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By K.R. Nayar Not inviting Sunil Gavaskar to the podium along with Allan Border to present the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia in Sydney was, quite frankly, not cricket. What makes this incident even more surprising is that Gavaskar was present on the ground as a commentator, yet only Allan Border was invited to the podium. This omission is not just a shameful act but also highlights Cricket Australia officials' lack of respect for the game's legends, their poor judgment, and ignorance.   The cricket board should have considered it an honor to have Gavaskar participate in the event. The presentation ceremony would have been far more memorable had both Border and Gavaskar jointly handed over the trophy. By considering only Border to present the trophy, Cricket Australia has left an indelible dark spot on the event. Gavaskar’s omission cannot be dismissed as a mere oversight. If it was an error, it reflects a shocking ignorance of who Gavaskar is as a cricketer. If it w...

By K.R. Nayar The decision of DP World ILT20 to retain Harbhajan Singh as the ambassador for the third consecutive season, and to bring back Shoaib Akhtar after his memorable stint in Season 2, is commendable. These two cricketing legends are among the most vibrant personalities in the sport. Harbhajan Singh is more than just India’s legendary off-spinner, and Pakistan’s Akhtar is more than one of the fastest bowlers the game has ever produced. The third edition of the DP World ILT20 promises to be as exciting and colorful as these two icons were during their playing days, and continue to be as commentators.   Harbhajan Singh and Shoaib Akhtar in their usual joyful mood during the second edition Affectionately known as the "Turbanator" and the "Rawalpindi Express," Harbhajan and Akhtar retired with impressive records. Harbhajan claimed 711 wickets across all formats, while Akhtar took 444. Harbhajan used his craft and guile, whereas Akhtar relied on his fearsome...

By K.R. Nayar It’s time Virat Kohli was officially designated as the "Angry Man" of Indian cricket. In Bollywood, we had Amitabh Bachchan, who was once called the "Angry Young Man," but now, at the age of 82, is affectionately known as "Big B." As Kohli approaches the twilight of his cricketing career, if he decides to follow his wife, Anushka Sharma, into Bollywood, he can adopt Bachchan’s shelved nickname. Virat Kohli's shoulder bump act  During the first day of the ongoing Melbourne Test, Kohli indulged in a shoulder bump and gave a menacing stare to Australian debutant and 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas, adding another feather to his "angry man" cap.  Kohli can claim that he was only helping the young debutant to progress into a good player as Konstas can tell others he has literally rubbed shoulders with a legend. However, from now on, Konstas might think twice before getting too close to any legend to avoid a similar encounter. ...

By K.R. Nayar   Over the years, the term "neutral venue" has gained prominence in cricketing terminology. Many of the upcoming Champions Trophy matches will be held in the UAE, where the concept of a neutral venue will once again take center stage. Having reported on neutral venue matches from the UAE for over two decades, I have often wondered what truly makes a venue "neutral." Cricket is played the same way, and the result is never neutral either. Essentially, a neutral venue is one chosen by countries that are politically at odds but still wish to compete on the field.   I was not too sure how things would pan out when neutral umpires were first introduced. These umpires, who are experts in the laws of the game and have cleared rigorous assessments to qualify at the international level, were no different in their expertise from other international umpires. Both neutral and non-neutral umpires have erred in their decisions sometimes. The primary purpose of ...

By K.R. Nayar Ravichandran Ashwin, who could be considered more knowledgeable on cricket than most international cricketers, has announced his retirement from Test cricket. His ability to grasp the various nuances of the game was unparalleled, allowing him to experiment extensively with his art of spin bowling. The result? A staggering tally of 537 Test wickets—part of a total of 765 wickets across all formats of the game. Ravichandran Ashwin with yours sincerely  Ironically, at times, being more knowledgeable than others can work against you. I always believed Ashwin should have been given the opportunity to captain Team India,  as his intelligence would have made him exceptional. Ashwin always enjoyed imparting his knowledge to youngsters  Before any interview, Ashwin often had one request: “Please don’t ask about my selection.” Although I always respected that, I often wondered if there was ever a cricketer, who despite having such an enormous tally of ...

By K.R. Nayar A cricket organisation to boost the game in Europe was launched in Paris today. Six cricketing nations joined hands and formed the European Cricket Association. The inaugural meeting of the association held at Pullman Effiel was attended by representatives of six cricket playing nations  - France, Italy, Jersey, Malta, Austria and Romania. France was the host of the meeting which was held under the chairmanship of Gurumurthy Palani, the Board Advisor to the France Cricket Association, till the president of the body is chosen. European Cricket Association officials at their launch meeting  Gabriel Marin of Romania was elected as the first President of the European Cricket Association, while Fabio Marabini of Italy will be the First Vice President. Three vice presidents were elected, which included Indika Perera (Malta), Sarah Gomersall (Jersey) and Gurumurthy Palani (France). Bilal Zal Mai of Austria will be the Executive Committee Member. Speaking about the...