Top Stories: Things that made news in the cricket world today

ICC bans Irfan Ansari from all cricket for 10 years

• Irfan Ansari has been banned from all cricket for 10 years after the ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found him guilty of breaching three counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.
• During the hearing, the Tribunal heard evidence that Mr Ansari approached Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed during the Pakistan series with Sri Lanka in the UAE in October 2017 with a view to engaging him in corrupt conduct by soliciting information from him.
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Suresh Raina disappointed with getting dropped from Team India but is optimistic of playing World Cup

• The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to begin on March 23 and the fixtures of only the first 17 matches have been announced.
• The tournament is crucial for those players who harbour the hope of making it to the squad for the ICC World Cup that begins on May 30 despite not being in the reckoning otherwise.
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Chetan Chauhan explains the consequences if India boycott Pakistan in the World Cup 2019

• There have been calls for India to boycott playing Pakistan in the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales after the dastard attack in Pulwama last week.
• The attack led to as many as 44 CRPF soldiers losing their lives and the nation is fuming at the moment.
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Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad bats for a ban on India-Pakistan cricket

• In the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, in which as many as 40 CRPF jawans lost their lives, union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has called for a ban in cricket ties with Pakistan.
• India and Pakistan do not play bilateral cricket but play each other in multinational events. The last two occasions when they faced off were in the Asia Cup in September 2018 and in the Champions Trophy in June 2017.
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Me and Kuldeep Yadav always go to MS Dhoni for advice: Yuzvendra Chahal

• Former Indian captain and current wicketkeeper-batsman, MS Dhoni is the senior-most cricketer in the present Indian team.
• It’s the reason why all the young ones approach him for any advice. Often, visuals during a game have shown captain Virat Kohli taking suggestions from Dhoni for on-field decisions.
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I just focus on my processes: Rishabh Pant ahead of Australia series

• If Indian wicket-keeper-batsman Rishabh Pant ends up playing in the upcoming World Cup in England, it will be a major feat in his career given the fact that it will not even be a year since he made a mark in international cricket.
• The 21-year-old knows the potential he can fulfil and has said that his ‘processes are working’ and that is more important for him than doing good or bad.
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New Zealand reclaim their third position in the latest ICC ODI Rankings

• New Zealand completed a comprehensive of the visiting Bangladesh side in the three-match ODI series on Wednesday.
• Despite the skipper Kane Williamson being rested for the dead rubber, the Kiwis managed to post a mammoth total of 330 runs after being invited to bat first in Dunedin.
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Alastair Cook terms England’s batting line-up as a ‘dangerous’ one

• England are currently International Cricket Council’s (ICC) number-one ranked ODI team.
• The World Cup 2015 where they got eliminated following their defeat against Bangladesh, came as a reality check for the Three Lions.
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Reports: PCB to talk with BCCI surrounding India’s World Cup contest against Pakistan

• The Pulwama Attacks have shaken the entire nation of India. It took place on February 14 where as many as 44 CRPF jawans lost their lives in an attack carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammad with the assistance of suicide-bomber and school dropout Adil Ahmad Dar.
• The horrendous incident has been condemned by many and even the countries’ cricketing ties have been affected.
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Government to have final say on India-Pakistan clash in World Cup: Niranjan Shah

• The cricketing world is currently busy speculating whether India would play against Pakistan in the upcoming World Cup or boycott it as a mark of protest for the Pulwama attack.
• Over 40 Indian paramilitary troops were martyred in the attack last Thursday when an explosives-packed van rammed into a convoy transporting 2,500 security forces in the deadliest attack in Kashmir in 30 years.
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ICC not expecting any change in World Cup schedule despite Pulwama attacks

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Dave Richardson finally opened up after the recent events that enraged the Indian public.
• The cowardly terror attacks in Pulwama which led to the death over 40 CRPF Personnel got the whole of India fuming and many fans, including the Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh, have urged BCCI to forfeit the World Cup game against Pakistan.
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Marcus Stoinis is a better player than Hardik Pandya: Matthew Hayden

• Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden believes his compatriot Marcus Stoinis is better than his Indian counterpart Hardik Pandya.
• Hayden’s comment comes just days before the upcoming showdown between the two nations.
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Jofra Archer is a seriously talented cricketer: Nasser Hussain

• England will be taking the field on Wednesday in the first of the five ODIs against Windies.
• But the skipper Eoin Morgan has denied from stressing that the team for this series is a definite World Cup squad.
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