Cricket

Indian cricket team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's daughters, Akhira and Aadhya, showcased their impressive cricket knowledge ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. In a video shared by Ashwin on Instagram, the girls participated in a quiz where they answered questions about the tournament.They correctly identified the host countries (USA and West Indies), the city hosting the India vs Pakistan match (New York), and the captain of West Indies (Nicholas Pooran). However, they mistakenly stated that New York would host the India vs Pakistan game, which is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles.Meanwhile, the Indian cricket team has begun practicing in New York ahead of their warm-up match against Bangladesh on Saturday. They will face Ireland in their tournament opener on June 5, followed by the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan on June 9.The search for India's next head coach is underway, as Rahul Dravid's tenure will conclude after the T20 World Cup 2024. Reports suggest that the BCCI has approached potential candidates, with a focus on domestic coaches familiar with the Indian cricket scene.Gautam Gambhir has emerged as the frontrunner for the role, with Ashish Nehra and VVS Laxman also being considered. However, the BCCI is reportedly not in a rush to appoint a head coach.India's squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 includes:* Rohit Sharma (c)* Hardik Pandya* Yashasvi Jaiswal* Virat Kohli* Suryakumar Yadav* Rishabh Pant* Sanju Samson* Shivam Dube* Ravindra Jadeja* Axar Patel* Kuldeep Yadav* Yuzvendra Chahal* Arshdeep Singh* Jasprit Bumrah* Mohammed Siraj

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has identified former Australia and New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Luke Ronchi as its preferred candidate for the vacant head coach position. Extensive discussions have been held with the 42-year-old, who has also coached Pakistan Super League side Islamabad United.The PCB's search for a high-profile coach has been hampered by a lack of interest from potential candidates, many of whom are already committed to other leagues or have reservations about working in Pakistan. Ronchi, who retired from professional cricket in 2019, has since worked as a batting consultant and coach for the New Zealand team.Sources within the PCB indicate that a contract with Ronchi is expected to be finalized in the coming days, ahead of Pakistan's home T20 series against New Zealand in April. Ronchi has reportedly requested ironclad assurances that he will be given a sufficient time frame to work with the Pakistan team, regardless of the results.The PCB has faced criticism in the past for its handling of foreign and local coaches, which may have contributed to the reluctance of some candidates to accept the position. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi recently blamed the leakage of salary details and other aspects of a possible coaching contract with Shane Watson for the Australian's withdrawal from discussions.Despite the challenges, the PCB has begun its training camp at the Kakul army base in preparation for the T20 World Cup in June. Ronchi, who has the unique distinction of representing both Australia and New Zealand in international cricket, is seen as a potential solution to the PCB's coaching woes.