Beyond the Cricket Game

Mitchell Johnson criticized Steve Smith's appointment as captain for the Australia-Sri Lanka Test series, calling it a backward step. Johnson argued that appointing the 35-year-old Smith, following his ball-tampering ban, missed an opportunity for long-term leadership. Smith, who captained Australia previously, is leading the series after Pat Cummins took paternity leave. The two-match series begins on January 29.

Kapil Dev recently responded bluntly to Yograj Singh's shocking claim about threatening him with a pistol. Yograj accused Kapil of ruining his career and recounted an incident where he allegedly went to Kapil's house with a gun. When asked about this, Kapil Dev maintained an indifferent stance, dismissing the comments with a cold reply.

Ravichandran Ashwin believes Rishabh Pant has yet to unlock his full potential in Test cricket. Despite Pant's aggressive style, which has yielded 2,948 runs at an average of 42.11, Ashwin praised his defense, calling it one of the best in world cricket. He emphasized that Pant needs to balance his attacking shots with solid defense to consistently score big, potentially averaging 100 runs per game.

Former cricketer Robin Uthappa criticized Virat Kohli for Yuvraj Singh's exclusion from Team India. Uthappa claimed Yuvraj, who overcame cancer and contributed to India's 2007 and 2011 World Cup wins, was denied flexibility in fitness standards under Kohli. He alleged his rigid approach sidelined Yuvraj despite his achievements, sparking debates over fairness and inclusivity in team management.