film on India’s “power” in cricket
Melbourne: Australian production house ABC Network has aired a documentary titled ‘The Great Cricket Coup’, which claims to “expose” how India have engineered a massive shift in influence in international cricket in its favour. Reported by Quentin McDermott and presented by veteran journalist Kerry O’Brien, the programme promises to take the viewers into the backroom powerplays of the cricket elite where an audacious coup has reportedly delivered extraordinary power to India. Featuring titans of the game, the program asserts that BCCI wield big control, with huge ramifications for how and where the game is played. If former Australian cricket greats like Ian Chappell make an appearance on the show to speak against the so-called Indian bully and tainted IPl chairman lalit Modi also joins the anti-India cricket power rants. The man behind the coup is said to be none other than ICC chairman N Srinivasan.
Hiken moves HC against suspension
Mumbai: Mumbai cricketer Hiken Shah has approached the Bombay High Court against his suspension by BCCI for allegedly flouting its anti-corruption code. The cricket body suspended Shah, a batsman who was a part of Mumbai Ranji squad, on July 13 after he was found guilty of making “corrupt approach” to a team-mate who was also a member of Rajasthan Royals IPl franchise. According to BCCI’s version, the franchise informed the cricket body about the incident and BCCI president Jaganmohan Dalmiya asked its anti-corruption unit to conduct an inquiry. The inquiry commissioner found Shah guilty of “breaching” its anti-corruptiion code, it said. Shah has moved the HC through his lawyer, advocate Som Sinha. The petition claims that he was not given a hearing before the order was passed and it should be set aside. The next hearing would be on August 12.
Karnataka HC criticises Dhoni
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court was on Monday critical of former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in a case filed against him for allegedly “denigrating” a Hindu god as it decried tendency of celebrities signing ads just for money without giving a thought to the consequences. “A celebrity and a cricketer like Dhoni should know the consequences of hurting the religious sentiments of people. He should have known the consequences of doing such ads,” Justice A N Venugopal Gowda said in his oral observation. The complainant, Jayakumar Hiremath, a social activist, had alleged that Dhoni is seen on the cover of a business magazine as lord Vishnu, holding several things, including a shoe in his hands.
Indo-Pak series in real danger: PCB
Karachi: Amid speculation over the resumption of Indo-Pak cricketing ties, PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan today admitted that the planned series between the two nations in UAE in December is in “real danger” and said that he plans to travel to India next month to discuss the issue. The former diplomat told a media conference in lahore that he plans to meet with the BCCI hierarchy and other government officials to discuss the scheduled series. “There is a real danger at this time to the series. But I plan to go to India to get a clear answer on the prospects of the matches being held in December,” Khan said. He pointed out that the PCB was very keen to follow the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two boards to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2022 after the new governance system took place in the International Cricket Council.