Veteran Yuvraj still harbours World Cup selection hopes

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January 6, 2019

Yuvraj Singh may be past that his prime but the veteran all-rounder on Sunday said he would give his “best shot” to get into the reckoning for the upcoming World Cup.

“Cricket has given me everything. When I leave the game, I want to be at my best. I do not want to go with any regret,” the 2011 World Cup winning hero, who is here for Punjab’s Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match against Bengal, said.

The 37-year-old, who was picked by Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs 1 crore at the IPL auctions, has set his sights on the T20 extravaganza to make a bid for a comeback.

“I’m trying my best. This is our final league Ranji Trophy match and let’s see if we can qualify. After this, we have the national T20 tournament and then we have the IPL. I will give my best shot and hope for the best,” Yuvraj said at the Jadavpur University Salt Lake Campus ground.

Yuvraj hailed the Virat Kohli-led India’s fine show in the Test series in Australia.

“Obviously their experience in batting is not that much what it used to be. But it’s fantastic effort from the guys. Especially, (Cheteshwar) Pujara, (Virat) Kohli, (Jasprit) Bumrah. It’s great to see Rishab (Pant) going down the order and scoring big runs. It’s great sign for Indian cricket for the future.

“Every time we toured Australia, it’s been a very tough tour. We had the opportunity to win the series, it was a draw. Then next time Australia won 2-1,” he said, recalling the 2003-04 and 2007-08 tours.

Yuvraj lavished praise on Pant who scored a Test hundred each in England and Australia within months from his debut.

“He came last year, he got picked for India. Everybody said he plays too many shots, he’s rash, he doesn’t have the mind. But after one year of being in and out, having a good IPL, the guy scored two hundreds overseas,” Yuvraj said.

In the same vein, Yuvraj reckoned that his 19-year-old state teammate, Shubman Gill, is an exciting prospect and should play for India post the 2019 World Cup.

“Definitely he’s someone who can represent India for a long time. He’s a very special talent. After a long time I have seen a young guy whose batting I would like to watch. After 2019 World Cup, he should make it to the side.”

“We have a very talented side. But I feel there is a lack of exposure in terms of playing outside. The more cricket you play outside in terms of playing in Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, your cricket will get better,” Yuvraj concluded.

Maha cops reunite missing Nepalese teen with family

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January 6, 2019

A 14-year-old Nepalese boy was reunited in Maharashtra’s Raigad district with his family as part of the police’s Operation Muskaan initiative, an official said on Sunday.

The boy, identified as Siraj Mumtaj Ali Shaikh, a resident of Sinamangal in Kathmandu, had left that country on January 1 and had landed in Maharashtra and was spotted on Friday by railway police at Roha station, over 120 kilometres from here, the official said.

The teen told police his name and address and a mobile number belonging to his uncle, Maulana Haroon Shaikh, was also found in his luggage, he said.

On being contacted, Shaikh told police about Siraj’s disappearance from Tuesday and added that the teen’s elder brother Sarfaraz, who was staying in Satara, would come here to take him back.

The siblings were united on Saturday following which the runaway teen left for his native country, the official informed.

Operation Muskaan is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to rescue and rehabilitate missing children.

Under the project, the Government Railway Police and Railway Protection Force are required to provide care and protection to children found in trains and railway premises.

Pujara is worthy of many privileges in Kohli’s kingdom: Chappell

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January 6, 2019

Normally not known to be generous with superlatives, the great Ian Chappell found Cheteshwar Pujara “worthy of many privileges” in Virat Kohli’s “kingdom” for his tenacity and tons of runs.

Pujara grafted his way to three centuries in the ongoing Test series against Australia, playing a key role in India’s dominance.

“Not only did Pujara single-handedly bring the Australian bowlers to their knees, he also paved the way for his team-mates to deliver the killer blows,” Chappell wrote in a column for ‘ESPNcricinfo’.

While India are on the verge of completing a maiden Test series win in Australia, the former captain was not with praising Pujara.

“Kohli may be the king of Indian cricket but Pujara has proven to be his loyal ally and worthy of many privileges in the kingdom. Many good things have happened for India in this series, not the least of them being victory, and most have emanated from the stubborn defiance of Pujara.”

The eldest of the famous Chappell brothers, he added, “In scoring three centuries in a series in Australia, he joined an illustrious compatriot, the equally defiant Sunil Gavaskar, who achieved a similar feat in 1977-78.

“In accumulating 521 runs in seven innings, Pujara was at the crease for a mammoth 1867 minutes and was not tempted by a high percentage of the 1258 balls he faced.”

That the home team was entirely focussed on how to tackle Kohli prior to the series may have helped Pujara to play at ease.

“While the Australian cricket team was keeping a wary eye on Virat Kohli, Pujara snuck up from behind and executed the perfect mugging. In addition to helping India win a series for the first time in Australia, he frustrated a top-class opposition attack to the point of submission.

“The fast bowlers were worn to a frazzle by the end of the Indian first innings at the SCG, and India’s lower order, who for much of the series were the ducks in the shooting gallery, scored frequently and freely.”

Karolina Pliskova beats Lesia Tsurenko to win Brisbane International

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January 6, 2019

Karolina Pliskova used all her big – match experience as she came from a set down to overhaul Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko and win the Brisbane International on Sunday.

The unseeded Tsurenko looked headed for the biggest win of her career when serving for the match at 5-4 in the second set, only for Pliskova to come storming back to win 4-6,7-5, 6-2 and claim her second Brisbane title.

Pliskova, the tournament’s fifth seed, started slowly and paid the penalty against Tsurenko, who was serving superbly and winning the battle from the baseline.

Tsurenko took the first set in 38 minutes, firing 10 winners and making 81 percent of her first serves.

She took that form into the second set and broke Pliskova early.

However, serving for the match at 5-4, she tightened up and Pliskova won 13 of the next 14 points to level the match.

The third set was all Pliskova as she broke Tsurenko twice to wrap up the final in two hours, 12 minutes.

Cops baton charge protesters at Bhide’s lecture in Jalna

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January 6, 2019

Activists of the Sambhaji Brigade and other organisations protesting against a lecture of controversial right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide in Maharashtra’s Jalna district were Sunday baton-charged, police said.

Bhide was in Jalna, over 400 kilometres from here, for a lecture organised at around 10:30am by his organisation Shiv Pratishthan Hindustan in the Teen Murti temple in Sambhaji Nagar area, police said.

Activists of the Sambhaji Brigade, Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh and other organisations protested and tried to disrupt the event, following which police had to resort to a baton charge, an official said.

At least 56 protesters from these groups were detained under the Maharashtra Police Act at Sadar Bazar police station and later released, the official added.

After his lecture in Jalna, Bhide left for Aurangabad Sunday afternoon, the official informed.

Bhide and his supporters have been accused of involvement in the caste violence in Bhima Koregaon in Pune district on January 1 last year which left one person dead and property worth several crore rupees damaged.

He has, however, refuted these allegations.

Man held with charas in Thane

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January 6, 2019

A 58-year-old man was arrested after 11 kg of charas (cannabis resin) was seized from him here in Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, the anti-extortion cell of Thane police laid a trap and apprehended Azimuddin Ahmed Ansari at Kalyan town here on Saturday evening, police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said in a release.

A search of his bag led to the recovery of nearly 11 kg of charas, worth around Rs 22 lakh, she said.

Ansari, a resident of Siwan district in Bihar, had apparently got the contraband from Nepal, Narkar said.

A probe was underway to ascertain as to whom he was planning to sell the contraband, she said, adding that the accused was booked under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

After AGP appeal, Sena to oppose Citizenship Amendment Bill

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January 6, 2019

Amid an increasing bickering between the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena, the latter said on Sunday that it would oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament.

The decision has been taken after the Asom Gana Parishad appealed to the Shiv Sena to oppose the legislation, party leader Sanjay Raut said in a statement.

“We are determined to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 in Parliament,” Raut said.

The people of Assam, irrespective of their caste, religion and creed, oppose the proposed legislation, he said.

The bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act to make illegal migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for citizenship on the basis of religion.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the bill is slated to table it in Parliament on January 7.

The Shiv Sena noted that the proposed legislation would “frustrate” the efforts made under the Assam Accord for safeguarding cultural, social and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

Secondly, the entire process of the National Register of Citizens monitored by the Supreme Court will be meaningless if the bill is passed, he added.

With the Lok Sabha polls around the corner, the Shiv Sena has adopted a more aggressive posture against the BJP, with whom it has shared an uneasy relationship over the past four years.

Woman’s decomposed found in Thane; cops suspect murder

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January 6, 2019

A highly decomposed body of a 42-year-old woman was found dumped on a roadside near the Mumbai-Agra highway here in Maharashtra, police said on Sunday.

A group of devotees proceeding on foot to Shirdi temple town spotted the body, bearing injury marks on head, at a forest in Asangaon area of Sahapur taluka on Friday, an official at Sahapur police station said.

An Aadhaar card found stuck in her clothes revealed her identity as Vandana Khermode, hailing from Solapur district in Maharashtra, he said.

The police subsequently sent the body for postmortem to J J Hospital in neighbouring Mumbai.

Based on the autopsy report, a case was registered by the police on Saturday under IPC section 302 (murder) against unidentified persons, he said.

The body was later handed over to the woman’s relatives, he said, adding that a probe was on to ascertain why and where she was killed.

Media professional dies after falling from building in Goregaon

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January 6, 2019

A 49-year-old media professional died after falling from the terrace of a building in suburban Goregaon on Sunday, police said.

Adarsh Mishra, who resided on seventh floor of the Trimurti Society at Siddharth Nagar, went to the building’s terrace for a morning walk when he fell from there, Goregaon police station’s senior police inspector Sanjay Bhole said.

It was not yet clear whether it was an accident or a case of suicide, he said, adding that Mishra everyday used to go for morning walk on the building’s terrace.

“The CCTV installed on the building’s seventh floor showed Mishra, clad in track pants and T-shirt, going upstairs to the terrace with a handkerchief in his hand,” Bhole said.

In another CCTV put up in the building’s lobby, he was seen falling down around 10.30 am, but it was not clear what led to his fall, he said.

Mishra was rushed to the nearby Siddharth Hospital where doctors declared him dead, the official said.

The police were examining more CCTV footages of the building and adjoining housing societies to ascertain the exact cause of his death, he said.

Mishra resided in the building with his wife and son. His family members were shocked at his sudden death, he said.

The body will be handed over to the family after post- mortem, the police official said, that a probe was underway into the incident.

Mishra earlier worked as vice president with the DNA newspaper and had left his job a few months back, he said.

He had also worked at the Wockhardt Foundation, the official said, adding that the deceased had about 18 years of experience in the media and entertainment industry.

Mishra had earlier also worked with the Indian Express, Anand Bazar Patrika and the Lokmat Group.

Crippled with financial distress, cane growers committing suicide: Pawar writes to Modi

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January 6, 2019

Sugarcane growers in the country are committing suicide due to “financial desperation”, NCP supremo and former agriculture minister Sharad Pawar has pointed out in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying immediate steps must be taken to prevent any “mass-scale revolt” by farmers.

Highlighting in his letter a tremendous “unrest and depression” in his letter among small and marginal cane growers, the senior leader also suggested a slew of measures to provide relief to such farmers.

This letter comes in the backdrop of the Narendra Modi-led government at the centre facing heat from various opposition parties over growing farm distress across the country. The agrarian crisis issue assumes even more significance after the BJP’s recent defeat in assembly polls in three Hindi heartland states, and it is believed that the saffron party will make all efforts to claw back the support of millions of farmers ahead of the general elections.

“I am constrained to once again write to you on the plight of millions of sugarcane farmers across the country,” Pawar said in the letter seen by agencies.

In view of record sugar output and rock bottom prices, he said: “Sugar mills are unable to release cane amount in time and in full. This has put tremendous amount of unrest and depression with the cane growing small and marginal farmers throughout the country. This financial desperation is leading them to commit suicide.”

“Therefore, this imbroglio needs to be resolved on very urgent basis to avoid mass-scale revolt of sugarcane farmers,” Pawar said.

Seeking immediate intervention, Pawar has suggested that there is a “dire need” to hike the minimum selling price (MSP) of sugar to Rs 34 per kg from the current Rs 29 per kg so that the production cost could be covered atleast.

“Improved cash liquidity would enable releasing cane payments to farmers which would reduce their stress,” he added.

On mandatory sugar exports fixed by the Centre, the NCP chief pointed out mills are not able to make shipments despite subsidy provided by the government.

Out of 7 million tonne of export quota approved for last and the current 2018-19 marketing year (October-September), only 1.5 million tonne has been contracted. Out of that, only half of it has been shipped physically.

Pawar attributed “abysmal performance” on the export front to “total inaction by the Department of Financial Services under the Finance Ministry in timely intervention to instruct banks to release pledged sugar stocks for exports”.

On production-linked subsidy of Rs 13.88 per quintal of sugar, the NCP leader said that mills are not getting this much amount on time due to procedural delay in submission of post-export documents.

To help mills clear cane arrears that had touched around Rs 25,000 crore in mid-2018, the Centre had announced the production-linked subsidy of Rs 5.5 per quintal for 2017-18 and later enhanced it to Rs 13.88 per quintal for the current year.

These apart from, Pawar also suggested that “claims of export undertaken in the past and claims of buffer stock need, to be cleared on priority. This will improve the cash liquidity and help clearing cane arrears.”

The NCP chief, also a Rajya Sabha member, hoped that these issues will be dealt with due “urgency” without waiting for the situation “going out of control”.

Sugarcane mills and cane growers are facing liquidity crunch due to record production of 32.5 million tonne in 2017-18 as against annual domestic demand of 26 million tonne.

In the current year also, the output is estimated to decline to at 30-31 million tonne but it will still be higher than demand. Mills are also holding huge carrying over stock as well.