Latest news with #ex-Pakistan
India.com
6 days ago
- Sport
- India.com
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson breaks silence on reports of asking Babar Azam to keep wickets for T20I comeback
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson ended all speculations after reports surfaced of Babar Azam being asked to do wicketkeeping. New Delhi: Babar Azam remains unselected in Pakistan T20I team, and the right-handed batter will also miss the series against Bangladesh. Since he was dropped, it was reported that white-ball coach Mike Hesson has suggested to the ex-Pakistan captain the possibility of resuming wicket keeping duties as a means of getting his place back in the T20I team. But Mike Hesson has already silenced all rumours and clarified that he did not recommend Babar Azam to become a wicketkeeper. These reports sparked off criticism among various former cricketers with Rashid Latif, Basit Ali, Moin Khan and Sikander Bakht openly criticizing the reported proposal. Hesson gave a categorical answer and strongly maintained that he did not have such a dialogue with the 30-year-old. He also explained that should Babar Azam be called back into the T20I environment, he would re-enter the side as a top-order batsman the right-hander, in particular as an opener. 'No discussion took place with Babar where I suggested he also keep wickets. He has never kept wickets in his entire career, and you suggest he keep wickets. This is not the way to treat a former captain and senior,' Hesson told reporters. Rumours circulating that Pakistan cricket head coach Mike Hesson had told players they could be dropped because they had a strike rate below 150 were denied by him also. He made it clear that nothing of this sort has been discussed with the team. 'I have also not told the players that if they want to keep their places in the team, they have to bat at strike rates of over 150. We are working on some things in this direction,' Hesson said. Mike Hesson said that he is also working closely with the selection committee on finding players who can play several match roles in the T20I set-up. 'We are looking at players who are ready to float in the batting order and perform multiple roles, but that does not mean there will be no spot for specialist players,' Hesson said. The T20I series will begin on July 20. All the games are scheduled to take place at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Pakistan squad: Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Sufyan Moqim.
NDTV
10-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"Your Career Is Over": When Virender Sehwag Threatened Drunk Shoaib Akhtar Over Sachin Tendulkar Incident
In March 2023, former India opener Virender Sehwag shared a hilarious anecdote involving Sachin Tendulkar and ex-Pakistan pace star Shoaib Akhtar. Both India and Pakistan are currently at loggerheads due to the political tensions between the two nations. This situation aggravated after the terrorist attack on Indian tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir in April 2025. Following this, a war-like situation took place between the two countries, which made the relations even worse. However, there was a high time when both India and Pakistan used to face each other in bilateral series and gave brilliant cricketing moments to the fans. Sehwag opened up about a moment when a drunk Shoaib Akhtar was trying to lift the Master Blaster on his shoulder and miserably failed in his attempt. "In a party that was held for Indian and Pakistani cricketers in Lucknow, Akhtar had one too many drinks and he tried to lift Tendulkar. However, Tendulkar was quite heavy for him, and both of them ended up falling on the ground. I could not stop laughing at the incident," Sehwag had said at News 18 Chaupal. The incident left Akhtar extremely embarrassed and Sehwag kept teasing him that his career is over as he could have injured a legend like Sachin. The Pakistan cricket team pacer was scared that Sachin will complain to the BCCI and he decided to ask for forgiveness from the Master Blaster. "I used to tease him a lot. You are out, your career is over. You have dropped our top player. And he was scared, he kept following Sachin everywhere saying sorry and even fell down at his feet. Still, me and Sachin, whenever we sit together, we go back to the incident and laugh about it," Sehwag said. Earlier, Akhtar also shared his side of the story during an interaction with SportsKeeda and stated that he was left embarrassed after the incident. "I managed to lift him but then he slipped from my hands. Tendulkar fell down, not that badly, but I thought to myself that 'I am dead'. I feared that if Sachin Tendulkar gets unfit or injured, I would never get an Indian Visa. The Indians would never allow me to come back to the country or would burn me alive." "When he fell down I really thought I am done for life. I remember Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh were also there and they were telling me, 'what are you doing man?' And I responded saying 'I don't really know, it just happened.'
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First Post
22-06-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Sourav Ganguly reveals why VVS Laxman had stopped talking to him for three months: 'Anybody would get upset'
Former India captain Ganguly, however, added that the decision that angered batting icon Laxman wasn't personal, and the two eventually patched up with passage of time. read more Former India captain Sourav Ganguly revealed VVS Laxman did not speak to him for months after the latter was excluded from India's squad for the 2003 ICC World Cup in South Africa. Batting icon Laxman was a strong favourite to be included in India's squad for the tournament until Ganguly decided otherwise and fought for spin-bowling all-rounder Dinesh Mongia's inclusion in the South Africa-bound squad. Laxman is among a handful of notable Indian cricketers who never got to play in a World Cup. The closest he had come to playing in ICC's quadrennial showpiece event was in 2003, around which time he was a first-choice player in Tests as well as ODIs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ganguly opens up on decision to pick Mongia over Laxman for World Cup And Ganguly revealed Laxman did not speak to him for three months after being informed that he would not be traveling with the rest of the squad to the World Cup. 'It has happened many times when we rested players. They were unhappy. Laxman being left out of the World Cup…he never spoke to me for three months. Then I made up with him. Anybody would get upset…for a World Cup. Especially a player of Laxman's calibre. Quite natural that he would get upset,' Ganguly told PTI. Former India wicketkeeper-batter Kiran More, who was the chief selector at the time, had also revealed in a chat with ex-Pakistan captain Rashid Latif that the selection committee was in favour of including Laxman over Mongia, but captain Ganguly and head coach John Wright had other plans for the mega tournament. Ganguly, however, added that the decision to drop Laxman wasn't personal and spoke highly of the stylish Hyderabadi batter, who scored more than 10,000 international runs including 8,781 in Tests, making a strong comeback into the ODI side later that year. 'After we finished the World Cup, he was happy that we did well. When we came back, he returned to the ODI system. He played an outstanding series in Pakistan and Australia. We won in Pakistan for the first time ever, and VVS was very instrumental. They knew at the back of their mind that it was never personal,' 'Dada' added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ganguly had led India into the final of the 2003 World Cup despite a poor start, on the back of eight consecutive wins. The Men in Blue, however, fell short in the final hurdle, suffering a 125-run defeat at the hands of Ricky Ponting's Australians who won the tournament for the second consecutive time by winning all of their matches.
Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
MS Dhoni continues to draw attention after induction in ICC Hall of Fame, gets felicitated by JSCA President
The recent induction of Mahendra Singh Dhoni into the elite ICC Hall of Fame has brought him back into the public eye, following a period of relative quiet after the conclusion of IPL 2025. Dhoni had maintained discretion regarding his IPL future after Chennai Super Kings' final match of the season, thereby keeping open the possibility of his return for the subsequent season. As expected, Dhoni maintained his usual social media silence after returning to Ranchi post-IPL, preserving the typical suspense surrounding his personal life. However, his introduction to the ICC Hall of Fame has put him back in the limelight. Dhoni was joined by Australian batting great Matthew Hayden, the South African duo of Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla, and former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, as five men's cricketers were added to the list. Also inducted into the elite group were former England wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor and ex-Pakistan captain Sana Mir. Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) president Ajay Nath Shahdeo felicitated and paid tribute to Dhoni for his illustrious legacy and entry into the elite list. 'Heartiest congratulations to #Mahi @mahi7781 on his #ICCHallOfFame induction! Had the pleasure of meeting him and celebrating this remarkable achievement. Wishing #Mahi continued success and admiration from fans worldwide!' Shahdeo wrote in an Instagram post, sharing a photograph from the meeting. A post shared by Ajay Nath Shah Deo (@ajaynathshahdeo) As Test captain, Dhoni led India in 60 matches, achieving 27 victories, 15 defeats, and 18 draws. In the ODI format, he set an Indian record, captaining in 200 matches, securing 110 wins against 74 losses. Additionally, five ODIs under his command concluded in a tie, and eleven were declared no results. A legendary finisher in ODIs, Dhoni scored 10,773 runs in 350 matches at 50.57 with 10 centuries and 73 fifties. He scored 4,876 runs in 90 Tests at a little over 38 with six tons and 33 fifties, while Dhoni scored 1,617 runs in 98 T20Is at 37.60 with two fifties. Dhoni also reacted after getting into the ICC Hall of Fame and said he will cherish it forever. 'It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever,' Dhoni was quoted as saying in an ICC press release.
News18
10-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
MS Dhoni Honoured By JSCA For ICC Hall of Fame Induction In Ranchi But...
Last Updated: Mahindra Singh Dhoni was honored by the Jharkhand State Cricket Association for his induction into the ICC Hall of Fame. Mahindra Singh Dhoni was honoured by the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) in a special ceremony on Tuesday, June 10, on being inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. JSCA president Ajay Nath Shahdeo, Vice President Sanjay Pandey, Secretary Saurabh Tiwari, Treasurer Amitava Ghosh were in attendance at the event. 'Heartiest congratulations to #Mahi @mahi7781 on his #ICCHallOfFame induction! Had the pleasure of meeting him and celebrating this remarkable achievement. Wishing #Mahi continued success and admiration from fans worldwide!" JSCA president Ajay Nath Shahdeo posted on Instagram, along with a photograph of him presenting Dhoni with a flower bouquet. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ajay Nath Shah Deo (@ajaynathshahdeo) Dhoni became the 11th Indian cricketer to be inducted. Dhoni was joined by Australian batting great Matthew Hayden, South African duo Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla, and former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori as five men's cricketers were added to the list. Also inducted into the elite group were former England wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Taylor and ex-Pakistan captain Sana Mir. The ICC praised Dhoni as a player who excelled not just in numbers but also in 'extraordinary consistency, fitness, and longevity". Dhoni, who led India to the T20 World Cup win in 2007, the ODI World Cup victory in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013, said in a statement shared by ICC: 'It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever." tags : Dhoni hall of fame icc ICC Hall of Fame Jharkhand State Cricket Association Mahindra Singh Dhoni MS Dhoni msd Location : Ranchi, India, India First Published: June 10, 2025, 23:25 IST News cricket MS Dhoni Honoured By JSCA For ICC Hall of Fame Induction In Ranchi But...
