Shaw meets Tendulkar, Nehra backs Pant for WC and more - Cricket News Today, 14th February 2019

Welcome to our now familiar Cricket News Today - a daily segment which covers all interesting developments from the world of cricket.

Among the major news of the day, Indian opener Prithvi Shaw has reportedly met the legendary Sachin Tendulkar for a motivational session aimed at rejuvenating his focus.

Meanwhile, former Indian seamer Ashish Nehra has urged the selectors to include Rishabh Pant in the squad for the 2019 World Cup. Citing the left-hander's ability to shift gears with ease, the erstwhile pacer exuded high praise for the wicket-keeper batsman.

Here are all of today's top news from the cricket world.

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Warne wants Ponting to be removed as IPL team coach

Ricky Ponting will be Australia's assistant coach for the 2019 World Cup

Iconic Australian spinner Shane Warne has urged the authorities to reconsider the appointment of former national teammate Ricky Ponting as Delhi Capitals' head coach.

Citing the example of Indian team coach Ravi Shastri who has not been permitted to involve himself with the IPL anymore, Warne attributed Ponting's coaching stint with Delhi Capitals as a potential conflict of interest to his role as assistant coach of the Australian team.

Read more on Warne's views regarding Ponting's IPL stint here

"Look, Virat Kohli is the captain of a team and Rohit Sharma is the captain of another side. They will have players from other countries who are bound for the World Cup. So that does not bother me. But on the first point, (and) this is not for me to say, but if the BCCI decides Ravi Shastri cannot be part of the IPL, then I don’t see how Ricky can be,” Warne told Mumbai Mirror.

Wasim Jaffer urges young cricketers to inculcate T20 skills in their game

Wasim Jaffer is the all-time leading run-scorer in Ranji Trophy

Wasim Jaffer's name is synonymous with Indian first-class cricket. With more than 11,000 runs to his tally, he is the leading run-scorer in the history of Ranji Trophy. He also played 31 Tests for India and amassed 1944 runs at the highest level.

However, Jaffer has cautioned young cricketers against modelling their game on technically-accomplished players like himself as well as the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. Instead, the veteran opener has urged aspiring cricketers to hone their T20 skills in order to get noticed through the IPL pathway.

"It would be foolish for any young cricketer to follow us (himself, Pujara and Rahane). We played in a time where there was hardly any T20 cricket, but nowadays there is so much T20 cricket. They might play like us, but they need to have T20 skills in them also", Jaffer told rediff.com.

The stalwart added, "They know if they don't play the IPL, they won't get too far. The IPL gives them the benchmark for them to get picked for the Indian team. You can't blame them because you need to have T20 skills otherwise you are not going to play too much cricket."

Nehra calls for Pant's inclusion in India's World Cup squad

Rishabh Pant has had an impressive start to his India career

Former pacer Ashish Nehra has called upon the Indian selectors to include Rishabh Pant in their squad for the 2019 World Cup. Alluding to the left-hander's hard-hitting ability, the 39-year-old believes that the young batsman can be India's X-factor during the mega event in England & Wales.

Labelling Pant as a potential match-winner in the mould of proven performers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, Nehra has urged the think tank to utilise the wicket-keeper batsman's ability to hit sixes almost at will.

Read more on Nehra's views on Pant's World Cup prospects here

"In a team, there will always be contributors but at a big event like the World Cup, you need players with X-factor. Rishabh Pant is not a mere contributor but a pure match-winner who should be picked for the World Cup," Nehra told PTI.

The erstwhile seamer from Delhi added, "If it comes to effortlessly hitting sixes, Rishabh comes second only to Rohit Sharma with his big-hitting ability. India will need that in abundance during the World Cup. No disrespect, this team has three clear match-winners and they are Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah. For me, the fourth one is going to be Rishabh Pant."

Prithvi Shaw meets Sachin Tendulkar for motivational talk

Prithvi Shaw is currently undergoing rehabilitation for the ankle injury he suffered in Australia

Indian opener Prithvi Shaw has reportedly met batting icon Sachin Tendulkar for a pep talk to resharpen his focus towards the game. According to reports in the Mumbai Mirror, the 19-year-old batsman underwent a counseling session at the former skipper's residence in Bandra.

Shaw made his Test debut in the home series against West Indies last year. He hammered scores of 134, 70 and 33* to mark his potential with the bat. He was drafted into the Indian squad for the away series in Australia.

However, Shaw suffered an ankle injury while attempting a catch during the warm-up match against Cricket Australia XI. As a result, he was ruled out of the entire tour.

Since then, Shaw has been undergoing rehabilitation for the injury. He remains hopeful of returning to action for Delhi Capitals during the 2019 edition of the Indian Premier League.