Mark Boucher appointed Mumbai Indians’ head coach

Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) The most successful team in IPL, Mumbai Indians have appointed former South African wicketkeeper-batter Mark Boucher as their head coach for the 2023 season.

Boucher had recently decided to leave his role as head coach of South Africa men’s team after the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia next month.

Mumbai Indians, the winners of five IPL trophies, said in a statement on Friday that, “Mark Boucher has had a long and illustrious career as a wicket-keeper, batsman and holds the record for the most Test dismissals by a wicket-keeper. Post-retirement he took over as coach for Titans, a top-level cricket franchise in South Africa, and led them to five domestic titles. In 2019, Cricket South Africa appointed Mark Boucher as the head coach where he crafted 11 Test wins, 12 in ODIs and 23 T20I victories.”

“It’s a pleasure to welcome Mark Boucher to Mumbai Indians. With his proven expertise on the field and off it as a coach guiding his team to numerous victories, Mark will add immense value to MI and take forward its legacy,” said Akash. M. Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Jio Infocomm.

“It is an honour and privilege to be appointed as Head Coach of MI. Their history and achievements as a franchise clearly put them up there as one of the most successful sporting franchises in all of world sport. I look forward to the challenge and respect the need for results. It’s a strong unit with great leadership and players. I look forward to adding value to this dynamic unit,” said Boucher.

Under Boucher, the Proteas are currently No. 2 on the ICC World Test Championship table. His last series at the helm will be a white-ball tour of India from September 28 to October 11 before heading to the T20 World Cup in Australia, where South Africa are grouped alongside Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The tournament will run from October 16 to November 13.

Recently, Mumbai Indians had announced that head coach Mahela Jayawardene and director of cricket operations Zaheer Khan were being elevated to new roles as part of the franchise’s central team for its growing global cricket footprint.

Jayawardene, the former Sri Lanka skipper who became the head coach of the franchise in 2017 and under whom MI won three IPL titles, has been appointed as the Global Head of Performance. Zaheer, ex-India left-arm pacer, who joined the side as Director of Cricket Operations in 2018, has been appointed as Global Head of Cricket Development.

  • Communication in side will be the key during gruelling 2-month tour of England: SA coach Boucher.

Just ahead of Asia Cup, UAE remove Ahmed Raza as T20 skipper

Just one week before the opening of a T20 tournament in UAE, the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has made a huge change by removing Ahmed Raza as skipper of UAE’s T20 side, replacing him with batter CP Rizwan.

Raza. however, will continue to remain UAE’s One-day International captain but the surprising decision just three days before their match against Kuwait in Al-Amerat, and two months before their T20 World Cup tournament in Australia.

A statement issued by the ECB did not reveal the reason but just said: “The committee believes, after extensive discussions, and following a detailed review of the side’s recent 50-over performance, by providing the respective captain’s with a sole-format-focus it creates a strong leadership succession plan, and encourages a singular commitment to fine-tuning strategic on-field components of the game.

“UAE’s High Performance unit believes this presents a solid opportunity to consider and open-up all options – player make-up and Captaincy – to take the game forward,” said the statement.

Raza has an outstanding record as T20I captain of the side, winning 18 of 27 matches. He was appointed as captain in 2019. His winning percentage in the format was an impressive 68 per cent. Raza had even spoken to ICC-cricket.com about his team’s performance in Australia for the T20 World Cup.

Rizwan had played seven T20Is, where he scored just 100 runs at an average of just 16.66. UAE feature on the opening day of the 2022 T20 World Cup action, meeting the Netherlands in Geelong in Group A of the first round.

Mohammad Bhai surfaces on TV, denies Shami wife Hasin’s claim on match fixing

London-based Mohammed Bhai, who has been named as the man behind Mohammed Shami’s match-fixing allegations, has come out in open denying the allegations.

He said he never knew the Pakistani girl ‘Alishba’ named by Shami’s estranged wife Jahan as the conduit in Dubai who gave the money to Mohammad Shafi. He said he will join the investigation by the agencies.

A BCCI team is investigating the allegations made earlier by Shami’s wife Hasin Jahan blaming the pacer of fixing matches and receiving cash from a "Pakistani girl" named Alishba, while Mohammed Bhai was the middle man. Alishba in Dubai surfaced to deny meeting Mohammed Bhai, though she said she met Shami in Dubai.

The Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already put Shami’s annual retainership contract on hold pending the probe.

Soon after Alishba’s version, Mohammad Bhai in London too surfaced to tell the media that the allegations made by Jahan were baseless. "Neither have I done anything wrong, nor am I associated with such things. I never talked of match-fixing or offered money to anyone. I was born in India and won’t ever let my country down," he told ABP News.

He said he is hearing the name Alishba for the first time and denied he ever met her. "I am open to any probe by the BCCI or anti-corruption agencies. Even if I have to go through a lie-detector or narco test, I am up for it. I will cooperate with the agencies," he said.

Mohammed Bhai, who was born in Surat, has been living in the United Kingdom for over two decades and he said he was running a mobile phones business, which he described as "small business".

"I had met Shami and Hasin when the cricketer was on England tour for matches. Hasin used to call me ‘bhaiya’ and I respect her because she is like a sister to me. Whenever they wanted to go for a meal or shopping, I used to take them out," he said. "We used to eat and travel together," he said.

"I earn money through lawful and legitimate ways. I am not any influential person but a commoner, who lives with his family happily in a small house," he added.

Four officials of the ACU on Saturday spoke to beleaguered pacer Shami’s wife Hasin Jahan over allegations that the player was involved in match-fixing. It was learnt that Jahan has handed over some documents supporting her allegations that Shami met a woman in Dubai who was supposed to give him money sent by another person in UK.

In addition, Jahan has levelled domestic violence charges against Shami. She has also released an alleged recording of her telephonic conversation with the pacer which had the names of Alishba and Mohammad Bhai.

"The Committee of Administrators is concerned only with such portion of the said audio recording in which the person who it is claimed is Md. Shami is heard saying another person by the name of ‘Mohammad Bhai’ had sent money to Md. Shami through a Pakistani lady by the name of ‘Alisba’," the CoA had said in a letter to Neeraj Kumar, the head of the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit.

ACU has also sought probe covering:
(i) the identity, antecedents of ‘Mohammad Bhai’ and ‘Alisba’;
(ii) whether any money was sent by the said Mohammad Bhai through the said Alisba to Md. Shami; and
(iii) if yes, the purpose for which the said money was received by Md. Shami.

As of now, the saga of Shami and his wife Jahan has kept the pacer’s ball in suspense.

PM Congratulates India Women’s Hockey Team on winning Asia Cup 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has congratulated the Indian Women’s hockey team on winning Asia Cup 2017. Last time in 2004 India Women’s Team lifted the Asia Cup after beating Japan.

“Congratulations to our hockey team on winning the Women’s Asia Cup 2017. India is delighted by their stellar performance.”,the Prime Minister said.

India beat China 5-4 via shootouts to win the women’s Asia Cup hockey title in Japan on Sunday and also qualified for next year’s World Cup as Continental Champions.

Skipper Rani scored the winning goal for India and Savita made a great save in sudden death to ensure India the 5-4 score in the penalty shootout. Earlier, Navjot Kaur scored India’s lone goal in the 25th minute.

When the first quarter ended in a stalemate, Indiaan forwards kept the pressure on China and Navjot Kaur came close to a field goal in the 17th minute but in vain. Again at the 25th minute, she took a clear shot on goal.

With 1-0 lead, India countered China attack and in the third quarter they dominated the ball testing China’s patience. In the final quarter, China won a penalty corner through a successful video referral in the 47th minute.

When both teams are at par, China won their fourth penalty corner with less than three minutes to go for the end.

In the penalty shootout Rani scored twice, Monica, Lilima Minz and Navjot scored a goal each to ensure India reclaimed the Asia Cup title after 13 years. Savita was chosen Goalkeeper of the Tournament and Monica got the Woman of the Match award.

India Junior Hockey Team Brings Laurels Lifting World Cup 2016

Bringing to memory the Classic win in 2001, India celebrated winning the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup clinching a 2-1 victory against Belgium in the final.

Last time India won the cup in Hobart in 2001 with the likes of Gagan Ajit Singh and Yugraj Singh then. This time India scored two field goals in the first half through Gurjant Singh (8th minute) and Simranjeet Singh (22nd) to emerge as winners.

The team coached by Harendra Singh was cheered throughout by home crowd, revived the fortunes of the game in a nation, which has boasted of a rich hockey tradition way back 50 years ago.

The other team Belgium scored a late consolation goal through Fabrice van Bockrijck’s penalty corner conversion in the 70th minute.

Earlier, six-time champions and title holders Germany had been relegated to a bronze defeating Australia 3-0 in the third-fourth place play-off match.

Congratulating the team, Minister of Sports Vijay Goel has commended their splendid win and said India have become the first nation to win the hockey junior World Cup at home and the title is significant as it came after a gap of 15 years for the second time.

He said the joyous moment of glory is more enjoyable as it came after Senior Indian Men and Women Hockey Teams lifted the Asian Champions Trophy earlier in the year. Vijay Goel said the best finish in Hockey in recent times reflects the hard work, dedication, discipline and determination of our players to succeed at the International Sporting arena.