“India is not my favourite opponent”- Travis Head on making India cry in ICC events
Travis Head has an excellent record against India so far. Travis Head (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL) Travis Head’s brilliant performance against India has become a defining feature of his career. Be it the ODI World Cup or the T20 World Cup, Head has consistently batted explosively, which has put a lot of pressure on the Indian bowlers.During the 2023 ODI World Cup, Head played a vital role in Australia’s title-winning campaign. In a crucial final against India in that ODI World Cup, he smashed a brilliant 137 off 120 balls with 15 fours and four sixes to snatch victory from India. He played a key role with the bat as Australia chased down India’s target of 240 at a packed Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Head also played an innings of 76 runs off 43 balls against India in the T20 World Cup 2024, but this time Team India was successful in defeating the Kangaroos. Before that, Head had played a brilliant innings of 163 runs against India in the final of the World Test Championship, but India had to face defeat there too. I don’t think they’re my favorites – Travis Head statement Travis Head recently told Star Sports that, “I don’t think they are my favourites. I think we play them a lot, play them a lot and I think I have been in good form for the last few years. So yes, it always feels good to play well. I think it is not difficult to prepare for the competition. It is very competitive. Yes, it’s easy to get ready for the games. So I wouldn’t say they are my favourites. They are extremely difficult, but it was nice to play well in a few games and I’m looking forward to preparing well and getting ready to play and hopefully contribute to a successful summer for us.”
WTC Final has quickly become one of the most awaited events on the cricket calendar: ICC chief Geoff Allardice
The final match of WTC Final 2025 will be played between June 11 to 15, 2025. Geoff Allardice (Image Credit- Twitter X) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has recently announced that the final match of the ICC World Test Championship 2025 will be played between 11 and 15 June 2025. The final will be played between the top two teams in the ongoing WTC season at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, known as the Mecca of cricket. So this time cricket fans are eagerly waiting for the match to be held at Lord’s Cricket Ground. This Ultimate Test is the culmination of two years of intense competition in the ICC World Test Championship, in which 69 Test matches are to be played during 27 Test series to decide the finalists. On the other hand, in the points table of the ongoing World Test Championship, the Indian cricket team is currently at the first position in terms of point percentage. Australia is at the second position, New Zealand at the third position, England at the fourth position and then teams like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa. Meanwhile, a big statement has come from the Chief of International Cricket Council Geoff Allardice regarding the WTC Final of the ongoing season. Geoff Allardice made a big statement Let us tell you that recently ICC Chief Geoff Allardice said about the WTC Final – The ICC World Test Championship Final (WTC Final) has quickly become one of the most awaited events in the cricket calendar. And we are very happy to announce the dates for the 2025 final. It’s a testament to the enduring appeal of Test cricket, which continues to attract fans from all over the world. There will be huge demand for tickets so I would encourage fans to register their interest to ensure they get the chance to be part of the Ultimate Test Match Final next year.
India-Pakistan matches are fixed, major allegations of fixing on ICC events schedule
Lloyd expressed his strong opposition to the practice of continually grouping India and Pakistan together at major events merely for the sake of show. India vs Pakistan (Image Credit- Twitter X) The bilateral cricket series between India and Pakistan has stopped since 2012-13. Due to political differences between India and Pakistan, both countries no longer play bilateral series. For the last 10 years, both teams have faced each other only in ICC events. In the ODI World Cup 2023, Pakistan came to India to participate in the tournament. But let us tell you that India never goes to Pakistan and their tournaments are played at neutral venues. The Champions Trophy will be played in the year 2025 which is to be hosted by Pakistan, but BCCI has proposed a neutral venue. But have you ever wondered why India and Pakistan remain in the same group in every ICC event. It is a matter of thought, let us tell you that there is a pattern behind this which has been cracked by former English cricketer and famous commentator David Lloyd. Are India vs Pakistan matches and full fixtures fixed? Lloyd expressed his strong opposition to the practice of continually grouping India and Pakistan together at major events simply for the sake of show. Along with this he has said that fixing is done in the fixtures. He also said that all the matches of India are scheduled during prime-time so that Indian fans can watch the matches comfortably. India has not played a single night match. Which he considers unfair to other teams. Along with this, he has said that some teams are being given 2-3 days time between matches while some teams are not able to rest properly even for 1 day. What he means to say is that ICC is deliberately making such schedules which are dangerous for cricket. Lloyd told talkSPORT. “You just talked about the freedom of fixtures. We talk a lot about fixing in cricket. But fixing does happen. Don’t just watch the match, manipulating the schedule to suit your own convenience is also a form of fixing.” “Fans are eager to watch a match between the two countries so we will make the fixtures accordingly, doing this is nothing but fixing. In this particular World Cup, you are just trying to manipulate. This is absolutely wrong.”