England pip India to become top ODI side
Dubai,May 2: England leapfrogged India to gain the No.1 spot in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) One-Day International (ODI) rankings after the annual update which saw the men-in-blue losing a point to be positioned at second in the latest rankings released here on Wednesday.
England, who last topped the ODI rankings in January 2013 have gained eight points and moved to 125 points after the performances in the 2014-15 season has been dropped from the latest calculations while those from the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons were weighted at 50 percent.
India, who were at the top before the update, have lost a solitary point to slip to No.2 with a total of 122 points.
South Africa, who were second, have dropped down to third place after losing four points, from 117 to 113, leaving them nine points adrift of India and only one point ahead of fourth-placed New Zealand.
The remaining places remain unchanged, meaning that the current top 10 ranked sides are the ones who will be playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
However, there have been some significant changes in points.
World champions Australia have lost eight points to go down to 104 in fifth position and are only two points ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2017 winners Pakistan, who have gained six points.
In other changes, Bangladesh (93 points) have gained three points, Sri Lanka (77) have lost seven points, the West Indies (69) have lost five points, Afghanistan (63) have gained five points, Zimbabwe (55) have gained four points and 12th-placed Ireland (38) have lost three points.
Meanwhile, in the ICC T20I rankings led by Pakistan, there is no change in the top seven places but Afghanistan are now ahead of Sri Lanka in the eighth slot.
Pakistan (130) and Australia (126) remain in the top two positions without a change in their points total while India have gained two points to reach 123.
New Zealand (116) are unchanged on points while England (115) have gained a solitary point.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
