Discussions: View from the Bridge

 

Joel and Richard are back with a View from the Bridge

Bazball Death Cult

Former Indian captain criticises concussion sub need and choice.
Hindustan Times.
Friday, 7 February 2025.
PTG 4761-22827.

Former Indian captain and now commentator Sunil Gavaskar has blamed India’s coach Gautam Gambler and captain Suryakumar Yadav for “tarnishing the team’s image” over the way they approached the concussion sub issue in the fourth Twenty20 International of the series against England in Pune late last month (PTG 4753-22794, 1 February 2025).  Writing in his newspaper column, Gavaskar first questioned the appropriateness of actually allowing a concussion sub in the circumstances that prevailed, and then the choice of Harshit Rana to replace the concussion-judged batter Shivam Dube.

Gavaskar wrote somewhat disingenuously that Dube, who batted until the end of the Indian innings, “had been hit on the head earlier in the the game, so clearly he was not concussed”.  He went on with: “Even with the most generous stretching of the like for like term, there was nothing such between Dube and Rana.  With tongue firmly in cheek, one could say they are of the same height and same standard of fielding.  Otherwise there’s nothing like for like as far as they are concerned.  England has every reason to feel done in.  This Indian team is a superb team and doesn’t need its wins to get tarnished by such acts".

England-Afghanistan CT fixture to go ahead despite 'gender apartheid’,
Cricinfo.
Friday, 7 February 2025.
PTG 4761-22829.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that England's men will fulfil their fixture against Afghanistan at the Champions Trophy (CT) this month, despite describing the "appalling oppression" of women in the country as "gender apartheid” (PTG 4726-22687, 5 January 2025).  Richard Thompson, the ECB's chairman, said in a statement following a board meeting on Thursday that a "coordinated international response" would achieve more than unilateral action. The board has come under political pressure to boycott the fixture, with more than 160 British politicians calling for England to pull out of the match (PTG 4737-22734, 16 January 2025).

"What is happening in Afghanistan is nothing short of gender apartheid”, Thompson said. "At a cricketing level, when women's and girls' cricket is growing rapidly around the world it is heartbreaking that those growing up in Afghanistan are denied this opportunity, but the appalling oppression of women and girls by the Taliban goes so much further.  The Board recognises there are different views and opinions on the issue of boycotting the match and has listened carefully. We have been in close contact with the UK Government, the International Cricket Council (ICC), our England Men's players and other stakeholders to discuss this matter, as well as considering how best the ECB can support those women cricketers who have fled 

"Following this, we remain of the view that a coordinated international response by the cricketing community is the appropriate way forward, and will achieve more than any unilateral action by the ECB in boycotting this match, while we have also heard that for many ordinary Afghans, watching their cricket team is one of the few remaining sources of enjoyment. As such, we can confirm that we will play this fixture”.

Thompson said that the ECB will press the ICC for further action, including ring-fencing funding to support female players from Afghanistan, and considering recognising an Afghanistan women's refugee team. Last week, the board donated £UK100,000 ($A197,945) to the Marylebone Cricket Club’s Global Refugee Cricket Fund.An Afghanistan women's XI played an invitational T20 against a Cricket Without Borders XI in Melbourne last month, mounting pressure on the ICC to support their players (PTG 4754-22802, 1 February 2025).  Afghanistan remain Full ICC members - with full funding - despite no longer being able to fulfil the requirement to field a women's team under its Taliban government.