New Delhi, Jan 2: The legendary Kapil Dev believes any cricketer representing the country like Rishabh Pant should be "more careful" and hire drivers instead of getting behind the wheels to avoid the mishap that happened last week.

Kapil made the statement while reacting to Pant's horrifying accident on Friday while driving his Mercedes on NH-58. The wicket-keeper batter is currently admitted in Max Dehradun with multiple injuries on head, back, knee and ankle. He was on Monday shifted from ICU to a private ward.

"We can avoid things that can lead to mishaps like these," Kapil was quoted as saying by ABP News.

"Especially for these special players. I remember during my early playing days, I was riding a bike and met with an accident following which my brother never let me ride one.

"The players should be careful. They don't need to drive themselves. They can afford drivers. I know a lot of people are passionate about driving but when one has so many responsibilities, one must take care of oneself," the 63-year-old stated.

Pant's injuries, especially the ones on knee and ankle, will keep him out of action for a minimum period of six months.

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Caracas (Venezuela) (AP): The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela is scheduled to land on Thursday in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, seven years after the US Department of Homeland Security ordered an indefinite suspension, citing security concerns.

The resumption of a commercial flight between the two countries comes in the wake of the US capture of Nicolás Maduro in a stunning nighttime raid on his residence in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, in early January.

It also comes a month after the US formally reopened its embassy in Caracas following the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country.

Flight AA3599 operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, was scheduled to depart from Miami at 10:16 a.m. local time and arrive three hours later in the Venezuelan capital, returning to Florida later in the afternoon.

Earlier, the airline said a second daily flight between Miami and Caracas will start on May 21.

In late January, US President Donald Trump said he informed Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez that he would open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela, allowing Americans to visit.

“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they'll be safe there,” Trump said at the time.

The flights mark the resumption of nonstop travel between the US and Venezuela for the first time since diplomatic ties were severed in 2019. For the past seven years, passengers have relied on international airlines and indirect routes through neighbouring Latin American countries.

In January, when the airline announced the resumption of flights it said it would give customers the opportunity to reunite with families and pursue new business opportunities.

American Airlines was the last US airline flying to Venezuela. It suspended flights in 2019 between Miami and Caracas, as well as flights to the oil hub city of Maracaibo. Delta and United Airlines pulled out in 2017 amid a political crisis that forced millions to flee the country.