Dawid Malan, former top-ranked T20 batter, retires from England cricket duty
London, Aug 28: Dawid Malan, the former top-ranked T20 batter who scored centuries for England in all formats, has announced his retirement from the international arena.
The 36-year-old Malan told British newspaper The Times of London that he exceeded expectations with his success in the white-ball game but was disappointed that he couldn't handle the intensity of Test cricket.
Malan, a top-order batter, played 22 Tests as well as 30 ODIs and 62 T20 internationals. It was in the T20 game where he excelled, becoming No. 1 in the batting rankings in 2020 and winning the T20 World Cup in 2022.
Malan was left out of the squad for the upcoming white-ball series against Australia and hasn't played for England in any format since the 50-over World Cup last year.
It was his inability to forge a career as a Test batter that leaves him with most regrets.
“I took all three formats extremely seriously but the intensity of test cricket was something else — five days plus the days building up," Malan told the Times. "I'm a big trainer; I love hitting lots of balls and I'd train hard in the build-up, and then the days were long and intense. You can't switch off.
"I found it very mentally draining, especially the long test series that I played, where my performances dropped off from the third or fourth test onwards."
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.
Dalit officer of Kumta Municipality traced in Belagavi after alleging harassment by chief officer
Bhatkal: The 25-year-old Dalit Revenue Inspector (RI) of Kumta Town Municipality, who went missing earlier this week after accusing his senior officer of harassment and caste discrimination, has been traced in Belagavi.
The officer, Venkatesh Ramesh Harijan, a resident of Harijanakeri in Koteshwara, Bhatkal taluk, had reportedly left his home on Tuesday night without informing anyone. Before going missing, he had sent a WhatsApp message to a group of municipal members and staff, alleging that M.R. Swamy, the Chief Officer (CO) of Kumta TMC, had been mentally and caste-wise harassing him for a long time.
Venkatesh’s mother, Asha Ramesh Harijan, later filed a missing person complaint at the Bhatkal Town Police Station, stating that her son was under severe mental pressure due to humiliation and misconduct by his superior. She alleged that Swamy often used insulting and casteist language towards her son, targeting him because of his Dalit background.
In a letter believed to have been written before his disappearance, Venkatesh accused the CO of misusing the name of Kumta MLA Dinakar Shetty to justify illegal activities. He further alleged that Swamy had tried to force him into corrupt practices, including demanding a bribe of Rs 4 lakh and manipulating official documents by altering government building records from the ‘B account’ to the ‘A account’.
The letter was reportedly sent to a colleague on WhatsApp shortly before he went missing.
Following the complaint, Bhatkal police began an intensive search operation. According to reports, Venkatesh later contacted his family from Belagavi and informed them that he was safe. Acting promptly, a police team from Bhatkal travelled to Belagavi, where they located him at the Market Police Station.
The incident has stirred strong reactions among Kumta Municipality staff and local residents, who have condemned the alleged misconduct of the Chief Officer. The employees’ association has submitted a memorandum to the Municipal President, demanding the immediate transfer of M.R. Swamy and a probe into the allegations.
Police sources said a detailed inquiry will be conducted into the claims of mental and caste-based harassment made by the Revenue Inspector.
_vb_38.jpeg)
