England cricket has suffered a big blow. Former English cricketer and former CEO of England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Hugh Morris passed away at the age of 62. He was fighting intestinal cancer for the last few years. His death was confirmed by Wales’ county team Glamorgan by issuing an official statement. Maurice was not only a successful batsman, but his contribution to cricket administration was also memorable.

Made debut at a young age

Hugh Morris was born in Cardiff in 1963. He started playing for Glamorgan at the age of just 17 and continued playing for the same team for the next 17 seasons. As an opening batsman, Maurice was known for his technique, patience and consistency. In 1997, he played an important role in Glamorgan winning the County Championship and in the same year announced his retirement from cricket.

more than 25 thousand runs

Hugh Morris had a brilliant domestic cricket career. He scored 19,785 runs in first-class cricket, which included 53 centuries and 98 half-centuries. During this period his average was more than 40, which reflects his class. In List-A cricket, he scored 8,606 runs and scored 14 centuries. Overall, he has more than 25 thousand runs in his name. However, he got a chance to play only three Tests for England and could not get a place in the ODI team.

Teammate of Viv Richards and Ravi Shastri

Hugh Morris played cricket with many greats. Ravi Shastri was also a part of the team during his captaincy in Glamorgan. On the death of Maurice, Ravi Shastri wrote an emotional message on social media and described him as an honest player and a wonderful person. Before this, great players like Viv Richards have also played for Glamorgan, which makes the history of this team even more special.

Also played a big role in cricket administration

After retirement, Hugh Morris entered cricket administration. From 2007 to 2013, he worked as the Managing Director of the England team. During his tenure, England won three Ashes series and won the 2010 T20 World Cup. After this he held many important responsibilities including CEO in ECB. In 2013, he became the CEO of Glamorgan and played a big role in getting the team out of the financial crisis.

Dan Cherry, current CEO of Glamorgan, described Hugh Morris as a great player, hard-working administrator and extremely honest person. His contribution to the cricket world will be remembered for a long time.

In the first three matches of the ongoing 5-match Ashes series between England and Australia, the English team lost the series 3-0. Now the demand for change in the leadership of the team has intensified. Former English spinner Monty Panesar has said that the team needs a new thinking. He has suggested former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri as a possible successor to Brendon McCullum and Panesar said that Ravi Shastri knows how to win series in Australia.

Demand raised to make Ravi Shastri the coach

England Lost The Ashes 2025-26: Former England spinner Monty Panesar has talked about Ravi Shastri becoming the new head coach of England. He emphasized on Shastri’s proven track record against Australia and said that Shastri has the necessary tactical knowledge to win a high-pressure series in Australia.

Panesar said, ‘You have to think who knows the right way to defeat Australia? How will you take advantage of Australia’s mental, physical and strategic weaknesses? I think Ravi Shastri should become the next head coach of England. McCullum’s ‘baseball’ tactics, which had won praise for his attacking style, have come under intense scrutiny following England’s poor results both at home and away. Since the beginning of the year 2024, the English team has won 12 tests but also lost 13. This has raised concerns over the sustainability of McCullum’s methods and how effective this method is against top teams like Australia.

Ravi Shastri has won two series in Australia

Under the guidance of Ravi Shastri, India has won two test series in Australia. He won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2018-19 and 2020-21. Both times the scoreline of the series was 2-1. This remarkable success in Australia has led some former English players, including Panesar, to view Shastri as a coach who can exploit the weaknesses of the Australian team.

Will McCullum leave the post of head coach?

Meanwhile, amid the ongoing speculation, Brendon McCullum himself has expressed uncertainty about his future as the head coach of England. When asked about continuing his role for the English summer of 2026, McCullum said that the matter is not really in his hands. McCullum told the press, ‘I don’t know. It’s not really up to me, I’ll just keep trying to do my job, try to learn from the things we didn’t do well here and try to make some improvements. These questions are not for me, but for someone else.

Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is surrounded by criticism these days. After becoming the coach in July last year, while he led the team to win the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup, India’s performance in Test cricket has been continuously declining. Recently, the 2-0 clean sweep defeat against South Africa brought Gambhir into the center of questions. Earlier, New Zealand had also defeated India 3-0. In the history of Indian cricket, there have been clean sweeps in home Test series only three times and two of these were during Gambhir’s tenure.

But is Gambhir really the only one responsible for this defeat? Former Indian coach and veteran all-rounder Ravi Shastri completely disagrees with this thinking.

Ravi Shastri bluntly

During a conversation on Prabhat Khabar’s YouTube podcast, Shastri clearly said that the responsibility of defeat does not lie only with the coach. The entire team management and the players playing on the field have equal responsibility. Shastri said, “When the team loses, the players should also take responsibility. It is wrong to target just one person. This has happened to me too, so I am speaking from experience. Players should also feel hurt after the defeat.”

He said that unless the players realize that they have shown a disappointing performance, improvement is not possible.

Gambhir responsible for India’s test defeat?

Shastri further said, “It is a collective responsibility. You cannot hold any one person responsible. South Africa played as a team, no one player defeated India. Where were we able to play?”

Shastri’s statement has given a new twist to the debate whether Gambhir is being blamed excessively. Whereas the real problem lies in team combination, poor form and collective lack of decision making.

India’s home test performance

India’s first home Test clean sweep: 1999-2000, against South Africa

Second and third clean sweep: 2024-25, against New Zealand and South Africa

Should Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma remain in the Indian team till 2027 ODI World Cup or not? Many questions are being raised on this topic. Former head coach of Team India, Ravi Shastri has taken a direct dig at the people who are questioning the place of Kohli and Rohit in the team. Shastri says that it is not right to mess with players of Virat and Rohit’s stature.

According to Prabhat Khabar, Ravi Shastri said, “Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are great players of ODI cricket. You should not mess with players of this stature.”

Because of what the questions are arising?

When Ravi Shastri was asked who was the reason for the questions being raised on the future of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. On this, without taking anyone’s name, he said, “Some people are doing this. This is all I want to say. If these two persist, keep doing everything in the right way, then whoever is messing with them will disappear from here very soon.”

He further said, “Don’t have fun with such players, friend. Those who do are doing it. If they get their mind right and press the right button, then everything will go away.”

Meanwhile, reports have come out that the management wants Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to play in Indian domestic cricket also. According to media reports, Virat and Rohit have agreed to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Virat-Rohit in great form

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are in excellent form. On one hand, Virat Kohli has scored centuries in both the matches of the ODI series against South Africa. He scored 135 runs in the first match and 102 runs in the second match. Whereas Rohit Sharma is coming after scoring a half-century in the first ODI against South Africa and before that a century in the series against Australia.

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The ever-increasing pressure on Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir is not hidden from anyone. After the 0-2 home Test series defeat against South Africa, a flurry of questions have been raised on Gambhir’s coaching. Gambhir has become the first coach in Indian cricket history to suffer two consecutive home Test series whitewashes, which has intensified discussions on his strategy and team management.

Ravi Shastri’s strict warning

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri, during an interview with Prabhat Khabar, warned Gambhir in clear words and said that in this situation, it is better to maintain patience and restraint rather than panic. Shastri clearly said that if the performance is not good, he can be removed as a coach. Gambhir should handle this challenge wisely.

Giving advice, Shastri said, “If your results are not good, you can also be removed. So be patient. At this time, communication and man-management are your biggest weapons. Only then will you be able to motivate the players to win.” He also added that coaches should enjoy their work instead of feeling pressure.

How has been Gambhir’s tenure so far?

During Gambhir’s one and a half year tenure, Team India won two major titles,

icc champions trophy 2025

asia cup 2025

India did not lose a single match in both the tournaments.

The team’s declining form in Test cricket has surprised everyone. India under Gambhir’s coaching…

-Whitewash from New Zealand at home

-Homemade whitewash from South Africa

-And has suffered defeat against Australia on foreign tour.

Question on ‘tuning’ with senior players

There is a constant discussion in media reports that Gambhir’s relationship with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is not as smooth as before. Although no official statement has come from the Indian team on this, but this matter is gaining a lot of headlines on social media.

Next big challenge: T20 World Cup 2026

Now Gambhir’s most important test will be in the T20 World Cup 2026 to be held in India next year. India is considered a strong contender for the title in domestic conditions. In such a situation, the responsibility of giving the team a strong combination, better coordination and winning mentality will be on Gambhir.

Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is under tremendous pressure due to continuous failures in Test cricket. Defeat against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, draw with England and win only against West Indies, this whole sequence has raised many questions on his coaching tenure. Now former Indian coach Ravi Shastri has also openly given his opinion on the same issue and his comment has further heated up the atmosphere.

Ravi Shastri broke his silence

In a podcast interview, when Shastri was asked a question on Gambhir’s performance, instead of giving any kind of defense, he said clearly, “I am not protecting him. 100 percent responsibility is also on the coach. If something like this had happened during my time, I would have taken responsibility first. After that, I would not have left the players in the team meeting either.”

His statement is important because the performance of the batsmen has emerged as the biggest problem in India’s recent Test defeat.

Shastri angry over test defeat against South Africa

Shastri also expressed his anger over India’s surprising batting in the Guwahati Test and made strong remarks. There too, India was suddenly reduced from 100/1 to 130/7, and this fall became the reason for losing the match. Shastri said, “This team is not so bad that such a decline happens suddenly. The players also have to understand their responsibilities. These are the same batsmen who have been playing spin since childhood, then why such a problem?”

His statement made it clear that the issue is not just about coaching, but also about the mentality and shot selection of the players.

BCCI suddenly called a meeting with Gambhir-Agarkar

Amidst Ravi Shastri’s statement, news came that BCCI has called an important meeting in which,

Head Coach Gautam Gambhir

Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar

Some big officials of BCCI

This meeting is considered very important due to the continuously falling performance of the Test team and questions being raised on some decisions of the team management.

It is mandatory to bowl 90 overs every day in a Test match. According to this rule, 180 overs should have been bowled by now in the second test match between India vs South Africa being played in Guwahati. But due to bad light, 157.2 overs have been bowled so far in two days. South Africa’s first innings ended at 489 runs. If the Indian team has to draw this series 1-1, then it will have to win the Guwahati Test at all costs. Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri has made a shocking prediction and said that India should declare its first innings at a score close to 400.

declare the innings before 100 runs

While commentating during the India vs South Africa second test match, Ravi Shastri said, “The Indian team will have to take a big decision tomorrow. After surviving the new ball, focus on increasing the scoreboard and force South Africa to win. You will have to take a difficult decision, even if you have to declare the innings without taking the lead.”

Ravi Shastri further said, “Try to contain them as soon as possible in the second innings, you have to take this risk. If you cross the score of 489 runs while waiting, it will take a lot of time. India may have to declare the innings 80, 90 or 100 runs behind.”

Will this strategy work?

The strategy given by Ravi Shastri may not be very effective, because if there are no cracks in the pitch on the third day, then the ball will not spin much on the fourth day. In such a situation, the South African team can take full advantage. It should also be kept in mind that the Indian team’s chasing record in the last few Test matches has not been good. In the last match, Team India could not achieve the target of 124 runs.

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Ravi Shastri had said something years ago, which is still visible in the form of a meme on social media. To boost the morale of Parthiv Patel during the 2018 South African tour, he had asked him to ‘discard Rabada’. During a show broadcast on Doordarshan, Parthiv Patel has narrated the entire story of that incident. That match played in Johannesburg was the last match of Parthiv Patel’s international career. Patel has retired from the game of cricket in 2020.

Discard Rabada…

In those days, Ravi Shastri used to be the coach of Team India. South Africa had won both the first test matches of the series. The third match was played in Johannesburg. Parthiv Patel told that coach Ravi Shastri had sent him to open in the second innings.

Parthiv Patel told, “Ravi Shastri sent me to open the second innings of the Johannesburg Test. Usually coaches give advice about the pitch or the playing conditions. But Ravi Shastri told me, ‘Discard Rabada.’ They think like this. Just imagine how much enthusiasm he would have instilled in the rest of the team and encouraged them.”

In the first innings of that match, Parthiv Patel was out after scoring only 2 runs while batting at number-6. In the second innings, Patel came to open with Murali Vijay. This time he was able to score 16 runs in 15 balls. The Indian team scored 247 runs in the second innings and due to lagging in the first innings, it gave a target of 241 runs to South Africa. In response, South African team’s second innings was reduced to only 177 runs and India won the match by 63 runs.

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Indian cricket team is going to get a new chief selector, very soon Ravi Shastri can be appointed as the new chief selector. We are not saying this, but social media is full of such claims. It is being said that very soon Ravi Shastri can replace Ajit Agarkar. Agarkar has been the chief selector of the Indian team since July 2023. But is Ravi Shastri really going to return to Team India after 4 years? Know here what is the truth of this viral claim.

Will Team India get a new chief selector?

It is being claimed on social media that Ravi Shastri is going to become the new Chief Selector of Team India in place of Ajit Agarkar. ABP Live investigated this viral post and found that this news is completely fake. Usually, BCCI issues a statement for appointment to such a vacant post, but no statement has been issued yet regarding the appointment to the post of Chief Selector.

Ravi Shastri himself has not given any statement in this regard nor has any statement from Ajit Agarkar come out on this. Ravi Shastri has been the head coach of Team India and stepped down from the post of coach after the 2021 T20 World Cup. But now the rumors of his returning to the post of Chief Selector in Team India after 4 years are completely false.

When will Ajit Agarkar’s tenure end?

Ajit Agarkar was made the chief selector of Team India in July, just a few months before the 2023 ODI World Cup. He recently told that being the Chief Selector is the most difficult job. Agarkar had said that India is filled with so much talent, it is very difficult to choose among them. His tenure has been extended till June 2026.

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are preparing for their comeback in ODI cricket. The Indian team has left for Australia, where a three-match ODI series (IND vs AUS ODI Series 2025) will be played from October 19. Before the start of the series, former Indian team coach Ravi Shastri has also given his opinion on the future of Kohli and Rohit and the plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. The ODI series between India and Australia is to be played from 19-25 October.

He himself retired

Talking to Fox Sports, Ravi Shastri said on the Test retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, “Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma also retired from Test cricket. No one forced them to take retirement, they took retirement on their own. I think the same will happen here too. If they are not able to enjoy the game, or their form is not good, then they can announce their retirement anytime.”

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were last seen representing the Indian team in the Champions Trophy 2025. Virat was the second highest run scorer for India in that tournament, with 218 runs scored with his bat. Whereas Rohit Sharma batted in a flamboyant manner throughout the tournament and scored a total of 188 runs.

How long will we be able to play international cricket?

Ravi Shastri also talked about how long Kohli and Rohit will be able to play international cricket. He said, “Virat is a chase master, Rohit bats explosively while opening. It depends on how much hunger you have, how fit you are, whether that passion is still there in you.”

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