Sports Highlights

The following are the top stories at 21:15 hours: SPO-CRI-RAINA-PRASAD Raina didn't show form in domestic cricket for national comeback: MSK Prasad By Kushan Sarkar New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) The out of favour Suresh Raina might have felt hard done by the national selection committee but its former chairman MSK Prasad made it clear that it was poor form during the 2018-19 domestic season that became his undoing. SPO-AWARDS-MINISTRY Sports ministry invites nominations for national sports awards through e-mail New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) The Sports Ministry on Tuesday told aspirants for this year's national sports awards to e-mail their nominations in view of the lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic as it began the process for selecting the multiple honours, including the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.

SPO-CRI-SHASTRI India's team of 1985 could trouble Virat's side in limited overs: Shastri New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Ravi Shastri is convinced that the class of India's 1985 team, of which he was a vital cog, was such it could trouble even the current team led by Virat Kohli. SPO-IOA IOA seeks feedback from athletes, coaches on resumption of training New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Conceding that the risk of athletes losing motivation in the ongoing lockdown is real, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Tuesday sought the views of athletes, coaches and other stakeholders on how to restart the national camps.

SPO-CRI-STOKES-LOCKDOWN If cricket is played in empty stadiums, so be it: Ben Stokes London, May 5 (PTI) The element of competitiveness will not be lost even if action unfolds before empty stadiums, says world's premier all-rounder Ben Stokes who wouldn't mind international cricket becoming a 'TV only sport' till COVID-19 pandemic is under control. SPO-VIRUS-BUTTLER Cricket behind closed door will be strange but it's also game's purest form: Buttler London, May 5 (PTI) England batsman Jos Buttler says cricket's possible return behind closed doors in the post COVID-19 world will be "strange" but it will also take the game back to its "most purest form" when no one watched the players compete.

SPO-CRI-LABUSCHAGNE-SALIVA Players must be adaptable to new laws: Labuschagne on banning use of saliva in cricket Sydney, May 5 (PTI) Australian run-machine Marnus Labuschagne is willing to "sacrifice" the use of saliva to shine the ball in order to get back on the field in the post COVID-19 world as the batting all-rounder feels players must be able to adapt to new rules. SPO-CRI-WARNE Warne suggests using weighted balls to avoid saliva and tampering in post COVID-19 world Melbourne, May 5 (PTI) Australian spin legend Shane Warne has offered a unique answer to the question of how to swing the ball without using saliva or resorting to tampering in a post COVID-19 world -- make one side of it heavier to ensure that it doesn't need any shining.

SPO-BAD-SINDHU Former Indian players can double up as coaches to handle paucity of foreign coaches: PV Sindhu New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) World champion shuttler P V Sindhu believes foreign coaches would be difficult to hire in a post COVID-19 world, presenting former India internationals the opportunity to step forward and fill in the void. SPO-CRI-STOKES-HALFMARATHON Stokes to run half marathon to raise funds for health workers London, May 5 (PTI) England's World Cup-winning all-rounder Ben Stokes will run his maiden half marathon on Tuesday to raise funds for a charity and hospitals battling the COVID-19 pandemic.

SPO-VIRUS-ARCHERY-UNEMPLOYMENT World Archery puts all its 13 staff on 'temporary partial unemployment' Kolkata, May 5 (PTI) Hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, World Archery has placed all of its 13 staff at the Lausanne headquarters on 'temporary partial unemployment' scheme through which the Swiss government will pay the bulk of their wages. SPO-CRI-ECB English cricket could lose 380 million pounds if entire season is wiped out: ECB London, May 5 (PTI) English cricket could lose as much as 380 million pounds if the entire season is wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ECB chief executive Tom Harrison has claimed.

SPO-CRI-LD MORGAN England have to make do with limited chances to prepare for T20 World Cup: Morgan London, May 5 (PTI) England's white-ball captain Eoin Morgan says his team will have to make do with limited opportunities that come its way to prepare for this year's T20 World Cup after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a cricket shutdown in the country. SPO-CRI-HUNDRED-ECB ECB cancels contracts of players signed up for 'The Hundred' London, May 5 (PTI) The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has cancelled contracts of the players who were due to participate in the inaugural edition of 'The Hundred' which was pushed to next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SPO-CRI-AKHTAR-IND Akhtar keen on becoming India bowling coach; says can groom faster, more aggressive pacers New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar says he is interested in becoming India's bowling coach if there is an offer, asserting that he is capable of grooming "more aggressive, fast and talkative" pacers. SPO-LOCKDOWN-BAGAN-COACH Stranded for more than a month, Mohun Bagan, East Bengal coaches and players return home Kolkata, May 5 (PTI) Stranded for more than a month due to nationwide lockdown, the foreign players of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, along with their coaches, on Tuesday left for their homes following an arduous 29-hour bus ride from here.