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The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Alexander Dennis: ScotGov accused of 'neglect' on firm off to England
A row erupted in the Scottish Parliament in the wake of revelations in the Herald over the depth of the public funding for Scottish jobs over the past ten years - and even while it was cutting back its workforce by a third five years ago. The Herald also revealed how the First Minister was warned about Alexander Dennis was "reconsidering" its "entire investment" in Scotland a year before announcing it plans last week to relocate to England putting 400 jobs at risk. Calls have been made to claw money back money if Alexander Dennis follows through with its plans. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- READ MORE from Martin Williams Swinney got year-long warning England-bound bus firm was 'reconsidering' Scotland FM in funding row as £90m public cash for Scots jobs given to firm going to England Union says 1600 Scots jobs at risk if government doesn't act in 'national interest' ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Scottish Conservative Central Scotland MSP Stephen Kerr told Ms Forbes: "There is £90m of public money went to ADL and yet there was not even a guarantee of jobs. "This crisis didn't come out oft he blue. The SNP governmet was warned for over a year and did nothing. When ADL asked for support they were met with silence. "When Scottish jobs were on the line, the Scottish Government were looking in another direction. "When orders for buses were needed, those orders went to China. "This was not a matter of subsidy control it is strategic neglect." He added: "It is a betrayal of Scottish manufacturing. " The Herald revealed that the row between ministers and ADL emerged over levels of support and had its roots in Scottish Government schemes launched from 2020 to accelerate the use and manufacture of zero and low emission buses in Scotland and 'help drive a green recovery out of the Covid pandemic" which have been worth a total of £155.8m to date. Frustrations emerged after May, 2023 when Alexander Dennis hosted the second phase of the Scottish Government's Zero Emissions Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) which was to have funding worth £58m. It also showcased its Enviro100EV concept, a lightweight single-deck zero-emission bus with new in-house battery powertrain confirmed that grant backing accelerated its development. (Image: PA) In a scathing letter seen by The Herald, Paul Soubry, president and chief executive of Alexander Dennis's parent company NFI, told John Swinney that recent developments had 'regretfully left [them] with the impression that the Scottish Government has little regard for domestic bus manufacturing jobs in Scotland'. The First Minister was also told they had already been 'forced' to offshore certain manufacturing functions to China. But a Scottish Government memo said that ADL had received orders for 363 zero-emission buses from ScotZEB more than any other manufacturer benefitting from the schemes. A separate briefing states that Alexander Dennis was awarded only 17% or 44 buses from second phase of the programme. A significant grant through the ScotZeb 2 programme was awarded to Zenobe, and its consortium of bus and coach operators to support the transition of bus fleets to electric. ADL, which incurred total losses over three years of £44.9m between 2021 and 2023, made its own bid to the programme but was unsuccessful. While ADL was a supplier to the successful consortium it was not a formal part of it. Ms Forbes said that its policy interventions had been designed to "accelerate uptage of zero emission buses in the Scottish market". And she said that the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise had "continued to provide ongoing support to the company, both directly and through support for the adoption of zero emission". She said: "We will work in close collaboration with the company, with trade unions and the UK Government to find practical solutions. Kate Forbes (Image: Colin Mearns) "We are not going to play politics with this situation. We will continue to explore every avenue to avoid job losses. "I recognize that ADL cannot stand still. We want to support the company, to innovate, to bring forward new products that reflect changes in the sector. In this government, we will continue to do all in our power to support Alexander Dennis and their highly skilled workers."
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma absence felt immediately after Team India lands in England: 'Get used to it. Time to witness…'
For the first time since 2011, an England-bound Indian Test team will not feature either Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. The two senior batters announced their retirement from the traditional format last month, leaving the BCCI selectors to pick a new-look Indian side, with Shubman Gill at the helm. But their absence was felt immediately after the Indian side landed in London on Saturday, amid no fans or media at the airport. From the airport to the practice ground, Adelaide had thronged with fans and media when Kohli landed with the Indian team for the tour of Australia last November. The 36-year-old, believed to be playing his final Test series in Australia, had made headlines even before the contest got underway. Such was the hype that Indian team management was forced to conduct a closed-door practice session, forcing fans to climb trees to catch a glimpse of the superstar. But none was seen on Saturday in London after the Gill-led side landed for the five-match Test series, starting June 20. In a video that went viral on social media, Indian journalist Vimal Kumar said, "I did not get to see that hype. Not a single fan or media personnel was seen." While few fans reckoned the aur of Test cricket was gone with the retirement of Kohli and Rohit, some feared it was the "downfall of Indian Test cricket." However, few remained optimistic, saying that the aura would return with Gill getting his bat to do the talking. The first question Gill was asked at the press conference in Mumbai earlier this week before the departure to London, was about the absence of Kohli and Rohit, and the pressure it would put on the young side. But the captain boldly dismissed it, saying it was just like any tough situation they had faced before. "Pressure is always there in every tour. Definitely, two very experienced players who played for such a long time and won so many times, very difficult to fill their space. But it is not a different kind of pressure, all of us players are used to it," he said in the pre-tour presser on Wednesday.
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First Post
25-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Virender Sehwag questions Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from India squad for England tour: 'Why can't he play Test cricket?'
Shreyas Iyer, who has been overlooked by the selectors for the upcoming five-match Test series in England, has not represented India in the red-ball format since the home series comprising as many matches against the same team last year. read more Senior India batter Shreyas Iyer has not represented India in Test cricket since the second of five Tests against England in Visakhapatnam last year. Reuters The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee ended the suspense surrounding India's squad for the upcoming Test tour of England as well as Rohit's successor as captain in the format, unveiling an 18-man squad with Shubman Gill as the captain and Rishabh Pant as his deputy. With icons of the game such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli having retired from Test cricket earlier this month and Ravichandran Ashwin having announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket midway during the tour of Australia, the selectors decided to include some fresh faces in the squad besides picking a new captain and vice-captain. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tamil Nadu's Sai Sudharsan and Bengal's Abhimanyu Easwaran – who will be leading India A in a series of tour games in England before the Test series – have thus been included with one of them likely to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Similarly, Karun Nair has been recalled after eight years , having been dropped from the team just months after becoming only the second Indian to score a Test triple century. Sehwag feels Iyer can 'definitely play all three formats' The absence of a few individuals, however, has raised eyebrows, including senior pacer Mohammed Shami and middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer. Batting legend Virender Sehwag was among those questioning Iyer's absence from the England-bound Indian squad, describing the Mumbaikar as someone who can 'definitely play all three formats'. 'He doesn't get much credit for his captaincy. Manoj (Tiwary) said that Rishabh Pant didn't get captaincy because his IPL season hasn't been great. But Iyer has had a great season, he is also the captain. Why can't he play in Test cricket? He can definitely play all three formats,' Sehwag said on Cricbuzz, reacting to India's Test squad. Sehwag added that it was important for the team to capitalise on a batter's good form regardless of the format, which has been the case with the 30-year-old this year, from starring in India's triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy to leading Punjab Kings from the front in the ongoing Indian Premier League. 'When you're in good form, it's good to take him to the tour because there are higher chances of him performing. I would want to see him in Test team. If he keeps the same approach in Test cricket, it benefits the team. If you have 2-3 players like that, it sets fear in the opposition. England plays at 6-7 runs/over. If Indian team even manages to play at 4-5 runs/over, they can put them under pressure,' 'Viru' added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Iyer has collected 811 runs in 14 Test appearances at an average of 36.86, collecting a century and five half-centuries since making his debut in the format against New Zealand in November 2021. He made the last of his Test appearances during the five-Test series against England at home last year.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'Sarfaraz Khan won't succeed in England': Pujara addresses elephant in the room after batter left out of India squad
On Saturday afternoon, the Board of Control for Cricket in India unveiled the 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England, with Shubman Gill named as the new captain and Rishabh Pant appointed as his vice-captain. The squad features fresh faces, with Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Abhimanyu Easwaran earning well-deserved call-ups. However, the most notable talking point is the exclusion of Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan, a consistent performer in domestic cricket and a standout in last year's Bengaluru Test against New Zealand, where he smashed an impressive 150 runs. Despite that sparkling performance, Sarfaraz struggled to replicate his form in the subsequent two Tests against New Zealand, which may have contributed to his omission from the playing XI during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. Since returning to India, Sarfaraz has been relentless in his pursuit of excellence. Training under the guidance of his father, Naushad Khan, he has been honing his skills by facing 300-500 swinging deliveries daily and shedding 10 kilos to achieve peak physical condition. His dedication and transformation made his exclusion from the England-bound squad all the more surprising and disheartening for the 27-year-old. The decision to leave out Sarfaraz has sparked widespread debate among cricket pundits and fans alike, with many questioning the selectors' rationale. While he has been named in the India A squad for two Tests against the England Lions, his prospects of breaking into the senior team appear slim, likely contingent on multiple injuries during the England tour. Adding perspective to the controversy, veteran batter Cheteshwar Pujara suggested that the team management might have doubts about Sarfaraz's ability to perform consistently on overseas pitches, a factor that could also explain his absence from the Australia series. While most beat around the bush, Pujara addressed the elephant in the room, bluntly sharing what he feels about Sarfaraz and his chances. "The reason he is not in the squad, I feel, is he has been very successful in the Asian conditions or in India. The management feels that he may not be as successful in Australia or in England. And there were some fitness issues in the past. I don't know about his current fitness. But he has been working hard on his fitness also. So, at this stage, I feel it's a bit unfortunate. But at the same time, someone like Karun Nair, who has performed really well in domestic cricket, deserved an opportunity," said Pujara while replying to a Hindustan Times query during a call organised by Sony Sports network, the official broadcaster of India tour of England. Pujara, who shared the dressing room with Karun Nair during the latter's last Test for India in 2017, expressed his delight at the Vidarbha batter's return to the national side, fueled by an outstanding domestic season. The 37-year-old believes Karun Nair is ideally suited to fill the crucial No. 4 spot in the batting order, a position left vacant following Virat Kohli's retirement. "We don't know whether Shubman is going to carry on batting at number three, or is he going to drop down to number four. So if Shubman bats at number four, then there's a vacancy at number three, then someone like Abhimanyu Easwaran or Karun Nair could be a good fit at that position. But I would still like to see if Shubman can carry on batting at number three and someone like Karun, who has batted really well in domestic cricket, gets an opportunity to bat at number four," said Pujara. "It will be a bit more suitable for him because Karun is someone who hasn't batted at number three in domestic cricket. I'm not saying he can't do it for the Test team, but the ideal position for Karun would be number four."
India Today
14-05-2025
- Sport
- India Today
IPL 2025: Romario Shepherd, Liam Livingstone rejoin RCB squad in Bengaluru
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have received a timely boost with the return of key overseas players Romario Shepherd and Liam Livingstone for the rescheduled last leg of IPL 2025. Shepherd landed in India alongside fellow West Indians Andre Russell and Sunil Narine of KKR, with team mentor Dwayne Bravo also spotted with the trio. The group's arrival was shared on Bravo's Instagram story, offering fans a glimpse into the Caribbean stars' return to IPL has had limited time with the bat this season, but his lone appearance left an indelible mark. The West Indies all-rounder smashed an explosive 53 off just 14 deliveries against the Chennai Super Kings - the fastest fifty by an RCB player in IPL history. His blitzkrieg included 4 boundaries and 6 towering sixes, instantly turning him into a cult hero among RCB Shepherd's availability for the rest of the tournament remains uncertain. He has been named in the West Indies squad for the upcoming ODI series against England starting May 29 - the same day the IPL playoffs begin. Cricket West Indies is yet to officially confirm whether England-bound players like Shepherd, Russell and Narine will be permitted to complete their IPL commitments before flying home. England's Liam Livingstone has also linked up with the RCB squad. The English all-rounder, known for his explosive middle-order hitting and part-time spin, was left out of England's white-ball squads for the West Indies series, making him available for the business end of RCB's England batter Jacob Bethell, who has already rejoined the RCB squad, will be available for two more matches - against KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad - before flying back to England ahead of the third fixture against Lucknow Super Giants. Bethell, who is in England's ODI plans, will miss the playoffs if RCB for RCB, several of their overseas stars are free from international duties till the IPL final on June 3. England opener Phil Salt and Australian finisher Tim David, along with Livingstone, are all available for the remainder of the there is some uncertainty regarding fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Lungi Ngidi, who are expected to join their respective national teams ahead of the World Test Championship final beginning June 11. Should they be unavailable for the knockout phase, Sri Lankan pacer Nuwan Thushara may be called upon to step are well-placed to secure a playoff berth with 16 points from 11 games in the IPL 2025 points table. The competition for the top four spots remains intense with Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and LSG still in contention. Stay updated on IPL 2025 with India Today! Get match schedules, team squads, live score, and the latest IPL points table for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Plus, keep track of the top contenders for the IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap. Don't miss a moment!Tune InTrending Reel IN THIS STORY#IPL 2025
