Asia Cup: Cloud Over Event Lifts, BCCI To Attend Meeting For Deciding Venue
"BCCI will be represented virtually by its vice-president Rajeev Shukla, who is the designated ACC board member. Since the venue with regards to Asia Cup needs to be zeroed in on, BCCI decided to attend the meeting virtually," an ACC source told PTI.
The BCCI, which has already put its Bangladesh tour in August on hold, had earlier asked the continental body to shift the venue. The Indian board is skeptical about travelling to the neighbouring nation due to political unrest and absence of a stable government.
There was a possibility of BCCI, the Afghanistan Cricket Board and SLC boycotting the ACC meeting and without three permanent Test playing nations, there wouldn't have been a quorum and the meeting itself would have been deemed invalid.
PCB chairman Naqvi is already in Dhaka for the meeting along with a host of other member nations.
A BCB representative on conditions of anonymity told PTI that they completely understand the current situation.
"The Bangladesh Cricket Board is merely a facilitator for the meeting. We are only providing logistical support for the meeting. We have kept a liaison officer who is co-ordinating with representatives of member nations, arranging for their travel and stay," a BCB source added.
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Indian Express
11 minutes ago
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Why Ben Stokes and Indian cricket should now handshake Ravindra Jadeja in respect
After a net session, before the Old Trafford Test, Ravindra Jadeja, while walking to the team bus, had tapped his index finger on his temple. This was his way of answering a query about his phenomenal run-making spree in England. His match-saving hundred in the fourth Test on Sunday had come on the back of four successive 50s in the previous two Tests. Was he trying something new or had he added some new strokes to his game? 'No … it's about leaving the ball in England,' the all-rounder would say. Over his 13-year long international career, Jadeja has left many balls, especially the curved one that life keeps throwing at him. Now he is enjoying the rewards of the years of patience. For a cricketer with non-existence PR, no real backer, no godfather or even a mentor – Jadeja has had a miraculously long career. His unfaltering fitness, constant skill update and his capacity to bounce back has made him outlast the game's poster boys and brand ambassadors. Jadeja has been sidelined, undermined, written-off and a few months back he was about to be left out of all Indian teams for good. But the all-rounder didn't make noise, or get stories planted or make his angst public. Jadeja's world is his cricket, family and the farm house where he nurtures and rides his favourite horses. Those in the know say that, earlier this year, post the Border Gavaskar Trophy loss, Jadeja was to be given the golden handshake. Along with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli; plans were in place to politely tell him that his days are over. The inputs from the earlier team management hadn't been laudatory. Jadeja could be dispensed with – that was the message on the sticky note that the last set of decision-makers left behind. It was the intervention of the present set of coaches that gave Jadeja one more chance, it is learnt. Post BGT, when picking the team for ICC's 50-overs tournament, his name wasn't to be in the Champions Trophy side. After a discussion among the present team management, Jadeja got a reluctant nod. His name was the last to be added to the Champions Trophy squad. And as it has happened so often in his career, this was all that Indian cricket's greatest survivor, needed. Whenever the curtains threaten to fall on his career, Jadeja changes the script and lives to tell the tale. A formidable performance with the ball at Champions Trophy was to be followed by his Gary Sobers-level runs in England – only the great West Indian has 5 scores of 50 plus in England from N0. 6 or lower in a Test series. Once again at 36, Jadeja, for now, is the team's indispensable member. After the Lord's near-miss, the Indian skipper Shubman Gill gave 'rare' praise to his team's senior-most player. 'He is one of the most valuable players in India. The experience that he brings in, the skill set that he brings with his bowling, batting and fielding is very rare … the kind of composure that he showed is tremendous … ,' the captain had said. Such words haven't been used for this one-of-a-kind cricketer who has served Indian cricket silently for years now. From being the main all-rounder who helped Virat Kohli win the under-19 World Cup in 2009 to the Great Escape at Old Trafford in 2025, Jadeja has a staggering body of work. In between there are his Player of the Tournament achievements in Champions Trophy 2013, many Man of the Series performances in Tests and winning the IPL with a six and four. But still he wasn't projected as a star. Somehow, over the years, Jadeja wasn't taken seriously by fans or the teams he played for. In teams of the past, he was one of the boys or the friend to the captain. Once on the Kapil Sharma comedy show, Virat Kohli was asked – 'Kaun sabse jyada phekta hai (Who tells tall tales the most?'. The answer was Jadeja. Dhoni once called him 'Sir Jadeja' in his tweet and that would inspire a million funny memes and give him a title he hates. 'I hate being called Sir. If you wish, call me Bapu, that's what I like. This Sir-Var, I don't like at all,' he had once said. These days Jadeja gets treated as Sir in the dressing room. Unlike his position in the Indian team led by MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma; Jadeja 2.0 is the distinguished senior of the team. He is among the few players who is seen having long discussions with coach Gambhir. In Shubman's team, Jadeja is an example to emulate and an influential voice in the dressing room. Unlike others, he hasn't positioned himself as some 'captain without a captain's armband.' The other day during a press conference on this England tour, he was asked if he ever aspired to be a captain. He almost broke into a chuckle and said 'that time has gone, I have been playing cricket from 13 years now.' Strangely such has been the timing of his career that he often gets overshadowed by the stars he plays with. As an all-rounder, Jadeja would score 300 plus scores in first-class cricket but the main run-getter of his domestic team Saurashtra would be Cheteshwar Pujara. He would be Dhoni's trusted go-to player but Suresh Raina would be designated Man Friday. He would be India's main spinner for years but somehow it would be R Ashwin who would be called the spin spearhead, thinking spinner and match winner. Jadeja's numbers were better than Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Bishan Bedi but 'greatness' was not bestowed on him. On this England tour, the team doesn't have the towering presence of the just retired mega-stars and that's why the shadow that hid Jadeja has lifted. Over the years, Jadeja has got maligned as the selfish cricketer who doesn't work towards the team cause but bats to keep his position safe in the team. It is said that in tough tight games, Jadeja would expose the tailenders to the bowling and stay unbeaten. On this England tour, Jadeja has squashed that narrative. At Lord's, he methodically farmed the strike when batting with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj to take India so close to an unlikely win. At Old Trafford he enhanced his image. This was an inning that in a way defined Jadeja. Very early in the innings, Joe Root dropped him at slips. Jadeja rarely wastes a second chance. Not making a fuss over it, Jadeja would mentor Washington and also listen to him. He has inside him a unique kind of aggression. The only manifestation is when he turns his bat into a sword and swirls it around. Like most kids in Jamnagar, the region where a King still rules, Jadeja has grown up hearing stories of valour. He often mentions the 12th century Sorath Chudasama king Ra Khengar on his social media. All around Saurashtra, folk singers, till date, regale large audiences with tales of his bravery at Lok Dayros (folk assemblies). Jadeja is a war veteran, he knows which battle to pick. So when Ben Stokes and men showered him with sledges, he was unfazed. He has been in such situations before in these parts. On the 2014 tour, James Anderson had picked on him and he got booed at Lord's. But that didn't stop him from shining with the bat and swirling his sword. Stokes didn't want him and his partner to complete their tons but that didn't blow Jadeja's lid. He smiled and said it was his captain's call. He kept leaving balls but would also keep delivering blows in between.
Indian Express
11 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Not found suitable: Reality of Dalit, Adivasi and OBCs in Indian universities
Various bodies governing academic institutions have established systems to ensure transparency and accountability in recruitment, promotions, and related academic activities. The teaching experience, papers published in refereed journals, research projects, and other accomplishments are the blueprints on which academic careers are built. All these 'academic' activities are not value-neutral and must be read through a socio-political prism. Often, the media highlights caste-based discrimination during recruitments/promotions. Still, nothing changes. Last week, while responding to a question from Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, the Centre informed the RS that 80 per cent of the posts sanctioned in central universities for professors under the OBC category and nearly 83 per cent in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category are currently vacant. However, there is no centralised data on 'not found suitable' (NFS). It was recently reported that the University of Delhi snubbed a scientist belonging to the SC community as NFS to be promoted as professor. Similar instances could also be found during direct recruitments for reserved positions. The Registrar of Rajasthan Central University, in a notification dated May 29, provided a list of selected candidates for teaching positions. More than 50 per cent of positions were declared 'NFS' — 11 among them belong to SC/ST/OBC and EWS (two positions) categories at various levels. The data provided fails to mention the number of women candidates from these communities who have been declared NFS. The data compiled on higher education reveals that increasing numbers of SC/ST and OBC candidates are accessing higher education institutions. So, it is not the lack of 'qualified' and eligible candidates that keeps these seats vacant. According to German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, universities carry the seeds of the reproduction of social life-worlds and hence, constant vigilance is required to unleash its transformative potential. Similarly, sociologist Pierre Bourdieu emphasised that education plays a key role in maintaining the status quo , thereby perpetuating existing social inequalities. This is apparent in the deeply hierarchical Indian society. In public institutions, due to constitutional provisions, reservation has become mandatory, but a line needs to be drawn when it comes to teaching appointments/promotions. Only through promotions will the candidates from the marginalised communities be able to become associate professors, professors, deans and heads of the departments. This is the only way to ensure their active participation in decision-making bodies. However, 'casteplaining' prevalent in academia doesn't let this happen. Recently, Bangalore University was in the news as Dalit faculty alleged that despite having served in administrative roles for several years, alongside their teaching responsibilities, they are being 'sidelined' in appointments to statutory positions and are being given only 'supervisory' roles without adequate authority or recognition. Academia involves not only the attainment of relevant knowledge but also the grasping of soft skills such as mannerisms, clothing, diction, etc. This cultural capital, or the lack of it, becomes difficult to navigate during the selection process. Women candidates lose out if their speech or body language is seen as aggressive. Such candidates seem to disturb the equanimity of the department. I was part of an interview panel to select assistant professors for a private university. A Dalit woman candidate had a good grasp of the subject matter but lacked a polished English accent. The head of the panel observed that she would not be able to 'manage' the class as her speaking skills were limited. The class had students from management and commerce backgrounds from affluent families. Hence, even after recruitment, many were asked to perform more administrative duties than classroom teaching. Another bone of contention during the selection process is the quality of publications, which are subjective in nature. The publishing field is an exclusive zone, and very few students have the wherewithal to publish in 'reputed'/'impact factor' journals. Support of the research supervisor/mentors/peer group is vital in getting published, as one needs the right academic network to get labelled a good scholar. For the past few years, UGC has published the Care List of journals, and only those publications have been given weightage. Many journals that dealt with caste, gender, marginality, exclusion, etc., were removed from the list. Often, dubious and predatory journals had a higher 'impact factor' than scholarly ones such as the Economic and Political Weekly. Many were forced to pay to get the required scores. Even after the applications are screened by a duly constituted committee, the interview panel can refuse to recognise the publications commenting on their quality, language and content. What has seldom been acknowledged in the recruitment process are the ideological affiliations of the institutions/candidates. This is also a major reason for candidates being declared NFS. In the majority of the selection committees, experts constitute a small pool, belonging to the dominant communities, while exercising their caste and gender privileges. In DU colleges, the same set of experts is called to conduct the interviews, which raises questions of impartiality and fairness of the selection process. In DU and JNU, many teachers who protested against the institution were denied promotions for many years, citing flimsy reasons. The situation in regional and state universities is even worse. Journalist and author Isabel Wilkerson succinctly observed that when an 'accident of birth' aligns with what is most valued in a given caste system — being able-bodied, male, white, or other such traits — it becomes their moral duty to develop empathy for those who must endure the indignities they have been spared. It calls for a radical kind of empathy. This implies that as a society, we need to relearn a new consciousness, to understand another's experience from their perspective, not as we imagine. Only through such engagements can we rebuild institutions based on equality and fraternity, and the objective of social justice be attained. The writer is professor in Political Science, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi. He is the author of Caste Discrimination and Exclusion in Indian Universities: A Critical Reflection (Routledge)
India.com
14 minutes ago
- India.com
IND vs ENG 2025 4th Test Handshake Saga: Ben Stokes was behaving like a 'spoilt kid'. says star India cricketer
England captain Ben Stokes argues with Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja on Day 5 of 4th Test in Manchester. (Photo: IANS) The fourth Test between India and England ended in a draw at the Old Trafford stadium in Manchester on Sunday. It was just the second draw in the 'Bazball' era on England soil under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. However, the thrilling clash which ended with a heroic display by the young Indian team ended on a sour note on the final day. With the final hour starting the 4th Test and India only four wickets down, England skipper Ben Stokes approached the two India batters in the middle – Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar – with an offer to call off the game as a draw. But Jadeja and Sundar refused the offer as both of them were approaching well-deserved centuries. Stokes was not at all pleased that his side had to spend more time in the middle, even as Jadeja and Sundar approached personal milestones. After the Test match eventually ended in a draw, Stokes refused to shake the hands of two Indian centurions Jadeja and Sundar. Ben Stokes refusing a handshake with Sundar & Jadeja isn't 'passion' — it's poor sportsmanship. You can't preach spirit of the game and forget it when the fight doesn't go your way. 👎#RavindraJadeja #Jadeja 🇮🇳🇮🇳 #INDvsENGTest #Sundar — Sagar Lohatkar (@sagarlohatkar) July 27, 2025 Former India cricketer and JioHotstar expert Sanjay Manjrekar felt that Stokes was behaving like a 'spoilt kid'. 'I think that was the perfect summation of what happened — a draw that feels like a win. And yet again, this young Indian batting line-up continues to surprise. You expected KL Rahul and Shubman Gill to be the partnership to watch out for, but that stand was broken early in the day. However, India keeps producing warriors every Test match — this time, it was Washington Sundar who stood tall,' Manjrekar said after the final day's play. 'Fantastic batting once again. In the end, what we saw was frustration from a team that is used to dominating at home. It's rare to see England settle for a draw twice in the Bazball era. Remember, this is the first time Ben Stokes abandoned his principle of batting first after winning the toss — and it happened against India. This draw, without any weather intervention, came against India. That says a lot. India has forced Stokes to rethink his approach and leadership style. What we saw towards the end was a captain frustrated, unaccustomed to such results, and having to fight so hard to secure a favorable outcome. He thought the win was sealed, and finally, I must say, he behaved like a bit of a spoilt kid. 'After hours of watching Jadeja and Washington bat for hours, both nearing centuries, there was no way India would have accepted his declaration offer. Ben Stokes will regret that moment — and that frustration only tells you how much this new-age Indian batting line-up has unsettled England throughout the series,' the former India batter added. No personal milestones before team's goal for Ben Stokes: Jonathan Trott Manjrekar's English counterpart Jonathan Trott also chipped in on the 'handshake' controversy on the final day. Trott revealed that Stokes gesture was a common practice in England in Test cricket. 'I am not sure if it was necessary, but the common practice — certainly here in England — is that if you're offered the opportunity to finish the game early, it's usually more about the game situation than personal milestones. From Ben Stokes' perspective, no personal milestone comes ahead of the team's goal. In this case, India's goal was to secure a draw, and they achieved that,' JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott said. 'So for England, the expectation was that India would shake hands and walk off with 80 not out — that would normally suffice. But I can also understand the other side. For someone like Washington Sundar, who has batted so well, giving up the chance to score a debut hundred is not easy. You never know when another opportunity will come. So, I understand both viewpoints. England are probably a little frustrated but that's natural. What this does, though, is set things up nicely for the next Test. It's going to be spicy, and I'm looking forward to it,' he added. 'England bowlers performance is very worrying' Even after leading Team India by 311 runs in the first innings, England bowlers failed to bowl out Shubman Gill's side in the Manchester Test. English bowlers got the perfect start with two wickets in the very first over of the Indian innings but only picked up two more wickets for better part of two days. 'England tried everything, didn't they? They can't say they didn't give their best. But for me, the concern lies in the quality — and as an England fan and former player, with the Ashes coming up and this series on the line, it's worrying. England bowled 142 overs and managed just two wickets on a Day 4 and 5 pitch where the ball was keeping low. Both wickets came in the first over. That's slightly concerning because they had two bites at the new ball when India were under pressure, yet couldn't capitalize. 'Looking at India, though, we've discovered another strong left-handed batter and a quality all-rounder in Washington Sundar — just 25-26 (years old). He can excel in both disciplines and looks like the heir apparent to Ravindra Jadeja whenever he decides to hang up his boots. Sundar has batted magnificently, and he seems capable of playing for a long time. This makes India's selection tricky going forward, but it certainly makes the team a lot stronger,' Trott said.
