"There are only three things on my mind right now - cricket, cricket, cricket," Mohammad Azharuddin said after becoming the new Hyderabad Cricket Association president on Friday with a landslide victory, in which his team swept all six apex council seats on offer.

The former India captain and member of parliament was not allowed to contest for the president's post in January 2017 as his nomination papers were not accepted by the election officers, who were unsure about Azharuddin's status because of the BCCI life ban that was imposed on him in 2000 for match-fixing (struck down by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in 2012). This time, there was no stopping him.

"We will have to restructure everything and turn things around," Azharuddin told the Deccan Chronicle newspaper. "Look at the state of Gymkhana ground, it's left for the cows to graze. We need to get to the grassroots and unearth talent now.

"The members have done their job, mine starts now. I know it won't be easy but I will give my best to revive the game which has suffered a lot in the last three years. We will seek support from all the club secretaries and take the game forward. Their suggestions as well as those of cricket enthusiasts will be more than welcome."

Azharuddin had no involvement in cricket-related matters after the life ban and became a politician in 2009. His initial attempts of challenging the ban were unsuccessful but in 2012, a division bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court ruled the BCCI ban illegal. He recalled the beginning of his Test career, which saw him slam three centuries in his first three Tests in 1984-85.

"Just a bit," he said when asked if he was as nervous getting into cricket administration as he was when making his Test debut. "Back then I had worked very hard for close to 15 years to get into the Indian team and was very nervous when I played my first Test. Here, we worked as a team and campaigned hard and knew the result straightaway.

"There are tense moments in any election, as I know anything can happen - having contested two general elections - but I was confident I would win this one. It's a big victory though.

Looking ahead in his new avatar, Azharuddin said, "I am really looking forward to BCCI meetings because I have so much to offer, having played the game for quite a while. I have represented the BCCI on teams but now to deal with the board as an administrator will be different - this should be much easier than playing."

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has decided to raise the beep-test requirement at the domestic level in a bid to address the overall drop in fitness levels among Bangladesh men's players. The national selectors recently instructed the first-class teams to only pick players who reach at least 11 on the test, an increase by two levels from last season when a fitness test first became mandatory.

"We have noticed that the fitness of the national players are very poor," Nazmul Hassan, the BCB president, said. "The coach [Russell Domingo] asked, 'What sort of fitness is this? I have never seen such fitness of players in South Africa'. We cannot suddenly increase the fitness-level requirements. We cannot reach the mark of 13 points [in the beep test] or even go above that.

"So, there has been a decision regarding this, that if we keep the fitness acceptance levels so low in the domestic or lower-tier competitions from where the players get into the national side, then naturally the players in the national side will only score nine or ten in the beep test. Now let's see. We have taken the decision after considering everything. I think we have to improve the fitness."

But the new requirement, made known to the cricketers three weeks prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, has not gone down well with some. Tushar Imran, the leading first-class run-scorer, said it was unfair on the part of the selectors to impose it so close to the season.

"I am always prepared to take up a challenge," Tushar told Prothom Alo, "but it is not fair to say that we can't play if we can't reach 11. Cricket is our bread and butter. It is going to be difficult for a lot of cricketers.

"A lot of 'super-fit' players from the senior side are not scoring a lot of runs or taking wickets. What will the selectors do with them? [But] we are prepared to take the challenge, because it is our livelihood."

Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful argued that only players in the national side or in the high-performance camp will get the necessary facilities to raise their fitness levels.

"It wouldn't have been any problem to get 11 if we were given proper training facilities in the off-season," he said. "I got 11.5 last year, but these facilities are only available to the national team, the high-performance side and the Under-23 team. I remain hopeful that I can do 11.5 this year too, since I never had fitness concerns when playing for Bangladesh."

Shuvagata Hom, a domestic star who has played 17 international matches, said that if a certain fitness level was set as a requirement, the domestic players should have been given more time to be prepared for it.

"It is going to be difficult for players outside the national set-up," Hom said, "because we hardly get seven to ten days of training for the first-class competition. We don't get to do long fitness camps, which would have helped us reach that stage in fitness when asked to take this beep test at a short notice."

The first-class sides will announce their squads after the fitness test, which is likely to be held on October 1. The National Cricket League begins on October 5.

Stumps Board President's XI 265 for 8 (Bharat 71, Panchal 60, Lad 52*, Agarwal 39, Maharaj 3-35, Philander 2-27) drew with South Africans 279 for 6 dec (Markram 100, Bavuma 87*, Philander 48, Jadeja 3-66)

Keshav Maharaj and Vernon Philander provided early warning signs for the Indian Test batsmen after Temba Bavuma and Philander added good runs on the third and final morning of the South Africans' tour game against an Indian Board President's XI in Vizianagaram, which petered out into a draw on Saturday.

A major point of interest from the Indian perspective was to see how Rohit Sharma fared as an opening batsman. Unfortunately for Rohit, his stay in the middle lasted just two balls as Philander had him out caught for a duck.

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It was 23 for 2 rather quickly as Kagiso Rabada sent back Abhimanyu Easwaran, the No. 3 batsman, for 13, But Mayank Agarwal and Priyank Panchal steadied the ship with a 62-run stand for the third wicket. Agarwal, expected to open in the Tests, scored 39 before becoming Maharaj's first victim, and after Panchal had fallen to Philander for 60, Maharaj got his second, the in-form Karun Nair gone for 19.

At that stage, with the scoreboard reading 136 for 5, the Indians looked in danger of folding for a below-par total, but Siddhesh Lad and KS Bharat repaired the damage with a 100-run stand in just 20 overs.

Even as Lad bedded in, though not while missing out on scoring opportunities, Bharat took the aggressive route to hit seven fours and five sixes in a 57-ball 71 before Maharaj sent him back.

Jalaj Saxena and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja were also dismissed towards the fag end of the day, falling to the spin of Senuran Muthusamy and Dane Piedt respectively. The Indians were still 14 runs behind with two wickets left - Lad was still there on 52 not out - when the two teams decided to call off the contest.

The third day began with the visitors on 199 for 5 in their first innings - the first day was entirely lost to the weather and only 50 overs of play was possible on the second, within which Aiden Markram scored a century - with Bavuma on 55.

Bavuma, expected to be the pivot around which the South African stroke-players revolve in the Tests, picked up his scoring rate somewhat, getting to 87 in 127 balls as he and Philander added 80 runs in 14 overs. Philander was even more enterprising, hitting six fours and a six in his 49-ball 48 before becoming left-arm spinner Jadeja's third scalp.

The first Test begins in Visakhapatnam on October 2.

The BCCI has reworked the schedule for the rain-affected Vijay Hazare Trophy 2019-20, while still keeping some room for further allowances for bad weather. ESPNcricinfo had reported that a schedule change was in the works for Group B in Vadodara and the Plate Group in Dehradun, after the Group A games in Bengaluru were rejigged.

ALSO READ: Rain-affected games in Bengaluru leg of Vijay Hazare Trophy rescheduled

That allowance made in the reschedule for further rain-affected games will prove crucial with matches on Saturday being hit by the weather once again.

ESPNcricinfo understands that a provision was made in the new schedule that if there are more than three matches abandoned before October 8, they will be fitted in as far as possible from October 9 to 17, but in such a way that no team has to play more than two back-to-back games. If no suitable slots can be found for a match(es), it (they) will stay 'abandoned'.

All three matches in the new schedule, effective from September 28, for Group B in Vadodara were abandoned on Saturday without a ball being bowled, meaning that not a single game has produced a result in the city so far.

There was no play on September 24 and 26 in Vadodara and on September 25 all three matches had to be abandoned midway. Those nine games are part of the new schedule, though with the weather continuing to be bleak in Vadodara, getting all of them completed may yet prove to be a challenge.

Reworking the schedule for games in Group B in Vadodara has proved particularly tricky, with some of the grounds available only after specific days, and it needed more than one iteration to arrive at the final order of play. That exercise meant the reworked schedule for Group B took longer to come out, to the extent that even players seemed unaware till late on Friday who they would be playing the next day. ESPNcricinfo spoke to a number of players from Group B in the second half on Friday, but none of them were aware of the tweaks made.

As for the Plate Group, it is understood that any further games that get abandoned won't be rescheduled as there are no reserve days in this group.

Five years ago, few would have put money on KL Rahul being a white-ball destroyer. He grew up listening to the virtues of playing straight, leaving the ball, occupying the crease and blunting the new ball. And when he made his first-class debut in 2010-11, everyone, including Rahul Dravid, heaped praises on his old-school principles. Even then, there was little doubt he was a superb timer of the cricket ball.

Now, as he looks to resurrect a career that is at the crossroads, the T20 instincts many believe have trickled into his muscle memory, have made him vulnerable against the moving ball. As a direct consequence, his Test numbers have fallen - an average of 34.58 in 60 innings - and they do no justice to a player of his ability. He's been told in no uncertain terms that 'big runs', perhaps of the kind his best friend Mayank Agarwal made two seasons ago, are needed. The early signs are promising, albeit in white-ball cricket. On Saturday, his List A best of 131 propelled Karnataka to their second consecutive win as they beat Kerala.

In a domestic one-day competition, as an experienced batsman, your first instinct is to attack. However, you could have forgiven him for being confused on Saturday. Does he play for the side? Does he play for his form? Does he play according to the conditions? Does he stick to his natural game? In his first outing against Jharkhand on Thursday, he wasted a start, out for 29 after doing all the hard work.

Against Kerala, conditions were ripe for fast bowling. Extravagant swing, extravagant seam. The curator would've bargained for a bit of both, but the wet weather over the past fortnight hasn't allowed much preparation time. On an overcast morning where the ball kept swinging and the moisture didn't dry out, Rahul was up against it the moment his former opening partner and Kerala captain, Robin Uthappa, who knows a thing or two about the Chinnaswamy deck, elected to bowl and subjected Karnataka to an examination.

"Once I got set, wanted to make sure I carry on longer because we were only playing five specialist batsmen and three allrounders," Rahul said after the match. "My plan was to bat till 40-45 overs, and I wanted to stick to that. I just want to stay disciplined with my shot selection, get time in the middle and enjoy my batting again. I haven't been in the middle for a while, so just wanted to enjoy spending that time."

Rahul was edgy upfront, unmistakably. Sandeep Warrier, looking to build on a memorable 2018-19 season, kept hitting the seam with great frequency. His first spell read: 5-2-15-2, accounting for the wickets of Devdutt Padikkal and KV Siddharth. What made it even more challenging for Rahul was that Warrier got the ball to nip back in and also hold its line. He kept playing and missing, he was meeting the ball a little high on the bat, he was getting square on to full deliveries. He wasn't leaning into the drives for an apparent fear of nicking behind. The first 30 minutes were a struggle.

At the other end, he had the nippy Basil Thampi and KM Asif, both capable of bowling 140kph to contend with. Where Warrier bowled length and slightly back-of-length, Thampi erred on the fuller side. And on the stumps. Rahul let his hand-eye coordination take over, flicking disdainfully. When he went full out on middle-and-off again, Rahul effortlessly lofted him through the line over cover for six.

For someone who admittedly doesn't sometimes give himself a chance to breathe, Rahul was full of intent, even while leaving deliveries once he saw off Warrier's first spell - a slight change from his most recent avatar in the Caribbean where Shannon Gabriel kept troubling him with bounce and pace leading to him often playing indecisively at the ball. Here, he was clear about wanting to occupy the crease, even as Manish Pandey came in and waltzed to three boundaries in his first five balls. This helped Rahul quickly slip into the role of a second fiddle.

If the first 30 minutes were about finding his feet, the next hour was about ensuring he didn't throw it away. Until he got to his half-century, he wasn't predetermining shots. He was - as the old cliché goes - playing to the merit. There were flashes of frustration when he was beaten attempting cut shots to deliveries that weren't all that short, but his picking of lengths got better as the innings progressed.

"Batting here in the first 10-15 overs in a day game is quite a challenge, it's like playing out the first session with the red ball," Rahul said. "I need to work on my game, so this [batting early on] is a good challenge. I have to stay a lot more disciplined and can't get ahead of the game. I don't think it's just a cakewalk to come and get runs here, you still have to work hard."

In between the struggle, he'd time and again play some of the most breathtaking shots, even if they wouldn't give him boundaries. He slapped length deliveries from Asif over cover, used a full forward stride to drive against the turn against Vinoop Manoharan and even played the pull off Warrier in his second spell.

The first half-century came off 68 balls, and he took just 40 to bring up the next fifty runs. There were no nerves in the 90s either; he sailed through by crashing two boundaries on 91 and then jogging to bring up his sixth List-A century. As his team-mates applauded, Rahul simply lifted his right hand to acknowledge them. With 12 overs remaining, here was his chance to kick on and make a big hundred.

Now, the proper white-ball destroyer surfaced. He welcomed Warrier for his third spell with two disdainful hits for six. The first was an effortless loft to clear extra cover and the next - typical of a fast bowler snarling in after being hit for six - was a short ball that he clubbed over wide long-on. The let-off on 114, when Sachin Baby couldn't hold on to a one-handed attempt at cover was the only reprieve in his innings. Eventually, he was out playing for the team's cause, but not before he'd brought up his highest List A score, and not before reminding the selectors the quality that they all so often talk about is very much there. Now, for him to marry that with consistency to make a return to the Test squad.

Antonio Brown jabbed back at Baker Mayfield over Twitter on Saturday, after the Cleveland Browns quarterback referenced Brown in an Instagram comment.

Mayfield initially posted a photo of himself on Instagram from when he was at Oklahoma, with the caption, "Just some undersized Walk On ... Keep that same energy.''

Somebody responded, "Win football games. That speaks louder than these AB'ish style posts ..." Mayfield answered with, "you're right... let me call out my teammates and throw a fit about my helmet then go freeze my feet off."

Brown responded by ripping Mayfield on Twitter.

Should of never been drafted before Lamar Jackson what a big scam https://t.co/4Egf0Z05G2

— AB (@AB84) September 28, 2019

Mayfield and the Browns face Jackson and the Ravens on Sunday in Baltimore.

Brown also tweeted about Mayfield, "Sorry ass Chico keep rolling right you ain't done nothing in this league the internet only place u would ever talk too or about me; you know u get beat quick slice u up some humble pie," but later deleted the tweet.

Mayfield isn't the only NFL player Brown has sparred with over Twitter this week. He exchanged barbs with Los Angeles Rams safety Eric Weddle.

U need some attention lil man glad I put that stuff arm in your neck in pittsburgh u deserved it Lil Weedle https://t.co/faWg7v345I

— AB (@AB84) September 26, 2019

Bro I don't even know you don't call me AB that's my NFL name dummy ! I'm not on your team never been shut your mouth Jabroni https://t.co/d729eTVleh

— AB (@AB84) September 26, 2019

Keep you luck duck ; listen to your team stay focus on your opponent not AB ! AB is the brand not the individual! Clearly An AB fan ! Even know about education oh realllyyy https://t.co/rP8tVxCWsP

— AB (@AB84) September 26, 2019

Brown, who has been accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct by two different women, was released by the New England Patriots last week, making him an unrestricted free agent, eligible to sign with any team. The NFL is conducting an investigation into the allegations.

He also is working on a potential grievance to recoup lost earnings from the Oakland Raiders, according to a source. Brown, a wide receiver, lost out on $30 million in guaranteed money when the Raiders cut him Sept. 7, and the NFL Players Association is examining various scenarios to try to return money to Brown.

World sprint relay champion is sure his club-mate and compatriot can shine in the Doha spotlight

Adam Gemili has been thrilled to see the rise of Dina Asher-Smith and believes his ‘little sister’ is more than capable of taking on the world in Doha.

The Blackheath & Bromley sprinters have known each other since Gemili first started out in the sport. Switching his football boots for spikes, he joined Asher-Smith and her coach John Blackie for some sessions at Norman Park in the early days and describes what she has gone on to achieve as “phenomenal”.

After European domination in Berlin last summer and some superb performances this season including a 100m Diamond League win, Gemili knows that there is a certain level of expectation when it comes to what Asher-Smith might achieve at the IAAF World Championships, but the Olympic fourth-placer believes it is nothing she cannot handle.

“Everyone is always obviously putting pressure on her but I don’t feel like she feels that pressure,” says Gemili, who, like Asher-Smith, is set to race the 100m, 200m and 4x100m in Doha. “She races the same whether it is an Olympic final or a women’s league at Norman Park – you know what you’re going to get from her.

“The question is, how fast is she going to go?” he adds. “It’s going to be fast and I’m just so proud of her and excited to see her really go and hopefully win her first medal individually. I won’t tell her that, because it’s never nice to have ‘you’re going to win, you’re going to win’, but I think everyone, and she knows it herself, has that expectation that if she goes and executes, there’s not many women in the world at the moment that can roll with her.”

Indeed, the four-page feature on Asher-Smith in the latest AW magazine, of which she is the cover star, explains how the 23-year-old is embracing expectation.

“Some people would get really overwhelmed but, for me, I think it’s nice in all honesty for them (the fans) to think that I can go on to do great things,” said Asher-Smith, who gets her world championships campaign under way on Saturday afternoon by racing in the 100m heats.

“I’ve actually used some of their expectations to give me more confidence as well because sometimes I do tell myself, ‘you can’t, you can’t’, when really I should be thinking, ‘I can’. So I have taken some of other people’s energy and put it into myself as well.”

Winning the 100m Diamond League trophy with a time just three hundredths outside her British record of 10.85 and being ranked third in the entry lists in both that event and in the 200m with 22.08 is bound to have got fans excited but, whatever Asher-Smith goes on to achieve in Doha, Gemili is sure to have been cheering her all the way.

“She’s like my little sister,” he says. “To see her pushing on, what she has done now, is just phenomenal.”

Check out the dedicated Doha 2019 section on our website here.