News Headline
TV channels to petition Pawar on ‘cricketer-speak’ ban
MUMBAI / NEW DELHI: Indian cricket just doesn’t seem to get off the limelight.
Now, various TV channels will be meeting Indian cricket bosses over a ban on individual players doing special shows and interviews on telly.
“We are slated to meet Sharad Pawar (president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India) tomorrow on the issue and discuss the futility of such a ban at a time when a cricket series is about to begin,” Rajdeep Sardesai, editor-in-chief of the newly launched CNN-IBN news channel, told Indiantelevision.com today.
According to Sardesai, whose father Dilip Sardesai represented India innumerable times in the 1960s and 1970s on the cricket field, the timing of the ban is wrong.
CNN-IBN signed a deal with ace spinner Anil Kumble for special interviews as part its cricket dispatches from Pakistan. It has also roped in cricketing legend Kapil Dev and Imran Khan for a cricket show.
“If the BCCI wants to put such clamps on cricketers, it should do it with a prospective effect for future series. It should not be done just before a series is beginning and TV channels have concluded agreements with several players,” he adds, outlining the line of argument that would be taken by channels in their meeting with cricket officials.
The Indian cricket team is presently in Pakistan, warming up to the local conditions before the big duel with its arch-rival, which always is a big draw in the Indian subcontinent for the public and sponsors.
Media reports indicate that before the tour started, cricketers like Harbhajan Singh, Kumble and Virender Sehwag had entered into deals with Aaj Tak, CNN-IBN and Channel7, respectively for special and extra sound bytes.
However, reports also say the Indian players were issued letters by the BCCI a day before they left for Pakistan barring them to do such activities, putting some in a quandary.
Such measures, as pointed out by a senior cricket official of the media committee, are part of BCCI’s efforts to “regulate” mushrooming TV interviews and signed articles in newspapers by cricketers.
But critics counter-punch that these measures are nothing more than gagging cricketers from expressing their minds on cricket and cricket-related affairs, which have a penchant for becoming controversial. Especially when millions of rupees are involved.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
