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India D are 311 ahead with five second-innings wickets left

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2024Shreyas Iyer hit a quickfire fifty, Sanju Samson a brisk 45 and Ricky Bhui a stodgy unbeaten 90 as India D had the ascendancy over India B in the final Duleep Trophy fixture in Anantapur. Already out of reckoning for the title, India D are 311 ahead with five second-innings wickets left.Resuming on 210 for 6, India B stretched their total to 282. A majority of those runs came courtesy Washington Sundar, who top scored with 87. Left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar picked up all four wickets to fall in the day, finishing with figures of 5 for 73, his 25th five-for in first-class cricket.India D’s second innings began with a flurry of wickets as Navdeep Saini and Mukesh Kumar reduced them to 18 for 3. It’s at this point that Iyer, who was out for a five-ball duck in the first innings, decided to counterattack. He hit seven fours and a six across 39 deliveries before becoming Mukesh’s third wicket.Samson, the first-innings centurion, kicked on to make his start count, putting together a 68-run stand with Bhui. The sixth-wicket stand between Bhui and Akash Sengupta was worth 94 when stumps were called.Currently second on the table, India B face an uphill task of trying to win the title. For them to have a shot, they need to win outright and then hope neither India C nor India A win outright.

DDCA to request both senior players to stay but “final decision will be theirs”

PTI11-Aug-2023Former Delhi captain Nitish Rana and the side’s highest run-getter in the Ranji Trophy last season Dhruv Shorey have sought No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the DDCA to play for other states in the upcoming domestic season.The development was confirmed by DDCA joint secretary Rajan Manchanda on Friday although he assured that both cricketers will be spoken to and given a patient hearing to find out why they want to take such a decision.”Yes, it is true that both Dhruv and Nitish want to leave Delhi and have sought NOC,” Manchanda told PTI. “We will definitely request them to stay as both are senior players and have served Delhi cricket. But the final decision will be theirs. If they don’t agree, we will certainly give them NOC.”Delhi couldn’t qualify for the Ranji knockouts last season despite Shorey ending with 859 runs. He was the fourth in the list of the highest run-getters after Mayank Agarwal (990), Arpit Vasavada (907) and Anushtup Majumdar (867).When Manchanda was asked if Rana and Shorey will have their grievances addressed, he said: “How can we talk about selection matters? It is the prerogative of selection committee.”Himmat Singh, the middle-order batter, is likely to take over captaincy and Abhay Sharma is unlikely to continue as head coach.

He played 41 Test matches for Pakistan between 1958 and 1973, scoring five hundreds

Danyal Rasool20-Mar-2024Saeed Ahmed, the former Pakistan captain and allrounder, has died in Lahore at the age of 86 after a brief illness. Saeed, who played 41 Test matches between 1958 and 1973, captained the side briefly, for three drawn Test matches against England in 1969, replacing Hanif Mohammad. He scored 2991 Test runs, including five Test centuries, two of which came against India. A capable offspinner, he also took 22 Test wickets.Saeed was born in Jalandhar in 1937 in what was then British India – now a part of Indian Punjab. He made his debut at the age of 20 against West Indies in the famous drawn Test in Bridgetown, where Hanif Mohammad batted for 970 minutes to score 337. Saeed struck up a 154-run partnership with Mohammad for the third wicket, scoring 65 as West Indies bowled 319 overs before the game was ultimately called off.He quickly made a name for his grace and easy power, particularly when driving the ball, and demonstrated instantly that he belonged at the highest level. He finished his career with a batting average of 40.01, almost identical to his first-class average of 40.02. He later scored his first of five Test hundreds – 150 – in Georgetown against an attack that included Roy Gilchrist, Lance Gibbs and Garry Sobers, though West Indies won that Test by eight wickets. Pakistan won just one of the five Tests he scored a hundred in, though playing in the least prolific period of Pakistan’s Test history may have been a factor there.He was a staple in the Pakistan side for most of his career, though it ended ignominiously. After getting into a spat with Dennis Lillee on Pakistan’s 1972 tour of Australia, he ruled himself out of the third Test citing a back injury. The board believed he was faking it, and sent him home for discipline; he would never play for Pakistan again.”The PCB is saddened over the demise of one of our former Test captain and expresses deep condolences to the family of Saeed Ahmed,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said. “He served Pakistan with all his heart and the PCB honours his record and services for the Test team.”After retirement, Saeed stepped away from cricket, never working in the sport again. He lived by himself in Lahore for several years, living a reclusive life with few friends or family for company, while his deteriorating health required repeated hospital visits. He was taken to hospital at noon on Wednesday, and died there shortly after.He is survived by one son, two daughters, and brother Younis Ahmed, who played four Tests for Pakistan.

The second-string side will play two four-day matches in total, apart from three one-day matches against Pakistan A

Mohammad Isam30-Jul-2024Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque will play for Bangladesh A in their first four-day match in Pakistan next month. The second-string side will play two four-day matches in total, apart from three one-day matches against Pakistan A. The games will run concurrently with the Bangladesh senior men’s Test tour of Pakistan, which begins on August 21.The entire series will be played in Islamabad, with the first four-dayer to be held from August 10. Apart from Mushfiqur and Mominul, the selectors have also picked Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Nayeem Hasan and Hasan Mahmud for the first game. Mushfiqur missed Bangladesh’s previous Test series against Sri Lanka due to a broken thumb, while Mominul, Joy, Zakir and Mahmud played in that series. Nayeem is also a Test specialist.These six players will be replaced for the second game from August 17. Mohammad Naim, Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar, Jaker Ali, Towhid Hridoy and Mohammad Saifuddin take their places.Shahadat Hossain, Mahidul Islam and Mosaddek Hossain are three other batters who have been picked for both four-day matches, meaning that they are unlikely to be in the Test side against Pakistan. Among the bowlers, left-arm spinners Hasan Murad and Tanvir Islam, and fast bowlers Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rejaur Rahman Raja and Ruyel Miah will play both games.This will be the first time that a Bangladesh A side will play first-class matches since the 2003-04 season, when they participated in the PCB Patron’s Trophy. Bangladesh A will depart for Islamabad on August 6.Bangladesh A team for first four-day game: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Anamul Haque, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shahadat Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Mahidul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Tanvir Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Ruyel MiahBangladesh A team for second four-day game: Anamul Haque, Mohammad Naim, Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar, Shahadat Hossain, Mosaddek Hossain, Jaker Ali, Towhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam, Hasan Murad, Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Ruyel MiahBangladesh A team for one-day series: Anamul Haque, Mohammad Naim, Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar, Towhid Hridoy, Mahidul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Jaker Ali, Rishad Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Ruyel MiahTour scheduleAugust 10-13: First four-day matchAugust 17-20: Second four-day matchAugust 23, 25 and 27: Three one-day matches

India are looking to be well-prepared for the Champions Trophy, Asia Cup and T20 World Cup

Hemant Brar11-Oct-20242:39

Ten Doeschate: ‘We don’t give opportunities; the guys earn opportunities’

The Indian team is trying to “push the limits” of what they can do. According to assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, they are doing this in order to be well-prepared for the challenges in the next 18 months: the Champions Trophy, Asia Cup and T20 World Cup.With Rohit Sharma as captain and Rahul Dravid as coach, India had shed their safety-first approach with bat in limited-overs cricket. It paid dividends when they finished as the runners-up of the 2023 ODI World Cup and the winners of the 2024 T20 World Cup.Now Suryakumar Yadav has replaced Rohit as T20I captain and Gautam Gambhir has taken over as coach, but the template has remained the same. In the first T20I against Bangladesh in Gwalior, India chased down 128 in 11.5 overs. Then, batting first in Delhi, they found themselves on 41 for 3 inside the powerplay. But Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh only momentarily took their foot off the pedal and powered India to 221 for 9.”Hundred per cent,” ten Doeschate said, when asked if playing fearless cricket was part of the team philosophy. “I think it has shown in the way we have played. The Test match in Kanpur is a great example.”Related

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In that second Test in Kanpur, rain and a wet outfield allowed only 35 overs across the first three days. But India’s attacking approach with the bat meant they won with more than one session to spare.”We are trying to push the limits of what we can do as a team,” ten Doeschate said. “We have obviously got the quality to do it. And then it’s about giving the players the belief to do it in a safe space, that if it’s not going to go right, it’s also okay. And even if you look back at the first two games, someone like Sanju [Samson] getting a quick start in the first game in Gwalior, it would have been easy for him to knock it around and just get a 50-60 not out. But you can see he was trying to push the boundary. He knows the state of the game, and the messaging has been pretty consistent with that.”We want the guys to expand their game. We want to move cricket forward, like it’s going with the times. And we want to be prepared for the big crunch moments that are coming up in the next 18 months.”Gautam Gambhir oversees India’s training session in Hyderabad•PTI

Another change since Gambhir became the coach has been the push to make as many players in the side bowl. In the second T20I, despite Hardik Pandya not rolling his arm over, India used seven bowlers, with each picking up at least one wicket.”You see the way the game is going, it’s very rare that all five bowlers, or even six bowlers, are going to go well on a given day,” ten Doeschate said. “So it’s nice to have options. Ideally, you want them to bowl a little bit more, but someone like Hardik not bowling in the last game, it’s just a testament to the depth of the bowling in the team.”India fielded the same XI in the first two T20Is. But now with the series sealed, they are likely to try their bench strength.”That was always the plan,” ten Doeschate said. “Obviously, there’s a nice depth in the squad – a lot of guys have the IPL experience. We are trying to expose as many guys as we can to international experience with what we have coming up. So someone like Harshit Rana, we are keen to give a game to. Obviously, Tilak [Varma] came into the squad a bit later. Jitesh [Sharma] is there as well. We want to give Sanju another chance. So there are options.”The third and final T20I will be played in Hyderabad, where the average run rate in IPL 2024 was 10.54. But ten Doeschate said India would not blindly trust the data.”Certainly the data and the evidence is around that [a high-scoring game]. But a little bit like when we got to Delhi the other day, you don’t want to read too much into the data. We probably feel that those first three wickets we lost was maybe because of going a little too hard. The wicket was a little bit sticky.”So we will have a look at this wicket. We are aware of the high-scoring nature of this pitch during the IPL but also we are five months away from the IPL now. So conditions could change as well. Fingers crossed, it’s a high-scoring game and a quality game.”

Captain Niki Prasad wants to make sure team “stays on top” after a dominant display in Malaysia where India cruised unbeaten to a second Women’s U-19 World Cup title

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2025″Coming at the start of the tournament, I think I mentioned one thing that we are here to dominate, we are here to make sure that India stays on top.”Those were the words of India captain Niki Prasad after she led India to a second consecutive Women’s Under-19 World Cup title in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. And dominate is what India did throughout the tournament, winning all their games and not letting any team score more against them than the 113 for 8 that England made in the semi-finals.India had chased in four of the six games before the final, and they won all those matches comfortably, never losing more than two wickets. After South Africa won the toss and chose to bat in the title bout, India just replicated the template that served them so well through the competition, their spinners playing a pivotal role in getting the opposition out for 82.Related

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India then chased down the target in 11.2 overs, with G Trisha – who also returned figures of 3 for 15 with the ball – scoring an unbeaten 44.”We are definitely going to create this legacy of winning ICC trophies, winning a lot of trophies for India,” Prasad said at the post-match presentation ceremony.Prasad had to put behind her the disappointment of not making the squad for the previous Under-19 World Cup, which India won under the captaincy of Shafali Verma in 2023, but she’s soaking it all in now.”I think I’m feeling really happy that I am right here standing, making sure that India stays on top. And it’s obviously a special moment that we’re playing the World Cup and doing this for India,” she said.India lost the toss and were asked to bowl. Prasad said India drew from their experience bowling first in most of their matches in the competition.”I think all of us just tried to stay calm and down-to-earth and just stick to doing what our job is,” she said.G Trisha poses with her medal after taking India to the Under-19 World Cup glory•Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“I think if we would have won the toss we would have definitely chosen batting but you know throughout the tournament we’ve been bowling well and we’ve been bowling first [more] so nevertheless we just wanted to go out there and show what we can do.”Trisha, who was named Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament, dedicated the latter award to her father, who was in the audience.”Because of him I started playing cricket. I don’t think without him I would have been here,” said Trisha, who was also part of the team in 2023.While she played in the middle order in 2023, Trisha was pushed up to open this time around, and she ended up topping the run charts with 309 runs from seven matches with an average of 77.25. No other batter reached the 200-run mark. Her strike rate of 147.14 was also the best in the tournament.Trisha, who said she idolises Mithali Raj, has been working on her power game in recent times and credited India’s batting coach Apoorva S Desaii for giving her role clarity before the competition.”So we’ve been working on [my power game] since a while. For this tournament our batting coach Apoorva sir he has kept telling ‘you are going to open the innings and make sure you’re ready for it’,” Trisha said.Apart from her heroics with the bat, Trisha also returned seven wickets from the six games she bowled in.Parunika Sisodia struck in her first over of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final•Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

India’s left-arm spin trio ‘like a family’

One of the major factors in India’s domination was their trio of left-arm spinners Vaishnavi Sharma, Aayushi Shukla and Parunika Sisodia, who were three of the four highest wicket-takers in the competition.While Vaishnavi topped the charts with 17 strikes, Shukla and Sisodia were not far behind with 14 and 10 wickets respectively.According to them, the three are close and have developed a great understanding between themselves.”I guess back in the room in the hotel, what all three we talk about is nothing related to our bowling,” Sisodia said after India’s win. “All our bowling just came and, you know, in the game coming on we just enjoyed ourselves.”We keep telling each other a little bit of, you know, what the batters are doing, helping each other [on the field].”At this point, I guess, we are just, you know, eye contacting and we are understanding each other now.”With all of them being left-arm spinners, is there competition or does this fact not affect them?”We are like the best friends,” Sisodia was quick to respond, with emphasis on the “best”. Vaishnavi, who was too overcome with emotion to speak a few minutes earlier was quick to interject: “We are like family actually. We all are family.”Asked about their plans for the future, Sisodia said: “I guess all of us… I mean, not just us [three] but the whole team, we all want to just go ahead and, you know, never look back from here.”Wicketkeeper and opener G Kamalini, who was animatedly photobombing the interview, then came in and summed up the feelings of the team in a line in Tamil: ” [We have lifted the World Cup].”

The opener will head to India with Australia A next month before a crucial month of Sheffield Shield cricket that will determine his short-term Test prospects

Andrew McGlashan19-Aug-20250:27

Konstas gone for duck as tough Caribbean tour ends

Sam Konstas is fully aware he faces a “massive” run of Sheffield Shield matches early in the season if he is to retain his Test place for the start of the Ashes but is focused on shutting out much of the talk and trusting his inner circle.Konstas endured a torrid series against West Indies where he made 50 runs in six innings albeit in challenging conditions where the top orders of both teams found life tough. They were his first Tests since bursting into the side against India last season, but he is now back in the pack as far as selection goes to face England in November.He has resumed training with New South Wales having taken a break after the tour and will return to playing on the four-day leg of the Australia A tour of India next month. That trip has a longer lens from the selectors – Australia have a five-Test tour in early 2027 – so while runs won’t hurt Konstas’ shorter-term ambitions, of most relevance will be what he’s able to do in the early rounds of the Shield in October.Related

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“It’s massive, it’s going to be a big four games and I expect that,” Konstas said on the day a new four-year deal with Sydney Thunder in the BBL was announced that will keep him at the club until 2029. “But for me, [it’s about] just being in the present moment, don’t get too fixated about the outcome and just be very process-driven in those games. Not getting too fazed about what other people say, and obviously have that inner circle that I trust.”For me it’s just trying to best prepare, and then obviously trusting what I think is right in that current moment,” Konstas added. “It was my first time playing in the West Indies, and first time facing those bowlers. They bowled well and hopefully I can build from that experience.”Adopting the right mindset, training hard, not leaving any regrets. For me, that’s the big thing, just the way I prepare, and especially with the people that I trust, having honest conversations with them when necessary and leaving it to that.”Jack Edwards, the New South Wales captain who will also be part of the Australia A tour, has been training alongside Konstas in recent weeks”He definitely doesn’t hold onto it [the tour] for too long,” Edwards told ESPNcricinfo. “It’s great to have him around. He’s working extremely hard at his game as he always does, hitting a mountain of balls…such a young man, he’s definitely going to have a long career for Australia.”Konstas spoke of leaning on Steven Smith and David Warner, his captain at Thunder, for advice. “I’m very lucky to be working with the best in the world,” he said.Picked for Australia after just 11 first-class matches, it’s been acknowledged by the coaching staff that Konstas has been doing a lot of his developing at the top level although there is a belief in the set-up that the setbacks in West Indies won’t do long-term harm.”I’m still learning about my game and finding what works in different conditions,” he said. “Understanding the situations, when to soak up pressure [and] when to attack the game.”That’s where Warner has been a valuable sounding board for him. “I just like his mindset, to be honest,” Konstas said. “He takes the game on and he’s very aggressive. He’s always trying to dictate terms in the way he likes to.”Still only 19 – he turns 20 early in October – Konstas is trying to keep a level head. “As an athlete, you’re going to go through failures and successes, but I tell you, build from those failures and become a better person and cricketer.”

In the semi-finals, Bangladesh will face India and Afghanistan will be up against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2023Afif Hossain put on an all-round show as Bangladesh beat Malaysia by two runs to confirm their semi-final fixture against India at the Asian Games. Malaysia needed five in the last over with Virandeep Singh batting on 52 off 35, but Afif gave away just two runs to keep the upset at bay.Afif varied the pace in each of the first three balls of the final over to frustrate Virandeep before lobbing one up outside his hitting arc. Virandeep tried to break the shackles but holed out to long-on with Malaysia still needing five. Afif then nailed two yorkers to give away just two runs and end the contest.Chasing 117, Malaysia were reduced to 18 for 3, with Afif striking twice in the fifth over. Virandeep then stitched two key partnerships, adding 34 for the fifth wicket with Vijay Unni and then 40 for the seventh with wicketkeeper-batter Ainool Hafizs, to take his side close. But Malaysia faltered in the last over.Earlier in the day, Afif found himself in the middle with Bangladesh three down inside three overs. He struck a 14-ball 23 with two fours and two sixes and added 38 in just four overs with captain Saif Hassan. Hassan struck a steady half-century – 50 off 52 balls – on a surface that slowed down considerably after the earlier game, between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, in the day.Pavandeep Singh, Virandeep’s elder brother, finished with two wickets for Malaysia but Bangladesh managed to get to 116, which eventually proved to be just enough.

Naib, Qais take Afghanistan into semi-final

File photo – Gulbadin Naib dealt early blows•AFP/Getty Images

Afghanistan knocked an inexperienced Sri Lanka side out of the Asian Games to book a spot in the semi-final in Hangzhou. On a slow-turner, Noor Ali Zadran struck a steady fifty before three-fors from Qais Ahmad and Gulbadin Naib dealt the final blow to Sri Lanka, who had nine debutants.After opting to field, Sri Lanka struck with the seventh ball of the match when Nuwan Thushara cleaned up Sediqullah Atal. Noor and Mohammad Shahzad then added 54 for the second wicket but both batters struggled against left-arm spinner Nimesh Vimukthi and took their time in the middle.After Shahzad fell to seamer Lahiru Samarakoon, Shahidullah struck some lusty blows during his 14-ball 23. But then a collapse ensued that saw Afghanistan slide from 92 for 2 to be bowled out for 116. Thushara, with his slingy action and accurate yorkers, finished with 4 for 17.In reply, Sri Lanka raced off the blocks, with Lasith Croospulle hitting Naib for a four and a six in an 11-run second over. Even though he fell in the next over, Sri Lanka reached 59 for 3 by the end of the ninth over.That’s when Qais came into the attack and turned the game around with a two-wicket over. Ashen Bandara fell to a googly and played on while attempting a drive. Three balls later, wicketkeeper-batter Lahiru Udara was lured into playing a heave across the line to be bowled.Captain Sahan Arachchige showed some resistance with his 22 off 29, and later, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth kept the slim hopes alive when 15 were needed from 12 ball and then nine in the final over. But Karim Janat knocked Thushara over with the first ball of the 20th over to kickstart celebrations in the Afghan camp.

Only two players from associate teams make the cut – Netherlands’ van Meekeren and Namibia’s Wiese

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2023World Cup winners Travis Head, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc, all likely to attract big bucks, are among the first sets of players in their respective categories (capped batters, allrounders and bowlers, respectively) who will be up for bidding at the IPL 2024 auction that will be held in Dubai on December 19. Also among the allrounders list is the World Cup’s breakout star Rachin Ravindra, who has listed his base price at INR 50 lakh.From an initial auction pool of 1166 players, the released list has been pruned down to 333. Of these, 119 are overseas players, including two from Associate nations – Netherlands’ fast bowler Paul van Meekeren and Namibia allrounder David Wiese. Among the prominent Indian names in the capped sets are Shardul Thakur, Harshal Patel, Manish Pandey and Umesh Yadav.The auction will begin with capped players, starting off with batters, followed by allrounders, wicketkeepers, fast bowlers and spinners in the listed order. The same sequence will be followed for the uncapped players.The first set comprising capped batters also has in the mix England’s Harry Brook, who was among three of the five most expensive buys at the previous auction. After three teams went aggressively for him, he was eventually signed by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 13.25 crores. He had underwhelming returns – 190 runs in 11 innings, 100 of those coming in one innings alone – and was subsequently released.Head, meanwhile, hasn’t featured in the IPL for six seasons now. However, his recent success – he was Player of the Match in both the semi-finals and finals at the World Cup – could force multiple teams to break the bank to secure his services. Head has also been a prolific scorer in the BBL for the Adelaide Strikers.Another breakout star from the World Cup who could attract significant interest is Afghanistan’s seam-bowling allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who comes with a base price of INR 50 lakh. Omarzai was Afghanistan’s highest run-getter – 353 runs in eight innings at an average of 70.60 and strike rate of 97.78 – in the tournament. He also picked up seven wickets. Interestingly, the youngest player to feature in the shortlist is also from Afghanistan – Allah Ghazanfar, the 16-year-old mystery spinner. The oldest is his countryman Mohammad Nabi at 39.Last season’s runners-up Gujarat Titans head into the auction with the biggest purse of INR 38.15 crore – 15 crore of which have come through an all-cash deal that saw their captain Hardik Pandya move to Mumbai Indians. They have since named Shubman Gill, last season’s highest run-getter as the new captain. Sunrisers Hyderabad (34 crores) and Kolkata Knight Riders (32.7 crores) will come with the second and third-biggest purse.The auction, which is being held overseas for the first time, will begin at 2.30pm IST (1pm local). The event will also feature a live audience for the first time.

Latif, who lives in Pakistan, was not present at the trial nor has he been detained

Reuters11-Sep-2023A Dutch court has sentenced former Pakistan batter Khalid Latif to 12 years in prison after he was tried in absentia for urging people to murder Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders.The court ruled that statements by Latif should be regarded as incitement to murder, sedition and threat.Latif lives in Pakistan and has not attended any stage of the trial or been detained in the Netherlands.The Netherlands and Pakistan have no treaties in place regarding judicial cooperation or extradition, and earlier requests for cooperation in this case received no response, the prosecution has said.The court said prosecutors had proved that Latif posted a video in 2018, in which he offered a PKR 3 million (EUR 21,000 approx. at the time) reward for the murder of Wilders.That video came at a time of fierce demonstrations against Wilders in Pakistan, after he had announced a cartoon contest depicting caricatures of Prophet Mohammad. The competition was later cancelled.”The words used by the suspect are explicit: he promises to pay a considerable sum of money to anyone who engages in a specific act, namely the killing of Mr Wilders,” the Hague district court said.”It is very likely that someone – anywhere in the world – would feel compelled to act on this call,” the court added in reference to the protests, where Dutch flags had been burned and others had also called for the killing of Wilders.Images of the Prophet Mohammad are forbidden in Islam. Caricatures are regarded by most Muslims as highly offensive.Reuters was not immediately able to reach Latif – who received a five-year ban from cricket in 2017 over a spot-fixing scandal – for comment. In all, he played five ODIs and 13 T20Is between 2008 and 2016.Wilders, 60, is one of Europe’s most prominent far-right leaders and has been a key figure in shaping the immigration debate in the Netherlands over the past two decades, although he has never been in government. His Freedom Party (PVV) is the third-largest in the Dutch parliament and is the main opposition party. Wilders has lived under constant police protection since 2004.