Reports claim that RPSG Group placed a bid of over Rs 7,000 crore for the Lucknow team, whereas CVC bought the Ahmedabad franchise for more than Rs 5,000 crore….reports Asian Lite News
The next edition of IPL will see two new corporates with deep pockets enter the league WITH new teams.
According to reports, the Sanjiv Goneka-led RPSG Group has won the bid for the Lucknow franchise, while private equity firm CVC Capital Partners has got its hands on the Ahmedabad franchise.
Reports claim that RPSG Group placed a bid of over Rs 7,000 crore for the Lucknow team, whereas CVC bought the Ahmedabad franchise for more than Rs 5,000 crore.
Since the beginning, IPL teams have been owned by conglomerates of India Inc, AND this tradition is maintained as both corporates are known to have deep pockets.
The new owner of the Lucknow team is RPSG Group which was established in its current form in 2011. The group has interests in power, carbon black, ITES, consumer retail, media and entertainment, sports, education, infrastructure, and plantations.
It had a revenue of Rs 26,634 crore as on March 31, 2021 and gross assets worth Rs 47,400 crore.
private equity firm CVC was established in 1981 and has assets under management worth $125 billion.
The CVC’s private equity platform manages $97 billion of assets. The credit platform of the firm manages $29 billion of AUM.
It is majority owned by employees and led by Managing Partners.
The mega auction for the 15th edition of the Indian Premier League, IPL 2022, will be held later this year in December.
Faf du Plessis brought his A-game to play a knock of 86 runs and help CSK post a total of 192/3 against KKR, reports Asian Lite News
Faf du Plessis’ 86-run knock backed up by a spirited bowling performance helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeat Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 27 runs in the final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 here at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday.
With this, MS Dhoni’s lineup won the IPL trophy for the fourth time, having previously won the tournament in 2010, 2011, and 2018.
Chasing 193, KKR got off to a rollicking start as the opening duo of Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill put on 55 runs inside the first six overs. Iyer continued with his form and he brought up his half-century off just 31 balls in the 10th over of the innings. It seemed like the opening stand was finally broken by Ravindra Jadeja as he had Gill caught, but the replays showed the ball hit the ‘spider-cam’, and hence it was deemed as ‘dead ball’ and the batter got a reprieve. At the halfway mark, KKR’s score read 88/0.
However, Iyer (50) was finally sent back to the pavilion in the 11th over by Shardul Thakur and the 91-run opening stand came to an end. In the very same over, Nitish Rana was dismissed for a duck, and KKR was reduced to 93/2, still needing 100 runs for the win from 54 balls.
— Chennai Super Kings – Mask P😷du Whistle P🥳du! (@ChennaiIPL) October 15, 2021
The next to fall for KKR were Sunil Narine (2), Shubman Gill (51), Dinesh Karthik (9), and Shakib Al Hasan (0) and the innings quickly derailed with Eoin Morgan’s side left at 120/6 in the 15th over, still needing 73 runs for the win. In the end, the task proved too much for KKR, and CSK ended up winning the IPL 2021 title.
Earlier, Faf du Plessis brought his A-game to play a knock of 86 runs and help CSK post a total of 192/3 against KKR. Sent into bat, CSK got off to a steady start as openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis put on 50 runs inside the first six overs. During this course, Gaikwad went on to leapfrog KL Rahul to become the leading run-scorer in this year’s IPL. The much-needed breakthrough to KKR was provided by Sunil Narine as he dismissed Gaikwad (32) in the 9th over, ending the 61-run opening stand.
Faf du Plessis continued on his merry way and he completed his half-century in the 11th over of the innings with CSK nicely poised at 97/1. Robin Uthappa scored 31 off 15 balls and he proved a perfect foil to Faf and the duo put on 63 runs for the second wicket. However, Narine once again got among the action as he dismissed Uthappa in the 14th over, reducing CSK to 124/2.
Moeen Ali next came out to bat and he also played the very same way and KKR bowlers were left searching for answers. In the final three overs, CSK managed to add 39 more runs, taking the score past the 190-run mark. For Dhoni’s side, Moeen remained unbeaten 37.
Brief Scores: CSK 192/3 (Faf du Plessis 86, Moeen Ali 37*; Sunil Narine 2-26) vs KKR 165/9 (Shubman Gill 51, Venkatesh Iyer 50; Shardul Thakur 3-38). (ANI)
The series is scheduled to start from December 8 and end on January 18. England are due to name a large squad with an England Lions team to be present in Australia while the Ashes are on…reports Asian Lite News.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have released a statement on the Ashes tour, saying that they will make a decision over ‘whether the conditions in place are sufficient for the tour to go ahead’ later this week. The Ashes tour to Australia has been in doubt due to the quarantine conditions and players’ families accompanying them for the five-match series.
“Over the weekend we have been talking to England men’s players and management to provide them with the latest information about the proposed arrangements for this winter’s scheduled Ashes tour,” said ECB on Monday.
“We remain in regular and positive dialogue with Cricket Australia over these arrangements as the picture is constantly evolving. With health and wellbeing at the forefront, our focus is to ensure the tour can go ahead with conditions for players and management to perform at their best.
“We will continue talking to our players this week to share the latest information and seek feedback. Later this week the ECB Board will meet to decide whether the conditions in place are sufficient for the Tour to go ahead and enable the selection of a squad befitting a series of this significance.”
The series is scheduled to start from December 8 and end on January 18. England are due to name a large squad with an England Lions team to be present in Australia while the Ashes are on. Last week, England captain Joe Root said he was desperate to be part of the tour, but did not confirm his participation.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has also stepped in on behalf of his country’s cricketers and had pleaded with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison in Washington DC last month for the families to be allowed to travel to Australia with the players to lessen the stress caused by staying away from the family during Christmas.
Earlier on Monday, assistant coach Paul Collingwood wrote an Instagram story about the dilemma many in the England team face on travelling without seeing their family members for a long time.
“I love my job and I’m so excited for the winter of cricket ahead but saying goodbye to your daughters for potentially 3 months is not easy, no matter how tough you feel you are. We all make sacrifices in life. Looking forward to meeting up with the team tomorrow because I know we will try to help each other like a family.”
Tendulkar’s attorney said the cricket player’s investment is legitimate and has been declared to tax authorities, reports Asian Lite News
Millions of leaked documents dubbed the Pandora Papers and a worldwide journalistic partnership on Sunday claims to have uncovered financial secrets of current and former world leaders, politicians and public officials in 91 countries and territories, including India.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which involved the BBC and ‘The Guardian’ newspaper in the U.K. and ‘The Indian Express’ in India among 150 media outlets in its investigation, claims it obtained the trove of more than 11.9 million confidential files to find secret financial dealings of many super rich.
“People linked by the secret documents to offshore assets include India’s cricket superstar Sachin Tendulkar, pop music diva Shakira, supermodel Claudia Schiffer and an Italian mobster known as ‘Lell the Fat One’,” says the ICIJ in its report.
“Tendulkar’s attorney said the cricket player’s investment is legitimate and has been declared to tax authorities. Shakira’s attorney said the singer declared her companies, which the attorney said do not provide tax advantages. Schiffer’s representatives said the supermodel correctly pays her taxes in the U.K., where she lives,” it notes.
On a world map highlighting the number of politicians linked with offshore dealings, India is shown as having six and Pakistan seven.
“ICIJ’s latest investigation, the Pandora Papers, brings renewed attention to the use of offshore companies by Pakistani political players. This time, the offshore holdings of people close to (Prime Minister Imran) Khan are being disclosed, including his Finance Minister and a top financial backer,” the findings claim.
A spokesperson for Khan told a press conference that if any of his ministers or advisors had offshore companies, “they will have to be held accountable”.
According to the ICIJ, its secret documents expose offshore dealings of the likes of the King of Jordan, the presidents of Ukraine, Kenya and Ecuador, the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and former British prime minister Tony Blair. The files also reveal financial activities of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “unofficial minister of propaganda” and more than 130 billionaires from Russia, the U.S., Turkey and other nations.
The ICIJ says the leaked records come from 14 offshore services firms from around the world that set up shell companies and other offshore nooks for clients often seeking to keep their financial activities in the shadows.
It says the global investigation provides an “unequalled perspective” on how the rule of law has been “bent and broken” around the world by a system of financial secrecy enabled by wealthy nations.
“The findings by ICIJ and its media partners spotlight how deeply secretive finance has infiltrated global politics – and offer insights into why governments and global organisations have made little headway in ending offshore financial abuses,” it notes.
The ICIJ analysis of the secret documents identified 956 companies in offshore havens tied to 336 high-level politicians and public officials, including country leaders, cabinet ministers, ambassadors and others.
Abu Dhabi Community Tri-Basketball Championship in search for UAE’s best ballers to represent Team Abu Dhabi T[12422]
Participants can register as individuals to join or form a team, or ready-made teams of 3 players can sign up for a shot at the big time…reports Asian Lite News
Abu Dhabi Sports Council has launched the innovative Abu Dhabi Community Tri-Basketball workshop, which will give basketball fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent the Abu Dhabi team at the Abu Dhabi Masters World 3X3 Basketballon 29-30 October.
In line with Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s mission to provide pathways for people to be part of the return of the world’s No.1 urban team sport to the UAE, the Abu Dhabi Community Tri-Basketball Championship is open to all basketball fans and players over the age of 16, across the UAE.
Abu Dhabi Community Tri-Basketball Championship in search for UAE’s best ballers to represent Team Abu Dhabi T[12421]
Participants can register as individuals to join or form a team, or ready-made teams of 3 players can sign up for a shot at the big time. Qualifiers will take place on Al Hudayriyat Island on Friday 8 October, and Friday October 15, with 24 teams in each qualifier.
The top 8 teams from each qualifier will advance to the finals on Friday 22 October, where the winning team will earn the right to represent team Abu Dhabi at the Abu Dhabi Masters World 3X3 Basketball, which welcomes the world’s best 3×3 basketball players for a two-day basketball festival at Abu Dhabi Marina Mall.
Team Abu Dhabi will have the opportunity to play at the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on December 17-18. The World Tour Final will host the top 12 teams in the FIBA World Tour standings after the final Masters event of the season in Mexico City from November 6-7. Team Abu Dhabi will be awarded 100 points if they win the Abu Dhabi Masters, which could be enough to secure a spot in Jeddah.
Abu Dhabi Community Tri-Basketball Championship in search for UAE’s best ballers to represent Team Abu Dhabi
HIS EXCELLENCY SUHAIL ABDULLAH AL ARIFI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE EVENTS SECTOR, ABU DHABI: “It is key for us to have that interaction across the society in various sports. The hosting of major events including the return of the Abu Dhabi Masters World 3X3 Basketball is a great win for large basketball fan base in the Abu Dhabi community.”
“We are excited to cooperate with the International Basketball Federation to organise a remarkable tournament with a unique prize. The launch of the community 3×3 basketball tournament is crucial as will provide the opportunity for everyone in the community to participate for the chance to represent Abu Dhabi on a global level.” added Al Arifi.
The film will be played out at stadiums across the country from this weekend – 1 -3 October – and comes as more than 82% of over-16s in the UK have now received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine…reports Asian Lite News.
Some of the country’s top rugby players on Tuesday encouraged young people to get their COVID-19 vaccine as they discuss their personal experiences of the pandemic.
Ahead of Round 3 of the Premiership Rugby this weekend, a new film has been released featuring key players Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby), Alex Goode (Saracens), Nathan Earle (Newcastle Falcons), Ollie Hassell-Collins (London Irish), Marland Yarde (Sale Sharks) and Dan Robson (Wasps) who discuss the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine and the impact the virus has had on them in the past year.
The players also share their thoughts on who to look out for this season. While their player predictions might be different, they all agree that the most important thing everyone can do this season is to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The film will be played out at stadiums across the country from this weekend – 1 -3 October – and comes as more than 82% of over-16s in the UK have now received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Earlier this month, the booster programme was also rolled out, with those eligible being invited to book their jab as soon as possible in order to keep the virus under control for the long term and protect the most vulnerable through the winter months.
Kicking COVID into touch: Rugby stars support vaccine roll out. Sam Underhill, Alex Goode, Dan Robson and other players share personal experiences of COVID-19 pic.twitter.com/4QJ9f7FPiH
The latest data also shows that in particular, younger men have been more reluctant than younger women to take up both doses of the jab – in those aged 18-49, 70% of men are double vaccinated vs 76% of women in this group.
In the film, the players discuss how the pandemic has directly affected their lives. Sam Underhill talks about how his dad was hospitalised with COVID-19, and Nathan Earle’s partner had their first child in the pandemic, meaning he wasn’t able to be in the hospital to support her through the birth.
The film is part of a wider partnership with the Premiership Rugby League, and follows the “Every Vaccination Gives Us Hope” campaign launched earlier in the year to encourage the public to get their COVID-19 vaccinations.
Over 48.7 million people have now received a first dose of a vaccine – over 89.7% of the UK over-16s population – with 44.7 million receiving their second dose. This means over 82.4% of over-16s in the UK have now received both doses of a vaccine, with 93.5 million vaccines administered overall.
Phil Winstanley, the Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby, said: “It’s been so fantastic to have sports fans back in stadiums all over the country, and this couldn’t have been done without the COVID-19 vaccine programme. It’s been so instrumental in getting us back to normal, and as we get going with this year’s season, we need to make sure all our fans are as safe as they can possibly be – and that includes making sure they get the vaccine to protect themselves and those around them.”
Howzat! Dubai, the headquarters of the International Cricket Council, will be the cynosure of more than a billion people over the next two months as it co-hosts along with Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, the Indian Premier League and the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup…reports Asian Lite News
The Indian Premier League, the globe’s richest cricket tournament and one of the most-watched sporting events in the world, is currently taking place across three venues in the UAE following the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to conduct the remainder of their marquee tournament’s 14th season in the UAE after concerns over the COVID-19 situation in India forced the suspension of the tournament in May with 31 of the season’s 60 matches still to be played.
CRICKET HUB: Advantage UAE
The BCCI also decided to host the 16-team ICC Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman. Dubai will host the final of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup on 14th November, 2021, after a total of 45 matches, with 12 of them being played in Dubai. The IPL 2021 final will also take place in Dubai, on 15th October, and it will host 13 of the tournament’s 31 matches.
Most of cricket’s one billion plus fans from around the world will, however, be waiting for day two of the ICC Twenty20 World cup when traditional rivals India and Pakistan renew their colourful cricketing rivalry here in Dubai on Sunday, 24th October, in the most popular format of the sport.
India vs Pakistan is one of the most intense and enduring rivalries in sports, and with 90 percent of cricket’s billion-plus fans coming from South Asia, the match at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 24th October will be the biggest talking point of the tournament.
Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, said, “Several people from India and Pakistan call UAE their home. A lot of Indian and Pakistani fans will be coming to the UAE from around the world for the tournament, and for this match in particular. I expect there will be a great buzz around this game, both inside and outside the stadium.
“This will be the first match between India and Pakistan in more than two years – the first since their clash at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England.
“But before that, there is plenty of cricket to be played. We are proud to welcome the Indian Premier League back. They were here last year and their return reinforces Dubai and UAE’s reputation as the world’s leading host of top international sports tournaments, especially in this challenging COVID-19 era.
“Last year, the IPL family was here for more than two months and the logistics was mindboggling. Eight teams play in the IPL, so you had hundreds of players as well as support and administrative staff here, along with their families living in bio-secure bubbles. In addition, there was an over 700-strong TV production crew and more than 90 commentators.
CRICKET HUB: Advantage UAE
“It was a daunting endeavour, but together as one team, we pulled it off and we are now looking forward to another great season of IPL ahead – this time with fans in the stadium.”
The IPL 2021 resumed in Dubai on 19th September with Chennai Super Kings defeating defending champion Mumbai Indians at a sold-out Dubai International Cricket Stadium, which will also host the final on October 15.
A staggering 405 million viewers in India – out of a total TV viewership of 836 million – watched the 2020 tournament, shattering all previous records by any broadcasting property in India. The opening match of the 2020 IPL in UAE was viewed by a whopping 158 million, which was 21 percent higher than 131 million viewers recorded during the opening match of IPL 2019.
The 405 million Indian viewers of the 2020 IPL spent a total of 400 billion minutes watching the tournament, which was a 23 percent jump in total consumption over IPL 2019 (326 billion minutes), and a 12.4 percent increase over ICC World Cup 2019 (356 billion minutes).
The eight teams taking part in the IPL are defending and five-time champions Mumbai Indians, three-time winners and 2019 runners-up Chennai Super Kings, two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders, who are owned by Indian filmstar Shahrukh Khan, 2008 winners Rajasthan Royals, 2016 champions Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Capitals, and Kings XI Punjab.
The England men’s and women’s teams were scheduled to play Twenty20 matches in Rawalpindi on October 14 and 15. While the men’s team would fly for the T20 World Cup in UAE, the women’s team would stay back for three ODIs…reports Asian Lite News.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Monday that the tour of Pakistan in October by their men’s and women’s teams has been cancelled due to “increasing concerns about travelling to the region.”
The trip, which would have been the men’s team first trip to Pakistan after 2005 and first ever by the women’s team, was in serious doubt since New Zealand men’s team pulled out of their white-ball series on Friday, citing security concerns.
“The ECB has a longstanding commitment to tour Pakistan as part of the Men’s Future Tours Programme in 2022. Earlier this year, we agreed to play two additional T20 World Cup warm-up games in Pakistan in October, adding a short women’s tour with double headers alongside the men’s games. The ECB Board convened this weekend to discuss these extra England Women’s and Men’s games in Pakistan and we can confirm that the Board has reluctantly decided to withdraw both teams from the October trip,” read the ECB statement posted on their website.
The England men’s and women’s teams were scheduled to play Twenty20 matches in Rawalpindi on October 14 and 15. While the men’s team would fly for the T20 World Cup in UAE, the women’s team would stay back for three ODIs.
“The mental and physical well-being of our players and support staff remains our highest priority and this is even more critical given the times we are currently living in. We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted Covid environments. There is the added complexity for our Men’s T20 squad. We believe that touring under these conditions will not be ideal preparation for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where performing well remains a top priority for 2021.”
“We understand that this decision will be a significant disappointment to the PCB, who have worked tirelessly to host the return of international cricket in their country. Their support of English and Welsh cricket over the last two summers has been a huge demonstration of friendship. We are sincerely sorry for the impact this will have on cricket in Pakistan and emphasise an ongoing commitment to our main touring plans there for 2022.”
The chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, expressed his disappointment over ECB’s decision to not travel to Pakistan.
“Disappointed with England, pulling out of their commitment & failing a member of their Cricket fraternity when it needed it most. Survive we will inshallah. A wake up call for Pak team to become the best team in the world for teams to line up to play them without making excuses,” read his tweet.
NZ team receives bomb threat
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Tuesday confirmed that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has received a threatening email relating to NZC.
Although this did not specifically reference the New Zealand women’s cricket team, it was treated seriously, investigated, and deemed not credible.
“The WHITE FERNS have now arrived in Leicester and, as a precaution, security around them has been boosted. Reports their training has been cancelled are false,” NZC said in an official statement.
They were not scheduled to train today (Monday) as it was a travelling day. NZC will not be commenting further on the matter,” it added.
The third ODI of the series between England and New Zealand is now set to go ahead after a security threat was deemed by NZC to be “not credible”.
As per ESPNcricinfo, a member of the New Zealand team management was contacted and he was told that a bomb would be placed at the team hotel. The side was also warned of an attempt to place a bomb on their plane when they return to New Zealand.
As a result, The White Ferns went into lockdown on Monday, and the police and counter-terrorism agencies were called in. (ANI)
Raducanu’s win even managed to knock football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals on his return to Manchester United off Sunday morning’s British newspaper front pages, reports Asian Lite News
Emma Raducanu’s extraordinary US Open triumph led to an explosion of joy in Britain, with Queen Elizabeth II leading the celebrations as the 18-year-old qualifier made tennis history in New York.
Raducanu beat 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4 6-3 to become Britain’s first women’s Grand Slam singles champion since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977, and the first player to win a major after coming through a qualifying tournament.
“I send my congratulations to you on your success,” the Queen said. “It is a remarkable achievement at such a young age, and is testament to your hard work and dedication.”
Raducanu’s win even managed to knock football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo’s two goals on his return to Manchester United off Sunday morning’s British newspaper front pages.
Emma Radacanu's story is London's story. Born in Canada to Chinese and Romanian parents, she moved to London at two-years-old.
Here in London, we embrace and celebrate our diversity. And if you work hard, and get a helping hand, you can achieve anything. #USOpen 🇨🇦🇨🇳🇷🇴🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/9WXNU1xRz6
The Express called it “Absolutely Emm-ense!” while the Telegraph proclaimed: “She did it!”
Social media caught fire after Raducanu sealed the win with an ace.
Former England footballer Gary Lineker broke off from presenting the Premier League highlights programme “Match of the Day” on BBC TV to post: “First time in my life I’ve ever tweeted whilst on air but my goodness what a performance, what a triumph, what an amazing young woman.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “What a sensational match! Huge congratulations to Emma Raducanu. You showed extraordinary skill, poise and guts and we are all hugely proud of you.”
Raducanu’s only previous Slam appearance, at Wimbledon in July, ended when she pulled out of her fourth-round match after an anxiety attack.
“Look at that bounce back @EmmaRaducanu US Open champion, amazing. Congratulations,” tweeted England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford, who had offered support to Raducanu after her Wimbledon exit.
Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton said: “It has been incredible to see her rise, the focus she has and the sheer determination.
“She is a sweet person, too, so the UK can be proud of her and I am super-proud of her and I can’t wait to see what she does next. She is an inspiring figure.”
Raducanu was born in Canada to a Chinese mother and Romanian father, but grew up in Bromley in suburban south London after moving to England at the age of two.
Former British number one Tim Henman, who was courtside in New York, said: “She will win more of these, she is that good. This is not some flash in the pan or fairytale. She is playing top-five tennis.”
Australian Grand Slam winner Pat Cash told BBC radio that a qualifier winning a major is “something I never could have believed would happen. It’s mind boggling.”
And tennis great Martina Navratilova tweeted: “A star is born – Emma Raducanu makes history… and she is just getting started. And will never have to qualify again:)”
In China, where the match took place in the early hours of Sunday, Tencent published an article with pictures of Raducanu visiting China as a child.
“An ethnic Chinese won the US Open” it trumpeted. “She claimed that her motivation (or power) comes from her Chinese mother!”
The commemoration was preceded by a moving moment when the guests were asked to observe a minute’s silence for the seven players who participated in the match, but are today no more … reports Asian Lite News
Here and Now 365 and Ray Events held a memorable event at the Taj St James Court Hotel in London to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of India’s first cricket test and series victory in England in 1971. 83-year-old Farokh Engineer, who was top scorer for India in the match, attended in-person.
Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, 76, who bowled India to the historic win with haul of six for 38 in England’s second innings, appeared, as did Sunil Gavaskar, who opened the batting for India in the game. John Jameson, who is now 80 and scored 82 for England, represented the home side.
Ravi Shastri, head coach of the Indian cricket team currently playing a test at the same venue, also took part.
Shastri was just nine-years-old when the landmark moment in Indian cricket occurred. He said he had sitting in Mumbai listened avidly to the radio commentary on the BBC World Service.
The audience were shown highlights of the 1971 Oval test, including a sound bite from the late Ajit Wadekar, who captained the Indian side.
The commemoration was preceded by a moving moment when the guests were asked to observe a minute’s silence for the seven players who participated in the match, but are today no more. They are, apart from Wadekar, Dilip Sardesai, Ashok Mankad and Eknath Solkar of India, and Brian Luckhurst, John Edrich and Basil D’Oliviera of England.
Appreciation from the 100-odd attendees and sponsors (ICICI Bank, West Midland India Partnership and East African Foods) who witnessed proceedings at first-hand have effusively ranged from “fantastic” to “magical”, including posts on Twitter.
Veteran cricket broadcaster and journalist, Ashis Ray, who presented the show, appealed to businessmen present, namely Dr Kartar Lalvani of Vitabiotics, Lord Karan Bilimoria of Cobra Beer and Lord Rami Ranger of Sun Mark, to initiate a benefit fund for the heroes of 1971, who never received due compensation for their efforts.
He added: “Already a first pledge of a contribution has come in. We intend to in due course make an announcement about this. The players concerned as well as the widows of those who have departed will be taken into account. I am reliably informed the 1983 World Cup winning squad were generously rewarded by the then BCCI president Sharad Pawar. A similar gesture has sadly not been deemed fit by the present leadership of the Board.”
Manish Tiwari, co-organiser of the occasion, remarked: ‘’It’s important to remember and keep record of our beginnings and remember the players, because that’s what inspires and creates momentum for younger players. And for me personally, this was an attempt to try and bring the past glory and also to look at the forgotten stars. In some way we want to contribute and its important because then you get a sense of what your beginnings were, how you are going and collectively we can leverage our strengths better.’’
