TAYLOR CASTS DOUBTS OVER T20 WORLD CUP

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor does not foresee the T20 World Cup scheduled in October-november going ahead, and wants the ICC to take a decision during its Board meeting this week.

“My feeling is the World T20 won’t go ahead in Australia in October as planned. Is it going to be viable to have a world tournament in October or November? The answer to that is probably no,” Taylor was quoted as saying by Nine Network.

“It would probably be good (if a decision is made this week). Because then everyone can start planning and we can stop sitting here and saying ‘well ifs, buts or maybes’. The Cricket Australia board will want to keep India happy. So they may want to let the players go to India if the IPL goes ahead,” Taylor said.

‘HAVE TO CLEAR FITNESS TEST BEFORE TRAINING’

limited-overs vice captain Rohit Sharma says he has fully recovered from the calf injury that forced him to leave the tour of New Zealand midway earlier this year but the fitness test has been continuously delayed due to Covid-19 lockdown.

“Before the lockdown happened, I was almost ready to play. That whole week was going to be my fitness test but that’s when the lockdown happened and I had to push back everything now,” Rohit told Laliga’s Facebook live session on Saturday.

“Once everything opens up, I have to first go to the centre (NCA) and give my fitness test and once I pass the fitness test, I will be allowed to go and resume my duties with the team,” he said.

EX-PAK PLAYER UMAR TESTS COVID-19 POSITIVE

Former Pakistan opener Taufeeq Umar, who is also a member of the junior selection committee, has tested positive for Covid-19 but his symptoms are not severe.

The 38-year-old is first international-level Pakistan cricketer to be infected with the coronavirus though the country lost former first-class cricketer Zafar Sarfraz to the disease on April 13.