In my continuing campaign to trace the steep decline of Hyderabad cricket and explore ways to revive its past glory, this week I had the privilege of meeting one of the forgotten stalwarts of the game—Mahender Kumar. A prolific all-rounder of the 1960s, he belonged to that rare breed of cricketers who combined artistry with…
MS Shanker In India, dynasties don’t fade; they just change uniforms. Some wear crisp white kurtas and sit in Parliament; others slip into blazers and preside over cricket associations. Either way, they rule. Elections and trials are for the aam aadmi; succession is strictly for the khaas aadmi’s son, daughter, nephew, or, when imagination runs…
Dubai: A determined Sri Lanka will take inspiration from their unbeaten group campaign and start as favourites against an inconsistent Bangladesh in the first Super Four match of the Asia Cup here on Saturday. Ably led by Charith Asalanka, the Lankans finished on top of Group B with three wins from as many matches, ahead…
MS Shanker The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), already under fire for a series of administrative lapses, has once again invited criticism—this time over its handling of women’s team selections. Despite being reduced to a truncated apex council after recent controversies, the remaining office-bearers had an opportunity to rebuild confidence. Instead, their latest decision has raised…
Abu Dhabi: A disappointed Rashid Khan on Thursday lamented Afghanistan’s exit from the Asia Cup after a six-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in their last group stage fixture here, saying they had “great preparation” for the tournament. Afghanistan, touted to be one of the sides to beat in the eight-team tournament, missed out on a…
Dubai: During the two months in England when he was warming the bench, the easy way would have been to blame anyone and everyone for his failure to fit into India’s playing XI, but Kuldeep Yadav chose to traverse the tougher route. While spinners who can bat are in vogue these days, Kuldeep has his…
Dubai: Pakistan may have withdrawn the threat to pull out of the Asia Cup but their objection to match referee Andy Pycroft still stands, and the PCB has shot off another letter to the ICC demanding that the Zimbabwean be swapped with Richie Richardson for the team’s remaining games. It has been reliably learnt that…
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Vaishali Rameshbabu on winning the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss, and said her passion and dedication are exemplary. The Indian Grandmaster won the FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss for the second time in a row and made it to the women’s Candidates tournament after a hard-fought draw against…
Dubai: A day after India’s emphatic win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup was followed by a refusal to exchange handshakes, the incident has escalated into a full-blown controversy. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has written to the International Cricket Council (ICC) demanding the immediate removal of match referee Andy Pycroft. According to PCB insiders,…
Agam Rao For a young boy or girl growing up in the towns and villages of Telangana with a dream to play cricket, one basic question inevitably arises: What pathway has the Hyderabad Cricket Association, the custodian of the game in the state, created to help them climb the ladder of the Sport? Despite decades…
