Tripura Sports: February 2009

Thursday 26 February 2009

ICC confirms meeting with BCCI and ICL set for Monday in Johannesburg

Johannesburg, 20 February 2009

President David Morgan: “The best opportunity to solve a dispute is to have the parties face-to-face”

“I hope we can at least make a start in bringing about a settlement”

High-quality audio of Mr Morgan’s comments available for free download and use from http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/audio/audio.html

ICC President David Morgan today confirmed he and Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat would meet with representatives of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian Cricket League (ICL) on Monday 23 February in Johannesburg.

Mr Morgan said he had arranged the meeting to try and bring about a settlement to the long-running dispute between the two parties.

“I’ve long regarded it as a priority to bring together the BCCI and the owners of the ICL and I’m pleased to say we have fixed a meeting to take place in Johannesburg on Monday,” he said.

“I hope we might be successful in coming to a mutually acceptable conclusion. I can’t be certain that will be the case but I hope we can at least make a start in bringing about a settlement.

“I think this is significant because experience tells me that the best opportunity to solve a dispute is to have the parties face-to-face,” added Mr Morgan.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Sarwan achieves career-best 14th position in Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen

Dubai, 20 February 2009

Chance for Pakistan to leapfrog Sri Lanka and England into fourth place

West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan has achieved a career-best position in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after a magnificent performance against England in the third Test at St John’s, Antigua.

Sarwan, who scored 94 and 106 and played a leading role in helping the West Indies escape with one of the most thrilling draws in the history of the game, has jumped seven places to 14th after starting the Test in 21st position.

The 28-year-old Guyanese is enjoying his best run of form which has already seen him score 307 runs in three innings and has helped him climb 12 places over the series to date.

Also making an upward movement is England captain Andrew Strauss whose 169 in the first innings has lifted him three places to put him alongside Sarwan in 14th spot.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has slipped two places to fifth after scores of 51 and 32. Australia’s Michael Clarke and Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena have benefitted from the Hampshire batsman’s slip as the duo have moved one place up.

Jayawardena, captaining Sri Lanka for the last time in a Test series, is nicely placed to overtake Clarke as he prepares to lead his team against Pakistan in the two-Test series starting in Karachi from Saturday. Yunus Khan, captaining Pakistan for the first time, is also well positioned to break in the top five.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2008, still leads the batting chart though his lead over Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has trimmed to just 20 points after he could score only one and 55 at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

A good first Test at the National Stadium can help Sangakkara regain the coveted number-one spot which he last held 12 months ago before surrendering it to Chanderpaul in Guyana.

There is no significant change in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers except for Fidel Edwards who has returned to the top 20 after taking three wickets in the drawn Test.

England off-spinner spinner Graeme Swann has vaulted 15 places to 44th position after match figures of 63-19-149-8 in Antigua.

The bowling chart is led by Sri Lanka’s iconic spinner Muttiah Muralidaran who will be hoping to return to the 900-point mark.

Meanwhile, Pakistan returns to the Test scene after a gap of 14 months and immediately eyes an upward movement in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship.

Currently sitting in sixth place on 98 ratings points, Pakistan has a chance to leapfrog Sri Lanka and England into fourth place if it wins both the Tests. A 2-0 win will lift the home side to 107 ratings points and will drop Jayawardena’s side to 104 ratings points.

A 1-0 win for Yunus’s side will put it on 104 ratings points, one ahead of sixth-placed England.

In contrast, if Sri Lanka sweeps the series it will rise to 113 ratings points, just five ratings points behind third-placed India while a 1-0 win will place it on 111 ratings points.

Test series schedule
21-25 Feb – First Test, Karachi
1-5 Mar – Second Test, Lahore

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship (as of 20 February)

Rank Team Rating

1 Australia 126
2 South Africa 121
3 India 118
4 Sri Lanka 109
5 England 103
6 Pakistan 98
7 West Indies 81
8 New Zealand 81
9 Bangladesh 0

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Rankings (as of 20 February)

Batsmen

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating
1 ( - ) S.Chanderpaul WI 879 49.27 901 v NZ at Napier 2008
2 ( - ) K. Sangakkara SL 859 54.37 938 v Eng at Kandy 2007
3 (+1) Michael Clarke Aus 825! 49.40 825 v SA at Sydney 2009
4 (+1) M. Jayawardena SL 819 52.36 854 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
5 (-2) Kevin Pietersen Eng 812 50.23 909 v WI at Headingley 2007
6 ( - ) Ricky Ponting Aus 810 56.87 942 v Eng at Adelaide 2006
7 ( - ) Yunus Khan Pak 799 49.14 856 v Eng at Headingley 2006
8 ( - ) Graeme Smith SA 797 50.57 810 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
9 ( - ) Gautam Gambhir Ind 772*! 49.35 772 v Eng at Mohali 2008
10 ( - ) Mike Hussey Aus 761 59.36 921 v WI at Kingston 2008
11 ( - ) Virender Sehwag Ind 729 51.06 854 v SA at Kolkata 2004
12 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 726 54.57 935 v NZ at Centurion 2007
13 ( - ) Ashwell Prince SA 709 45.68 756 v Pak at Centurion 2007
14= (+7) R. Sarwan WI 700! 41.07 700 v Eng at St John's 2009
(+3) Andrew Strauss Eng 700 42.71 769 v SA at Johannesburg 2005
16 (-2) Chris Gayle WI 697 40.06 704 v Eng at Antigua 2009
17= (-2) Sachin Tendulkar Ind 683 54.27 898 v Zim at Nagpur 2002
(-2) VVS Laxman Ind 683 44.45 753 v Aus at Sydney 2004
19 (-1) Hashim Amla SA 671 ! 41.30 671 v Aus at Sydney 2009
20 (-1) Simon Katich Aus 670 ! 43.43 670 v SA at Sydney 2009

Bowlers

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating
1 ( - ) M. Muralidaran SL 887 21.95 920 v Ban at Kandy 2007
2 ( - ) Dale Steyn SA 844 23.08 897 v Ind at Ahmedabad 2008
3 ( - ) Stuart Clark Aus 783* 22.96 863 v WI at Bridgetown 2008
4 ( - ) Mitchell Johnson Aus 756* 28.62 779 v SA at Perth 2008
5 ( - ) Makhaya Ntini SA 754 28.22 863 v Ind at Durban 2006
6 ( - ) Jerome Taylor WI 705* 33.16 717 v Eng at Kingston 2009
7 ( - ) R. Sidebottom Eng 696* 26.14 769 v SA at Lord's 2008
8 ( - ) Chaminda Vaas SL 688 29.22 800 v Ind at Chennai 2005
9 ( - ) Harbhajan Singh Ind 686 30.88 765 v NZ at Wellington 2002
10 ( - ) Brett Lee Aus 673 30.81 811 v WI at Antigua 2008
11 ( - ) Daniel Vettori NZ 653 33.09 681 v Aus at Auckland 2000
12 ( - ) Zaheer Khan Ind 631 34.04 689 v Pak at Delhi 2007
13 ( - ) Andrew Flintoff Eng 621 32.07 810 v Pak at Multan 2005
14 ( - ) Danish Kaneria Pak 614 33.90 723 v Eng at Multan 2005
15 ( - ) James Anderson Eng 591 35.69 622 v Ind at Chennai 2008
16 (+1) Jacques Kallis SA 589 31.12 742 v Eng at Headingley 2003
17 (-1) Monty Panesar Eng 588 33.61 721 v WI at Chester-le-St 2007
18= ( - ) Umar Gul Pak 572* 31.55 627 v WI at Karachi 2006
( - ) Ajantha Mendis SL 572*! 18.36 572 v Ban at Chittagong 2009
20 (+2) Fidel Edwards WI 568 38.83 573 v NZ at Napier 2008

All-rounders

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points HS Rating
1 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 428 616 v Pak at Durban 2002
2 ( - ) Daniel Vettori NZ 347 369 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
3 ( - ) Andrew Flintoff Eng 292 501 v Pak at Multan 2005
4 ( - ) Chaminda Vaas SL 283 300 v WI at Guyana 2008
5 ( - ) Chris Gayle WI 282/*! 282 v Eng at St John's 2009

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Tiffen hungry for more World Cup success

Dubai, 20 February, 2009

New Zealand captain says it’s difficult to predict a winner as all top four teams have an even chance

She says ESPN STAR Sports’ involvement reflects the growth of women’s cricket and feels privileged to be part of that development process

Haidee Tiffen believes her team is well prepared for next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup and has vowed not to leave any stone unturned in an effort to emulate the achievement of Emily Drumm’s side which won New Zealand’s only World Cup nine years ago.

Tiffen was a member of Drumm’s side as a 20-year-old all-rounder and contributed 187 runs with the bat and took eight wickets with the ball in New Zealand’s historic campaign. She was also in the 2005 World Cup side which narrowly missed out on a place in the final to India but she had a modest tournament with the wood scoring just 89 runs at an average of 17.80.

At 29, Haidee is New Zealand’s second most experienced player ever after Debbie Hockley (118 ODIs) with 111 caps and its third most successful batter after Hockley (4,064 runs) and Drumm (2,844) with 2,640 runs.

“The victory in the 2000 World Cup is very special to me and is very close to my heart. It was a privilege to be part of that extremely talented side. Now we again have a world-class side which has all the credentials to regain the World Cup,” the captain said.

“It is difficult and unfair to compare the two sides. That side was amazing and had world-class players in Catherine Campbell, Drumm, Hockley, Rebecca Rolls, Anna Smith, Katrina Keenan, Kathryn Ramel and others while in the present team we have outstanding young talent in Amy Satterthwaite, Nicola Browne, Suzie Bates, Beth McNeill, Aimee Mason and others.

“Like any other player in the side, it’s my dream and wish to win the World Cup again. But for any dream to come true, it requires tremendous hard work and commitment which we have put in over the last couple of years.

“It is any sportsperson’s dream to be crowned as world champion. I know how it feels and would love to taste it again also because I am now the captain,” said Tiffen.

The New Zealand captain said the Rose Bowl Series against Australia (which Australia retained after the series decider was washed out) provided her team with an excellent opportunity to prepare for the World Cup. “It was an excellent opportunity to play against the world’s best side just before the World Cup. We can draw a lot of positives from that series, keep improving and learn to be more consistent.

“One of the positives from the series was that we reshuffled our batting order in almost every match to provide a chance to each player to take the responsibility and show what she has to offer. I am glad that every player rose to the occasion and performed which gives me the confidence that our batting not only has depth but is very flexible with every player capable of batting at any position and in any situation.

“Our bowling is decent and has shown it can not only contain batters but can also pick up wickets at regular intervals. However, we have to be more intelligent while bowling in PowerPlays and have to try to be as straight as possible.

“We also need to be a bit more consistent as victory is always nice and gives you the much required confidence. Such is the format of the tournament that if you are not consistent, you could be knocked out with one defeat. It is going to be a very tough tournament and consistency will be the key to success,” she said.

Tiffen said New Zealand’s tournament opener against Australia was crucial. “It is a very important match not only from a psychological point of view but also because of the carry-over points that the teams take to the Super Six stage.

“We have a couple of warm-up matches in the lead up to the tournament opener in which we will try to give final shape to our side so that we are best prepared for the match against Australia.

“South Africa and the West Indies are the other sides in our pool and though we haven’t played them in the recent past, it would be a fair comment to say we should qualify for the Super Six stage.

“In any tournament, you want to be in the best position and this tournament is no different as we would like to go in the Super Six stage with maximum carry-over points.

“But the task will not be easy as Australia is a tough team to beat and with the event being staged in its backyard, it definitely has an edge over its main rivals. I have been part of the team that won the tournament on its home turf and know what home advantage can do to your confidence and can bring the best out of you.

“I think Australia, New Zealand, England and India are of equal strength and any team can beat the other on its day. It is an open tournament with no clear-cut favourites. It boils down to the fact that the team which plays better on the match day will walk away winner.”

Tiffen, while comparing the previous two World Cups with next month’s event, said: “The previous two tournaments I have been involved with were outstanding events. But this is going to be special as it will be held under the auspices of the ICC and will not be held again until 2013. With Australia being the host country, it is certainly going to be one of the most exciting events.

“With ICC taking the ownership of the Women’s World Cup, it will certainly generate more media interest, already evident from the fact that seven matches will be covered live by ESPN STAR Sports. This reflects the growth and development of women’s cricket and I feel privileged to be part of that development process.”

New Zealand will play two warm-up matches in a lead up to the World Cup. The former champion faces Pakistan at Manly on Tuesday 3 March and then takes on India at Old Kings on Wednesday 4 March.

NEW ZEALAND – Haidee Tiffen (captain), Aimee Mason (vice-captain), Suzie Bates, Nicola Browne, Abby Burrows, Sophie Devine, Lucy Doolan, Sara McGlashan, Beth McNeill, Katey Martin, Rachel Priest, Kate Pulford, Amy Satterthwaite, Sarah Tsukigawa.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat pays tribute to organisers of Antigua Test match

Johannesburg, 20 February 2009

“I’d like to thank everyone who made it possible… you’ve put a smile back on cricket’s face after last week’s abandonment”

“The match was another example of why Test cricket continues to endure. For sustained tension and excitement there is nothing like it”

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat today paid tribute to those responsible for staging the third Test match between the West Indies and England at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG), which ended in a nail-biting draw on Thursday.

The match, staged at less than two days’ notice after the second match of the series was abandoned at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium because of unfit outfield conditions, saw the home side hang on for a draw in fading light with its last pair at the crease.

And reflecting on the events of the week, Mr Lorgat said: “After such a thrilling match I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made it possible.

“The two teams and the playing control team showed willingness to get on and play at a venue which hadn’t staged a Test match in three years while local officials, including Andy Roberts and ARG curator Keith Frederick, plus countless volunteers made the ground fit for play inside 48 hours.

“And thanks must also go to the broadcasters, who pulled out all the stops to ensure the Test match was covered despite huge logistical challenges.

“All these people typified the great spirit of cricket, made Thursday’s exciting conclusion possible and every cricket fan that enjoyed the match and the finish will be grateful for their efforts.

“I am especially pleased for all the England fans who travelled from far and wide only to experience great inconvenience and anxiety. Cricket owes them an apology and I’m delighted they finally got to see a great Test match.

“A week ago we were all downcast after that disastrous abandonment which brought a great deal of unwanted negative publicity to the game.

“We never want a repeat of that situation and next week we will start the process of seeing what lessons we can learn from it when the matter will be discussed by the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee in Johannesburg.

“But in the meantime we can reflect on the fact that this match has put a smile back on cricket’s face and has once again shown why Test cricket, the pinnacle of our great sport, continues to endure.

“For sustained tension and excitement there can be nothing like it and with two more Tests in this series, plus upcoming encounters between the world’s top two sides, Australia and South Africa, Pakistan hosting Sri Lanka and India visiting New Zealand there is every possibility of plenty more excitement to follow.

“The ICC Board is committed to the future of Test cricket as one of the three viable forms of the game we have at international level and after a match like this, coupled with plenty of other excellent Test cricket that we’ve witnessed over the past few months, it is easy to see why,” added Mr Lorgat.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

I-League is our first priority

New Delhi, 20 February 2009

I-League is our first priority

With ten continuous win in the I-League, Mohun Bagan coach Karim Bencherifa spoke to the-aiff.com about his team and plans.

AIFF: Congratulations first for having a stupendous run in the league
-- Thank you very much

Q1) Ten wins on a trot what is the reason behind this success rate

See any success whether in sports or any other business require the same ingredients which is hard work, character and personality, leadership. And since football is a collective game you can add team work and team spirit as well. At Mohun Bagan we have manage to assemble nicely theses ingredients and the results are there for all to see.

Q2) You had once said that you want Mohun Bagan to win every tournament is this performance a signal towards to it?

Before I join officially Mohun Bagan I thought about the challenges ahead and my decision to be the Head Coach of the team was deeply analysed and reflected. So since day one I had no illusions regarding the mission I have in hand and the expectations from the fans and the officials, I knew that the club is result orientated and there is no other alternative than working hard to achieve honors.

Q3) Mohun Bagan will be a part of the AFC Cup any special mental preparations that you are doing? Do you have any plans to play against foreign clubs before your tie?

Although I-League is our first priority but doing well in AFC is also very important because at this level we are not representing the whole Indian Football. The draw was not too fair for us as we have to play 3 team from gulf countries who are physically strong and have a lot of experience in such competition also 2 of the main contenders of this
competition are in our group. So we have to be well prepared and we will start our home work as soon as we get to know our opponents,first match will be against Al Karama of Syria we manage to get videos of their recent games when they were recently in camp in UAE and at the right time the team will view these games and we will provide the players with all the necessary information's.

Q4) You have coached Goan side Churchill Brothers as well when there were hardly any big names in it? How difficult was it for you to actually handle the likes of Baichung Bhutia, Barreto and others?

Well I would like to say that my job is not handling players but working with them. The club is divided into 3 categories: management, players, technical staff then you can add sponsors and fans as well.Everyone have a job to do and a role to play in this process and
everyone have to respect the job of the other that how it work and this is the professional way. I believe on that and I implement it wherever I go, I do respect every player and they do respect me, they need to feel important and respected. I must say that I am even
fortunate having Barretto and Bhaichung in the squad because they are mature, unselfish and good human being and there for I enjoy every moment working with them.

Q5) Ishfaq is known to be a very hard player how difficult is to handle a player like him when the tempo is up during the match?

Ishfaq is an exceptional player, he does have his weaknesses as nobody is perfect but his hard work is unmatched. He do loose at times his cool during matches when decisions are going unfairly against him but this is coming from the fact that he is a fighter and you do need such characters in the field. We do have talks regarding this issue and he is doing his best that his aggressive nature stays positive and that will help the team.

Q6) Having coached foreign clubs where do you think Indian clubs lack?

For the development of football in any country you need to take care of the foundations which is: Infrastructure, youth development, officials formation (coaches, physios, administrators) so I do believe that there is big margin of improvement in these fields. Of course this is not the only responsibility of the clubs but they must have the willing to work on this and they must be provided with the necessary help and assistance in this process by the governing bodies (sports and political authorities).

Q7) Another problem you have with you now is to handle Lalumpia? Is there any special training schedule that you have worked for him?

Puia is a gifted player no question about that but he is a sensitive player and lack proper guidance in his personal life. We know whats wrong and whats right in this situation and the main priority for the club is his carrier because if we manage to get the best out of him it will be a win win situation for him and for the club. So far we are going on the right direction.

Q8) Recently AFC got out with a rule that we can have four foreign players in the I League and out of them one should be from Asian country. How much impact would it have on our Indian players when it comes to playing together?

First of all we don't have anything official yet about the change,this is not new Japan was one of the first countries that implemented this rule. I think it will be good for Indian football only if Indian players managed to impress in the best leagues of Asia such as Japan, Qatar, Australia... it will be also a good step for Indian players toward European leagues.

MEDIA RELEASE

Morgan catches the spirit of upcoming South Africa – Australia series

Johannesburg, 19 February 2009

ICC President meets up with Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace in Johannesburg

More chances for public to see the mace confirmed for Johannesburg (Saturday) and Durban (Sunday)

ICC President David Morgan caught the spirit of the upcoming South Africa – Australia Test series on Thursday when he attended a public display of the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace in Johannesburg.

Mr Morgan, in the city for a series of meetings ahead of next week’s first Test, saw first-hand people’s interest in and excitement at the mace’s appearance at the Sandton City Shopping Center.

The prize, awarded to the team that tops the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table, is currently held by Australia but a series win for the Proteas will see Graeme Smith’s side take over at the head of the ladder.

That will earn South Africa not only the mace, but also the chance to call itself the best Test side in the world – it already has that title in ODI cricket by topping that listing – and US$175,000, the money on offer to the line-up that leads the Test table on the annual cut-off date of 1 April.

Mr Morgan said: “The Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace is a fantastic trophy and putting it on display is a great way to generate interest in the upcoming series by letting the public see what’s at stake.

“The interest levels here are already high after South Africa’s successes in Australia in December and January and if we can raise even greater awareness of the upcoming series with events like this then hopefully that will translate into great crowds and a great atmosphere at each of the three Tests.

“The public I saw today certainly seemed excited by the possibility of South Africa taking over the number one ranking and it’s pleasing that we can make them feel closer to the action by giving them a chance to see the mace first-hand.

“Test cricket is the pinnacle of our great sport and by promoting it as much as we can we will help to ensure its continuing good health as one of our three forms of the game at international level.”

The South Africa public will get further chances to see the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace ahead of the series with additional appearances now confirmed for the biggest prize in Test cricket.

· The mace will return to Sandton City Shopping Center on Saturday 21 February, where it will once again be on display between 12 noon and two o’clock in the Banking Mall.

· And the following day, Sunday 22 February, it will appear in Durban at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping in the Expo Explore Court, also between 12 noon and two o’clock.

Members of the public will get the chance to see the mace and take photos of a trophy that has been in Australia’s keeping since May 2003.

In fact, since the mace was inaugurated in May 2001, it has only been out of Australia’s hands for five months, from January to May 2003, when South Africa topped the ladder.

ICC Manager – Media and Communications Brian Murgatroyd will be available at both venues for media interviews.

The Test series between South Africa and Australia begins in Johannesburg on 26 February. Matches are also set to take place in Durban (beginning 6 March) and Cape Town (beginning 19 March) and tickets are still available through usual outlets.

South Africa will secure the mace if it wins the Test series as that will take it to the top of the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table. A drawn series or a win for Australia will see Ricky Ponting’s side retain its hold on the prize.

Background on the Reliance Mobile Test Championship mace:

The Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace is presented to the team that leads the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship.

It has been in Australia’s hands for all but five months (January – May 2003, when South Africa topped the table) since it was inaugurated in May 2001.

South Africa will head the table and reclaim the mace if it beats Australia in the three-match series. But Australia will retain possession of the mace if it draws or wins the series.

The mace was produced by the then British Crown Jeweller, Asprey & Garrard, in 2001, which was commissioned to make a distinctive prize designed to stand out from other cricket trophies.

The designers produced a 90cm silver and gold-plated trophy based on a cricket stump as its shank, topped by an orb that represents the cricket world – both geographically and through the inclusion of the emblems of all 10 ICC Members that have played Test cricket.

The stump and the orb combine to portray the mace, regarded as a symbol of authority and prestige. This is regarded as an appropriate combination given the rich history of Test cricket and its image as the most traditional and purest form of the game.

The mace sits on a wooden base with a silver-plated plaque in front with room for engravings of the sides to hold it. The mace was valued at stg£30,000 in 2001 and automatically passes from one team to another as results confirm a change of leadership in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table.

The mace and base weigh a combined total of 10kgs.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

The executive committee decisions of AIFF

New Delhi, February 19, 2009

The executive committee which met at the Football house in New Delhi
on Thursday, February 19, 2009 took the following decisions:

1) The AIFF has approved the criteria for hosting various National
Championships. Following are the criteria
a) Availability of the minimum infrastructure at the tournament venue
on the dates given in the AIFF calendar. This will depend on the
category of the tournament.
b) Climatic Conditions
c) Safety and security of the participating players and officials
Once these criteria's are established and found in order, the
following criteria can be followed to allot the tournament
1) Ability of the organizers to hold the tournament based on the past record.
2) Facilities provided at the venue to the participating teams, match
officials and media.
3) Support of local government/administration for hosting the event
4) Special occasion or any other exceptional reason for hosting the event.
2) AIFF also changed the format of the Sub Junior Nationals. Given
below are the criteria's
a) Prior to the selection of the state team it is suggested that as
many schools and clubs as possible be involved in the selection
process. This can be done by holding competitions for them or by
getting students from different schools involved in the selection
process.
b) To enable teams to play more matches it is suggested that the
participants will be divided in four groups. Proximity of teams from
each of the match venue when the groups are formed.
c) Depending upon the number of participating states the groups will
have 6-8 teams. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the
final round. The winners and the hosts of the final round will be
automatic qualifiers. Therefore there will be ten teams in the final
round divided into two groups of five teams each.
3) Plan for preparation of India team for the Olympic qualifiers,
Asian Games qualifiers and AFC Asian Cup was discussed. A small
committee will be formed to plan and monitor the national teams
preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2011.

MEDIA RELEASE

India determined to add ICC Women’s World Cup to its collection

Dubai, 19 February 2009

Goswami believes the event will be the toughest yet as every side will arrive in Sydney well

Captain says she will not hesitate to contact Mahendra Singh Dhoni if guidance required

Delighted that ESPN STAR Sports will broadcast matches from North Sydney Oval

India aims to do one better this time as the country excitedly looks forward to next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 which will be the first to be played under the auspices of the ICC since its merger with the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) in 2005.

India was a losing finalist to Australia in the previous event in South Africa in 2005 while in 1997 in India, it again lost to Australia by 19 runs in a rain-reduced 32-over-a-side semi-final. In between, when the tournament was staged in New Zealand in 2000, India failed to qualify for the final by just two points.

But India captain Jhulan Goswami believes her side has prepared better than ever before for the ninth World Cup which will also be participated by holders Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Sydney and Canberra from 7 to 22 March.

“We had a strenuous training camp in Bangalore in January before all the players went to represent their states and institutions in the two-day knock-out tournament in Baroda from 1 to 15 February. Our final training camp will start in Mumbai from 20 February,” said Goswami who was ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2007.

“Prior to our preparations at home, we had tough tours to England and Australia last year and though both the tours ended in disappointment, they gave us an excellent opportunity to strengthen our strong areas and fix our weak links.

“In terms of World Cup preparations, both series provided us with the chance to evaluate where we stood with ample time to find a way to lift our standard. Such series on the eve of the World Cup might not have been productive as they could have shattered our confidence or left us with no time to rectify the problems.

“By playing three months prior to the main event, we have given ourselves a very good chance to put ourselves back in track. Needless to say it was also a good wake-up call for us,” she said.

England defeated India 4-0 in a five-match series (the last ODI was abandoned due to rain) in September while in November Australia made a clean sweep of the five-match series to leave India with five wins and nine defeats in 2008.

Goswami, who is ranked third in the Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings for bowlers, said her side was a mixture of youth and experience and was not short of any motivation or confidence. “We have players like Anjum Chopra and Mithali Raj who will be playing in their fourth and third World Cups respectively.

“They have loads of experience which will guide the youngsters, including the three new players who could make be making their ODIs debuts in Australia, and help them learn how to handle the World Cup pressure.

“The players are charged up and anxiously waiting for the event to begin as it is the biggest achievement for any sportsperson to represent his or her country in a World Cup. This event is more special and a prized one because it is being staged by the premier body which automatically increases its importance and profile.

“The team is also wary of the fact that India has already won every single cricket tournament except the Women’s World Cup and by winning the Australia tournament, we could complete the trophies cabinet in the BCCI headquarters,” Goswami said.

India won the ICC Cricket World Cup in England in 1983, shared the ICC Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in 2002, claimed the ICC U/19 Cricket World Cup honours in 2000 and 2008 and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side lifted the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007.

Goswami has played 93 ODIs and if India qualifies for the final, her 100th ODI will be the final to be played on 22 March at the North Sydney Oval. “Playing 100 ODIs will be a perfect icing on the cake after I won the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award in 2007 and became India captain in last October.

“But I would like to focus on the tournament as winning the World Cup will bring huge honour to the country while completing century of ODIs will only be a personal landmark.

“This World Cup will be the toughest yet as every team will come very well prepared. I think every team will arrive in Australia hoping it has a chance to win, also because the World Cup tends to bring the best out of the players and the teams.

“We will respect every team and try to play consistently well. We have to avoid being complacent and stay focused and keep working hard.”

India has won the Women’s Asia Cup four times and has an unbeaten record against Sri Lanka and Pakistan who are both in Pool A with India and England. But Goswami said she would avoid making sweeping statements against the Asian rivals.

“I agree we enjoy a good record against Pakistan and Sri Lanka which are relatively young at this stage but we must not forget that both the teams will be playing in the World Cup which is a completely different tournament. And history shows what can happen in World Cups.

“Nevertheless, I would like to see my side go into the Super Six stage with maximum carry-over points and then continue that winning habit in the Super Six stage. But all this demands commitment and hard work which my talented side is ready to put in.”

Goswami said she was happy to know her team was being considered as one of the favourites alongside holders Australia, England and New Zealand. “It is pleasing to know that we are being taken seriously by the pundits. This also means that the experts and the opponents are wary of our capability.

“I believe we have a good chance, better than before to win the trophy but for that we will have need to consistently well play and not only play well but to try to raise standard with every match.”

Goswami said she would not hesitate to pick up the phone to call India men’s team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who will be captaining his side against New Zealand in New Zealand. “If I need any guidance and advice, I will not hesitate to call Dhoni and I am sure he would reciprocate.

“I will not only get a priceless suggestion from Dhoni but his pep-talk with the players can do magic and further lift the spirits of the players.

“While saying this, I am glad that I have players like Anjum Chopra and Mithali Raj on whom I can rely for suggestions and advice.”

Goswami was also excited by the news that ICC’s broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports will broadcast all seven matches that will take place at North Sydney Oval, including the final. This will ensure that the event will be the most widely viewed to date, with the coverage to be aired in more than 100 countries.

“This is great news because we missed television coverage in South Africa in 2005. No television coverage meant very few knew in India that we had reached the final.

“Besides, live coverage of the tournament will increase the profile of the tournament, will also help women’s cricket go to every corner of the country and promote the sport.”

India, which opens its World Cup campaign against traditional rivals Pakistan on 7 March at Bradman Oval, plays England at the North Sydney Oval on Tuesday 10 March in a first round match. If all goes according to the seeding, India’s Super Six stage matches at the NSO will be against Australia on Saturday 14 March and against New Zealand on Tuesday 17 March.

In the lead-up to the World Cup, India has two warm up matches – against South Africa on Tuesday 3 March at Raby 1 and against on New Zealand the following day at Old Kings.

India squad – Jhulan Goswami (captain), Amita Sharma (vice-captain), Anagha Deshpande, Anjum Chopra, Gouher Sultana, Harpreet Kaur, MD Thirushkamini, Mithali Raj, Poonam Raut, Priyanka Roy, Reema Malhotra, Rumeli Dhar, Snehal Pradhan, Sravanthi Krishnamurthy, Sulakshana Naik.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Sri Lanka captain Siriwardena makes her move in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings

Dubai, 18 February 2009

Sri Lanka captain Siriwardena makes her move in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings

Sri Lanka captain Shashikala Siriwardena is making a move in the Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings which would give her team a lot of heart ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009, which runs from 7 to 22 March.

Siriwardena, who inspired Sri Lanka to victory in the triangular series final over Pakistan in Dhaka on Tuesday, contributed 88 runs with the bat and bagged seven wickets in the series which has helped her to improve her ranking in all three categories.

The 24-year-old from Colombo, in the only change in the top 20 batting list, has moved up one place to 14th spot while she has jumped three places in the bowling chart to break into the top 20 for the first time in her career. The off-spinner now sits in 18th position.

In the all-rounders’ list, Siriwardena has swapped places with sixth-placed Rumeli Dhar and now has fifth-placed Jenny Gunn of England firmly within her sights.

The only other change in the top 20 bowlers is of Pakistan’s Sajida Shah who has failed to retain her 16th place and has slipped to 17th position in the latest rankings.

Claire Taylor of England leads the batting list while her team-mate Isa Guha spearheads the bowling chart. Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar leads the all-rounders’ field.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings (as of 18 February)

Batters

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Highest Ranking
1 ( - ) Claire Taylor Eng 804 39.13 820 v NZ at Blackpool 2007
2 ( - ) Lisa Sthalekar Aus 759 37.36 804 v Ind at Sydney 2008
3 ( - ) Mithali Raj Ind 722 46.50 841 v Aus at Baroda Vadodar 2004
4 ( - ) Sarah Taylor Eng 698* 40.11 705 v Ind at Taunton 2008
5 ( - ) Alex Blackwell Aus 661 34.70 692 v Ind at Canberra 2008
6 ( - ) C. Edwards Eng 654 37.05 691 v SA at Pretoria 2005
7 ( - ) Karen Rolton Aus 651 48.85 873 v Ind at Vapi 2004
8 ( - ) Shelley Nitschke Aus 636! 29.15 636 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
9 ( - ) Nicola Browne NZ 626 29.86 653 v Aus at Lincoln 2008
10 ( - ) Haidee Tiffen NZ 563 29.66 750 v Ind at Lincoln 2006
11 ( - ) Aimee Mason NZ 552 22.31 624 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
12 ( - ) Sara McGlashen NZ 524 22.47 581 v Eng at Derby 2007
13 (-1) Dedunu Silva SL 521* 21.58 524 v Pak at Bogra 2009
14 (+1) S.Siriwardena SL 488* 21.00 500 v Pak at Khulna 2009
15 (-1) Lydia Greenway Eng 483 22.55 503 v Aus at Sydney 2008
16 ( - ) Cri-Zelda Brits SA 465* 29.24 530 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
17 ( - ) Caroline Atkins Eng 463* 28.46 471 v Ind at Taunton 2008
18 ( - ) Jenny Gunn Eng 456 22.37 527 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
19 ( - ) Sarah Tsukigawa NZ 453* 22.00 456 v Aus at Lincoln 2008
20= ( - ) A. Satterthwaite NZ 443*! 24.20 443 v Aus at Hamilton 2009
( - ) Jaya Sharma Ind 443 30.75 665 v Aus at Vapi 2004

Bowlers

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Highest Ranking
1 ( - ) Isa Guha Eng 719 18.43 740 v Ind at Taunton 2008
2 ( - ) Shelley Nitschke Aus 677* 22.30 681 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
3 ( - ) Jhulan Goswami Ind 667 22.23 797 v Eng at Chennai 2007
4 ( - ) Lisa Sthalekar Aus 663 27.31 674 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
5 ( - ) Emma Sampson Aus 651* 21.94 666 v NZ at Whangarei 2009
6 ( - ) Holly Colvin Eng 619* 19.90 632 v Ind at Arundel 2008
7 ( - ) Jenny Gunn Eng 592 31.22 672 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
8 ( - ) Nicola Browne NZ 567 33.48 648 v Eng at Shenley 2007
9 ( - ) Rumeli Dhar Ind 565* 33.52 609 v SL at Dambulla 2008
10 ( - ) Katherine Brunt Eng 545* 26.33 560 v Ind at Taunton 2008
11 ( - ) Kirsten Pike Aus 503* 23.97 567 v NZ at Lincoln 2008
12 ( - ) Nicky Shaw Eng 502* 32.93 517 v Ind at Taunton 2008
13 ( - ) Aimee Mason NZ 498 33.78 586 v Aus at Darwin 2007
14 ( - ) Alicia Smith SA 493* 22.10 536 v Ire at Crowthorne 2008
15 ( - ) Ashlyn Kilowan SA 483*! 20.16 483 v Eng at Shenley 2008
16 (+1) Ellyse Perry Aus 475* 25.33 491 v Ind at Canberra 2008
17 (-1) Sajida Shah Pak 472* 27.17 499 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
18 (+3) S.Siriwardena SL 471*! 22.43 471 v Pak at Dhaka 2009
19 (-1) Amita Sharma Ind 470 31.18 650 v Pak at Karachi 2005
20 (-1) Neetu David Ind 456 16.34 794 v NZ at Pretoria 2005

All-rounders

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Highest Ranking
1 ( - ) Lisa Sthalekar Aus 503 514 v Ind at Canberra 2008
2 ( - ) Shelley Nitschke Aus 431/*! 431 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
3 ( - ) Nicola Browne NZ 355 383 v Eng at Lincoln 2008
4 ( - ) Aimee Mason NZ 275 342 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
5 ( - ) Jenny Gunn Eng 270 353 v Aus at Melbourne 2008

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Rolton happy for players to enjoy extra attention

Dubai, 18 February 2009

Australia captain says World Cup winner will rightly claim the right to be called the best in the world

Believes ESPN STAR Sports has provided fantastic chance to her team to show skills to the world

Australia captain Karen Rolton is happy for her players to enjoy the limelight but they must not sacrifice the job at hand as the team bids to win next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup for the sixth time.

Australia, winners in 1978, 1982, 1988, 1997 and 2005 and runners-up in 1973 and 2000, is pooled with New Zealand, West Indies and South Africa in Group A. It launches its campaign with perhaps the feature match of Group A against New Zealand at North Sydney Oval on Sunday 8 March.

“Being able to play in a World Cup at home is a great opportunity that will probably only come around once in the girls’ careers. I’ll be telling them to enjoy the extra attention and excitement but to remain focussed on what we want to achieve,” said Rolton, who has represented Australia in 131 ODIs and 13 Tests.

“As long as we prepare well, then we will be ready for whatever challenges come our way.

“Everyone is excited but relaxed about the World Cup. We’ve had great preparations so far and we have another camp in Canberra, which means we’ll be in great shape and ready for the challenge when we arrive in Sydney.

“Our success over the years has been due to a variety of reasons. We have worked hard, developed talented players, continued to introduce new players into international cricket and had the opportunity to play against good teams on a regular basis.

“The team that wins the World Cup will be the team that is able to play at a consistently high level. I think the winner will be able to claim that it is the best in the world,” she added.

When Australia last hosted the tournament in 1988, Lyn Larsen’s side routed England by eight wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to complete a hat-trick of titles. Rolton said her team would like to emulate that record. “Every player in the current squad is proud of the achievements of the previous Australian women’s teams.

“It would be great to emulate Lyn Larsen’s team and win on home soil but we’ve got a lot of hard work to do before we get a chance to do that. The team is relaxed and looking forward to the tournament.”

Rolton, the 34-year-old South Australian, has felt the elation of victory when she was part of the team that won in India in 1997 and in South Africa in 2005. But she has also tasted the bitter tears of defeat when New Zealand beat Australia in the final by four runs in Lincoln, New Zealand nine years go.

“The 2005 win was great to be a part of since we were able to regain the World Cup after losing it to New Zealand in the 2000 final,” recalled Rolton who stroked an unbeaten century to win the player-of-the-final award four years ago after being run-out for one in Lincoln in 2000.

“We still have a few players in the current squad from the 2005 team so they’ll be able to pass on their experiences to the younger members of the squad,” she said, referring to Alex Blackwell, Shelley Nitschke and Lisa Sthalekar, who will be participating in their second World Cup.

Rolton said the Rose Bowl Series against New Zealand, which Australia retained after the series decider was abandoned due to rain with both the teams tied on 2-2, provided the players the best opportunity to prepare for the World Cup. Australia also beat New Zealand by nine wickets in the Twenty20 International at the SCG on 15 February.

“Playing in high-pressure matches was great preparation for the team, especially for the younger members of the squad, as we head into the World Cup.

“After losing the first two matches, we rebounded strongly, especially with the bat in the third and fourth games. To score 300 in the fourth match, against a team ranked in the top four, was something we had been targeting since the India series late last year.

“Our performance in the third and fourth matches (of the Rose Bowl) showed that if we play our best then we’re capable of doing things that not many other teams can do.

“There is a lot riding on each match during the World Cup, so to prepare against one of the other favourites for the title will benefit us a lot. We learned a lot from New Zealand in the Rose Bowl Series and if we can execute our game plans, then I’m confident we’ll be successful,” said Rolton, who contributed 111 runs in the series at an average of 37.

Rolton said she was not worried by the fact New Zealand and England were challenging Australia’s dominance. “It’s exciting for women’s cricket that there is more than one team that can win the World Cup. We enjoy the challenge from the other teams and having to raise the level of our play to continue to be successful,” she said.

Rolton requires 350 runs to leapfrog former captain Belinda Clark (4,844 runs) and become the most successful batter in women’s ODI history. But the ICC Women’s Player of the Year in 2006 is not tempted by the attraction and puts her team before personal glory. “My focus at the moment is on making sure my preparation gives me the best chance to be successful.

“Belinda was a great player, one of the best ever, but for now I’m concentrating on how I can contribute to making our World Cup campaign a success.”

The Australia captain is also excited by the fact that ESPN STAR Sports, ICC’s official broadcaster, will broadcast all seven matches that will take place at North Sydney Oval, including the final. This will ensure that the event will be the most widely viewed to date, with the coverage to be aired in more than 100 countries.

“The seven matches that will be broadcast during the tournament is a fantastic chance for us to show our skills to the world. In Australia, this will be the most extensive television coverage we have ever received, so it’s going to be a huge moment for the promotion in the history of women’s cricket,” she said.

Australia will play two warm-up matches in the lead up to the World Cup. The world champion faces England at Village Garden on Monday 2 March and then meets Sri Lanka at Manly on Wednesday 4 March.

AUSTRALIA – Karen Rolton (captain), Alex Blackwell (vice-captain), Sarah Andrews, Jessica Cameron, Leonie Coleman, Lauren Ebsary, Rene Farrell, Jodie Fields, Delissa Kimmince, Shelley Nitschke, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Leah Poulton, Emma Sampson, Lisa Sthalekar

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Technical committee confirms Debbie-Ann Lewis can replace Juliana Nero in West Indies squad for ICC Women’s World Cup 2009

Dubai, 18 February 2009

The technical committee of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 has approved Debbie-Ann Lewis as a replacement player for Juliana Nero in the West Indies squad for next month’s tournament, which runs from 7 to 22 March in Australia.

The confirmation was conveyed to the West Indies Cricket Board on behalf of the tournament technical committee on Tuesday evening.

Nero’s replacement was allowed on medical grounds after the 29-year-old all-rounder suffered a hamstring injury during a training session.

Lewis, the 39-year-old fast bowler from Grenada, will be making her second World Cup appearance after she played in the 2005 tournament in South Africa where she was the third leading wicket-taker for her country behind Verena Felicien (nine wickets) and Philippa Thomas (seven) with six wickets.

Lewis has played 37 ODIs in which she has taken 25 wickets. She has also contributed 223 runs with the bat.

Lewis is the second replacement player to be called up for the tournament after Marizanne Kapp was approved to replace Kirsty Thomson for South Africa.

The technical committee of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 consists of ICC General Manager – Cricket David Richardson (represented by Chris Tetley, ICC Events Manager), ICC General Manager – Commercial Campbell Jamieson, Eugenie Buckley (Tournament Director), Geoff Allardice (Cricket Australia), Alan Wilkins and Melanie Jones (both independent nominees).

West Indies is pooled with holder Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in Group A of the ICC Women’s World Cup and opens its campaign against South Africa in Newcastle on 8 March.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC announces umpire and referee appointments for upcoming series in Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa

Dubai, 18 February 2009

The ICC today announced details of umpire and match referee appointments for the upcoming series in Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa.

Chris Broad from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees will take charge of the playing control team for the two-Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The series, which gets underway in Karachi on 21 February, will be umpired by Simon Taufel and Steve Davis, both of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires.

Ranjan Madugalle, also of the Emirates Elite Panel, will be the referee for the two Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and five-match ODI series between New Zealand and India.

The 25 February and 27 February T20Is in Christchurch and Wellington will be umpired by the local appointees, while the ODI series, which begins in Napier on 3 March, will be umpired by Rudi Koertzen of the Emirates Elite Panel along with local appointments.

Meanwhile, the Test series between South Africa and Australia begins in Johannesburg on 26 February. The series will be refereed by Jeff Crowe, also of the Emirates Elite Panel, and this three-match series will see a continuation of the trial of the umpire decision review system, which has been put to the test during series between Sri Lanka and India and New Zealand and the West Indies, as well as the current clash between the West Indies and England.

Billy Bowden and Steve Bucknor, both of the Emirates Elite Panel, will stand in the first Test in Johannesburg with another elite panelist, Asad Rauf, assuming the role of television umpire.

Bucknor and Rauf will swap their roles for the second Test to be staged in Durban while those two will come together as on-field umpires with Bowden as television umpire for the third Test to be played in Cape Town from 19 March.

Appointments of match officials for other upcoming series will be announced in due course

Pakistan
Series match referee: Chris Broad
21-25 Feb – Pakistan v Sri Lanka (Test), Karachi – Simon Taufel and Steve Davis
1-5 Mar – Pakistan v Sri Lanka (Test), Lahore – Simon Taufel and Steve Davis

New Zealand
T20I and ODI series match referee: Ranjan Madugalle
25 Feb – New Zealand v India (T20I), Christchurch – local appointments
27 Feb – New Zealand v India (T20I), Wellington – local appointments
3 Mar – New Zealand v India (ODI), Napier – Rudi Koertzen and local appointment
6 Mar – New Zealand v India (ODI), Wellington – Rudi Koertzen and local appointment
8 Mar – New Zealand v India (ODI), Christchurch – Rudi Koertzen and local appointment
11 Mar – New Zealand v India (ODI), Hamilton – Rudi Koertzen and local appointment
14 Mar – New Zealand v India (ODI), Auckland – Rudi Koertzen and local appointment

South Africa
Test series match referee: Jeff Crowe
26 Feb-2 Mar – South Africa v Australia (Test), Johannesburg – Billy Bowden and Steve Bucknor, Asad Rauf (third)
6-10 Mar – South Africa v Australia (Test), Durban – Asad Rauf and Billy Bowden, Steve Bucknor (third)
19-23 Mar – South Africa v Australia (Test), Cape Town – Asad Rauf and Steve Bucknor, Billy Bowden (third)

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Yahoo! is the official internet partner for ICC

Mumbai, 17 February 2009

Creates exclusive property called iccevents.yahoo.com

Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat says ICC and Yahoo! will set new standards in innovation for cricket websites

Rahul Dravid: “This partnership will provide extra choice to cricket fans and everyone involved in the great game”

The International Cricket Council (ICC) and leading internet brand Yahoo! today announced a three-year partnership through which Yahoo! will get access to exclusive images, videos, interviews and player chats around all major ICC events.

With its massive reach, coupled with exclusive content provided by the ICC, Yahoo! will make the game accessible to millions of cricket lovers in India and all over the world.

For the next three years, iccevents.yahoo.com will be the online destination for all ICC tournaments including the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC World Twenty20 and the ICC Champions Trophy.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “In today’s technology-driven world, this is a massive boost for the ICC and cricket. Not only do we get another vibrant and committed commercial partner on board but this deal also ensures cricket fans will benefit from Yahoo’s already established popularity and enormous reach across the cyber world.

“The ICC corporate website and the various event sites that will spring from this partnership will set a new benchmark for innovation and user interaction to ensure that people who choose to follow their team online are rewarded with an entertaining and exciting experience,” he said.

“Yahoo! is thrilled to enter into this partnership with ICC,” said Gopal Krishna, Vice-President and Head of Audience – Emerging Markets, Yahoo!

“This partnership gives us access to content that has never before been experienced in the online domain. It also demonstrates our commitment to cricket and addresses the needs of internet audiences with top-quality coverage of major cricketing events. As a global brand, Yahoo! will attract more users worldwide and contribute towards the growth of cricket,” he said.

ICC Ambassador and former India captain Rahul Dravid, who attended the launch, said: “These days the internet is such a huge part of how people enjoy cricket. Live scoring is a great way to keep in touch with matches that are going on and it’s a great medium for sharing opinions and information about games and players.

“The ICC is always looking to improve international cricket in many ways and this partnership with Yahoo! is going to provide extra choice to cricket fans and everyone involved in the great game,” he said.

This deal with Yahoo! will not alter the level or type of access to ICC events that other cricket or news websites have enjoyed in the past.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 meeting takes place in New Delhi

New Delhi, 17 February 2009

Bangladesh identified as venue for opening ceremony on 19 February 2011

Representatives of the ICC, including Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat, today attended a meeting in New Delhi to discuss ongoing plans for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, which will take place in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in two years’ time.

This is one of many such organisational meetings between the various parties involved in staging the event and a range of important issues were discussed. Among other things, it was decided that subject to final ICC Board approval, the opening ceremony for the event would take place in Bangladesh on 19 February 2011 and the tournament would be shorter than the one that took place in the West Indies in 2007.

“I am pleased to see that planning arrangements are gathering speed,” said Mr Lorgat.

“It is no secret that from an organisational point of view we are a little behind the clock at the moment but I’m pleased to say the pace has now quickened and the various parties are stepping up to deliver what I fully believe will be a great celebration of world cricket,” he said.

With Salman Butt having previously been named as the event’s tournament director and with several working groups now in place, the details of organising the event are being worked through.

“One of the issues to arise from today’s meeting was that of safety and security,” said Mr Lorgat.

“Clearly, that is a major factor to consider and we are already making provisions to ensure that players, officials, media, spectators and all other stakeholders will be safe during the event. In fact, people’s safety is our number-one priority.

“I think it would be premature to start talking of alternative venues for the event. In due course and we will appoint an independent security assessor as is normal procedure and we will make a decision but at this stage we are planning for the ICC Cricket World Cup to take place in the four designated countries as originally planned.”

The four hosts will now step up preparations in their respective countries and will reconvene in due course to appraise each other and the ICC of the progress being made towards the staging of the event. The ICC Board will also be kept informed of progress during its regular meetings.

As part of the preparations for the tournament, the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier will take place in South Africa from 1 to19 April. The 12-team event features the best teams from the Associate and Affiliate world with the top four sides winning places at the big event in 2011. The 10 Full Members of the ICC have already qualified automatically.

Present at today’s meeting in Delhi were:
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat, ICC General Manager – Commercial Campbell Jamieson, ICC Principal Advisor IS Bindra, ICC Vice-President and chairman of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 organising committee Sharad Pawar; Ijaz Butt (Pakistan Cricket Board chairman), Salim Altaf (PCB chief operating officer), Subhan Ahmad (SGM, International), Salman Butt (Tournament Director, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011); Mahbubul Anam (senior vice-president Bangladesh Cricket Board), Shafiqur Rahman (director BCB); Lalith Wickremasinghe (Sri Lanka Cricket), Duleep Mendis (SLC); Navin Marapana (SLC); N Srinivasan (Board of Control for Cricket in India), Ratnakar Shetty (BCCI).

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Technical committee confirms Marizanne Kapp can replace Kirsty Thomson in South Africa squad for ICC Women’s World Cup 2009

Dubai, 17 February 2009

The technical committee of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 has approved Marizanne Kapp as a replacement player for Kirsty Thomson in South Africa’s squad for next month’s tournament, which runs from 7 to 22 March in Australia.

The confirmation was conveyed to Cricket South Africa on behalf of the tournament technical committee on Monday evening.

Thomson’s replacement was allowed on medical grounds after the 20-year-old fast bowler suffered stress fractures in her lower back while bowling in a provisional match.

Kapp, the 19-year-old all-rounder from Port Elizabeth, has not played any matches for South Africa and is expected to make her international debut in the World Cup.

The technical committee of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 consists of ICC General Manager – Cricket David Richardson (represented by Chris Tetley, ICC Events Manager), ICC General Manager – Commercial Campbell Jamieson, Eugenie Buckley (Tournament Director), Geoff Allardice (Cricket Australia), Alan Wilkins and Melanie Jones (both independent nominees).

South Africa is pooled with holder Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies in Group A and opens its campaign against the West Indies in Newcastle on 8 March.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 meeting takes place in New Delhi

West Indies greats Richards, Roberts and Holding inducted into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

St John’s, Antigua, 16 February 2009

Richards: “A real pleasure to be recognised as one of the legends of West Indies cricket”

Holding: “It’s a tremendous honour… and it makes me proud”

Roberts: “A real privilege and a proud moment”

The ICC and the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) acknowledged the services to cricket of Antigua and Barbuda legends Sir Vivian Richards and Andy Roberts and Jamaica fast bowling hero Michael Holding on Monday by inducting them into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

The former players were presented with their Hall of Fame caps by West Indies Cricket Board President Dr Julian Hunte on the field of play during the lunch interval on day two of the third Test between the West Indies and England at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Richards, who made the fastest Test hundred in history at the venue when he reached three figures in just 56 balls, against England in 1986, said: “It is a real pleasure to be recognised as one of the legends of West Indies cricket and in a group of players in world cricket.

“It was special to receive this honour alongside two players I played a lot of cricket with,” he added.

Holding, who was also celebrating his 55th birthday, said: “It is a tremendous honour to become part of this small group of cricketers. It's not something you set out to try and achieve when you start playing cricket but it is special to be recognised alongside such greats of the game.

“It is one of those things that will endure a long time after people have forgotten the matches I played in and it makes me proud.”

Local hero Roberts added: “It is a real privilege to be honoured in this way and it was a proud moment to receive the cap.”

The three former players are among 13 West Indies legends who are being inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, which is being run in association with FICA. Further presentations will be made later on during England's tour of the Caribbean.

The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame initiative forms part of the ICC's centenary celebrations which are focused on celebrating the unique heritage of the game and cricket's enduring spirit.

Richards, Roberts and Holding are three of 55 players in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame's initial intake. Previously, during South Africa’s tour of Australia, former South Africa batsman Barry Richards and Australia wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh received their caps.

Further cap presentations will be made during the course of 2009, the ICC’s centenary year. Further inductees will be named and acknowledged in due course.

The launch of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame forms part of a range of events during the ICC's centenary year of 2009. The year is intended to be a global celebration with numerous events taking place to reflect all that is great about the game.

Dr Julian Hunte's presentation of ICC Cricket Hall of Fame commemorative caps to Sir Vivian Richards, Michael Holding and Andy Roberts in Antigua was captured by a Getty Images photographer. Media wishing to access photos should contact their usual Getty Images supplier.

ICC Cricket Hall of Fame - initial inductees (55):

Sydney Barnes, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, George Headley, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O'Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Fred Trueman, Derek Underwood, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Ponting gets his hands on the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace – and vows his players will fight to keep their number one status

Johannesburg, 16 February 2009

“Being number one means a lot to us, it’s something we’ve never taken for granted”

“The expectation on South Africa is high… we’ll make sure we’re in the best possible shape for the first game and see where we go from there”

Australia captain Ricky Ponting got his hands on the symbol of his side’s dominance in Test cricket on Monday, the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace, and vowed he and his players would fight to maintain their number one status.

Ponting lifted the mace in front of a packed media conference in Johannesburg at the start of a tour that will test his side’s primacy to the limit in the ultimate form of the game.

Its status as top dog is under threat from South Africa and a series win for the Proteas in the upcoming three-match series that starts on 26 February will topple Australia from top spot for the first time in almost six years.

But Ponting, speaking after arriving from Sydney, and with the mace in front of him, said: “Anyone who plays an individual or team sport wants to be recognised as being the best. It’s what playing international sport is all about.

“We’ve been good enough over a long period of time to hang on to this trophy, we know what it takes to hang on to it and we know what it will take over the next few weeks to hang on to it again.

“(Being number one) does mean a lot to us, it’s something we’ve never taken for granted and it’s not meant we’ve haven’t worked as hard as any other team.

“What’s made us stand out is that while we’ve been recognised as number one we’ve tried to train as if we’re number two. We’ll continue to try to do that here,” he added.

Australia arrived in South Africa off the back of a first home Test series loss in 16 years, the 2-1 defeat inflicted upon it by South Africa in December and January.

To some critics that form might place Australia as the underdog but Ponting was content to look at things in a positive light and push the pressure back on the home side.

“I had it told to me (this morning in Sydney) that we were going away as underdogs,” he said.

“The expectation in South Africa is high and so it should be as they played some excellent cricket in Australia a few weeks ago. That’s what makes this series so big and so enjoyable for us.

“But I look on it a bit like the 2005 Ashes (against England) when we lost there for the first time in a long time. From there we went back to Australia, regrouped and worked hard as a team.

“It meant England came to Australia as favourites, all the expectation and pressure was on them and they didn’t live up to it.

“We’ll get stuck into work, make sure we’re in the best possible shape for the first game and see where we go from there,” he added.

Ponting left the media conference to join his team mates on a coach journey to Potchefstroom where they will play a three-day warm-up match before the first Test back in Johannesburg on 26 February.

The other two Tests in the series will be played in Durban (starting 6 March) and Cape Town (starting 19 March).

The side that tops the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship on the annual cut-off date of 1 April – and that will be either Australia or South Africa – will be US$175,000 richer with the second-placed side benefiting by US$75,000.

South Africa has already sealed the top prize of US$175,000 in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table.

Photos of the Australians’ arrival media conference are available through Getty Images. Please approach your usual contact for future details.

Background on the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace:

The Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship mace is presented to the team that leads the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship.

It has been in Australia’s hands for all but five months (January – May 2003, when South Africa topped the table) since it was inaugurated in May 2001.

South Africa will head the table and reclaim the mace if it beats Australia in the three-match series. But Australia will retain possession of the mace if it draws or wins the series.

The mace was produced by the then British Crown Jeweller, Asprey & Garrard, in 2001, which was commissioned to make a distinctive prize designed to stand out from other cricket trophies.

The designers produced a 90cm silver and gold-plated trophy based on a cricket stump as its shank, topped by an orb that represents the cricket world – both geographically and through the inclusion of the emblems of all 10 ICC Members that have played Test cricket.

The stump and the orb combine to portray the mace, regarded as a symbol of authority and prestige. This is regarded as an appropriate combination given the rich history of Test cricket and its image as the most traditional and purest form of the game.

The mace sits on a wooden base with a silver-plated plaque in front with room for engravings of the sides to hold it. The mace was valued at stg£30,000 in 2001 and automatically passes from one team to another as results confirm a change of leadership in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Pakistan and Sri Lanka players and officials briefed on responsibilities under the new ICC Anti-Doping Code

Dubai, 16 February 2009

Leading international players to be briefed in the next two months

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat: “Our aim is simple - to ensure a clean sport that matches the highest standards of international practice”

The ICC has briefed the Pakistan and Sri Lanka players, backroom staff and officials on the new ICC Anti-Doping Code (2009) which came into effect on 1 January.

The code has several changes from the ICC’s previous anti-doping regulations, including the adoption of the International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP), made up of the leading players (according to the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings) from each of the top eight ranked ODI teams.

Those players selected in the IRTP are required to provide additional information about their whereabouts throughout the year in order that the ICC can implement an effective out-of-competition testing programme in line with the requirements of the WADA Code 2009.

Lorinda Rugless, the ICC’s Anti-Doping and Member Services Manager, conducted the briefings in Lahore (on Thursday 12 March) and Karachi (on Sunday 15 March) and afterwards said: “While it remains the responsibility of ICC Member Boards, as it has always been, to educate their cricketers about general matters of anti-doping and the application of the ICC Anti-Doping Code 2009, these session and others that will follow are aimed at highlighting the key changes to the ICC Anti-Doping Code (2009) and educating those players who have been selected in the IRTP about their additional obligations.

“The scope of the new ICC Anti-Doping Code (2009) has been extended so that cricketers are subject to testing at any time, on any day of the year, whether at ICC events, bilateral series or out of competition. It is therefore important that all players and support personnel understand the changes and their new responsibilities.

“Sessions such as this are a chance for everyone to hear first hand what is expected of them and to ask questions. There was a good, healthy dialogue and hopefully all those present will have found it to be a useful exercise,” she added.

Commenting on the session, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “The new ICC Anti-Doping Code is an important step forward for the sport of cricket and we’re delighted that the PCB and SLC have actively coordinated these sessions.

“Our aim is simple, and that is to ensure fair play in a clean sport. We have a zero-tolerance approach to doping and we are proud of the fact that since we began testing at our events in 2002, we’ve never had an anti-doping rule violation arising at any of those events.

“We want it to stay that way and this new code is a means of ensuring that it also extends the testing regime to meet the highest standards of international practice,” he added.

While the Pakistan team was briefed in Lahore on Friday, the Sri Lanka team was briefed on the additional responsibilities for those of its players selected in the IRTP on Sunday in Karachi.

And within the next two months, the ICC expects to arrange face-to-face training for all of those players selected in the IRTP. Thereafter, it will make additional training, education, materials and guidance available to all Members and players requiring further assistance, including having a presence at the ICC World Twenty20 in June 2009.

While it remains the responsibility of all Members to brief their players on the ICC Anti-Doping Code (2009), ICC staff will also be available to talk through the key changes in the code to any team taking part in next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 in Australia and April’s ICC World Cup Qualifier in South Africa.

The ICC became a signatory of WADA in July 2006 and the ICC Anti-Doping Code (2009), unanimously incorporated by the ICC Executive Board, indicates an overwhelming level of support for a zero-tolerance approach to drugs within the game of cricket.

In a further move aimed at bolstering the anti-doping movement in the sport of cricket, the ICC, towards the end of 2008, circulated a template anti-doping code for all of its Members to adapt in order to help them govern anti-doping matters at a domestic level in a consistent and WADA Code-compliant manner.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC confirms umpiring appointments for the third Test in Antigua

Dubai, 14 February 2009

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today confirmed the umpires for the third Test between the West Indies and England at the Antigua Recreation Ground, starting on Sunday 15 February.

The on-field officials will be Daryl Harper and Rudi Koertzen, both of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires.

Koertzen, who was the television official for the abandoned second match of the series at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, replaces Tony Hill of the Emirates International Panel as one of the men in the middle.

The switch has been made as, with the umpire decision review system not in operation for this match, an Elite Panel official is not required in the third umpire’s box.

Hill will return home with Norman Malcolm, also on the Emirates International Panel, taking over as the television official to adjudicate on line decisions referred to him by the on-field umpires.

The match referee will be Alan Hurst of the Emirates Elite Panel and the fourth official will be a local appointee.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

India’s batsmen are on the move

Dubai, 14 February 2009

Yuvraj, Gambhir and Sehwag all on the up in Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen

Haddin, Hussey and Johnson keep Australian flag flying as success of Ross Taylor, Kyle Mills and Iain O’Brien reflects a good series for the Black Caps

Yuvraj Singh has moved to third in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen after a successful series in Sri Lanka.

In the five matches of the series, the 27-year-old left-hander scored 284 runs at an average of 56.80 and contributed to India’s 4-1 series win. As a result Yuvraj has gained four places and now sits in third place, just behind Australia’s Michael Hussey in second position and India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in top spot.

It has been a good period for many of India’s batsmen with Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag also making good progress in the latest rankings. Gambhir has gained eight places and moves up to 12th position while Sehwag’s recent good form has earned him a return to the top 20 as he moves up six places to 15th spot on the list.

Another big mover is New Zealand’s Ross Taylor who has put in some classy performances in his side’s drawn series in Australia. Taylor has gained seven places in the latest rankings and now occupies 16th position, level with South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs.

All this movement has not been good for everyone, however. Two of the world’s most successful batsmen, Ricky Ponting and Sachin Tendulkar, have both slipped in the latest charts. After a protracted period in the top five, Ponting has dropped five places and now sits in 10th position while Tendulkar has fallen out of the top 20 after losing nine places. He now sits in 21st spot.

Australia’s wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin has been presenting a compelling argument as to why he should be considered as a worthy replacement for the retired Adam Gilchrist with the 31-year-old New South Welshman ending up as top scorer from either side in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. Haddin scored a total of 283 runs at an average of 70.75 and in the process gained 31 places in the latest rankings to 38th position.

Sadly for India the news is not so positive for its bowlers as it is for the batsmen. Zaheer Khan has dropped five places in the latest Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers and now sits in 14th position. The left-armer will, however, have a chance to remedy that situation when his side takes on New Zealand in five ODIs next month.

But the news is better for Australia’s Mitchell Johnson who took seven wickets in the series. He has moved up four places and is back into the top 10.

Johnson’s team-mate James Hopes is a big mover following that series with the medium-pacer having gained 12 places to 18th spot on the log after averaging 22.71 for the series at an economy-rate of just 3.78.

New Zealand’s Kyle Mills has gained two places to third in the rankings with the Black Caps currently boasting two bowlers in the top three as skipper Daniel Vettori is still ranked as the number-one ODI bowler in the world.

The biggest mover, however, is their team-mate Iain O’Brien whose 10 wickets in the series have shot him up no fewer than 134 places. But the fast bowler still has a long way to go as he currently occupies 119th position in the rankings.

The absent Jacob Oram has slipped a place in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, moving from second to third in a list still headed by Bangladesh’s Sakib Al Hasan.

ICC One-Day Rankings (as of 14 February)

Batsmen

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating

1 ( - ) MS Dhoni Ind 809 ! 48.28 809 v SL at Colombo (RPS) 2009
2 (+2) Mike Hussey Aus 798 55.15 863 v NZ at Perth 2007
3 (+4) Yuvraj Singh Ind 790 ! 37.70 790 v SL at Colombo (RPS) 2009
4 (-2) Chris Gayle WI 783 40.63 804 v Aus at Mumbai 2006
5 (-2) S.Chanderpaul WI 769 ! 41.14 769 v NZ at Napier 2009
6 ( - ) Graeme Smith SA 741 40.88 792 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
7 (+1) Kevin Pietersen Eng 730 48.36 834 v Aus at Antigua 2007
8 (+1) Mohd Yousuf Pak 716 43.19 777 v SA at Rawalpindi 2003
9 (+1) AB de Villiers SA 715 37.62 733 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
10 (-5) Ricky Ponting Aus 705 42.72 832 v NZ at Hobart 2007
11 (+5) K Sangakkara SL 704 36.33 760 v Ind at Rajkot 2007
12 (+8) G Gambhir Ind 703 38.47 713 v SL at Colombo (RPS) 2009
13 ( - ) R Sarwan WI 696 44.17 798 v Ind at St Kitts 2006
14 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 695 45.30 816 v WI at Johannesburg 2004
15 (+6) Virender Sehwag Ind 692 33.46 774 v NZ at Auckland 2003
16= (-1) Herschelle Gibbs SA 685 36.04 750 v SL at Durban 2003
(+7) Ross Taylor NZ 685 39.51 699 v Aus at Adelaide 2009
18 (-7) Andrew Symonds Aus 684 40.34 778 v Ind at Nagpur 2007
19= (-3) Shoaib Malik Pak 683 35.70 690 v WI at Abu Dhabi 2008
(-3) Salman Butt Pak 683 39.77 698 v SL at Karachi 2009

Bowlers

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Econ HS Rating

1 ( - ) Daniel Vettori NZ 727 32.25 4.16 790 v Eng at Christchurch 2008
2 ( - ) N Kulasekara SL 724 26.79 4.41 749 v Pak at Lahore 2009
3 (+2) Kyle Mills NZ 719 25.55 4.60 723 v Aus at Melbourne 2009
4 (-1) Nathan Bracken Aus 700 22.90 4.40 806 v SL at St George's 2007
5 (-1) M Muralidaran SL 696 22.79 3.89 913 v NZ at Sharjah 2002
6 ( - ) Shakib Al Hasan Ban 687 ! 30.05 4.02 687 v Zim at Dhaka 2009
7 ( - ) Stuart Broad Eng 673 27.58 4.94 701 v SA at Trent Bridge 2008
8 ( - ) M Mortaza Ban 671 29.82 4.57 678 v Ind at Port-of-Spain 2007
9 ( - ) Andrew Flintoff Eng 662 24.69 4.38 755 v Ban at Dhaka 2003
10= (+1) Jerome Taylor WI 660 26.26 4.67 688 v SA at Cape Town 2008
(+4) Mitchell Johnson Aus 660 25.91 4.85 726 v Ban at Darwin 2008
12 ( - ) Ajantha Mendis SL 655* 13.14 3.94 660 v Ind at Colombo (RPS) 2009
13 ( - ) Johan Botha SA 653*! 36.86 4.43 653 v Aus at Perth 2009
14 (-5) Zaheer Khan Ind 645 28.87 4.84 700 v SA at Dhaka 2003
15 (+2) Umar Gul Pak 640 ! 25.24 4.92 640 v SL at Lahore 2009
16 (+2) Sohail Tanvir Pak 639* 27.34 4.93 673 v WI at Abu Dhabi 2008
17 (+2) Daren Powell WI 636 31.60 4.70 686 v Aus at St George's 2008
18 (+12) James Hopes Aus 635* 32.23 4.21 646 v NZ at Adelaide 2009
19 (-4) Jacob Oram NZ 629 30.25 4.38 768 v Aus at The Oval 2004
20= (+1) Shahid Afridi Pak 625 35.51 4.63 685 v Ind at Dhaka 2008
(-4) Brett Lee Aus 625 22.96 4.71 853 v SA at Melbourne 2006

All-rounders

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points HS Rating

1 ( - ) Shakib Al Hasan Ban 403! 403 v Zim at Dhaka 2009
2 (+1) Andrew Flintoff Eng 366 544 v SL at The Rose Bowl 2004
3 (-1) Jacob Oram NZ 350 383 v WI at Queenstown 2008
4 ( - ) Shoaib Malik Pak 340 402 v WI at Brisbane 2005
5 ( - ) Chris Gayle WI 336 511 v Zim at Harare 2003

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC confirms second West Indies – England Test is abandoned, new match to be staged at Antigua Recreation Ground starting on Sunday

Dubai, 13 February 2009

Emirates Elite Panel Match Referee Alan Hurst today confirmed the second Test between the West Indies and England at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua would be abandoned.

A new Test match, to be staged at the Antigua Recreation Ground, would begin on Sunday 15 February, he added.

Mr Hurst said: “Following discussions involving the local authorities and the two Boards it was clear we could not proceed with the Test match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

“The ground conditions, and especially the bowlers’ run-ups, were unfit and potentially dangerous and we decided it would not be possible to rectify those fundamental issues over the course of a day or so.

“The Antigua Recreation Ground gives us the opportunity to stage a Test match on the same island, something that is a prime consideration given the many supporters who have come here to watch the West Indies and England in action.

“Preparations will now be made to get the ground ready for Sunday.”

Given the short period of time between now and Sunday the ICC has taken the decision that Sunday’s match will take place without the umpire decision review system.

This is because the host broadcaster already has a great deal of work to do to de-rig its equipment at one venue and rig at another and asking it at the same time to ensure the system is ready to go would risk the integrity of the trial.

That trial will resume with the Test match in Barbados which will start on 26 February.

In keeping with the precedent of the abandoned Test match at Sabina Park in Jamaica in 1998, Sunday’s match will become the third Test of what will now be a five-Test series with the records for this Test remaining.

In terms of the immediate future for the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, the venue will now be subject to the start of the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

That process was introduced in 2006 to ensure international cricket is played in conditions of a suitably high standard.

The first stage of the process is for Mr Hurst to submit a report to the ICC concerning the quality of the playing surface.

Once he does so then the ICC will write to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), forwarding that report and asking for a written report of its own on the condition of the surface including any extenuating circumstances which may have existed.

Once the WICB’s report is submitted then the ICC’s General Manager – Cricket David Richardson and the ICC’s chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle will consider all the evidence, including studying video footage, before passing judgment.

The ICC has the power to impose a sanction ranging from a warning or a fine up to a suspension of international status for the venue.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Caribbean youngsters bat against HIV/AIDS

St John’s, Antigua, 13 February 2009

West Indies and England players take time out to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS

Photos available

Players from the West Indies and England teams took time out of their training ahead of the second Test match in Antigua to meet with local youngsters as part of the ICC’s global HIV/AIDS awareness partnership with UNICEF, UNAIDS and the Global Media AIDS Initiative.

The children received coaching tips from Chris Gayle and Denesh Ramdin from the West Indies and England’s Alistair Cook and Monty Panesar. They also collected autographs from the players and were photographed with the ICC’s Catch the Spirit flag, which is travelling the globe during the ICC’s Centenary year in 2009.

The meetings were organized by the 3H Network, a local NGO which works to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS, and to address the plight of persons living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in Antigua and Barbuda.

West Indies wicketkeeper Ramdin said: “The ICC’s work around HIV/AIDS awareness is something which a number of cricketers have been involved in and I’m happy to be a part of this in Antigua today. It’s important that we play our role where we can to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and to reduce the stigma associated with it.”

England vice-captain Cook enjoyed meeting the young members of the 3H Network and he hoped the children felt the same. “I hope that the youngsters who came to join us at practice today really enjoyed themselves,” he said.

“It was great to speak with them to learn about their stories and chat about cricket. I hope that we can continue to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS so that more youngsters can live a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the game which I’m so passionate about.”

Photographs are available for use, free-of-charge, by emailing Jon Long, the ICC Manager – Member Services and Corporate Affairs, at jon.long@icc-cricket.com

ICC Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat said: “Cricket is a hugely popular sport in many developing countries affected by HIV/AIDS and where children are especially vulnerable.

“We want our high profile cricketers who are great role models to deliver important messages on HIV/AIDS awareness and to encourage young people to live a healthy lifestyle. Our great sport and the ICC’s centenary celebrations provide us with an excellent opportunity to deliver these messages across our 104 member countries.”

The visit was supported by UNAIDS in close collaboration with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership (CBMP) as part of a global cricket campaign on HIV/AIDS which is also assisted by UNICEF.

It builds on a series of activities that were delivered during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, held in the West Indies, aimed at raising awareness on HIV/AIDS and reducing stigma around the disease. Sachin Tendulkar, Mike Hussey and Kumar Sangakkara were among the players to visit community projects during the event. The campaign also supported the CBMP’s ‘Live Up’ campaign which delivered cricket-themed education messages.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC statement on Antigua Test match

Dubai, 13 February 2009

Emirates Elite Panel Match Referee Alan Hurst today issued the following statement after the first day of the second Test between the West Indies and England at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua was abandoned on Friday.

“The decision to call off play for the day was taken by the on-field umpires Tony Hill and Daryl Harper in consultation with both captains because it was clear the ground conditions, especially the state of the bowlers’ run-ups, were unfit and potentially dangerous.

“I will now meet with the local authorities including the groundstaff, and the two Boards to see what options are available and a further announcement will be made in due course.”

Play was called off for the day with England 7-0 in 1.4 overs after being put into bat by the home side.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Indian team for New Zealand tour

Chennai, February 13, 2009

The All India Senior Selection Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India met at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk today and selected the Indian Team for the Twenty20 matches, One-Day International Series and Test Series to be played against New Zealand in New Zealand. Mr. Niranjan Shah will be the Manager for the Indian Team for the Twenty20 and One-Day Series.
India – Twenty20 against New Zealand
1. M S Dhoni (Captain) 9. Zaheer Khan
2. Virender Sehwag (Vice Captain) 10. Suresh Raina
3. Gautam Gambhir 11. Irfan Pathan
4. Yuvraj Singh 12. Ravindra Jadeja
5. Yusuf Pathan 13. Munaf Patel
6. Rohit Sharma 14. Pragyan Ojha
7. Harbhajan Singh 15. Praveen Kumar
8. Ishant Sharma 16. Dinesh Karthik

India – ODI Series against New Zealand
1. M S Dhoni (Captain) 9. Zaheer Khan
2. Virender Sehwag (Vice Captain) 10. Ishant Sharma
3. Gautam Gambhir 11. Munaf Patel
4. Sachin Tendulkar 12. Irfan Pathan
5. Yuvraj Singh 13. Pragyan Ojha
6. Suresh Raina 14. Rohit Sharma
7. Yusuf Pathan 15. Praveen Kumar
8. Harbhajan Singh 16. Dinesh Karthik

India – Test Series against New Zealand
1. M S Dhoni (Captain) 9. Zaheer Khan
2. Virender Sehwag (Vice Captain) 10. Ishant Sharma
3. Gautam Gambhir 11. Munaf Patel
4. Rahul Dravid 12. M Vijay
5. Sachin Tendulkar 13. Amit Mishra
6. VVS Laxman 14. L Balaji
7. Yuvraj Singh 15. Dhawal Kulkarni
8. Harbhajan Singh 16. Dinesh Karthik

PRESS RELEASE

Women’s World Cup – a story of double centuries, hat-tricks and tied matches

Dubai, 12 February 2009

Huge scores, wonderful bowling and nail-biting finishes – over the years the Women’s World Cup has served up some of the most exciting cricket played anywhere and next month’s event shows no sign of bucking that trend.

In a 1997 World Cup match in Mumbai, Belinda Clark stroked a record 229 not out against Denmark to help Australia post a colossal 412-3 (the highest score in Women’s World Cup history) that set up a 363-run victory. Clark’s 155-ball innings was studded with 22 boundaries and during the 181-minute knock, she was involved in two century partnerships – 168 for the opening wicket with Lisa Keightley (60) and then 136 runs for the second wicket with Karen Rolton (64).

While Clark went down in the annals of history as the highest individual scorer, Denmark’s Malene Brock, Mette Gregersen, Susanne Neilsen and Dorte Christiansen went into World Cup record books as the most expensive bowlers. Brock finished with figures of 10-0-72-0, Gregersen 10-0-72-0, Neilsen had figures of 10-0-77-1 while Christiansen finished with 10-1-77-2.

However, Pakistan’s Shaiza Khan remains the only bowler in women’s cricket history to concede more than 100 runs in an ODI. She had figures of 10-0-111-1 against Australia at Melbourne in February 1997 when the home team scored 397-4 and then sent the tourists packing for 23.

Clark’s 229 not out in Mumbai may be her only World Cup century but her consistency with the bat makes her the most successful Australia batter in World Cups with 1,151 runs from 29 matches at an average of 60.57.

While Clark was scoring her double century, some miles away in Pune current England captain Charlotte Edwards, a day before her 18th birthday, slammed an attractive 173 not out against Ireland which is the World Cup’s second-highest individual score.

Edwards, opening the innings, faced 155 balls of which 19 were converted into fours. She featured in two century partnerships – 108 runs for the third wicket with Sue Metcalfe (29) and 131 runs for the unfinished fourth wicket with Jane Smit (50 not out), not to mention a 72-run first-wicket stand with Janette Brittin (37).

Edwards, who is the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year for 2008, is just 198 runs short of becoming the fourth batter to score 1,000 or more World Cup runs.

The third highest individual innings in World Cups came from current Australia captain Karen Rolton who scored 154 not out against Sri Lanka in her team’s 200-run victory in Christchurch in 2000. Rolton faced 118 balls and hit 19 fours.

Rolton is her country’s second most prolific World Cup scorer with 754 runs from 22 matches at 83.77.

New Zealand’s legendary Debbie Hockley, who played in record five World Cups along with Englishwoman Clare Taylor, leads the list of most successful batters. She scored 1,501 runs from 45 matches at little under 43. England’s Jannete Brittin is second on the list with 1,299 runs from 36 matches at 43.30, followed by Clark, Edwards and Rolton.

Bowlers have also enjoyed their moments of success as two hat-tricks have been recorded in World Cups – both in the 1993 event staged in England.

After opener Brittin scored 104 to help England post 286 against Denmark at the Recreation Ground, Banstead, off-spinner Carole Hodges dismissed Susanne Neilson, Pia Thomsen and Heidi Kjaer off successive balls to help bowl out the Danes for 47.

Nearly a week later at the Civil Service Sports Ground, Chiswick, New Zealand fast bowler Julie Harris trapped Eugena Gregg, Cherry-Ann Singh and Patricia Felician in front of the wickets off successful deliveries to help dismiss the West Indies for 96 runs. In that game, New Zealand achieved victory with seven wickets and more than 33 overs to spare.

Australia left-arm spinner Lyn Fullston is the most successful World Cup bowler. The South Australian, who sadly died in June at the age of 52, played in the 1982 and 1988 World Cups and took a total of 39 wickets, including 23 in the 1982 World Cup in New Zealand.

Carole Hodges, the England off-spinner, is second on the list of most successful bowlers with 37 wickets. In the 1982 World Cup, she took 12 scalps and then followed up with 14 wickets in Australia and another 11 wickets in England.

Hodges’s team-mate Clare Taylor is third with 36 wickets, followed by the Australia pair of Cathryn Fitzpatrick (33) and Sharon Tredrea (32), and the Indian trio of Diana Edulji (31), Purnima Rau and Neetu David (30 each).

Jackie Lord of New Zealand has produced the best bowling spell in the history of the Women’s World Cup when in a 1982 World Cup match in Christchurch she recorded figures of 8-2-10-6 as India, chasing 81 for victory, was dismissed for 37 in 35 overs.

Lord’s figures improved the record of compatriot Glenys Page who had registered figures of 6.2-0-20-6 against Trinidad & Tobago at Clarence Park, St Alban’s, England.

The most economical bowling analysis was recorded by New Zealand’s Catherine Campbell who had figures of 10-7-3-0 against the Netherlands in New Zealand in 2000.

Australia’s Raelee Thompson recorded the second most economical figures of 10-9-4-0 against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, in the 1982 World Cup.

Besides the individual performances, there have been three tied matches with England and New Zealand being involved in two matches each. At Auckland in the 1982 World Cup, England, chasing 148 for victory in 60 overs against New Zealand, was cruising nicely at 112-3 before it finished at 147-8.

Three weeks later in Christchurch, Australia collapsed from 148-4 to 167 all out to tie the match with New Zealand.

The third tied match was in Indore, India in the 1997 World Cup when host India, chasing 177 to beat New Zealand, lost seven wickets for 56 runs to be bowled out for 176 with five balls remaining.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

New Zealand’s World Cup hopes get a boost as in-form Satterthwaite breaks into top 20 of Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings

Dubai, 12 February 2009

New Zealand batter Amy Satterthwaite is coming into form at just the right time ahead of next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup 2009. She has rocketed into the top 20 of the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings following a good Rose Bowl Series against Australia which concluded in Wellington on Thursday.

The 22-year-old left-hander, who played in only three ODIs, finished as the second leading run-getter in the series with 136 runs at an average of 68. For this achievement, she has been rewarded with a jump of 22 places which has put her in 20th spot in the latest rankings.

Also making her way in the top 20 for the first time in her career is Satterwaite’s team-mate Sarah Tsukigawa who has leaped two places to 19th position.

Satterthwaite’s and Tsukigawas’ vaults means New Zealand now has six batters in the top 20 with the others being Nicola Browne (ninth), Haidee Tiffen (10th), Aimee Mason (11th) and Sara McGlashan (12th) who has dropped out of the top 10 after falling two places.

Australia’s Shelley Nitschke, who was the top scorer of the series with 144 runs, has improved her ranking by one place and is now in eighth position but captain Karen Rolton has slipped one place to seventh.

Lisa Sthalekar (second) and Alex Blackwell (fourth) are the other Australians in the top 20 of the list which is headed by England’s Claire Taylor.

On the bowling front, Sthalekar has swapped places with team-mate Emma Sampson and is now in fourth position while Sarah Andrews has entered in the top 20 for the first time in her career by rising three places to 20th.

The other Australian bowlers in the top 20 are Nitschke (second), Kirsten Pike (12th) and Ellyse Perry (17th) with the latter two slipping two and one places respectively.

New Zealand vice-captain Mason has suffered the most in the latest bowling rankings after a wicketless Rose Bowl Series which has cost her four places and dropped her to 13th spot.

England’s Isa Guha is on top of the bowling chart by a distance.

There is no change in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings for all-rounders though Sthalekar has extended her advantage over team-mate Nitschke. However, Rolton has dropped two places to eighth which means Rumeli Dhar of India and Sri Lanka captain Shashikala Siriwardena have climbed to sixth and seventh positions respectively.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Women’s Player Rankings (as of 12 February)

Batters

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Highest Ranking

1 ( - ) Claire Taylor Eng 804 39.13 820 v NZ at Blackpool 2007
2 ( - ) Lisa Sthalekar Aus 759 37.36 804 v Ind at Sydney 2008
3 ( - ) Mithali Raj Ind 722 46.50 841 v Aus at Baroda Vadodar 2004
4 ( - ) Sarah Taylor Eng 698* 40.11 705 v Ind at Taunton 2008
5 ( - ) Alex Blackwell Aus 661 34.70 692 v Ind at Canberra 2008
6 (+1) C. Edwards Eng 654 37.05 691 v SA at Pretoria 2005
7 (-1) Karen Rolton Aus 651 48.85 873 v Ind at Vapi 2004
8 (+1) Shelley Nitschke Aus 636 ! 29.15 636 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
9 (-1) Nicola Browne NZ 626 29.86 653 v Aus at Lincoln 2008
10 (+1) Haidee Tiffen NZ 563 29.66 750 v Ind at Lincoln 2006
11 (+1) Aimee Mason NZ 552 22.31 624 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
12= (-2) Sara McGlashen NZ 524 22.47 581 v Eng at Derby 2007
(+1) Dedunu Silva SL 524*! 21.91 524 v Pak at Bogra 2009
14 ( - ) Lydia Greenway Eng 483 22.55 503 v Aus at Sydney 2008
15 ( - ) S.Siriwardena SL 476* 20.26 482 v WI at Colombo (RPS) 2008
16 ( - ) Cri-Zelda Brits SA 465* 29.24 530 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
17 ( - ) Caroline Atkins Eng 463* 28.46 471 v Ind at Taunton 2008
18 ( - ) Jenny Gunn Eng 456 22.37 527 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
19 (+2) Sarah Tsukigawa NZ 453* 22.00 456 v Aus at Lincoln 2008
20= (+22) A.Satterthwaite NZ 443*! 24.20 443 v Aus at Hamilton 2009
(-1) Jaya Sharma Ind 443 30.75 665 v Aus at Vapi 2004

Bowlers

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Highest Ranking

1 ( - ) Isa Guha Eng 719 18.43 740 v Ind at Taunton 2008
2 ( - ) Shelley Nitschke Aus 677* 22.30 681 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
3 ( - ) Jhulan Goswami Ind 667 22.23 797 v Eng at Chennai 2007
4 (+1) Lisa Sthalekar Aus 663 27.31 674 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
5 (-1) Emma Sampson Aus 651* 21.94 666 v NZ at Whangarei 2009
6 ( - ) Holly Colvin Eng 619* 19.90 632 v Ind at Arundel 2008
7 ( - ) Jenny Gunn Eng 592 31.22 672 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
8 (+1) Nicola Browne NZ 567 33.48 648 v Eng at Shenley 2007
9 (-1) Rumeli Dhar Ind 565* 33.52 609 v SL at Dambulla 2008
10 (+2) Katherine Brunt Eng 545* 26.33 560 v Ind at Taunton 2008
11 (-2) Kirsten Pike Aus 503* 23.97 567 v NZ at Lincoln 2008
12 (+1) Nicky Shaw Eng 502* 32.93 517 v Ind at Taunton 2008
13 (-4) Aimee Mason NZ 498 33.78 586 v Aus at Darwin 2007
14 ( - ) Alicia Smith SA 493* 22.10 536 v Ire at Crowthorne 2008
15 (+2) Ashlyn Kilowan SA 483*! 20.16 483 v Eng at Shenley 2008
16 (-1) Sajida Shah Pak 481* 26.91 499 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
17 (-1) Ellyse Perry Aus 475* 25.33 491 v Ind at Canberra 2008
18 ( - ) Amita Sharma Ind 470 31.18 650 v Pak at Karachi 2005
19 (+1) Neetu David Ind 456 16.34 794 v NZ at Pretoria 2005
20 (+3) Sarah Andrews Aus 448* 22.45 483 v NZ at Lincoln 2008

All-rounders

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Highest Ranking

1 ( - ) Lisa Sthalekar Aus 503 514 v Ind at Canberra 2008
2 ( - ) Shelley Nitschke Aus 431 /*! 431 v NZ at Hamilton 2009
3 ( - ) Nicola Browne NZ 355 383 v Eng at Lincoln 2008
4 ( - ) Aimee Mason NZ 275 342 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
5 ( - ) Jenny Gunn Eng 270 353 v Aus at Melbourne 2008

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Women’s World Cup – a trip down memory lane

Dubai, 11 February 2009

Australia, England and New Zealand have played in all eight World Cups while India has participated in six events; Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago have also played in a WWC

Next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia will be the first to be played under the auspices of the ICC since its merger with the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) in 2005. But the event has been running for longer than the men’s version and was first staged in England in 1973, when it was won by the host team.

The tournament has been staged twice each in England (1973 and 1993), India (1978 and 1997) and New Zealand (1982 and 2000) as well as Australia (1988) and South Africa (2005).

In all, 13 countries have participated in the eight World Cups held so far but Australia, England and New Zealand are the only sides to have participated in every single event.

India has played in six World Cups (1978, 1982, 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2005) while Ireland has participated in five events (1988, 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2005), the Netherlands in four events (1988, 1993, 1997 and 2000), South Africa (1997, 2000 and 2005), the West Indies (1993, 1997 and 2005) and Sri Lanka (1997, 2000 and 2005) in three events each, Denmark (1993 and 1997) twice each while Pakistan’s only appearance was in 1997.

In the 1973 World Cup, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago fielded independent teams.

World Cup 1973

At the World Cup in 1973, England, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica were also joined by an International XI and a Young England side in the seven-team contest. In the round-robin league format, England faced Australia in the last match trailing the Aussies by one point. But a 92-run victory at Edgbaston helped England leapfrog Australia to become the first team to lift the World Cup.

The main feature of the final was a classy century by one of England’s all-time greats Enid Bakewell who scored a fine 118 to help England reach 279-3 in 60 overs. Australia, in its run-chase, was restricted to 187-9. The century also helped Bakewell finish as the leading run-scorer with 264 runs while Rosalind Heggs of the Young England side was the most successful bowler with 12 wickets.

World Cup 1978

The number of teams for the second World Cup was reduced to just four with Australia, England and New Zealand joined by host India. In the round-robin format, Australia remained unbeaten to win the first of its five World Cups while England finished second with two wins and a loss. New Zealand scored a victory and suffered two defeats while India remained winless.

Margaret Jennings of Australia was the leading scorer with 127 runs while the bowling honours went to Jennings’s team-mate Sharyn Fitzsimmons who took seven wickets.

World Cup 1982

The same four teams from the tournament in India were joined by an International XI four years later in New Zealand in a triple-league contest with the top two teams qualifying for the final.

After 12 rounds, Australia showed amazing consistency to win 11 matches while England won seven and lost three, New Zealand won six and lost five, India won four and lost eight and the International XI failed to win a match. This tournament also included the first tied matches in women’s cricket – England remarkably appearing in both the matches against New Zealand and Australia.

In the final, Australia defeated England by three wickets to retain the title.

England batter Janette Brittin was the star of the tournament scoring 391 runs, including a century and a half-century. Australia’s left-arm spinner Lyn Fullston (23 wickets) beat the challenge of Jackie Lord by one wicket to finish as the leading wicket-taker. India wrist spinner Shubhangi Kulkarni was the other bowler who earned headlines for her 20 wickets in the tournament.

World Cup 1988

In Australia in 1988, India opted not to participate and the International XI was also not included but the inclusion of Ireland and the Netherlands meant the event retained its status as a five-team tournament played on a double-league format with the top two teams qualifying for the final.

Australia carried on from where it had left off in New Zealand and maintained its dominance by winning seven of the eight preliminary-round matches to earn a final date with England which won six matches and lost two. New Zealand finished third with five wins and Ireland managed two wins. The Netherlands failed to score a point.

The 18 December final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground proved to be a one-sided affair as Australia romped to victory by eight wickets to complete a hat-trick of titles.

Australia batter Lindsay Reeler enjoyed the best form of her 23-ODI career when she belted two centuries and two half-centuries, scoring 448 runs at a magnificent average of 149.33. Debbie Hockley of New Zealand was just behind Reeler with 446 runs but with one more match played.

Fullston continued her love affair with the World Cup when, for the second time running, she finished as the leading wicket-taker with 16.

World Cup 1993

Eight teams gathered in England in 1993 when the tournament was staged on a single-league basis with the top two sides going through to the final.

New Zealand and England qualified for the 1 August final after winning seven and six matches respectively. Australia finished third with five wins, followed by India with four, Ireland and the West Indies with two each and the Netherlands and Denmark with a win apiece.

In the final at Lord’s, England regained the title when it defeated New Zealand by 67 runs in a low-scoring match. England batted first and scored 195-5 while New Zealand was bowled out for 128.

England’s Janette Brittin was at her brilliant best yielding 410 runs from her willow with two centuries and a half century while New Zealand’s Julie Harris and Karen Smithies of England finished as the joint-leading wicket-takers with 15 wickets each.

World Cup 1997

In 1997, the World Cup returned to India and saw the biggest gathering when 11 teams played matches all across India – New Delhi, Agra, Chennai, Mysore, Hyderabad, Ghaziabad, Bangalore, Vijayada, Faridabad, Chandigarh, Pune, Mumbai, Baroda, Nagpur and Gurgaon.

The format of the event was also revised with 11 teams split into two groups with quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final.

Australia won the six-team Group A by winning four matches with one no-result while England finished second with four wins, followed by South Africa with three wins, Ireland with two wins and Denmark with one win while Pakistan remained scoreless.

New Zealand topped the five-team Group B (it was less than Group A due to the late withdrawal of Canada) with three wins, followed by India on two, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands with one each and the West Indies remaining winless. This tournament included another tie, this time between New Zealand and India.

In the quarter-finals, Australia (223-4) beat the Netherlands (108) by 115 runs, England (105-1) beat Sri Lanka (104) by nine wickets, India (81-5) beat South Africa (80) by five wickets and New Zealand (244-3) defeated Ireland (105-9) by 139 runs.

In the semi-finals, Australia (123-7) beat India (104-9) by 19 runs in a reduced 32-over-a-side match while New Zealand (175-6) earned a final date with Australia by defeating defending champion England (155) by 20 runs.

In the final, Debbie Hockley’s 79 was not enough as Australia (165-5) beat New Zealand (164) by five wickets.

Hockley, who was adjudged player of the final, also finished as the leading run-getter with 456 runs with two centuries and as many half-centuries while Belinda Clark of Australia scored445 runs with one century and two half-centuries.

On the bowling front, Australia fast bowler Katrina Withers, with 13 wickets, beat the challenge of Australian duo of Cathryn Fitzpatrick (12) and Olivia Magno (11). Melissa Reynard of England also finished with 11 wickets.

World Cup 2000

World Cup 2000 in New Zealand returned to its old format of eight teams playing on a single-league format with the top two teams qualifying for the final.

Defending champion Australia remained unbeaten while New Zealand finished second with six wins, followed by India on five wins, South Africa with four wins, England with three wins, Sri Lanka with two wins, and Ireland and the Netherlands with a win apiece.

One of the features of the tournament was the participation of right-handed batter Nicola Payne who made her fourth World Cup appearance but the first for New Zealand. She had previously represented the Netherlands in the 1988, 1993 and 1997 World Cups.

In the final, New Zealand avenged its six-wicket defeat in the tournament opener to upset Australia by four runs in a nerve-wracking thriller. Australia, chasing 185 for victory, was cruising nicely at 85-2 and then 150-6 before it lost its way and fell short by four runs. The victory also brought curtains down on Debbie Hockley’s glittering career.

Australia’s Karen Rolton showed fine form, belting two centuries and two half-centuries while scoring 393 runs but it was her team-mate Lisa Keightley who walked away with the player-of-the-tournament award for her 375 runs. The bowling honours went to Australia fast bowler Charmaine Mason who took 17 wickets in the series.

World Cup 2005

In 2005 in South Africa, the West Indies replaced the Netherlands in the eight-team format with the top four teams progressing to the semi-finals and then the final. Australia qualified for the semi-finals after winning five matches and was joined by India and New Zealand (four matches each) and England (three wins).

The West Indies won two matches whereas Sri Lanka and South Africa won a match each and Ireland remained winless.

In the semi-finals, Australia (159-5) beat England (158) by five wickets and India (204-6) beat defending champion New Zealand (164) by 40 runs to reach its first final. The final proved to be one-way traffic for Australia which won its fifth World Cup by 98 runs.

Rolton was adjudged player of the final for her 107 not out and also won the player-of-the-tournament award for scoring 246 runs and taking 10 wickets.

Charlotte Edwards (England) was the leading run-scorer with 280 runs (including three half-centuries) while India’s bowlers stole the bowling limelight with spinner Neetu David finishing on top of the ladder with 20 wickets, followed by fast bowlers Amita Sharma (14) and Jhulan Goswami (13).

ICC Women’s World Cup 2009

The tournament in Australia will see the world’s top eight teams – holders Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies – compete at six venues across New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory in 16 days from 7 to 22 March.

The format of the event involves the teams being divided into two groups. Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies and South Africa are in Group A while India, England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are in Group B.

The top three sides in each group will go forward to the Super Six stage where each side then plays the teams which have qualified from the other group. The top two sides from the Super Six go forward to the final.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Second ICC Broadcaster and Sponsor Forum concludes in Dubai

Dubai, 11 February 2009

The second annual two-day ICC Broadcaster and Sponsor Forum was held in Dubai this week.

The forum brought together all ICC’s major commercial partners – ESPN STAR Sports, Reliance Mobile, LG Electronics, Pepsico, Yahoo!, Emirates Airline and Reebok – as well as the ICC’s main suppliers and service providers.

The theme of the forum was partnerships and ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat told the meeting that it was incumbent on the ICC to forge successful partnerships with the commercial sector.

“Financially, we depend on our commercial partners. That is no secret,” said Mr Lorgat. “We need to optimise our revenues from our events and other properties in order to develop the game around the world and ensure the future well-being of cricket.

“We feel we offer good value for the product that we have on offer. Cricket is arguably the world’s second most popular team sport after soccer and it can certainly boast one of the most passionate and loyal fan-bases.

“Cricket is unique in that it now has three viable formats of the game regularly being played at international level, each with its own style, support base and history. This provides great variation for players, spectators, sponsors and broadcasters to find their niche.

“However, we can never hope to optimise the revenues from this great game without a healthy partnership with the business and broadcast sectors.

“As with all good relationships, there will be ups and downs but whatever problem is put before us, whatever challenge we face, we will work hard to make sure the relationship works because it means too much to the future health and well-being of the game. Failure is not an option,” he added.

The forum heard presentations from SuperSport’s chief executive Imtiaz Patel, assistant vice-president, syndication of ESPN STAR Sports Tom Harrison, Sanjay Behl, head of brand and marketing at Reliance Communications, Nitin Mathur, director – marketing, Yahoo! and Depender Redhu of LG Electronics among others.

Mr Harrison said: “This forum was a very useful event as it enables ICC’s principle investors to air ideas and concerns with respect to ICC events.

“It is from forums such as these that new innovations and ideas come about which will ultimately serve the cricket fan around the world through enhanced presentations of ICC’s premier world cricket events.”

Mr Mathur added: “We found the forum extremely valuable. We think the ICC is a powerful ecosystem of partners, sponsors, broadcasters and suppliers, the true value of which can only be realised if everyone works together to build the popularity of cricket.

“In particular, the information shared about the ICC’s development programmes was quite insightful and inspiring.”

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC statement on IPL tribunal decision concerning Mohammad Asif

Dubai, 11 February 2009

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today confirmed it had been notified about the IPL tribunal decision to ban fast bowler Mohammad Asif from participating in the sport of cricket for a period of one year after finding the player guilty of a doping violation.

The ICC has yet to consider the written reasons for the decision in the matter and will make no further comment at this stage other than to confirm its expectation that all Member Boards will adopt the ban and as such the player will not be available for official cricket until the ban has been completed.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “As an international governing body, the ICC maintains a zero tolerance in the area of doping.

“We are proud of the fact that we have been testing at our events since 2002 and in that time we are yet to have an adverse analytical finding.

“Together with our Members we are committed to the implementation of a new ICC Anti-Doping Code (2009) that will seek to ensure we have a great sport with a great spirit.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Sri Lanka fined for slow over-rate in Colombo T20I

Dubai, 10 February 2009

The Sri Lanka team was fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its three-wicket defeat against India in the Twenty20 International (T20I) at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.

Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fines after Tillakaratne Dilshan’s side was ruled to be two overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration.

In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing over-rate penalties, players are fined five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.

As such, Dilshan was fined 20 per cent of his match fee while his players received 10-per-cent fines. The match was Dilshan’s second T20I in charge of Sri Lanka having also captained the side against Pakistan at King City in Ontario, Canada in October 2008.

The offence is contrary to Section J of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to slow over-rates. For such offences, the decision of the ICC match referee is final and binding.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dubai, 10 February 2009

Sri Lanka fined for slow over-rate in Colombo T20I

The Sri Lanka team was fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its three-wicket defeat against India in the Twenty20 International (T20I) at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Tuesday.

Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fines after Tillakaratne Dilshan’s side was ruled to be two overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration.

In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing over-rate penalties, players are fined five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.

As such, Dilshan was fined 20 per cent of his match fee while his players received 10-per-cent fines. The match was Dilshan’s second T20I in charge of Sri Lanka having also captained the side against Pakistan at King City in Ontario, Canada in October 2008.

The offence is contrary to Section J of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to slow over-rates. For such offences, the decision of the ICC match referee is final and binding.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Friday 20 February 2009

Australia’s win seals big pay-day for South Africa

Dubai, 10 February 2009

Proteas will pocket US$175,000 as they now cannot be caught at the top of the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table before cut-off date of 1 April

South Africa now can’t be beaten and will top the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table at the crucial 1 April cut-off date.

Prior to today’s match between New Zealand and Australia in Adelaide, only the Black Caps could have possibly overtaken the Proteas on the table before 1 April. But defeat means even if Daniel Vettori’s men were to win the remaining ODI in this series and then beat India 5-0 next month, they would still fall short of South Africa’s current rating of 125.

On the current schedule of ODIs, no other side can match South Africa and with the Proteas themselves not playing any ODIs before 1 April, they will not be budging from the rating they enjoy today.

Each year, the side that leads the listing on 1 April becomes US$175,000 richer while the runner-up collects US$75,000. The Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship shield will be presented to Cricket South Africa at a ceremony in late March. The details of that presentation will be announced in due course.

Meanwhile, Australia has consolidated its position in second place on the ladder following its six-wicket victory in Adelaide today while New Zealand stays in fourth place, some six ratings points behind India, which is in third spot.

But either New Zealand or India could finish ahead of Australia depending first of all on how the final ODI of the current series turns out in Brisbane and then on the results of the five matches between the two nations which will take place in March. If Australia is victorious in the match on Friday, it will have sewn up the runners-up cheque but will still be behind South Africa by a fraction of a ratings point.
Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship (as of 10 February, after four matches of Australia v New Zealand series)

Rank Team Rating

1 South Africa 125
2 Australia 123
3 India 120
4 New Zealand 114
5 Pakistan 111
6 England 108
7 Sri Lanka 105
8 West Indies 91
9 Bangladesh 46
10 Zimbabwe 23
11 Ireland 19
12 Kenya 0

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Venues and schedule confirmed for ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier

Dubai, 10 February 2009

Twelve teams to fight it out over 19 days for four remaining places at the 2011 event

ICC President David Morgan looks forward to “thrilling matches”

The ICC today confirmed the schedule for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009 to take place from 1 to 19 April.

With three ODI venues being used, including Willowmoore Park in Benoni and Potchefstroom for group and Super Eight matches and Centurion for the final on 19 April, the event will enjoy first-class facilities.

In total there are nine venues being used for 54 matches played over 19 days with 12 teams fighting it out for the four qualification places on offer in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, formerly known as the ICC Trophy, incorporates Divisions 1 and 2 of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League and is the gateway for the top Associate and Affiliate teams into the premier one-day tournament in the world.

“It looks like it’s going to be a great event,” said ICC President David Morgan.

“Many of the top Associates are very evenly matched and I am expecting some thrilling matches during the tournament. We know from experience that South Africa is a perfect place to host big multi-team tournaments such as this and I know the teams will have some of the best facilities at their disposal,” he said.

“Four years ago, Scotland deservedly overcame the opposition in Ireland so I’m sure they’ll be anxious to hang on to the title. It’s not going to be easy though. Many of the other Associates have made big strides since then so it’s going to be a hard-fought tournament.”

Day one of the event offers up perhaps the most eagerly awaited fixture of all with defending champion Scotland taking on fierce rival Ireland in an ODI at Willowmoore Park in what will be a repeat of the final in 2005.

Among the teams will be Afghanistan and Uganda, which both qualified from January’s Pepsi World Cricket League Division 3 event in Buenos Aires. The WCL was created to provide a clear pathway for teams outside the top 10 towards improvement and ultimately, the ICC Cricket World Cup. This global event gives ICC Associate and Affiliate Members the opportunity to play similarly ranked sides in meaningful competition regardless of where they are located in the world.

The 12 teams taking part in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier are split into two groups of six teams. Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Oman, Namibia and Uganda make up Group A while Kenya, Netherlands, Bermuda, UAE, Denmark and Afghanistan form Group B.

Each side plays the other teams in its group once with the top four from the groups progressing to the Super Eight stage. The teams each play four Super Eight matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage. All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Eight stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.

The top two teams in the Super Eight stage will contest the final to be played at Centurion on 19 April. The third and fourth-placed sides will play-off at Potchefstroom, the fifth and sixth-placed sides play off at Willowmoore Park while the seventh and eighth-placed teams play off at Stan Friedman Oval, Krugersdorp.

The top four sides at the event qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The top six teams secure ODI status until 2013 and also qualify automatically for the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2009-10.

The bottom two teams from the CWCQ, which incorporates Divisions 1 and 2 of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League, will be relegated to Division 3.

Note to reporters and editors: the process of media accreditation for the event will open shortly and an advisory with all the details will be issued in due course.

ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier match schedule:

1 Apr – Ireland v Scotland (ODI, Willowmoore Park); Canada v Oman (Willowmoore Park A); Namibia v Uganda (Krugersdorp); Kenya v Netherlands (ODI, Potchefstroom); Bermuda v UAE (Potchefstroom University); Denmark v Afghanistan (Vaal University)

2 Apr – Scotland v Namibia (Willowmoore Park A), Ireland v Oman (Krugersdorp), Canada v Uganda (Wanderers Oval 2); Netherlands v Denmark (Potchefstroom University); Kenya v UAE (Vaal University); Bermuda v Afghanistan (Witrand)

3 Apr – Rest/reserve day

4 Apr – Canada v Namibia (Willowmoore Park A); Ireland v Uganda (Krugersdorp); Scotland v Oman (Wanderers Oval 2); Kenya v Afghanistan (Potchefstroom University); Bermuda v Denmark (Vaal University); Netherlands v UAE (Witrand)

5 Apr – Rest/reserve day

6 Apr – Ireland v Canada (ODI, Willowmoore Park); Oman v Namibia (Krugersdorp); Scotland v Uganda (Wanderers Oval 2); Kenya v Bermuda (ODI, Potchefstroom); Netherlands v Afghanistan (Vaal University); UAE v Denmark (Witrand)

7 Apr – Rest/reserve day

8 Apr – Scotland v Canada (ODI, Willowmoore Park); Oman v Uganda (Willowmoore Park A); Ireland v Namibia (Wanderers Oval 2); Netherlands v Bermuda (ODI, Potchefstroom); UAE v Afghanistan (Potchefstroom University); Kenya v Denmark (Witrand)

9 Apr – Rest/reserve day

10 Apr – Good Friday

11 Apr – A2 v B1 (Willowmoore Park); A4 v B3 (Willowmoore Park A); A1 v B4 (Krugersdorp); A3 v B2 (Wanderers Oval 2); A5 v B6 (Potchefstroom University); A6 v B5 (Vaal University)

12 Apr – Easter Sunday

13 Apr – A4 v B2 (Willowmoore Park); A2 v B4 (Willowmoore Park A); A3 v B1 (Krugersdorp); A1 v B3 (Wanderers Oval 2); W1 v W2 (Potchefstroom University), L1 v L2 (Vaal University)

14 Apr – Rest/reserve day

15 Apr – A3 v B4 (Willowmoore Park); A1 v B2 (Willowmoore Park A); A2 v B3 (Krugersdorp); A4 v B1 (Wanderers Oval 2)

16 Apr – Rest/reserve day

17 Apr – A3 v B3 (Willowmoore Park); A1 v B1 (Willowmoore Park A); A4 v B4 (Krugersdorp); A2 v B2 (Wanderers Oval 2)

18 Apr – Rest/reserve day

19 Apr – Final (ODI, Centurion); third/fourth-place play-off (ODI, Potchefstroom); fifth/sixth-place play-off (ODI, Willowmoore Park); seventh/eighth-place play-off (Krugersdorp)

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Rolton, Edwards and Chopra picked for fourth successive World Cup as all eight squads are finalised

Dubai, 9 February 2009

Raj, Tiffen, Shaw and Taylor head to Australia for their third appearances

Hockley looks back on her World Cup experience

Australia’s Karen Rolton, Charlotte Edwards of England and Anjum Chopra of India have been picked for their fourth successive World Cup after all eight countries finalised their s

quads for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 to be staged in Australia from 7 to 22 March.

Only 11 other cricketers have the distinction of representing their countries in four or more World Cups with Debbie Hockley of New Zealand (1982, 1988, 1993, 1997 and 2000) and Englishwoman Clare Taylor (1988, 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2005) holding the record of playing in five straight World Cups.

England pair of Janette Brittin (1982, 1988, 1993 and 1997) and Jane Smit (1993, 1997, 2000 and 2005), Zoe Goss (1988, 1993, 1997 and 2000), Sharon Tredrea (1973, 1978, 1982 and 1988), Belinda Clark (1993, 1997, 2000 and 2005) and Cathryn Fitzpatrick (1993, 1997, 2000 and 2005) (all Australia), Ireland’s Miriam Grealey (1993, 1997, 2000 and 2005), India’s Anju Jain (1993, 1997, 2000 and 2005) and New Zealand’s Catherine Campbell (1998, 1993, 1997 and 2000) have appeared in four World Cups.

Hockley, reflecting on her five World Cup appearances, said: “I look back at my five World Cups with a lot of pride because I was able to play so long for New Zealand.

“It turned out that my last World Cup (in 2000) was with the winning team after I ended up on the losing side in the 1993 and 1997 finals. That World Cup victory (in England) was the pinnacle of my career.”

“My suggestion to the players would be to enjoy this opportunity as only the World Cup provides you the chance to play against all the best teams in the world.

“The players also need to realise that this World Cup will provide them a unique experience with it being the first to be staged under the ICC’s auspices and seven of the matches will be broadcast live by ESPN STAR Sports,” said Hockley who played in a record 45 World Cup matches.

Rolton, Edwards and Chopra made their World Cup debuts in India in 1997 and since then have been the flag-bearers for women’s cricket.

Australia captain Rolton, who was the ICC Women’s Player of the Year in 2006, has played 131 ODIs of which 22 have been in World Cups. Rolton is just 349 runs short of leapfrogging compatriot Belinda Clark (4,844) to become the most successful batter in women’s cricket.

In the history of World Cup, Rolton is the fifth most successful batter (754 runs) behind Hockley (1,501), Brittin (1,299), Clark (1,151) and Edwards (802).

Edwards, the England captain and ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year 2008, has played 117 ODIs including 16 ODIs in World Cups. With 3,520 international runs, including 802 in World cups, she is fourth on the list of most successful batters behind Clark, Rolton and Hockley (4,064).

Chopra, who made her ODI debut against New Zealand in 1995 at the age of 17, has represented India in 109 ODIs in which she has scored 2,542 runs, including 455 runs from 19 World Cup matches. In South Africa four years ago, she was India’s second leading run-getter behind Mithali Raj (199) with 180 runs.

Besides that trio, four other players –Raj, New Zealand captain Haidee Tiffen and England duo of Claire Taylor and Nicola Shaw – will be appearing in their third World Cup.

There is a long list of players who will participate in their second World Cup. The list includes Alex Blackwell, Shelley Nitschke, Lisa Sthalekar, Emma Sampson (all Australia), Katherine Brunt, Lydia Greenway, Isa Guha, Jenny Gunn (all England), Jhulan Goswami, Rumeli Dhar, Amita Sharma (all India), Maria Fahey, Aimee Mason (all New Zealand), Susanna Benade, Cri-Zelda Brits, Lonelle de Beer, Shandra Fritz, Ashlyn Kilowen, Alicia Smith, Claire Terblanche, Magdalena Terblanche, Charlize van der Westhuizen (all South Africa), Cordal Jack and Anisa Mohammed (both West Indies) and Hiruka Fernando, Deduno de Silva, Suwini de Alwis, Inoka Galagedara, Sripali Weerakkody, Chamari Polgampola and Shashikala Siriwardena (all Sri Lanka).

For the Pakistan women, it will be their first experience of the most prized tournament in women’s cricket.

The ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 will see the world’s top eight teams – hosts and holders Australia, along with England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies – compete at six venues across New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

ESPN STAR Sports, the ICC’s broadcast partner, will cover all seven matches that will take place at North Sydney Oval, including the final. This will ensure that the event will be the most widely viewed to date, with the coverage to be aired in more than 100 countries.

The format of the event sees the teams divided into two groups. Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies and South Africa are in Group A while India, England, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are in Group B.

The top three sides in each group go forward to the Super Six stage where each side then plays the teams which have qualified from the other group. The top two sides from the Super Six go forward to the final.

The squads:

AUSTRALIA – Karen Rolton (captain), Alex Blackwell (vice-captain), Sarah Andrews, Jessica Cameron, Leonie Coleman, Lauren Ebsary, Rene Farrell, Jodie Fields, Delissa Kimmince, Shelley Nitschke, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Leah Poulton, Emma Sampson, Lisa Sthalekar.

ENGLAND – Charlotte Edwards (captain), Caroline Atkins, Katherine Brunt, Holly Colvin, Lydia Greenway, Lauren Griffiths, Isa Guha, Jenny Gunn, Laura Marsh, Beth Morgan, Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent, Nicola Shaw, Anya Shrubsole, Claire Taylor, Sarah Taylor.

INDIA - Jhulan Goswami (captain), Amita Sharma (vice-captain), Anagha Deshpande, Anjum Chopra, Gouher Sultana, Harpreet Kaur, Mithali Raj, Poonam Raut, Priyanka Roy, Reema Malhotra, Rumeli Dhar, Snehal Pradhan, Sravanthi Naidu, Sulakshana Naik, Thirush Kamini.

NEW ZEALAND – Haidee Tiffen (captain), Aimee Mason (vice-captain), Suzie Bates, Nicola Browne, Abby Burrows, Sophie Devine, Lucy Doolan, Sara McGlashan, Beth McNeill, Katey Martin, Rachel Priest, Kate Pulford, Amy Satterthwaite, Sarah Tsukigawa.

PAKISTAN – Urooj Mumtaz (captain), Sana Mir (vice-captain), Almas Akram, Asmavia Iqbal, Armaan Khan, Batool Fatima, Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan, Nain Abidi, Nahida Khan, Naila Nazir, Qanita Jalil, Sajjida Shah, Sania Khan, Sukhan Faiz.

SOUTH AFRICA – Sunette Loubser (captain), Alicia Smith (vice-captain), Susan Benade, Cri-Zelda Brits, Trisha Chetty, Mignon du Preez, Shandre Fritz, Shabnin Ismail, Ashlyn Kilowan, Marcia Letsoalo, Kirstie Thompson, Charlize van der Westhuizen, Yolandi van der Westhuizen, Dane van Niekerk, Claire Terblanche.

SRI LANKA – Shashikala Siriwardena (captain), Chamani Seneviratne (vice-captain), Suwini de Alwis, Hiruka Fernando, Rose Fernando, Inoka Galagedara, Gayathri Kariyawasam, Eshani Lokusooriya, Dilani Manodara, Chamari Polgampola, Udeshika Prabodani, Deepika Rasangika, Dedunu de Silva, Sripali Weerakkody, Chandi Wickremasinghe.

WEST INDIES – Merissa Aguilleira (captain), Kirbyina Alexander (vice-captain), Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Geneille Greaves, Cordel Jack, Stacy-Ann King, Pamela Lavine, Anisa Mohammed, Juliana Nero, Shakera Selman, Danielle Small, Charlene Taitt, Stefanie Taylor.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday 19 February 2009

Mahela Jayawardena and Ishant Sharma get taste for ICC World Twenty20 glory

Colombo, 9 February 2009

Players launch trophy tour in Colombo on Monday, aim to get their hands on it again at Lord’s on 21 June

Sharma: “I saw and heard the reception for a winning India team in 2007 and want to be part of that this year”

Jayawardena: “It’s a world event, everyone wants to get their hands on the trophy and Sri Lanka would go berserk if we could do it”

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena and India fast bowler Ishant Sharma on Monday got their hands on the ICC World Twenty20 trophy in Colombo.

And both men admitted they would love to do it again when the second staging of the tournament reaches a climax at Lord’s on 21 June.

Sharma became an international regular in the months that followed India’s win in the inaugural event in South Africa in 2007, and after seeing and hearing the reaction to that success he said he wanted that winning feeling this time around.

“What happened then definitely made me want to be a part of the India team,” he said.

“Everyone saw and heard the reception the players got when they returned to Mumbai. It was a big day for Indian cricket to win a world event after a long time and I want to be a part of that in 2009.”

Mahela Jayawardena said: “Anything that involves cricket in Sri Lanka will see the people go crazy for it.

“When we came back home as runners-up from the (ICC Cricket) World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007 it took us three-and-a-half hours to reach Colombo from the airport so I think Sri Lanka would go berserk if we could get hold of this trophy in June.”

The trophy is in Colombo at the start of a tour around the cricketing world with the aim of promoting the men’s and women’s events, which take place in England from 5 – 21 June.

It will go on display in the Crescat Mall shopping centre in Colombo on Tuesday for two hours from 12 noon to give the Sri Lanka public a chance to get a close look at what will be on offer in four months’ time.

And the trophy will then form part of the telecast when Sri Lanka and India go head-to-head in a Twenty20 International at the R.Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The ICC World Twenty20 2009 sees 12 of the top men’s teams and the top eight women’s teams competing in a best-of-the-best event at four venues – Lord’s, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Taunton (women’s matches only).

Each of the men’s and women’s semi-finals and the finals will be played as double-headers at the same venues offering great value to spectators and great exposure to the women’s game.

Jayawardena believed with players and teams now having more experience of the T20 format, the 2009 tournament would offer up even more quality and excitement than was seen in South Africa.

“We enjoyed that tournament but in terms of experience hardly anybody had played more than a handful of T20 matches. It was a first and no-one was quite sure how to approach it,” he said.

“Now I think everyone realises a lot more about what needs to be done, the tactics involved and so on.

“It’s a world event, it is gathering momentum and everyone wants to win it. Everyone wants to get their hands on that trophy,” he added

Sharma said bowling in the shortest international form of the game was a test but discipline was the key to success.

“It’s like bowling in a batting powerplay all the time,” he said. “It’s not easy for bowlers but it’s all about sticking to plans.

“I toured England in 2007 but didn’t play a lot of cricket then. I have heard about the pitches there being flat but let’s wait and see how they play.”

Jayawardena added: “I think it will be a fascinating tournament. Normally anything from 180 to 200 would be a good total but you can’t predict conditions in England in June so 120 to 130 might be a winning score.

“With most of our guys playing in the IPL and then Sri Lanka being invited to take part in the Stanford tournament in England we will have some very good preparations coming into the event.

“On that basis it will be down to the guys to get focussed and get their individual preparations right.”

Further dates and locations for the ICC World Twenty20 trophy tour will be announced in due course.

ICC World Twenty20 trophy facts:

· Designed and manufactured by Links of London
· Made of silver and rhodium
· Weighs approximately 7.5kgs
· Measures 51cms in height with a width of 19cms at the top and 14cms at the base

India won the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007 in South Africa when it beat Pakistan by five runs in the final in Johannesburg.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Wednesday 18 February 2009

India drops to third in team rankings and out of the race for title

Dubai, 9 February 2009

Only New Zealand can stop South Africa now as 1 April cut-off date looms

India has slipped back to third in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship ta

ble following defeat in the fifth and final match of its away series against Sri Lanka.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team had moved ahead of Australia and to within four ratings points of leader South Africa when it went 4-0 up in the series but a combination of Sri Lanka’s strong showing in the final ODI and Australia beating New Zealand in the third ODI of its ongoing five-match series has meant they have returned to third position.

That means that if India wins its series against New Zealand 5-0 it will move to 124 ratings points, which is not enough to overtake South Africa at the top. In fact, by the current fixture schedule, only New Zealand can topple Graeme Smith and friends by the cut-off date of 1 April. But to do that the Black Caps need to win all seven of the remaining ODIs they will play before then.

The side that leads the listing on 1 April will be US$175,000 richer while the runner-up will collect US$75,000. The ongoing series in Australia and the upcoming one between New Zealand and India look set to determine where those pay-outs will end up.

At this stage, the best Australia and India can do is come second in the table. Even if Ricky Ponting’s team wins the remaining two matches against Daniel Vettori’s men it will stay behind South Africa by a fraction of a ratings point.

To see exactly what upcoming results will do to the ICC ODI Championship table go to http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/rankings/iccrankingpredictor/predictor-odi.html.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship (as of 9 February, after Sri Lanka v India series and after three matches of Australia v New Zealand series)

Rank Team Rating

1 South Africa 125
2 Australia 122
3 India 120
4 New Zealand 115
5 Pakistan 111
6 England 108
7 Sri Lanka 105
8 West Indies 91
9 Bangladesh 46
10 Zimbabwe 23
11 Ireland 19
12 Kenya 0

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Taylor sews up a place in the top 10 Test bowlers

Dubai, 8 February 2009

Time is right for big Benn as Gayle and Sarwan make it a match to remember for the West Indies; England’s Strauss and Panesar lose ground in

rankings

Jerome Taylor has become the highest-ranked West Indies Test bowler since the retirement of Courtney Walsh in 2001 following his impressive performance against England in the first Test of a four-match series.

Playing in front of a home crowd at Sabina Park, the 24-year-old Jamaican had man of the match-winning figures of 29-8-85-8, including 5-11 in the second innings as England was dismissed for 51 in 33.2 overs.

This most recent effort has catapulted him up 11 places to sixth spot in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, giving him a personal-best rating and putting him in a good position to launch an assault on the top five during the remainder of the series.

With 717 ratings points, he still has a way to go to achieve the heights of some of the legendary West Indies bowlers of the past, however. Curtley Ambrose, Wes Hall, Lance Gibbs, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Michael Holding, Walsh and other great players all achieved higher ratings during their careers but Taylor’s effort is the best from a West Indies bowler since Walsh retired in 2001 while ranked at number three in the world.

The other bowler to excel during the match was 6ft 7in left-arm slow bowler Sulieman Benn, who bowled beautifully on a turning track, taking 8-108 in the match from 58.4 overs. As a result, Benn has gained 20 places and now stands in 52nd position, just one place behind England’s Stuart Broad, who gains five places following the match.

The news is not so good for the other slow left-armer in the match, Monty Panesar of England, who slips four places to 19th in the latest rankings after registering figures of 1-122.

The bowling list is still led by Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralidaran, who has been playing ODIs, followed by Dale Steyn of South Africa and Australia’s Stuart Clark.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle goes up four places to 15th position in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after scoring what was his ninth century at that level and his first on the home turf of Sabina Park. Gayle’s overall batting average in Tests is a respectable 40.10 but his average in the eight matches since taking over as captain of the team is 56.46, indicating that the weight of leading the team has so far sat comfortably on his broad shoulders.

His opposite number for England Andrew Strauss loses three places to 18th in the rankings after what was a forgettable first game in charge for the 31-year-old left-hander.

The other main mover in the batting list is Ramnaresh Sarwan, whose century has earned him four places and puts him in 22nd position with plenty of opportunities coming up to break back into the top 20.

The rankings are still headed by Sarwan’s team-mate Shivnarine Chanderpaul while England’s Kevin Pietersen hangs on to his number-four position thanks to his innings of 97 in the first innings.

In more good news for Gayle, he has moved back into the top five in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders, jumping above fellow West Indian Dwayne Bravo, who is injured. That list remains headed by Jacques Kallis of South Africa followed by Daniel Vettori of New Zealand and England’s Andrew Flintoff.

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Rankings (as of 8 February)

Batsmen

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating

1 ( - ) S Chanderpaul WI 892 49.53 900 v NZ at Napier 2008
2 ( - ) Mohd Yousuf Pak 880 55.49 933 v WI at Karachi 2006
3 ( - ) K Sangakkara SL 859 54.37 938 v Eng at Kandy 2007
4 ( - ) Kevin Pietersen Eng 828 50.45 905 v WI at Headingley 2007
5 ( - ) Michael Clarke Aus 825 ! 49.40 825 v SA at Sydney 2009
6 ( - ) M Jayawardena SL 819 52.36 854 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
7 ( - ) Ricky Ponting Aus 810 56.87 942 v Eng at Adelaide 2006
8 ( - ) Yunus Khan Pak 799 49.14 856 v Eng at Headingley 2006
9 ( - ) Graeme Smith SA 797 50.57 810 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
10 ( - ) Gautam Gambhir Ind 771*! 49.35 771 v Eng at Mohali 2008
11 ( - ) Mike Hussey Aus 761 59.36 921 v WI at Kingston 2008
12 ( - ) Virender Sehwag Ind 729 51.06 854 v SA at Kolkata 2004
13 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 726 54.57 935 v NZ at Centurion 2007
14 ( - ) Ashwell Prince SA 709 45.68 756 v Pak at Centurion 2007
15 (+4) Chris Gayle WI 703 ! 40.10 703 v Eng at Kingston 2009
16= ( - ) Sachin Tendulkar Ind 683 54.27 898 v Zim at Nagpur 2002
( - ) VVS Laxman Ind 683 44.45 753 v Aus at Sydney 2004
18 (-3) Andrew Strauss Eng 673 41.69 769 v SA at Johannesburg 2005
19 (-1) Hashim Amla SA 671 ! 41.30 671 v Aus at Sydney 2009
20 (-1) Simon Katich Aus 670 ! 43.43 670 v SA at Sydney 2009

Bowlers

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating

1 ( - ) M Muralidaran SL 887 21.95 920 v Ban at Kandy 2007
2 ( - ) Dale Steyn SA 844 23.08 897 v Ind at Ahmedabad 2008
3 ( - ) Stuart Clark Aus 782* 22.96 863 v WI at Bridgetown 2008
4 ( - ) Mitchell Johnson Aus 756* 28.62 779 v SA at Perth 2008
5 ( - ) Makhaya Ntini SA 754 28.22 863 v Ind at Durban 2006
6 (+11) Jerome Taylor WI 717*! 32.56 717 v Eng at Kingston 2009
7 (-1) Ryan Sidebottom Eng 703* 26.14 769 v SA at Lord's 2008
8 (-1) Chaminda Vaas SL 688 29.22 800 v Ind at Chennai 2005
9 (-1) Harbhajan Singh Ind 686 30.88 765 v NZ at Wellington 2002
10 (-1) Shoaib Akhtar Pak 684 25.69 855 v NZ at Wellington 2003
11 (-1) Brett Lee Aus 673 30.81 811 v WI at Antigua 2008
12 (-1) Daniel Vettori NZ 653 33.09 681 v Aus at Auckland 2000
13 (-1) Zaheer Khan Ind 630 34.04 689 v Pak at Delhi 2007
14 (-1) Shane Bond NZ 629* 22.39 778 v WI at Auckland 2006
15= ( - ) Mohammad Asif Pak 619* 23.13 710 v SA at Cape Town 2007
(-1) Andrew Flintoff Eng 619 32.15 810 v Pak at Multan 2005
17 (+1) Danish Kaneria Pak 614 33.90 723 v Eng at Multan 2005
18 (+1) James Anderson Eng 605 35.22 622 v Ind at Chennai 2008
19 (-4) Monty Panesar Eng 594 33.61 721 v WI at Chester-le-St 2007
20 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 589 31.12 742 v Eng at Headingley 2003

All-rounders

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points HS Rating

1 ( - ) Jacques Kallis SA 428 616 v Pak at Durban 2002
2 ( - ) Daniel Vettori NZ 347 369 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
3 ( - ) Andrew Flintoff Eng 309 501 v Pak at Multan 2005
4 ( - ) Chaminda Vaas SL 283 300 v WI at Guyana 2008
5 (+1) Chris Gayle WI 282 /*! 282 v Eng at Kingston 2009

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Preparations of Commonwealth Games, 2010 - an update

New Delhi, February 2009 :

The work on the major stadia being constructed for Commonwealth Games, 2010 namely Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, National Stadium, Dr. S.P. Mukherjee Swimming Complex, Thyagraj Stadium, Sri Fort Stadium, Yamuna Sports Complex and R.K. Khanna Tennis Stadium is progressing as per schedule. The Time Lines for the various venues against monitorable milestones have been drawn up. These are monitored on a Web-based Monitoring System developed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. The targeted date for completion of these civil and electrical works is 31st December, 2009 while targeted date for completion of the Games Village and the Cycling Vellodrome is 31st March, 2010. The civil and electrical work of Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges will be completed by October, this year. Work is continuing at a rapid pace at all the venues. Adequate budgetary arrangements have been made and fund flows have been ensured so that the work can proceed smoothly.

The work related to the interiors and installation of overlays will also be completed well before the Games as per the international practice. It is the practice in all countries, where sports infrastructure for major multi-disciplinary sporting event is created, that the completion of the works is phased in such a manner, that the stadia ready with the overlays a month or so before the Games, and not very much before, otherwise the facilities would get run down and need heavy maintenance costs.

The Games Village, which will house the 8000 athletes and officials is being developed by DDA at a site near Akshardham Temple on a Public Private Partnership mode. 40 per cent of the work has already been completed for the 1168 flats, which will be coming up in 34 Towers. A PIL has been filed in the High Court raising environmental issues. However, no stay from any Court exists on the work being done on the site. The progress of work is extremely satisfactory at the Games Village and the targeted date for completion that is 31st March 2010 which will be achieved.

Regarding preparation of players for the Games, a major Scheme for Preparation of Indian Teams for Commonwealth Games has been approved by the Government, costing around Rs. 678 crores, and the implementation of this scheme has commenced in right earnest. Under this scheme, a set of Core Probables have been selected for each sports discipline, who will be provided continuous training and exposure, under top level coaches both Indian and Foreign, right up to the Games in order to get the best performance during the Games. In each sport, around 3 times the number of sports persons, who will actually represent India during the Games have been selected in the Core Group, taking into consideration the current level of performance of these athletes, and the scope for their improvement. A total of 424 athletes will represent India in the 18 disciplines of the Commonwealth Games. Against these, a total of 1286 athletes have been selected in the Core Group, who will be given intensive training with full medical and scientific back up in preparation for the Games. Out of these, athletes with the highest level of performance till the Games will be selected to represent India. In all the sports discipline except Cycling, the training camps in India and abroad have commenced. The top level Indian and Foreign Coaches have been selected. The Calendar of training and completion has been prepared and the Centres for their training in India and abroad have been identified. The Sports Authority of India Centre are being upgraded and equipped with the latest scientific and backup arrangements. In respect of Cycling, there being management dispute in the Federation, the programme has not become effective. The matter is being pursued with the IOA to identify the core probables and draw up the programme of training and completion.

Press Release

ICC President and Chief Executive meet Cricket Australia to start process of stakeholder meetings

Dubai, 7 February 2009

ICC President David Morgan: “We want all our stakeholders to know what we’re doing”

“Once we understand each other’s challenges we can start tackling them together for t

he good of the global game”

“It’s about moving away from a perception of ‘them’ and ‘us’ to a culture of ‘we’”

ICC President David Morgan and Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat this week met with Cricket Australia (CA) officials in the first of what is planned to be a series of meetings with stakeholders around the world.

Taking advantage of being in Australia for the recent ICC Board meeting, the duo flew to Melbourne to present an overview of ICC activities to CA’s Board of Directors and senior management staff and then took questions in a session spanning 90 minutes on Tuesday.

Explaining the thinking behind the idea, Mr Morgan said: “What Haroon and I are seeking to do is to establish as close a working relationship with our Members as possible.

“One way of doing that is to meet key stakeholders in their own environments, put names to faces on both sides and open a dialogue.

“We want all our stakeholders to know what we are doing and why we are doing it and we also want to understand their challenges and be available face-to-face to answer any questions they may have.

“Once everyone has a better understanding of our challenges then we can start exploring solutions together. This is the best way for us to tackle those challenges together for the good of the game.

“It is a case of moving away from any perception that may exist of a ‘them’ and ‘us’ mentality between the ICC and our Members and instead fostering a culture of ‘we’.

“The ICC exists because of our Members and we need to know how we can serve them better.

“At the same time our Members need to understand the role we play in sustaining the game through the global events we run which generate significant income for them through broadcast and commercial agreements.

“We enjoyed the interaction, it was a thoroughly positive experience and it highlighted the real value in these broad participative discussions. I’m extremely grateful to CA Chairman Jack Clarke for allowing us the time to come together.

“I believe we parted with enhanced knowledge of each other’s issues and how we might work together to deal with them.

“Now, as we move around the globe, we’ll be taking the opportunity to schedule further meetings with our Members so that, together, we can ensure our strong sport grows even stronger.”

Further meetings between senior ICC officials and Members will be announced in due course.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Australia’s loss is India’s gain as Dhoni’s men move into second place in Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship

Dubai, 6 February 2009

First time India has occupied second spot in the table

Another India win on Sunday could close the gap to South Africa to just

two points as race for top position at the end of March heats up

New Zealand on a roll too, could close to within three points of Proteas with three more wins over Australia

The repercussions of New Zealand’s six-wicket win over Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday could be felt as far away as Colombo.

That was because the loss for Michael Clarke’s side, it’s fifth in a row, has dropped it down to third place in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table with India, currently in Sri Lanka for its own ODI series, replacing it in second spot.

Australia is now one rating point behind India, four back from leaders South Africa and only four clear of the Black Caps.

Since the ODI rankings were launched in October 2002, India has never been as high as second in the table.

And Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side, already 4-0 up in its ongoing series, can close the gap to the Proteas to two points if it secures victory in the final ODI on Sunday (8 February).

But Australia can regain second spot if it wins back-to-back matches against New Zealand on Sunday, in Sydney, and Adelaide, on Tuesday (10 February).

And if it can string three wins together to take out the series then it will draw level on points with South Africa, although it will still lie second when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

Of course, that will be the last thing on the minds of New Zealand. Two more wins will see it overtake Australia and drop the home side to fourth on the table, while a series clean sweep will take it to 122 points, just three behind South Africa.

Whatever happens, the current make-up of the head of the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table means the annual race for top spot at the end of March is likely to go right down to the wire.

The side that leads the listing at that point will be US$175,000 richer while the runner-up will collect US$75,000. The ongoing series and the upcoming one between New Zealand and India look set to determine where those pay-outs will end up.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship (as of 6 February, after Australia – New Zealand ODI)

Rank Team Rating

1 South Africa 125
2 India 122
3 Australia 121
4 New Zealand 117
5 Pakistan 111
6 England 108
7 Sri Lanka 103
8 West Indies 91
9 Bangladesh 46
10 Zimbabwe 23
11 Ireland 19
12 Kenya 0

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Interview : Bob Houghton

New Delhi : 6th Feb 2009:

National coach Bob Houghton spoke to the-aiff.com about the progress made in the national team and also about Indian players making their mark in the international arena. Here are the excerpts:

1) How would you describe the state of Indian football when you first took the national team job? What were the main challenges you felt needed to be overcome?
A) We have made some progress if you compare it from some years ago. We were 163 and now we are 142 in FIFA rankings and we have advanced in Asian circuit as well and we have moved from 27 to 20. We have qualified for the Asian Cup finals so in that regards we have made progress and also if you look at the results though we recently lost to Hong Kong but that was our second defeat in 17-18 matches. So I think we have made progress with the senior team. And also we have made some good progress with the junior teams. The performance by Under 16 team last year was also spectacular. We are ranked 17th in Asia and we have managed to get U-13 camp and U-19 camp. So in all levels we are making progress and particularly with the AIFF Training centre, GOA, where we kept the U-16 boys in the camp for 18 months which made a big difference in their performance. There is one big challenge that is January 2011 and which is just less than two years from now on when we play in the Asian Cup finals. In between we need to get the team well prepared as we can. But of course now we have I League, Federation Cup and then we have AFC Cup for the Clubs that's Dempo and Mohun Bagan. It is quite difficult to see on the horizon a big enough gap and a long enough time to get the players together to get the advancement of the need.

2) Do you feel the infrastructure in the country is improving rapidly enough or maybe more importantly coherently enough?
A) Infrastructure, well unfortunately in this country is almost nonexistent for football I am afraid. There are very few quality stadiums and very few training grounds. I hope the FIFA's win in India with India project will help in developing couple of good facilities for us.

3) With Indian players getting a chance to appear for trials in foreign club do you think Indian football is making its mark in the International arena?
A) Yeah it is definitely making its mark and it won't be long before the first one goes and does well and then many more will follow. When I went to China in 1998 there were no Chinese players playing outside of China and after 8 years there were seven or eight that played in Premiership so once Clubs become aware that there are good Indian players then they will take more of them.

4) Apart from the AIFF, who else needs to be involved in the game's development – does more help need to come from the government or the private sector for example?
A) It's a combination of things that makes a successful national team in football as it is a worldwide game. It's not just a few countries that you are competing against it's the whole world. And if you are seriously capable to compete you need all help. You need all the sponsorship that we getting in development of the game and we need state associations to be accommodative. Also we need State Association and I League clubs to work on the development of the players so all need to come together to have a successful national team.

5) You've talked about the need to recruit taller, more athletic players, something Japan did during their development – how is that progressing? Generally, how much are you competing with cricket for young Indian kids looking for a sport to play?
A) We have been getting some bigger players in the team though it is not happening quickly and it can't happen quickly as we have to identify them when they are young and keep working with them. We will get some bigger boys and in current team also we have some bigger boys.

6) As someone who has taken a club to the European Cup final, do you envisage a point in the future when Indian players will have what it takes to be playing regularly in the competition?
A) Why not. When I took the club to the European club final the whole of that team came from a city where we were based – Malmo—and it is a very small place 250,000 people. And we got into the level as the development program was very good and therefore if we work hard on improving the quality of younger players then I don't see why an Indian player shouldn't be like Japanese or Korean.

7) How much of a watershed was it to win the AFC Challenge Cup and qualify for the 2011 Asian Cup? Has it given the players a winning mentality? Can it act as a catalyst for further strides forward?
A) I hope it works as a catalyst for further strides ahead as that's what I like to think. Ok it was a big success and the boys played and got along very well. But what's really required now is the victory to act as further incentive for the players to work hard and get fitter to be better players and for the players coming behind to recognise it. We can make those achievements if we work hard and get organised so I don't think that it could be a watershed. Ok if we go there and perform poorly then we are back to square one but if we can prepare and that is important that we prepare properly and give a good account for ourselves with best clubs and best teams in Asia. IF we do then it will do two things – one it will raise the portfolio of the game and secondly it will give us some belief that somewhere down the lane we can qualify for the World Cup.

8) Recently AFC got out with a rule that we can have four foreign players in the I League and out of them one should be from Asian country. How much impact would it have on our Indian players when it comes to playing together?
A) Well because I am a national team coach. I will be happy if there are no foreigners in the National squad. You have to accept the fact that clubs love foreigners because they give fans a bit more interest. I suppose one thing the foreigner does for us is they make us aware of the size of the players we are going to play against. If there were no foreigners let's say if there were no Odafe's then we will be totally less aware of the size of the opponents and then it will be very difficult to deal with them.

9) You have been following the I League and you have been in favour of it always? How much do you think that it has improved as far as playing standard goes?
A) It has improved a lot as compared to its previous editions and you can see it how better the game is now as compared to what it was two and half years ago. If Indian football has to make that great strides, forward then we really need I League to be the engine for that move because the national team will only be good when players coming from I league. Now if I League clubs are organised they have good coaches, good training and they improve the boys then the national team will be good. If the work done at the club levels is not good enough then it will be very difficult for us to take steps forward so I League is really the engine for it.

10) So as a chief coach of the national team the way you train the team do you have plans to get the same structure to the club levels as well?
A) What we are doing for the clubs is that we are bringing all the club coaches together on a regular basis. We just had them together during our national camp at Goa last month and when we have our next camp we will get them together again and we will try and get someone from overseas so that our coaches also get regenerated and they can get fresh ideas. So that's where I think we can help the most.

11) With most of your senior players getting old have you identified your bench strength and can you name some players who will replace the senior team?
A) Sunil would be around as he is young. This is the job of all coaches to coach the team in a way that new ones can replace the old ones so of course that's what we are doing. Are the ones coming behind capable of doing is what we have to see when they get a chance. But for sure we will be working hard with the U-19 team, the Olympic team which is U-21 that will provide some base to them. I am watching a lot of youngsters on regular basis and I know all the youngsters now playing in the I League. If they keep on playing well then they will be there in the team irrespective of what their age is. If the team keeps doing well then we might go into the 2011 Asian Cup finals with the same squad and at the same time it is for the younger ones to push themselves for the reckoning and if they get a chance then they have to capitalise on it and perform. So the challenge is for everybody – challenge for youngsters to make their way into the team and challenge for those who are in the team to perform and remain at the time. There are few I have identified – when we played in Hong Kong Rakesh Masih made his debut and he was good and the good thing is Anthony Pereira has come back from his injury, Sushil Kumar Singh and Nirmal Chettri are few who can make it but everything would depend upon their performance.

AIFF MEDIA RELEASE

Zimbabwe lays claim to 10th place in Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship

Dubai, 4 February 2009

Good form in Sri Lanka keeps India in touch with the leaders

Zimbabwe has capped off a successful tour of Kenya by cementing its place in 10th p

osition on the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table.

Prosper Utseya’s team completed a 5-0 series win over Kenya in Nairobi today and as a result moved up to 23 ratings points, some four ahead of 11th-placed Ireland.

At the same time Kenya dropped to zero points in 12th place on the ladder following the comprehensive series defeat.

Meanwhile, India is continuing to put pressure on the two top sides in the ICC ODI Championship after going 3-0 up in the five-ODI series in Sri Lanka. It is now just two ratings points behind Australia and four behind leader South Africa.

Even if Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s wins the series 5-0, it will not quite be enough to go top of the log although it might be sufficient to snatch second position from Australia depending on how Ricky Ponting’s men fare in the remaining four matches of the five-ODI series against New Zealand.

That said, there are plenty of opportunities for further movement in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship and with India playing its own series with New Zealand in March, it is possible India could be top of the table at the time of the crucial cut-off date of 1 April.

The side that is leading the ODI Championship on that date each year wins prize money of US$175,000 with the runner-up getting US$75,000. With just 10 ratings points separating the Proteas in first position from the Black Caps in fourth, it is very much all to play for as the countdown to 1 April continues.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship (as of 4 February)

Rank Team Rating

1 South Africa 125
2 Australia 123
3 India 121
4 New Zealand 115
5 Pakistan 111
6 England 108
7 Sri Lanka 104
8 West Indies 91
9 Bangladesh 46
10 Zimbabwe 23
11 Ireland 19
12 Kenya 0

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Sri Lanka and Pakistan gear up for much-needed match practice in Bangladesh ahead of next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup 2009

Dubai, 4 February 2009

New Zealand players rise while the Australians slip in Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Rankings after two matches in the Rose Bowl Series

Sri Lanka and Pakistan will join Bangladesh in a triangular series in Bangladesh star

ting from Friday. The series will not only provide the players with opportunities to make progress in the Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings but it will also give them the chance to make their final touches to their preparations for next month’s ICC Women’s World Cup to be staged in Australia from 7 to 22 March.

In the latest rankings, Sri Lanka has two players in the top 20 – Dedunu Silva and captain Shashikala Sriwardena. Dedunu is in 13th place and Sriwardena is in 15th position.

On the bowling front, Pakistan’s Sajjida Shah is the only bowler from either side to be in the top 20. She sits in 15th spot, just behind Nicky Shaw of England and South Africa’s Alicia Smith.

Meanwhile, New Zealand’s 2-0 lead in the five-match Rose Bowl Series has helped its players to rise in the latest rankings.

New Zealand captain Haidee Tiffen has swapped places with team-mate Sara McGlashen and now sits in 10th place while Amy Satterthwaite has jumped 17 places to 25th. Australia’s Alex Blackwell’s dip by two places has allowed her captain Karen Rolton to rise by a place and England captain Charlotte Edwards by two places.

Australia fast bowler Kirsten Pike, who is not part of the squad, and New Zealand seamer Aimee Mason have dropped out of the top 10. Pike has slipped three places to 12th while Mason has dropped two places to 11th.

Pike’s and Mason’s drop has benefitted England fast bowler Katherine Brunt who has returned to the top 10 while Nicola Browne of New Zealand has improved one place to eighth.

There is no change in the top all-rounders’ which is still headed by Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar though Rolton has dropped one place to seventh position.

With three matches still to be played in the Rose Bowl Series, there are plenty of opportunities for the players to make amends and climb up the rankings. For those who have gained after two matches, extra effort would be required to retain those places or to continue their upward movement.

Both Sri Lanka and Pakistan are in Group B of the ICC Women’s World Cup, which is the first to be staged under the auspices of the ICC since its merger with the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) in 2005. The group also includes losing finalist in 2005 India and two-time former champion England.

Holder Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies are in Group A. The top three sides in each group will go forward to the Super Six stage where each side then plays the teams which have qualified from the other group. The top two sides from the Super Six go forward to the final.

While Sri Lanka qualified directly for the Australian event by finishing in the top six of the 2005 Women’s World Cup in South Africa, Pakistan and South Africa completed the eight-team line-up by qualifying from the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers which was held in Stellenbosch, South Africa early last year.

The Bangladesh triangular series will be Pakistan’s first outing since the Women’s Asia Cup which was held in Sri Lanka in May while its home series against the West Indies in October was cancelled due to safety and security reasons.

In sharp contrast, Sri Lanka last played ODIs in November when it hosted the West Indies and won the series 3-2.

The matches between Sri Lanka and Pakistan will have ODI status as the two sides are in the top 10 of women’s cricket. Apart from the eight teams that will be involved in the ICC Women’s World Cup, Ireland and the Netherlands also have ODI status.

Tri-series fixtures
6 Feb – Bangladesh v Pakistan, Shaheed Chandu Stadium, Bogra
7 Feb – Pakistan v Sri Lanka (ODI), Shaheed Chandu Stadium, Bogra
9 Feb – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Shaheed Chandu Stadium, Bogra
12 Feb – Pakistan v Sri Lanka (ODI), Khulna Divisional Stadium
13 Feb – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka, Khulna Division
14 Feb – Bangladesh v Pakistan, Khulna Stadium
17 Feb – Final, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Remaining matches in the Rose Bowl Series
6 Feb – New Zealand v Australia Zealand (ODI), Seddon Park, Hamilton
8 Feb – New Zealand v Australia (ODI), Seddon Park, Hamilton
12 Feb – New Zealand v Australia (ODI), Basin Reserve, Wellington

Reliance Mobile ICC Women’s ODI Rankings (as of 4 February)

Batters

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating

1 ( - ) Claire Taylor Eng 804 39.13 820 v NZ at Blackpool 2007
2 ( - ) Lisa Sthalekar Aus 774 37.91 804 v Ind at Sydney 2008
3 ( - ) Mithali Raj Ind 722 46.50 841 v Aus at Baroda Vadodar 2004
4 ( - ) Sarah Taylor Eng 698* 40.11 705 v Ind at Taunton 2008
5= (+1) Karen Rolton Aus 654 48.87 873 v Ind at Vapi 2004
(+2) C.Edwards Eng 654 37.05 691 v SA at Pretoria 2005
7 (-2) Alex Blackwell Aus 647 33.94 692 v Ind at Canberra 2008
8 ( - ) Nicola Browne NZ 625 29.85 653 v Aus at Lincoln 2008
9 ( - ) Shelley Nitschke Aus 580* 26.80 610 v Ind at Canberra 2008
10 (+1) Haidee Tiffen NZ 578 29.90 750 v Ind at Lincoln 2006
11 (-1) Sara McGlashen NZ 545 22.67 581 v Eng at Derby 2007
12 ( - ) Aimee Mason NZ 531 22.00 624 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
13 ( - ) Dedunu Silva SL 522*! 22.00 522 v WI at Colombo (RPS) 2008
14 ( - ) Lydia Greenway Eng 483 22.55 503 v Aus at Sydney 2008
15 ( - ) S.Siriwardena SL 482*! 20.57 482 v WI at Colombo (RPS) 2008
16 ( - ) Cri-Zelda Brits SA 465* 29.24 530 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
17 ( - ) Caroline Atkins Eng 463* 28.46 471 v Ind at Taunton 2008
18 ( - ) Jenny Gunn Eng 456 22.37 527 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
19 ( - ) Jaya Sharma Ind 443 30.75 665 v Aus at Vapi 2004
20 ( - ) Anjum Chopra Ind 439 33.89 722 v Aus at Adelaide 2006

Bowlers

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave HS Rating

1 ( - ) Isa Guha Eng 719 18.43 740 v Ind at Taunton 2008
2 ( - ) Shelley Nitschke Aus 668* 21.84 675 v Ind at Canberra 2008
3 ( - ) Jhulan Goswami Ind 667 22.23 797 v Eng at Chennai 2007
4 ( - ) Emma Sampson Aus 660* 22.88 666 v NZ at Whangarei 2009
5 ( - ) Lisa Sthalekar Aus 633 28.11 645 v Ind at Canberra 2008
6 ( - ) Holly Colvin Eng 619* 19.90 632 v Ind at Arundel 2008
7 ( - ) Jenny Gunn Eng 592 31.22 672 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
8 (+1) Nicola Browne NZ 579 33.03 648 v Eng at Shenley 2007
9 (-1) Rumeli Dhar Ind 565* 33.52 609 v SL at Dambulla 2008
10 (+2) Katherine Brunt Eng 545* 26.33 560 v Ind at Taunton 2008
11 (-2) Aimee Mason NZ 527 33.12 586 v Aus at Darwin 2007
12 (-3) Kirsten Pike Aus 524* 23.97 567 v NZ at Lincoln 2008
13 ( - ) Nicky Shaw Eng 502* 32.93 517 v Ind at Taunton 2008
14 ( - ) Alicia Smith SA 493* 22.10 536 v Ire at Crowthorne 2008
15 ( - ) Sajida Shah Pak 491* 26.48 499 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
16 (+1) Ashlyn Kilowan SA 483*! 20.16 483 v Eng at Shenley 2008
17 (-1) Ellyse Perry Aus 480* 24.70 491 v Ind at Canberra 2008
18 ( - ) Amita Sharma Ind 470 31.18 650 v Pak at Karachi 2005
19 ( - ) Sophie Devine NZ 463* 38.84 472 v Aus at Whangarei 2009
20 ( - ) Neetu David Ind 456 16.34 794 v NZ at Pretoria 2005

All-rounders

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points HS Rating

1 ( - ) Lisa Sthalekar Aus 490 514 v Ind at Canberra 2008
2 ( - ) Shelley Nitschke Aus 387*/* 412 v Ind at Canberra 2008
3 ( - ) Nicola Browne NZ 362 383 v Eng at Lincoln 2008
4 ( - ) Aimee Mason NZ 280 342 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
5 ( - ) Jenny Gunn Eng 270 353 v Aus at Melbourne

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship Mace begins its journey to South Africa for top-of-the-table showdown

Melbourne, 4 February 2009

Winner-takes-all in South Africa – Australia showdown beginning later this month

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat: “It’s a great time for international cricket, and this series will be another chance to remind people why Test cricket is so special”

Footage available via SNTV, photographs available via Getty Images

ICC President David Morgan and Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat today took possession of the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship Mace, signaling the start of the countdown to the top-of-the-table showdown between Australia and South Africa that begins later this month.

The top prize in the game’s ultimate format is up for grabs in the three-match series with the winner taking first place on the ladder, securing US$175,000 in prize money and giving itself the right to be called the best side in the world.

The ICC will transport the Mace to South Africa in time for Australia’s arrival on 16 February and it will be used to promote the upcoming series, and Test cricket, the pinnacle of the game.

And looking ahead to the encounter that begins in Johannesburg on 26 February and also features matches in Durban and Cape Town, Mr Lorgat said: “It really is a great time for international cricket.

“We’ve got Australia and South Africa going head-to-head for the leadership of the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table, India not far behind and Sri Lanka and England also keen to have a say in affairs too.

“We’ve seen some superb Test cricket over the past few months with Australia in India, England in India and South Africa in Australia and this return series promises more of the same.

“It’s another great opportunity for the two teams and the game as a whole to remind everyone why Test cricket is so special.

“It’s ultra-competitive at the top end of the table and with some superb ODI action taking place at the moment too, that means people will be following and talking about the sport for all the right reasons.”

The Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship Mace was created in May 2001 for the leading Test side and has been held by Australia for all but five months (January – May 2003) of its existence.

South Africa was the side that snatched it away, albeit briefly, and Graeme Smith’s side has an opportunity to do that again in the upcoming series.

The Mace was produced by Crown Jeweller Asprey & Garrard, which was commissioned to make a distinctive prize designed to stand out from other cricket trophies.

It produced a 90-centimetre silver and gold-plated trophy based on a cricket stump as its shank topped by an orb that represents the cricket world – both geographically and through the inclusion of the emblems of the 10 ICC Full Members to have played Test cricket.

The stump and the orb combine to portray the Mace, regarded as a symbol of authority and prestige. This is regarded as an appropriate combination given the rich history of Test cricket and its image as the most traditional and purest form of the game.

The Mace sits on a wooden base with a silver-plated plaque in front with room for engravings of the sides to hold it.

The Mace was valued at £30,000 in 2001 and automatically passes from one team to another as results confirm a change of leadership in the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

West Indies and England look to make progress in Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship

Dubai, 3 February 2009

With the two teams similarly ranked batting-wise, bowling could be the key to unlocking this series with Strauss’s attack having the edge

After plenty of ODI cricket over the past few weeks attention now shifts to the highest form of the game as the West Indies hosts England for four Test matches in the Caribbean.

The first match gets underway in Kingston, Jamaica on Wednesday with England ranked in fifth place on the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table and the West Indies currently lying in seventh position.

The home side is under pressure from New Zealand as the West Indies remains just ahead of Daniel Vettori’s men by a fraction of a ratings point. If the West Indies loses the series by two matches or more it will fall to eighth position.

The stakes are high for England, too, as it could fall below Pakistan to sixth spot if it loses the series 2-0, 3-1 or worse.

Victory for the side led by Andrew Strauss will keep Sri Lanka on its toes and with a busy Test year ahead for England, which includes a home series against the West Indies as well as the Ashes before embarking on a tour of South Africa before the end of 2009, there will be plenty of opportunities for England to push further up the ladder.

Meanwhile, there are several players who will be looking to advance their progress up the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings over the next few weeks. On the batting front, the two sides look quite evenly matched, each with two players in the top 20.

ICC Cricketer of the Year for 2008 Shivnarine Chanderpaul is still in the number-one position while his team-mate, Chris Gayle, will be looking to improve upon his current position of 19th spot.

England’s Kevin Pietersen is in fourth position while Strauss is in 15th, not far behind the South Africa pair of Ashwell Prince (14th) and Jacques Kallis (13th) as well as India’s Virender Sehwag in 12th place.

However, the picture is less balanced when looking at the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers. England currently has four players in the top 20 compared to just one from the West Indies.

That player, however, is Jamaican Jerome Taylor in 17th place and he will no doubt be looking to impress his home crowd in Sabina Park over the next few days. He is only a whisker behind two of his opponents, Monty Panesar in 15th position and Andrew Flintoff in 14th.

But with James Anderson (in 19th position) and Ryan Sidebottom (in sixth) also in the visitor’s squad, England is, on paper anyway, significantly stronger in that department.

Top of the bowling rankings is still Sri Lanka’s spinner Muttiah Muralidaran followed by Dale Steyn of South Africa and the Australia pair of Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson.

Upcoming fixtures:
4-8 Feb – West Indies v England (Test), Jamaica
13-17 Feb – West Indies v England (Test), Antigua
26 Feb-2 Mar – West Indies v England (Test), Barbados
6-10 Mar – West Indies v England (Test), Trinidad

Previews of future series as they relate to the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings and ICC Test Championship will be issued in due course.

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship (as of 3 February)

Rank Team Rating

1 Australia 126
2 South Africa 121
3 India 118
4 Sri Lanka 109
5 England 103
6 Pakistan 98
7 West Indies 81
8 New Zealand 81
9 Bangladesh 0

Reliance Mobile ICC Test Player Rankings (as of 3 February)

Batsmen

Rank Player Team Points Ave HS Rating

1 S.Chanderpaul WI 900 ! 49.71 900 v NZ at Napier 2008
2 Mohd Yousuf Pak 880 55.49 933 v WI at Karachi 2006
3 K.Sangakkara SL 859 54.37 938 v Eng at Kandy 2007
4 Kevin Pietersen Eng 832 50.48 905 v WI at Headingley 2007
5 Michael Clarke Aus 825! 49.40 825 v SA at Sydney 2009
6 M. Jayawardena SL 819 52.36 854 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
7 Ricky Ponting Aus 810 56.87 942 v Eng at Adelaide 2006
8 Yunus Khan Pak 799 49.14 856 v Eng at Headingley 2006
9 Graeme Smith SA 797 50.57 810 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
10 G Gambhir Ind 771*! 49.35 771 v Eng at Mohali 2008
11 Mike Hussey Aus 761 59.36 921 v WI at Kingston 2008
12 Virender Sehwag Ind 729 51.06 854 v SA at Kolkata 2004
13 Jacques Kallis SA 726 54.57 935 v NZ at Centurion 2007
14 Ashwell Prince SA 709 45.68 756 v Pak at Centurion 2007
15 Andrew Strauss Eng 705 42.37 769 v SA at Johannesburg 2005
16= Sachin Tendulkar Ind 683 54.27 898 v Zim at Nagpur 2002
VVS Laxman Ind 683 44.45 753 v Aus at Sydney 2004
18 Hashim Amla SA 671! 41.30 671 v Aus at Sydney 2009
19= Chris Gayle WI 670! 39.60 670 v NZ at Napier 2008
Simon Katich Aus 670! 43.43 670 v SA at Sydney 2009

Bowlers

Rank Player Team Points Ave HS Rating

1 M.Muralidaran SL 887 21.95 920 v Ban at Kandy 2007
2 Dale Steyn SA 845 23.08 897 v Ind at Ahmedabad 2008
3 Stuart Clark Aus 782* 22.96 863 v WI at Bridgetown 2008
4 Mitchell Johnson Aus 756* 28.62 779 v SA at Perth 2008
5 Makhaya Ntini SA 755 28.22 863 v Ind at Durban 2006
6 Ryan Sidebottom Eng 723* 25.68 769 v SA at Lord's 2008
7 Chaminda Vaas SL 689 29.22 800 v Ind at Chennai 2005
8 Harbhajan Singh Ind 686 30.88 765 v NZ at Wellington 2002
9 Shoaib Akhtar Pak 684 25.69 855 v NZ at Wellington 2003
10 Brett Lee Aus 673 30.81 811 v WI at Antigua 2008
11 Daniel Vettori NZ 653 33.09 681 v Aus at Auckland 2000
12 Zaheer Khan Ind 630 34.04 689 v Pak at Delhi 2007
13 Shane Bond NZ 629* 22.39 778 v WI at Auckland 2006
14 Andrew Flintoff Eng 621 32.12 810 v Pak at Multan 2005
15= Mohammad Asif Pak 619* 23.13 710 v SA at Cape Town 2007
Monty Panesar Eng 619 32.88 721 v WI at Chester-le-St 2007
17 Jerome Taylor WI 618* 35.14 628 v Aus at Bridgetown 2008
18 Danish Kaneria Pak 614 33.90 723 v Eng at Multan 2005
19 James Anderson Eng 611 35.22 622 v Ind at Chennai 2008
20 Jacques Kallis SA 589 31.12 742 v Eng at Headingley 2003

All-rounders

Rank Player Team Points HS Rating

1 Jacques Kallis SA 428 616 v Pak at Durban 2002
2 Daniel Vettori NZ 347 369 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
3 Andrew Flintoff Eng 305 501 v Pak at Multan 2005
4 Chaminda Vaas SL 284 300 v WI at Guyana 2008
5 Dwayne Bravo WI 283 /* 295 v Aus at Bridgetown 2008

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Australia fined for slow over-rate in Perth ODI

Dubai, 1 February 2009

The Australia team was fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its two-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the first ODI in Perth on Sunday.

Roshan Mahanama of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fines after Ricky Ponting’s side was ruled to be two overs short of its target when time allowances were taken into consideration.

In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing over-rate penalties, players are fined five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount.

As such, Ponting was fined 20 per cent of his match fee while his players received 10-per-cent fines.

The offence is contrary to Section J of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to slow over-rates. For such offences, the decision of the ICC match referee is final and binding.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Yuvraj found not guilty of breaching ICC Code of Conduct

Dubai, 1 February 2009

Yuvraj Singh has been found not guilty of breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct following a hearing in Colombo today.

Yuvraj had been charged under Level 1.3 of the code, which refers to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision”. But at the resultant hearing, Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees cleared him of the charge.

The charge related to an incident that took place after the first ball of the 33rd over of the second ODI of the current series between Sri Lanka and India when Yuvraj was given out lbw. The incident was reported by on-field umpires Brian Jerling and Gamini Silva as well as third umpire Kumar Dharmasena, all of whom are members of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires.

“After reviewing video evidence of the incident, I am of the opinion that there was no conclusive evidence that Yuvraj showed dissent at the decision,” said Mr Broad.

“He did stay at the crease but the delay in departing was not excessive and I felt he showed a level of disappointment rather than dissent,” he added.

Present at the hearing was the match referee, the player, the three umpires who brought the charge, India coach Gary Kirsten and India team manager Prakash Dixit.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Results of second day of ICC Board meetings in Perth

Perth, 1 February 2009

Oval Test match 2006, ICC Champions Trophy 2009, ICC World Twenty20 2010 and regulations governing domestic cricket and approved and disapproved cricket among the items covered

The ICC Board on Sunday concluded its two-day meeting in Perth, the first of the four scheduled meetings it holds each year.

Among the matters discussed were the following:

Oval Test match, England v Pakistan, 2006

After reconsideration of the matter, which included consideration of legal advice and input from the MCC, the custodians of the Laws of Cricket, the Board decided that the original umpires’ decision to award the match to England, should apply.

The Board had originally changed the result to “match abandoned as a draw” in July 2008.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “I’m gratified the Board reached the conclusion it did as this ensures the integrity of the game and the Laws of Cricket have been upheld. I am especially grateful to the PCB for its understanding in this matter.”

ICC Champions Trophy 2009

The Board accepted that, with several members expressing reservations about touring Pakistan, it would be prudent to relocate the event, scheduled for September/October, from that country.

In view of the challenges facing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) which are out of its control, the Board agreed that, irrespective of the location of the event, Pakistan would retain the revenue due for hosting the tournament.

The Board resolved to make a decision on the location for the event before its next scheduled meeting, in April.

The Board also resolved to offer to form a task team to visit Pakistan and work with the PCB to find ways to ensure that, wherever possible, international cricket is played in the country in the future.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 will be an event featuring the top eight ODI sides in a short, sharp best-of-the-best tournament involving two groups of four teams with round robin matches followed by two semi-finals and a final.

Mr Lorgat said: “It is unfortunate the ICC Champions Trophy will not take place in Pakistan due to circumstances completely beyond the control of the PCB. However, the Board has accepted the need for certainty in planning for and delivering a world-class event and will now assess where the event should be held.”

ICC World Twenty20 2010

The Board accepted the West Indies Cricket Board’s recommendation that the ICC World Twenty20 2010 be staged in Barbados, Guyana and St Lucia.

It further agreed to the staging of a joint men’s and women’s event, mirroring the 2009 event in England, that the women’s group matches would be played in St Kitts and that the women’s semi-finals and final would take place on the same days and at the same venues as the men’s matches.

Regulations governing domestic cricket events and approved/disapproved cricket

The Board agreed to new regulations relating to the above subjects following recommendations from a working party consisting of former Cricket South Africa President Norman Arendse, Giles Clarke, the Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Shashank Manohar, BCCI Vice President Lalit Modi and ICC’s Head of Legal David Becker.

The rationale for the new regulations was the need for clarity over how and who decides if an event is approved or disapproved and the sanctions available if there are any breaches of those regulations.

It was agreed that a host member could determine if a match or tournament within its territory was approved or disapproved. The ICC would also be given power to make such a determination in a non-member territory.

It was agreed that no foreign player could take part in domestic cricket unless he obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from his home Board.

It was also agreed that no members, members’ players, coaches or match officials could participate in disapproved cricket.

The new regulations will be implemented from 1 June 2009 and added to the ICC website in due course.

Media arrangements

Footage of the meeting convening together with comments from ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat should be available via SNTV. Please consult with your usual SNTV contact.

Photographs of the meeting convening are available via Getty Images.

The ICC Board consists of the chairman or president from each of the 10 Full Members plus three Associate Member representatives. Also present at ICC Board meetings is the ICC President, who chairs proceedings, the ICC Chief Executive and the ICC Vice-President, as well as, by invitation of the President, the ICC Principal Advisor.

David Morgan OBE ICC President
Sharad Pawar ICC Vice-President
Haroon Lorgat ICC Chief Executive

Jack Clarke Australia
Mahbubul Anam (alternate for Lt. General Sina Ibn Jamali) Bangladesh
Giles Clarke England
Shashank Manohar India
Alan Isaac New Zealand
Ijaz Butt Pakistan
Naveen Narapana Sri Lanka
Mtutuzeli Nyoka South Africa
Dr Julian Hunte OBE West Indies
Wilfred Mukondiwa (alternate for Peter Chingoka) Zimbabwe

Associate Member Representatives

Neil Speight Bermuda
Samir Inamdar Kenya
Imran Khwaja Singapore

In attendance
IS Bindra ICC Principal Advisor

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Tuesday 3 February 2009

ICC President David Morgan pays tribute to Bill Frindall

Perth, 31 January 2009

“Cricket owes Bill a huge debt as his tireless work has helped create a context for the game we know today”

ICC President David Morgan today paid tribute to cricket statistician, scorer and auth

or Bill Frindall, who passed away on Thursday, aged 69.

“The news of Bill’s passing has shocked me and my thoughts and those of everyone at the ICC go out to his wife Debbie, other members of his family and friends.

“I saw Bill earlier this month when he took part in a Lord’s Taverners charity trip to the United Arab Emirates and it is hard to believe he is no longer with us.

“Cricket owes Bill a huge debt of thanks because his tireless work has helped create a context for the game we know today.

“He was one of the first people to bring together records from the history of Test cricket and put them all in one place, publishing the scorecards and records of every Test match played. That has allowed people to more easily compare players and teams from different eras.

“Bill was the gold standard of cricket statisticians, someone universally recognised within the game as a master of his art, and a prolific author.

“He was an integral part of the BBC’s cricket coverage for more than 40 years and, away from that arena, he was a passionate supporter of the Lord’s Taverners charity and blind cricket.

“Bill’s devotion to the game of cricket was truly outstanding and he will be sorely missed.”

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Dhoni reclaims top spot in Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings

Dubai, 31 January 2009

India captain moves ahead of Chris Gayle following first ODI against Sri Lanka

South Africa’s AB de Villiers rejoins the top 10 batsmen rankings; Johan Botha breaks into top 20 bowlers after impressive series Down Under

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has reclaimed the top rank in the Reliance

Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen from the West Indies Chris Gayle.

Dhoni’s 61 not out against Sri Lanka in his side’s first ODI of a five-match series has enabled the 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman to regain his place at the head of the table. There will be ample opportunity for Dhoni to put daylight between him and the chasing pack as the rest of the series unfolds in Colombo.

Further down the batting table there have been a few noticeable movements, including South Africa’s AB de Villiers who has shot up 10 places to rejoin the top 10 for the first time since August 2008. De Villiers made a strong impression with the bat during South Africa’s 4-1 series win over Australia appearing in four of the five ODIs and averaging 63.66 for the series.

It wasn’t all bad news for Australia as Michael Hussey has climbed two places to return to the top five in the batsmen’s rankings. Hussey scored 78 in the fifth and final ODI in Perth as his side went down by 39 runs.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Jacques Kallis has slipped two places to 14th while Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara has risen one place to joint-16th with Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt.

India’s Gautam Gambhir has climbed four places to claim the number 20 spot in the rankings. It is the first time the 27-year-old has been in the top-20 since August 2008 when he reached 19th place during a previous tour to Sri Lanka.

South Africa’s Jean-Paul Duminy and Hashim Amla have also made inroads on the table. Duminy who has had an exceptional series with the bat, in both Tests and ODIs, has climbed eight places to take 29th position while his team-mate Amla has risen a substantial 34 places after an impressive performance in Australia. Amla’s 97 in Perth and series average of 49.75 has pushed the 25-year-old right-handed batsman up to 37th place.

Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura has also climbed the batsman rankings, some 11 places to go joint 47th with Bangladesh’s Mohammad Ashraful.

The Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers has seen no change in the top five with the table still headed by New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori followed by Sri Lanka’s Nuwan Kulasekara. However, further down the top 20 there has been plenty of movement, most noticeably from South Africa’s Johan Botha.

The 26-year-old off-spinner has shot up 13 places in the rankings to take 13th place, the highest of his career so far. Botha, who captained the Proteas to victory over Australia, took a total of eight wickets in the five matches at an average of 23.50 and an impressive economy-rate of exactly four runs per over.

India’s Zaheer Khan has climbed two places in the rankings to go joint-ninth, level with England’s Andrew Flintoff.

Australia’s Mitchell Johnson has slipped out of the top 10 for the first time since July 2008. The 27-year-old fast bowler has dropped seven places to go 14th, one place below Botha.

Outside of the top 20, South Africa’s Dale Steyn is steadily climbing the table, gaining 10 places to take 35th spot after his four-match appearance in Australia. Five places below Steyn, in 40th, is Zimbabwe’s Ray Price. Price has also climbed 10 positions in the table after making a good start for Zimbabwe in their five-match series in Kenya.

There has been no change in the top-ranked player in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, with Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan still top of the table. However, Kallis has dropped out of the top five and has been replaced by Gayle.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Player Rankings (as of 31 January)

Batsmen

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Highest Ranking

1 (+1) MS Dhoni Ind 792 47.57 806 v WI at Kingston 2006
2 (-1) Chris Gayle WI 783 40.63 804 v Aus at Mumbai 2006
3 ( - ) S.Chanderpaul WI 769 ! 41.14 769 v NZ at Napier 2009
4 (+2) Mike Hussey Aus 754 54.35 863 v NZ at Perth 2007
5 ( - ) Ricky Ponting Aus 746 43.23 832 v NZ at Hobart 2007
6 (-2) Graeme Smith SA 741 40.88 792 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
7 ( - ) Yuvraj Singh Ind 739 37.08 754 v Eng at Bangalore 2008
8 ( - ) Kevin Pietersen Eng 730 48.36 834 v Aus at Antigua 2007
9 ( - ) Mohd Yousuf Pak 716 43.19 777 v SA at Rawalpindi 2003
10 (+8) AB de Villiers SA 715 37.62 733 v Ban at Dhaka 2008
11 (-1) A Symonds Aus 701 40.34 778 v Ind at Nagpur 2007
12 (-2) Sachin Tendulkar Ind 698 44.15 887 v Zim at Sharjah 1998
13 ( - ) R. Sarwan WI 696 44.17 798 v Ind at St Kitts 2006
14 (-2) Jacques Kallis SA 695 45.30 816 v WI at Johannesburg 2004
15 (-1) Herschelle Gibbs SA 685 36.04 750 v SL at Durban 2003
16= (-1) Shoaib Malik Pak 683 35.70 690 v WI at Abu Dhabi 2008
(+1) K Sangakkara SL 683 35.92 760 v Ind at Rajkot 2007
(-1) Salman Butt Pak 683 39.77 698 v SL at Karachi 2009
19 (+2) S Jayasuriya SL 682 32.83 838 v Ban at Pietermaritzburg 2003
20 (+4) G Gambhir Ind 671 37.69 696 v SL at Karachi 2008

Bowlers

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Ave Econ Highest Ranking

1 ( - ) Daniel Vettori NZ 754 31.74 4.16 790 v Eng at Christchurch 2008
2 ( - ) N Kulasekara SL 739* 25.98 4.22 749 v Pak at Lahore 2009
3 ( - ) Nathan Bracken Aus 720 22.82 4.35 806 v SL at St George's 2007
4 ( - ) M Muralidaran SL 706 22.57 3.87 913 v NZ at Sharjah 2002
5 ( - ) Kyle Mills NZ 704 25.90 4.62 713 v WI at Wellington 2009
6 ( - ) Shakib Al Hasan Ban 687 ! 30.05 4.02 687 v Zim at Dhaka 2009
7 (+1) Stuart Broad Eng 673 27.58 4.94 701 v SA at Trent Bridge 2008
8 (+1) M Mortaza Ban 671 29.82 4.57 678 v Ind at Port-of-Spain 2007
9= (+1) Andrew Flintoff Eng 662 24.69 4.38 755 v Ban at Dhaka 2003
(+2) Zaheer Khan Ind 662 28.68 4.83 700 v SA at Dhaka 2003
11 ( - ) Jerome Taylor WI 660 26.26 4.67 688 v SA at Cape Town 2008
12 (+1) Ajantha Mendis SL 657* 11.67 3.74 659 v Pak at Karachi 2009
13 (+13) Johan Botha SA 653*! 36.86 4.43 653 v Aus at Perth 2009
14 (-7) Mitchell Johnson Aus 652 25.77 4.90 726 v Ban at Darwin 2008
15 ( - ) Jacob Oram NZ 645 30.25 4.38 768 v Aus at The Oval 2004
16 (-2) Brett Lee Aus 641 22.96 4.71 853 v SA at Melbourne 2006
17 (-1) Umar Gul Pak 640 ! 25.24 4.92 640 v SL at Lahore 2009
18 (-1) Sohail Tanvir Pak 639* 27.34 4.93 673 v WI at Abu Dhabi 2008
19 (-1) Daren Powell WI 636 31.60 4.70 686 v Aus at St George's 2008
20 (-2) Chaminda Vaas SL 632 27.54 4.18 861 v SA at Colombo (RPS) 2004

All-rounders

Rank (+/-) Player Team Points HS Rating

1 ( - ) Shakib Al Hasan Ban 403! 403 v Zim at Dhaka 2009
2 ( - ) Jacob Oram NZ 368 383 v WI at Queenstown 2008
3 ( - ) Andrew Flintoff Eng 366 544 v SL at The Rose Bowl 2004
4 ( - ) Shoaib Malik Pak 340 402 v WI at Brisbane 2005
5 (+1) Chris Gayle WI 336 511 v Zim at Harare 2003

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Jeff Crowe referees his 100th ODI

Dubai, 31 January 2009

No stranger to compiling centuries during his playing career for Auckland and New Zealand, Jeff Crowe of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees has reached that landmark ag

ain.

Today, as Kenya hosts Zimbabwe at Nairobi Gymkhana for the third match in a five-game series, Crowe notched up 100 One-Day Internationals as an ICC match referee. To mark the occasion, ICC’s High Performance Manager Richard Done made a presentation to the New Zealander before the game on behalf of the ICC.

“I would like to congratulate Jeff on his achievement,” said ICC Umpires’ and Referees’ Manager Vince van der Bijl.

“Since starting out on this chapter of his career in 2004, Jeff has established himself as an excellent match referee. He brings with him a deep understanding of the game, having played it at the highest level for many years, and also a real empathy for how cricket should be played,” said van der Bijl.

“As a player he had a sound technique and was never short of courage and I think he brings those same qualities to bear as a referee. He knows the processes and how they work but he also has the courage of his convictions to implement them effectively and without fear or favour, for the good of the game.”

As a front-line batsman Crowe played 180 first-class matches scoring 22 centuries in all. He made his debut for New Zealand in 1983 appearing in 39 Tests and 75 ODIs over a period of eight years, scoring three centuries.

“It would have been nice to have played more and therefore been more successful at international cricket but refereeing is another great way of experiencing our game,” said Crowe, who raises his metaphorical bat today with a century of ODIs in charge of the playing control team.

“It has been a century well worth the four-and-a-half years of singles to midwicket! My time with ICC has been as enjoyable and rewarding as it was years ago with NZ Cricket. To remain involved in the game as an administrator is a privilege,” he said.

Crowe becomes the eighth ICC match referee to officiate in 100 or more ODIs and the first to hail from New Zealand having just managed to overtake his countryman, John Reid, who refereed 98 ODIs between 1993 and 2002. Apart from ODIs, Crowe has also refereed 29 Tests and 10 Twenty20 Internationals and officiated at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 final in the West Indies.

ICC Match Referee (span) ODIs

Ranjan Madugalle (1993-date) 223
Mike Procter (2002-08) 162
Chris Broad (2004-date) 136
Clive Lloyd (1992-2007) 133
Raman Subba Row (1992-2001) 119
Cammie Smith (1993-2002) 118
Roshan Mahanama (2004-08) 106
Jeff Crowe (2004-date) 100

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Barry Richards cherishes “the ultimate accolade”

Perth, 30 January 2009

South Africa batting legend receives commemorative cap in Perth to mark induction into ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

ICC President David Morgan: “The word ‘great’ is often over-used but it applied to Barry, a wonderfully gifted player”

South Africa batting legend Barry Richards said he will cherish what he called “the ultimate accolade” after receiving a commemorative cap to mark his induction into the ICC Crick

et Hall of Fame in Perth on Friday.

Richards received the cap from ICC President David Morgan and Cricket Australia Chairman Jack Clarke in front of a sold-out WACA Ground crowd before the start of the ODI between Australia and South Africa.

And afterwards, reflecting on the honour, he said: “Being inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame is the ultimate accolade.

“It’s something I’ll cherish, this recognition by peers and followers of the game, especially given my limited opportunities at international level.”

Richards is one of 55 players in the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame’s initial intake and one of two South Africans, alongside another batting giant, Graeme Pollock. And he is the second player to receive his cap after former Australia wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh.

Richards only played four Test matches with his top level career cut short by South Africa’s sporting isolation during the apartheid era. But despite that fact, his career still stands out like a beacon.

In those four matches, against Australia in 1970, he scored 508 runs at an average of 72.57, while his first-class aggregate of 28,358 runs for Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Natal, Transvaal and South Australia included 80 hundreds.

One of those hundreds came at the WACA Ground in November 1970, when he scored 325 runs in a single day, for South Australia against a Western Australia side boasting an attack of international bowlers Dennis Lillee, Tony Lock, Graham McKenzie and Tony Mann.

Commenting on the presentation and Barry Richards’ induction into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, ICC President David Morgan said: “The word ‘great’ is often over-used but anyone who saw Barry Richards bat would know it applied to him.

“He had the ability to make batting look so simple and elegant while, at the same time, making top-class bowlers look ordinary. He was a wonderfully gifted player.

“And after he finished playing Barry has given a great deal back to the sport as an administrator, coach, an officer-holder of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) and an insightful commentator.

“Barry truly deserves this honour and I am delighted to have had the privilege to present him with his commemorative cap to mark the occasion of his induction.”

Further cap presentations will be made during the course of 2009, the ICC’s centenary year.

The launch of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame forms part of a range of events during the ICC’s centenary year of 2009. The year is intended to be a global celebration with numerous events taking place to reflect all that is great about the game.

Note to editors: David Morgan’s presentation of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame commemorative cap to Barry Richards at the WACA Ground in Perth was captured by a Getty Images photographer. Media wishing to access photos should contact their usual Getty Images supplier.

ICC Cricket Hall of Fame – initial inductees (55):

Sydney Barnes, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell, Denis Compton, Colin Cowdrey, Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Lance Gibbs, Graham Gooch, David Gower, WG Grace, Tom Graveney, Gordon Greenidge, Richard Hadlee, Walter Hammond, Neil Harvey, George Headley, Jack Hobbs, Michael Holding, Leonard Hutton, Rohan Kanhai, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Jim Laker, Harold Larwood, Dennis Lillee, Ray Lindwall, Clive Lloyd, Hanif Mohammad, Rodney Marsh, Malcolm Marshall, Peter May, Javed Miandad, Keith Miller, Bill O’Reilly, Graeme Pollock, Wilfred Rhodes, Barry Richards, Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Garfield Sobers, Brian Statham, Fred Trueman, Derek Underwood, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Frank Woolley, Frank Worrell.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

South Africa is top of the ODI world

Dubai, 30 January 2009

The Proteas’ 4-1 series win puts them ahead of Australia by a fraction of a ratings point but Ponting’s men have immediate chance to regain number-one place

Zimbabwe moves ahead of Ireland into 10th position

South Africa has gone to the top of the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table following its 39-run victory over Australia in Perth on Saturday.

The match may have been a dead rubber as far as that series was concerned with South Africa having already won three out of the previous four matches but there was still plenty at stake and Johan Botha can now claim to be captain of the highest-ranked side in the world.

The Proteas had been three ratings points behind Ricky Ponting’s men going into the fifth and final ODI of the series but now they move ahead by a fraction of a point and top the ladder for the first time since April 2008 when they briefly wrestled number-one spot from Australia’s grasp.

But the good news for Australia is that it has an immediate opportunity to go back on top as its five-match series against New Zealand begins on Sunday. The table is so tight at the top that victory in that first ODI will send Australia right back to where it has spent the vast majority of the past seven years since the rankings were devised.

Meanwhile, India is hovering just outside the top two and is now just five ratings points behind South Africa and Australia after winning the first match of a five-ODI series in Sri Lanka. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men will be doing their best to keep the pressure on the top two with plenty of ODI cricket coming up on the horizon.

At the other end of the table, Zimbabwe has moved up one place to 10th in the rankings after winning the opening two matches of its five-ODI series in Kenya. Prosper Utseya’s team has now beaten the home side in the two games in Mombasa and so heads to Nairobi full of confidence for the remaining three.

That means Ireland slips to 11th position while Kenya loses ratings points and stays in 12th spot. However, if Kenya was to win the remaining three matches, it would move to 11th place, just one ratings point behind the Irish while Zimbabwe would fall all the way to 12th and last spot on the table. So there’s still plenty to play for in the series.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship (as of 30 January)

Rank Team Rating

1 South Africa 125
2 Australia 125
3 India 120
4 New Zealand 113
5 Pakistan 111
6 England 108
7 Sri Lanka 106
8 West Indies 91
9 Bangladesh 46
10 Zimbabwe 20
11 Ireland 19
12 Kenya 1

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

MFC geared up for Kingfisher East Bengal

Mumbai 30, January, 2009:

Newly promoted side Mumbai FC host East Bengal in the 13th round I-League encounter at the Cooperage Stadium, Mumbai on Saturday.The Mumbai outfit has had a good run in the league as compared to other newcomers as they are placed fourth in the table.During their last game against Mohun Bagan they showed that they are a tough opponent but the lack of experience haunts them at regular intervals.Their foreign strikers – Felix Aboagye and Abel Hammond haven't been able to score the goal but they have surely left a mark on the pitch with their mid-fielders Kalia Kulothungan and Riston Rodrigues managing to break into the oppositions den at regular intervals. Their opponent, East Bengal, have been a flop so far in this season. With a star studded line up they have failed to play as a team. With just 13 points in their pocket the Kolkata Giants are placed eighth in the league standings and are looking for resurgence under their coach Subhash Bhowmick. Their striker Sunil Chhetri won't be returning from his English sojourn for the game while Yakubu is yet to reach full fitness after joining late due to a personal tragedy. East Bengal shall look to Renedy Singh and Sanju Pradhan to provide the width and trouble the Mumbai FC backline. The last time, the two teams squared up the best man for the Kolkata side was Renedy Singh. Mumbai FC will be without their central defender Anas who suffered an injury in the training while winger Subhash Chakraborty remains doubtful. Goalkeeper Amit Singha Roy has been ruled out due to injury concerns but the good news is that Kalyan Chaubey is likely to make a comeback. East Bengal will be without central defender Suley Musah but will have the services of Alvito D'Cunha, M.Suresh, Ashim Biswas and Ishmael Addo.The match will be telecast Live at 15.30 hrs on Zee Sports.

MS up against SCG, while JCT host Vasco

Keeping in mind their performance they are likely to be relegated to the second division as Mohammedan Sporting hosts league leaders Sporting Clube De Goa in the 13th round of the ONGC I League at the Salt Lake stadium, Kolkata on Saturday. The Kolkata outfit was lucky to pocket a point as they managed to hold Mumbai outfit Air India last week. The league leaders Sporting Clube De Goa have lost their winning momentum in the last two months and in the last game they suffered a shocking defeat against bottom placed Vasco in Goa. Now, they have Mohammedan, who are second from bottom away from home. The Goan outfits form in Kolkata has been very poor and they have won against Chirag and lost to East Bengal.

The other encounter of the day will witness Punjab outfit JCT facing Goan outfit Vasco at Guru Nanak Dev Stadium ,Ludhiana at 2 PM on Saturday afternoon. The Punjab team has made a good start to the second phase of the I-League as they did in the first by beating the best team in the country – Dempo.With 15 points in their pocket, JCT can only move upwards in the table as they play most of their games at home now and are capable of enjoying home advantage as compared to the other clubs of the country.

MEDIA RELEASE

Sthalekar looks to dethrone Taylor

Dubai, 30 January 2009

Australia’s top-ranked batter has all to play for in five-match Rose Bowl Series

New Zealand stars eyeing rise in Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Player Rankings as they

play host to Australia

Australia’s Lisa Sthalekar will be looking to improve her second-place ranking in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batters ahead of her side’s visit to New Zealand for the Rose Bowl Series, due to start 1 February in Whangarei.

The 29-year-old right-handed all-rounder is currently a mere 22 ratings points behind England’s Claire Taylor in the batting rankings and is still topping the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders. Sthalekar is 88 ratings points clear of her nearest challenger in the all-rounders’ list, Australia team-mate Shelley Nitschke.

New Zealand, which is hosting the five-match series, will have plenty of challengers in all forms of the rankings ahead of this series. Among the batters, Nicola Browne, currently ranking eighth, and Sara McGlashen (in 10th position), will be planning on making decent inroads on their ratings in this series ahead of the ICC Women’s World Cup due to take place in Australia in March.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, England’s Isa Guha still tops the table with her closest competitor, Nitschke, some 44 ratings points behind her. Nitschke could close the gap during the five-match series but could also feel the heat from her fellow Australians in the top five, Emma Sampson and Sthalekar.

Aimee Mason and Browne could also push up from their joint-ninth place with Kirsten Pike of Australia during the series. The 26-year-old Mason is a true all-rounder and sitting fourth in the all-rounders rankings so can look to force her way up the rankings during the Rose Bowl Series which is will take place at Whangarei, Hamilton and Wellington between 1 and 12 February.

Rose Bowl Series Dates

1 February – First ODI, Cobham Oval, Whangarei
3 February – Second ODI, Cobham Oval, Whangarei
6 February – Third ODI (d/n), Seddon Park, Hamilton
8 February – Fourth ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton
12 February – Fifth ODI, Basin Reserve, Wellington

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Player Rankings (as of 30 January)

Batters

Rank Player Team Points Ave Highest Ranking

1 Claire Taylor Eng 804 39.13 820 v NZ at Blackpool 2007
2 Lisa Sthalekar Aus 782 37.96 804 v Ind at Sydney 2008
3 Mithali Raj Ind 722 46.50 841 v Aus at Baroda Vadodar 2004
4 Sarah Taylor Eng 698 40.11 705 v Ind at Taunton 2008
5 A Blackwell Aus 692 ! 35.42 692 v Ind at Canberra 2008
6 Karen Rolton Aus 660 49.25 873 v Ind at Vapi 2004
7 C Edwards Eng 654 37.05 691 v SA at Pretoria 2005
8 N Browne NZ 653 ! 30.21 653 v Aus at Lincoln 2008
9 S Nitschke Aus 610*! 28.20 610 v Ind at Canberra 2008
10 S McGlashen NZ 566 23.09 581 v Eng at Derby 2007
11 Haidee Tiffen NZ 554 29.50 750 v Ind at Lincoln 2006
12 Aimee Mason NZ 553 22.20 624 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
13 Dedunu Silva SL 522*! 22.00 522 v WI at Colombo (RPS) 2008
14 L Greenway Eng 483 22.55 503 v Aus at Sydney 2008
15 H.Siriwardena SL 482*! 20.57 482 v WI at Colombo (RPS) 2008
16 C-Z Brits SA 465* 29.24 530 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
17 C Atkins Eng 463* 28.46 471 v Ind at Taunton 2008
18 Jenny Gunn Eng 456 22.37 527 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
19 Jaya Sharma Ind 443 30.75 665 v Aus at Vapi 2004
20 Anjum Chopra Ind 439 33.89 722 v Aus at Adelaide 2006

Bowlers

Rank Player Team Points Ave Highest Ranking

1 Isa Guha Eng 719 18.43 740 v Ind at Taunton 2008
2 S Nitschke Aus 675*! 21.76 675 v Ind at Canberra 2008
3 J Goswami Ind 667 22.23 797 v Eng at Chennai 2007
4 E Sampson Aus 663*! 23.19 663 v Ind at Canberra 2008
5 Lisa Sthalekar Aus 640 28.05 645 v Ind at Canberra 2008
6 Holly Colvin Eng 619* 19.90 632 v Ind at Arundel 2008
7 Jenny Gunn Eng 592 31.22 672 v Aus at Melbourne 2008
8 Rumeli Dhar Ind 565* 33.52 609 v SL at Dambulla 2008
9= Aimee Mason NZ 546 32.90 586 v Aus at Darwin 2007
N Browne NZ 546 33.75 648 v Eng at Shenley 2007
Kirsten Pike Aus 546* 23.97 567 v NZ at Lincoln 2008
12 K Brunt Eng 545* 26.33 560 v Ind at Taunton 2008
13 Nicky Shaw Eng 502* 32.93 517 v Ind at Taunton 2008
14 Alicia Smith SA 493* 22.10 536 v Ire at Crowthorne 2008
15 Sajida Shah Pak 491* 26.48 499 v NET at Stellenbosch 2008
16 Ellyse Perry Aus 488* 23.08 491 v Ind at Canberra 2008
17 A Kilowan SA 483*! 20.16 483 v Eng at Shenley 2008
18 Amita Sharma Ind 470 31.18 650 v Pak at Karachi 2005
19 Sophie Devine NZ 468*! 37.42 468 v Aus at Lincoln 2008
20 Neetu David Ind 456 16.34 794 v NZ at Pretoria 2005

All-rounders

Rank Player Team Points Highest Ranking

1 Lisa Sthalekar Aus 500 514 v Ind at Canberra 2008
2 S Nitschke Aus 412*/*! 412 v Ind at Canberra 2008
3 N Browne NZ 357 383 v Eng at Lincoln 2008
4 Aimee Mason NZ 302 342 v Eng at Blackpool 2007
5 Jenny Gunn Eng 270 353 v Aus at Melbourne 2008

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

More tickets go on sale for ICC World Twenty20 England 2009

Dubai, 29 January 2009

A new release of tickets to the ICC World Twenty20 England 2009 has gone on sale today, Thursday 29 January.

These newly available tournament tickets will give cricket fans and families the opportunity to enjoy this summer’s most exciting international tournament being staged at four venues across England: Lord’s, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Taunton.

Beginning on 5 June 2009 and finishing on 21 June, the two-week ICC World Twenty20 will set a sporting global precedent with the men’s and women’s tournament integrated for the first time. The semi-final days, which are being hosted at Trent Bridge and The Oval, and the final day at Lord’s will feature the women’s match followed by the men’s.

Tournament Director Steve Elworthy said: “We saw unprecedented interest when the first allocation of tickets went on sale in June 2008 with all those match days selling out in hours.

“We welcome the new release of these tickets to fans and I urge cricket spectators and families who missed out on the chance last year to get in early with these tickets now going on sale.”

All prices have been tailored to ensure a value day out for fans and families with 20 of the match-days including two games showcasing four international teams. This double-header format allows spectators to view two games for the price of one match-day ticket.

“Twenty20 is fun, fast and exciting. This year’s tournament brings together the world’s top male and female players in a competition that pits nation against nation and where the top prize is to be crowned the ICC World Twenty20 champions,” said Mr Elworthy.

“This latest ticket offer also gives fans from Associate countries Ireland, Scotland and Netherlands, who qualified after the first ticket launch, a chance to purchase tickets.”

Tickets can be purchased via the ICC website, www.icc-cricket.com. UK-based fans can also call 0844 847 2020 to purchase tickets.

ICC WORLD TWENTY20 ENGLAND 2009 MEDIA RELEASE

ICC Board meets in Perth on 31 January and 1 February

Dubai, 29 January 2009

Items on the agenda include Zimbabwe, Future Tours Programme post-2012, ICC Champions Trophy 2009 and Indian Cricket League

The ICC Board will gather in Perth on 31 January and 1 February for the first of the four meetings it holds in a year.

Among the main items on the agenda are the following:

Zimbabwe

A task team, headed by Dr Julian Hunte, the president of the West Indies Cricket Board, will present an interim report to the ICC Board. This follows a visit to Zimbabwe by Dr Hunte and ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat in November last year.

Future Tours Programme (FTP) post-2012

With some members expressing reservations about the idea of an enhanced Test championship, the ICC Board will discuss a way forward in the process of developing a fixtures model, given the current FTP is due to finish in May 2012.

ICC Champions Trophy 2009

The ICC Board will discuss preparations for the tournament, due to take place in September/October. At its October 2008 meeting the Board agreed the event would take place between 24 September and 5 October 2009. At that same meeting it was further agreed that because the event was reduced in duration (12 days including a reserve day for the final instead of the 17 days set aside in 2008) it would be played in one city.

Indian Cricket League (ICL)

The ICC Board will discuss the ICL’s application to be approved by the ICC.

Media arrangements

A media release will be distributed after the first day’s discussions.

A media briefing will take place following the conclusion of the meeting on 1 February. A media release will also be distributed as necessary. More details will be confirmed and announced in due course.

It is also expected that photographs of the meeting will be available via Getty Images and video footage will be available via SNTV. Details will be confirmed in due course. Further information can also be obtained by getting in touch with your usual Getty Images or SNTV contacts.

The ICC Board consists of the chairman or president from each of the 10 Full Members plus three Associate Member representatives. Also present at ICC Board meetings is the ICC President, who chairs proceedings, the ICC Chief Executive and the ICC Vice-President, as well as, by invitation of the President, the ICC Principal Advisor.

David Morgan ICC President
Sharad Pawar ICC Vice-President
Haroon Lorgat ICC Chief Executive

Jack Clarke Australia
Mahbubul Anam (alternate for Maj. Gen. Sina Ibn Jamali) Bangladesh
Giles Clarke England
Shashank Manohar India
Alan Isaac New Zealand
Ijaz Butt Pakistan
S Liyaganama Sri Lanka
Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka South Africa
Dr Julian Hunte West Indies
Wilfred Mukondiwa (alternate for Peter Chingoka) Zimbabwe

Associate Member Representatives

Neil Speight Bermuda
Samir Inamdar Kenya
Imran Khwaja Singapore

In attendance
Inderjit Bindra ICC Principal Advisor

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

World Cricket

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INDIAN SPORTS

Sania Mirza

Viswanathan Anand

TRIPURA

Maharaja Bir Bickram Cricket Stadium at Agartala

Archive

Saraju Chakraborty

Indian Cricket Stars

World Football

Sports News

Olympics

Asian Games

Thursday 26 February 2009

Friday 20 February 2009

Thursday 19 February 2009

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Tuesday 3 February 2009