Indian team for West Indies tour

Mumbai, 17 June, 2009

The All-India Selection Committee picked the Indian team for the tour of the West Indies in June-July 2009 earlier today.
Two of the selectors – Chairman Mr. K. Srikkanth and Mr. Raja Venkat, were in the UK. They communicated with their three colleagues via a teleconference. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gary Kirsten, and Mr. N. Srinivasan, the Hony. Secretary of the BCCI and Convener of the All-India Selection Committee, also participated in the meeting from the UK.
TEAM:
1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni – Captain
2. Yuvraj Singh – Vice-captain
3. Gautam Gambhir
4. Rohit Sharma
5. Harbhajan Singh
6. Pragyan Ojha
7. Yusuf Pathan
8. Murali Vijay
9. S. Badrinath
10. R.P. Singh
11. Praveen Kumar
12. Ishant Sharma
13. Abhishek Nayar
14. Ashish Nehra
15. Ravindra Jadeja
16. Dinesh Kartik

Suresh Raina was not considered for selection as he has sustained a hairline fracture on his thumb. He has been advised two weeks’ rest.
Zaheer Khan has been rested. Sachin Tendulkar had made a request that he be rested for the tour.

MEDIA RELEASE

ICC announces umpire and match referee appointments for semi-finals of ICC World Twenty20 2009

London, 17 June 2009

The ICC today announced details of the umpire and match referee appointments for the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20 2009, which will take place in Nottingham and London on Thursday and Friday with the women’s semi-finals to be followed by the men’s semi-finals.

Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees will lead the playing control team at Trent Bridge where the semi-final between New Zealand women and India women will start at 1300, to be followed by South Africa and Pakistan semi-final at 1730.

The on-field umpires for the women’s semi-final will be Mark Benson and Asad Rauf of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires with Ian Gould, also from the elite panel, as third umpire and Nigel Llong of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires as fourth umpire.

The men’s semi-final will be umpired by Steve Davis and Billy Bowden of the elite panel with Simon Taufel, also from the elite panel, as third umpire and Rod Tucker from the international panel, as fourth umpire.

The focus will then shift to London where the other semi-finals which will be staged at The Oval on Friday. Alan Hurst of the elite panel will oversee both the semi-finals between England and Australia women which will start at 1300 and Sri Lanka and the West Indies semi-final which will start at 1730.

The women’s semi-final will be umpired by Billy Doctrove and Tony Hill of the elite panel with Asoka de Silva, also from the elite panel, as third umpire and Marais Erasmus from the international panel, as fourth umpire.

The on-field umpires for the men’s semi-final will be Aleem Dar and Rudi Koertzen of the elite panel while Daryl Harper of the elite panel as third umpire and Amish Saheba from the international panel as fourth umpire.

Appointments for Sunday’s finals at Lord’s will be announced in due course.

ICC World Twenty20 2009 (semi-finals)

Thursday 18 June – India v New Zealand (1300-1600), Trent Bridge – Mark Benson and Asad Rauf, Ian Gould (third), Nigel Llong (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)
Thursday 18 June – South Africa v Pakistan (1730-2030), Trent Bridge – Steve Davis and Billy Bowden, Simon Taufel (third), Rod Tucker (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)
Friday 19 June – Australia v England (1300-1600), The Oval –Billy Doctrove and Tony Hill, Asoka de Silva (third), Marais Erasmus (fourth), Alan Hurst (referee)
Friday 19 June – Sri Lanka v West Indies (1730-2030), The Oval – Aleem Dar and Rudi Koertzen, Daryl Harper (third), Amish Saheba (fourth), Alan Hurst (referee)
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Rolton and Edwards set up England v Australia semi-final at the Oval

Taunton, 16 June 2009

India faces New Zealand in other semi at Trent Bridge on Thursday

Skippers Karen Rolton and Charlotte Edwards set up a mouth-watering England v Australia semi-final in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2009 tournament on Tuesday with mirror-image performances in their final group matches at Taunton.

Both made 43, Rolton to set up Australia’s 24-run win over South Africa in Group A and Edwards to anchor England to a 63-run success against Pakistan in Group B. The sides meet at The Oval on Friday as the first part of a double-header with the men’s semi-final.

It was also a day for left-arm spinners, with England’s Holly Colvin taking 3-18 and Australia’s Shelley Nitschke 4-21.

Unbeaten England, though, ended the day with serious concerns after its middle order, highlighted by its rivals as the team’s Achilles heel, failed miserably again.

“We can do better than that,” said Edwards. “It’s still not good enough, it’s disappointing. The run-outs were schoolgirl errors. Every time we seem to have a telling off from our coach we seem to turn it around, so I’m hoping we will do that again.

“There is pressure on our top order to score runs but we have total belief in the whole of our batting line-up and I’m absolutely certain that these girls are going to come good.”

The other semi-final pits New Zealand against India at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

Put in to bat by Pakistan, England looked in total control as Edwards and Sarah Taylor put on 43 inside six overs. But when Urooj Mumtaz’s leg breaks accounted for both Sarah and Claire Taylor – Sarah falling lbw and Claire chipping weakly to mid off - the innings deflated.

The World Cup winner still looked well placed at 71-3 at halfway but panic set in when Edwards was caught behind off spinner Sana Mir after a 32-ball stay. Extraordinarily, the last five dismissals were all run-outs.

Pakistan, though, was never able to mount a challenge in the face of fine England fielding. Restricted to 36-3 at halfway, it was dismissed for 60, the lowest total of the tournament.
In contrast to England, the Australians, who beat Edwards’s side in a warm-up before the tournament and are convinced they hold the psychological edge, showed great strength in depth after slipping to 79-5.

Rolton and the powerful Alex Blackwell, with a bruising 40 not out off 22 deliveries, hammered 68 off 6.3 overs to take Australia to a tournament-high total of 164-6.

All rounder Nitsckhe, giving the ball air, then took three wickets in an over on her way to the player-of-the-match award as South Africa ended on 140-7.

South African openers Shandre Fritz (39 off 23 balls) and Trisha Chetty (36 off 25), though, showed that the Australian attack can be put under pressure, sharing 73 for the first wicket inside eight overs.

“They put us under a bit of pressure but I wasn’t worried,” said Rolton. “It only takes a couple of overs to change a game. Shelley really got us back on track.”

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

An interesting piece of news

By Javagal Srinath

This morning I woke to see an interesting piece of news circulating on Dhoni. The news read “Javagal Srinath blames Dhoni’s media handling for the T 20 exit”. Generally one would want to know from where did this quote came from. Before even looking for who was responsible for such frivolous reporting, I knew I wouldn’t get the name of the reporter or even that one news agency from where this news has originated. All I could manage to get was “agency report”. Such news will never have proper coordinates for obvious credibility reasons. This is another classical example of “coward reporting” taking advantage of the situation. At the back drop of the India’s T20 exit, any news that too an ex- cricketer ridiculing skipper Dhoni gains momentum. This is an old practice and will remain to be an integral part of news journalism. So be it. I am not trying to serve a rejoinder through my columns, but only remind people that yellow journalism has value too.

At the press conference, Dhoni was humble and straight forward. He was honest and spoke not only about the Indian batsmen’s inability to cope short pitch but also his own form which wasn’t the best. He also went further to say sorry for the defeat. Somehow I felt Seeking apology for defeats is not a good practice. I understand if the team is doing badly for awhile, such lines may sound good but when the team is at the top, odd defeat is part of the game.

Back to the analysis, Gary Kirsten has lots on his plate all of a sudden. The short pitch problem has struck the Indian batting again. I felt the short pitch was only useful in the test matches and had lost its effectiveness in the short format of the game. To my disbelief, the same short pitch has come back to haunt the Indian batsmen that too in the shortest format of the game. The effectiveness of the short pitch balls is a combination of the wicket and the capability of a bowler.

The English coaches and the bowlers must have taken the cues from Fidel Edwards bowling in previous game. They very soon realised that short pitch aimed at the Indian batsmen not only created dot balls but also opened up the possibility of taking wickets. They bowled more than 3 short balls in an over playing well within the rules of the game. Indian batsmen predominantly good on the front foot, were found wanting when pushed on the back foot. I was quite amazed to see the diagram where more than 45% of the balls were pitched short in length. Suresh Raina problem with short pitch is just like any other batsmen who cannot play spin with ease. The challenge for Suresh Raina is to sort out the short pitch issues without losing his core front foot batting strengths.

Finally, it was quite evident that short pitched ball was the one which led to the defeat and not Dhoni’s love hate relationship with the press.

HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

India’s women outdo the men by booking semi-final spot

Taunton, 15 June 2009

Mithali Raj guides her team home as New Zealand joins the last four with win over South Africa

After Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team was knocked out on Sunday night, Mithali Raj made sure an India team made it through to the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20 after her fellow batters made heavy weather of the chase against Sri Lanka in a low-scoring encounter at Taunton on Monday.

Sri Lanka reached 94-5 from a rain-reduced 18 overs, but India was stumbling in reply before player of the match Mithali stroked an assured 32 not out to seal the five-wicket win.

Sri Lanka started off stodgily on a damp wicket, reaching only 34-3 from the first 10 overs after opting to bat. Some bright hitting from Deepika Rasangika late on, with a 20-ball unbeaten 24, pushed her team forward but the total still looked light. An impressive fielding effort, however, gave it a chance.

Earlier, New Zealand rode into the semi-finals unbeaten after recording its third successive win, beating South Africa. Aimee Watkins’ players had too much know-how for their spirited Group A opponents as they restricted South Africa to 124-4 in persistent drizzle before easing home by six wickets. They are now likely to face India at Trent Bridge on Thursday.

India still has some troubles in the batting department, however, evidenced again by its display against Sri Lanka. Three of the four top batters fell within nine runs – including the impressive run-out of Rumeli Dhar (for nought) from Chamari Atapaththu’s direct throw from point – leaving it wobbling at 36-3.

Debutante Punam Raut (30) took up the baton, but was also victim of a sharp run-out and when Reema Malhotra fell for 12, India still had work to do (79-5).

Mithali assumed the senior role and in the penultimate over stroked three classical cover drives off Sripali Weerakkody – two fours and a single – to finish a game which had its share of tense batting moments.

“I didn’t do my job in the earlier games so it was time to do something for the team,” said Mithali. “It was very dicey. When I went in we had to preserve our wickets while still scoring.

“I was very tense. I may have looked cool – it’s like the duck looking calm while it’s paddling furiously under water. I don’t have a big build, timing is my strength. But I put everything into those two boundaries at the end.”

Sri Lanka skipper Chamari Polgampola said: “Mithali was brilliant for India. When she came in, the boundaries started to flow for them and the game began to turn. Perhaps we were a bit slow at the start of our innings, but we couldn’t push on because we lost wickets.”

New Zealand’s win was far more comfortable. Though Cri-Zelda Brits (57 not out) and Susanna Benade (44) added 91 for the fourth wicket, they were light on singles, leaving South Africa 30 runs short of a challenging total.

New Zealand could even afford a couple of cheap dismissals as Suzie Bates (24) and Watkins (35) sent up soft catches.

Watkins said: “I thought we did really well today, especially with those conditions in the field. We were always looking comfortable.”

South Africa could still advance on net run-rate if it beats Australia on Tuesday.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Result of ICC meeting with ICC CWC 2011 hosts

London, 15 June 2009

Discussions to continue between ICC President David Morgan, Vice-President Sharad Pawar and PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt on 19 June

David Morgan: “Further discussions will help us come up with a recommendation on where the matches originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan can be held”

Representatives of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the four host countries for the ICC Cricket World Cup (ICC CWC) 2011, met with ICC President David Morgan and ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat at Lord’s on Monday.

The meeting was convened without prejudice to discuss the ongoing issues the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has in relation to the hosting of matches in the ICC CWC 2011.

No decision was reached on a recommendation to the ICC Board concerning possible locations for those matches but discussions are now ongoing and will continue when Mr Morgan meets with ICC Vice-President Sharad Pawar and PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt in London on 19 June.

ICC President David Morgan said: “I’m pleased we were able to come together today in a spirit of cooperation to further the process of finding a resolution to this matter.

“We had constructive discussions and I will look to follow them through with Mr Pawar and Mr Butt in the coming days so we can identify the best means of coming up with a recommendation on where the matches originally scheduled to take place in Pakistan can be held.

“There was a great deal of sympathy within the meeting for Pakistan’s position as the issues its cricket administrators face are completely beyond their control.

“What we need to do is to settle this matter as quickly as possible within the ICC family as we need to press on with our preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup which is less than two years away.”

Monday’s meeting agreed that the tournament’s Central Organising Committee would meet to decide upon the location and management structure of the ICC CWC Secretariat. This operation was originally set to be based in Lahore.

The four hosts confirmed their understanding of the ICC Board’s previous decision, that Pakistan remains a co-host and retains its host fees for the 14 matches originally scheduled to take place there, before the Board’s decision to remove the country as a host location for the tournament.

Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka all accepted that if any of those 14 matches were to take place in their countries then they would not be due any fee for hosting them.

The PCB agreed that any legal proceedings already launched against the ICC would remain on hold pending further discussions.

In addition to Mr Morgan and Mr Lorgat, also present at the meeting were Mahbubul Anam (Bangladesh), Shashank Manohar (India), Ijaz Butt and Subhan Ahmad (Pakistan) and DS de Silva (Sri Lanka). Mr Pawar joined the meeting via telephone hook-up.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Sunday was certainly one of the worst ground fielding days for Indian team

By Anil Kumble

Sunday was certainly one of the worst ground fielding days for the Indian team. Too many runs were given away and when you add extras to it, it doesnt help. In any format, extras cost you but in the T20 format, you pay extra. Twice there were five wides, that too by the spinners and that eventually hurt India.

The team, I felt, was a bit uptight, not the free-look Indian team we have got used to seeing. You could see it as they walked in, perhaps the burden of expectations was weighing them down.

This though is a team sport and you cannot put a finger on any one person for the failure. It is such a quick paced game that you have to trust your instincts when you need to take certain decisions. Most times they come off, which is why this team has been successful in the past, when it doesnt, you have to accept that and carry on.

It certainly was a game Indian should have won but these things happen. And you have to give credit to the English team, especially their bowlers. They peppered the Indians with short-pitched stuff and pegged them back. They say Indians dont play the short ball well, let me assure you that no one does. But in this case, with runs being the only aim, and so with ducking and weaving not being an option, the batsmen had to play their shots off the short stuff, leaving them vulnerable on a pitch where the ball didnt come on quick enough. Rohit Sharmad dismissal was a classic example of that, he had finished his shot before the ball had fully arrived.

Basically it was good execution of their plans by the English and not just poor shot selection by the Indians. Perhaps, going by hindsight at least, Yuvraj Singh should have come in at four. Hes been in tremendous touch after all.

Overall though, it came down to the fielding. Had they saved more runs to start with, the chase would have been simpler. Also the England batting is mostly about Kevin Pietersen. He clicked and the Indians lost.

All is not lost though. I can understand the feelings of the fans and sympathize with them. After all this was a World Cup waiting to be won and no loss in a World Cup goes down well but you need to have faith in this team. This is the same team that has been producing great results over the past two years, in all formats but especially in the shorter ones and they will be back to winning ways.

Sport is such that one team has to lose each day. Perhaps it was the pressure of being the defending champions that got to the Indians finally. I have been in World Cup losses myself and I can assure you that each one of the team members will be as disappointed as you but everyone will have to put the disappointment aside and move on.

HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

England reaches women’s semi-final after Claire Taylor’s master class

London, 14 June 2009

World number-one batter Claire Taylor produced a match-winning master class as England became the first side to reach the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2009 at Taunton on Sunday.

She made 75 not out during the World Cup holder’s innings of 140-7 before Sri Lanka, hemmed in by a tigerish England fielding display, limped to 69-8 and a 71–run defeat.

The tournament host, with two wins out of two, will top Group B if it beats Pakistan on Tuesday, with a clash against Australia looming in the next round. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, will battle it out with India for the other semi-final slot when the Asian rivals meet on Monday.

England, opting to bat against Sri Lanka in front of a hugely enthusiastic crowd of around 3,500, had stuttered nervously to 68-4 in the 13th over before Taylor went into over-drive.

Neat and compact throughout, she stamped her authority on the game in the 16th over with four boundaries, two of them late cuts, off medium-pacer Sripali Weerakkody. That took her past 50 as well as taking England to three figures.

Taylor, who was given one life when only on seven, hit 11 boundaries in all during her 54-ball innings, the last eight coming off the final 14 deliveries of her innings.

“We had talked about trying to score 180 or 200 but some of their bowling was brilliant. They kept pulling these yorkers out.

“I was a little worried with five overs to go and we were well short of par. It was just a matter of seizing the right moment. When I got 16 off an over we thought: ‘Let’s go from here.’”

Earlier England skipper Charlotte Edwards had fallen for a single, while fellow opener Sarah Taylor was the second-highest scorer with 24 off 22 balls.

Sri Lanka medium-pacer Eshani Lokusooriya ended with 4-18, three of her wickets coming in a single over as England hit out at the close.

Any dreams Sri Lanka had of an upset were quickly dashed as it was reduced to 12-3.

Fast bowler Jenny Gunn played a key role, running out Chamilka Bandara with a sharp throw from the covers and then diving spectacularly to her right to catch Rose Fernando one-handed.

Sri Lanka was soon struggling on 39-4 after 10 overs but the wickets continued to tumble.

England had lost fast bowler Katherine Brunt before the start, when she was hit in the face by a ball during the warm-up. An X-ray revealed heavy bruising but no break.

She was replaced by medium pacer Isa Guha, who responded with memorable figures of 4-2-4-2.

Naveed Nawaz, Sri Lanka’s consultant coach, looking forward to the game against India, said: “The way we are playing at the moment we can do anything on our day. I just hope that our batters will click. I’m very confident about the bowling and fielding, although I wish the catching was better.”

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

I still havent quite accepted that we are now definitely in the semi finals!

By Mickey Arthur

We have taken nothing for granted at any stage of the tournament and perhaps the habit has become difficult to shake because I still havent quite accepted that we are now definitely in the semi finals!

I thought we were, but I have been informed that there is a 100-1 chance that a series of highly unlikely events could still see us eliminated. If we lose very heavily in the final Super Eight match against India on Tuesday, and all the other fixtures work out, then it seems it is possible that we could still fail.

It doesnt matter. The team will be motivated to beat India for one very good reason. Two years ago, when India eliminated us from the first ICC World Twenty20 on our home turf, we werent only hurt by the result but by the celebrations we encountered from the opposition.

It can be easy to allow the triumphant moment to get the better of you, but we felt that India may have deliberately rubbed our noses in the result. Good grace in victory is as important as accepting defeat with pride intact, but we felt on that occasion that India could have done more to celebrate with some respect for the vanquished.

We spoke about it afterwards and, in the pain of defeat, we reminded ourselves that sport has a habit of turning full circle. Tuesday might, possibly, give us the opportunity to repay the compliment. If that happens, there wont be any outrageous euphoria from us. Certainly not in public, anyway, and not within sight of the Indian players.

Purely practically, of course, there is an even greater reason for wanting victory against India. If we can eliminate them at this stage of the tournament then we significantly increase our chances of winning the tournament because they remain one of the most potent forces in T20 cricket!

There has been so much talk about the element of chance in T20 cricket. Many players still say that anything can happen, but South Africa has now won six T20 Internationals in a row which suggests it is not a lottery as some people still believe.

All I have said is that a single, brilliant performance from an individual can swing a match but the skill is to stop that performance from happening, or at least limit the damage. I subscribe to the theory that anything can happen in T20 cricket and that anything is more likely in T20 cricket than other forms of the game. But I also believe that good preparation and planning can reduce the odds of an upset.

HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

Suzie Bates smashes White Ferns towards the semi-finals

London, 13 June 2009
India beats Pakistan but not convincingly as women’s section of the ICC World Twenty20 heats up
Olympic athlete Suzie Bates bludgeoned West Indies into submission as New Zealand powered towards the semi-finals in the ICC Women’s Twenty20 2009 tournament on Saturday.
Bates, who went to the Beijing Games with New Zealand’s basketball squad, hammered 60 off 39 balls, including 11 fours out of a total of 158-6 at Taunton before the White Ferns cruised home by 52 runs. Fellow opener Lucy Doolan hit 41 and later took 3-16 with her off spin.
New Zealand, though, which crushed highly fancied Australia by nine wickets in its Group A opener, lost its rhythm after Bates’s explosive start.
The ICC Women’s World Cup finalist, having opted to bat, looked on course to post a record score but, having reached 94 without loss in the 10th over, the team then lost six wickets for 62 runs.
"There was good and bad," said New Zealand coach Gary Stead. "We made a great start and we started thinking about getting to 200 for the first time – perhaps we got ahead of ourselves. The disappointing thing was that some of our batters started slogging a bit when we didn’t need to.
"But I was really pleased with the spin bowling of Lucy (Doolan) and Aimee (Watkins). They bowled eight overs for 28. They were outstanding."
Only a series of freak results will stop New Zealand reaching the semis. Its final game is against South Africa on Monday. West Indies looks set to battle it out for the second semi-final spot from Group A against Australia on Sunday.
Bates and Doolan took little time to get into overdrive, with right-arm fast bowler Debbie-Ann Lewis’s first over going for 19 as Bates hammered her through and mid on.
Doolan wisely gave her partner the strike but still found time to hoist three leg-side sixes into the crowd and reverse-chip a four. "Her crazy batting makes things easy for me," said Bates.
West Indies’ reply began promisingly before four wickets tumbled for 13 runs to make it 45-4, all but settling the game. Big-hitting Deandra Dottin and Stacy-Ann King both fell for golden ducks.
Leg spinner Priyanka Roy, meanwhile, took the first five-wicket haul of the tournament as India struggled to get back on track with a five-wicket win over Pakistan in Group B. Roy, giving the ball air and finding sharp turn, took 5-16, her best in any form of international cricket, after seamer Rumeli Dhar had taken the first three wickets for 13.
Pakistan’s total of 75 all out, the lowest in the tournament, seemed within easy reach only for India to slip to16-3, then 36-4, with key batter Mithali Raj back in the pavilion.
Opener Anjum Chopra, however, kept her cool and dug in with 37 not out to see India, so disappointing in its opening defeat to England, home with 2.2 overs to spare.
"Am I happy?" said India coach Sudha Shah. "Well, we had to win and we did. But no, I’m not happy with the way we played at all. Our final game against Sri Lanka is another must-win. Hopefully we will click against them."
A relieved Chopra added: "Wickets were falling like nine-pins, so it was a little tense. Fortunately the score wasn't too high and you could push it around for singles. You need matches like this… but not too often!"
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

South Africa to advance into the semis

By Anil Kumble

When the Indians go in to their second Super 8s match at Lords on Sunday, they can do so knowing that they were in a similar hole in the last T2 World Cup, got out of it and eventually won the trophy. In South Africa they had lost to New Zealand and had to beat England and South Africa to advance into the semis and they have to do just that again in the UK.
There is always some amount of confidence that you take into a match from history but you also know that history doesnt repeat itself and it is up to the team to recall and repeat their heroics. They have to play freely though and not allow the defeat to the West Indies to linger and make them desperate, in which case the basics tend to get displaced.
There was nothing wrong with the basics of Dwayne Bravo on Friday, that is for sure. What a strong hand the young man played, both with bat and ball. Normally when he comes in, Bravo tends to favour the slog over mid-wicket but on Friday he looked to play straight. Most of his shots were genuine cricketing shots and right through the tournament hes played the spinners best.
I thought the plan against Chris Gayle worked very well. They mixed it up nicely to him and with Harbhajans first over frustrating him no end, something had to give. However, I think the Indians missed a trick by not bowling enough short-pitched balls, in stark contrast to the Windies bowlers, who came in hard and dug it in.
The problems for the Indians began with the dismissal of Rohit Sharma and compounded when they lost two more wickets for next to nothing and all within the first five overs. There was a period of consolidation but the first shot that Dhoni played in an attempt to free the shackles, he was gone. Another day, another 2-3 yards to the left or right and Dhoni would have been away.
The issue is that once you have taken time to get in, you have to bat through, at least until the 18th or 19th over. That didnt happen with Dhoni but thankfully Yuvraj was there. Yuvraj was brilliant in the middle overs. He is someone who backs himself and understands the importance of hitting boundaries at the start of the over. The West Indies were fortunate to have got him in the 17th over. Another two overs from him and India would have got to 160-165, which would have been the par score, given that the Windies bat deep and all their batsmen, including the impressive Lendl Simmons are natural strokemakers.
Indias opponents on Sunday, England may not bat that deep but the dangerman will be Kevin Pietersen, as also Ravi Bopara at the top. As the host nation, England will be under huge pressure and that it something for the Indians to exploit. I have a feeling that whoever loses this match could well be out of the tournament and so the teams have everything to play for.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

Excitement builds, what a tournament

By Mickey Arthur
The only downside to this tournament, as far as I can see, is that there is no time to enjoy your successes! Im just joking we had at least 20 minutes to savour our opening Super Eight victory against England at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
There was a lot to be pleased about. Graeme and I have spoken repeatedly about the need to start T20 matches with maximum intensity rather than build towards a peak as you do in other forms of the game, and thats exactly what we did against the host nation.
Dale Steyn took a wicket in the first over and Wayne Parnell claimed another in the second over and England were suddenly 4-2. But with Kevin Pietersen at the crease, we knew we didnt have control of the game.
It took a brilliant catch by Roelof van der Merwe to get rid of him and, from that moment on, Graeme knew that he could take control of the game and dominate. We were ruthless with the ball and equally unforgiving in the field. Graeme kept the in-fielders saving one rather than saving boundaries, as is often the case at the beginning and end of an innings, and England had no answer.
We talk often about maintaing South Africas traditional skill in the field and ability to suffocate batsmen by starving them of runs and forcing them to take risks and make mistakes, and Englands innings was a great example of that.
Enough of that. Its time to move forward and focus on Saturdays game against the West Indies. If we win, we qualify for the semi finals before our final game against India on Tuesday. If we lose, we could face the prospect of having to beat India to reach the last four. I have no doubt that we would rise to that challenge, but I would prefer to take the easier route.
The players have been fantastic at focussing on the next game, taking the tournament one step at a time, but as coach its my job to look ahead and plan. I see Sri Lanka as a very dangerous team because of their bowling strength and New Zealand, despite their injury problems, are a tremendous threat.
But if India and South Africa qualify for the semi finals, then we will not face each other and would only meet again in the final. But there is much to do before that even becomes a possibility. As well as both teams are playing, a stumble can happen at any time. India have already suffered a setback with the loss of Viru but there are plenty more match-winners to take his place.
Finally, a word about 19-year-old Wayne Parnell. Ever since he joined the squad he has grown incredibly quickly as a cricketer and a person and he has the potential to become a world force. Wonderful as he has been with the new ball and at the death of the innings, most people probably dont realise that he is, in fact, a genuine all rounder. Maybe he is the ace up our sleeve to make a difference at some stage.
The excitement builds. What a tournament.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

Top marks for Colvin as England crushes India

Taunton, 11 June 2009
Student takes 3-20 as England wins by 10 wickets; West Indies begins well with win over South Africa
Student Holly Colvin came away with top marks as England easily accounted for title rival India by 10 wickets on the opening day of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2009 tournament in Taunton on Thursday.
The 19-year-old Colvin, bowling slow left arm, took 3-20 as the World Cup holder restricted India to 112-8 before captain Charlotte Edwards (61 off 53 balls) and fellow opener Sarah Taylor (50 off 41) cruised home with 26 balls to spare in Group B. Edwards’ innings capped a player-of-the-match performance which included two catches and the wicket of Mithali Raj.
"This is our biggest game and hopefully this will clinch our semi-final spot," said Edwards.
"Everyone wanted to see how we’d react to the tag of favourites. Whenever there’s a bit of pressure on this team the players come out fighting. I was really, really pleased with Holly – she bowled so well.
"To come out and play as we have done today in front of such an enthusiastic crowd has been fantastic."
England’s other two group games are against outsiders Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Earlier, West Indies beat South Africa by three runs in a Group A thriller, Stafanie Taylor celebrating her 18th birthday with a half-century.
Colvin, who is going to Durham University after getting A grades in all her exams, took three of the Indian top six to set the tone. Fast bowler Nicky Shaw chipped in with 2-28. India, third in the World Cup, opted to bat but never escaped the English stranglehold.
Shaw struck with her second ball, bowling Latika Kumari to make it 10-1 before Colvin, giving the ball air, and Edwards combined to send back Anjum Chopra and Rumeli Dhar, Edwards taking the first catch off her toes at extra cover and the second at head height at short mid-wicket.
That made it 44-3 in the 10th over. India’s hopes rested with the elegant Raj but, restricted to tip-and-run singles, she eventually risked an agricultural shot and was bowled by a medium-paced dart from Edwards.
Wicketkeeper Taylor set the pace in England’s reply, with a string of textbook boundaries. She hit seven fours – the same as the Indian side managed in their entire 20 overs. Edwards joined in with a swept six off medium-pacer Amita Sharma’s first ball and a chip to the midwicket fence as England reached 66-0 at halfway. Edwards then unleashed the biggest strike of the day into the mid-wicket crowd. She hit two sixes and six fours.
Earlier, Taylor made 50 off 52 balls as West Indies, regarded as the tournament dark horses, made 123-7. South Africa kept in touch before three run-outs derailed its challenge, with Stacy Ann-King producing two direct hits.
"It was a wonderful start but my nerves are still jangling," said relieved West Indies captain Merissa Aguilleira.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Pietersen takes the positives from England’s battle to reach the Super Eights in the latest edition of ICC Cricket World audio show

London, 11 June 2009
"It was good to put ourselves under pressure as it means we can cope with it"
MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers also feature in this week’s show
Programme available for free download and editorial use from www.icc-cricket.com
Kevin Pietersen is taking the positives from England’s battle to reach the Super Eights stage of the ICC World Twenty20 (ICC WT20) 2009.
Talking on this week’s ICC Cricket World audio show which is online at www.icc-cricket.com from today, the batsman reflected on an opening round loss to the Netherlands and victory over Pakistan when he said: "We’ve progressed through, which we should have done quite comfortably.
"We made it tough for ourselves but it was good to put ourselves under pressure the other day (against Pakistan). It means we can cope with it."
The show can be used in whole or part by radio stations that want cricket content while the public can also download it straight from the ICC website.
In this week’s show listeners can also hear from India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the pressures of captaincy and the differences between leading India and Indian Premier League (IPL) side the Chennai Super Kings.
And South Africa batsman AB de Villiers provides an insight into the characters that make up the Proteas dressing room.
In his interview with the ICC Cricket World audio show Pietersen also talked about how one form player could decide the tournament, the management of the Achilles injury that sidelined him from the Netherlands match and how he thought Australia would be feeling about its own first round exit.
And he said the fact two of England’s Super Eights opponents, India and South Africa, are so well-fancied to lift the ICC WT20 trophy has a lot to do with many of their players being exposed to the format through the IPL.
"The more Twenty20 you play, the better you become at it and so it’s no surprise those two (India and South Africa) are pretty good teams.
"Unfortunately they are both in our group but we want to go out there and surprise a few people and do well for the English crowds that will be supporting us."
The weekly show runs for 15 minutes and has been put together by the ICC’s global broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports.
The ICC World Twenty20 2009, which started on Friday 5 June, involves 12 of the top men’s teams and the top eight women’s line-ups playing at four venues – Lord’s, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Taunton – in the pinnacle of international cricketing action.
The defending men’s champion is India, which beat Pakistan in the final of the inaugural event, in South Africa in 2007. This is the first staging of the women’s tournament.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

England and India stars ‘Catch the Spirit’ to celebrate the work of volunteers

London, 11 June 2009
Broad and Wright of England and India’s Sehwag, RP Singh, Ohja and Jadeja present ICC Centenary Medals
Part of recognition of 1000 volunteers around the world for contributions to grass-roots cricket
Leading international players including Stuart Broad of England and India’s Virender Sehwag have helped celebrate the contributions of volunteers to grass-roots cricket in England.
They have been meeting recipients of the ICC Centenary Medal, along with some of the community groups that have benefited from their work.
Among those to be presented with their medals so far have been Ken Lake, secretary of the English Schools Cricket Association, George Hornbuckle, a volunteer for over 50 years in the East Midlands of England and Gary Pike, who has spent 24 years of his life trying to develop the sport in inner-city Liverpool.
Lake and Hornbuckle were presented with their medals by Broad and Luke Wright, while Pike received his award from members of the Indian squads, including Sehwag, RP Singh, Pragyan Ohja and Ravi Jadeja, in front of children from Bootle Cricket Club, in inner-city Liverpool.
Those youngsters then visited Trent Bridge, the home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and one of the venues of this year’s ICC World Twenty20 tournament, to join in a training session with the Bangladesh cricket team.
Lake’s service to the game has seen him help develop the careers of the likes of current England stars Alastair Cook, Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff as well as past stars including ex-national captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton.
And reflecting on his time in cricket, he said: "One of the main highlights was being involved in two U/15 World Cup events where I had the pleasure and privilege of being the organiser. I think we had between eight to ten teams from all around the world.
"Looking at the 2000 team we had Alastair Cook, who has made it big-time, and another player who has featured for England this summer, Tim Bresnan.
"Being involved in cricket at U/15 level for a number of years I have had the privilege to be involved with the likes of Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton, John Crawley and Mark Ramprakash, who I think was the best U/15 batsman I have ever seen, while Andrew Flintoff was the best all-rounder."
All-rounder Broad, who stars in an ICC centenary promotional video on volunteering, said: "Every international cricketer will have been affected by the work of volunteers at some point in their cricketing career, particularly when they were starting out in the sport at school and club level, and this award recognises the important role that volunteers play in cricket.
"I used to volunteer myself when I was younger, coaching junior teams at the weekend, and so I know what benefits and enjoyment being involved in this way can bring to people of all ages."
Volunteering also forms a key part of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 event, where the volunteer programme, Twenty20 vision, sees members of the public at all four venues provide valuable assistance behind the scenes.
The volunteers are supporting tournament staff in event management, media centres and ticketing offices and, in total, those volunteers have pledged more than 91,000 hours of time to ensure a successful event.
Explaining the importance of the ICC Centenary Medal, ICC President David Morgan said volunteers continue to make a priceless contribution to the game of cricket at all levels and in countless ways.
"As well as recognising the greats of the game on the pitch during our centenary year through the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, we wanted to mark the contribution of those people who devote their time to supporting the game at the grass-roots," he said.
"Through the presentation of medals to volunteers we want to recognise their efforts and raise the profile and importance of volunteering to encourage even more people to participate and ensure cricket remains a great sport with a great spirit for the next 100 years and beyond," added Mr Morgan.
The medal is a key part of the ICC’s centenary celebrations and is recognition of the efforts of many people throughout the world in ensuring cricket continues to be a great sport with a great spirit.
As part of the ICC’s centenary celebrations, taking place throughout the year, 1000 medals are being distributed to volunteers in all 104 ICC Members, with each Full Member, such as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), awarding 50 medals in its own constituency.
The presentations form part of a 12-month period of activities aimed at encouraging the game’s stakeholders to ‘Catch the Spirit’.
About the ICC centenary year
ICC President David Morgan and Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat officially launched the ICC centenary year in Sydney, Australia on 2 January by announcing the formation of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, in association with FICA.
The ICC’s centenary year of 2009 will be a global celebration with events taking place around the world to reflect all that is great about the game.
On the field these events include the ICC Women’s World Cup (won by England), the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (won by Ireland), the ICC World Twenty20 event for men and women and the ICC Champions Trophy.
And off the field there will be the opening of the ICC Global Cricket Academy and the inauguration of the ICC’s new headquarters, both of which are in Dubai, and an ICC cricket history conference at St Antony’s College, Oxford in the United Kingdom in July.
During the course of 2009, each of the ICC’s 104 Members will be hosting activities inspired by the special spirit of cricket as part of the global Catch the Spirit centenary celebration.
To promote this theme and the launch of the ICC’s centenary year website, www.catchthespirit.com, stars of the international game have named their "Catch the Spirit" moments which best encapsulate the spirit of cricket.
Among those stars that can be seen on the website, Yuvraj Singh of India speaks of his experiences in Pakistan – India matches and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis reflects on his side’s famous chase of 438 to beat Australia in an ODI in Johannesburg.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Event technical committee confirms replacements for Virender Sehwag and Jesse Ryder for ICC World Twenty20 2009

London, 11 June 2009
The ICC has confirmed the event technical committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 has approved Dinesh Karthik as a replacement player for Virender Sehwag in India’s squad for the tournament, which runs from 5 to 21 June at three venues – Lord’s, The Oval and Trent Bridge.
It has also approved Aaron Redmond as a replacement player for Jesse Ryder in the New Zealand squad.
The confirmations were conveyed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on behalf of the event technical committee today (Thursday).
Karthik takes over from Sehwag who has not recovered from an injury to his right shoulder and Redmond comes into the New Zealand squad due to the fact Ryder is suffering from an abdominal illness and is unable to take any further part in the event. The committee reviewed the medical reports and was satisfied the reasons for the replacements were both genuine and as such has granted the BCCI and NZC the right to replace the players on medical grounds.
The event technical committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 consists of David Richardson (ICC General Manager – Cricket and technical committee chairman), Steve Elworthy (tournament director), Campbell Jamieson (representative of IDI, the ICC’s commercial arm which runs major ICC events), Alan Fordham (ECB representative), Ian Bishop (independent nomination) and David Lloyd (independent nomination).
New Zealand plays its first game of the Super Eight stage of the tournament today against Ireland at Trent Bridge beginning at 1330 (local time) while India plays its first Super Eight match tomorrow at Lord’s against the West Indies beginning at 1730 (local time).
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

We are into the Super 8s

By Anil Kumble
The first round of the World T20 is over and done with and we are into the Super 8s. With no points being carried over, the past is history and all teams will have to begin afresh. For the Indians, the first big test with apologies to Bangladesh is on Friday against the West Indies. As per the seedings they were to meet Australia but the team from the Carribean, just like cricket itself, is a most unpredictable one and on their day, they can do just about anything, like they did against the Aussies.
One thing the Indians will have to use their advantage is the fact that the Windies are a little too dependent on Chris Gayle. He can blow you away when he gets going but if he himself is gone, the team gets a little deflated. Perhaps it would be a good idea to have a spinner bowl at him early on and try and upset his rhythm a little. All batsmen, especially opening bats, like the ball to come on and when you deny them pace, they could lose it. Of course, they could go berserk too but its risk worth taking. Nothing ventured, nothing gained is an apt saying.
Spin, for sure, will continue to play a big part. On Tuesday we saw my IPL team colleague Roelf van der Merwe spin it a lot at Lords against New Zealand and it is a factor the Indians are well placed to exploit. I dont see any reason for them not to go in with two specialist spinners in the Super 8s as well. Should Zaheer and Ishant step up as can be expected, the bowling will not be too easy to handle.
The West Indies on the other hand will breathe a bit easier knowing that Virendra Sehwag is out. Like Gayle, Viru is the type who can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition. Then again this Indian team does not depend on any one player, thats the beauty of this team. They have enough firepower right through and Virus replacement at the top, Rohit Sharma, has been on a roll. The last match he played here, he got a quickfire 80 against Pakistan in a warm-up match, sending their bowlers on a real leatherhunt.
To continue with leatherhunts, what Gayle dished out to Australia, Sanath Jayasuriya did to the Windies on Wednesday. Sanaths usefulness is not just with the bat for he can bowl to and since he complements spinners like Murali and Mendis, Sri Lanka are always able to field a balanced side. Their spinners are bound to prove a handful in the second stage and their opponents who include New Zealand, Pakistan and an unlikely Ireland will have to be real careful.
India, on that count, are in a relatively tougher group and will have to at least beat two out of South Africa, England and the Windies to make the semis but I have always believed that there is no bad time to play a tough opponent. If you have to win a tourament, you will have to beat all the tough teams, some of them once and some twice. And India are certainly capable of doing just that.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

ICC announces umpire and match referee appointments for men’s Super Eight stage and women’s group stage of ICC World Twenty20 2009

London, 10 June 2009
The ICC today announced details of the umpire and match referee appointments for the Super Eight stage of the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 in England, which runs until 21 June.
The match referees’ responsibilities, including women’s matches to be staged from 11 to 16 June in Taunton, will be shared between Ranjan Madugalle, Chris Broad and Alan Hurst of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.
The on-field responsibilities will be shared by all the 12 umpires from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, namely: Mark Benson, Billy Bowden, Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Asoka de Silva, Billy Doctrove, Ian Gould, Daryl Harper, Tony Hill, Rudi Koertzen, Asad Rauf and Simon Taufel.
The 12 elite panel umpires will be joined by Marais Erasmus, Nigel Llong, Amish Saheba and Rod Tucker of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires.
ICC World Twenty20 (men’s) (Super Eight stage)
Thursday 11 June: New Zealand v Ireland (1330-1630), Trent Bridge – Asoka de Silva and Marais Erasmus, Steve Davis (third), Tony Hill (fourth), Alan Hurst (referee)
Thursday 11 June – England v South Africa (1730-2030), Trent Bridge – Steve Davis and Tony Hill, Asoka de Silva (third), Marais Erasmus (fourth), Alan Hurst (referee)
Friday 12 June – Pakistan v Sri Lanka (1330-1630), Lord’s – Mark Benson and Rudi Koertzen, Rod Tucker (third), Aleem Dar (fourth), Chris Board (referee)
Friday 12 June – India v West Indies (1730-2030), Lord’s – Aleem Dar and Rudi Koertzen, Mark Benson (third), Rod Tucker (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)
Saturday 13 June – West Indies v South Africa (1330-1630), The Oval –Aleem Dar and Mark Benson, Rod Tucker (third), Rudi Koertzen (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)
Saturday 13 June – New Zealand v Pakistan (1730-2030), The Oval – Rod Tucker and Mark Benson, Rudi Koertzen (third), Aleem Dar (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)
Sunday 14 June – Ireland v Sri Lanka (1330-1630), Lord’s – Marais Erasmus and Tony Hill, Steve Davis (third), Asoka de Silva (fourth), Alan Hurst (referee)
Sunday 14 June – India v England (1730-2030), Lord’s – Steve Davis and Asoka de Silva, – Marais Erasmus (third), Tony Hill (fourth), Alan Hurst (referee)
Monday 15 June – Pakistan v Ireland (1330-1630), The Oval – Rudi Koertzen and Rod Tucker, Mark Benson (third), Aleem Dar (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)
Monday 15 June – England v West Indies (1730-2030), The Oval – Aleem Dar and Rudi Koertzen, Rod Tucker (third), Mark Benson (fourth), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)
Tuesday 16 June New Zealand v Sri Lanka (1330-1630), Trent Bridge – Steve Davis and Simon Taufel, Nigel Llong (third) Billy Bowden (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)
Tuesday 16 June – South Africa v India (1730-2030), Trent Bridge – Billy Bowden and Ian Gould, Simon Taufel (third), Nigel Llong (fourth), Chris Broad (referee)
ICC World Twenty20 (women’s) (group stage)
Thursday, 11 June: South Africa v West India, Taunton (1200-1500) – Asad Rauf and Amish Saheba, Daryl Harper (third), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)
Thursday, 11 June: India v England, Taunton (1600-1900) – Daryl Harper and Billy Doctrove, Asad Rauf (third), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)
Friday, 12 June: Australia v New Zealand, Taunton (1200-1500) – Nigel Llong and Ian Gould, Billy Bowden (third), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)
Friday, 12 June: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Taunton (1600-1900) – Billy Bowden and Nigel Llong, Ian Gould (third), Ranjan Madugalle (referee)
Saturday, 13 June: New Zealand v West Indies, Taunton (1200-1500) – Simon Taufel and Nigel Llong, Billy Bowden (third), Chris Broad (referee)
Saturday, 13 June: India v Pakistan, Taunton (1600-1900) – Billy Bowden and Simon Taufel, Ian Gould (referee), Chris Broad (referee)
Sunday, 14 June: Australia v West Indies, Taunton (1200-1500) – Asad Rauf and Amish Saheba, Daryl Harper (third), Chris Broad (referee)
Sunday, 14 June: England v Sri Lanka, Taunton (1600-1900) – Daryl Harper and Billy Doctrove, Asad Rauf (third), Chris Broad (referee)
Monday, 15 June: New Zealand v South Africa, Taunton (1200-1500) – Amish Saheba and Daryl Harper, Billy Doctrove (third), Alan Hurst (referee)
Monday, 15 June: India v Sri Lanka, Taunton (1600-1900), Billy Doctrove and Asad Rauf, Amish Saheba (third), Alan Hurst (referee)
Tuesday, 16 June: Australia v South Africa, Taunton (1200-1500) – Tony Hill and Asoka de Silva, Amish Saheba (third), Alan Hurst (referee)
Tuesday, 16 June: England v Pakistan, Taunton (1500-1900) – Tony Hill and Asoka de Silva, Marais Erasmus (third), Alan Hurst (referee)
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Event technical committee confirms Abdul Razzaq can replace Yasir Arafat in Pakistan squad for ICC World Twenty20 2009

London, 10 June 2009
The ICC has confirmed the event technical committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 has approved Abdul Razzaq as a replacement player for Yasir Arafat in Pakistan’s squad for the tournament, which runs until 21 June at three venues – Lord’s, The Oval and Trent Bridge.
The confirmation was conveyed to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on behalf of the event technical committee today (Wednesday).
Razzaq takes over from Arafat after the latter was diagnosed with a hamstring injury. Having reviewed the medical reports, the technical committee agreed to his replacement in the squad.
Razzaq has been deemed eligible to take part in the tournament having terminated his contract with the Indian Cricket League and received a sanction from the PCB for his involvement in unofficial cricket.
The nature of that sanction is determined by each ICC Member Board subject to the laws within their own territories.
The requirement for each Member to impose some form of sanction is in accordance with an ICC Board resolution agreed at its most recent meeting in Dubai in April. The rationale for the resolution was to protect the fabric of the game and to discourage players from switching at will from official to unofficial cricket and back again.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat confirmed: "The PCB has advised the ICC it has imposed a sanction on Abdul Razzaq in accordance with the ICC Board resolution."
The event technical committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 consists of David Richardson (ICC General Manager – Cricket and technical committee chairman), Steve Elworthy (tournament director), Campbell Jamieson (representative of IDI, the ICC’s commercial arm which runs major ICC events), Alan Fordham (ECB representative), Ian Bishop (independent nomination) and David Lloyd (independent nomination).
Pakistan’s next match of the tournament is on Friday against Sri Lanka at Lord’s beginning at 1330 (local time).
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

West Indies fined for slow over-rate against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge

Nottingham, 10 June 2009
The West Indies team has been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its 15-run loss to Sri Lanka during the Group C match in the ICC World Twenty20 at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.
Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fines after Denesh Ramdin’s side was ruled to be two overs short of its target at the end of the Sri Lanka innings 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, Ramdin 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

You won’t believe your eyes, fans warned

London, 10 June 2009
ICC World Twenty20 coaches say people who haven’t seen much women’s cricket are in for a major shock with how far the game has progressed
Cricket fans unfamiliar with the women’s game who give the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2009 tournament a look-in should prepare themselves for a major shock, according to all the coaches at the event.
"I was certainly amazed by the quality of the women’s play when I first saw them last year," says England assistant coach Jack Birkenshaw today, on the eve of the start of the event.
"I couldn’t believe it when I saw some of the England girls like Katherine Brunt and Jenny Gunn whizzing in the ball 60 yards flat. They’re very fit and athletic and – they won’t mind me saying this – they throw like blokes. And then there’s Lydia Greenway – she’s a terrific fielder. She’s great at point, she can sweep… in fact, she can catch pigeons."
The former England spinner’s views are universally shared. Sherwin Campbell, the former West Indies batsman who is coaching the women’s West Indies team at the WT20, said he had also been caught out.
"I had been working with the Barbados under-19s and the men’s senior team and I got a call saying they wanted somebody to work with the women. I wasn’t too sure at first.
"But we had a 30-player camp in Barbados and I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t know they had so much talent. It’s more than that, though – they are so eager and their attitudes are so good. They want to learn so much."
The ICC has ensured maximum coverage for the women’s tournament by staging the men and women’s semi-finals and finals as double-headers. That will give the women an ideal chance to showcase their skills before sell-out crowds.
Australia coach Richard McInnes is in the perfect position to compare the men and women’s games after been the performance analyst for the Australian men between 2005 and 2008.
"I had done a bit of work with them back in 2002 but I was pleasantly surprised about how far the game had moved on from then to now," said McInnes. "The skill level is very good. Obviously the power isn’t the same as the men, but the skill level is comparable, as is the fielding.
"They have good arms and hit the stumps as often as the guys from all sorts of angles."
Birkenshaw, indeed, takes it one step further. "You could take several of our best fielders and put them on as substitutes in a men’s Test match and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference," he says.
"It’s just a matter of exposure. People now watch women’s golf and tennis without a second thought, so why not cricket? We’re here to win the event, of course. But we also really want a Lord’s final that people really enjoy because it is good watching. We want to serve up some terrific women’s cricket where the ball is hit to all parts of the field. We want a game that gets close to a guys’ game.
"We want people to say ‘I can’t believe the women can play like this.’ That would be fantastic."

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Clash of styles as England meets India

London, 10 June 2009
As the women’s section of the ICC World Twenty20 begins, South Africa meets the West Indies in the other game of the day at Taunton
England and India will serve up an intriguing clash of cultures when they meet on the opening day of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2009 at Taunton tomorrow.
ICC Women’s World Cup holder England’s game is based on strength and a classical, textbook approach while the physically less imposing Indians mirror the exciting, wristy style of their male counterparts.
"We’ve played them quite a lot recently and we’ve been quite successful but they are a dangerous side," said England coach Mark Lane. "They’ve got some fantastic, exciting batters who hit the ball in funny places and some very good spinners. You’ve got to make sure that when you’ve got them down you don’t let them back up."
The Group B encounter is hard to call with the teams having only met once in a Twenty20 International back in 2006, with India cruising home by eight wickets.
Their last meeting in a One-Day International came at the World Cup, with Charlotte Edwards’ team recording an emphatic nine-wicket victory. India, though, recovered well to beat highly fancied Australia twice on the way to a third-place finish.
"That all goes out of the window, though," said Edwards. "Twenty20 is a completely different game and India are not a side anyone can count out."
The Indians – and captain and pace bowler Jhulan Goswami in particular – have something of a love affair with Taunton. They won their first Test series in England in 2006 by winning at the ground, with Goswami taking five wickets in each innings. That game coincided with Taunton being unveiled as the official home of the England women’s team.
England assistant coach Jack Birkenshaw said of Goswami: "She’s a lovely player. She’s got great discipline and moves the ball off the seam off a good length. She’s clever with it – but we’ve played her well in our last few meetings."
Whatever the result, both teams are expected to qualify for the semi-finals from Group B ahead of Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in the tournament opener South Africa’s players launch their ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2009 campaign against West Indies at Taunton on Thursday with smiles on their faces and revenge in their minds.
"This is the game we have targeted as a must-win. We’re also out for revenge – we lost to them in the World Cup and made a real meal of things that day," said coach Noor Rhode before the Group A clash.
"We think we can reach the semis if we play to our potential. We have the skill, and we’re a sporting nation. We just need one tournament to get things really kick-started. Perhaps this tournament can be the one."
Five-time World Cup winner Australia and New Zealand make up the rest of Group A and both are fancied to progress to the final four.
Rhode, however – a dead-ringer for his cousin, former international Omar Henry – was convinced his side could cause an upset.
"We just have to play brave cricket. All we lack is mental toughness. The girls don’t play enough, with most of them being students or in full-time work. It’s tough on them. But they’re strong."
Skipper Sunette Loubser, meanwhile, said her main aim was to get her squad to smile after their disappointing showing in the World Cup earlier this year, when they finished seventh.
"We messed up big time there and went down to West Indies. I think it was nervousness. It’s good that this tournament has come along quickly, so we can get over it. We had fun in our warm-ups and I want us to keep that going. In the World Cup, we tensed up so much and we just weren’t ourselves. We had an awesome team meeting before coming here – we decided this tournament we’re going to be an ‘us’, there is no ‘I’. There is a good vibe among us and we don’t want to let it go."
West Indies coach Sherwin Campbell, the former international batter, said his main problem was in reining his players back.
"In the World Cup our batting was too aggressive. That may sound strange, but we played the wrong shots at the wrong time. Natural talent is fine but you have to keep thinking about the situation the team is in. Even in Twenty20 you have to bat according to the situation."
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

I worry about the second path with India

By Mickey Arthur
Just as I was beginning to come to terms with the inevitable stumble that every team has during a major tournament, we staged a remarkable fightback against New Zealand in the last group match to win a thriller by just one run.
You can talk about taking your foot off the accelerator, about resting certain players and conserving your physical and emotional energy for the next match which really matters. But with this team, talking is all you can do!
Playing with maximum intensity has become a habit which they are afraid to lose. If they had eased off and conceded defeat after batting poorly and scoring only 128 then it would have set a completely alien precedent to this group of cricketers. And by winning on a bad day, they have removed some of the fear of the X factor in T20 cricket.
You often hear people say anyone can have a bad day or it just takes one brilliant performance to win a game and your tournament is over. Well, we had a bad day and we won. Now, inevitably, we await the brilliant performance from people like Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen and Yuvraj/Dhoni/Sehwag/Zaheer etc etc in the Super Eight stage of the competition.
I am concerned about India at the moment. There seems to be an unhappy feeling around the squad at the moment. I try not to listen to rumours and gossip but there is too much talk amongst the players at the moment about what is going on around the squad. Im afraid there is too much smoke, and that means there must be a fire, or two.
We have had personnel problems and character conflicts in the South African team in the past every team has those issues. I have always found that honesty is the best way to handle them and move forward.
Honesty with the people involved, with their colleagues and yes, with the media too! Journalists and cricket writers are also people and they understand that no team is one, big happy family. In fact, in my experience, journalists understand conflict quite well!
On a tactical note, I have identified overs seven to nine as being a vital blind spot for many teams, but especially us. I think we have been subconsciously taking a breather after the frantic pace of the Power Play at the top of the innings and that is dangerous because it can set the tone for the rest of the innings. Against New Zealand we only scored three runs in those overs. We will be focussing sharply on that period from now on.
Incidentally, I said I was concerned about India not because I care about them, but because teams with a bit of friction in the dressing room can go one of two ways. Either they disintegrate, or they become unbeatable. I worry about the second path with India.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

Australia fined for slow over-rate against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge

Nottingham, 9 June 2009
The Australia team has been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during its six-wicket loss to Sri Lanka during the Group C match in the ICC World Twenty20 at Trent Bridge on Monday.
Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees imposed the fines after Ricky Ponting’s side was ruled to be one over short of its target at the end of the Sri Lanka innings 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 10 per cent of his match fee while his players received five-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.
The ICC World Twenty20 2009 involves 12 of the top men’s teams and the top eight women’s line-ups playing at four venues – Lord’s, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Taunton – in the pinnacle of international cricketing action.
The defending men’s champion is India, which beat Pakistan in the final of the inaugural event, in South Africa in 2007. This is the first staging of the women’s tournament.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Sehwag rule out from T20

June 9, 2009
The All-India Selection Committee has picked Dinesh Karthik as the replacement for Virender Sehwag during the ongoing ICC World T20 2009.
Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of the ongoing ICC World T20 due to a shoulder injury. He will return to India after consulting medical experts in England.The BCCI will be sending a replacement in accordance with the ICC’s guidelines on the same. The All-India Selection Committee has been asked to identify the replacement player. The name will be announced in due course.
MEDIA RELEASE

Comment on whats happening on that screen only is tough

By Anil Kumble
Having all the 22 yards at your disposal as also the entire field in your vision is a whole lot different from watching the action on a small screen in front of you.Having to comment on whats happening on that screen only is a tough ask. That is the first lesson I have learnt inside the commentary box.
Also getting used to a whole lot of stats thrown at you on the screen and picking only the ones relevant to what you are saying takes some doing, I can assure you. Multi-tasking while you are actually speaking is quite a challenge. But I know it is only a question of getting used to it and here the help that I am getting from my co-commentators is most useful.
On the plus side, and it is a big plus, the nice, warm commentary box is certainly the place to be, what with the English weather being quite chilly at the moment.
Whatever the chill, the Indian team is red hot, thats for sure. I know they were nervous before their first match against Bangladesh, who as we all know can be a surprise package.
Bangladesh can shock too as their defeat against Ireland on Monday showed. They are out of the World Cup and this wasnt expected. Before the match though, Ireland did look a very determined lot even as Bangladesh seemed to be a bit on the edge. It reflected in the result didnt it, with Ireland making it to the Super Eight stage.
Coming back to the Indians, their nervousness was understandable. Being defending champions brings its own problems. And no matter how many practice matches you play or how many practice matches you win, they count for nothing. Its only the real thing that matters. To their credit, they did get off to a good start but the difference was clearly Yuvraj. Before he came in and took off, India seemed headed for a par score of 150-160 but Yuvi took it away from Bangladesh. With the bowlers backing up the batting, the winning start and a place in the next stage was ensured.
I was a bit surprised though to see two spinners being fielded butnot even for a momentam Icomplaining. With Sehwag absent, the Indians went in for five bowlers and thus the second spinner got a look in. And, I for one, liked the look of Pragyan. The young man has quickly learnt that in the T20 format, a spinner has to slow the ball down. That combined with the tennis ball bounce of the Nottingham track did the trick.
There was no trick to Chris Gayles batting though and it was all treat. His innings against Australia showed how just one man can take the game away from a team in this format. No matter how good the bowlers were, how fast they, Gayle had his answer.
Gayles knockand England qualifying for the next round a day later, will have served to keep the English crowd in good cheer. It always a helps a tournament when the host team progresses.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

Pakistan in dreadful position

By Mickey Arthur
I said before the tournament that eight teams had at least one or two players with the ability to win a game single-handedly. But to win a tournament you need more than one no player can win five or six games in a row by himself. Four teams have three or four game-breakers but, perhaps, only India and South Africa have seven or eight.
If Gibbs, Smith and Kallis all fail, then we have De Villiers, Duminy, Morkel and Boucher. Steyn, Botha and Parnell are also potential match winners with the ball. And whos to say Roelof van der Merwe isnt, as well?
India have just as many game-breakers in their squad and, like South Africa, that allows the top order batsmen to play with total freedom and confidence because they know and believe in the ability of the men behind them. India have just as many batsmen capable of destroying an attack.
It is the same with the bowlers Zaheer and Dale Steyn can lead the attack with fearless aggression, aiming to take wickets with the confidence that they have quality seamers and spinners behind them
But to win a T20 tournament, you also need to have the ability to assess conditions and decide what is a par score. And luck. Nobody wins anything without a bit of luck going their way.
As far as Im concerned however, we have a happy, relaxed, smiling and extremely well prepared squad. Thats all I can ask for.
Englands humiliation by Holland in the opening game did us a great favour. I didnt have the slightest doubt about the teams attitude or approach before our first gamre against Scotland, but there was a distinct increase in intensity when they all realised that shock upsets really could happen. The ruthless demolition of Scotland on Sunday was partly a reaction to that!
We now appear to be just about everybodys favourites to win very marginally ahead of India and we take that as a major compliment. I dont understand why some teams try to fight off the favourites label. Its just a label, after all.
I watched Pakistans game against England with a mixture of shock and disbelief. The home side bounced back in stunning fashion from their Dutch embarrassment but Pakistan were dreadful. Sure, sometimes things dont go your way and you lose but there was no way Pakistan should have lost so badly.
Did they not realise what they were doing to themselves by scoring so slowly? If they win their final game against Holland then the group will be decided on net run rate with all three teams having won and lost a game.
Being thrashed by 48 runs has put Pakistan in the dreadful position of having to thrash Holland by an even greater margin. Surely they could have reduced the margin of defeat! There appeared to be a catastrophic lack of thinking and planning.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

Players and Journalists have a sacred relationship

By Javagal Srinath
A typical media gimmick, publishing a row between Dhoni and Sewag was yet another cheap trick played at the cricket team. Dhoni and his men did a great extinguishing act by coming together in addressing a press conference to throw cold water to the burning rumour mills. These days there are more news outlets than the news itself. Any news or no news makes it to the stands without head or tail.
This Indian team which has embarked on an important mission, such negative build up is the last thing they want.
Players and Journalists have a sacred relationship. There are good journalists who stand up for the game, defend and argue player’s views, try to understand the mindset of the players and lastly be good friends with them. The player-reporter relationship is built over a long period of time. Even players try to get points out of a good article. A very well disguised criticism or praise will have a profound impact on the player. Infact some players go further to seek motivation from knowledgeable and experienced writers.
The journalists who live along with the players suitcases become a part of the players cricketing life. There are many outstanding, unbiased reporters who have earned immense trust and respect from players.
Dhoni and his men’s act to condemn such reports will have various views from different factions of the press. Some may see it as an unwarranted reaction, giving too much importance to a silly reporting and others might feel Dhoni should have individually pulled up the reporter than parading the entire team to address the press conference. I felt the team’s reaction was more to send a signal to the whole media fraternity to be collectively responsible while reporting.
Whoever has planted this news to fast track one’s own career, might have gained attention but has lost the invaluable trust of the player.
Coming back to the game, the tournament opener has brought out a seemingly unique characteristics of T-20. My observation is that the compactness of the game has bought all teams on par. Be it the minnows like the Bangladesh, Netherlands or Ireland all seem to possess the same threat as the reputed ones. Netherlands beating England will serve a strong lesson, a reminder for the favourites to be on their toes. I can promise the next two weeks will spring many such upsets like what we witnessed yesterday.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

T20 cricket is not a lottery

By Mickey Arthur
In another five or six years everyone will know so much more about strategies and tactics for T20 cricket but for the moment we are all feeling our way and trying to discover the best way to prepare and approach for a tournament like this.
Interestingly, all the other teams used 12 or 13 players in their official warm-up matches whereas we believed it was important to begin the competition with a settled starting XI rather than creating an impression that places were still up for grabs.
My belief is that the game is far too short to try and make decisions on who will fill certain places. How can you put two bowlers up against each other and then decide on who is in better form on the basis of two overs each? Its not fair to them or the team.
Having comfortably and impressively beaten Pakistan and Sri Lanka with XI players in our first two warm-ups, we organised a third game against Ireland and included all of our reserves. I may be proved wrong in the long run, but my theory is that a player will benefit far more by playing a proper role in an XI rather than trying to fit into a mish-mash composition 13.
We were given quite a jolt by what happened in the opening game between England and Holland! Right from the start of the warm-up week we have been treating our first game against Scotland on Sunday as seriously as if it was against India or Australia, but as much as you talk about the outside possibility of an upset, Im not sure that many of our players took it seriously.
Fortunately, Holland have done us a favour by proving that upsets are far, far more possible even likely in this form of the game than in any other. I would think that they have done India a big favour, too, because the reigning T20 champions face two potential banana skins in their group with Bangladesh and Ireland. Nobody should doubt the possibility of India losing to either of them.
Im not suggesting for a moment that India will slip up, but it helps to be reminded of the possibility!
Despite the increased chances of an upset, T20 cricket is not a lottery. The best teams should still win far more games than they lose, certainly against the small teams. I always talk about the one percenters small factors which make big differences. Hitting the stumps from the infield, bowling dot balls at crucial times and manufacturing boundaries when they are really needed. They are skills which have become particularly relevant to T20 cricket and we have been working extremely hard at improving them.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

How the players adjust to so much cricket

By Anil Kumble

June5,2009 : The Indians travel a lot, dont they. All the Indians who figure in the World T20 squad played in the second edition of the IPL that ended just two weeks ago and here they are, all set to play their opening fixture of the World T20 in England. That is the way the modern game goes and no one is complaining.
People do ask how the players adjust to so much cricket, how do they get themselves on to the field in different parts of the world every other day and yet strive to dish out their best. The answer is simple, players these days know when to taper off preparations and when to step it up, thus keeping themselves fresh.
Each player is handed his training schedule and it is up to him to implement it. Yes, there is usually the warm-up together, a game of football or so and an intense fielding session where the whole team works together, but its also about people training a lot on their own. In earlier times, you were considered arrogant if you went off and trained by yourself but times have changed and now you are actually encouraged to go off on your own, bat or bowl in the nets only if you want to and so on.
The focus though is never lost and right now it is only the opener against Bangladesh the team will be thinking of. Bangladesh may have lost both their warm-up matches but they did well enough against Australia and Sri Lanka to suggest they are not past their days of upsetting top teams. They took almost 200 off Australia and ran the Lankans very close. They do have a number of naturally aggressive batsmen and anyway, most of them play Tests itself as if they are T20s!
The Indian batting, is, of course, no less powerful. Rohit, especially, has been in tremendous form and it augurs well. Rohit may have succeeded in the warm-ups as an opener but, I, for one, believe that if Viru is fit, then Rohit will have to move down to three or four. It doesnt pay to tinker too much with your order in big tournaments.
The bowling too is in good hands even if some of the bowlers went for runs in the practice games. The move to have Ishant bowling the middle overs is a good one and has worked well. With a slightly older ball and the field spread, Ishant seems to be relaxed and that is important. The team think tank, who would dearly want Zaheer fit and back, will probably continue having Ishant bowling in the middle and should he strike a good partnership with a spinner at the other end, it will be of great help to the side.
Yes, even in T20, bowling partnerships are crucial even if it maybe for just two or four overs. If you manage to follow up one good over with another, the other side could well lose their way and the plot.
Dhonis boys though dont look as if they will lose the plot with most things suggesting that they have a very good chance of retaining the title. Its only a question of taking it one match at a time.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

IMG appointed as ICC’s fixed media rights-holder

London, 5 June 2009
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed IMG Sports Media as its fixed media rights holder for all its major events.
Under the terms of the agreement, IMG will have the right to produce and distribute films and other programming based on ICC major events sold or supplied on disc, memory stick and other such physical devices. This also includes digital distribution via mechanisms such as download to rent (DTR) and download to own (DTO).
IMG is already the ICC’s audio broadcast rights-holder through to 2015 and with this licensing arrangement, will be able to dovetail much of the work it does already with this new fixed media category.
The agreement covers all major ICC events (ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and ICC World Twenty20) from now through to the end of 2011 but is also back-dated to include the ICC World Twenty20 2007.
"This is another exciting development for cricket fans right around the world," said Campbell Jamieson, ICC General Manager – Commercial.
"IMG Sports Media has excellent credentials in the area of fixed media rights and has worked successfully for many years with leading sports properties such as the IRB Rugby World Cup and majors from golf (The Open Championship) and tennis (Wimbledon).
"The creation and sale of fixed media products forms another source of revenue for the ICC to invest back into cricket and it also serves to promote the sport in markets where TV and radio broadcast may not have been readily available," he said.
"The fact that this is a longer-term agreement than previous ones means there will be a greater degree of consistency across all our major events, which is is in keeping with the ICC commercial philosophy of generating product quality and commercial value over a longer time period," he added.
"IMG Media is thrilled to be working with the ICC to offer cricket fans world-wide the opportunity to watch their favourite teams, players and events time and time again," said Richard Wise, senior vice-president of IMG Media
"IMG Media's world-wide distribution capabilities combined with the global interest in ICC Cricket makes this a great partnership which we are delighted to part of," he added.
About IMG Sports Media
IMG Sports Media, the sports production and distribution division of IMG Worldwide, is the world’s largest independent producer and distributor of sports programming, offering the market an extensive catalogue of more than 18,000 hours of television, online, mobile and radio sports content across 240 categories of sports, including golf, soccer, tennis, cricket, cycling, motor sports and mixed martial arts. IMG Sports Media also represents the broadcast rights to many of the world’s premier sporting events and maintains the world’s largest sports archive with more than 250,000 hours of footage.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Event technical committee confirms Cameron White can replace Andrew Symonds in Australia squad for ICC World Twenty20 2009

London, 4 June 2009
The ICC has confirmed the event technical committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 has approved Cameron White as a replacement player for Andrew Symonds in Australia’s squad for the tournament, which runs from 5 to 21 June at three venues – Lord’s, The Oval and Trent Bridge.
The confirmation was conveyed to Cricket Australia (CA) on behalf of the event technical committee today (Thursday).
White takes over from Symonds who was recalled by Cricket Australia after a breach of Australia team rules. The committee decided that given the particular circumstances of this case it would grant Cricket Australia the right to replace Symonds in the squad.
The event technical committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 consists of David Richardson (ICC General Manager – Cricket and technical committee chairman), Steve Elworthy (tournament director), Campbell Jamieson (representative of IDI, the ICC’s commercial arm which runs major ICC events), Alan Fordham (ECB representative), Ian Bishop (independent nomination) and David Lloyd (independent nomination).
Australia plays its first game of the tournament proper on Saturday against the West Indies at the Oval beginning at 1400 (local time).

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

STATS named as official ICC data partner

London, 4 June 2009
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named STATS LLC, the world’s leading sports information provider, as its official data partner for the next three years.
In this role, STATS will provide live ball-by-ball coverage for all major ICC events beginning with this week’s ICC World Twenty20 in England and followed by the ICC Champions Trophy to be staged in South Africa in September/October.
STATS will also begin building a historical ICC statistical database. Under the three-year deal STATS will not only serve ICC’s own data requirements but will hold an exclusive license to market and sell ICC-branded data services and applications to multi-media and other entities.
"This is the first time the ICC has looked for an official partner in this area so we are pleased to be able to work with an accomplished operator like STATS," said Campbell Jamieson, ICC General Manager – Commercial.
"Data rights are an emerging area within the business of sport and it is important that ICC takes a balanced approach to the commercialisation of scores and statistics generated from ICC events," he said.
"As well as forming an additional source of revenue for the sport of cricket, the ICC views the creation of an official data service and ICC-branded data applications as being another great service for fans of international cricket," he said.
STATS’ executive vice-president Steve Byrd said: "We are honoured by this commitment from the ICC. Demand for world-class cricket content is extremely high among our global network of media clients. We look forward to bringing an exciting array of official ICC-branded interactive solutions to cricket fans across the globe, including fantasy games and rich broadband match trackers."
STATS match tracker is an innovative web component that provides real-time scorecards, player statistics, match facts and more while offering advertisers and marketers a unique brand-building tool. The match tracker application was created by Sportz Interactive, a leading interactive media and digital sports content provider based in Mumbai, and a member of STATS’ global network.
About STATS:
STATS is the world’s leading sports technology, data and content company. The company passionately abides by its mission to revolutionise the way sports contests are viewed, understood and enjoyed. STATS' calling card consists of real-time scores, historical sports information, Associated Press editorial content, a turn-key fantasy sports operation and SportVU technology. Today, STATS’ worldwide client network of media companies and professional sports leagues and teams utilise a broad spectrum of dynamic in-game broadcast presentations and virtual images, multimedia enhancements and game analysis and tactical coaching tools. STATS is owned jointly by the Associated Press and News Corporation, with corporate offices across the globe.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

ICC President looks forward to ICC World Twenty20 2009 as "a world-class event between the world’s best teams"

London, 4 June 2009
David Morgan: "The latest part of a fantastic year of cricket during the ICC’s centenary"
"I’m delighted the men’s and women’s events have been incorporated; it’s a great stage to help the continued development of the women’s game"
"ESPN STAR Sports and licensees will ensure it is the most watched cricket event in history, providing value to commercial partners and helping our great sport to grow stronger"
ICC President David Morgan today looked ahead to the ICC World Twenty20 2009, which starts on Friday, and said he believed it would be "a world-class event between the world’s best teams."
The tournament begins on Friday when host England faces the Netherlands at Lord’s (1730 BST start), the first of 42 matches over 17 days at four different venues, with The Oval, Trent Bridge and Taunton also featuring.
And for the first time women’s and men’s tournaments will run alongside each other, with the men’s and women’s semi-finals and final being staged back-to-back on the same days and at the same venues.
Looking forward to the action which will culminate with finals day back at Lord’s on Sunday 21 June, Mr Morgan said: "The eve of any tournament is always an exciting time and that is certainly the case ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 2009.
"We have assembled the world’s best teams together in one location for what I believe will be a world-class event of nation versus nation cricket.
"The inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007 was a significant success and now, two years further on and with all the sides having had more experience of the format, I am sure we are in for more excellent cricketing action.
"I know the England and Wales Cricket Board, tournament director Steve Elworthy, his staff and the four venues – Lord’s, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Taunton – have put in a tremendous amount of hard work ahead of this event and I am sure we will see the fruits of those efforts in the next few weeks.
"Ticket sales have been strong and the prospect of large crowds cheering on the teams will only add to the excitement of the occasion.
"And I am delighted that, for the first time, we have been able to incorporate the women’s and men’s tournaments.
"With the semi-finals and finals of those two tournaments being played on the same days at the same venues, it will provide women’s cricket with a wonderful stage as we look to continue its development, following on from an extremely successful ICC Women’s World Cup in Australia earlier this year.
"With large crowds expected I urge spectators to arrive at the venues in plenty of time ahead of the start of matches as the realities of the modern world mean enhanced security measures to seek to ensure everyone is safe and secure.
"The ICC World Twenty20 2009 is part of a fantastic year of cricket in all three formats of the game at international level during this, the ICC’s centenary year, with high-profile Test cricket such as the Ashes series between England and Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa to follow.
"I want to wish the players of all sides and the match officials every success during the event and I look forward to the matches being played in the spirit of cricket, with passion but also with sportsmanship and enjoyment because that is what our great sport is all about.
"I am grateful to our global broadcast partners ESPN STAR Sports who, together with their licensees, will ensure that this is set to be the most watched cricket event in history, while extensive coverage via radio and the internet thanks to our partnerships with IMG and Yahoo! will provide people with every opportunity to stay in touch with the action.
"That level of coverage will also ensure recognition for our valued commercial partners Reliance Mobile, LG Electronics, Pepsi, Hero Honda, Emirates, Yahoo!, Reebok, Ultra Tech and Standard Chartered.
"Without the support of our broadcast and commercial partners the ICC could not stage an event of this scale that has the potential to capture attention, ignite interest in cricket and help our great sport grow stronger," added Mr Morgan.
The ICC World Twenty20 2009 involves 12 of the top men’s teams and the top eight women’s line-ups playing at four venues – Lord’s, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Taunton – in the pinnacle of international cricketing action.
The defending men’s champion is India, which defeated Pakistan in the final of the inaugural event, in South Africa in 2007. This is the first staging of the women’s tournament.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Gilchrist and Yuvraj head all-star cast for first edition of ICC Cricket World audio show

London, 4 June 2009
Gilchrist and Yuvraj head all-star cast for first edition of ICC Cricket World audio show Programme available for free download and editorial use from www.icc-cricket.com
Gilchrist tips Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma as potential stars of ICC World Twenty20 2009
Yuvraj: India is "pretty confident" ahead of the tournament
Dirk Nannes, Charlotte Edwards and ICC World Twenty20 2009 tournament director Steve Elworthy among a host of top names featured
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat: "The show is an excellent way of getting news of our great game to the public in a new way."
Adam Gilchrist and Yuvraj Singh head an all-star cast on the first edition of the ICC Cricket World audio show which is online at www.icc-cricket.com from today.
The show, which will be released every Thursday on the ICC’s website, is available for free download and editorial use and this week previews the ICC World Twenty20 (ICC WT20) 2009, which starts on Friday when hosts England plays the Netherlands at Lord’s.
Former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Gilchrist, who led the Deccan Chargers to victory in this year’s Indian Premier League, has tipped the India duo of Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma as two of the players set to shine during the upcoming tournament.
And Yuvraj, part of the India side that lifted the inaugural ICC WT20 title in South Africa two years ago, said he and his team-mates are "pretty confident" of repeating their success this time around in England.
The show also includes the views of a host of other top names from the game including ICC WT20 2009 tournament director Steve Elworthy, who looks forward to the 17-day event.
And there is comment from former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody, Netherlands fast bowler and one of the stars of this year’s IPL Dirk Nannes and ex-Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.
And others to feature include South Africa batting star AB de Villiers, Australia batsman David Hussey, the Ireland trio of Kevin O’Brien, Kyle McCallan and Jeremy Bray, England Women’s World Cup winners Isa Guha and captain Charlotte Edwards, and former Australia women’s captain Belinda Clark.
Gilchrist said of Raina and Sharma: "They will be two India players of the highest quality for years to come.
"Suresh Raina is certainly a player who is one of the most talented around the cricket world. He really impressed in the second edition of the IPL and he impressed in the first edition too.
"He is a guy I find is continuing to mature and show a real hunger and thirst for the game to keep learning and playing well.
"Rohit Sharma, from the Deccan Chargers, is a guy that I’ve seen play and show no end of talent. He’s a guy that wants to keep maturing, he wants to learn and he wants to lead."
Yuvraj said of India’s chances in the upcoming ICC WT20: "We’re pretty confident.
"The Twenty20 format is very unpredictable and you never know what’s going to happen but the team we have is very solid and we’re confident to defend it."
In his exclusive interview with the ICC Cricket World audio show, Yuvraj also weighed up whether India had an advantage because its players are coming into the event off the back of the IPL. And he also reflected on his six sixes in the last ICC WT20 in 2007 and his two hat-tricks in the IPL.
Explaining why the ICC had opted to branch out with an audio show in addition to the already-existent ICC Cricket World television programme, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "For us, the first thing we look for is reach and the ICC Cricket World audio show is an excellent means of getting the stories about our great sport to the public in a new way.
"It may be a modern era of communication but we should never forget that many people still like to get their news, information and entertainment via audio.
"The show can be used in whole or part by radio stations that want cricket content while the public can also download it straight from the ICC website.
"We are delighted to offer this new service to people interested in the game of cricket and we will look to develop it further in the weeks and months ahead."
The first show is a bumper 30-minute edition to pack in all the build-up to the ICC World Twenty20 2009 with subsequent shows running for 15 minutes. The show has been put together by the ICC’s global broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports.
The ICC World Twenty20 2009, which starts on Friday 5 June, involves 12 of the top men’s teams and the top eight women’s line-ups playing at four venues – Lord’s, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Taunton – in the pinnacle of international cricketing action.
The defending men’s champion is India, which beat Pakistan in the final of the inaugural event, in South Africa in 2007. This is the first staging of the women’s tournament.

ICC MEDIA RELEASE

T20 Worlds Preview

By Anil Kumble

4June,2009 : Its been barely a fortnight since the IPL ended and here we are set for another big bash. Fresh from a good time in South Africa, where a lot of us who were presumed to be past our prime, managed to prove otherwise, the mind has wandered a bit and I have been forced to keep myself from thinking about another crack with the Indian team. Well not really, as I am happily retired, but other options, greener pastures actually, have opened up and they will continue to keep me close to the game.
As a natural progression for us cricketers, I will be part of the ESPN team, giving my views about the tournament, the players and the cricket on view on your television sets behind the mike for a change rather than in front of it. The new stint has me all excited as I realise it is probably the next best to playing, perhaps even better!
As for the tournament itself, Dhonis boys all set to got out there and defend a World Cup title, with the best part being that they start favourites too, unlike the first edition of the ICC World T20 when they hadnt been given much of a chance.
The T20 though is a format where nothing can be taken for granted and you cant really predict what will happen. It is, I dare say, somewhat like the English weather, which can change dramatically every now and then. So far at least, in the days leading to the second edition of the World T20, the weather has held up nicely, with the sun out, shining nice and bright.
This has meant that the ball hasnt swung at all and as we have noticed in the practice games, totals of 160-170 seem just about par if not below par. Should the weather hold, we seem set for a lot of high-scoring matches. With three pitches, at the Lords, Oval and Nottingham, being traditionally flat and batting friendly, the batsmen can look forward to having a ball, while it will turn out to be a huge test of skill for the bowlers.
In any case, in the T20 format, at least 70% of the time, it is the batsmen who have to go out there and win you the matches. It should not be any different in this tournament. If at all the bowlers make an impression, it will be probably be the spinners. Most teams have one or two good spinners and the impact they have in the middle overs is huge. A couple of wickets or two tight overs can change the game and it is invariably the spinners who have been providing that. Even in the English T20 spin has played a big part and in the recently concluded Indian Premier League, spinners had an impact in the beginning of the innings too.
Still the focus will be on the batsmen. Already we have seen some big scores, with the Australians having already breached the 200-run mark. South Africa too have prepared well and both teams seem more determined than ever to have a crack at the trophy.
The draw of the tournament is such that most of the top teams should make the second round. Of course, the group involving Australia, Sri Lanka and the West Indies is the most interesting one as one of them has to get knocked out.
That said, personal experience tells me that shorter the format, the better it is for the lesser-fancied teams. Bangladesh and Ireland qualified for the Super 8s in the 2007 World Cup, the former at our expense, and such a scenario can repeat itself in this shortest of games. Skills get evened out more here and the more skilled side does not always come out on top.
Overall, we can expect a cracker of a tournament and the English fans will have enough to cheer in their summer.
HAWKEYE COMMUNICATIONS

Global AIDS campaign launched ahead of ICC World Twenty20 encouraging young people across the world to ‘THINK WISE’

London, 4 June 2009
Sangakkara, Smith, Sehwag, Bracken and Guha lend their support to the campaign
Some of the world’s best-known cricketers will appear in THINK WISE, the new HIV initiative, which gets underway today (Thursday 4 June) coinciding with the start of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in England. The campaign features messages and information to raise awareness about HIV which the organisers hope will make a positive impact on the lives of young people across the world and help to prevent new HIV infections.
Around 10 million people living with HIV are from major cricketing countries. This accounts for more than a quarter of all the people across the world who are HIV-positive.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, along with Virender Sehwag of India, South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, Australia’s Nathan Bracken and Isa Guha, a member of this year’s ICC Women’s World Cup-winning England team, will champion the campaign during the event, which begins at Lord’s tomorrow. This leg of the campaign will aim to confront a lack of education and awareness about HIV and the stigma associated with the virus.
Five new public service announcements (PSAs) featuring some of the players will be shown during the tournament on big screens at grounds, on the official event website (iccevents.yahoo.com) as well as by broadcasters across the globe. The PSAs show some of the champions meeting young people in South Africa and teaching them about how they can ‘THINK WISE’.
The THINK WISE initiative builds on a long-term partnership between the ICC, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNICEF and the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) that for more than five years has reached out to the cricketing community to fight the global AIDS crisis.
By working with some of the game’s top players, the THINK WISE partnership aims to:
• Raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic within the cricket community
• Reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding the disease as experienced by those living with and affected by HIV
• Help prevent new HIV infections by encouraging informed decision-making through focused education and outreach
The THINK WISE partnership seeks to educate cricket players, coaches, commentators, broadcasters, volunteers and spectators about the AIDS epidemic, particularly around prevention, and deliver these messages at major ICC events and through broadcast which reaches an audience in around 200 countries.
THINK WISE champion Sangakkara said: "Being socially responsible is really important for me and the cricket community. Initiatives like THINK WISE are vital if we are to address issues around HIV and help empower young people to make informed decisions as they grow up. I am sure that the THINK WISE partnership will continue to expand and that the global cricket community will continue to support this campaign."
THINK WISE champion Graeme Smith added: "I have seen first hand the impact that HIV has had in my country. I hope that cricket fans and youngsters around the world can respect the power of the disease and also those living with HIV. By making informed decisions we can help reduce new infections and develop strong communities."
THINK WISE champion Isa Guha said: "HIV isn’t someone else’s problem. It’s important that cricketers are not only leaders on the pitch but are also leaders off the pitch. I hope that I can encourage girls and young women, in particular, to make sensible life choices."
"I hope that people, and young people in particular, are educated about HIV and take the precautions they need," added Virender Sehwag. "Everyone deserves the chance to have the information they need to make the right choices and protect themselves, and their loved ones from HIV."
Nathan Bracken, THINK WISE champion, said: "HIV is not just an issue for some countries but is a global concern. I hope that the global cricket community will get behind the THINK WISE partnership so we can continue to raise awareness and reduce the stigma associated with HIV."
In support of people living with HIV, players will wear red ribbons, the universal symbol of support for people affected by the disease, in the semi-finals and finals of the ICC World Twenty20 2009, which will be the first global cricket event to have a men’s and women’s tournament run simultaneously.
The THINK WISE partnership will expand later this year to include a new cricket for development initiative that will deliver HIV messaging to young people. An announcement to this effect is expected to take place during the ICC Champions Trophy 2009, hosted by South Africa at the end of September.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Event technical committee confirms two changes in squads for ICC World Twenty20 2009

London, 3 June 2009
Tim Gruijters can replace Ruud Nijman in Netherlands men’s squad while Danielle Hazell can replace Anya Shrubsole in England women’s squad
The ICC has confirmed the event technical committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 has approved a change in the men’s Netherlands squad and in the women’s England squad for the tournament.
Tim Gruijters will replace Ruud Nijman in the men’s Netherlands squad while Danielle Hazell will replace Anya Shrubsole for England’s women.
The confirmation of Nijman’s replacement was conveyed to the Netherlands Cricket Board (KNCB) on behalf of the committee today (Wednesday).
The 17-year-old Gruijters takes over from Nijman who suffered back and leg injuries during a warm-up match against Bangladesh. Having reviewed the medical reports and assessed Nijman’s case, the technical committee agreed to his replacement in the squad.

The confirmation of Shrubsole’s replacement was also conveyed to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on behalf of the event technical committee today (Wednesday).
The 21-year-old all-rounder Hazell takes over from Shrubsole who has been ruled out with a back injury. Having reviewed the medical reports and assessed Shrubsole’s case, the technical committee agreed to her replacement in the squad.
The event technical committee of the ICC World Twenty20 2009 consists of David Richardson (ICC General Manager – Cricket and event technical committee chairman), Steve Elworthy (tournament director), Campbell Jamieson (representative of IDI, the ICC’s commercial arm which runs major ICC events), Alan Fordham (ECB representative), Ian Bishop (independent nomination) and David Lloyd (independent nomination).
The Netherlands plays its first game of the tournament proper on Friday in the opening match of the tournament against host England at Lord’s beginning at 1730 (BST) while England’s women’s team plays its first game of the tournament proper on 11 June against India at Taunton beginning at 1300 (BST).
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Stakeholders get the ball rolling to ‘Catch the Spirit’ with India and Pakistan

London, 3 June 2009
Surrey and the MCC among the first to pledge their support
West Indies and Bangladesh Boards contribute; Pakistan players also make donation
Money targeting host of good causes in Asian subcontinent
Charity auction of signed shirts, signed ‘Catch the Spirit’ flag and coin used for toss
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat: "This match is a great example of how cricket can be such a force for good"
High-profile cricket stakeholders got the ball rolling with charity donations as part of the ‘Catch the Spirit’ match between India and Pakistan at The Oval.
The hosts for Wednesday’s match, Surrey County Cricket Club, along with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), another of the venues for the ICC World Twenty20 2009, were among the first to pledge their support.
The West Indies Cricket Board and the Bangladesh Cricket Board agreed to contribute to the good causes targeted by the fund-raising and the Pakistan players are also making a donation.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: "We are delighted that these groups have started the ball rolling with pledges of support. We thank them for that support and we look forward to others doing likewise.
"The more money we raise, the more that can be done for a host of good causes throughout the Asian subcontinent.
"Cricket can be such a force for good and this ‘Catch the Spirit’ match is a fantastic illustration of that fact."
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Individual brilliance may win over team effort

By Javagal Srinath
The London cricketing circles are agog with the new format of T20. The time was ripe for the ICC to have a fruitful 3 day conference for the Playing Control Team (also known as PCT) comprising Umpires and the Match referees, just ahead of the T20 World Cup. The basic idea of the conference was to tighten the rules and regulations and playing conditions and most importantly to bring about a common perspective in all the groups involved in running the tournament.
The host country, England, is well known to have many purists who always argued on the lines of tradition, upholding Test Cricket as the supreme form of the game. But this time around, one could witness a sea change in the same people who were quite intrigued with the success of T20 around the world.
I had an opportunity to meet all the Captains in one of the inaugural dinner. In the dinner speeches, captains were cautiously optimistic about their chance. It is quite true that this new T20 format has brought all the teams quite close to one another. Be it India, Bangladesh or New Zealand or Australia upsets and sudden death will be the real essence of this tournament.
Incumbent Indian team will have to do with the added pressure of retaining the cup. Indian team’s preparation and experience comes from the recently concluded IPL in South Africa. Batting being the strength, Dhoni and his men will have all the strategies in and around it.
Openers in Sewag and Ghambir will set the tone for the team. If either off them gets going, half the job is done for the Indian team. Yuvraj and Yusuf in the lower order and Raina and Dhon at the top, it is embarrassment of riches for the team.
IPl has thrown enough data points that spinners can play pivotal role in this format of the game.Dhoni will be tempted to play either Jadeja or Ojha along with Harbhajan Singh.
Ishant and Zaheer’ combination is click at the earliest. Zaheer fewer matches in last month could pose problems. Hope his vast experience comes in handy in these situations
By the virtue of being the cup winners, India has the advantage of trying a couple of slots in the league stage. By the time they reach the super eights, the balance must be found within the team.
The new trend emerging in this format of the game is that the individual brilliance is winning more matches than conventional team efforts.
HAWKEYE OMUNICATONS

India and Pakistan get ready to ‘Catch the Spirit’

London, 2 June 2009
Charity auction of signed shirts, signed ‘Catch the Spirit’ flag and coin used for toss
ICC President David Morgan: "This match can be a great example of how cricket can be a wonderful force for good"
The ICC today announced how charity donations could be made during Wednesday’s ‘Catch the Spirit’ match between India and Pakistan at The Oval.
And it was also revealed that select items of memorabilia from the match will be available via auction.
Donations can be made via the internet at www.justgiving.com/catchthespirit with the money split between support for the education of young family members of those who lost their lives in the Lahore terrorist attacks and community-based projects across the Asian subcontinent that promote peace through cricket.
Bank transfers can also be made* and there will be an online charity auction with signed playing shirts from the two teams, the coin used for the toss and the ‘Catch the Spirit’ flag signed by both captains immediately after the toss all available to the highest bidder.
The auction will run during the match and be accessible from www.catchthespirit.com.
The game has been designated as the ‘Catch the Spirit’ match in memory of those who were killed or injured during the attack on the Sri Lanka squad and match officials on 3 March.
It is a sell-out and is the final warm-up match for both sides before the ICC World Twenty20 2009 begins when host England plays the Netherlands at Lord’s on Friday.
Commenting on the ‘Catch the Spirit’ initiative, ICC President David Morgan said: "We are extremely grateful for the way the India and Pakistan teams are entering into the spirit of what we are seeking to achieve here.
"Cricket is dear to the hearts of many, many millions of people within those two countries and by using Wednesday’s match to raise funds for the families of those killed or injured in that terrible incident in March, as well as other community-based projects in the subcontinent, we will show how cricket can be a wonderful force for good.
"We would like to reiterate our thanks to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the hosts, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Surrey County Cricket Club, for allowing the match to take place under this banner.
"And we are also grateful to ESPN STAR Sports, the ICC’s global broadcast partner, which is covering the match, for providing an excellent vehicle for the fund-raising efforts."
Commenting on the initiative, BCCI President and ICC director Shashank Manohar said: "Cricket has a special power to bring people together. It is in keeping with the spirit of cricket that the BCCI will be supporting this cause."
PCB Chairman and ICC director Ijaz Butt said: "The attack in Lahore was a terrible shock and we have immense sympathy for all those who were affected by the incident.
"The PCB provided support to the families of the victims immediately after the attack and it is encouraging to see the rest of the cricket world coming together in this way."
The decision to designate the India – Pakistan encounter as a ‘Catch the Spirit’ match followed a recommendation by the ICC Board at its most recent meeting, in Dubai in April.
The Board wished to do something to assist the families of the victims of the terror attacks and it was felt that using this high-profile match with a sell-out crowd as a vehicle to do that made excellent sense.
‘Catch the Spirit’ is one of the themes of the ICC Centenary year. It highlights the respect within which the game is played around the world.
In celebration of the spirit and diversity of cricket, ‘Catch the Spirit’ activities are being hosted across the world in 2009, bringing together cricketers across continents, countries and communities.
The ICC has joined with ‘Peace and Sport’ and ‘Cricket for Change’, organisations which will provide guidance and expertise in the delivery of the community-based projects in the Asian subcontinent.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

AMNESTY TO ICL PLAYERS & SUPPORT STAFF

Mumbai, June 2, 2009
Seventy Nine current players, Eleven former Test Cricketers and Eleven Support Staff/ officials have severed their relations with Indian Cricket League and applied to the BCCI for rejoining the mainstream of Indian Cricket under the amnesty scheme offered by BCCI. The list includes former cricketers like – Sandeep Patil, EAS Prasanna, Madan Lal, Rajesh Kamath, Karsan Ghavri, Pranob Roy, Ashok Malhotra, Rajesh Chauhan, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Bharat Reddy, Atul Wassan and Ajit Wadekar.
The List of current players and support staff is enclosed.
The BCCI after scrutinizing their requests has written to the concerned state associations that these players are eligible to play in the domestic tournaments for this year.
Guidelines with respect to participation in Indian Premier League will be intimated in due course.
MEDIA RELEASE

NBA star Deron Williams meets India’s Raina and Ojha at Lord’s

London, 1 June 2009
Utah Jazz guard and Olympic gold medalist catches up with India’s rising stars

Two of India’s rising stars, Suresh Raina and Pragyan Ojha, met the gold standard from another sport on Sunday when they caught up with top National Basketball Association (NBA) player and Olympic gold medalist Deron Williams at Lord’s on Sunday.
Batsman Raina and Ojha, the left-arm spinner, are part Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s ICC World Twenty20 defending champions, and they came face-to-face with the 24 year-old Utah Jazz guard after a training session ahead of their opening warm-up match against New Zealand, which takes place today (Monday).
Williams, who is 1.91 metres tall, was a member of the United States of America (USA) team that won the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and in 310-game career for the Jazz to date, he averages 16.2 points, 8.7 assists, 2.9 rebounds and one steal per game.
And after his meeting with Raina and Ojha, who were joined by team manager V.Chamundeshwaranath, Deron Williams said: "I am excited to be at the home of cricket here at Lord’s and I wish the reigning world champions India and the other teams the very best.
"London is a great city and I look forward to returning in October with the Utah Jazz when we play the Chicago Bulls as part of NBA Europe Live presented by EA Sports."
Ojha, the 22-year-old left-arm spinner, said: "It was a pleasure to meet up with Deron, who is an immensely successful basketball player and a gold medalist at the Olympics. He came across as a nice bloke who was down to earth, which was brilliant.
"Being a part of the Indian team for the ICC World T20 in England is a dream come true. I am looking forward to make the most of the opportunities that come my way."
Raina, the 22-year-old batsman whose off-spin grew in prominence during the recent Indian Premier League, added: "We are looking forward to defending our title. It is a pleasure to be in England for this tournament."
ICC MEDIA RELEASE

Harbhajan's statement

New Delhi, June 1, 2009
Mr. Harbhajan Singh has met with a personal tragedy recently. He is issuing the following statement in this regard: “I along with my family am extremely sad to learn about the death of my nephew Upkar Singh. He was a young and dynamic individual who had chosen to go to Australia for studies and was diligently pursuing a successful career and was an asset to the community in Australia. I request the authorities to ensure that the guilty are brought to book and my nephew gets the justice he deserves” - Harbhajan Singh, Member, Indian cricket team.

MEDIA RELEASE