Dev Chaudhary (Screengrabs)

NEW DELHI: The inclusion of little-known cricketer Dev Chaudhary by New Delhi Tigers has raised serious questions over the Delhi Premier League’s player-selection rules and put the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) under scrutiny.New Delhi Tigers are currently last among the eight teams, with just one win from 10 matches. Chaudhary played two games as an opener, scoring 0 off 2 balls against South Delhi Superstarz and 16 off 24 against West Delhi Lions.His second innings, in particular, drew attention because of his unusual batting stance and inability to hit a single powerful shot. He also played five dot balls to a spinner during the Powerplay, leaving players, coaches and officials questioning how he made the playing XI.

Rule under scrutiny

This season, the DPL allowed each franchise to select three players outside the auction, with the only requirement being that they had played at least five DDCA League matches.Several DDCA Apex Council members had opposed the rule, fearing it could allow undeserving players to enter the league through recommendations. Lawyer and Apex Council member Shyam Sharma said he had raised concerns about it before the rule was approved.“It has been an absolute shame. I was the first one who had raised my voice about this rule. They made a criteria that five DDCA League games would be enough to qualify for a place in DPL without auction.“Now I had asked on the forum, what if that guy hasn’t performed and picked. Dev Chaudhary has been exposed but there are many players like this who have come into the teams on recommendations,” Sharma told PTI.Sharma said he has again asked the Apex Council to reconsider the rule and make the necessary changes. DDCA secretary Ashok Sharma confirmed the rule would be examined.“The Rule will be reviewed once the tournament is over,” he added.

Questions over Chaudhary’s selection

Little is known about Chaudhary’s cricketing background, apart from his participation in Delhi U-19 trials. He played DDCA League matches for Sporting Club, which has also been associated with India pacer Prince Yadav.A club source claimed Chaudhary was recommended by former India U-19 and Delhi pacer Pradeep Sangwan and played only two matches before the club advised his father not to send him back.“He was recommended by former India U19 and Delhi pacer Pradeep Sangwan. He played two games and after that one of our senior club official called his father and told him that ‘Please don’t send your son as he isn’t good enough’.” The source added that the club was stunned to later see him playing in the DPL.New Delhi Tigers are coached by Dronacharya Award winner and Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma. Neither Sharma nor team owner Ajay Kumar responded to PTI’s calls and messages seeking clarification on Chaudhary’s selection.

Ramiz Raja Raises Alarm Over Pakistan Cricket (AP)

Pakistan’s struggles are beginning to show beyond the scorecard, with former captain Ramiz Raja warning that the team’s poor performances are costing them something even more valuable, the support of their fans.Pakistan were thrashed by England by an innings and 103 runs in the opening Test at Headingley, with their batting collapsing for 171 and 135. England’s bowlers, led by Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue, claimed eight wickets apiece as the hosts wrapped up the contest inside three days.

‘They’ve already lost a lot of fans’

Speaking on a cricket podcast with former England captains Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan, Ramiz said Pakistan’s repeated setbacks were contributing to a growing disconnect with supporters.“Social media is after them. They’ve already lost a lot of fans. So it’s become a norm when you lose a Test match, it’s become another loss and it means another lot of fans withdrawing from cricket,” Ramiz said.The former Pakistan skipper, who also served as PCB chairman, stressed that rebuilding and retaining the fan base should be a priority.“I think Pakistan needs to give supporters reasons to stay behind them. I have always believed that when you start losing fans and supporters, the first pillar probably has fallen. To become a great side you need to have fans behind you and it is vice-versa,” he added.Pakistan now have little time to regroup. The second Test begins at Lord’s on Thursday, with England holding a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Babar return offers Pakistan hope

The biggest positive heading into the second Test is the likely return of Babar Azam. The Pakistan captain missed the Headingley opener with a finger injury, but he has resumed full batting practice and faced both fast bowlers and spinners in the nets at Lord’s.For England, the challenge will be to maintain the intensity that produced such a dominant opening performance. Joe Root began his second stint as Test captain with an emphatic win, while the pace attack exposed Pakistan’s vulnerability against quality seam bowling.The Lord’s Test, starting on August 27, therefore presents Pakistan with an immediate chance to respond. A victory would level the series and restore some belief; another defeat would give England an unassailable 2-0 lead ahead of the final Test at Edgbaston from September 9.

Taiwo Awoniyi scored and provided an assist as Premier League new boys Coventry City survived a scare before beating Plymouth Argyle 4-2 in the second round of the EFL Cup at Home Park.

Coventry made a fast start, taking a 2-0 lead within the opening five minutes.

Awoniyi opened the scoring in the third minute after a clever flick-on from Caleb Yirenkyi. The Nigerian striker showed good composure before placing a low finish past Plymouth goalkeeper James Storer.

Just two minutes later, Awoniyi turned provider as Coventry doubled their lead. He sent Jack Rudoni through on goal and the midfielder calmly finished from the edge of the box.

Plymouth responded in the 21st minute when Danny Irow cut in from the left and fired a low shot into the far corner.

Coventry had chances to extend their lead before half-time, with Awoniyi heading wide from close range and Jake Bidwell also going close.

Plymouth came out strongly after the break and completed their comeback in the 54th minute.

Xavier Amaechi won possession from Coventry captain Liam Kitching before racing into the box and firing a powerful low shot past Daniel Bentley to make it 2-2.

However, Coventry regained control after the introduction of Ephron Mason-Clark in the second half.

Five minutes after coming on, Mason-Clark restored Coventry’s lead in the 67th minute, turning in Victor Torp’s powerful cross from close range.

Torp then added Coventry’s fourth goal from the penalty spot in the 78th minute after Brandon Thomas-Asante was fouled inside the box.

Thomas-Asante came close to adding a fifth in stoppage time but sent his volley over the bar.

The victory sees Coventry move into the next round of the EFL Cup, while Awoniyi enjoyed an impressive first start for the club, scoring once and setting up another goal.

India’s Manav Suthar celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Sri Lanka’s captain Dhananjay de Silva on the fourth day of the second Test cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (PTI Photo)

TimesofIndia.com in Colombo: Sonal Dinusha, dark clouds, rain and the close of play. There has been no deviation in the last three days, but Day 4 of the Test saw a finish earlier than what we saw in the previous two days. After a hard-fought day of Test cricket, both teams were off the field as relentless rain forced an early close. The equation: India need four wickets to close Sri Lanka’s innings and then chase it down to complete the clean sweep.The beauty of a day of Test cricket is its ability to dish out moments and periods that can swing the momentum either way, yet keep both parties interested. Day 4 followed that pattern and saw India toil hard, Sri Lanka put up a proper fight and then witnessed the visitors claw their way back with three quick wickets in the final session.India went through the motions in the first two sessions, failing to be as “brave” as bowling coach Morne Morkel had expected after enforcing the follow-on. They not only lacked innovation but were also unable to control the proceedings, allowing easy runs to the Lankan batters. The fields the spinners were bowling to, and the consistent protection offered for the reverse sweep, were baffling and spoke to a defensive mindset. As many as four fielders remained on the ropes, while those in the ring were positioned deep enough to be away from the batter’s uncomfortable eyeline.“I think that was what the discussion was all about between Gautam, the captain and all the spinners. We wanted to hold that position and that is why we had open fields,” spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule told the media after the end of day’s play.“The spinners were assigned different roles and they all played their part to perfection. The beauty of Test cricket is such that things can quickly change in sessions, so that is what we saw, where we picked wickets in the final session,” he explained further.The ordinary bowling didn’t help, as Manav Suthar, Ravindra Jadeja and Saransh Jain collectively lacked control and a plan for the fluent approach taken by Pasindu Sooriyabandara and Kamindu Mendis. The left-right pair was very busy, feasted on some ordinary bowling and kept the board ticking with open fields that offered comfortable singles.Pasindu, in particular, operated with a sense of fluent urgency, and neither he nor Mendis allowed Suthar to settle into a rhythm. Suthar, India’s most impressive bowler from the first Test, leaked runs at over six an over off his first eight overs, which definitely played a part in captain Shubman Gill resorting to defensive fields.“As I said, that was the plan. With regards to Manav Suthar, he is a quality bowler and experiences like these will only help him adapt and understand his game better,” said Bahutule.The fast bowlers also showed one-dimensional planning, as the short ball remained their only ploy. Prasidh Krishna operated with men in catching positions for mistimed hooks and pulls. While he did manage to pick up a wicket with the trap, the period lacked creativity and the bravado that was needed at the hour. India never looked like constructing a proper spell with sustained pressure from both ends. The only out-of-the-box thought came against Pasindu when Rishabh Pant moved up to the stumps to restrict the batter to the crease.Two men in catching positions on the leg side seemed a well-thought-out plan, and it planted seeds of doubt in the right-hander, who was playing only his third Test innings. The movement was restricted, fluency was halted, and Suthar capitalised on the batter’s itchiness when he pushed one way outside the off stump, catching the batter out of his crease. Pant completed the formalities and India collectively sighed in relief after dismissing the batter who had made them toil hard in both innings.It was Suthar’s second wicket in as many overs, and when Saransh Jain got Niroshan Dickwella early, it was up to the bowlers to wrap up the lower order in a hurry. Had the heavy rain not arrived early, Sri Lanka would have been in for a tough time because there was a rare period of 36 deliveries when not a single run was scored. After the hold, India managed to apply the choke, even if only briefly, setting up an exciting Day 5. For India, enforcing the follow-on was a no-brainer, and the entire group reached a collective agreement without debate.“We have been keeping an eye on the clouds since rain has been around from Galle. So we were ready to enforce the follow-on and so were the bowlers. To have the best shot,” said Bahutule.The clouds will continue to attract the attention they have had in the last few weeks, and India would hope the dark, grey formations remain away from the stadium, allowing them to bundle out Sri Lanka early and then chase whatever target is set for them. In Bahutule’s words, there is a familiar “thorn in the flesh”, Sonal, standing between them and 2-0.Brief ScoresIndia: 503 for 9 declaredSri Lanka: 290 & 229 for 6 (Pasindu Sooriyabandara 92, Kamindu Mendis 50; Manav Suthar 2/81, Prasidh Krishna 1/31)

In Monday’s edition of the Manchester is Red podcast, the Manchester Evening News’ United reporter Steven Railston gave his verdict on the deal United have struck for Baleba.

“Brighton, in the space of 12 months, have gone from wanting £115million potentially for Carlos Baleba to being happy to sell him in a £70million deal,” he said. “So United have saved £45million potentially there in the space of 12 months for a player who they have always liked. And that’s why they’ve reignited their interest here, they’ve crunched the numbers, they see a player that they like and they’re willing to overlook a disappointing 2025/26 season.”

Watch the full episode here:

The first official track run of the new Madring circuit is complete with FIA Formula 3 Championship cars in action across two days, that saw 19 red flag stoppages.

On preparedness side, the circuit seems all right after a two-day official running of F3 cars at the new Madring circuit. In the lead-up to the grand prix, the new home of F1 Spanish GP has been rumoured to be not ready on time for its debut on September 11-13.

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However, after filming run from Ferrari in July and first official test run of F3 cars in August, it seems it is ready to host the F1 grand prix in two weeks time. Of course, there will be smaller things around the paddock and circuit that will need addressing, like for any brand new facility.

One of the bigger headlines emerging from the two-day F3 test has been the number of red flags that were displayed. As per F3’s own live blog, there were nine red flags on Day 1 and 10 on Day 2, which was combination of car stoppages, crashes, spins and debris clearance.

Who and what happened with red flags

From the nine red flags on Day 1, six of them were for crashes/spins at different point. The drivers involved were Christian Ho (barrier contact), Fernando Barrichello (barrier contact at Turn 17), Jin Nakamura (barrier contact at Turn 17), Maciej Gladysz (barrier contact at Turn 5 & 6), Freddie Slater (wall contact at Turn 10) and an unnamed driver spin.

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There was another red flag for Bruno Del Pino stopping at Turn 12, while reasons for two other were not disclosed. As for Day 2, there were five red flags for crashes, with Michael Shin (wall contact at Turn 5) involved along with Hiyu Yamakoshi (barrier contact at Turn 11), Nicola Lacorte (wall contact at Turn 14), Kanato Le (barrier contact at Turn 7) and Barrichello (barrier contact at Turn 7).

There were three spins, with Barrichello (Turn 8) involved along with Mattia Colnaghi (Turn 7) and an unnamed driver, while there were two stoppages involving Fionn McLaughlin and Matteo De Palo. It brings the total to 19 across two days, as opposed to some reports noting all that in a day.

Drone footage by police and car noise at football training

As per Spanish reporter Carlos Miquel, the F3 drivers felt good vibes driving around Madring, which they termed it as fast and demanding. The local police shared a drone view of the F3 cars going around, while DAZN spotted an unusual problem faced by Real Madrid football team training nearby.

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As per the timesheet, the first day saw Audi F1 development driver Slater set the benchmark of 1m50.343s in his Trident machine. It was eventually beaten by Campos Racing’s Ugo Ugochukwu on Day 2, who set the best time of 1m49.034s – a good 1.309s quicker on a rubbered track.

What did Audi F1’s Freddie Slater think

Slater was impressed by the running on a bit ‘old-school’ type circuit, where a driver can enjoy pushing to the limit. “I think it was a really positive day,” he said to F3 website. “I think this track is incredible to drive, it’s a bit old-school, got some interesting corners and it’s got a lot of character to it.

“It’s probably one of the most enjoyable on a push lap on the calendar. I’m just enjoying it. I’m having fun. Today has been a really positive day. I’m just learning about the track and trying to adapt my driving style to it and also adapt the car a bit to it.

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“I’ve actually had a couple of experiences around street tracks, obviously, Macau, Monaco this year, and it’s about going out, being on the limit, but not being too over the limit that you end up risking crashing. I think that was very important this morning to build up to it, to get multiple laps under the belt so you actually could work out what was going on.

“I think it’s been a positive way of building up to it. But I love the whole thing. I think it’s incredible. I think it’s one of the best tracks I’ve driven. Like all the best tracks, like your Macau’s, your Monaco’s, the tracks that have got character, and I think that’s what’s the most special thing that they’ve done here. I can’t name a favourite part, but I do like the Turn 5 and 6 chicane,” summed up Slater.

Ravindra Jadeja in action during 2nd Test against Sri Lanka© Getty Images

The UK is set to gain a world-class health, fitness and sports destination with the regeneration of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, which will see the restoration of its landmark aquatics facilities, the creation of a raft of new indoor and outdoor sports facilities and an extensive gym.

The £130 million (US$173.5 million, €149.8 million) redevelopment has been approved by the London Borough of Bromley, subject to completion of a Section 106 agreement, with work expected to start later this year on the 15-hectare site and the main sports centre reopening targeted for 2028.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is behind the project, while Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is continuing to seek partners and funders to deliver the longer-term redevelopment of the athletics stadium.

John Powell MBE, chair of the Crystal Palace Sports Partnership, said: “After over 12 years of campaigning this is a massive moment for London as one of its most iconic sporting venues can at last rise from the ashes.

“We’re indebted to the dozens of partners, not least the GLA and the Mayor of London who have worked tirelessly with us for over a decade to guarantee the future for a huge sporting asset not only for the local community but the wider sporting fraternity.

“The work doesn’t stop here though – with planning permission in place we now need to secure willing partners and stakeholders to help with funding and renovating the athletics stadium and complete the return of world class sporting facilities in South London.”

The scheme includes the return of the 50m swimming and diving pools, which have been closed since 2020. The reconfigured aquatics hall will provide shallow-water, 25m and 50m swimming and diving on one level for the first time.

The wider indoor sports offering will include an enlarged gym, indoor 100m track, specialist weightlifting facility and climbing centre, as well as dedicated spaces for sports clubs.

Outside, the plans include a six-court padel centre, 3×3 basketball courts, five-a-side football pitches and a full-size artificial multi-sports pitch.

A new community sports and leisure space will include a café, 200m running track, 3×3 basketball court and outdoor gym, with these facilities free to access.

The athletics stadium is also earmarked for major redevelopment, with existing stands renovated and a new North Stand completing the bowl to increase capacity to around 25,000.

However, this element is dependent on further investment, with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan continuing to seek partners and funders to bring forward the stadium redevelopment.

The ambition is to restore Crystal Palace as a major athletics venue capable of hosting national and international competition. The stadium element has previously been targeted for opening around 2030.

Accessibility improvements will include accessible stadium seating for the first time and a new step-free route between the Penge and Crystal Palace sides of the park.

Khan said: “This historic and much-loved national sports facility has created so many UK sporting stars, but it needs major investment and refurbishment and I am committed to delivering this.

“We now look forward to starting the next phase of work alongside partners and the local community to create an outstanding sporting venue.”

Sustainability is also a major component of the project, with the design targeting a 98 per cent reduction in carbon emissions. Photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps will help make the centre all-electric, while a new glazed screen between wet and dry areas will address longstanding problems with humidity from the pool.

The Mayor provided a £23 million (US$30.7 million, €26.5 million) boost from his Green Finance Fund in 2024 to support the decarbonisation work.

Morgan Sindall Construction has been appointed by the GLA to deliver the project, working with a team including FaulknerBrowns on the leisure centre refurbishment, WOO Architects on the sports masterplan, Max Fordham on sustainability and Alan Baxter Associates on conservation of the historic structure.

BACKGROUND: Crystal Palace – the architecture

Architecturally, the project will involve a sensitive reworking of one of Britain’s most important post-war sports buildings.

Designed in 1953–54 by the London County Council Architects’ Department under Leslie Martin, with Norman Engleback playing a leading role, the centre was the first indoor multi-functional sports hall of its kind designed in Britain.

The spectacular Grade II* listed building is constructed around an exposed reinforced-concrete A-frame, with the aquatics hall on one side and dry sports facilities on the other, linked visually across a central circulation and spectator spine. Extensive glazing, dramatic concrete structures and an oversailing roof lined with teak create the vast, light-filled interior for which the building is known.

However, one of the qualities that made the design so radical – bringing wet and dry sports together within one open volume – also created environmental problems. The original design provided no separation between the humid pool hall and the dry sports areas, contributing to longstanding issues with humidity and thermal comfort.

FaulknerBrowns’ refurbishment will address this by introducing a glazed screen along the line of the existing concrete A-frames, environmentally separating the wet and dry sides of the building for the first time while retaining views through the interior.

A new displacement ventilation system will also reverse the existing ventilation strategy, while upgrades to the heritage façades will improve thermal performance.

Historic England has backed the approach, saying it will improve environmental conditions without compromising the sense of a large, naturally lit, open-plan interior that is fundamental to the building.

Crystal Palace is also a physical expression of Britain’s post-war ambitions for sport. Conceived in the 1950s, it was unusual in deliberately bringing elite international athletes and ordinary local users together within the same complex – a breadth of social and sporting vision that Historic England now identifies as part of the significance of its Grade II* listing.

Its architecture embodied that confidence and ambition. The 50m competition pool and athletics facilities were joined by a spectacular sculptural reinforced-concrete diving platform, now considered a rare surviving example of its type. Together, these facilities represented a new level of investment in the infrastructure needed both to develop sporting talent and to enable the wider population to participate.

In many ways, Crystal Palace can be seen as part of the foundations on which Britain’s modern sporting culture was subsequently built – a national centre for high-performance sport that was simultaneously a place where generations of Londoners could swim, train, compete and discover sport for themselves.

Josh Tongue has revealed that direct-speaking England captain Joe Root left the squad under no illusions regarding expected behavioural standards as they attempt to clean up their public image.

Root was clearly annoyed on Tuesday while responding to the latest off-field controversy surrounding the squad, describing himself as “hacked off” following an incident where fast bowler Brydon Carse was briefly arrested outside a venue in Derby on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

Carse was dropped from the squad pending an inquiry by the Cricket Regulator, leading Root to hold a ‘robust’ team discussion prior to Thursday’s second Rothesay Test against Pakistan, setting out his expectations just a fortnight after making his return as skipper.

Tongue insists that the message was received loud and clear following ten months regularly disrupted by unwelcome stories concerning team discipline off the pitch.

“We had a chat before training yesterday as Joe said. It was a very good conversation and he made it clear what he expects from us,” he said.

“He’s been around the England dressing room for plenty of years now, he knows what it takes to be the top professional and I think we’ve just got to do the best we can moving forward.

“I think we’ve just got to make sure we’re as professional as we can be. Obviously things have happened and we need to try and move on from them to show all the youngsters growing up wanting to play for England that it’s an amazing place to be.

“Playing for England is obviously a privilege. We want to give the next generation the best place that they can be really.”

Tongue is one of eight centrally contracted players who have been present during or involved with late-night incidents in recent times.

He was present with white-ball captain Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell in Wellington when the former was hit by a bouncer the day before an ODI, though the Cricket Regulator ultimately cleared Tongue of any wrongdoing because he was not in the matchday squad.

In the time since, the 28-year-old fast bowler has become one of England’s most reliable figures, offering a bright spark in a difficult Ashes campaign and cementing his place across all three formats during the current summer.

“I just tried to move on from that (Wellington) situation really and focus on the cricket. It’s an absolute privilege to play for England, especially walking out and thousands of people watching you,” he said.

“Things have been happening off the field but I’ve been personally trying to sort of forget about it and try and play as best cricket as I can for England and try to put England in best positions to win games of cricket. That’s why we’re here and that’s what we want to do for the fans.”

England have failed to secure a multi-match Test series victory since visiting New Zealand in December 2024, drawing at home against India before enduring a 4-1 loss in Australia and a defeat to the Kiwis that ended the Bazball era led by Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

Consequently, Tongue is still waiting for a first series success, despite a personal record showing 65 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 27.38. The upcoming five days at Lord’s represent a major opportunity to put that right against a visiting side dominated in every area at Headingley last week.

“Yeah, it’d be amazing to win a series,” said Tongue.

“Obviously it would be my first one in the red ball stuff. We’ve just got to focus, make sure we play our best cricket just be nice and relaxed out there and hopefully we get over the line.”

File photo of Will Pucovski© AFP