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By K.R. Nayar Cricket fans have been missing Mahendra Singh Dhoni in action since July 10, 2019, after he played for India against New Zealand in the semifinal of the 2019 World Cup. This Thursday on July 2, he will appear in the role of an online coach. Dhoni had once mentioned to me about his love for coaching and what he thinks of teaching youngsters his pet 'helicopter' shot. He may now go on to win hearts as a coach like he did as a player. Dhoni interacts with youngsters at the MS Dhoni academy in Dubai. Image credit: Late Saleem Sanghati For those who have been wondering about India’s legendary wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's whereabouts, here is the answer.  On Thursday, July 2, Dhoni will appear in the form of an online cricket coach. Three years ago Dhoni, while in Dubai, had announced that he wishes to contribute as a coach and groom budding youngsters. He will now be giving online coaching for children from the age of six, and to senior players as well...

By K.R. Nayar Cricket bails have a history dating back to the 16 th  century. In 1911, on this day June 29, it created history when it flew a distance of 67 yards and six inches after a ball from the bowler hit the stumps. The bails also exerted its importance in the 2015 and 2019 World Cups by remaining unmoved despite the ball hitting the stumps. Read the interesting tale of these small bails which are hardly given any importance.   UAE's Amjad Javed hits Ireland's Ed Joyce stumps but the bails refused to fall off during  the 2015 World Cup. Image source:  Cricket Australia   On June 29, 1911, a Worcestershire pacer Robert Burrows created a record by sending the bail flying from the stumps for a distance of 67 yards and six inches.   As per the Association of  Cricket  Historians and Statisticians, this is  the longest  a  bail  has travelled in a first-class game in England. Historians say that in 1928-29, England...

By K.R. Nayar India’s run machine to share his skills through an academy set to be launched in September, and will be known as ‘CricKingdom Cricket Academy by Rohit Sharma’. The Indian opener expressed his keenness to promote cricket in the UAE Rohit Sharma, nicknamed the ‘Hitman’ of Indian cricket, will set up a cricket academy in Dubai. Sharma has joined hands with CricKingdom and Rach Sports Academy & Management LLC to set up his academy here,  which will be launched in September 2020. Sharma’s ability to adapt to all forms of the game and his reputation as a run machine is expected to benefit youngsters in the UAE.  It was nearly two months ago that I was informed of CricKingdom’s plans to set up this academy with Sharma, and this was finally confirmed last week by Girban Chakraborty of CricKingdom academy. Sharma has been designated as Brand Ambassador for the academy, which will be known as CricKingdom Cricket Academy by Rohit Sharma.   “I am del...

By K.R. Nayar Tellicherry Cricket Academy invited Sri Lanka’s international umpire Ranmore Martinesz for a zoom chat and his words threw light on various aspects of umpiring which players need to understand to be a complete cricketer  Tellicherry Cricket Academy's 'Howzat with umpire Ranmore Martinesz'  zoom session Many times, cricketers take umpires for granted. Most youngsters believe that learning about cricket ends with the mastering of batting, bowling, and fielding skills, and they put little effort to understand the role of an umpire though he is an important part of the game. Like all others, I too believed that there was no need to get a serious understanding of the umpire's role and that his role had nothing to do with me improving as a player, till I qualified as a state panel umpire from Kerala before moving on to journalism.  Many are under the impression that all an umpire does is count the number of balls in an over, give decisions on whether a bat...

By K.R. Nayar Australian cricketer and pacer Neil Hawke used his fighting spirit as a sportsman to withstand 12 cardiac arrests and 30 surgeries. During his playing days, he withstood a shoulder injury from football but remained a match-winner. An infection after a bowel surgery pushed him to the brink of death many times but he fought back with his iron will for 20 years Neil Hawke's autobiography As cricket fans, all of us are familiar with the term ‘Hawkeye’ - a technology used in cricket to review leg before wicket decisions. Years ago, there used to be a cricketer by the nickname ‘Hawkeye’. It was on this day, on June 27 in 1939, that this Australian cricketer Neil Hawke was born. Here goes his story.   He was a pacer whose passion for the game broke all barriers to emerge a match-winner for whichever team he played. He later underwent 30 surgeries, often returning from the brink of death, but withstood all of them with his fighting spirit. Hawke was born in Cheltenham in...

By K.R. Nayar The 1983 World Cup triumph is a lesson for all cricketers on how to fight against all possible odds and emerge victorious. As a sports journalist, it taught me a lesson never to undermine any team after what happened when a journalist had to literally 'eat his words' for ignoring the fact that the game can transform any team into world champions. Today is a special day in the history of cricket. It was on this day, June 25, 1983, exactly 37 years ago that India stunned the world by lifting the World Cup!. Every year we recall this glorious moment of the game through articles and interviews with the players who proved the cliche 'cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties', and that no team should be written off any time. So much has been written about this that even those born after 1983 are aware of everything related to India’s performance in this World Cup.  So my story today, although related to India's historic win, throws light on something...

By K.R. Nayar Meet my cricket-crazy friend who has solutions to play Coronavirus-free cricket with small modifications to the rules of the game and the behavior of the players Cricket balls targeted. Image source ICC Pardon me for having some fun at the expense of the coronavirus. We read so much of serious stuff every day about this dreaded disease, so let us distract ourselves a bit from the horrors of this virus. I happened to read a remark from the British Prime Minister that the cricket ball is a natural vector of disease. He was responding to a question in the House of Commons on whether it was too soon to lift the current restrictions on playing cricket.   So I contacted my cricket-crazy friend who was not very appreciative of my article on whether cricketers should be put to risk and that bilateral cricket contests should wait.  “Johnson, before accusing the cricket ball, should have studied as to how cricket is played. The new ball is not like a metal door handle...

By K.R. Nayar Even though the Coronavirus pandemic is not yet under control, many countries are gearing up to stage their bilateral series. Would this not put cricketers under risk just for the joy of watching them play from the isolated comforts of our homes? While it is true that factories need to start functioning now, should cricket too commence before the Covid-19 curve is flattened?     Exciting cricket came to a halt during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Image source I&B Govt of India  Should we really put all our cricketers to risk?  Many nations are planning to have their bilateral series and are planning to play in front of empty stadiums. Is there a need to hurry to watch matches especially when the Coronavirus pandemic hasn’t yet come under control? When the Pakistan cricketers were tested for the Coronavirus prior to their England tour, three of their players Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan showed positive. This shows that cr...

  By K.R. Nayar No batsman has ever given me the jitters like Sandeep Patil did.  I missed being hit by one of his sixers inside the press box at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium while reporting one of his Ranji Trophy matches. His next six pierced through the roof of the press box. Recalling Patil's powerful ways on the day (June 22) when he placed India in the 1983 World Cup final through an unbeaten 51 against England. Sandeep Patil's autobiography is among my favourite collection     If there has been any batsman who has made me a little nervous while being seated in the press box, it’s India’s Sandeep Patil. I’ve been fortunate to report many of his aggressive knocks during his career. Ever since the advent of Twenty20 and now T10, almost every batsman hits hard. But I am yet to see any player, including Chris Gayle, with so much power behind his shot.   Once while reporting a Ranji Trophy match between Mumbai and Saurashtra in the late 80s, Patil hit a str...

By K.R. Nayar Being a scribe from the UAE where readers are from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, I had to ensure that matches played by these countries were reported during the World Cup and Champions Trophy tournaments. In addition to the spirit and love for cricket, it was the strength gained through yoga that helped me race from one venue to another without a break.   Doing regular yoga has helped me develop stamina I have been practicing yoga for a few years now, and hence, like many of those who patronize yoga, the International Yoga Day is very special for me. Practicing yoga has helped me immensely, both mentally and physically. It was while reporting international cricket matches that I realized the benefits of these yoga exercises. To deliver your best you need to be physically fit in addition to being mentally alert. Many believe that the emphasis of fitness should be mainly on sportsmen, and may wonder why sports journalists too need to be fi...

By K.R. Nayar  Marvan Atapattu, who rose from zeroes to become one of the heroes in cricket, revealed what transforms failure into success. His analysis during a zoom chat with him confirmed my belief that if you earnestly love what you do, then failure can never sink you nor can anyone pull you down.     Marvan Atapattu during the zoom session with Deserts Cubs Cricket Academy   Sri Lanka's Marvan Atapattu has often been presented as an example of a cricketer who rose from failure to glory. The tale of how from scores of 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, from his first three Test matches, he went on to become one of the toughest batsmen to dismiss, is inspiring. His determination to not give away his wicket resulted in him hitting six double centuries before he ended his career scoring 5509 Test runs and recording 8529 runs in One Day Internationals.  T o talk to such a fighter, a man with the spirit to rise against odds is a great feeling. Thanks to Presley Polonnowita, Hea...

Value the gifts and words from Sachin Tendulkar; he is one of the greatest batsmen of the era When a sportsman gifts his valuable possessions to inspire fans, it is the duty of the custodians to keep it safely. Negligence towards a pavilion named after a hero and his items in the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Kochi reveals their irresponsibility and lack of respect towards a legendary sportsman. By K.R. Nayar | Sachin Tendulkar’s memorabilia is said to have gone missing from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. This is a clear instance of what can happen when people with no regard for great sportsmen or sports become guardians of a sporting arena. The missing items are from the pavilion named after Tendulkar, and there is also news that the pavilion, which was inaugurated by Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2013, is in a bad condition.  Tendulkar had gifted his jersey, an autographed bat, and a ball with which he had played for display at the pavilion named after him. Tendulkar ...

When Kapil Dev posed with the World Cup at Lord's ground last year, 36 years after he lifted it in 1983. Picture courtesy: Kapil Dev BBC went on strike and denied the world to witness one of the greatest captain’s knocks when Kapil Dev hit an unbeaten whirlwind 175 to win the game for India in the 1983 World Cup. Those who took the decision to strike prevented the biggest broadcasting body the opportunity to telecast one of the finest moments in cricket history. That game could have remained as their pride possession forever. By K.R. Nayar Reams have been written about Kapil Dev’s unbeaten knock of 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup that happened on the same date as today (June 18).  I have talked to Kapil on many occasions about this knock, especially during interviews or when he would walk into the press box and chat with us during his break from commentating, and relived that innings always. But what I would like to highlight today in addition to the...