Veteran sports journalist Harpal Singh Bedi, who covered several highs and lows of Indian sports in a career spanning over four decades, served as the national Olympic contingent’s press attache in 2012 and charmed the media box with his inimitable wit and warmth, died after prolonged illness here on Saturday. He was 72 and is survived by his wife Revathi and daughter Pallavi. The former sports editor of the United News of India (UNI) was among the tallest figures in Indian sports journalism and was working as a consulting editor of the Statesman newspaper for the last couple of years. His awe-inspiring work experience included on-ground coverage of eight Olympic Games, “hard to count” Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games, World Cups of cricket and hockey, and world and national championships of athletics and other major Olympic sports. Not to be forgotten was his ability to be a mentor to young journalists in the press box. He could make nervous newbies comfortable with his trademark humour. “Harpal Singh Bedi was a quintessential newsman, loved and respected...,” said veteran journalist and sports administrator G Rajaraman as he paid tribute to his former colleague. “His finger was on the pulse of Indian sport and sports administration,” Rajaraman, who will be India’s press attache at the upcoming Paris Olympics, told PTI. A close friend of Bishan Singh Bedi, he was also often mistaken for the late Indian spin great. “We are close friends you know, I am BSB, he is HSB. We go back a long way,” the former India captain, who passed away in 2023 after battling multiple health problems, had told this correspondent once. An alumnus of the prestigious Jawahar Lal Nehru University, where he did his Masters and M Phil from the School of International Studies, Bedi was considered a father figure in sports journalism by his colleagues. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 June,2024 06:57 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIThe Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur has said that the three-match ODI series against South Africa, beginning here from Sunday, will give her side a chance to assess strategies and conditions ahead of the all-important T20Is. India will fully embrace the shortest format from July with a series against the Proteas, and are looking to gain momentum ahead of the T20 World Cup to be hosted by Bangladesh in October. “We take [ODIs] as an opportunity to go to T20Is, because we are playing more T20 games and ODI is something where as a player you have more time to assess your yourself and the conditions,” Harmanpreet said on the eve of the first ODI against South Africa here. “It’s good for us that we are getting more games and expressing ourselves,” she added. Coming into this series, India had fitness concerns over top-order batter Jemimah Rodrigues and medium pacer Pooja Vastrakar. However, Harmanpreet allayed the worries. “They are absolutely fine, and they are right now even having a hit at nets. They are fit for the game,” she said. Rodrigues was recuperating after a back injury that forced her to sit out of the T20I series against Bangladesh, while Vastrakar was recovering from an unspecified injury. The return of Rodrigues, Harmanpreet said, will fortify India’s batting in this series. “Jemi is fit and fine. She is back and she is someone who is very experienced and she is doing very well for so many years. Now, I think it’s a quite balanced batting side and whatever we are expecting as a team, we will go and do well,” she noted. India have recalled top-order batter Priya Punia and pacer Arundhati Reddy for the ODIs. Harmanpreet said the national call was a reward for their consistent performance in domestic cricket. “They are performers in domestic [cricket], so, we didn’t ignore the way they have been performing from last two to three years. We gave them enough time to prove themselves and get ready for the international games,” she said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 June,2024 06:56 AM IST | Bangalore | PTIA rampant Australia will be wary of Scotland threat when the two teams clash in a crucial Group B encounter in the T20 World Cup here with the outcome set to influence Super Eight qualification. With Australia having already booked one spot for the Super Eight from Group B, Scotland and England are in race for the second position. Scotland will go through if they beat Australia or even if their contest is washed out. Australia have been in top-form with hardly any serious concern. For the Scots, beating former champions Australia is ‘a hell of an opportunity’ in Michael Leask’s words and they would want to give their best, or maybe even hope that rain gods do them a favour, since they are still second on the points table with five points compared to England’s three. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 June,2024 06:56 AM IST | Gros Islet (St Lucia) | PTISkipper Rohit Paudel believes Nepal have done enough in the T20 World Cup to show they belong at the highest level even though they have fallen out of reckoning for Super Eight round. Nepal fell agonisingly short of realising their dream of beating a full member side when they lost to South Africa by a mere run in a low-scoring thriller here. Rohit Paudel Nepal needed two runs from the last ball of the match to win, one run to match South Africa’s modest total of 115-7 and force a Super Over. But teenager Ghulsan Jha was run out at the non-striker’s end attempting a single from the final ball and South Africa held on to win a thrilling match. The Nepal players were disconsolate. They seemed to be headed for Nepal’s first win in 12 attempts against a ICC full member nation when they needed 22 runs from the last 24 balls. They needed 18 runs from 18 balls, but lost three wickets for one run within six balls including two wickets to spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (4-19) and the equation changed.“The way we played today; it shows that we belong here. The way we bowled and the way we batted also, I think we belong here. This will give good confidence to us for the next game against Bangladesh,” Paudel told the media here after Nepal’s heartbreaking defeat. “I am very proud of the unit, especially the way they played today. The way we bowled in the first innings and the way we batted, especially in the last few moments where we could have capitalised on our side, but it went their way,” he said. Brief scoresSouth Africa 115-7 in 20 overs (R Hendricks 43; K Bhurtel 4-19, D Airee 3-21) beat Nepal 114-7 in 20 overs (A Sheikh 42; T Shamsi 4-19) by one run This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 June,2024 06:56 AM IST | Kingstown (St Vincent) | PTIThe super soppers were out in force, the blowers worked overtime, but in the end, man’s best efforts were ineffectual against the fury of nature. It has barely rained in Fort Lauderdale since 2:00 pm local time on Friday, but days of heavy precipitation since the start of the week left the Broward County Stadium outfield in a mess as the one-time wetlands made a dash back in time. As a result, Saturday’s Group ‘A’ encounter between India and Canada, with no real meaning so far as the tournament is concerned, was abandoned without a ball being bowled at 11:30 am local time, after a second inspection by umpires Richard Kettleborough and Sharfouddula. More than 5,000 fans, mostly Indian, had braved doomsday predictions and flown over from different parts of the US and Canada, hoping for one last slice of action before the Indians fly out to Bridgetown to kick off their Super Eight campaign, but their aspirations were dashed and they had to make do with the odd sighting of the Indian player when he came out for a cursory game of touch football. The Broward County Stadium has hosted eight T20Is in the past involving India, all against West Indies, but there is only so much rain the drainage system can address. Having already witnessed two previous abandonments—Sri Lanka v Nepal on Tuesday and USA v Ireland on Friday—there is every chance that Sunday’s final Group ‘A’ clash here between Pakistan and Ireland will also be a non-starter. India might have looked to smoothen some rough edges, including a return to run-scoring ways of Virat Kohli. Instead, they will have to reconcile to several days at nets before they begin their Super Eight campaign, against dangerous floaters in Afghanistan at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown on Thursday next.
16 June,2024 06:55 AM IST | Florida | R KaushikPakistan cricketers face the risk of having their central contracts reviewed and their salaries potentially reduced by the PCB following their early exit from the T20 World Cup. Defeats to minnows USA and arch-rivals India cost Pakistan dearly as they were knocked out of the tournament on Friday, failing to even reach the Super Eight stage. A reliable source in the board said that some officials and former players had advised PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi to reassess the central contracts given to the players during his predecessor Zaka Ashraf’s tenure. “There could be a reassessment of the central contracts and the players could find their salaries, fees being cut if the Chairman decides to react strongly to the team’s recent woeful performance,” the source said. Meanwhile, PCB will enforce its two-NOCs policy for T20 leagues strictly following the national team’s embarrassing performance and first-round exit in the T20 World Cup in Americas. All players, who sign central and domestic contracts in Pakistan cricket, have to adhere to a clause which states that a player can only be issued a NOC for a maximum of two overseas leagues besides playing in the Pakistan Super League in a year. The board has not yet issued any NOCs to youngsters Azam Khan and Saim Ayub to play in the Caribbean Premier League even though both were retained by their respective teams for this season. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
16 June,2024 06:55 AM IST | Lahore | PTIInclement weather hindered India's hopes of reinforcing their preparation for Super Eight through a match against Canada here on Saturday, but they will travel to the Caribbean as a confident unit after a robust T20 World Cup 2024 group stage campaign. India's final Group A T20 World Cup 2024 league match against Canada was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to a wet outfield. Both teams shared one point each, as India advanced as Group A toppers with seven points. USA (five points) were the second team to qualify from the Group. Canada finished third with three points. India's confidence primarily stems from the pacers' effort in three group matches. Lead quick Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Siraj combined to bag 20 wickets among them. Of course, they had a spiteful, double-paced drop-in pitch for assistance at the Nassau County stadium in those matches, and they will have traditional surfaces to play on in the West Indies for the rest of the ICC showpiece. But if their outings in New York can be taken as an indication, then the opposition will have a lot to worry. Pitch certainly played its part, but the Indian pacers also showed the technical nous and understanding of conditions to exploit what was on offer to them. None displayed it better than Arshdeep. The left-arm quick made the ball curve back from over the wicket into Shayan Jahangir to trap the USA batter plumb in front. Also Read: India vs Canada match abandoned due to soaked outfield A few balls later, the ultra-aggressive Andries Gous could not negate a short-pitched ball that skidded on to him at a fair clip. Those two deliveries would have potentially fetched him wickets on any kind of pitch. The runs from skipper Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Suryakumar Yadav is another positive sign but for different reasons. Both Rohit and Suryakumar had an underwhelming IPL 2024, and here they showed some sparks that they would like to ignite further in the Super Eight. In contrast, Pant had some fruitful outings in the IPL while leading Delhi Capitals, but a lot of people would have been keen to know his readiness for the rigours of top-of-the-draw cricket. Pant aced the test with aplomb. There were those shots patented by the left-hander on view -- stand-and-deliver flicks, tumble-down scoops and those one-handed smashes to various corners of the field. His effort behind the wicket too was equally commendable, diving, running and leaping around for catches and stops like an acrobat. Hardik too seemed to have found his assured self in the World Cup after looking reticent in the IPL while leading the Mumbai Indians, a period when he was painted in social media as a silent villain. While his batting is yet to hit the top gear, Hardik the bowler oozed a lot of purpose, troubling batters with pace and variations. However, everything is not roseate. The spinners, except Axar Patel to a certain extent, hardly got any game time in the group matches, courtesy the nature of the pitch in the Big Apple. Axar bowled six overs spread across three matches, taking three wickets but second spinner Ravindra Jadeja bowled just three overs in the group stage against Ireland and Pakistan. The left-arm spinner was not even employed against the USA. Other spinners in the squad, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will enter the Super Eight with zero game time under their belt. They might have got some in the park had the match against Canada held as per the schedule. It might not be the best scenario either as pitches in the West Indies are expected to progressively help the spinners. But then this bunch of Indian players have shown a propensity to tame pressure points with ease, and they will have to invoke that tradition once more in the West Indies. (With agency inputs)
15 June,2024 10:55 PM IST | Florida | mid-day online correspondentIndia's final group stage game at the T20 World Cup 2024 against Canada was abandoned on Saturday after ground staff were unable to dry part of the outfield. All three scheduled games at Central Broward Stadium in South Florida have now been abandoned. There was only light drizzle on Saturday morning but the corner of the field that was waterlogged in previous days was unable to be put in suitable condition. Earlier there were initial inspection held at 10 AM local time (7.30 PM IST) and 10.30 AM local time (8 PM IST). India and Canada shared one point each. Also Read: NZ under transition scrutiny after Boult confirms retirement post World Cup 2024 India have already qualified for the Super Eight from Group A with three wins from as many matches, while Canada have been eliminated. Inclement weather hindered India's hopes of reinforcing their preparation for Super Eight through a match against Canada here on Saturday, but they will travel to the Caribbean as a confident unit after a robust T20 World Cup 2024 group stage campaign. India's final Group A league match against Canada was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to a wet outfield. Both teams shared one point each, as India advanced as Group A toppers with seven points. USA (five points) were the second team to qualify from the Group. Canada finished third with three points. India's confidence primarily stems from the pacers' effort in three group matches. Lead quick Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Hardik Pandya and Mohammed Siraj combined to bag 20 wickets among them. Of course, they had a spiteful, double-paced drop-in pitch for assistance at the Nassau County stadium in those matches, and they will have traditional surfaces to play on in the West Indies for the rest of the ICC showpiece. But if their outings in New York can be taken as an indication, then the opposition will have a lot to worry. (With agency inputs)
15 June,2024 09:15 PM IST | Florida | mid-day online correspondentThe toss for India's final T20 World Cup 2024 group stage clash against Canada has been delayed due to a wet outfield at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium Turf Ground, Florida. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took to X, confirmed that the toss has been delayed and the next inspection will be held at 8 pm (IST). Covers are placed on the ground, and the sky is gloomy. Head coach Rahul Dravid was seen having a conversation with batting coach Vikram Rathore and all-rounder Hardik Pandya. 🚨 UPDATE from Florida 🚨Toss delayed due to wet outfield. Next inspection at 10.30 AM Local Time (8 PM IST). Stay Tuned for more updates. ⌛️#T20WorldCup | #TeamIndia | #CANvIND — BCCI (@BCCI) June 15, 2024 India have already qualified for the Super 8 after clinching three consecutive wins in Group A. They kicked off their campaign by defeating Ireland. The Rohit Sharma-led side defeated their arch-rival Pakistan in the second clash and earned a hard-fought win over the co-hosts, the USA. The USA became the second team to qualify for the Super 8 after their game against Ireland got washed out. Also Read: NZ under transition scrutiny after Boult confirms retirement post World Cup 2024 Both teams got a point each, which sealed their qualification for the next round. As a result, Pakistan, Ireland and Canada got knocked out of the race. Pakistan will conclude their T20 World Cup 2024 campaign on Sunday against Ireland in Florida. India Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Yuzvendra Chahal Canada Squad: Shreyas Movva (wk), Saad Bin Zafar (c), Aaron Johnson, Navneet Dhaliwal, Pargat Singh, Nicholas Kirton, Ravinderpal Singh, Kaleem Sana, Dillon Heyliger, Junaid Siddiqui, Jeremy Gordon, Rayyan Pathan, Nikhil Dutta, Rishiv Ragav Joshi, Dilpreet Bajwa. (With agency inputs)
15 June,2024 07:53 PM IST | Florida | mid-day online correspondentAfghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman is set to miss the remaining matches of the T20 World Cup 2024 due to sustaining a finger injury following which he did not feature in the IPL 2024. Mujeeb featured in Afghanistan's opening T20 World Cup 2024 clash against Uganda but later did not make his appearance due to a sprain in the index finger. Hazratullah Zazai has been named as the replacement for Rahman. The International Cricket Council confirmed it after Afghanistan's win over Papua New Guinea. Also Read: Top sports stories of the week: India extends their record vs Pakistan, Jay Shah-Roger Goodell meetup Afghanistan had a replacement for Mujeeb in their main team in the form of Noor Ahmed, who played in their previous two fixtures against New Zealand and PNG. He took 1/14 against PNG in his four overs while going wicketless against the Kiwis. "He is going to be a big part for us going forward, as these wickets continue to wear," Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan's coach, said about Noor, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo. "It is always nice to have the option of him to come into the side, or the left-arm spin of Nangeyalia Kharote, who can come into the side - he did really well in the last [series] against Ireland - and obviously [Mohammad] Nabi, who can bowl spin as well," he added. Zazai is not the like-to-like replacement for Rahman but will strengthen the Afghans' batting lineup. He has not played a T20I match since February but has featured in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the T20 World Cups. He also holds the team's second-highest individual score in men's T20I cricket. So far, Afghanistan under Rashid Khan's captaincy has enjoyed success in the T20 World Cup 2024. Afghanistan secured their spot in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 by beating PNG and will face West Indies in their final group game on Monday in Saint Lucia. (With ANI Inputs)
15 June,2024 07:46 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentVeteran pace bowler Trent Boult has affirmed that the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 marks his final campaign for New Zealand in this prestigious tournament. A cornerstone of the BlackCaps' illustrious era since his debut in 2011, Boult has been pivotal in guiding them to multiple finals across all formats. His tenure includes participation in four T20 World Cups starting from 2014. Addressing reporters after New Zealand's comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Uganda, Boult expressed, "Speaking personally, this will be my last T20 World Cup. That's all I have to say." The 34-year-old's future involvement with New Zealand remains uncertain following his decision to forgo a central contract in 2022, opting instead for global T20 franchise engagements. Despite the recent elimination from contention for the Super Eight stage, with Afghanistan and West Indies securing Group C's qualifying spots, Boult's final appearance in the T20 World Cup 2024 will be in New Zealand's upcoming match against Papua New Guinea. Reflecting on the team's tournament performance, he remarked, "It's definitely not the start we envisioned. It's tough to accept. Representing the country is always a source of immense pride." Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: PCB to review player contracts after early exit The confirmation that Boult will not play in another T20 World Cup highlights the future of New Zealand's ageing lineup. Only three players on this squad will be under the age of 30 when the club returns home. Only star batters Rachin Ravindra (24), Finn Allen (25) and all-rounder Glenn Phillips (27) Boult and Tim Southee, the star pacer duo, have played influential roles in many campaigns for Blackcaps. After taking two wickets in four overs against Uganda, Boult felt there would be limited opportunities for the two to play together in the future. "I look at the partnership with Tim Southee with very fond memories. We bowled a lot of overs together. I know the partnership very well, and obviously he's a very good friend on and off the ground. It was nice to wind back the clock a little bit and see a bit of swing bowling at the top. Some great memories, and hopefully a couple more still to come," he said. (With agency inputs)
15 June,2024 06:31 PM IST | New York | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
