New Delhi: India's premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin wants technology to be used to track the batsman at the non-striker's end who is backing up too far, which he believes is an unfair advantage for the batting side.

He has always been consistent about his stand and suggested that the technology used to check front foot no balls can be also used to keep a tab on non-strikers backing up even before the bowler reaches the popping crease.

"Just hope that technology will see if a batsmen is backing up before the bowler bowls a ball and disallow the runs of that ball every time the batter does so!! Thus, parity will be restored as far as the front line is concerned," Ashwin put forth his view point on a series of tweets.

Ashwin has been one of the big advocates of "Mankading" and his dismissal of Jos Buttler during Kings XI Punkab's IPL encounter against Rajasthan Royals grabbed headlines last year.

"Many of you will not be able to see the grave disaparity here, so let me take some time out to clarify to the best of my abilities.

"If the non-striker backs up 2 feet and manages to come back for a 2, he will put the same batsmen on strike for the next ball," he said.

"Putting the same batsmen on strike might cost me a 4 or a 6 from the next ball and eventually cost me 7 more runs instead of may be a 1 and a dot ball possibility at a different batsmen. The same will mean massively for a batter wanting to get off strike even in a Test match," he explained elaborately.

For Ashwin, its all about restoring the balance between bat and ball in a game that is loaded heavily in favour of willow wielders.

"It is time to restore the balance in what is an increasingly tough environment for the bowlers," he said.

Technology won't be a hindrance, feels Ashwin.

"We can use the same tech that we are proposing for a no ball check 120 balls in a T20 game," said Ashwin.

 

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Abu Dhabi: UAE’s Minister for Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri has announced that the UAE has opened safe air corridors in coordination with gulf countries, Gulf News reported.

During a media briefing on Tuesday, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri also stated that at present the handling capacity is 48 flights per hour.

“The capacity as of today, based on the emergency routes available, is 48 flights per hour with a possibility of increasing this figure at a later stage, according to the latest development and security ratings and measures,” the UAE based English daily quoted the Minister as saying.

The Minister furthermore stated that from March 1 to March 3, a total of 17,498 passengers travelled on 60 flights. In the next phase, 80 flights are scheduled with national carriers, totalling 27,000 passengers. He said the following phases would be launched based on how the security situation evolves and when conditions are deemed safe.

However, regular commercial operations of Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Air Arabia are yet to resume. flydubai has begun limited operations.

Speaking on the reopening of airspace, the Minister clarified that the General Civil Aviation Authority is conducting ongoing coordination and monitoring with partners to assess developments and enable a gradual and safe return of air navigation in the country’s airspace.

As part of the response, limited operational flights have begun to facilitate the return of citizens and residents.

He said, “Airspace safety and human safety will always remain our first priority.”

The Minister urged affected passengers not to proceed to airports unless contacted directly by their airlines, in order to avoid congestion and ensure the smooth flow of travellers during this phase.

UAE airports and national carriers, including Etihad, Emirates, flydubai, and Air Arabia, have instructed passengers not to travel to the airport unless they have received a call from the airline asking them to do so.

According to the newspaper, all airlines have resumed limited operations, with priority being given to stranded passengers. In the meantime, the Minister said the government has agreed to cover expenses for stranded tourists' stay and food.

He said, “the UAE economy has proven its resilience in absorbing pressures generated by geopolitical and regional challenges,” and reaffirmed that economic stability remains firmly intact.

On the safe air corridors, the Minister said they were established in coordination with neighbouring countries and Gulf Cooperation Council states, as well as with the International Civil Aviation Organization, activating approved regional emergency aviation plans.

He explained that the current emergency routing capacity allows for 48 flights per hour, with the possibility of gradually increasing that number in line with developments and safety assessments.

The Minister also said that the UAE economy has demonstrated strong resilience and maintained stability with high efficiency despite geopolitical and regional pressures.

He said the country adopted proactive and flexible strategies that strengthened the economy and enhanced its ability to absorb external shocks, including previous crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic and other regional and international challenges.