New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner retires from test cricket at 37
Wellington (New Zealand), Feb 27: The hard-working and durable New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner has announced his retirement from test cricket at 37.
South Africa-born Wagner played 64 tests for New Zealand and will finish fifth on New Zealand's list of all-time test wicket-takers with 260 at an average of 37.
The left-armer likely was not going to be included in New Zealand's lineup for the first test against Australia, starting at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday and decided to retire from the five-day game.
Wagner made his test debut in 2012 and was a key figure in one of New Zealand's most successful eras, helping the team win the inaugural World Test Championship in 2022. He moved from South Africa to New Zealand in 2008 and quickly established himself in first-class cricket with Otago province.
In recent years Wagner pursued a sort of leg theory of continual short-pitched bowling which was contentious among some fans but invariably produced results. New Zealand won 34 of the 64 tests in which he played.
His strike rate of 52 is bettered only by Richard Hadlee among New Zealand bowlers who have taken more than 100 wickets.
One of Wagner's most notable performances was in bowling New Zealand to a one-run win over England after following on at the Basin Reserve last year. Wagner took 4-62 including the final wicket of James Anderson which fell with England one run short of a winning total.
"It's been an emotional week," Wagner said Tuesday. "It's not easy to step away from something you've given so much to and got so much out of, but it's now time for others to step up and take this team forward. I've enjoyed every single moment of playing test cricket for the Black Caps and am proud of everything we've been able to achieve as a team."
Wagner played under several New Zealand captains who all knew they could throw the ball to him when in need of a breakthrough or simply of someone to bowl for long periods.
"Neil's numbers are phenomenal but I don't think we can underestimate his contributions to the team when the chips were down and he found a way to create a wicket," New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. "His accuracy, execution and tenacity has been instrumental in many of our great test victories and he will always be remembered for his lion-hearted nature.
"Neil gave absolutely everything and we are certainly going to miss his energy and never give in' attitude."
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SC dismisses pleas seeking review of 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage
New Delhi, Jan 9: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a batch of pleas seeking to review its October 2023 verdict declining legal sanction to same-sex marriage.
A five-judge bench of Justices B R Gavai, Surya Kant, B V Nagarathna, P S Narasimha and Dipankar Datta took up about 13 petitions related to the matter in chambers and dismissed them.
"We do not find any error apparent on the face of the record. We further find that the view expressed in both the judgements is in accordance with law and as such, no interference is warranted. Accordingly, the review petitions are dismissed," the bench said.
It said the judges have carefully gone through the judgements delivered by Justice (since retired) S Ravindra Bhat speaking for himself and for Justice (since retired) Hima Kohli as well as the concurring opinion expressed by Justice Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha, constituting the majority view.
The bench also rejected a prayer made in the review petitions for hearing in an open court.
According to practice, the review pleas are considered in chambers by the judges.
The new bench was constituted after Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the present CJI, recused from hearing the review petitions on July 10, 2024.
Notably, Justice P S Narasimha is the only member of the original Constitution bench comprising five judges which delivered the verdict, as former CJI D Y Chandrachud and Justices S K Kaul, Ravindra Bhat and Hima Kohli have retired.
A five-judge Constitution bench led by then CJI Chandrachud on October 17, 2024, refused to accord legal backing to same-sex marriages and held there was "no unqualified right" to marriage with the exception of those recognised by law.
The apex court, however, made a strong pitch for the rights of LGBTQIA++ persons so that they didn't face discrimination in accessing goods and services available to others, safe houses known as "garima greh" in all districts for shelter to members of the community facing harassment and violence, and dedicated hotlines in case of trouble.
In its judgement, the bench held transpersons in heterosexual relationships had the freedom and entitlement to marry under the existing statutory provisions.
It said an entitlement to legal recognition of the right to union, akin to marriage or civil union, or conferring legal status to the relationship could be only done through an "enacted law".
The five-judge Constitution bench delivered four separate verdicts on a batch of 21 petitions seeking legal sanction for same-sex marriages.
All five judges were unanimous in refusing the legal recognition to same-sex marriage under the Special Marriage Act and observed it was within Parliament's ambit to change the law for validating such a union.
While former CJI Chandrachud wrote a separate 247-page verdict, Justice Kaul penned a 17-page judgement where he broadly agreed with the former's views.
Justice Bhat, who authored an 89-page judgement for himself and Justice Kohli, disagreed with certain conclusions arrived at by the former CJI, including on applicability of adoption rules for such couples.
Justice Narasimha in his 13-page verdict was in complete agreement with the reasoning and conclusion of Justice Bhat.
The judges were unanimous in holding that queerness was a natural phenomenon and not an "urban or elite" notion.
In his judgement, the former CJI recorded Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's assurance of forming a committee chaired by the cabinet secretary to define and elucidate the scope of entitlements of such couples in a union.
The LGBTQIA++ rights activists, who won a major legal battle in 2018 in the Supreme Court, which decriminalised consensual gay sex, moved the apex court seeking validation of same-sex marriages and consequential reliefs such as rights to adoption, enrolment as parents in schools, opening of bank accounts and availing succession and insurance benefits.
Some of the petitioners sought the apex court to use its plenary power besides the "prestige and moral authority" to push the society to acknowledge such a union and ensure LGBTQIA++ persons led a "dignified" life like heterosexuals.
