Shami picked as Bumrah's replacement in India squad for T20 World Cup
New Delhi(PTI): The BCCI on Friday named seasoned pacer Mohammed Shami as injured Jasprit Bumrah's replacement in the Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Australia.
"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Mohammed Shami as Jasprit Bumrah's replacement in India's ICC Men's T20 World Cup squad. Shami has reached Australia and will link up with the squad in Brisbane ahead of the warm-up matches,' BCCI secretary Jay Shah was quoted in a press release.
That Shami would replace Bumrah in the main squad was reported by PTI last month.
Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur have been named as backups and will travel to Australia shortly. The tournament will be held from October 16 to November 13.
Bumrah has been ruled out of competitive cricket for an indefinite period due to stress related injury on his back.
Shami had last played in T20 Internationals during the last edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE.
He was supposed to play in the six T20Is at home against Australia and South Africa but tested positive for CIVID-19 and had to remain in isolation. On return he had to prove his fitness before NCA approved his trip to Australia.
Shami has played 17 T20Is and has taken 18 wickets.
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Catholic Bishops' body slams Bhagwat's remarks
New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India on Thursday slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his reported remark that Pranab Mukherjee, when he was President, had said tribals would turn "anti-national" if there is no "ghar wapsi"Catholic Bishops.'
In a statement issued here, CBCI, a body of Catholic Bishops, referred to reports which said Bhagwat, at an event on Monday, claimed that Mukherjee, while he was President had appreciated ghar wapsi and told him that had it not been for the Sangh's work on reconversion, a section of Adivasis would have turned "anti-national".The CBCI called the report "shocking".
"Fabricated personal conversation being attributed to a former president of India and its posthumous publication with the vested interest of an organization with questionable credibility raises a grave issue of national importance," the CBCI claimed.
"Is it not the violent ghar wapsi program of VHP and other similar organizations, curtailing the exercise of freedom of conscience of economically deprived tribals, the real anti-national activity?" it asked.
'Ghar wapsi' is a term used by the RSS and affiliated organisations to refer to reconversion of Muslims and Christians to Hinduism, based on the belief that they were originally Hindus before converting to other religions.
The CBCI also questioned why Bhagwat did not speak about it while Mukherjee was alive.
"We, the 2.3 percent of Indian citizens who are Christians feel extremely hurt by such manipulated and motivated propaganda unleashed," it said.
In a post on X following the statement issued by CBCI, Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said, "Speak up. This is a start!"
"Bishops body have issued a statement condemning remarks made by Dr Mohan Bhagwat and RSS for defaming the Christian community," he said.
O'Brien added that they should ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi more questions, including why Christmas Day has been turned into "Good Governance Day".
The TMC leader, in a blogpost earlier this month, had said "hard questions" must be asked to the government with regards to the Christian community, including why the FCRA has been 'weaponised', and why has Manipur been 'ignored'.
