krbuzz

By K.R. Nayar It has always been special for cricket fans in the UAE whenever the Asia Cup is held here. There is a festival like atmosphere with people anxiously waiting for the event to begin and flocking in large numbers to the ground carrying their team’s flags. This trend had started from the first Asia Cup in 1984 at Sharjah, and it still continues. As always, the unveiling of the Asia Cup 2022 edition to be held from August 27 to September 11 was done with all its splendor in Abu Dhabi on Friday by Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Chairman, Emirates Cricket Board. The unveiling of the Asia Cup 2022 on Friday  This unveiling function was attended by Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary, Emirates Cricket Board, Shammi Silva President of Sri Lanka Cricket, Ashley de Silva, CEO Sri Lanka Cricket, Subhan Ahmed, Advisor, Emirates Cricket Board, Thusith Perera, GM Finance & Operations, Asian Cricket Council, and Prabhaka...

By K.R. Nayar CP Rizwan will lead the UAE in the Asia Cup Qualifier 2022 to be held in Oman.  This allrounder who rose to prominence through his consistent performance in domestic cricket earned the honour of leading the national team by being a symbol of dedication and devotion to any role offered to him.  Rizwan’s elevation as captain of the UAE team has brought immense joy to numerous players from Kerala in the UAE and cricket lovers in his home town in Kerala.  CP Rizwan Hailing from Tellicherry, Rizwan, through consistency in his performances, had risen to represent the Kerala state team. After taking a break to complete his engineering degree, he took up a job in the UAE and also carried along his dream of playing international cricket. He not only got selected to play for the UAE in international cricket but also became the first player from Kerala to hit a century in international cricket. When Rizwan made his One-Day international debut for the UA...

By K.R. Nayar When the Asia Cup will be hosted in the UAE in the coming days, it will become the second nation to host this tournament for the maximum number of times. Bangladesh tops the list having hosted it five times, and the UAE will join Sri Lanka to have hosted it four times. Earning that honour despite being a non-Test playing nation reconfirms this country is the hub of cricket. The role played by the UAE to ensure the tournament continues needs to be applauded. As a tournament, the Asia Cup began from the Sharjah Cricket Stadium when in 1984 it hosted the Rothmans Asia Cup. A country that gave birth to this tournament has now come forward to host it again when Sri Lanka, this edition's host, was faced with a political crisis in their country. Asia Cup 2018 was also held in the UAE due to political tensions between India and Pakistan.  Be it a political or a pandemic related situation in any cricket playing nation, the UAE has repeatedly ensured that these big cri...

By K.R. Nayar Life can be so uncertain. A painfully shocking news this morning reiterated this fact for me. My dearest friend Ashok Varma, a left-arm spinner and a left-handed batsman, with whom I grew up playing cricket at the Caravan Cricket Club in Thycaud, Trivandrum, passed away in his sleep. What touched me was his last Whatsapp message to me three days back. We have been planning a get-together of our Caravan Cricket Club next month along with a cricket match to recall our playing days at the Thycaud Maidan. In that message he said wanted to hit Shaheer (our club’s opening bowler) and me for a boundary and take the wicket of Hari (our finest batsman). Ashok Varma  Varma, as well all called him, was more a bowler, a naturally talented left-arm spinner. On August 13, known as left-handers’ day, while remembering all the left-handers in our group, I was talking about his bowling as poetry in action. Although he was never coached professionally, he was accurate ...

By K.R. Nayar Devender Kumar was my co-commentator when I made my debut as a Test commentator in Abu Dhabi during the 2021 Afghanistan-Zimbabwe series. He was the one who guided me on the norms to be followed while commentating when I held the mike on the first day of the Test. Since I was only a cricket writer until then, his tips were of immense help to me to get started. In the following days, I experienced his deep passion, commitment and enthusiasm for the game. Despite hailing from a small village in Jodhpur in India, he knew every detail of all Afghanistan players. It seemed to me that I was seated next to someone representing the Afghanistan team. I wasn't surprised when I heard he had escaped a bomb blast in Afghanistan on July 29, 2022, and attributed his never-dying love for the game that must have helped him survive. Devender Kumar commentating for RTA Sports - Afghanistan's national sports broadcaster Devender revealed how it all happened on that eventful day. ...

By K.R. Nayar “Umpire Rudi Koertzen always had this fear about getting involved in an accident,” remarked UAE’s international umpire Iftikhar Ali, while remembering this great umpire who died in a car accident on Tuesday (August 9) in South Africa.  Rudi Koertzen Speaking to  krbuzz.blogspot.com , Iftikhar Ali, UAE's umpire who officiated in  10 One Day Internationals and 15 T20 Internationals,  was with Rudi Koertzen in 2001.  Iftikar Ali and Rudi Koertzen were the umpires in an ICC Associate members’ qualifier match being held in Toronto. “We were going for the inspection of the ground from the hotel, and Koertzen told me that he preferred to sit in the back seat since he had just met with an accident a few days ago,” said Iftikhar, while recalling that match and the incident. Iftikhar Ali  “In those days, there were ICC Associate members’ qualifier matches and I got to umpire with him in Toronto at the same ground where the Sahara Cup was held...

By K.R. Nayar Shyam Bhatia cricket museum contains many rare items gifted to him by legendary cricketers. In addition to the history of cricket embossed on the walls of the museum and the numerous autographed bats from past and present cricketers, what caught my attention was his collection of old sports magazines dating back to the 1950’s.  They are all placed among the great books written by cricketers and other renowned authors. Shyam Bhatia with his collection of old sports magazines  Flipping through these magazines took me on a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Many of them seemed familiar since I grew up reading them during my school and college days.  My window to the cricket world was through these magazines those days. Growing up in Kerala in the early eighties, we had no TV those days. So every magazine we got hold of was precious, and cover images from many of those are still vivid in my mind.  When Bhatia showed me those mag...