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Sir Clive Lloyd on the 1983 World Cup (PC-X) For Sir Clive Lloyd, 25 June 1983 remains a melancholic memory that he has relived many times since. While the wound has healed with time, the scar remains. The first time I discussed the 1983 World Cup at length with Sir Clive was in Oxford in 2009, during the ICC Centenary Conference, which I had the pleasure of organising. Lloyd had come for two days and stayed in the St John’s College alumni guest accommodation, in the very next room to mine. On each of those days, we ended up chatting until 2 or 3 am. Lloyd, in a good mood, is one of the finest storytellers of the modern game. A true great, he has seen cricket transform into a commercially successful spectacle and has presided over that evolution. Chasing a record third consecutive World Cup title as captain, Lloyd was emphatic in declaring there was no question of complacency. The West Indies had lost to India in the opening round of the tournament and knew what Kapil Dev and his me...

Images :X Trisha Ghosal, Manchester The Women’s T20I World Cup is on, India have a crucial Group A clash against Bangladesh later in the day, and Boria, Snehasis and this writer have spent the better part of the week doing what tournament reporting demands, living at grounds, chasing copy, attending press conferences, watching training and trying to remember what life outside the World Cup bubble looks like. Somewhere in the middle of all that, there has also been the FIFA World Cup. Or at least the attempt to keep up with it. The intention has been there. The execution, not always. Covering one World Cup while trying to follow another is a risky business. You begin the day thinking you will catch the football later in the evening, and before you know it, you are filing copy, watching another optional training drill, speaking to support staff and wondering how on earth Cristiano Ronaldo has apparently already done something worth discussing again. Which is why it was only fair of ...

  India women (PC: BCCI Women) Boria Majumdar, Manchester India versus Bangladesh could well turn into a one-sided affair. India, on paper, are the stronger side and will need a convincing win to ensure their net run rate stays comfortably ahead of South Africa. The immediate task is to put the Australia game aside and concentrate fully on Bangladesh. One step at a time, as they say. There were several areas of concern in the South Africa match, and each of them needs to be ironed out at Old Trafford later today. It was encouraging to see the Indians practising slower balls and yorkers in two intense training sessions leading up to the game. However, the obvious question is: why now and not earlier? As highlighted in the South Africa post-match analysis, there was a glaring lack of yorkers against the Proteas. Bouncers, too, were largely absent. Interestingly, both were on display in training over the past two days. While better late than never, it does raise questions about wh...

Left: Mr. Clive Lloyd with Mr. Boria Majumdar ( PC- RevSportz), Right: Test Twenty logo ( PC- official instagram handle) Meeting Sir Clive Lloyd has always been an added incentive when covering cricket in the UK. Now that he is president of Lancashire, there is an added layer to these meetings. Having reached Manchester on 18 June from Leeds, I called Sir Clive to check if he was around. Interestingly, he had arrived the same day, and we decided to catch up at the Hilton Garden Inn the following day after the Indian training session had finished. As I reached the lobby, I saw the familiar figure of Sir Clive posing for a few photographs with Indian fans who had come in from the US. We greeted each other with a hug, and the first thing Sir Clive asked me was whether I was still a teetotaller. He was having a drink, and I was perfectly happy with a Diet Coke. That is when we got to Test Twenty. Sir Clive is on the advisory board of Test Twenty and is very excited by the new idea. “It ...

  Images: X RevSportz Webdesk Lord’s Cricket Ground will host a special UNICEF matchday takeover on 24 June during England’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash against West Indies, as part of a global effort to raise funds and awareness for children around the world. The ‘Play for UNICEF’ activation has been organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC), UNICEF UK and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), with a fundraising target of £100,000. Fans at the ground as well as those watching the game globally will be encouraged to contribute to UNICEF’s work supporting children in vulnerable situations across the world. Actor and UNICEF UK supporter Nabhaan Rizwan will be part of the occasion and will walk out with the trophy alongside former England cricketer Isa Guha. “I’m excited to be at Lord’s on Wednesday, 24 June for the Play for UNICEF match day takeover,” said Rizwan. “As a huge cricket fan, I can’t wait to see England play West Indies for this ICC Women’s ...

India’s range-hitting session in Manchester (PC: RevSportz) Ahead of their crucial clash against Bangladesh in the ongoing ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, India’s players were put through an extended range-hitting session at Old Trafford on Tuesday. Under the close observation of head coach Amol Muzumdar, two throwdown specialists simultaneously fed balls to the batters, who were focused solely on playing big shots. India currently rank second in the tournament for sixes hit, with nine so far. However, only four players have contributed those maximums — three each from Richa Ghosh and Smriti Mandhana, two from Shafali Verma and one from Deepti Sharma. The session appeared to be aimed at sharpening the team’s power-hitting so that more players can contribute sixes going forward. During the drill, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, along with Shafali, Richa and Bharti Fulmali, showed their power and struck a few massive sixes. Meanwhile, Smriti, Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika Bhatia and Deepti we...