Served cold sandwiches and falafel after training session, Indian cricketers opt to eat at hotel
Sydney (PTI): Cold sandwiches and falafel after an exhausting practice session were just not appetising enough for some in the Indian cricket team and several players refused the offering, opting for meals in their hotel rooms instead.
The Indian players prefer hot food, which is considered a must after an intense training session, and on Tuesday it was not part of the menu, which included fruits apart from falafel (spiced mashed chickpeas or other pulses formed into balls).
It is understood that the after-practice menu is almost the same for all the teams.
The team management had rested all the fast bowlers while all-rounder Hardik Pandya, batter Suryakumar Yadav and spinner Axar Patel also did not take part in the optional training session.
The players, who sweated it out ahead of the clash, were probably expecting a proper meal.
"It's not like any boycott. Some players did pick up fruits and falafel but everyone wanted to have lunch and hence they had food after going back to the hotel," a BCCI official privy to the development told PTI on the condition of anonymity.
"The problem is that the ICC isn't providing any hot food after lunch. In a bilateral series, the host association is in charge of catering and they always provide hot Indian meals after a training session. But for ICC, the rule is the same for all countries," the official further said.
"You can't just have a cold sandwich (not even grilled) with avocado, tomato and cucumber after two hours of intense training. That is plain and simple inadequate nourishment," the source added.
The ICC said it is looking into the issue and promised to sort the matter soon.
"Yes, the Indian team has told us about their issues with the food after practice. We are trying to figure out and the issue will be sorted," an ICC source told PTI.
It will be interesting to see if the BCCI steps in and arranges hot Indian meals for the players at the next training session, if the issue is not resolved.
The Indian team won't practice on Wednesday since the designated practice area is about 40kms from Sydney and the players would prefer not to travel that far, a day before the match.
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.
Motivational speaker Sonu Sharma slams govt, Supreme Court over Aravalli Hills order
Says If Aravalli falls, our future falls
New Delhi: Motivational speaker and life coach Sonu Sharma has strongly criticised the Narendra Modi-led central government and the Supreme Court over recent developments related to the Aravalli Hills, warning that the decisions could have long-term consequences for North India’s environment and air quality.
In a video posted on social media, Sharma questioned the logic behind treating parts of the Aravalli range measuring less than 100 metres in height as non-mountains, a position that has emerged from recent legal interpretations. Without naming specific judgments, Sharma said such reasoning effectively strips large portions of the ancient mountain range of legal protection and opens the door for large-scale mining.
The Aravalli range, considered one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, plays a crucial role in checking desertification, regulating climate and acting as a natural barrier against dust storms from the Thar desert. Environmentalists have long warned that continued degradation of the Aravallis could worsen air pollution in cities such as Delhi and accelerate ecological damage across Rajasthan, Haryana and the National Capital Region.
ALSO READ: French national injured after slipping while climbing hill in Hampi
In the video, Sharma argued that redefining mountains based on arbitrary height criteria amounts to legitimising environmental destruction. He compared it to denying basic human identity based on physical attributes, calling the approach illogical and dangerous. He claimed that in Rajasthan alone, nearly 12,000 peaks are part of the Aravalli system, and that only around 1,000 of them exceed 100 metres, leaving the vast majority vulnerable to legal mining activity.
Sharma also took aim at a televised statement by senior news anchor Rajat Sharma, who had said that Delhi’s pollution gets trapped because the city is shaped like a bowl surrounded by the Aravalli Hills. Sharma rejected the argument that the Aravallis are responsible for pollution, instead describing them as the “lungs of North India” whose destruction is aggravating the crisis.
Without directly naming the court, Sharma said institutions were issuing orders without understanding environmental realities. His remarks have been widely interpreted as a criticism of the Supreme Court’s recent stance on the Aravalli Hills, which has drawn concern from environmental groups who fear it may weaken safeguards against mining.
The video has gained significant traction online, given Sharma’s large following of over five million followers on Instagram and more than 13 million subscribers on YouTube. Many users echoed his concerns, saying unchecked mining and construction in the Aravallis would worsen water scarcity, air pollution and desertification.
Sharma ended his message with a call to protect the Aravalli range, warning that continued neglect would have irreversible consequences. “If the Aravalli falls, our future will also fall,” he said, urging citizens to speak up against policies and orders that, in his view, prioritise development over environmental survival.
View this post on Instagram
