Good Bad Ugly ft. Bundesliga comeback, Shoaib Akhtar's tweet and Mario Balotelli's spat with teammate
What can possibly be termed as 'Good' when the entire world is struck by a deadly virus that has already claimed the lives of millions. But, sports actually possess the capability of keeping its flow even in dire straits, which is exactly evident from the good, bad and ugly events from the week.
The Good
Live football returns after two months
Football finally made its grand comeback, with the German Bundesliga resuming this weekend after a two-month hiatus. With all eyes on how playing in front of empty stands might affect the game, the first day was a successful one. The âRievierâ Derby featuring Borussia Dortmund and Schalke was the highlight of the day, with the BVB grabbing top honours with a 4-0 win. Most importantly, there was live football action after so many days in hibernation.
The game saw players celebrating goals from a safe distance, while the support staff were also spotted maintaining social distance. Others permitted inside the ground had their faces covered with masks, in accordance with the rules laid down. Apart from the Signal Iduna Park, five other venues hosted matches simultaneously to give us the feel of a Saturday once again. In a world shaken by the deadly virus, the return of football comes as a breath of fresh air.Â
17-year old shooter setting the trend
You wonât find Shivam Thakurâs name flooding the headlines quite often and remains one of the many figures in the crowd. But the 17-year old shooter, who competes in the 10m Air Pistol event, has won hearts with a heartwarming gesture. Maybe the shooter earns a total of 5 lakhs per year through scholarship and funding programs, but it took him seconds to give away 60% of the amount to the athletes struggling to survive the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, thatâs a mature act from a youngster which must not get unnoticed.Â
Hailing from a humble background, his family owns a shop in Noida although they originate from a small town in Bihar - Sitmani. The teenager went on to urge everyone to come forward and contribute whatever they want to combat and eradicate the deadly virus which has put the entire human race under major threat. Thakur is already a brand ambassador of the School Games and Activity Development Foundation (SGDF), an organization that he started in 2017 to aid children aiming to try their luck in the field of sports. All at the age of 17!
The Bad
Shoaib Akhtar slams ICC over Twitter row
We just cannot ignore Pakistani players and controversies from our list, can we? Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar got involved in a cross-fire of words on a social media platform with the ICC. The turn of events started when the Pakistani cricketer tweeted that he could dismiss Steve Smith with ease, which the ICC did not take too lightly. In response, the apex body shared a meme, which featured âMichael Jordanâ looking down and then laughing at Akhtarâs tweet.
In response, the retired speedster tweeted that ICC had thrown âneutrality out of the window.â If you feel that was on the borderline, then Shoaib Akhtar triggered a fresh controversy by posting a video that showed the bowler delivering a bouncer at South African Gary Kirsten, which left him blood-faced. His tweet read, "Dear @icc, find a new meme or Emoji. Sorry, I couldn't find any, only found some real videos.â While this is an unfortunate event, some of the fans are actually waiting for ICCâs response.
Bangladesh Cricket Board official struck with Covid-19
Bangladesh Cricket Boardâs development coach Ashiqur Rahman has tested positive for Covid-19, as revealed to Cricbuzz on Tuesday. But positively, he is recovering from the virus attack in a hospital. The former cricketer was part of Bangladeshâs squad in the 2002 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, apart from which he featured in 15 first-class matches in a career spanning over six years.Â
It was also learned as per reports that the official was suffering from symptoms like chest pain. Ashiqur stated that he was developed a sore tonsil, following which he caught a fever and subsequently a chest pain, prompting him to consult a doctor. The test was conducted soon, where it was detected that the Bangladeshi was the latest addition to the list of people who came in contact with the deadly virus.
The Ugly
Mario Balotelli gets involved in an ugly spat with Giorgio Chiellini
For a footballer engulfed with controversies throughout his career, Mario Balotelli would have least expected to have got involved afresh amidst Covid-19 lockdown. Compatriot Georgio Chiellini, a few days ago touted the Brescia forward as âa negative person with no respect for the team.â While the social media grabbed a million eyeballs, Balotelli was quick to respond via his Instagram handle, which read, âAt least I have the sincerity and courage to say things face to face.â The Juventus stopper further added that he deserved a âslapâ for his conduct during International duty.
The spat couldnât have cropped up at a more unfortunate time, with thousands of people having succumbed to the deadly virus. Balotelli did counter Chielliniâs ânegative personâ claim by saying that heâs one who comes up with the jokes. To balance out the tension from the other side, Chiellini went on to mention that he âwent too farâ in his criticism and takes all responsibility for the mishap. In fact, the former Fiorentina-man exclaimed that it would be a pleasure to play alongside Balotelli in the Euros next year.
Afghanistan cricketer Shafiqullah banned for six years
Afghanistan cricket's woes seem never-ending as their wicket-keeper batsman Shafiqullah was accused of match-fixing allegations and subsequently handed a six-year deal by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). As per reports, the cricketer was involved in an attempt to fix a match in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), along with a 2018 Afghanistan Premier League tie (ACL). The cricketer admitted to the claims charged on him, thus enforcing a ban which would see him end his International, especially at a ripe age of 30.
The cricketer played 24 ODIs and 46 T20Is for the national side, mainly playing second fiddle to Mohammad Shehzad. Speaking of Shehzad, the talented wicket-keeper batsman was also handed a one-year suspension from all forms of cricket by the ACB for violating the boardâs disciplinary rules and regulations. Apparently, the player had traveled abroad several times, not adhering to the rules laid down by the apex body, which triggered the ban. Incidents like these leave unhealthy scars on Afghanistan cricket at a time in which itâs blooming.