India's bowling coach Morkel returns home due to family emergency
Dubai (PTI): India's bowling coach Morne Morkel has left for his home in South Africa due to a family emergency.
Morkel, who was appointed for the job in September last year, had travelled to Dubai with the Indian team on Saturday, and also attended the side's first practice session ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy beginning on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old former South African pacer was, however, not around for the Indian team's second practice session on Monday, it has been learned.
The development comes just as India geared up to began their campaign with a match against Bangladesh at Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.
The Indian bowling attack for the ICC tournament comprises specialist pacers and one fast-bowling all-rounder in Hardik Pandya.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the event due to lower back injury, leaving the task of shouldering the fast-bowling responsibility on Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana and Mohammed Shami, with Pandya being the fourth option.
Pakistan is the host nation of the tournament, but India will be playing all their matches in Dubai as per the hybrid model agreed by the concerned stakeholders.
The much-awaited match between India and Pakistan is scheduled to take place on Sunday.
The first semifinal will be played in Dubai on March 4, and the final, if India qualify for it, will also take place in Dubai on March 9.
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Fire destroys parked school buses in Thiruvananthapuram, sabotage suspected
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): A major fire broke out at a school ground near here in the small hours of Monday, destroying three parked school buses, police said here.
The incident occurred at around 2.45 am at the ground of a Higher Secondary School at Thundathil under Kazhakkoottam police station limits.
Three school buses were completely gutted in the fire, while another bus was partially damaged, police said.
Fire and rescue teams rushed to the area and brought the blaze under control after an operation that lasted about 30 minutes.
A tempo traveller was found close to the buses, raising suspicion of foul play, officials said.
However, it is not yet clear who drove the vehicle or how it reached the area where the buses were parked.
The school authorities and locals suspect that the fire may not have been accidental.
Police said they have begun an investigation to find out the exact cause of the fire.
