India team wear army-style caps in ODI at Ranchi in response to attack in Kashmir The BCCI considered calling for a ban on Pakistan from the World Cup in the wake of violence in Kashmir. BCCI chief executive Rahul Johri wrote to the ICC requesting national boards to “sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates”.
Years of tension have been ratcheted up by a terrorist attack in Pulwamma, Indian Kashmir, which killed 40 members of India’s Central Reserve Police Force. Jaish-e- Mohammed, based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility. The India team wore special army-style camouflage caps in an ODI against Australia at Ranchi to show their solidarity. “It is a special cap,” said captain Virat Kohli. “This is to pay respect to the martyrs of the Pulwama attack and their families. All the players have decided to donate their match fees from this particular game to the National Defence Fund. ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, a two-time former BCCI president, raised the matter of the BCCI’s letter at the ICC’s quarterly board meeting, but said the global body’s principal concern was cricket. Chief executive David Richardson said the ICC would “uplift our security commitment” for the World Cup in England and Wales if tensions continued to rise. India’s two record run-scorers, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, warned against India boycotting their World Cup match against Pakistan, since it would give their rivals two points. As per ICC world cup 2019 schedule India and Pakistan are due to meet at Old Trafford on June 16. Ironically, the 10-team tournament structure has been set up to guarantee India and Pakistan nine matches each, maximising income from broadcasters. There were more than 400,000 ticket applications for the match in a ground that holds 25,000. Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani said after India wore the caps: “We believe that cricket and sports should not be used for politics and we have said this very clearly. Their [India] credibility in the cricketing world has gone down very badly.” At the ICC meeting, Mani asked for assurances about player visas for the 2021 T20 World Cup and 2023 50-over World Cup, both to be played in India. India recently failed to grant a visa to England Lions bowler Saqib Mahmood, who has Pakistani ancestry. ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said the issue was “difficult and very political”. The MCC World Cricket Committee has recommended the introduction of free hits in Test cricket. Following a meeting in Bangalore, the panel – consisting of former and current international cricketers and umpires, including its chairman Mike Gatting and Shane Warne – has made the suggestion in an effort to curb the number of no-balls being bowled in the Test arena. Further recommendations for the longest format of the game included a countdown clock, designed to combat the declining over rate in cricket worldwide. The MCC cited ICC statistics from May of last year which showed that over-rates in the previous 12 months were the lowest in the 11 years that they had been measured (13.77 per hour). The proposal includes a 45-second countdown between overs, with sides being warned initially if they fail to ready themselves in time and receive fi ve-run penalties for further infractions. Similar countdowns were also recommended for the fall of wickets and at drinks breaks. Finally, the panel said that the red Dukes ball ought to be trialled in Asia in an effort to even up the Test landscape.
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