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

Mark Waugh mistakenly uses ‘c**k’ word to describe Marnus Labuschagne’s backswing

• Australia has tightened its grip on the third Test against New Zealand which is underway in Sydney, as they restricted the Kiwis to just 251 in their first innings, and in-process got a total lead of 243 runs at the end of day three.
• This despite a maiden Test fifty by Glenn Phillips on his debut and significant contributions from skipper Latham (49), Blundell and Raval.
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‘Rahul Dravid was the one who utilised me the best’- Irfan Pathan

• Irfan Pathan announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Saturday and it left many of his fans wondering ‘what could have been’ had the champion cricketer’s career panned out in the manner everyone expected to be.
• The all-rounder went on to play under a lot of captains. Irfan played his International match for India at the age of 28.
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‘Blaming Greg Chappell just a cover-up, I never lost my swing’ – Irfan Pathan

• Former Indian pace-bowling spearhead Irfan Pathan called time on his cricketing career in a heartfelt announcement on Saturday.
• Pathan, who claimed more than 300 International wickets played his last International game for the country at the age of 28.
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Gautam Gambhir terms ICC’s proposal of four-day Tests ‘ridiculous’

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has put fuel into the fire of sustenance of Test cricket, by proposing shortening the Test cricket from the traditional five days to mandatory four days.
• They are aiming to put this into practice from the next Test Championship cycle from 2023. However, there has been an almost a collective negative reaction from former cricketers and experts on the idea of four-day Tests.
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Ranji Trophy 2019-20: Snake-catcher has a field day as he catches two snakes during Mumbai vs Karnataka game

• The Ranji Trophy 2019-20 Round 04 Elite Group A & B encounter between perennial heavyweights Mumbai and Karnataka turned out to be a one-sided affair with the Vijay-Hazare and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy winners of the 2019-20 season proceeded to outplay Mumbai in their own den.
• It turned out to be a damp squib as Mumbai’s top-order did not have any answers to the relentlessness of the Karnataka pace-attack.
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‘I can still play for another 12 years,’ says Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad

• Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad is just 28 years old and had made his Pakistan debut a decade ago in 2009.
• The right-handed opener has achieved quite some accomplishments in his international career so far, given that he was the first Pakistani to score a T20I hundred and first to score centuries in all three formats for the Men in Green.
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‘I accept the penalty’ – Marcus Stoinis fined for his homophobic slur at Kane Richardson in BBL

• Abusing anyone on racial/homophobic lines is one of the most preposterous things to do for any individual in any walks of life, especially in sports.
• In the past, we have seen a plethora of such incidents on a cricket field where the players have taken it too far and in turn, got involved in racial abuse.
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‘I said something about his wife’ – Irfan Pathan recalls a nasty sledging incident with Kumar Sangakkara

• On Saturday, Irfan Pathan, the fast bowling all-rounder from India bid adieu to international cricket.
• He informed his fans about his retirement on a Star Sports show. In the same show, he recalled one of the incidents from a Test match when he was indulged in an ugly war of words with Sangakara but now they are very good friends.
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Winning the T20 World Cup in South Africa with Irfan Pathan was the most memorable moment for me: Yusuf Pathan

• Irfan Pathan announced retirement from all forms of the game on Saturday. The cricketer who gave so many memories to Indian cricket and its fans deserved to play many more games for India.
• Having said that, 301 international wickets in 173 appearances for the country is a huge achievement and add to it, the Man of the Match in the World T20 final in South Africa against Pakistan and the first-over hat-trick in Karachi Test against the arch-rivals.
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‘Thank you for fulfilling one of my cherished wishes’ – Irfan Pathan reacts to Preity Zinta’s tweet

• Irfan Pathan announced his retirement from all forms of the game on Saturday, bringing down curtains on an unfulfilled yet a cherished career that was filled with numerous immortal moments that have proceeded to impinge into the cricketing folklore. Pathan was one of its kind.
• He may have turned out to be an unfulfilled dream but the southpaw-in his prime- proceeded to gain the status of a cult hero, a status mainly enjoyed by the batsmen in India.
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After Naseem Shah, another Pakistan U19 player Mohammad Shehzad accused of age-fudging

• Instances of ade-fudging are prevalent in cricket ever since it’s inception. A plethora of cricketers have been accused of forging their age.
• Moreover, Pakistan and its association with age-fudging instances has been a never-ending affair.
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Dale Steyn shares photo of Rassie van der Dussen hitting a pull shot like Jacques Kallis

• South Africa went in for a total overhaul of its administrative system and team management as well.
• The team which was on a five-match losing streak in Test matches, came back in style against England in the first Test match at Centurion winning it comfortably, kickstarting Mark Boucher’s coaching stint with a win.
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