Head coach Gambhir's revised message on Indo-Pak game: Focus on cricket
Dubai (PTI): Head coach Gautam Gambhir's call to "focus on cricket" has been echoed by fielding coach Ryan ten Doeschate, who on Saturday acknowledged that boycott sentiments with regards to India's Asia Cup match against Pakistan is a sensitive issue but stressed that the team has been instructed to strictly follow the directives of the BCCI and the Indian government.
There have been widespread calls to ban any sporting ties with Pakistan following terror attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir's Pahalgam.
Incidentally in a departure from convention, the Indian team management sent its junior-most coaching staff Ten Doeschate as there were apprehensions in the board corridors that had head coach Gautam Gambhir been sent questions would have been asked about his earlier stand.
"It is a very sensitive issue. Players feel the emotion and sentiments of the public. This is what we have discussed in the team meetings. Players are here to play cricket. We are following government instructions," Ten Doeschate said.
With the boycott theme trending widely among fans, he added, "Our thing is, you separate sports and politics. I understand the sentiment but we are following directives of BCCI and government. We are going by what the government and BCCI told us.
"Knowing this will happen was the most frustrating part. Gauti's message is to not focus on things not in your control. Messaging is to focus on cricket," he said.
Interestingly, Gambhir himself had taken a much harder line earlier. At an ABP event in New Delhi following the Pahalgam terror attack, he had said: "My personal answer to this is absolutely no. Till all this (cross-border terrorism) doesn't stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan. Ultimately this is the government's decision whether we play them or not. ...No cricket match, Bollywood movie, or any other interaction is more important than the life of Indian soldiers and Indian citizens."
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1,850 missing mobile phones recovered as Delhi Police focusses on victim-centric policing
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Police has recovered 1,850 stolen and lost mobile phones worth around Rs 4 crore in past 40 days under "Mission Reconnect", an initiative aimed at returning phones to their rightful owners in outernorth Delhi, an official said on Saturday.
The recovered phones were traced from different parts of the country, including remote areas, through technical surveillance and sustained field operations, police said, adding that the devices were handed over to their owners during a programme at the Sports Ground, New Police Lines, Kingsway Camp.
The initiative focused on a victim-centric approach and aimed at strengthening public trust through proactive policing and coordinated efforts across states, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said.
As part of the programme, teams performed 'nukkad nataks' and screened awareness videos on cybercrime, drug abuse prevention, and senior citizen safety, sensitising the public about digital frauds and safety measures, officials said.
The initiative combines technology, investigation and community participation to ensure recovery of lost property and reconnect citizens with their valuables, they added.
