Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai)

INDIA’S MENON IS YOUNGEST UMPIRE IN ICC ELITE PANEL

- AGENCIES

DUBAI: India’s Nitin Menon on Monday became the youngest member of the Internatio­nal Cricket Council’s Elite Panel of Umpires, replacing England’s Nigel Llong for the upcoming 2020-21 season after an annual review. The 36-year-old, who has officiated in three Tests, 24 ODIS and 16 T20IS, is only the third from India to make it to the prestigiou­s group after former captain Srinivas Venkatragh­avan and Sundaram Ravi. Ravi was axed last year.

England’s Michael Gough, 40, was the youngest in the current panel before Menon’s elevation.

ROOT SET TO MISS FIRST TEST AGAINST WINDIES LONDON: England skipper Joe Root is set to miss the opening Test against West Indies next week to attend the birth of his second child. Star all-rounder Ben Stokes will lead the team for the first time in Root’s absence.

The first game of the three-test series begins at the Aegeas Bowl in Southampto­n from July 8 and Root’s wife is due around the same time. Root is also a doubtful starter for the second Test as the skipper will be required to undergo seven days of self-isolation before joining the team.

BOTHAM CLAIMS HE HAD CONTRACTED COVID-19 LONDON: Former England captain Ian Botham claimed he had contracted the deadly coronaviru­s at the start of the year which he thought to be was a ‘bad case of flu’. “I think the thing to remember is that six months ago no-one even knew what this was, hadn’t heard of it,” Botham said on the show Good Morning Britain as per thenorther­necho.co.uk.

“I’ve actually had it. I had it at the end of December, beginning of January, and I thought I had a bad case of flu.”

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India