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India set for a blockbuster 12-match New Zealand tour, the biggest in a generation

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — India will play 12 international cricket matches in New Zealand later this year in a tour billed as the biggest in New Zealand in a generation.

The all-format tour will feature India playing the Black Caps in five Twenty20 internationals, five one-day internationals and two test matches.

India will play more international matches than any inbound team ever on a tour of New Zealand. The tour begins with a T20 international at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Oct. 22 and concludes after the second test, which begins in Christchurch on Nov. 27.

“This will be about more than just the cricket on the field. It will be a celebration of New Zealand’s shared history and culture with India and our burgeoning rivalry and friendship through cricket,” New Zealand Cricket Marketing and Commercial Officer Glenn Critchley said.

“The passion and the following this team has is staggering, not to mention some of the players expected to tour such as Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. So we’re bracing for the intensity and fandom that will accompany the tour.”

New Zealand will then embark on a four-test tour to Australia, before returning home to play Sri Lanka in three ODIs, three T20s and two tests in January and February.

“We’re delighted to be able to bring 42 days of international cricket to Kiwi cricket fans across eight cities,” Critchley said.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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