 off 49 balls — after he ic. The decision to conduct sincerity and motives of the smen of all­time,” he added. achievements. In fact, nobo­ for a week or so. Now he’s will make the announce­ volunteered to open — made a mockery of New Zealand’s the event came for sharp BWF in this time of crisis,” “I won’t say I was sur­ dy can. He had the talent to total of 142 at Eden Park, Auckland, on March 27, 1994. making use of the facilities ment when it’s the right criticism from the top shut­ Lund wrote. “Our number prised by his response, I go places,” Azhar felt. * FILE PHOTO: V.V. KRISHNAN at home. He has a gym, a time,” Banerjee added. tlers of the world, including one concern has always Saina Nehwal, who had ac­ been the health and safety We will talk about Adhere to lockdown rules, pleads Kartik cused the administrators of of all of our participants.” IPL later: Rohit The experience of isolation when injured has helped the former India cricketer Shukla contributes MLA VIJAY LOKAPALLY the past now helps him cope Let life get back to normal first, NEW DELHI with the lockdown. salary, BCCI pension For a man used to “living out “I have had several injuries says the opening batsman Press Trust of India of a suitcase”, former India that kept me in isolation. NW DELHI Press Trust of India spinner Kartik Murali has When I had my knee and Mumbai “adapted” to a life indoors. shoulder operated on I could Former India cricketer Lax­ Sport is of least priority in The cricketer has lost little not move out. I once got hit in mi Ratan Shukla, currently these troubled times, feels time in accepting the situation Pakistan and I have had jaw­ the sports minister of West India batsman Rohit Shar­ and also strictly adhering to bone surgery. Bengal, has donated his ma, who wants to talk about lockdown rules. “Once I was in bed for two three months’ MLA salary, IPL only after normalcy re­ “This is something that has Forced break: Kartik Murali had a back injury during the 2001 months. The back injury kept along with his BCCI pension turns. never happened in our life. series against Australia in which V.V.S. Laxman and Harbhajan me out of the 2001 ‘V.V.S. Lax­ for the same period, to fight Rohit, who has been out Can we fret or fume about it? Singh were India’s stars. * FILE PHOTO: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA man­Harbhajan Singh’ series COVID­19. Laxmi Ratan Shukla of action for last two Do we have control over it? (against Australia). All those “It is the need of the hour * FILE PHOTO: P.K. AJITH KUMAR months due to calf muscle From day one I never pan­ stranded all over the country. in a chat with The Hindu. occasions were spent at that we all contribute to the injury was due for a come­ icked. It was acceptance of the There will be issues to sort out He spoke of his “respect” home,” he said. best of our abilities. I have month’s salary to the Assam back in the Indian Premier extraordinary circumstances. in future, but now the chal­ for people working to keep already donated three government to help it com­ bat COVID­19. Hima is em­ League, which has been Rohit. * FILE PHOTO: VIJAY SONEJI “Focus was on ways to curb lenge is to protect yourself and others safe. “My heart goes out Things to do months of my MLA salary to postponed till April 15 but it now that the outbreak has others. It pains all of us to see to the health workers.