After a quite Tuesday, we saw a flurry of development in and around cricket on August 14. Firstly, a breaking news came out in the form of Morne Morkel, who became the bowling coach of Team India. While BCCI has not made it official yet, his tenure is scheduled to start from September 1. What BCCI made official was the squads for Duleep Trophy 2024. While Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya won’t participate, Duleep Trophy squads are star-studded with IPL stars. As for ICC Champions Trophy, we can also see Pakistan starting the preparation to host the mega event next year. (Also, Happy Independence Day fellas).
BCCI unveils Duleep Trophy squads!
The traditional Duleep Trophy is back with a bang! The BCCI has unveiled star-studded squads for the tournament, with Shubman Gill, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Shreyas Iyer leading the four teams. While fans were eager to see Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in action, they will be rested for the upcoming Bangladesh series.
Pakistan’s prep from ICC Champions Trophy
Pakistan’s second Test against Bangladesh will be played behind closed doors due to ongoing construction at the National Stadium, a decision echoing the COVID-19 era. This measure is crucial for preparing the venue to host the ICC Champions Trophy in early 2025. The high-profile tournament marks a significant milestone for Pakistan cricket, as it’s the first ICC event in the country since the 1996 World Cup.
Morne Morkel – New India bowling coach!
After Ryan ten Doeschate (Assistant coach), Morne Morkel is set to become another foreign player to get involved in Team India’s coaching staff. The Protea pacer has joined in as the bowling coach, as per Gautam Gambhir’s wish, who has been admirer for the Indian head coach. Gambhir and Morkel previously worked at LSG for two seasons as well.
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No Silver for Vinesh Phogat sadly!
Vinesh Phogat’s Olympic dream of bagging a medal is shattered ‘once more’. The Indian wrestler was disqualified from the women’s 50kg final for being 100g overweight. Despite filing a case with CAS for a joint silver medal, her appeal has been dismissed. This heartbreaking decision ended her hopes for a podium finish, leaving the nation in utter disappointment.
3rd successive BGT?
Former India coach Ravi Shastri is confident India can clinch a third straight Border-Gavaskar Trophy win. He believes India’s recent dominance over Australia, coupled with strong batting and a fit bowling lineup, gives them the edge. Shastri, who was the head coach of Team India to a historic Gabba win in 2021, backs the team to repeat their success in the upcoming five-match series.
Tait to coach Sanju Samson
Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) seeks new head coach. Former Australian speedster Shaun Tait is a leading contender among ten applicants. Tait’s international coaching experience, especially with Pakistan, makes him a strong candidate. He could potentially coach Kerala captain and star Indian player Sanju Samson. The search was triggered by the resignation of M. Venkataramana. Kerala aims to rebound after missing the Ranji Trophy knockout stage last season.