10-wicket hero Ajaz Patel misses out on New Zealand test squad
Christchurch (AP): Ajaz Patel's historic feat of taking 10 wickets in a Test innings was not enough to secure his place in New Zealand's squad for a home series against Bangladesh.
Offspinner Patel became only the third player in Test history after England's Jim Laker and India's Anil Kumble to take all 10 wickets in an innings when he claimed 10-119 in the second test against India earlier this month.
But he was absent Thursday from New Zealand's 13-man squad for a two-Test series against Bangladesh, beginning on Jan. 1.
The squad includes fast bowlers Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner and Matt Henry along with medium pace allrounder Daryl Mitchell and only one spin option, allrounder Rachin Ravindra.
The tests will be played at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui and Hagley Oval in Christchurch which are expected to favor quicker bowlers.
"You do feel for Ajaz after his record-breaking display in India," New Zealand coach Gary Stead said.
"However, we've always applied a horses-for-courses selection policy and believe the players selected best fit the way we want to take on Bangladesh here at home.
"We feel having both Rachin and Daryl in the squad gives us a nice balance and the ability to pick a side best suited to the conditions we expect."
Tom Latham will captain New Zealand in the absence of Kane Williamson, who has an elbow injury, and Devon Conway will return to the squad after breaking his hand at the Twenty20 World Cup last month.
"It's obviously disappointing not to have Kane available for this series but, as we noted in India, he is undergoing a sustained period of rest followed by rehabilitation, strengthening and gradual batting loading," Stead said.
"We have every confidence in Tom leading the side. He's done an excellent job in the past when called upon."
New Zealand: Tom Latham (captain), Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, Will Young.
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'Rear-guard action': BJP over Mamata accepting sports minister's resignation after Messi event
New Delhi (PTI): The BJP on Tuesday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's accepting Aroop Biswas' resignation as the state sports minister is nothing but a "rear-guard action" to douse public anger over the mismanagement of football icon Lionel Messi's event last week.
BJP co-in-charge for West Bengal Amit Malviya alleged that this is also an "open confession" that the Messi event fiasco was not accidental but a government-manufactured disaster, borne out of the poor governance of Banerjee, her ministers and the state bureaucracy.
Banerjee on Tuesday accepted Biswas' resignation as the sports minister in the wake of the controversy over the mismanagement of football icon Messi's event last week, a senior leader of the ruling TMC said.
Biswas, who had written to the chief minister seeking to be relieved of his responsibilities as sports minister, will continue as a cabinet minister, retaining charge of the power department.
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Reacting to the development, Malviya said in a post on X, "TMC Sports Minister Aroop Biswas resigns after the Messi fiasco and Mamata Banerjee accepts it in record time."
"Do not mistake this for accountability; this is nothing but a rear-guard action to douse public anger. anger! This is not 'Raj Dharma'," he added.
The BJP leader alleged that the incident was the outcome of "loot" of common people which is "so synonymous" with the TMC.
The incident was also the outcome of the "shameless VIP culture that TMC thrives on and deep-rooted cronyism promoted by Banerjee," he charged.
Malviya further alleged that Biswas' resignation exposes a "collective failure of Mamata Banerjee, her partisan bureaucracy, and her crony cabinet".
"This is a symbolic sacrifice, a political hoax, soon to be buried under layers of bureaucracy, with no justice, no accountability, and no remorse," the BJP leader said, adding, "No resignation will bring back the time lost, the money wasted, or the stolen chance for football lovers to witness Messi in Kolkata."
