Bairstow, Malan pull out of IPL, citing personal reasons
New Delhi, (PTI): Sunrisers Hyderabad opener Jonny Bairstow and Punjab Kings batsman Dawid Malan have pulled out of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) due to personal reasons.
The England and India players were supposed to fly into UAE from Manchester together in a bubble to bubble transfer but COVID-19 cases in the visitors' camp forced IPL teams to make their own arrangements.
The fifth Test between India and England was also postponed indefinitely after a junior physio tested positive for the virus ahead of the game.
Other members of India's support staff, including head Ravi Shastri, were already in quarantine after they tested positive for the virus during the fourth Test at the Oval.
All players arriving in Dubai now have to do a six-day quarantine and that could be the reason behind Bairstow and Malan pulling out.
A BCCI official told PTI that both the players won't be part of the IPL resuming September 19.
"They won't be boarding the flight to UAE. One of the reasons for their pull out is the six-day quarantine which they didn't need to do earlier," said the official.
While Bairstow is a regular in the Sunrisers line-up, world number one T20 batsman Malan made his IPL debut with Kings earlier this year.
Bairstow had made 248 runs at strike rate of 141 plus in seven games earlier this season.
Both Bairstow and Malan were part of England's Test squad in Manchester.
There are also doubts over the presence of England all-rounder Chris Woakes in the IPL. He plays for Delhi Capitals.
Bubble life has taken a toll on players and with the T20 World Cup to follow in UAE, not playing the IPL would allow more family time to Bairstow and Malan.
Both are also part of England's Ashes plans but the tour Down Under is also currently in doubt with Australia imposing some of the harshest restrictions in the world on incoming travellers in the COVID times.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
