Duleep Trophy: Amit Dani sees tournament as comeback opportunity for …

Former Mumbai and Goa all-rounder Amit Dani, who, on Wednesday was named coach of the West Zone team for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, beginning on August 23 in Bengaluru, believes the zonal competition is the perfect platform for opener Prithvi Shaw to chart his India comeback.

Former Mumbai opener Shaw, 26, who has played five Tests, six ODIs and one T20I, moved to Maharashtra last season, where he scored 537 runs in the Ranji Trophy.

“This is a huge opportunity for Prithvi to make a comeback in the national team, and I hope he can cash on it. He’s such an explosive batter. He needs to focus on performing consistently and help the team win matches. A good performance will benefit him individually as well as the West Zone team,” Dani told mid-day on Wednesday. djcc.club

Amit Dani

The Maharashtra batter Ruturaj Gaikwad-led West Zone will begin their Duleep Trophy campaign against North Zone in the quarter-final at Bengaluru on August 23.

Dani was Mumbai’s assistant coach when Shaw played a key role in helping the Shreyas Iyer-led Mumbai team win the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2018. He believes Shaw can do it again. “Vinayak Samant was the coach in 2018-19 and I was assisting. Prithvi was in that team and he batted really well [he scored 356 runs with the help of one century and three half-centuries] and helped us win the Vijay Hazare Trophy that year. So, I’m hoping Prithvi can repeat that performance this time,” added Dani, who considers this a crucial assignment for himself too.

“I have played the Deodhar Trophy [50-over games], but not Duleep Trophy [four-day games], so this is a great opportunity for me and also a challenging one. I believe this team is ready; our aim is to win the Duleep Trophy,” he said, adding that having six experienced Mumbai players — Shardul Thakur, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian and Musheer Khan — within the team is a massive advantage.

[popcorn number="5093" desc="No. of first-class runs scored by Prithvi Shaw in 65 matches @ 46.30" class="Default"]

[popcorn number="537" desc="No. of runs scored by Prithvi Shaw for Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy last season" class="Default"]

Ambati Rayudu made a shocking claim about his early career. He accused former BCCI president Shivlal Yadav of trying to ruin his career. Rayudu said this happened when he was a young player at Hyderabad. He eventually made his India debut in 2013 and played 55 ODIs and 6 T20Is.

Rayudu said politics started in his childhood at the Hyderabad Cricket Association. He claimed that Arjun Yadav, Shivlal’s son, was being pushed to play for India. As Rayudu was performing better than Arjun, he said attempts were made to remove him. He said the situation was like cancer and had reached its fourth stage. He felt only BCCI intervention could fix HCA.

Rayudu said he played brilliantly for India-A in 2003-04. But in 2004, the selection committee changed. Shivlal Yadav’s close friends joined the panel. Rayudu claimed he was not given a chance after that. He said they stopped anyone from talking to him for four years. He also alleged that Shivlal Yadav’s younger brother would come drunk and swear in front of his house the day before matches. He said they tried to hurt him mentally.

Rayudu left Hyderabad for Andhra in 2005. During the 2005-06 season, Rayudu and Arjun got into an infamous fight during a Ranji Trophy match between the two teams.

Shivlal Yadav played 35 Tests and 7 ODIs for India between 1979 and 1987. He has been the HCA President. He also served as BCCI supremo on an interim basis in 2014. The accusations paint a picture of a system that failed him. He spoke about the mental torture he endured. He overcame those obstacles to play for India. He finally found success with Chennai Super Kings. He retired as a six-time IPL winner.

Why Ambati Rayudu Missed India’s 2019 World Cup Squad?

Ambati Rayudu was almost certain to be India’s No. 4 batsman for the 2019 World Cup. But a poor run of form and the rise of Vijay Shankar ended his dream.

Rayudu was the fourth-highest run-scorer for India after his return to the team in September 2018. He played 21 matches and scored one century and four fifties. He was the top run-scorer for India in the New Zealand ODI series. He averaged 63.33 in that series. He batted at No. 4 in 14 innings and averaged 42.18 with a strike rate of 85.60.

He was dismissed below 25 on nine occasions. His only half-century outside the subcontinent came against New Zealand on a seaming pitch. The team management also began to have doubts. Kohli said in January that the team was looking to solidify the No. 4 slot. Rayudu was dropped for a few matches during the home series against Australia.

Selection committee chairman MSK Prasad said Rayudu was not dropped for any negative reason. He said Vijay Shankar offered more versatility with his bowling and fielding. That is why he was chosen ahead of Rayudu.

Ambati Rayudu Retired After Winning Sixth IPL Title With CSK

Ambati Rayudu announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. The announcement came after he won his sixth IPL title with Chennai Super Kings. He took to Twitter to share the news.

Rayudu said it had been an emotional night that ended with a special IPL win. He reflected on his journey, saying he did not imagine such a wonderful career when he started playing cricket as a kid.

He played 55 ODIs for India and scored 1694 runs at an average of 47.05. His best knock was an unbeaten 124. He also played six T20Is for India. He thanked the BCCI and several state associations for their support. He represented Hyderabad, Andhra, Baroda, and Vidarbha in domestic cricket.

In 97 first-class matches, he scored 6,151 runs with 16 centuries. In 178 List-A matches, he scored 5,607 runs with five centuries. In 178 T20 matches, he scored 6,028 runs.

He also thanked Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, the two IPL teams he played for. He represented Mumbai from 2010 to 2017 and CSK from 2018 onward. In 204 IPL matches, he scored 4,348 runs with one century and 22 fifties. He won the IPL title with Mumbai in 2013, 2015, and 2017.

FAQs.

Q. Why did Ambati Rayudu say his career suffered?

A. Ambati Rayudu claimed cricket politics hurt his early career.

Q. How many ODIs did Ambati Rayudu play for India?

A. Rayudu played 55 ODIs for India.

Q. How many IPL titles did Ambati Rayudu win?

A. Rayudu won six IPL titles.

Q. When did Ambati Rayudu retire from Indian cricket?

A. Rayudu retired after winning the 2023 IPL with Chennai Super Kings.

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Hoofddorp [Netherlands], August 7 (ANI): The players’ body, FIFPRO, has issued a statement against president Gianni Infantino, accusing him of “profound abuse of presidential power".

The statement from FIFPRO has insisted that the shelving of ‘FIFA Forward Enterprise’, which aimed to bring privatisation to the FIFA World Cup, does nothing to end the crisis, saying that it was “conceived in secrecy, negotiated behind closed doors and brought to the brink of agreement before the FIFA Council, the Member Associations, players and football’s recognised stakeholders even knew it existed."

The statement from FIFPRO said, “FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) is gone. The abuse of power that produced it is not. Governance reforms, not a cover-up, are urgently needed. The withdrawal of FFE was inevitable. But withdrawing the proposal does not erase what it revealed."

“A plan capable of permanently altering the ownership and governance of the FIFA World Cup, and commercialising the competitions built by generations of players, was conceived in secrecy, negotiated behind closed doors and brought to the brink of agreement before the FIFA Council, the Member Associations, players and football’s recognised stakeholders even knew it existed."

“That is not merely a governance failure. It is a profound abuse of presidential power," the statement continued.

FIFPRO said that they have noted the “FIFA’s internal update from its meeting in Rabat, Morocco with deep concern."

While apologising to the member associations for the way the FIFA Forward Enterprise matter was handled, FIFA also said that its leadership has unanimously reaffirmed support for President Gianni Infantino, while Infantino also reiterated his confidence in FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafstrom and the administration for their role in delivering the organisation’s vision

“Following a meeting in Rabat, Morocco, the FIFA Secretary General and members of the FIFA Management Board in attendance reaffirmed their full support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, as the only official elected by the 211 FIFA Member Associations. In turn, the FIFA President reiterated his full support for the FIFA Secretary General and the FIFA Administration for their necessary and outstanding work in the delivery of his vision," FIFA had said.

FIFPRO said that rather than confronting what had happened, “FIFA had reaffirmed support for the organisation’s leadership while reducing a fundamental governance and constitutional failure to a matter of “processes and communications" to be “improved"."

The body also said that the fact that FIFA admitted its mistake and said that “everything they had done was in compliance with FIFA regulatory framework" is an “indictment of FIFA’s current governance framework".

“A framework that allows a project of this magnitude to be developed behind closed doors and hidden from those it affects until it leaks, is a framework that must be reformed, not defended," added FIFPRO.

FIFPRO also said that they had taken note of FIFA’s warning that “they will no longer tolerate any attacks on its integrity" and asserted that the “scrutiny of football’s governance is not an attack."

“It is the duty of everyone who sustains the game. Any attempt to portray legitimate, good-faith scrutiny as disloyalty will only deepen the concern this episode has caused. And an internal review that reports only to the very Council that was bypassed is no answer at all. Players, their representatives and the professional football stakeholders must be part of it," the statement said.

“No institution can restore confidence in a presidency that has itself dismantled the conditions upon which confidence depends. Trust cannot simply be demanded. Authority cannot merely be asserted. Legitimacy cannot be proclaimed. Each must be earned. Each can be lost," it added.

FIFPRO also said that regardless of how the present crisis surrounding FIFA Forward Enterprises is resolved, “football now requires structural safeguards to ensure these events can never be repeated" and placed the following demands:

-Embedding the Global Social Dialogue Platform as a real, permanent and structural part of FIFA’s governance, not a mechanism to be bypassed at will.

-Legally binding engagement with professional football’s stakeholders on decisions of major consequence, including the international match calendar, competition expansion and other matters that fundamentally affect the professional game.

-Voting rights for professional football’s stakeholders on the FIFA Council, together with a clear and formally recognised role for FIFPRO as the global representative of professional footballers.

-Governance and structural reforms that make it impossible for any individual, ever again, to drive unilateral decisions through the game.

FIFPRO also said that it had written to FIFA administration setting out the demands.

“The letter explains why this episode represents far more than an isolated governance failure. It concerns the exercise of the highest role and office in world football and the manner in which its authority has been used. The letter has been signed jointly by the FIFPRO President and the Presidents of all FIFPRO regional divisions: FIFPRO Africa, FIFPRO Asia/Oceania, FIFPRO Europe, FIFPRO South America and FIFPRO Central & North America," said FIFPRO.

“The withdrawal of FFE prevented an irreversible decision. It did not restore the confidence that made such a proposal possible in the first place. That confidence has now been fundamentally broken. It cannot be rebuilt through carefully drafted statements, internal reviews or promises to improve processes. Nor can it be restored simply by announcing governance and structural reforms that should always have existed."

“These reforms are now indispensable. But they are the responsibility of the future, not an absolution of the past. The players did not create this crisis. They will insist that football emerges from it with stronger institutions, stronger safeguards and leadership worthy of the trust the game demands," the statement concluded. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

Montevideo [Uruguay], August 7 (ANI): Uruguay football legend Diego Forlan returns to the national set-up as the head coach of the senior national teams and the under-20 sides.

Forlan, who is best known for representing Uruguay from 2002-14 and clubs like Manchester United, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan, is one of the most important figures of his country’s football history. He comes to the setup after the team’s group stage finish in the FIFA World Cup, where the two-time champions failed to win a match, marking their worst performance in the tournament’s history.

A statement from the Uruguayan Football Association said, “The Uruguayan Football Association announces the return of Diego Forlan to the Uruguayan National Team. One of the most important figures in the history of La Celeste begins a new chapter: he will be the head coach of both the Under-20 and Senior National Teams."

“Forlan returns to where he left an indelible mark. A role model, icon, and emblem of an unforgettable generation, the best player of the 2010 South Africa World Cup returns now to contribute his experience, leadership, and profound knowledge of international football from a technical position," the statement added.

Forlan represented Uruguay in 112 matches, scoring 36 goals and capturing the Copa America 2011 with them and playing a crucial role in their fourth-place finish in the 2010 FIFA World Cup with five goals.

Forlan will begin working immediately with the under-20 team. There, he will lead a project aimed at developing young talent, supporting their growth, and strengthening their path to the senior national team. He will work with Santiago Espasandin and Diego Perez as assistant coaches, Marco Mansulino as physical trainer, Ignacio Bordad as goalkeeping coach, and Gabriel Skrilec as video analyst.

His first challenge at the helm of the senior national team will come during the September-October international window, when Uruguay plays its FIFA friendly matches. It will mark the beginning of a new era, with one of its greatest idols once again at the helm. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)