‘Manipulating Run Rate Would Violate Spirit of Cricket,’ Declares Cummins Australian captain Pat Cummins has strongly condemned the possibility of teams manipulating their run rate during the upcoming T20 World Cup, emphasizing that it would undermine the integrity of the sport. In recent years, there have been concerns that some teams may intentionally slow down their run rate during the powerplay or middle overs to gain an advantage in the latter stages of a match. This tactic, known as “running behind,” can give teams the flexibility to accelerate towards the end of an innings and potentially chase down higher targets. However, Cummins believes that such tactics go against the fundamental principles of fair play. “The spirit of cricket is all about playing the game in a way that is competitive but also respectful of the opposition,” he said. “Manipulating the run rate to gain an unfair advantage would clearly violate that spirit.” He further argued that it could set a dangerous precedent for the game. “If teams start to think that it’s acceptable to manipulate the run rate, then it could lead to a slippery slope,” he said. “We could end up with a situation where teams are constantly trying to find ways to exploit loopholes in the rules.” Cummins’ comments were echoed by other members of the Australian team. David Warner, who has been involved in several high-profile T20 matches, said that manipulating the run rate was “not the way we want to play the game.” The International Cricket Council (ICC) has not yet issued any specific regulations to prevent teams from manipulating their run rate. However, the tournament rules do include a provision that teams must “play within the spirit of the game.” If an umpire believes that a team is deliberately slowing down the game, they have the authority to take appropriate action. As the T20 World Cup approaches, the focus will be on the ICC to ensure that teams compete fairly and within the spirit of the game. If any instances of run rate manipulation are detected, it is likely that strong sanctions will be imposed.Meme-Stock Pioneer Keith Gill Drastically Increases GameStop StakeMeme-Stock Pioneer Keith Gill Drastically Increases GameStop Stake GameStop (GME) stock faltered on Friday, dipping nearly 5% after surging 14.4% on Thursday following an update from meme-stock guru Keith Gill. Gill, better known as “Roaring Kitty” or “DeepF—kingValue” online, revealed that he sold a portion of his 120,000 call options set to expire on June 21. He then purchased an additional 4,001,000 GameStop shares, increasing his total stake in the company to 9,001,000 shares, up from 5,000,000 earlier in the week. Analysts speculate that Gill exercised some of his call options and sold others to raise funds for the additional stock purchase. Gill’s revised position in GameStop was valued at over $262 million as of Thursday’s close, according to a screenshot from his E-Trade account posted on Reddit. The significance of the 9,001,000-share figure may resonate with retail investors, as it matches the number of shares previously held by GameStop’s Chairman and CEO, Ryan Cohen. Cohen’s stake has since grown to over 36 million shares. Gill’s increased investment may have depleted his cash reserves, which had dwindled to $6.3 million from nearly $30 million. Based on FactSet data, Gill’s expanded stake makes him the fourth-largest shareholder in GameStop, with a 2.1% holding. However, these figures are based on fund manager 13-F filings that are only accurate as of the end of the first quarter, before Gill’s recent social media activity. Heavy trading in GameStop call options expiring on June 21 hinted at Gill’s potential options sell-off. According to Interactive Brokers’ Steve Sosnick, it’s likely that Gill exercised some of his call options and sold the rest to fund the additional share purchase. Gill’s E-Trade account shows his cost basis rising to over $23 per share. Sosnick believes that Gill sold a significant portion of his call options and then exercised the remaining ones with the proceeds.Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, has stated that manipulating the run rate in order to qualify for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup would go against the spirit of cricket. Australia’s net run rate currently stands at +1.215, which is behind New Zealand’s +2.113. If Australia wins its final group match against Afghanistan and New Zealand loses to England, Australia will qualify for the semi-finals. However, if Australia wins by a large margin and New Zealand also wins its match, Australia could potentially qualify based on a superior net run rate. Cummins said that while it is important to win matches, Australia will not intentionally manipulate the run rate. “We want to win every game we play, but we’re not going to try to manipulate the run rate,” Cummins said. “That’s not the way we play cricket. We’re going to go out there and try to win the game, and if we do that, we’ll see where we end up.” Cummins’ comments come after former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said that Australia should consider manipulating the run rate if it is necessary to qualify for the semi-finals. “If it comes down to it, and we need to win by a certain margin to qualify, then I think we should do it,” Ponting said. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. It’s part of the game.” However, Cummins said that he does not agree with Ponting’s view. “I think it’s important to respect the game and the opposition,” Cummins said. “We’re not going to try to do anything that’s against the spirit of cricket.”