The sports wrap: BCCI Administrators sack Anurag Thakur's recruits, and other top stories

The big story: BCCI’s Committee of Administrators begin cleanup

The Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators have decided to shut down the Delhi office of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, reported PTI.

The report stated that the Delhi office functioned as the Board president’s office and all employees were former BCCI chief Anurag Thakur’s recruits. The BCCI’s offices in Pune, operated by former secretary Ajay Shirke, have also been shut down and the staff let go.

With both office-bearers gone, the COA felt it imperative that the staff from their offices would need to be laid off.

Following the decision, India’s cricket team media manager Nishant Arora resigned from his post. COA member Diana Edulji said that a successor has not been named and that the COA had instructed only for the closure of the Delhi office, “We had just said that President’ s Office in Delhi should be shut down and all those recruited in Delhi office will need to go,” she said.

“We never named Nishant but if he is a Delhi Office recruit then he has to go. But if his media manager’s contract is independent of it, then Rahul (BCCI CEO Rahul Johri) takes a final call. Nishant’s replacement will also be decided by Rahul,” Edulji added.

Cricket

Alastair Cook has stepped down as captain of the England Test team after 59 games in charge, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on Monday.
A friendly cricket match ended in violence as a 14-year-old cricketer died in Bangladesh after he was hit by a stump thrown by an angry batsman during a match between two neighborhood teams, police said Monday. Faisal Hossain was fielding in the southeastern port city of Chittagong when the batsman was given out, “The batsman was furious when he saw that he was stumped or bowled out. He grabbed a stump and threw it in the air. The stump hit part of the neck and head of Faisal who was fielding close to the wicket,” police commissioner Jehangir Alam was quoted as saying.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson warned the Australians, who will be touring India at the end of February that they won’t have it easy, and stressed the need to adapt quickly, “It’s a very tough place to tour. Australia are a very good side and they’ll have to adapt quickly, and well,” Williamson said.
Australia are confident that they will have a fully-fit Matthew Wade for the upcoming tour of India and that they won’t fill another slot with a backup keeper, coach Darren Lehmann was quoted as saying. “He’ll be fine. He’s got on the plane. If there was any doubt, he wasn’t going to get on the plane. So that’s a good thing,” Lehmann said.
Veteran Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan stated that his side ready for the challenge to face India in the one-off Test starting on February 9th, “Everyone is up for the challenge. We know it is not easy and India are the No.1 team at the mo ment and at home they are unbeatable. It will be diffi cult for us but that is why we play cricket - for the challenge and to do well,” The 29-year-old was quoted as saying.
A uniform Decision Review System will be used across all three formats of the game from October 2017, “The Chief Executives’ Committee agreed to the principle of a consistent use of DRS technology across all international cricket,” the ICC said in a release, reported ESPNCricinfo.
In the practice match between India A and Bangladesh at Hyderabad, Priyank Panchal, Shreyas Iyer and Vijay Shankar slammed hundreds. Bangladesh made a strong comeback with their openers Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar getting off to fluent starts in the second innings.

Football

Cameroon registered a comeback-from-behind 2-1 win against Egypt in the final of the African Cup of Nations after a 15-year wait. Vincent Aboubakar scored the winner two minutes from time.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has put an end to the rumours suggesting that he is looking to move out of the Etihad, stating that he will stay at the club and fight for his place. The Argentine has been overlooked from the starting lineup of City in recent weeks.
Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel labelled his side’s form “embarrassing” and said that his side could face the drop if their miserable title defence continues, “We’re the reigning champions but quite frankly it’s been terrible,” the 30-year-old said.
Reflecting at the start of his Chelsea tenure, coach Antonio Conte stated that he didn’t like the style of play that was on display during his side’s initial run of wins before slumping to defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal, “The start of the season was a delicate, but not tragic, period: we won three matches at the start, but I didn’t like the way we had won them,” ESPNFC was quoted as saying.
Alakhpura FC were held to a 1-1 draw by Jeppiaar IT FC in the Indian Women’s League at the Ambedkar Stadium in New Delhi on Monday.

Badminton

PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal have been named in India’s squad for the inaugural Asia Mixed Team Championships, scheduled to be held in Vietnam from February 14-19, PTI reported.

Tennis

Great Britain won their Davis Cup tie against Canada after teenager Denis Shapovalov was penalised for hitting a ball into the face of the chair umpire, Arnaud Gabas. The scores were level 2-2 before the decision was taken.