Hazlewood won't join Australia squad in early part of T20 WC: selector Dodemaide
Sydney (PTI): Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will not travel with the squad for the early part of its T20 World Cup matches in Sri Lanka as he continues his rehabilitation after recovering from an injury here, national selector Tony Dodemaide said on Monday.
The trio of Nathan Ellis, Tim David and Glenn Maxwell, however, have reached Colombo and will be joined the Australian squad on Tuesday for the upcoming ICC T20 showpiece, Dodemaide said.
Australia will play their four preliminary games in Colombo and Pallekele, starting February 11 against Ireland.
Hazlewood will remain in Sydney during the early part of the tournament, which begins on February 7, to continue his return to play program. Sean Abbott has joined the touring party as a travelling reserve.
Dodemaide said: "Nathan, Tim and Glenn have arrived in Colombo and we look forward to meeting up with them when we arrive from Pakistan.
"We felt with Josh it was more practical and beneficial for him to continue his rehabilitation at home in a familiar environment before travelling to Sri Lanka."
Hazlewood was ruled out of the 2025-26 Ashes series due to a lingering Achilles injury that occurred during his rehabilitation from a previous hamstring strain.
Dodemaide did not reveal the specifics of when exactly Hazlewood would be available for the tournament. Australia's preliminary engagements will end on February 20 and their other group rivals are Oman, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Last week, seasoned pacer Pat Cummins was ruled out of the entire tournament due to a persistent back injury. He has been replaced in the 15-man squad by Ben Dwarshuis.
Dodemaide said Abbott is there as a backup for Ellis.
"With Nathan also completing his return to play we decided to bring Sean with us as fast bowling cover should anything come up at short notice," he said.
"Sean is an accomplished and versatile international player who has experienced numerous World Cup campaigns. It made sense for him to stay with the group following the Pakistan tour."
The T20 World Cup will be held in venues across India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
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BJP using women's quota bill as front to pass Delimitation Bill that will break India: Mamata
Cooch Behar (WB) (PTI): Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday alleged the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre was using the proposed amendment to the women's quota law in Parliament as a front for the Delimitation Bill that would "break the country into pieces".
The TMC will fight this Central government's move at every step, she asserted at her party's poll rally here.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to tweak the women's quota law, along with the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, to implement the proposed amended women's quota law, in the Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
According to the Constitution amendment bill, Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats will also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
Opposing the Centre's move, Banerjee alleged that "the BJP brought the Delimitation Bill while keeping the women's reservation bill at the front".
"The BJP is trying to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha to nearly 850 through the Delimitation Bill. It will break the country into pieces," the TMC supremo said.
She also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not speaking the truth about the development of north Bengal at a BJP rally last week.
"The prime minister said nothing was done for the development of north Bengal. But we spent Rs 1.72 lakh crore on the development of the region," Banerjee said and asked Modi to cross-check data before making such remarks.
