Spain's High Court has upheld a verdict that found Luis Rubiales guilty of sexual assault after he kissed Jenni Hermoso against her will in the aftermath of the 2023 World Cup final.
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Spain beat England in the final
Rubiales forcibly kissed Hermoso
Spain's High Court upholds guilty verdict
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WHAT HAPPENED?
After Spain had defeated England in the final, Rubiales kissed Hermoso during the medal ceremony, with the legendary forward insisting afterwards that it was done without her consent. The former Spanish football chief was subsequently found guilty of sexually assaulting the 35-year-old, and was ordered to pay over €10,000 in fines. He appealed the decision, but his country's high court has now upheld their verdict.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The court once again made clear that Rubiales kissed Hermoso without her consent. His defence claimed that he was overcome with emotion after Spain's triumph, but the court pointed out that he was consistently restrained with Spain's other players, as well as the other individuals on the podium, and ruled he could well have been equally as restrained with Hermoso, had he wished to be.
WHAT THE HIGH COURT SAID
Per, the court said: "Since that emotion did not lead him to express his joy so effusively by kissing the other players or the accompanying persons in the box, and he restrained himself, he could also have done so, without too much effort, with the captain of the team."
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WHAT NEXT?
Rubiales' career has almost certainly ended in disgrace. Hermoso, by comparison, continues to play and is on the books of Tigres UANL in Mexico, although she has been left out of Spain's Euro 2025 squad.
Unbeaten 63 rescues Derbyshire after Northants strike early blows in low run-chase
ECB Reporters Network20-Aug-2023Matt Lamb hit a courageous, unbeaten 63 to help Derbyshire come from behind to seal a nail-biting four-wicket victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks in this Metro Bank One-Day Cup clash at Wantage Road.Battling an injured back, Lamb faced 82 balls as Derbyshire struggled to force the pace on an increasingly sluggish pitch with just four boundaries coming in the first 37 overs of the chase.After three wickets fell in 10 overs, Lamb combined with Brooke Guest in a stand of 77 in 18.2 overs. For most of that time, the pair looked comfortable, but were unable to locate the boundary ropes.Lamb though began to accelerate with the Falcons needing 59 off the last 10 overs and reduced the target further to 26 from the last 30 balls. Joined by a proactive Anuj Dal (20) the pair took the visitors to within 21 of their target.With Luke Procter conceding just one run off the 46th and Dal caught off Ben Sanderson with 20 balls remaining, the momentum shifted slightly back towards Northamptonshire.Alex Thomson though hit Taylor down the ground for four, leaving Derbyshire needing 10 off the last two overs. Lamb and Thomson made sure the final over was not needed as both smashed Sanderson for four.Defeat ends Northamptonshire’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of this year’s tournament.
With the long, drawn-out international break nearly over, the competitive Championship will soon kick back into gear to give us more entertaining clashes to savour.
Sheffield United’s meeting with Coventry City this coming Friday night promises to be another spectacle to behold in the second tier, with Frank Lampard’s Sky Blues on a mission to nail down a playoff spot when heading to Bramall Lane, whilst the Blades cling onto their automatic promotion dreams.
One misstep could see the South Yorkshire outfit fall out of the coveted top two spots, with Chris Wilder hopeful that the likes of Ben Brereton Diaz and Tom Cannon can finally step up to the mark in the crunch games to come, after largely disappointing as statement January additions.
How Brereton & Cannon have performed at Sheffield United
To help boost his side’s firepower, Wilder welcomed Brereton Diaz and Cannon to the building during the hectic mid-season transfer window, well aware that the potent pairing boast 75 career strikes in the second tier.
The Chile international has shown signs of his previous Blackburn Rovers best without blowing anyone away, with the short-term loanee picking up three goals and two assists from 11 appearances at Bramall Lane.
Cannon, on the other hand, has just been a letdown from minute one of his bumper £10m move from Leicester City, with the Irishman yet to find the back of the net for his new employers from eight clashes.
Unfortunately, the out-of-sorts 22-year-old has found himself out of his new manager’s starting lineup plans due to Sheffield United’s next Billy Sharp…
Wilder's next Billy Sharp
This will feel like a wild comparison to make for many Blades supporters reading, considering Sharp is held in very high esteem to the red and white half of South Yorkshire to this day, having bagged a ridiculous 129 goals during two spells at his hometown side.
But, much like the 39-year-old veteran felt whenever he graced the Bramall Lane pitch, Tyrese Campbell will feel very much at home donning his new United colours, with the end of his time at former employers Stoke City, unfortunately, putting him through the wringer.
Injury issues at the Potters saw Campbell miss an eye-watering 343 days of action in total during his bumpy six years at the club, leading to a low 36 goals being registered from 164 games.
To draw comparisons, Sharp also struggled to find his goalscoring groove in the build-up to his big return to South Yorkshire, with unmemorable spells at Leeds United and Southampton passing him by, before the familiar doors of Bramall Lane opened back up for him.
Sheffield United’s top 5 goalscorers in the league – 24/25
Player
Games
Goals scored
1. Tyrese Campbell
26
9
2. Gustavo Hamer
34
7
3. Jesurun Rak-Sakyi
29
6
= 4. Harrison Burrows
35
5
= 4. Kieffer Moore
22
5
Stats by Sofascore
Now, much like Sharp managed when diving back in at United, Campbell has become his side’s most reliable sharpshooter up top, with the 6-foot centre-forward the promotion-chasing club’s top scorer in league action with nine strikes fired home from 26 contests.
Three of those goals have come during his team’s last five league encounters, with a hope that the 25-year-old can follow even more in Sharp’s footsteps by guiding Wilder’s men to a promotion success, considering the EFL legend has three of these accolades next to his name playing for the Blades.
If the revitalised number 23 can hammer home more strikes like this venomous effort at Loftus Road between now and the end of the season, Wilder and Co could be heading for an instant return to the Premier League, with Campbell no doubt seen as a modern great thereafter.
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Fixtures unknown even four months before, though dates for previous two World Cups were announced more than a year in advance
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2023The ICC intends to publish a full schedule for the men’s 2023 ODI World Cup “as soon as we possibly can,” according to their chief executive, Geoff Allardice. The tournament hosted by India is expected to start in four months’ time, with venues and fixtures still unconfirmed.The schedule for the 2019 ODI World Cup in England and Wales was released on April 26, 2018, 13 months before the opening game, while the schedule for the 2015 tournament in Australia and New Zealand was released on July 30, 2013 – a full 18 months before the first match.The fixtures for this year’s World Cup, however, remain unknown. ESPNcricinfo reported in March that the tournament is expected to run from October 5 to November 19, but the ICC has not publicly confirmed any dates.Related
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Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, had recently said that the schedule would be unveiled during the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval, but Allardice did not commit to that timeline during an interview on the BBC’s ; and ESPNcricinfo understands the fixtures may not be made public until next week.”I think even today (Wednesday) we might be receiving the schedule from the hosts, and we’ve just got a bit of consultation to do with all the participating teams and the broadcasters. Then we’ll be publishing that as soon as we possibly can,” Allardice said. “When we put on events, we very much work hand in hand with the hosts.”And in some places, there’s a lot of consultation that needs to take place, both within the cricket system and with governments, etc. There’s a lot of responsibility on a host to deliver a good event, and they’ve got to go through the right checks and balances.”Allardice was asked whether Pakistan’s willingness to play in India had any bearing on the apparent delay in the fixtures being announced, but he declined to elaborate.”Until I see the schedule… I’m waiting, and I’m hoping that I’ll see something in the next day or two on that,” he said. “Our events team is very experienced at putting on cricket events in all different countries, and you control what you control.”And I think that’s the approach that our team is taking, and they’re working on the things that they can progress for the event. The moment we have that information, we’ll be pushing on it at a rate of knots.”
Os zagueiros Miranda e Léo, desfalques do São Paulo nas últimas partidas, participaram com o restante do grupo do treino realizado na reapresentação do Tricolor na manhã desta segunda-feira (25), no CT da Barra Funda. Ambos podem ser as novidades do técnico Rogério Ceni para o duelo de ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil contra o América-MG, na quinta-feira (28), às 20h (de Brasília), no Morumbi.
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GALERIAS + Veja as notas da equipe do LANCE! para os jogadores do São Paulo no duelo com o Goiás
Enquanto isso, o meia Patrick teve confirmado um edema na região posterior da coxa esquerda nos exames realizados pelo Departamento Médico do Tricolor e iniciou o processo de recuperação. O clube informa que avaliará a condição do camisa 88 diariamente, mas deve ser desfalque para o duelo ante o Coelho. O jogador deixou o campo sentindo fortes dores durante o segundo tempo do empate em 3 a 3 com o Goiás, no último sábado (23).
Miranda não entra em campo há três partidas, após deixar o duelo com o Palmeiras pelo principal mata-mata nacional sentindo dores musculares, no último dia 14. Já Léo saiu de campo contundido no empate em 2 a 2 com o Fluminense, no dia 17. Foi diagnosticado com um edema no posterior da coxa direita. Ambos os defensores já realizavam transição física desde a semana passada.
Sem duas de suas principais opções para o setor defensivo, Ceni teve problemas para escalar o São Paulo. Chegou a escalar juntas duas revelações de Cotia, Beraldo e Luizão, além de improvisar o lateral-direito Rafinha.
Ainda nesta manhã, o goleiro Jandrei (trauma nas costas) e o atacante Alisson (entorse no joelho direito) também foram ao gramado do CT. O arqueiro fez um treino leve e sem impacto. Também é dúvida para quinta. Já seu colega de equipe aqueceu com o grupo e participou de um trabalho de troca de passes antes de seguir para suas atividades individuais de recuperação.
O lateral-esquerdo Reinaldo (estiramento no adutor direito) e o volante Luan (que passou por uma cirurgia no adutor esquerdo) seguiram seus cronogramas de recuperação, com trabalhos no gramado sob a supervisão da fisioterapia. São desfalques ao lado de Arboleda, Caio e André Anderson, que continuam no Reffis.
Nos trabalhos desta segunda,o elenco realizou uma atividade técnica, de movimentação, troca de passe e finalização ao gol em campo reduzido.
TABELA > Confira classificação, jogos e simule resultados do Brasileirão-22 > Confira todos os jogos da Copa do Brasil-22 > Confira todos os jogos da Copa Sul-Americana-22 > Conheça o novo aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored his 11th Test century to defy an Australian attack without Pat Cummins as a gutsy West Indies pushed the first Test into a fifth day.Needing a record 498 runs for victory or – more realistically – to bat through 154 overs to draw, Brathwaite superbly batted through the final two sessions of day four to provide hope for the injury-hit tourists.But West Indies’ chances of starving off defeat in the series opener still appear unlikely even amid the uncertainty over Cummins, who did not bowl after experiencing quadricep soreness/ He returned to the field in the final session and appeared to be moving around without obvious discomfort. An assessment tomorrow morning will determine whether Cummins can bowl on the fifth day.Related
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Nathan Lyon relished shouldering more of the workload and claimed two wickets as he conjured menacing bounce on the Optus Stadium surface.Leading from the front, Brathwaite was in sublime touch and scored uncharacteristically quickly to make Australia’s shorthanded attack toil. He reached a deserved ton just before stumps but will likely need to bat for the long haul on day five to thwart Australia’s bid for victory.Brathwaite passed 5000 Test runs with a gorgeous drive down the ground to capitalise on the unavailability of Cummins, who had starred in West Indies’ first innings to claim his 200th Test wicket.Former skipper Steve Smith took the captaincy reins during Cummins’s absence as Australia failed to make inroads against Brathwaite and debutant Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who batted mostly untroubled through the entire second session. Chanderpaul scored just three runs off his first 36 balls in an effective rearguard alongside a fluent Brathwaite.Nathan Lyon removed Shamarh Brooks•AFP
For a spark, Smith even resorted to Marnus Labuschagne who bowled medium pacers instead of his usual legspin but it didn’t do the trick.But the return of Cummins, even though he couldn’t bowl, was surely a tonic for Australia as quick Mitchell Starc finally provided the breakthrough when Chanderpaul chopped on to end an impressive Test debut with scores of 51 and 45.Starc made amends after dropping Chanderpaul moments earlier on the boundary with Australia’s frustration underlined by Cameron Green punching the ground having missed out on a wicket.Australia’s mood brightened when Lyon picked up Shamarh Brooks, who as the concussion substitute had batted well against the odds in the first innings but fell cheaply second time around after edging to slip.Australia hoped to tear through West Indies amid the ground’s increasing shadows but Jermaine Blackwood successfully reviewed a lbw decision off Josh Hazlewood. However, He never looked comfortable and fell to Lyon just before stumps.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Australia had earlier declared their second innings at lunch after Labuschagne added a ton to his first innings double century. Labuschagne rode some luck to become just the third Australia batter after Greg Chappell and Doug Walters to score a double century and century in the same Test.Labuschagne made 308 runs for the match to continue a personal run spree at Optus Stadium after he scored 143 and 50 against New Zealand three years ago in the last Test played at the ground.Labuschagne received luck on his way to his ninth Test century when he top-edged to gully via his helmet but was reprieved by a no-ball from Alzarri Joseph amid a riveting battle.After receiving medical attention, Labuschagne continued on his merry way and passed 2000 Test runs in Australia in his 31st innings. Only Sir Don Bradman (19 in England and 26 in Australia), and Sir Garfield Sobers (29 in West Indies) have achieved the milestone in a country faster.David Warner, however, missed a golden opportunity to end a three-year Test drought when he fell for 48, while Green didn’t bat in the match in his debut Test at home.West Indies’ shorthanded attack was unable to limit Australia with spearhead Kemar Roach forced off after injuring his left thigh, while seamer Kyle Mayers did not bowl in the innings due to a strain in his right teres major muscle.Adding to their woes, top-order batter Nkrumah Bonner was on day three substituted out of the match with concussion after being hit in the back of the helmet from a Green short delivery.But the beleaguered tourists reached the final day and their hopes rested on their gritty skipper.
He has played just the lone first-class game at the Perth Stadium despite being from Western Australia
Alex Malcolm28-Nov-20220:42
Green: I’m trying to learn how to leave the ball again
This week is supposed to be a special homecoming for Cameron Green, with the allrounder set to play his first Test match in his hometown of Perth against West Indies starting Wednesday.Green, who debuted in Test cricket in December of 2020, has not missed any of Australia’s 14 Tests since, but bizarrely not yet played at home, as Perth has not hosted a Test match since 2019.His homecoming has been the centerpiece of the marketing and media campaign to attract some locals through the gates this week. But Green admits he’s not really feeling the comforts of home. Staggeringly, he has played more first-class matches at Galle International Stadium in Sri Lanka than he has at Perth Stadium.He has played just one Sheffield Shield match there in 2018, when he was playing as a bowler for Western Australia and batting at No. 8 behind Ashton Agar. The majority of his first-class cricket in Perth at the WACA. He has played in eight T20s at Perth Stadium, but only one since January 2020.Related
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Instead of being a fountain of local knowledge to his teammates as the only WA-based player in the playing XI, he is trying to extract as much information as he can from his interstate-based teammates who have more experience playing there than he does.”It definitely feels weird that you’re playing a home game and not at your home,” Green said. “Everyone expects you to do well and be used to the conditions but I kind of feel like maybe some of the other boys are more used to it than I am. It’ll be a challenge.”I’m asking questions of like Marnus [Labuschagne] who batted well there a few years ago about how he found it. It’s a bit weird when you’re asking guys what it’s like in your home conditions.”Green isn’t even staying in his own bed this week. He enjoyed a rare week at home in the lead-up to the Test matches after leaving Australia’s ODI series against England early to be managed ahead of the Test summer. But this week he has opted to stay at the team hotel, having stayed at home for his only international match to-date in Perth, a T20I against England in October where he felt he relaxed too much in the build-up.1:02
Warner on Green: Nineteen weeks straight in India will get you cooked
Green is quickly learning about life as a three-format player on the run, just as he learned about Test cricket on the run over the last two years.Ahead of his first home Test summer in 2020-21 against India Green played eight first-class matches, piling up three hundreds, and bowled in four of them.Before his second home summer in 2021-22, Green played five first-class matches for WA, making a century and three half-centuries, and took wickets in every game in preparation for the Ashes.Prior to a five-Test home summer against West Indies and South Africa in 2022-23, Green has not played a single red-ball game. His last first-class fixture was the second Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July. He has played six ODIs and seven T20Is since the end of August having become a permanent member of the ODI team, and a fringe member of the T20I side.He was preparing to play Shield cricket in mid-October and was literally facing red balls in the nets when he was told he was going to join the T20 World Cup squad following the freak injury to Josh Inglis, having left them only days earlier following the T20I series against England.Green is trying to come to terms with short lead-ins to Test matches. “That’s the unfortunate nature of playing three formats,” he said. “You don’t really get much preparation, which I’m not too used to. I’m used to like a good month or so leading into a Test series. It’s something that I’ll have to get used to and I’ve got a lot of added respect for the guys that do it.”Unlike David Warner, Steven Smith, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood, Green doesn’t have one discipline to prepare for, he has two.Green has played 14 Tests, but none at his hometown•Getty Images
Learning how to manage his time and prioritise his practice sessions is all part of his education. Green would prefer to put his time exclusively into his batting. He was the last man left out in the middle of the WACA at Australia’s compulsory three-hour centre-wicket session on Monday. He was only outlasted by Smith who was still in the nets when Green pulled his pads off as he tried to get used to the rhythms of Test-match batting after three months of white-ball bashing.”It’s basically trying to learn how to leave the ball again,” Green said. “I think in white-ball cricket, you’re trying to hit the ball and your contact point is well in front of your eyes, basically trying and get a full swing at it. So I think it’s learning to rein it back to be able to defend under your eyes. Because it feels like a different game at times.”But he also needs to work on his bowling. Three months of white-ball cricket has meant he has not got his bowling loads to the optimal level ahead of five back-to-back Test matches, although he has edged closer in the past week.His history of stress-related back injuries remains at the forefront of Australia’s minds, but his overs and his bowling skill remain vitally important to the balance of Australia’s attack. He no longer has the technical counsel of Matt Mason, the former WA bowling coach who has since joined England’s women’s team after leaving Perth last summer. But Green continues to use his technical advice as he tries to remain fit and healthy throughout another big summer campaign.”Matt Mason left me in a really good place,” Green said. “I think he had two really simple focuses that I have towards my bowling, basically jumping straight and not trying to jump too much. Trying to keep as balanced as I can at the crease. A couple of really nice clear checkpoints to kind of check in every so often and I’ve had two or three good sessions with them this week.”Green will have to continue to manage himself through an unrelenting schedule over the next 12 months, which will only be exacerbated if he adds the IPL to tours of India, England and the World Cup in 2023.Perth itself may become as foreign to him by the end of it as Perth Stadium is this week.
Rain and bad light have robbed NSW of the chance to push for victory in their Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia in Wollongong.NSW declared their second innings at 8 for 193 shortly after lunch on the final day, setting the Redbacks a victory target of 272 off 69 overs.Eight overs were lost due to a rain delay in the middle session, and bad light forced players off shortly after tea with just 30.5 overs bowled in the innings.The Redbacks were 3 for 82 having just lost Daniel Drew for 22 when the players were forced off. Travis Head was unbeaten on 12 at the time, but another burst of rain while the players were off for the bad light meant the match was declared a draw.The result ensured NSW stay on the bottom of the Shield ladder, with SA also winless and just one rung above them.”We played really well,” NSW wicketkeeper Baxter Holt told Kayo after the match. “We were really good in patches. KP [Kurtis Patterson] with a hundred, Daniel Hughes with 91 [in the first innings].”All the batters chipped in. And to see the bowlers take 10 wickets in the first innings is something really special on a wicket like that.”Unfortunately the weather and bad light took us off the field.”We did everything we possibly could to get us in a position [to win], and unfortunately the weather held us back.”The Blues started day four at 3 for 35 – a lead of 113 – and they were looking relatively comfortable at 4 for 103 before suffering a double blow.Brendan Doggett removed Sean Abbott for a quickfire 18, before Wes Agar snared the crucial scalp of Jason Sangha as NSW staggered to 6 for 107.But Holt and Ben Dwarshuis steadied the ship with a 69-run stand, giving the Blues a handy lead before they declared with 69 overs remaining in the match.SA needed to score at 3.9 runs an over to pull off victory, but they lacked intent from the outset and it soon became a case of mere survival.Jake Weatherald was the first to fall when he was bowled by spinner Nathan Lyon, and the Redbacks were 2 for 50 when Henry Hunt was trapped lbw by Chris Tremain.Drew was the final batter to be dismissed, with the players called off due to bad light immediately after his departure.
It has been a busy transfer window so far for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola’s side have made three new first-team signings, and have not been afraid to spend big money. The most notable addition has been Omar Marmoush, who joined the club for £59m from Eintracht Frankfurt.
They have also made two new additions at centre-back. One of those was Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who cost £33.6m up front with add-ons on top of that. City also bright in young Brazilian centre-back Vitor Reis from Palmeiras, who cost the Premier League champions £29.6m.
The Citizens might not be done with transfer business yet, however, because they have recently been linked with a new addition in midfield.
City target new midfielder
The player in question here is Porto and Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez. The 23-year-old has impressed with the Portuguese side this season and now could be in line for a departure before the January transfer window slams shut on Monday.
According to a report from journalist Fabrizio Romano, the reigning Premier League champions have made a ‘formal approach’ to Porto to enquire about signing the Spaniard this month.
However, this may be a tough deal for the Citizens to get over the line. Porto are hoping to keep their midfielder beyond the 3rd of February and will demand an ‘important transfer fee’ or he will stay at the club.
Gonzalez – who reportedly earns £18k-per-week, as per Capology – has a £50m release clause in his contract, and it seems like City will need to meet this to sign him.
Why Gonzalez would be a good signing
It has been an impressive season for Gonzalez so far for Porto. In 29 games for the Dragons this season, he has seven goals and six assists, good numbers from midfield.
Nico Gonzalez for Porto.
Perhaps his most important goal contribution came against Sporting in the Supertaca Candido de Oliveira, the Portuguese Super Cup. He scored a crucial goal in a 4-3 win, helping his side to the trophy.
Gonzalez, an “elegant” midfielder according to football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, came through Barcelona’s esteemed La Masia academy. He played 37 times for the La Liga giants, scoring two goals and two assists before departing the club, first on loan to Valencia and then making the permanent move to Porto.
If the Citizens got this deal over the line, he could be the second coming of Rodri. The 2024 Ballon d’Or winner has been injured for much of the season, although he is “the best midfield player, currently, in the world by far” according to Guardiola.
It has been an extraordinary few years at City for Rodri. He has played 260 times for the club, chipping in with 56 crucial goals and assists.
Undoubtedly his most important strike came in the 2022/23 Champions League final against Inter, where the midfielder scored the only goal to seal the treble for City.
There are certainly similarities between the two midfielders, even if Gonzalez is a more offensive player than Rodri. Both are Spaniards who have had experience playing at a big club in La Liga before making a move to further their career. Of course, the similarities could extend even more if Gonzalez joins City.
Even though they are different types of players, with Gonzalez a more advanced midfielder, you can still see some statistical comparison between the pair, from the 2023/24 Champions League, courtesy of Squawka.
For example, the Porto man had an average pass accuracy of 87.01% and won five ground duels per game. In comparison, Rodri managed a 91.88% pass accuracy and won 4.2 ground duels per game.
Gonzalez vs. Rodri key stats 2023/24 UCL
Stat (per 90)
Gonzalez
Rodri
Pass accuracy
87.01%
91.88%
Ground duels won
5
4.2
Lay-offs completed
1.5
1.2
Tackles made
2.4
1.9
Ball recoveries
3.4
6.8
Stats from Squawka
There are lots of similarities between Gonzalez and Rodri, even if the pair are not stylistically the same. They both look after the ball well and work hard without possession, and, of course, both hail from Spain.
Although £50m is a big investment for City, this could be a brilliant signing to add to the quality in midfield.
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He served as the Jharkhand State Cricket Association president for over a decade
Shashank Kishore16-Aug-2022
Amitabh Choudhary was the BCCI acting secretary when the Committee of Administrators was overseeing the board•AFP
Amitabh Choudhary, the former BCCI secretary and veteran Jharkhand cricket administrator, died of a heart attack in Ranchi on Tuesday morning. He was 62.Choudhary was BCCI’s acting secretary when the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators oversaw the functioning of the board from early 2017 to October 2019. He entered cricket administration in 2004, and served as the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) president for over a decade. Choudhary was first appointed as team manager of the Indian team in 2005 on their tour of Zimbabwe, remembered for the acrimony between Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappell. Choudhary also served as BCCI’s joint-secretary from 2013 to 2015 during Anurag Thakur’s reign as BCCI president.In subsequent years, Choudhary rose to become an important member of several BCCI committees, as a representative of East Zone.It was during his stint as president that JSCA constructed the state-of-the-art stadium in Ranchi, which hosted its first international fixture in January 2013, an ODI between India and England.In a statement, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said, “I am shocked and saddened to learn of the sad demise of Mr Amitabh Choudhary. I had a long association with him and have always cherished our meetings.”I got to know him first on the tour of Zimbabwe when I was leading India, and he was the Team Manager. Over the course of time, our interactions grew and his passion for the sport was evident. Today, we have a world-class stadium and complex in Ranchi and it is thanks to his vision and relentless efforts.”Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, said, “As an administrator, he was very passionate and wanted to bring about a real change at the grassroots level. Cricket in Jharkhand was at a very nascent stage when he took over and we have witnessed a real transformation under his leadership.”There were a few acrimonious points during Choudhary’s stint under the CoA. For example, in early 2018, the CoA had said that most of the BCCI office-bearers were preventing changes, as prescribed by the Supreme Court of India, from being implemented. To that, Choudhary had replied by saying that the committee had “lost sight of the mandate” while trying to put in place the reforms.Among his tougher administrative challenges was the Anil Kumble-Virat Kohli clash that culminated in Kumble’s exit as India head coach in June 2017.A former IPS officer, Choudhary until recently served as chairman of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission. He retired last month following the completion of a two-year term.