Virus strikes England team on eve of first test in Pakistan
Rawalpindi, Nov 30: Several England players have been struck by a virus ahead of the team's first test in Pakistan in 17 years, leading to discussions about postponing the start of the match by one day.
Only five England players Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope and Joe Root turned up for the training at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. The rest of the squad members, including captain Ben Stokes, stayed in the hotel as team officials said six or seven players had been affected by the virus.
Brook, Crawley, Pope and Root all were named in England's playing XI for the first test.
"There's obviously a few guys not feeling 100%," Root told reporters, adding that he didn't feel good yesterday but woke up lot better on Wednesday before coming for the training at the stadium. "It's nothing like food poisoning or COVID I think it's just one of those things that we've unfortunately picked up as a group. We try to do absolutely everything right to make sure we're prepared really well for this game.
"Sometimes you just pick up a virus and when you're all tied together in one, I tell you, you can spread it out. We did everything we can to try and mitigate that, but you have to see how things go tonight and tomorrow."
England team spokesman Danny Rueben said several staff members of the England contingent have also been affected by the virus.
The Pakistan Cricket Board said it was discussing the start of Thursday's first test with the England Cricket Board "and will provide further updates in due course."
Root said he wasn't sure whether it was possible to delay the game by a day and have it start on Friday.
"It's such a monumental tour and important series for so many reasons," Root said. "We've waited 17 years to come to Pakistan to play a test match, if it means waiting another day, is that the worst thing in the world?
"We're all desperate to play this game and we know how important it is to the fans of Pakistan and their team as well. I don't think it's necessarily the worst thing in the world if we have to wait one more day to make sure the game isn't canceled and everyone gets what they want, which is an exciting three-match series."
England has already named its playing XI for the first of the three-test series with Liam Livingstone set to make his test debut and Ben Duckett is penciled as opener with Crawley. Veteran fast bowler James Anderson and Ollie Robinson are the two specialist fast bowler with Stokes as the other seaming option.
England is already out of contention for next year's World Test Championship final and is placed seventh in the WTC table.
Pakistan is in fifth place and has a realistic chance of making it to the final at the Oval in 2023, if it manages to win a majority of the remaining five tests at home. Pakistan is scheduled to host New Zealand for a two-test series later this month after the three tests against England ends at Karachi.
"We know we have to win four of the remaining five test matches and it's a golden opportunity for us to do so at home," Pakistan captain Babar Azam said. "We know several England players are not well, but we hope to play against a full strength England side."
England's aggressive approach under new coach Brendon McCullum has seen the team rout New Zealand 3-0 at home this summer before registering a come-from-behind 2-1 win against South Africa.
McCullum's fearless approach has completely transformed England in red-ball cricket after a 4-0 loss in the Ashes series in Australia saw head coach Chris Silverwood get sacked and Ben Stokes appointed captain in place of Joe Root.
While lively wickets back home played a huge role in England new positive approach, the visitors might have to adapt quickly on slow wickets at Rawalpindi, Multan and Karachi.
"Test match cricket is all about patience and you have to play session by session," Babar said. "Every team wants home conditions so we also want conditions that suit us and give us results."
The pitch at Pindi Cricket Stadium came under criticism when only 14 wickets fell during Australia's tour to Pakistan in March and the pitch was rated "below average" by ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle.
But England's approach to score at a rapid pace could counter the tactics of Pakistan, which will be without its spearhead fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, who is ruled out of the series due to knee injury.
Pakistan has already named three spinners in its 18-man squad with left-armer Nauman Ali tipped to pair with uncapped 24-year-old mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed.
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SC expands Patanjali misleading ads hearing to include FMCG Cos
New Delhi (PTI): Expanding the scope of its hearing in the Patanjali Ayurved case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday took a stern view of misleading advertisements by FMCG firms and asked three Union ministries to inform it about the steps they have taken to curb the practice which takes "public for a ride" and adversely affects their health.
The court passed the order after Yoga guru Ramdev and his aide Balkrishna of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah that they have issued unqualified public apology in as many as 67 newspapers over misleading advertisements and are willing to issue additional advertisements expressing their contrition.
The bench said the public apology published in newspapers were not on record and asked those to be filed within two days. It posted the matter for April 30 for further consideration.
While hearing the Patanjali case, the apex court said the implementation of the relevant provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Consumer Protection Act and the related rules also needed a closer examination.
It said the issue was not limited to Patanjali but extended to all Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) firms which have been issuing "misleading advertisements and taking the public for a ride, in particular affecting the health of babies, school-going children and senior citizens who have been consuming products on the basis of the said misrepresentation".
"We must clarify that we are not here to gun for a particular party or a particular agency or a particular authority. This is a PIL, and in the larger interest of the consumers, public should know which way they are going and how and why they can be misled, and how authorities are acting to prevent it," the bench said.
The court asked the Union ministries of consumer affairs, information and broadcasting, and information technology to explain what action they have taken to prevent the misuse of consumer laws.
It also sought an explanation from the Centre over an August 2023 letter issued by the Ministry of Ayush to the licencing authorities of all states and Union Territories and drug controllers of Ayush asking them to not initiate any action under rule 170 of Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
The bench also asked the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the petitioner in the Patanjali advertisements case, to "put its house in order".
It said several complaints have been made about alleged unethical acts by members of the IMA who prescribe highly expensive medicines and line of treatment. The bench also ordered impleading the National Medical Commission (NMC) as a respondent in the matter for effective assistance to the court.
At the outset, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd managing director Balkrishna, told the bench they have issued on Monday unqualified apology for the "lapses" on their part.
"Where? Why it is not filed?" the bench asked.
Rohatgi said it was issued on Monday in 67 newspapers across the country.
When the court asked the senior advocate why did the respondents wait for a whole week before publishing the public apology, Rohatgi said, "Its language had to be changed".
The court also quizzed him about the size of advertisements.
"Is it the same size of advertisements that you normally issue in newspapers?" it asked Rohatgi, who submitted "It costs tens of lakhs (of rupees)".
The bench ordered that the apology published be filed on record and added it wanted to see the actual advertisement published in newspapers.
"The said advertisements are not on record. It is submitted that the same have been collated and shall be filed in the course of the day with copies to counsel for the parties. Needful shall be done within two days with copies to counsel for the parties," it said.
The counsel said additional advertisement shall be issued by Ramdev and Balkrishna tendering unqualified apology for the lapses on their part.
The bench said it was necessary to implead the three central ministries in order to examine the steps taken to prevent the abuse of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act and rules, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Consumer Protection Act.
It said these ministries shall file affidavits enunciating the action they have taken to prevent the misuse/abuse of these statutes along with the relevant data since 2018.
The bench said licencing authorities of all states and UTs shall also be impleaded as co-respondents in the matter.
The bench told the IMA's counsel that while they are pointing fingers at Patanjali, "the other four fingers are also pointing at you (IMA)".
On April 16, the apex court had warned Ramdev and Balkrishna against any attempt to "degrade allopathy" and permitted them to tender a "public apology and show contrition" within a week in the contempt proceedings in the misleading advertisements case against Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.
The apex court is hearing a plea filed in 2022 by the IMA alleging a smear campaign against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.
Ramdev and Balkrishna had earlier tendered an "unconditional and unqualified apology" before the top court over advertisements issued by the firm making tall claims about the medicinal efficacy of its products
