Have enough depth to be dangerous: Ravi Shastri on Pakistan’s semifinal chances at Champions Trophy
Dubai(PTI): Armed with a fearsome pace attack and playing in home conditions, hosts Pakistan could be a force to reckon with in the Champions Trophy even though they will miss opener Saim Ayub, reckons former India coach Ravi Shastri.
Defending champions Pakistan head into the Champions Trophy riding high on three consecutive ODI series victories over South Africa, Zimbabwe and Australia.
"I think Pakistan are the kind of side that, with the exposure they’ve had in the last six to eight months in white-ball cricket, have put up some really strong performances, especially in South Africa," Shastri told The ICC Review.
Despite the absence of the injured Ayub, who has become a vital cog in the Pakistan side, Shastri remains confident in the team's depth.
"They've missed Ayub at the top, and he's a crucial player. But Pakistan have enough depth to be dangerous, especially in home conditions. I would say they should qualify for the semi-finals and from there, it's anyone’s game."
Shastri is certain that, should Pakistan make it to the knockout stages, they will be a formidable threat to any team.
"Pakistan are still very, very dangerous, and if they qualify, they'll be doubly more dangerous."
Echoing Shastri's thoughts, Australian legend Ricky Ponting focused on Pakistan’s lethal pace attack that includes Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.
"I agree with Ravi. Saim Ayub is a high-quality player, and his absence is a massive gap to fill," Ponting said.
"But Pakistan's fast bowling brigade is very, very good. Led by Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, who’ve been terrific in recent series, they have the pace and skill to trouble any batting line-up."
Since returning from South Africa, where he notched three consecutive fifties, former skipper Babar Azam's form has dipped. Ponting said his form will be crucial for Pakistan.
"Babar has been a bit up and down in recent years, but if he and (Mohammad) Rizwan can bring their A-games, that’s when Pakistan becomes incredibly dangerous," Ponting said.
"They’ve still got enough high-quality players to beat any team on any given day. If they play well, they’ll be right in it."
Ponting also acknowledged the added dimension that playing in front of a home crowd can bring. "The pressure of playing at home can work both ways. It can be a real motivator, especially with the home crowd behind you. That support can sometimes help you cross the line in big moments," Ponting said.
Pakistan will begin their Champions Trophy campaign against New Zealand in Karachi on Februrary 19 before taking on arch rivals India on February 23 in Dubai.
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Delhi court sentences Haryana gangster Vikas Gulia, associate to life imprisonment
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court has sentenced Haryana gangster Vikas Gulia and his associate to life imprisonment under MCOCA provisions, but refused the death penalty saying the offences did not fall under the category of 'rarest of the rare cases'.
Additional Sessions Judge Vandana Jain sentenced Gulia and Dhirpal alias Kana to rigorous imprisonment for life under Section 3 (punishment for organised crime) of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
In an order dated December 13, the judge said, "Death sentence can only be awarded in 'rarest of the rare cases' wherein the murder is committed in an extremely inhumane, barbarous, grotesque or dastardly manner as to arouse umbrage of the community at large."
The judge said that on weighing the aggravating and mitigating circumstances, it could be concluded that the present case did not fall under the category, and so, the death penalty could not be imposed upon the convicts.
"Thus, both the convicts are sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for life and to pay a fine of Rs 3 lakh each, for committing the offence under Section 3 of MCOCA," she said.
The public prosecutor, seeking the death penalty for both the accused, submitted that they were involved in several unlawful activities while they were on bail in other cases.
He argued that the accused had shown no respect for the law and acted without any fear of legal consequences, and therefore did not deserve any leniency from the court.
The court noted that both convicts were involved in offences of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, robbery, house trespass, and criminal intimidation. Besides, they had misused the liberty of interim bail granted to them by absconding.
It said, "The terror of the convicts was such that it created fear psychosis in the mind of the general public, and they lost complete faith in the law enforcement agencies and chose to accede to the illegal demands of convicts. Despite suffering losses, they could not gather the courage to depose against them."
The court noted that Gulia was involved in at least 18 criminal cases, while Dhirpal had links to 10 serious offences.
It underlined that MCOCA had been enacted "keeping in view the fact that organised crime had come up as a serious threat to society, as it knew no territorial boundaries and is fuelled by illegal wealth generated by committing the offence of extortion, contract killings, kidnapping for ransom, collection of protection money, murder, etc."
Both accused persons had been convicted on December 10 in a case registered at Najafgarh police station. The police filed a chargesheet under Section 3 (punishment for organised crime) and 4 (punishment for possessing unaccountable wealth on behalf of member of organised crime syndicate) of MCOCA.
