Mangaluru (PTI): Indian Coast Guard (ICG) commander (coast guard region-west) inspector general Bhisham Sharma conducted an inspection of the Coast Guard unit in Mangaluru, the headquarters of Karnataka, as part of his four-day visit.

The visit concluded on Saturday.

The primary objective of the inspection was to assess the operational readiness and infrastructure development of the unit, which involved a comprehensive review of the preparedness of various assets located in Mangaluru, with specific focus on improving operational capabilities, a Coast Guard release here said.

The commander personally supervised the ongoing infrastructure development projects and evaluated the operational readiness of sea and air assets along the coast of Mangaluru. The fleet of ships and aircraft showcased during the visit demonstrated the Coast Guard's operational preparedness in Karnataka.

Sharma underscored the importance of maintaining high-level readiness and robust infrastructure in these critical coastal regions. The demonstration of operational readiness reflected the Coast Guard's steadfast commitment to protecting the nation's coastal territories and safeguarding maritime interests.

The visit demonstrated the Coast Guard's commitment to continuous improvement, aiming to be ever-ready to effectively respond to any maritime contingencies, the release added.

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Melbourne (PTI): Australia skipper Pat Cummins' chances of playing at next year's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka are "quite grey at the moment" as he battles a back stress issue that has affected his participation in the ongoing Ashes series against England.

Cummins returned to play the third Ashes Test in Adelaide after missing the opening two matches, picking up six wickets to help Australia clinch the series 3-0.

However, the Australian Test and ODI skipper will take no further part in the series and even his participation at the T20 World Cup is also uncertain. All-rounder Mitchell Marsh is Australia's T20I captain.

"Looking forward to the World Cup, whether he will be there or not, I can't really say. It's quite grey at the moment. We're hopeful," head coach Andrew McDonald was quoted as saying by 'ESPNCricinfo'.

The fast bowler was diagnosed with a lumbar stress reaction during Australia's tour of the West Indies in July. He underwent rehabilitation before being cleared for a carefully managed return in Adelaide.

"He's pulled up fine. He won't play any part in the rest of the series and that was a discussion that we had a long time out around his return," McDonald said.

"We were taking on some risk and people that reported on that would understand the risk associated with that rebuild. We've now won the series and that was the goal.

"So, to position him for further risk and jeopardise him long-term is not something that we want to do and Pat's really comfortable with that," he added.

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on February 7 across India and Sri Lanka with the summit clash set for March 8.

Australia's first match is on February 11 against Ireland at Colombo. Although Cummins captains the Test and ODI teams, all-rounder Mitch Marsh leads Australia in the shortest format.