Pragyan Ojha retires from international cricket
New Delhi: Veteran Indian left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who snared 10 wickets during Sachin Tendulkar's farewell Test in 2013, announced retirement from international and first-class cricket with immediate effect on Friday.
Tendulkar's final Test in Mumbai against the West Indies in November 2013 also became the last of the 33-year-old Ojha's career. He went out of favour after that but did not give any reasons for his decision to call it quits now.
In all, he played 24 Tests between 2009 and 2013 in which he took 113 wickets. Ojha, however, did not offer any reason for his retirement.
"I am writing this letter to tender my formal retirement from international and first-class cricket with immediate effect," Ojha posted on his Twitter account.
"To be an Indian cricketer and represent the country at the highest level was always a dream I cherished as a youngster.
"I fall short of words to describe how fortunate I have been to have lived my dream and earned the love and respect of my fellow countrymen," he added.
From 18 ODIs, he grabbed 21 wickets. He also played six T20 Internationals. He said the most memorable moment of his career was receiving his Test cap from Tendulkar.
"(It was like) ... accomplishing the feat of taking 100 Test wickets. I hope to continue contributing towards the growth of Indian cricket in every capacity possible," he said.
In the early stage of his career, Ojha had a fruitful spin partnership with R Ashwin in Tests, taking 20 wickets in the 2011 home Tests against West Indies and 13 the following year against New Zealand.
"My eventful career has witnessed many ups and downs, Over time, I have realised that the legacy of a sportsperson is not just the outcome of his hard work and dedication, but also the faith and guidance bestowed upon by the association (team management), teammates, coaches, trainers and the fans," he said.
"I am indebted to the BCCI for giving me this extraordinary opportunity and putting their belief in me.
"It has been an absolute honour to be associated with the Board, an association that has shaped my professional life and also enriched my personal development."
Ojha, who competed for erstwhile Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians in the IPL, was once reported for a suspect action in 2014. He underwent corrective rehabilitation and was cleared in 2015 but was never a very effective bowler after that, leading to his axing from the national team.
"My journey with the Indian Premier League has also been a memorable one and the purple cap win will always be an indelible memory - a special mention of the teams Deccan Chargers and Mumbai Indians for making me a part of their legacy.
"I am thankful to VVS Laxman for mentoring me like an elder brother, Venkatapathy Raju for being the role model I always looked to emulate, Harbhajan Singh for being a constant adviser and MS Dhoni for providing me with the honourable opportunity to wear the Indian cap.
He also thanked his contemporaries Rohit Sharma and Manoj Tiwary "who have shared many eventful moments with me and my Hyderabad teammate Amol Shinde".
Ojha played first class and List A matches till 2018.
Ojha's first-class career spanned more than 13 years between 2005 and 2018 during which he played for Hyderabad and also captained Bihar in the Ranji Trophy.
"I have been a part of the Hyderabad Cricket Association for close to 14 years, and the incredible experience I have gained will have an ever lasting impact.
"I am thankful to Cricket Association of Bengal and Sourav Ganguly for extending their unwavering support during a rough patch of my career. I also appreciate the Bihar Cricket Association for allowing me to lead their team for the short duration that I spent with them.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
