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NEW DELHI: Former Australia batter Usman Khawaja has publicly come out in support of Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq after controversy erupted during the second T20I between Australia and Pakistan last week. The issue began when Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, after getting out to Tariq, was seen making a gesture on live television that many viewers interpreted as suggesting “chucking”.
The clip quickly went viral and sparked heated debate on social media. Usman Tariq, 28, has faced scrutiny over his bowling action in the past. His action was reported twice during the Pakistan Super League, but on both occasions he was cleared after undergoing official testing. Despite this, Green’s gesture reopened the discussion, with opinions sharply divided online. Khawaja, who retired from international cricket after the fifth Ashes Test in January 2026, stepped in to defend the Pakistani spinner. Taking to Instagram Stories, he urged fans to show restraint and empathy. “There aren’t many things worse than being called a chucker in cricket. The stigma is real. The man is just doing his best and has been cleared twice. Let’s have some perspective and understanding and stop jumping to conclusions,” he wrote. Tariq himself has earlier explained the reason behind his action. He said a biological condition in his elbow makes it difficult to fully straighten his arm, which can sometimes look misleading to spectators. “There are two corners on my elbow which make it hard for me to straighten. That causes confusion for the spectators. I have given two tests at labs in Pakistan. My action was cleared,” Tariq said. He added, “I was confident about my action because I know that I am not throwing.” On the field, Tariq has delivered solid performances. In his lone T20I appearance against Australia, he picked up figures of 2/16. He is part of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad and is expected to play a key role when the tournament begins on February 7 against the Netherlands. Pakistan recently swept a depleted Australian side 3-0 in the T20I series, after which both teams travelled to Sri Lanka for the World Cup, leaving the controversy behind but the debate still alive.
NEW DELHI: Air India Monday grounded one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner (VT-ANX) after the crew operating this aircraft from London to Bengaluru reported an issue with the locking mechanism of the fuel control switch. Boeing says it is “in contact with AI and supporting their review of this matter.”
The aircraft had taken off from London at 9.19 pm Sunday from Heathrow and landed in Bengaluru Monday 11.54 am (all timings local). Airline sources say the pilot observed an issue with the switch after landing and reported the same. However according to Safety Matters Foundation: “On Feb 2, 2026, during the operation of Air India Flight AI132 (London Heathrow to Bengaluru), the crew reported abnormal behaviour of the LEFT engine fuel control switch on Boeing 787 VT-ANX. During engine start, the switch failed to remain locked in the RUN position on two attempts, moving towards CUTOFF—a malfunction that could, under specific conditions, lead to an inadvertent engine shutdown in flight.”
“Left fuel control switch slips from on to cut off when pushed down slightly. It does not lock in its position,” says the pilot in his report filed with the airline.This development assumes significance as on June 12, 2025, an AI B787 (VT-ANB) operating as AI 171 had crashed in Ahmedabad seconds after take off killing 260 people, because of fuel supply to its engines drying up as the switch had moved from run to cut off. It is not yet conclusively known why the switch was cut off — whether due to a mechanical fault or otherwise.Also read| Air India plane crash: What are the fuel control switches under scrutiny? What they do and why they matterAbout the Bengaluru grounding, AI said in a statement: “We are aware that one of our pilots has reported a possible defect on the fuel control switch of a Boeing 787-8 aircraft. After receiving this initial information, we have grounded the said aircraft and are involving the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to get the pilot’s concerns checked on a priority basis. The matter has been communicated to the aviation regulator, DGCA. Air India had checked the fuel control switches on all Boeing 787 aircraft in its fleet after a directive from the DGCA, and had found no issues. At Air India, the safety of our passengers and crew remains top priority.”The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is probing this latest scare and has sought information from the airline. Comments have been sought from Boeing as well.Boeing Dreamliner’s Fuel control switches came into sharp focus after the Ahmedabad crash. “In the cockpit voice recording, one of the pilots is heard asking the other why did he cutoff (the fuel control switch). The other pilot responded that he did not do so,” says AI 171 crash preliminary investigation report of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.After the crash, AI had checked the fuel control switches of all its Dreamliners and had found no issues with them. Aviation safety expert Captain Amit Singh said: “What makes this (Monday scare) deeply troubling is not only that it happened, but that it occurred after Air India publicly stated it had conducted precautionary checks across its 787 fleet and found no issues. This raises urgent questions: Were the checks thorough? Is this a new, recurring defect? Passengers and crews deserve unambiguous answers.”Singh’s Safety matters Foundation said in a statement, “This incident is especially alarming as it mirrors a known risk previously identified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In 2018, the FAA issued safety alert for operators, explicitly warning that certain fuel control switches, including those on Boeing 787s, could malfunction in this exact manner, increasing the risk of accidental engine shutdown. The FAA recommended inspection and replacement of affected units.”
The cricketing world is currently buzzing with off-field drama as the lead-up to the World Cup takes a geopolitical turn. Australia’s T20 captain, Mitchell Marsh, found himself in the crosshairs of a sensitive diplomatic query during a recent press conference, but the seasoned all-rounder showed exactly why he’s a leader by choosing to stay firmly in his cricketing bubble. As rumours of a potential Pakistan boycott or forfeit against India continue to circulate, Marsh has made it clear that the Australian camp has no intention of getting sidelined by the noise.
The tension stems from the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) recent hints at a potential withdrawal from their high-stakes clash against India. This comes in the wake of Bangladesh’s absence from the tournament, having been replaced by Scotland after the ICC rejected a request to move matches out of India due to security concerns. For Marsh, however, the focus remains on the trophy, not the tally of political disputes.
When pressed by a Pakistani journalist regarding the claim that Pakistan might forfeit their match against India, Marsh was clinical in his dismissal during post-match press conference.
:I don’t really have a comment on that at this point in time. We are going to the World Cup, so we are just focusing on the World Cup and what we are doing. All of that stuff will take care of itself.” Mitchell Marsh said.
The journalist further probed about Bangladesh’s absence from the tournament, seeking a sympathetic or controversial take, but Marsh remained unmoved. He reiterated that his responsibility lies with the safety and performance of the Australian squad.
“The same goes for my previous answer. We are going to the World Cup to try to win it. We are solely focused on that. As the Australian team, we trust the people who are in place to keep us safe,” Marsh concluded.
The stakes for such a forfeit are astronomical. The India-Pakistan fixture is the crown jewel of ICC events, and a cancellation could result in a staggering loss of ₹200–250 crore in advertising revenue for broadcasters. While the ICC has warned the PCB of punitive sanctions and financial penalties, Marsh’s refusal to engage highlights a professional boundary that teams are increasingly setting to avoid being used as pawns in administrative battles.
Mitchell Marsh’s response on Pakistan boycotting their clash against India and Bangladesh not participating in the #T20WorldCup
VC: PCB #Cricket | #Pakistan | #MitchellMarsh | #India pic.twitter.com/1KEpFsGyYb
— Khel Shel (@khelshel) February 1, 2026
Also READ: Sunil Gavaskar demands ICC to take action against PCB’s boycott of India match in T20 World Cup 2026
While Marsh is successfully dodging questions in the press room, his team is currently looking for answers on the pitch. The Australian side is reeling from a challenging recent bilateral series where they were swept clean by Pakistan. This rare whitewash on home soil (or neutral territory) has given the Men in Green a massive psychological edge heading into the global tournament.
Pakistan’s bowling attack exploited the bounce and pace, leaving the Australian top order searching for answers. This series victory has bolstered Pakistan’s confidence as they prepare for their opening campaign against the Netherlands on February 7 in Colombo, followed by fixtures against the USA and Namibia.
For Australia, the focus now shifts from the disappointment of the sweep to the prestige of the World Cup. If Pakistan decides not to show up for the toss against India, India will be awarded a walkover and two points, a scenario the ICC is desperate to avoid. As for Marsh, he knows that while talk is cheap, the points on the board are what will define Australia’s summer.
AHMEDABAD: A student’s suicide, the emotional note he left behind and the alleged circumstances leading up to the incident have rocked Nadiad. Jay Vijaykumar Patil, 21, a first-year nursing student of Dinsha Patel Nursing College in Nadiad, was found hanging at his residence in the town’s Manjipura area on Monday. In his suicide note addressed to his mother, Jay wrote he had never body-shamed any female professor as alleged and that he was being wrongly framed.Jay had enrolled for the nursing course just three months ago, in Oct. In the note, now in police custody as part of the investigations, he expressed deep distress over being misunderstood and humiliated, writing that he was being blamed without proof and that he was not the kind who would not accept punishment for any mistake. His father, Vijay Patil, has levelled serious allegations against the college administration, claiming that his son was deliberately isolated and placed under pressure. He told police that he was called to the college a few days before the incident and warned that his son’s conduct was “under watch”, and that authorities threatened to issue a leaving certificate if there was no “improvement”“The teachers isolated my son. He was under extreme pressure for the last three days and had slipped into depression,” Vijay said, demanding strict legal action against those responsible for pushing his son to take the extreme step.College authorities denied any wrongdoing, saying there had been complaints about Jay and teachers intervened when “boundaries were crossed.” Virendra Jain, principal of the nursing college, said the college management has constituted a high-level internal inquiry committee after the suicide and has recorded statements of all teaching staff, including those of three female professors who regularly handled the class. The college claimed that had been complaints regarding Jay’s discipline and that he submitted written apologies on three occasions for alleged misconduct. “Two days before the incident, the college held a meeting with the student’s mother. We tried to counsel the student and resolve the issue amicably,” Jain said, adding, “When boundaries are crossed in student-teacher interactions, teachers intervene. Whether this amounted to corrective action or mental harassment will be determined by the inquiry committee.” Nadiad town police are investigating the case as an accidental death. Mobile phone records are being examined, and statements of family members and college staff are being recorded.
A special NIA court in Delhi on Monday transferred the case against Kashmiri separatist Aasiya Andrabi back to the judge who had convicted her on terror charges under UAPA and for IPC offences as well, holding that the “judge who delivered the conviction must also decide the sentencing”.Special Judge Chanderjit Singh was transferred from the NIA court to the Karkardooma courts in Nov 2025 but as the judgment in the case was pending, he took the case file with him for pronouncing the verdict.On Monday, special judge (NIA) Prashant Sharma noted that Judge Chanderjit Singh, though now posted at Karkardooma Courts, had “extensively heard” the matter, including final arguments, and had “examined the record threadbare” before convicting the accused on Jan 15.Judge Sharma recorded that he joined the NIA court after Nov 20, 2025, whereas Judge Singh had been hearing the case since 2024 and pronounced the guilty verdict on Jan 14. Sharma also noted he received the case file only after Jan 16, by which time final arguments had already been concluded before Judge Singh.The Delhi high court, in an order dated July 15, 2025, had ruled judges who reserve judgments must pronounce them within weeks of their transfer.Andrabi who founded the all-women separatist group Dukhtaraan-e-Millat (DeM) in 1987, was arrested in April 2018. The group was subsequently banned.
NEW DELHI: The Bangladesh High Court has raised serious questions over the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s handling of women players’ safety, especially in cases linked to sexual harassment. On Monday, the court issued a rule asking why the failure of the BCB and concerned authorities to provide a safe and gender-sensitive environment for women cricketers should not be declared “unlawful, without lawful authority, and against public interest.”
According to a report from Bangladesh-based media outlet Daily Star, the court also ordered the BCB to immediately follow its anti-sexual harassment policy in line with earlier court guidelines. Until the case is decided, the board must submit a report explaining what steps it has taken to implement these measures.The order came after a writ petition filed by former national shooter Sabrina Sultana. The High Court bench of Justice Ahmed Sohel and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the directive after hearing the petition.According to the petitioner’s lawyer, Barrister Nasiruddin Ahmed Asim, allegations of sexual harassment were raised involving Jahanara Alam, the former captain of the Bangladesh women’s cricket team. Following the complaint, the BCB formed a three-member independent inquiry committee, which was later expanded to five members. However, no report has been made public so far.The BCB reportedly delayed submitting the committee’s findings twice. The report was due on January 31, but there is still no clarity on whether it has been submitted at all. This delay and lack of transparency led to dissatisfaction over how the matter was handled.Because of these concerns, Sabrina Sultana approached the High Court, seeking firm directions to protect women athletes and ensure accountability. After an initial hearing, the court issued both the rule and the interim order.
MUMBAI: India’s charter aviation sector has grown steadily, filling a crucial gap left by airlines by connecting smaller towns & airports. But industry insiders say safety compliance across non-scheduled operators is uneven and often weaker than airline standards. Implementation of pilots’ flight duty time limits, maintenance standards & weather-related decision-making vary widely between operatorsCharter flying offers speed, flexibility and access to places far beyond an airline’s scheduled network, making it the fastest way to reach remote destinations. But this convenience, which is the very core that defines charter operations, also exposes a fundamental difference in how safety is prioritised. Unlike in airline operations, decisions on whether to operate or land are often taken closer to the cockpit, where passenger urgency and convenience can weigh heavily, sometimes pushing safety to the second place.“Non-scheduled flights carry high-net-worth passengers with a fixed objective, an event, a meeting, a function. That creates immense pressure on pilots to land at the intended destination at all costs, even when diversion would be the safer option,” said Capt Manoj Hathi, former senior flight operations inspector at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Parliament panel on Ajit Pawar’s death
Capt R K Bali of the Business Aircraft Operators Association said India’s non-scheduled aircraft operators have a fleet of about 300 aircraft. “The need of the hour is a pre-flight open, clear communication between pilot and the passenger. The pilot should carry out an objective assessment of the risk involved for a given flight and brief the passenger especially when flying into a small uncontrolled airport with no landing aids in marginal weather conditions. The pilot should be under no duress from anyone to make the landing, because ultimately the buck stops at the pilot”.But that is often not the case. A senior pilot spoke about the pressure the crew comes under. “When a politician travels by road, traffic is stopped, junctions sealed and inconvenience is imposed on everyone else in the name of the VIP safety. When the same politician travels by air, the inconvenience quietly shifts to rest solely on the pilot. A chartered aircraft is expected to get in and get out, often to small airfields and on tight timelines because a meeting, a rally or a public appearance cannot be missed.”Then there are other aspects that influence the safety standards in charter aircraft operations. Unlike scheduled airlines, where pilot flight duty time limitations are tightly monitored and crew can be replaced at short notice, charter operations operate with limited manpower. “There is an expectation that you should be able to fly whenever you want. Passengers are frequently late, and replacement crew are rarely available except at the main base,” said Capt Hathi. Irregular schedules also impact pilot proficiency. Charter pilots often lack the consistency that airline crew benefit from, affecting skill retention and operational discipline. The sector also struggles to retain experienced flight crew. “Many first officers and captains see charter flying as a steppingstone to airlines. Attrition is high. Many captains are older, retired from airlines, or were not selected elsewhere,” said an operator.Capt Hathi said, “Training infrastructure is another weak point. Most non-scheduled operators do not have dedicated training departments comparable to airlines, largely due to cost constraints. Refresher training and procedural updates are often left to self-study. The problem is compounded when operators maintain multiple aircraft types within small fleets, making standardisation of procedures difficult.”Short-notice flights such as medical evacuations or emergency travel add another layer of complexity. “There is often insufficient time for proper briefing or preparation,” said a source. Compounding this, pilots in charter operations are responsible for tasks that airlines distribute across multiple departments. Flight preparation, loading calculations, technical documentation and coordination are often handled solely by pilots, meaning their effective duty begins hours before the recorded reporting time. These factors create a system where compliance depends heavily on individual operators and pilots rather than institutional safeguards as is the case with airlines.
