Sports Highlights

The following are the top/expected stories at 2105 hours: EXPECTED STORIES: *Report of Indian Super League match between NorthEast United and Kerala Blasters in Vasco.

STORIES ON WIRE: SPO-CRI-ENG-SILVERWOOD We expected Motera wicket to hold up little longer than it did: Silverwood Ahmedabad, Feb 26 (PTI) England head coach Chris Silverwood on Friday rejected talks of lodging any formal complaint to the ICC regarding the Motera pitch but said he had expected the surface to hold up a little longer after his team lost the third Test against India inside two days. SPO-CRI-BCCI-ICC ICC Board Meet: BCCI opposes ICC's EOI policy for global meets By Kushan Sarkar New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) The Indian cricket board has expressed its reservations about ICC's policy of inviting bidders (Expression of Interest) for hosting global tournaments during the next eight year cycle between 2023-2031.

SPO-CRI-YUSUF-LD RETIREMENT Big-hitting Yusuf Pathan announces retirement from all forms of cricket New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) Out-of-favour India all-rounder Yusuf Pathan, who made a name for himself as a power-hitter, on Friday announced retirement from all forms of cricket, saying time has come ''to put a full stop to this innings of my life.'' SPO-CRI-VINAYKUMAR-LD RETIREMENT R Vinay Kumar announces retirement from first-class and international cricket New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) Veteran Karnataka medium pacer R Vinay Kumar, who also represented India and led his state team to successive Ranji Trophy titles, on Friday announced his retirement from international and first-class cricket.

SPO-CRI-IPL-VENUES BCCI considering 4-5 IPL venues; Mumbai a concern amid COVID surge New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) The BCCI is looking at four to five venues for conducting the next edition of the Indian Premier League with Mumbai as a single host not looking feasible anymore following a surge in COVID-19 cases in and around the city.

SPO-CRI-COOK-PITCH Cook slams Kohli's assessment of Motera pitch London, Feb 26 (PTI) Former England captain Alastair Cook on Friday questioned Virat Kohli's stance on the Motera pitch and said the India skipper ''defended the wicket almost as if it's a BCCI thing''.

SPO-CRI-ASHWIN I accidentally became a cricketer, says Ashwin Ahmedabad, Feb 26 (PTI) Called a modern day legend by his captain Virat Kohli, ace Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin says he is actually an accidental cricketer, who is living a dream with over 400 Test wickets under his belt.

SPO-CRI-PITCH-AZHARUDDIN Wearing shoes with rubber sole: Azharuddin's mantra to thrive on rank turners New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) Wearing shoes with rubber soles, assured footwork and proper shot-selection are the keys to success for batsmen on a ''rank turner'' like the Motera pitch, feels Mohammed Azharuddin, a former India captain and one of the finest players of spin.

SPO-BOX-LD STRANDJA Boxing: Deepak Kumar upstages world champion Zoirov to enter finals of Strandja Memorial New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) Asian silver-winner Deepak Kumar (52kg) on Friday stunned Olympic and world champion Shakhobiddin Zoirov of Uzbekistan to storm into the finals of the 72nd Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.

SPO-CRI-AXAR It's all about confidence, Axar on phenomenal Test outings Ahmedabad, Feb 26 (PTI) It was a long wait for Axar Patel and it didn't help that everyone around him had just one question for the past three years -- ''Why aren't you in the Indian team?'' SPO-CRI-HAYDEN India can win against odds in all conditions, a mark of all great teams: Hayden By C Shyam Sundar Chennai, Feb 26 (PTI) Indian team has all the markings of a great side as it can not only fight it out but win against the odds in all conditions, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden said.

SPO-CRI-BELL England guilty of thinking too far ahead, have gone wrong with rotation policy: Bell London, Feb 26 (PTI) Former batsman Ian Bell has slammed England's much-debated rotation policy, saying they were guilty of thinking too far ahead and have gone wrong with the constant chopping and changing in a ''big'' Test series like India.

SPO-CRI-HUSSAIN England looked like startled rabbits in second innings: Hussain London, Feb 26 (PTI) England have lost their batting rhythm after playing on two difficult surfaces and looked like ''startled rabbits'' in the second innings of the third Test against India, according to former skipper Nasser Hussain.

SPO-HIMA-DSP-INDUCTION Hima inducted as DSP in Assam, says will continue her athletics career Guwahati, Feb 26 (PTI) Star sprinter Hima Das was on Friday inducted as Deputy Superintendent of Assam Police in the presence of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and described the moment as a childhood dream coming true.

SPO-GOLF-LAHIRI Lahiri lies T-37 in opening round of Puerto Rico Open Rio Grande (Puerto Rico), Feb 26 (PTI) Star Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri carded a bitter-sweet two-under 70 in the first round to be placed tied 37th at the PGA TOUR's Puerto Rico Open here.

SPO-CRI-WOM-DOMESTIC Women's cricket season to start with 50-over tournament from March 11 New Delhi, Feb 26 (PTI) The women's domestic cricket season will begin with a 50-over tournament from March 11, the BCCI has informed its affiliated units.

SPO-CRI-PAK-UMAR Umar Akmal to resume competitive cricket after CAS reduces his ban to 12 months Karachi, Feb 26 (PTI) Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal will be able to resume his cricket career after the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) reduced his suspension to 12 months and imposed a fine of 42.50 lakh Pakistani Rupees on him for breaching the Anti-Corruption Code.

SPO-CRI-ENG-MEDIA-REAX Section of English media blames team for Motera debacle, others point fingers at pitch London, Feb 26 (PTI) The British media lambasted its cricket team's abject surrender to India in the pink-ball Test, holding the much-debated rotation policy and technical failures of its batsmen responsible for the humiliation even as the Motera pitch also drew some flak.