Former Australian spinner Shane Warne on Wednesday picked Sourav Ganguly as the skipper of his greatest Indian XI. Among the selections, the most notable omission was of VVS. Laxman as he had an impeccable record against Australia.
The 50-year-old nominated his greatest Indian XI during an Instagram Live session and picked only the players he played against in his career. Warne picked Virender Sehwag and Navjot Singh Sidhu as the openers of his side, and he also gave clarification as to why he picked Sidhu in his side.
“I had to pick Navjot Singh Sidhu because he was the best player against spin I have ever played against, all the other spinners I have played with, they have also told me that Siddhu was brilliant against them,” Warne said on Instagram.
Warne’s greatest Indian XI: Virender Sehwag, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammed Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly (c), Kapil Dev, Harbhajan Singh, Nayan Mongia, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath.
The spinner also went on to say that Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni would have made the side, but as Warne did not play a single Test against them, as a result, the duo missed out.
“Dravid became a friend over the years, I got to know him during a stint with Rajasthan Royals, he made plenty of hundreds against us,” he added.
“I went for Ganguly because I wanted him to be the captain of my side, that is why VVS Laxman missed out,” he added.
Warne had a mixed record against India in the longest format of the game as he picked 43 wickets from 24 innings at an average of 45.79.
In ODIs against India, Warne scalped 15 wickets from 18 ODIs at an average of 56.25.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)