Indian cricket Prithvi Shaw shared that he has become more determined to return to cricket amidst his doping ban for 4 months. 

At an early age of 20, the young cricketer has already become the captain of India national under-19 cricket team. He showcased his stellar abilities by scoring a century during his Test debut, that turned the cricket match odds into his team’s favour. 

He also plays as the batsman of the team with a right-handed batting and right-arm off break bowling style. 

Unfortunately, in 2019, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced Shaw’s suspension due to confirmed ingestion of terbutaline, a prohibited drug. BCCI mentioned that the ban took effect from July until November 2019.

Due to this setback on the young cricketer’s career, he stated, “It was a mistake. And the period away from cricket was a torture.”

“Doubts and questions arise, but I kept the faith and belief. I spent some time in London where I was working on my fitness, as I wasn’t allowed to bat anywhere. When the ban got over, and I returned to domestic cricket, I was hungrier than before,” he added in his Instagram live.

He also mentioned that when he tried to play cricket, he knew his skills were never rusty; that’s why he anticipated more for a comeback. “If anything, that time off made me a more determined person.” he declared.

Since many cricket matches have been cancelled due to the coronavirus circulating across the globe, Prithvi also shared that the lockdown will allow people to prioritize their mental health.

“A lot of us don't have the patience for things in life, so now is a great time to work on it. Everyone should find something to do that they like, and work towards perfecting that. That process in itself will help one grow calmer and become more patient,” he stated. 

He then mentioned that he has been helping his father at home during this lockdown, “I've also been helping my father in the kitchen. I can cook eggs quite well, and I'm trying to learn a few new things. I've been playing some PUBG too."

The cricketer has also shown perseverance in maintaining his endurance regardless of the situation, “I've been working out a bit indoors and shadow-practising to maintain my fitness levels.” 

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It’s always a sad day for any sports league when they lose one of their own. It’s no different for English cricket that is now mourning the death of an important figure in their circle. This will probably cause the thoughts about the coming back of cricket odds and matches to be set aside.

Lancashire Cricket Club confirmed that Lancashire chairman David Hodgkiss died at the age of 71 due to the Coronavirus. He is the first individual directly involved in the professional British sport to die after having tested positive for COVID-19. Hodgkiss also had underlying health issues even before his passing.

The club published the following statement on Monday morning:

‘Further to the announcement from his family, it is with great sadness that Lancashire Cricket announces the passing of its Chairman; David Hodgkiss, O.B.E.

David served the club with distinction over many years including holding the offices of Treasurer, Vice-Chairman and latterly Chairman.

He was much loved by everyone at Lancashire Cricket Club and respected throughout the cricketing world.

Our sincere condolences and thought and prayers are with his family. A further statement will be released in due course, but at this time we ask that everybody respects that family’s privacy.’

He had been on the board at Old Trafford since 1998 acting the roles of Treasurer and Vice-Chairman before succeeding Michael Cairns in April of 2017 as the Chairman. Hodgkiss was a central figure in the renovation of Old Trafford over the past decade. 

His regime was a period of refurbishment and includes the construction of The Point along with £9 million worth of public funding. Due to the success of his plans, The Old Trafford was awarded both prestigious India vs Pakistan World Cup fixture along with the first semi-final.

At the news of the beloved chairman’s passing, tributes started to flow for David Hodgkiss from the entire sports league. It was led by the managing director of England cricket and the former head coach of Lancashire, Ashley Giles. 

Giles went on his Twitter account to express his grief for the tragedy.

Players also expressed their condolences and shared their impression of the man in the micro-blogging site. 

‘Old Trafford won’t be the same without Hodgkiss,’ said Mike Atherton, the former England and Lancashire star.

Matt Parkinson also wrote how sad the news was and that Hodgkiss is ‘a great man who always had time for everyone and loved the [club]’ and that he will remember the man’s capping speech for a long time.

Alex Davies said this news wa awful and described Hodgkiss as a ‘Funny man who loved the [club]. Played a huge part in getting the club to where it is today’. 

Davies also shared that it was Hodgkiss that gave him his county cap and that he will forever be grateful to the man.

William Livingstone’s tweet declares that it was a piece of devastating news. He also expressed that Hodgkiss was a pleasure to be around.

Every tweet from each of the players expressed how Hodgkiss was a great man who had time for everyone. They also express how Hodgkiss was passionate about cricket and how he helped bring it to where it is today. 

The devastation of not being able to watch any match nor place wagers on crickets odds weighs nothing compared to the news that a great man is no longer on this Earth.

New Zealand is one of the countries home to many cricket enthusiasts. It’s no surprise that there are several huge stadiums in the country due to their love for the sport, perfect for cricket leagues and tournaments. 

Not only do the people support betting on the cricket match odds of the game but they also enjoy watching cricket live in a big stadium. Here are the best stadiums you can find in New Zealand: 

1. Basin Reserve

Basin Reserve is located in Wellington, New Zealand. It has a seating capacity of 11,600 and has already been used to host Test, first-class and One Day International (ODI) cricket matches. 

This stadium is also considered as the oldest cricket ground in the country. It is the only place that has a Historic Place status among other cricket stadiums. 

It is also considered as one of the best stadiums in the country because it has the best pitch, best atmosphere and best scoreboard. 

Batsmen love playing cricket in Basin Reserve as it gives them the opportunity to deliver valuable shots due to the built high standard pitch in the field. 

2. Hagley Oval

Following the Basin Reserve, Hagley Oval is known for being the best outfield cricket ground. It has a seating capacity of 18,000 and is located at Christchurch, New Zealand. It has already hosted several cricket matches including those of Test, ODI and T20. 

According to history, the first cricket match held in Hagley Oval took place in 1867 when New Zealand first-class cricket team Canterbury hosted Otago and they continued using the cricket grounds until 1920. 

Since the Hagley Oval offers lots of room spaces for children, families, older people and even university students, they claim it is ‘a ground for all generations’. 

3. Seddon Park 

Seddon Park is one of the favourite grounds for those who love to watch cricket live. The stadium is known for its nice atmosphere and the audience gets excited when the sun rises on the field because they believe it’s an indication of a good cricket match. 

The stadium is located at Hamilton, New Zealand. It has a seating capacity of 10,000 which makes it the fourth largest cricket ground in the country. Seddon Park is also used by the New Zealand national cricket team for cricket training. 

It hosted the first cricket match back in 1914 during an Australian tour with South Auckland XVIII cricket team participating in the match. Aside from cricket, it is also used for hockey, rugby union matches and rugby leagues.

4. Saxton Oval

Saxton Oval is located at Nelson, New Zealand. It has a seating capacity of 6,000 and has been long established since 2009. 

It first hosted a Twenty20 cricket match during 2009-2010 HRV CUP followed by three other T20 format competitions. 

The stadium hosted the 2015 Cricket World Cup and several ODI and T20 matches in the years of 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019. It also has facilities offered solely for athletics, field hockey, softball and association football. 

Some of the players who achieved centuries in Saxton Oval during ODI matches are New Zealanders Kane Williamson, Neil Broom, Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls, alongside Lendl Simmons from West Indies and Kyle Coetzer from Scotland who also made records in this cricket ground. 

5. Bay Oval 

Bay Oval is located in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga, New Zealand. It can accommodate 10,000 people inside the stadium and has been established since 2007 when the first recorded cricket match took place. 

This stadium was formerly the Blake Park which was established in 1950 and was reconstructed in 2005. During the early years, it was the venue for 24 cricket matches in limited-overs cricket formats. 

After its reconstruction, Bay Oval first hosted men’s and women’s international matches in 2014 and has continued to do so until today. 

Some of the cricketers who scored Test centuries in Bay Oval are BJ Watling and Mitchell Santner. 

Stay updated with the latest cricket news and cricket match odds in Betwala. Don’t forget to check out other best cricket stadiums in the world and other cricket interesting facts you need to know.

The Sri Lankan tour of England was already underway during the spread of panic across other countries on the pandemic. Although taking extreme precautions, the England National Cricket Team had already braved their travels and was already playing a 3-day practice match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI. 

After ECB announced the suspension of their Sri Lankan tour, the players had played for a brief minute. The suspension requested that all England players are to be sent home immediately. The officials called the game off. 

Soon enough, they abandoned the match at Colombo, resulting in a draw. 

Abandoned Matches

Typically, fulfilled cricket matches only end in a win, draw or a tie. The game can also be considered a ‘no result’ during limited overs. Abandoned matches are decided in a different way.

Like in this coronavirus scare, abandoned matches are decided when any condition prohibits players from playing on the field. An example of this is when rainy or stormy weather heightens the difficulty and danger of the game. This also happens when a match receives bad lighting from both the natural and artificial source. 

The first abandoned match recorded was of West Indies and England in 1998. The teams already played for 10 overs before the match was deemed unplayable. In 2009, a similar event on a newly built sandy outfield occurred. Players could not bowl or bat well in the risky area.  

Officials can announce that a game is officially abandoned. When the ball is bowled, abandoned matches, after a ruling in 2004, are set to have either a drawn or no result match. This is similar to the England vs Sri Lanka practice match that happened where the match was claimed as a draw. 

Abandoned matches can also be proclaimed during the first over of play where no cricketer has already started a run-up. These are then called matches which are 'abandoned without a ball being bowled'. These are matches that are not recorded in official stats records. 

For wagered outright and live cricket odds, even though the games are considered as drawn. The match results are often deemed void or valid if they are rescheduled 48 hours later.

Game Cancellations

Cricket matches are not easily cancelled. This is since events have to be rescheduled. A bigger factor is that international cricket games involve bodies of states, not just any simple organization.

In this case, the cricket boards between Sri Lanka and England had agreed that their games would be postponed indefinitely. However, the games that they are both eager to play will be rescheduled after all the issues subsided.

The game was called off for the health and mental focus of the athletes. Aside from being prone to the disease of both sides, the England Cricket Team, playing away from their home, wanted to go home to their families instead of being quarantined in Sri Lanka if matters became worse.

Joe Root of England said in an interview, ‘You think how things might have gone – being in isolation here, disconnected from the team, without the security we would usually have around us at the ground or the hotel. If one of the lads was to get it in these conditions, or a member of the public travelling, it could be quite a scary experience.’

The team went home after the announcement immediately. 

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