New Zealand (NZ) will play Sri Lanka (SL) in the opening match of ICC World T20 2010 at Providence Stadium here on Friday.
Last year’s runner up Sri Lanka will try to start the T20 World Cup 2010 campaign on winning note whereas Black Caps will also endeavour for positive start in the third edition of mega T20 extravaganza, beginning tonight at 1800 hrs (GMT).
As far as Sri Lankan team is concerned, islanders are in good form and evenly balanced. Almost entire Sri Lanka team has been arrived here after good outing in IPL season three.
Key batsman for Sri Lanka: skipper K Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, S Jayasuriya, T Dilshan, Angelo Mathews.
Lashit Malinga, Dilhara Fernando and Muttaiah Murlitharan are in good form and could be dangerous on slow Caribbean pitch.
It is expected that Mahela Jayawardene, who smashed unbeaten maiden ton in IPL, will open Sri Lankan innings against Kiwis.
On the other hand, New Zealand are known for making major upsets in big occasions. Riding high on good all-rounders, Black Caps are in the fray for title.
Brandom McCullum, Jesse Ryder, Rose Taylor, Martin Guptill will be key batsmen for New Zealand. Daniel Vettori-led bowling department has been looking weaker than Sri Lankans but they are able to turn the table.
Whatever the result will be, full entertainment is guaranteed when two top teams lock horns in the ICC World T20 opener this evening.
In the second match of round robin stage, host West Indies will clash with Ireland. The match will start at 2200 hrs GMT.
Utseya bowled Zimbabwe to another impressive warm-up victory ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup, when they stunned World T20 champions Pakistan by 12 runs yesterday.
Utseya collected four wickets for 15 runs from four overs, as Pakistan, chasing 144 for victory from their 20 overs, were bowled out for 131.
The Zimbabweans, who played a series of limited-overs match against the senior West Indies side last month, and just concluded a brief series against West Indies-A, have now installed themselves as the form side.
They are also now one of the teams to watch in the T20 World Cup, after they also edged Australia by one run in their first warm-up match.
The Pakistanis slumped to 33 for three in the sixth over, but the Akmal brothers, Kamran and Umar, steadied the innings with a stand of 34 before they were dismissed within five balls of each other to leave Pakistan 67 for five.
Fawad Alam made 32 and Misbah-ul-Haq scored 21 in a stand of 51 for the sixth wicket before the Pakistanis lost their last five wickets for 13 runs in the space of the last 15 balls.
Earlier, Zimbabwe had a slow start to their innings, but Elton Chigumbura lifted them with a brisk knock of 49 not out off 34 balls. His knock included three fours and three sixes.
Opener Hamilton Masakadza hit a useful 33 with other valuable knocks coming from Charles Coventry (30) and Brendon Taylor (20).
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was the most successful bowler with four for 24 from four overs of leg spin.
Zimbabwe have been drawn in Group-B with 2009 runners-up Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
5:13 AM
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Major television networks will be telecasting 3rd edition of T20 World Cup. The coverage will reach more than 120 countries. Here is a list of major networks covering T20 Cricket World Cup.
Super Sport: This is a group of sports channels based in Africa. Supersport will cover all the matches of the twenty20 world cup 2010 live for its viewers. No doubt, Supersport has gained huge popularity among the sports enthusiasts within a short time. So, the African cricket fans can enjoy the tournament in various channels of Supersport.
DD National: This is the national television channel of India which will be showing mostly the matches involving India in the tournament, along with semi-finals and final. As it is a terrestrial channel, cricket fans in India would not need to have cable connection to watch India’s matches in the ICC world twenty20.
Nine Network: Like DD National, Nine Network is going to telecast mostly the matches involving Australia. Once Nine was the no. 1 television channel in Australia. In its attempt to retain their lost glory, the channel is now trying hard by providing what people want. From this point of view, you can expect that Nine would try their level best to give you the better coverage than Fox Sports.
Bangladesh Television (BTV): BTV is the national tv channel and the only terrestrial channel in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi cricket fans will be able to watch the matches live on BTV.
Eurosport2: Besides Sky Sports, European cricket fans can watch the matches live on Eurosport2. So, if you do not have Sky Sports, then you can subscribe to Eurosport2 to enjoy twenty20 world cup 2010.
Asian Television Network (ATN): Based in Canada, ATN mostly broadcasts programs for the Asian people living in Canada. Twenty20 world cup 2010 will also be telecast live on ATN for the Canadian cricket fans. Cricket is mostly popular in the Asian community in Canada. That is why, ATN has stepped up to cover the tournament for them. The channel has the past experience of covering cricket tournaments.
GEO Super: This is the only sports channel in Pakistan which has got huge popularity among the sports loving Pakistan fans. Pakistani fans are waiting for the tournament and expecting similar success that it got last year under the captaincy of Younis Khan. So, the expectation and excitement among the Pakistani cricket fans this year is more than before. So, it is expected that Pakistani fans would be glued to GEO Super during the tournament.
Sky Sport (New Zealand): New Zealand cricket fans can watch the matches on Sky Sport, an offspring of Sky Network Television. For your information, Sky Sport is different from England’s Sky Sports channel. New Zealand is one of the favorites of the tournament and the Kiwi fans are hoping that the Black Caps would win the tournament this year.
Arab Radio and Television Network (ART): Cricket fans in the Middle East can watch the twenty20 world cup 2010 matches live on ART. Cricket is very popular in the Middle East and it has a huge fan base for cricket. Considering people’s interest in cricket, ART is going to cover the tournament for its viewers in the region.
Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC): Based in Barbados, this content-provider is going to cover the tournament for the Caribbean cricket fans. No doubt, those would not be able to go to the stadium to watch the matches, can enjoy the matches live on CMC.
Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV): Pakistani cricket fans can also enjoy twenty20 world cup live on Pakistan Television Corporation. However, I am not sure if PTV will show all the matches or only the Pakistan matches. What is more important is that it is a terrestrial channel and the country’s national tv channel. So, all the people in the country have access to this channel for which they do not even need to have cable connection.
SABC: South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is a group of TV and radio channels based in South Africa. Twenty20 world cup matches will also be telecast live on SABC for the African cricket fans. In South Africa, SABC3 will telecast the matches live.
BBC: BBC has a very rare presence when it comes to telecasting cricket events. However, the channel is going to cover the tournament for the cricket fans of UK and Ireland.
Direct TV: Cricket is not yet a very popular game in the US. In fact, the game is popular only in the Asian community. However, considering the passion of the Asian cricket fans living in USA, Direct TV has decided to telecast the twenty20 world cup matches live in USA. So, if you are an ardent fan of cricket and currently living in the US, then just subscribe to Direct TV to get all the live actions from West Indies.
Ariana Television Network (ATN): ICC world twenty20 2010 is a very special tournament for Afghanistan cricket team. Naturally, country’s cricket fans are also excited about the tournament. So, ATN is going to cover the tournament for the cricket fans in the country.
Fiji Television: The Fiji-based television is going to broadcast the matches live in Fiji. Cricket may not be very popular in the country, but still it has some cricket fans who are passionate about cricket. The channel has the experience of covering world cup cricket in the past.
Sky Pacific: Operated by Fiji Television, Sky Pacific mainly covers the pacific countries. Now, as the channel has decided to cover the tournament, cricket fans of pacific region can watch the matches on Sky Pacific.
Brett Lee will miss the World Twenty20 competition in the West Indies after being injured in Australia's shock one-run warm-up defeat by Zimbabwe.
The fast bowler, who retired from Test cricket in February, picked up a muscle strain in his right forearm.
The 33-year-old has not played any form of international cricket since October.
Australia, who begin their World Twenty campaign against Pakistan on Sunday, have asked the ICC for permission to call a replacement into their squad.
After missing the entire Australian summer with an elbow injury, Lee had hoped to rekindle his international career in the Caribbean after working his way back to fitness.
He played four matches for the King's XI Punjab during the Indian Premier League, but failed to take a wicket.
The New South Welshman completed the match against Zimbabwe, bowling four overs and taking 1-13 as Zimbabwe posted 173-7, a total the Australians fell agonisingly short of overhauling.
However, later MRI scans revealed the extent of the damage to Lee's forearm after he complained of soreness following the defeat.
An Australia team spokesman said Lee's latest injury was not related to his previous elbow complaint.
Doug Bollinger, who helped the Chennai Super Kings win Sunday's IPL final, and Ryan Harris are the most likely contenders to step into Lee's place.
Australia play their second warm-up game against the Windward Islands on Thursday and will be hoping for a much-improved performance.
Zimbabwe sailed to an exciting one-run win over Australia in their World Twenty20 Championship warm-up game.
Chasing Zimbabwe’s 173 for seven off 20 overs, Australia reached 172 for seven despite gathering 31 runs in the final two overs, to fall painstakingly short of their target.
Australia’s charge was led by the big-hitting left hander opener David Warner who pulverised the Zimbabwe bowling for 72 off 49 balls with five sixes and four fours.
Captain Michael Clarke joined the fray, smashing 49 from 42 balls that included four crisp boundaries, and added 78 for the second wicket off 65 balls with Warner.
When Warner gave leg-spinner Graeme Cremer a return catch in the 14th over, Clarke posted another 35 runs from 23 balls for the third wicket with David Hussey (16).
Hussey became off-spinner Prosper Utseya’s second wicket while Brad Haddin smashed a six in scoring 13 from six balls before becoming the first of two batsmen – Steve Smith was the other – to be run out off consecutive wides in the 19th over as Australia stumbled to 156 for five.
Clarke was the sixth wicket to fall, bowled while attempting a reverse sweep off Chris Mpofu.
With 13 needed in the final over Mitchell Johnson was the third run out victim off a wide delivery as Australia failed to reach their target.
Earlier, Elton Chigumbura blasted an entertaining 76 to haul Zimbabwe around from a shaky position of 36 for four after they won the toss and chose to bat.
He punished all bowlers hitting six huge sixes and five fours before he was caught by Smith on the long-off boundary seeking a third consecutive six off medium pacer Shane Watson.
Chigubura posted 114 for the fifth wicket with Sean Ervine whose 39 came from 30 balls.
Brief scorecard:
Zimbabwe: 173-7 (Elton Chigumbura 76, Sean Ervine 39; Mitchell Johnson 4-23) Australia: 172-7 (David Warner 72, Michael Clarke 49; Prosper Utseya 2-27).
Pakistan started their ICC World T20 campaign on a positive note by winning their first warm up match against Windward Island by 68 runs.
Pakistan were in early trouble after being put in to bat but Mohammad Hafeez struck 57 to propel the defending champions to 160 for seven at the end of the 20 overs.
The visitors were also helped by a short cameo (17 off eight balls) by Misbah-ul-Haq.
Afridi’s men made a poor start losing openers Salmaan Butt and Kamraan Akmal in the initial overs. However, the skipper with Fawad Alam provided some momentum, scoring a 20 each in quick time.
Chasing a stiff target, Windward Island were never in the game once they lost their skipper Johnson Charles to Mohammad Aamer for just 15. All the Pakistani bowlers ended up having a good work-out with Aamer, Afridi , Seed Ajmal and Hafeez picking a scalp each. Keddy Lesporis top scored with 24 for Windward Island.
Monday, April 26, 2010
4:46 PM
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West Indies skipper for T20 World Cup Chris Gayle said yesterday that his team has great chance of winning the tournament. The chances are boosted because of presence of youngsters like Pollard and because of return of Jerome Taylor and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Gayle said their presence for the global event would be tremendous, as they clash in Group D of the first round here beginning on Friday with a day/night encounter against Ireland.
’I am confident we will pull off the tournament. We have a balanced team and that is why I am so optimistic of having the prestigious cup stay here,’ the Jamaican told reporters.
Gayle added that the likes of big-hitting Kieron Pollard, versatile all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and veteran left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul would further strengthen the team. Their presence give West Indies team a great mix of talent, experience and fearless play.
Coupled with home advantage and crowd support, along with the momentum from the one-day series win against Zimbabwe, Gayle said he believed West Indies would be formidable opponents.
Gayle mentioned that ever player in the team is clear of their respective roles. He said that both departments were very strong and he wanted each player to make an impact. He said he expected rookie pacer Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul to be at their best, while noting that slower bowlers like himself, left-arm orthodox spinners Sulieman Benn and Nikita Miller and off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine would provide variety.
West Indies will be hoping to better their outing in last year’s tournament when they reached the semi-finals in England before losing to Sri Lanka.
The hosts will play warm-up matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand at the National Stadium at Providence.
Australian fast bowler Brett Lee believes he can form part of a fearsome four-man pace attack for the first game against defending Twenty20 World Cup champion Pakistan on Sunday.
“I’m not here to carry the drinks, I’m here to play cricket. We’ve got four guys who can bowl over 150 [km/h], which is a bit like the 1980s West Indies set-up,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Lee, as saying.
“We’re hoping to use that to our advantage. Even being stopped in the street now, hearing the locals saying that you’ve got four blokes who can bowl over 150 clicks. The word’s travelling about ‘look at this cartel of fast bowlers’,” he added.
Lee will be hoping to make his international comeback after being sidelined for six months due to an elbow injury.
He was earlier part of the Indian premier League (IPL), but he went wicketless in the tournament and conceded 149 runs in 14.3 overs.
“I was happy with the way the pace was coming through [in the IPL],” he said.
However, his dreams may be shattered as the turning St Lucian pitch is expected to offer minimal assistance to fast bowlers, while spinners Nathan Hauritz and Steven Smith will be strongly considered for the opener.
New Zealand will play a three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka in Florida, United States next month.
The matches in Florida will launch a new strategic partnership between cricket authorities in New Zealand and the United States, New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said.
“This Twenty20 series is the first of many initiatives between our two cricket boards and we envisage New Zealand playing in the USA on an annual basis,” Vaughan said in a statement.
“We are looking at ways of helping USA Cricket grow the game both professionally and at the grassroots.” The series, following the World Twenty20 in the West Indies, will be played at the only International Cricket Council-approved cricket stadium in North America, in Fort Lauderdale.
The three matches will be the first international cricket matches to be played by full ICC members in the United States.
USA Cricket president Gladstone Dainty said the series would provide great exposure for cricket in the United States, where there are an estimated 15 million fans.
“We are very excited about the potential impact of this series for the growth and development of cricket in the United States,” Dainty said.
The first game will be on May 20, followed by matches on May 22 and 23.
Sri Lanka National Team is scheduled to leave tomorrow for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup to be held in West Indies.
The team will have a photograph session at Sri Lanka Cricket Headquarters and receive religious blessings before their departure in the evening.
Sri Lanka is playing in Group B with New Zealand and Zimbabwe. The team, which includes the newly-elected ruling party MP Sanath Jayasuriya, will play its first warm-up match against South Africa on April 28 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Sri Lanka is scheduled to play the first match of the tournament against New Zealand on April 30 in Guyana.
Guyana is in its final stage of preparations for the International Cricket Council (ICC) 20-20 cricket tournament slated to begin on April 30 at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.
Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon told the media at a post-cabinet media briefing on Wednesday that areas of traffic and stadium management, protocol and security were the most comprehensive range of preparations, noting that the level of organisation of this activity is parallel to that which prevailed at the time of Cricket World Cup (CWC) hosted by the West Indies in 2007.
With international cricket returning, the country is once again gearing in anticipation of thousands of visitors.
Cabinet was advised that a few tickets are still available for the warm up match three days before the official start of the tournament. The tickets are free of cost.
Official matches will be played on April 30 with New Zealand taking on Sri Lanka and the West Indies battling Ireland while on May 3, Sri Lanka will challenge Zimbabwe and West Indies will compete against England.
The Beausejour Cricket Ground in St Lucia and the Kensington Oval in Barbados are the other host venues for the tournament which will feature 12 teams. Included in the roster is Afghanistan, the new comer.
The tournament will entail a round-robin match divided onto four groups. Two teams from each group will play super-eight matches in two groups and the top two will be qualified for the first knock-out round in the semifinals.
Two matches will be held in the same stadium each day.
Five members of the Proteas squad for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies, are still doing duty in the Indian Premier League, and will fly directly to the West Indies from India.
Although the Mumbai Indians beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first semifinal in Mumbai in midweek, all-rounder Jacques Kallis and fast bowler Dale Steyn are both needed to help the Challengers win their third placed play-off match and secure a berth in the Champions League later this year.
However, spin bowler Roelof van der Merwe and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, were considered surplus to the Challengers' requirements, and returned home early.
"The teams can only play four foreign players, and so Boucher and Van der Merwe were released before the start of the knock-out stages of the competition," said Proteas spokesman Michael Owen-Smith.
Herschelle Gibbs (Deccan Chargers), JP Duminy (Mumbai Indians) and Albie Morkel (Chennai Super Kings) will all be in India until the end of the tournament.
Ryan McLaren will probably play for the Mumbai Indians in the final in Mumbai on Sunday, but he is not part of the South African T20 squad.
The remainder of the Proteas squad leave from OR Tambo International on Saturday evening. They have been able to revert to their itinerary of flying to the Caribbean via London.
Following the relaxation of air travel restrictions in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, the competing teams in the World Twenty20 cricket tournament in the Caribbean will revert to their original travel schedules for the competition.
The ICC had put in place a contingency plan to airlift teams direct from Dubai to the Caribbean if the travel disruption in Europe did not ease.
However, upon the reopening of air routes on Tuesday, International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat said he was "delighted" that the teams would fly to the West Indies as originally scheduled.
"I want to thank both (ICC commercial partner) Emirates and the ICC executive for working so hard to ensure that we had a back-up plan to transport teams to the Caribbean," Lorgat said.
The Afghanistan team, who were scheduled to travel to Trinidad via London last week, will still fly via London to the Caribbean in the next few days.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the Proteas this week also launched their 100% Behind Bafana Bafana campaign to coincide with 50 days to the World Cup.
The campaign, which aims to show South Africans that all national teams deserve their 100% support, has been endorsed by the South African Football Association (Safa).
Safa CEO, Leslie Sedibe, said: "SAFA and Bafana Bafana appreciate the support of CSA and the Proteas. We look forward to their 100% support during the World Cup."
The CSA family has been supportive of the Football Friday initiative, with head office staff regularly wearing their Bafana Bafana shirts, while counting down the days to kickoff with enthusiasm.
Proteas captain, Graeme Smith said: "I would just like to wish Bafana Bafana, and Aaron (Mokoena) in particular, a wonderful 2010 World Cup. We know they will make South Africa proud and they must just know that we are behind them 100% all the way."
Proteas speedster, Dale Steyn, said: "To Bafana Bafana, from the entire Proteas side, we wish you the best of luck for the World Cup. We won't be there but we will be supporting you all the way from the Caribbean."
Former West Indies star Gary Sobers has said that India and Australia are his favourites for wresting this year’s Twenty20 World Cup title, but adds that England and the West Indies also possess the wares to deliver.
“India will have a head start on most because of their experience in the IPL and they could push the rebuilt Aussies hard, even without my big friend Sachin Tendulkar. As for the Aussies - as soon as one lot retire, in come more world-class players,” Sobers told The Sun in an interview here.
In an interview, Sobers, who played 93 Tests for the West Indies from 1954 to 1974 and scored over 8,000 runs and claimed 235 wickets, said England’s South African imports Kevin Pietersen and hard-hitting wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter could make the difference for England. He also said that the team’s spinners, especially the impressive Graham Swann, would be suited to the slow Caribbean wickets.
“England and my own West Indies could spring a surprise or two, but my favourites remain Australia and India, even though nothing is certain in this form of cricket,” Sober said.
Sobers said that currently he was concentrating on the Sir Garfield Sobers Festival of Golf at Sandy Lane, Royal Westmoreland and Barbados Golf Club from April 23-25, but was looking forward to the Twenty20 World Cup that begins in the Caribbean from April 30
Ireland suffered a setback in their preparations for the World Twenty20 as they slumped to a nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of Trinidad and Tobago. Ireland fell to 90 all out and the home side raced to their target in just 7.1 overs ten days before the start of the tournament.
Gary Wilson top-scored for Ireland with 37 in a poor batting display, but the next best was Trent Johnston's 16 as the spinners proved too much to handle. Legspinner Samuel Badree opened the bowling as he often does in Twenty20 and removed Paul Stirling, while Sherwin Ganga's offspin collected three lower-order scalps as the innings fell away with 17 ball unused.
Trinidad and Tobago wasted no time in knocking off the runs as William Perkins and Lendl Simmons sped to an opening stand of 88. Boyd Rankin, feeling his way back after injury, was dispatched for 40 from his two overs as the openers cleared the boundary seven times between them.
Ireland will have a chance to make amends when the two teams meet again on Friday. Their first match of the World Twenty20 is on the opening day of the tournament against West Indies in Guyana.
Australia has been boosted by the news that fast bowler Brett Lee will be fit to play in the Caribbean after recovering from a finger injury.
Lee took part in Australia’s World Cup training camp in Brisbane and bowled a few overs in the nets for the first time since breaking his thumb during a disappointing IPL for the Kings XI Punjab.
The fast bowler only played four games for the Kings XI after recovering from a shoulder injury before suffering the new injury setback. In those four games Lee conceded 149 runs without taking a wicket.
"Apart from that one over, I thought I bowled pretty well during the IPL," he said.
"I was a little bit unlucky, but that's part of cricket. To get back on the field after pretty major elbow surgery, I'm really confident and happy about that."
"To me it wasn't about the figures, it would have been nice to get a wicket or two, but I was happy with the way the ball came out."
Lee admits playing Twenty20 cricket is a challenge, but its one the former test player enjoys and he believes Twenty20 bowlers have to be cagier.
"It's important for the fast bowler to have a couple of things up his sleeve and be a bit more cagey," he said.
"In T20 cricket we've seen all the adaptations that the batsmen have done - stance, lap sweeps - and bowlers have to be a little bit crafty as well."
"Changing angles, different balls, distracting batsmen in certain ways which are all legal. Just trying different stuff - think outside the square."
Performance in the Twenty20 World Cup will define the future of cricket in Zimbabwe, according to its new coach Alan Butcher.
The 56-year-old Englishman signed a three-year-contract on April 1 and faces the ominous task of rebuilding Zimbabwe cricket after years of turmoil that saw them even lose out on a Test status. Now they mark a return to international competitive cricket in all its might. Zimbabwe have been clubbed with Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Group B of the T20 World Cup that begins in the West Indies on April 30.
"The next two months will define what happens in Zimbabwe over the next three years. After the next two months, I'm going to come back to myself - and the players must also come back to themselves - and analyze the progress made," Butcher was reported to have said.
The coach said the team will start as "underdogs, but on our day if we perform exceptionally and they have an off day, it doesn't mean we won't take those opportunities."
Zimbabwe missed the T20 World Cup in England last year after the British government said it would not issue the team visas on political and moral grounds.
Cricket’s world governing body, the ICC, were breathing easier today following the relaxation of travel restrictions in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe which paved the way for international teams to begin their travel to the Caribbean for the World Twenty20 Championship.
Ash from the Icelandic volcano had forced the closure of UK airports and some in Europe, grounding flights and threatening travel for the April 30 to May 16 showpiece.
The ICC were on the verge of mounting a contingency plan which would have involved flying up to seven teams to Dubai and then airlifting them to the Caribbean by charter.
“I’m delighted to say that the teams will now fly to the West Indies as originally scheduled,” said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said after airports re-opened Tuesday.
“I want to thank both Emirates (airline) and the ICC executive for working so hard to ensure that we had a back-up plan to transport teams to the Caribbean.
“Emirates continues to assist teams with their travel plans and we are extremely grateful for that support.”
The contingency plan would have seen Australia, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, South Africa and Bangladesh heading to Dubai on Sunday or Monday before being flown to the Caribbean on a charter flight.
ICC officials, however, were sweating over plans on how to facilitate travel for the England team and had been exploring the options of helicopters or low-flying aircraft.
England will now fly directly to Barbados where they will play a warm-up match against Bangladesh next Wednesday.
Afghanistan, who will debut in the tournament after winning the qualifying tournament, had been scheduled to travel to Trinidad and Tobago on Monday for two warm-up matches but were grounded in Dubai.
They will now fly via London to the Caribbean in the next few days.
Ireland and Zimbabwe are the only teams to arrive for the tournament, having arrived ahead of schedule to participate in the Jamaica Cricket Association Festival.
South Africa is set for another assault on the ICC World Twenty20 title in the West Indies from 30 April. Graeme Smith leads a settled squad that includes just one new cap and the recall of a long-time absentee.
South Africa has been the most deserving team who has not won a single World Cup in last 18 years they have played cricket. In that sense, they have always played with one player less, and that is "luck" which resulted in their outrageous ousters in various editions of World Cups. They hope to do better this time.
Juan "Rusty" Theron of the Warriors and Rory Kleinveldt of the Cape Cobras have played themselves into the team, with both benefitting from the absence of Wayne Parnell, who has been out of action since injuring a groin while preparing for the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Theron has recently been plying his trade for the Kings Eleven Punjab in the IPL, which means he will be well prepared for the ICC World Twenty20, although his hope will surely be for pitches that offer the batsmen a little more than the pitches in India which heavily favoured the batsmen.
He has proven himself to be a steady performer in the high-octane hitting world of 20 overs a side cricket and his record in South Africa's Standard Bank Pro20 Series is a good one, featuring a good mix of economy and wicket-taking. In the most recent Standard Bank Pro20 season, Theron tied for the third most wickets taken.
Kleinveldt enjoyed a solid Twenty20 season for the Cobras. He conceded 7.20 runs per over, which was a good return considering the difficult overs that he regularly was called upon to bowl.
SOUTH AFRICAN SQUAD
Graeme Smith (C), Jacques Kallis, Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Juan Theron, Roelof van der Merwe
England are likely to be the worst-affected of teams set to travel to the Caribbean for the ICC World Twenty20 next weekend, should airspace continue to be shut-down because of volcanic ash.
London is en route for several other national teams planning to make their way to the West Indies. But whereas they can feasibly make alternative arrangements, England cannot alter their departure point.
Ireland team are already in the Caribbean, along with Zimbabwe, having travelled earlier this month for a series of one-day international and warm-up matches.
Minnows Afghanistan are also expected to arrive soon, despite having had their initial plans disrupted already by the ash cloud which has brought flights in the UK and Europe to a standstill.
England are due to leave next Sunday, with two warm-up matches planned in Barbados, before they begin their campaign in Guyana.
Contingency plans will be hard to come by, with remaining European airports in the same situation as Gatwick and Heathrow and several England players still on the sub-continent in any case for the Indian Premier League - which concludes next weekend.
Afghanistan's ICC Twenty20 World Cup-bound cricketers, currently in the UAE to play practice matches against the UAE national team and train at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, were unable to fly out to the West Indies due to air traffic disruptions on account of the volcanic ash in Europe.
"Afghanistan was scheduled to fly to West Indies through London but could not leave as their flight got cancelled due to volcanic ash disruption of flights to Europe. They will now extend their stay and continue to practice at the Sharjah Stadium," Mazhar Khan, the secretary of the Sharjah Cricket Council, told Gulf News.
"Afghanistan played three friendly matches against UAE. They won one match and lost two and had daily practice at the stadium since their return from Kuwait after winning the ACC Elite Trophy," added Khan.
Afghanistan is scheduled to play a practice match at Providence against the hosts on April 27 followed by a match against Ireland the next day. The team will then move to St Lucia to take on India in their first match of the World Cup.
The first friendly against the UAE saw the hosts posting 135 for 8 before Afghanistan were restricted to 114. In the second match, Afghanistan beat UAE by 59 runs. The third match saw UAE chasing down Afghanistan's total of 146 for 6 with two balls to spare.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has no plans to postpone the ICC World Twenty20 due to start on April 30 in the wake of the ash cloud resulting from the volcanic eruption in Iceland that has severely hampered air travel across Europe.
The cloud has jeopardised teams’ participation in the event, especially the Asian teams, as the majority are due to fly through England which is currently a no-fly zone.
“There is no move to delay or postpone the ICC World Twenty20 2010,” an ICC spokesperson told The Express Tribune. “We’re trying to work around the issue as best as possible. I don’t think anyone could have seen this one coming and the effect this eruption has had is unprecedented.”
The Pakistan men’s and women’s teams are due to depart for the West Indies towards the end of this week. While the men’s team will be taking part in warm-up matches prior to the event, the women’s side were scheduled to play a threematch series to acclimatise to the conditions.
“Many teams, officials and event organisers are due to pass through Europe so it’s presenting a significant challenge. However, it should be possible to re-route them to avoid any serious delays.”
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the schedule of warm-up matches to be played in the lead-up to the ICC World Twenty20 2010 to be staged in the West Indies from 30 April to 16 May.
With just 16 days to go before the first match takes place in Guyana on 30 April, both the men's and women's teams will play a series of warm-up matches against either other competing teams or host XIs where a competing team is not available.
Teams will play their warm-ups from 27 to 29 April in Barbados, St Lucia and Guyana. In line with previous ICC events, none of these matches will carry official Twenty20 International status.
It should be noted in the men's warm-up schedule that India has elected not to play any warm-up matches while Sri Lanka has opted to play only one warm-up match.
Admission is free to all the warm-up matches.
Warm-up matches (Men's)
27 April 2010
0930 Windward XI v Pakistan, Beausejour Cricket Ground, St Lucia
1330 Barbados XI v Bangladesh, Kensington Oval, Barbados
1330 Australia v Zimbabwe, Beausejour Cricket Ground, St Lucia
1330 Ireland v New Zealand, Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
1700 West Indies v Afghanistan, Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
28 April 2010
0930 Sri Lanka v South Africa, Kensington Oval, Barbados
1330 Bangladesh v England, Kensington Oval, Barbados
1330 Ireland v Afghanistan, Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
1700 West Indies v New Zealand, Guyana National Stadium, Guyana
29 April 2010
0930 Windward XI v Australia, Beausejour Cricket Ground, St Lucia
1330 England v South Africa, Kensington Oval, Barbados
1330 Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Beausejour Cricket Ground, St Lucia
After Hero Honda made its presence felt at the ICC in England (ICC World Twenty20 2009), South Africa (ICC Champions Trophy 2009) and New Zealand (ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2010), the two-wheeler major has moved a step ahead to sign a three-year deal with ICC for all the upcoming events in the next three years.
Notably, this deal with the international cricket body will not only mark Hero Honda's contribution to the sports industry a step ahead but will also put Hero Honda along with existing global partners Reliance Mobile, LG Electronics and Pepsi and will include world-class ICC events such as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the ICC World Twenty20 2010 and 2012, the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2012 and the ICC World Cricket League Division 1 2010.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat shared that Hero Honda has already been a great supporter of cricket for many years.
Moreover Lorgat also marked that this deal is a great one for the game in the long-run. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and CEO, Hero Honda Motors Ltd said that the company is very excited to take forward its two-decade long cricket association.
Australian fast bowler Brett Lee’s participation in the upcoming World Twenty20 tournament is now in doubt after he injured his right thumb during a recent Indian Premier League (IPL) match.
Lee, who plays for the Kings XI Punjab, injured his thumb during his team’s victory against the Mumbai Indians on April 9. The injury has cut short Lee’s campaign in the IPL and he is set to return to Australia.
Lee had just returned from elbow surgery in December and went wicketless in four IPL games, increasing the concerns over his ability to return to top-level action. Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, was hopeful Lee will be part of the squad for the side’s entry into the competition early next month.
‘All we can do is wait and see how it reacts over the next four or five days before we have our camp and head off to the West Indies,” Nielsen told the Age on Wednesday. “Hopefully it will heal, and the scans and things he’s having at the moment will show exactly the nature of the damage and what the likelihood of him playing is.”
Lee’s agent, Neil Maxwell, however felt the fast bowler shouldn’t rush his comeback. ‘While it would be wonderful for him to be able to play in it, I don’t think the Twenty20 World Cup is the be-all and end-all,” Maxwell told the same paper. “Brett has constantly rushed to get back into things because of timing, and whenever he has had a good break he’s come back firing on eight cylinders. I’d rather him be at 100% when he plays for his country.’
The ICC World Twenty20 tournament kicks off in the West Indies on April 30.
International Cricket Chief Executive (ICC) Haroon Lorgat, Pakistan Captain Shahid Afridi with Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt unveiled the ICC World T20 Trophy at a ceremony here on Thursday. Pakistan won this trophy under captainship of Younus Khan last June at Lords, London and this year’s event is being staged at three Islands of West Indies from April 30 to May 16.
“It is fantastic to visit reigning champions Pakistan who deservedly won the event in England last year after losing the inaugural event final in South Africa in 2007,” Haroon Logart told a large number of media gathering at a ceremony.
Former Pakistan Captains Javed Miandad, Wasim Bari, Rashid Latif, Chief Selector Mohsin Khan, Saleem Jaffar, Iqbal Sikander, Sindh Sports Dr.Muhammad Ali Shah and PCB and KCCA officials were also present on the occasion.
“I would like to see holders Pakistan meeting host West Indies in the final of World T20 in Barbados,” Logart maintained.
He expressed the hope that Shahid Afridi will bring back the trophy to Pakistan again,” he said.
“Pakistan is the best team in the T20 brand and they got 8-9 players in their team which won the title at Lords last year,” he said.
He said it was interesting that five teams from Asia including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan taking in the World T20 in West Indies.
He said during the event, he will be looking for popular support in typical West Indies style with music and colorful atmosphere.
Responding to questioner, he said the event is being staged just after ten months because of the schedule of 2011 World in sub-continent. He said next World T20 will staged in 2012.
Pakistan Captain Shahid Afridi said his team was eagerly looking forward to the coming edition of the event.
Afridi said in case of his deputy is required he would like Abdul Razzaq to lead the team. He asked for public support and hoped his team would play as a unit to achieve their target.
“We are grateful to ICC Chief Executive haroon Logart for coming to Pakistan, the home of defending champion, PCB Chairman Ijaz butt said.
“Haroon’s presence in Pakistan at a time when international cricket is halted in the country is highly reassuring; PCB Chairman said.
“Pakistan team has done extremely well in shortest version of the game in the past and present side have the required skill, talent, experience and expertise to once again excel in the tournament,” Butt said.
Ireland must beat at least one of two Test-playing teams if they are to reach the second stage of a top-tier International Cricket Council tournament for the third time in successive attempts. They are pooled with England and West Indies in Group D of the World Cup.
England and ICC World Twenty20 hosts West Indies have their vulnerabilities, of course, but neither has the look of a soft touch for the Irish in Guyana.
Even so, Ireland coach Phil Simmons is full of optimism as he prepares his squad for another assignment in which progress beyond their two group matches will lead many to conclude they have once again over-achieved.
Simmons is making no fancy predictions. But there is a confidence in his voice as he notes Twenty20, more so than either of the other two international formats, presents the best opportunity for a shock result.
There is fair reason too for his faith in the ability of a group of players still largely staffed by those who exceeded all reasonable expectations on their last high-profile Caribbean foray, when they reached the Super Eights stage of the World Cup - something which proved beyond, among others, the sub-continent powerhouses of India and Pakistan.
There was no place for Ireland in the 2007/08 World Twenty20 in South Africa. But once again in England last summer - in a renewal of that competition, billed confusingly as the inaugural staging - Ireland were still in there with a say when only six matches remained.
Former West Indies batsman Simmons was in charge then, having succeeded Adrian Birrell after the 2007 campaign - and he is sure Ireland are becoming increasingly well equipped to take advantage in a cricket sprint which gives them and other aspiring nations a fighting chance of beating the big boys.
"I think it's easier to pull off a shock in Twenty20 because recovery time is less than in 50 overs," he said.
"We have played that little bit more Twenty20 than we had going into the last World Cup - so we are slightly wiser about Twenty20 cricket.
"That has to be a good thing."
There are other handy factors in Ireland's favour too.
Several of the squad - World Cup captain Trent Johnston, his successor Will Porterfield among them - will have good memories of the Caribbean, although England were among the victors as Ireland drew a blank in three matches in Guyana three years ago.
There is also a helpful blend of continuity - through the likes of all-rounder Johnston, opener Porterfield, the O'Brien brothers and fast bowler Boyd Rankin - and emerging talent such as teenage batsman Paul Stirling and Gary Wilson - wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O'Brien's capable understudy.
A clutch of the above have the know-how and confidence which comes with county cricket pedigrees, as well as the international expeditions, on their CVs.
Their two opponents this time round ensure there is evident extra motivation, as if any were required.
Porterfield, O'Brien et al have the chance to prove themselves against England's luminaries - taking on the best talent available to the country where the Irishmen ply their trade as professionals.
It goes without saying too that for Trinidad-born Simmons, pitting his wits against the West Indies in the Caribbean will be a special occasion.
Simmons discounts, meanwhile, that there are any complications his team could do without during Ireland's ongoing attempt to convince the ICC they are ready for a step up the ladder towards full member status.
Yes, the pressure is on; but that is inevitable on these occasions.
"The stakes are always high, whenever you are taking on these full member top teams with a chance to show you are improving," Simmons points out.
"It's not something we even think about. We just go out to play as well as we can and make sure we take our opportunities."
Simmons is not about to get too carried away either by the kudos which would come for Ireland if they could somehow get the better of two such appropriate group opponents.Irrespective of his and his team's connections with both, Simmons is delighted with a draw which keeps Ireland apart from champions Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia and South Africa - at least until the latter stages of the tournament.
"It's nice (for me) to be playing in the West Indies and for the players to be taking on England too," he concedes.
"But this is the group we would have taken too; we are happy with that.
"From our point of view, it is about trying to improve our performance every time we take on teams at this level - and Twenty20 is no different.
"It is a format we are not experienced in, but we have to keep picking things up as we go and make sure we use them."
England fast bowler Stuart Broad insists that he missed the Indian Premier League (IPL) to avoid breaking down or suffering from burnout before the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.
"It would have been good to play more Twenty20 leading into the World T20 later this month, but I needed a rest," The Sun quoted Broad, as saying.
"I feel better for the break and we have a busy international season and a hectic winter coming up," he added.
Earlier, team-mate Kevin Pietersen had suggested that the IPL would have given England's bowlers valuable Twenty20 experience.
However, Broad said: "I don't agree at all that England's bowlers will be underprepared because we're not in the IPL."
The 23-year-old made a decision last December that he would not put his name forward for the IPL auction, which allowed teams to sign new players for the current season.
"The IPL is something I would like to do in the future, it's a fantastic tournament, but I just felt that this year after the tour to Bangladesh and with a hectic year ahead I just needed a little break," Broad added.
The ICC today said that it has learnt lessons from the 2007 World Cup fiasco and asserted that the Twenty20 championship, scheduled to be held in the West Indies from April 30, will be a resounding success.
"We have learnt lessons from the last time and this Twenty 20 World Cup in the Caribbean will see more involvement of the local people and tickets are going to be very affordable," International Cricket Council(ICC) chief executive Haroon Logart said here this afternoon.
Logart was addressing the media after the ICC World Twenty20 2010 trophy was put on show.
"In the 2007 World Cup, the high price of tickets and severe restrictions on the movement of the fans in the stadia were the fundamental reasons for lack of interests of the local people in the event." he said.
This is perhaps the first time that ICC has openly admitted that all did not go well 2007 world Cup.
For the third edition of the Twenty20 World Cup, being held in a space of two and half years, the common man will be able to get tickets at affordable price and there will be no restriction on fans celebrating inside the stadia in their typical style and way.
Admitting that the shortest form of the game was increasingly popular, Logart however did not agree that the Test and 50 over formats are under any danger.
"All the three formats of the game are very popular and compliment each other so one need not have any apprehension." He said from now onwards, Twenty20 World cup will be held every two years.
Lorgat said the Twenty20 event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the proud and illustrious history of cricket in the Caribbean.
A double-header featuring Sri Lanka and New Zealand as well as host West Indies taking on qualifier Ireland will set the tournament off and running in Guyana on April 30, with the final taking place in Barbados on May 16.
India will launch its campaign with a tricky match against the new phenomenon of international cricket, Afghanistan, in St Lucia on May 1. As part of an exciting double-header in St Lucia, Pakistan will follow India's match on May 1 by opening its defence of the title it won in England last year with a match against Bangladesh.
It was just two months ago that Zimbabwe recovered from 0 for 3 to stun West Indies in their own backyard during the one-off Twenty20, and captain Prosper Utseya believes that continued consistency would help the untouted side perform well in the World Twenty20.
Political issues restricted Zimbabwe's participation in the previous edition, but during the inaugural event in 2007 they stunned Australia. Utseya believes that Zimbabwe "need consistency and maturity as a team. We have to work as a unit and support the next man so that we can get positive results."
As a leading, economical spinner, the Zimbabwean skipper explained, “The spin department has done well for us in the past and it is a strength that we will rely on. When called to duty we are confident that the likes of Elton Chigumbura and Chris Mpofu will deliver.” Notably, the seamers were rarely called on during the recent tour to West Indies, where the earlier matches featured dry surfaces before the later ones were played on seaming tracks.
Coach Alan Butcher, a former England cricketer, explained that Zimbabwe's new franchise system had readied their team mentally and physically for the challenge, during which they are scheduled to face Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
"We could have been in a worse group I tell you . We have to try and match the standards of at least one of these two teams, if we do that we can make it. The nature of Twenty20 cricket however is that teams can be upset by a single heroic achievement. One catch, fifty or one good over can turn things around for any team; we have to take every half chance and catch we can get that’s all there is to it.”
He added, "Most of the players have been playing a lot of franchise cricket which is a positive step."
Though Zimbabwe lost the one-day series in West Indies 3-1, Butcher chuckled it off and explained that the loss had more to do with poor execution than the gameplan.
"We had a game plan in the last West Indies tour that would have really worked if we had batted better. I will work with a similar strategy. My overall strategy will unfold as we go through our four day match and two ODI’s and its details will become more refined after that, I will not give it away."
Both men reiterated the importance of playing as a team and, according to Butcher, the management was "working hard to make sure that there are enough good options and combinations to force people to get out there and bring the best out of themselves.”
Twenty days remain before the International Cricket Council (ICC) Twenty20 World championship in the Caribbean on April 30 and the Guyana leg has stepped on the pedal for the event with the launching of the `Bring It’ bus tour for the tournament.
We want a piece of the action! Passersby queued up in front of the Stabroek Market square for a piece of the `Bring It’ festivities.
Led by a police outrider from the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday, in extremely overcast conditions, the bus made its way to the Stabroek Market square where fans got a taste of the imminent calendar event. They were treated to `Bring It’ t-shirts and 10 lucky persons were the recipients of tickets for the opening day of the Sri Lanka and New Zealand match at 13:00 hours and West Indies against Ireland encounter from 17:00 hours.
Sabrina Panday, Pro-motion and Corporate Services Officer – Guyana, said the purpose of the event was to raise more awareness among the people of the magnitude of the event that is about to be brought to the Caribbean for a second time. Panday said she wants persons to be hyped up about the World Cup competition and she wants them to know that they are still tickets on sale for fans to bring all the trimmings to the games. Tickets are currently being sold at the at the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) ticketing office on Regent Street. Yesterday’s tour was the first of four treks before the event with the second one scheduled for Sunday at 18:30 at the Sherriff Street and Rupert Craig Highway. The aim is for afternoon patrons to the seawall to get into the World Cup blitz. The bust will then make its way to New Amsterdam on April 24 and to Parika on April 25. Stabroek Sport was also told that a similar promotion was started yesterday in St. Lucia while Barbados will start their’s on Saturday. St. Lucia and Barbados are the other two host countries for the male tournament while St. Kitts will host the female version of the tournament.
”We are giving fans a different taste of what to expect; we will also be playing the ‘Bring It’ song and we will have entertainers distributing t-shirts and free tickets for this promotion”, Panday said.
On the other hand, local comedians Kirk ‘Chow Pow’ Jardine and Linden ‘Jumbie’ Jones created the Stabroek Market square in front of Demico House with their witty and humourous comments and quizzes of cricket related issues. Many passersby, braving the intermittent drizzles, queued up for a piece of the electrifying action yesterday.
Some said that they are already feeling the “vibes” of the world cup and that they will be indulging in all the festivities that come with the shortest and most electrifying version of the modern game.
Meanwhile, patrons are urged not to bring firearms or other instruments that may be used as a potential dangerous weapon. Alcohol also will not be permitted to the venue because of the pouring and spirits clauses in effect that are attached to all major events.
Pakistan cricketer once again hit by a match-fixing allegation as with the start of the year’s county season, police announced they were investigating two Essex players for ‘match irregularities’ and despite a very precise release by the Essex County the name of Danish Kaneria has been dragged into the media reports as one of the suspect. A news report in Daily Telegraph claimed that spinner would be investigated by police over match-fixing along with another Essex player following incidents in one-day matches last summer. It also said that Kaneria’s future at Essex is now in doubt.
Acxording to the newspaper, Telegraph Sport has been conducting its own investigation for some time and after it had made some queries to Essex Police yesterday morning, the England & Wales Cricket Board suddenly issued a brief statement from Essex Police Friday evening stating that inquiries are currently being conducted into the actions of two Essex players, one of whom is believed to be Pakistan’s leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, in a match last season. Essex Police’s statement read: “Following allegations received about two Essex county cricket players involved in match irregularities, we have initiated an investigation and are working closely with Essex County Cricket Club and the English Cricket Board.”
Investigations are thought to centre upon a televised one-day forty-over match at the end of last season, and, whilst there appears to be no suggestion that the result of the match in question was fixed, it is likely the allegations concern what is called `spot fixing’, whereby the outcome of a minor aspect of a game is fixed. It is thought that the ECB, as well as the International Cricket Council’s Anti Corruption and Security Unit, headed by Lord Condon, were informed immediately upon suspicions being raised, but chose instead to hand the matter over to the Essex Police. Already a number of Essex players are thought to have been interviewed by police, but Kaneria has yet to return to the UK for the County Championship season that began last Friday, his arrival having been delayed last week by the sudden and surprise decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board to hold their RBS Pentangular Cup prior to their summer tour of England. Kaneria is now due to arrive in England on April 29th.
The County Championship season may have begun yesterday in glorious weather yesterday, but this story will rock the game in this country, where followers and administrators have long considered it immune from and above such gambling-related corruption. It does, though, come at a time when there is widespread concern over the return of illegal bookmakers to the game in general. Rumours abound about `spot-fixing’ at the Indian Premier League and it was confirmed there had been approaches to players during last year’s World Twenty20 competition in England, leading to Lord Condon warning at ICC board meetings last summer that cricket was facing its gravest threat since the bad old days of the late nineties and the disgrace of the late South Africa skipper Hansie Cronje. Although very different in nature, the last allegations of corruption to hit county cricket also involved Essex. In 1994 their seam bowler Don Topley, supported by team-mate Guy Lovell, alleged that during a weekend in August 1991 Essex contrived to lose a Sunday League match against Lancashire at Old Trafford in return for being allowed to win the County Championship match (and later take the title) that finished the following day.
Topley himself confessed that he had deliberately under-performed in the one-day match. Initially the allegations were dismissed by the old Test and County Cricket Board, however, the matter was revisited in 2000/01 and an independent inquiry was chaired by Gerard Elias QC . No action was taken. The ECB added last night of the current storm: “As this is an ongoing Police investigation there will be no further comment while the investigation is underway.”
The Pakistan twenty20 team camp training was bolstered with the return of Umar Gul who strained his shoulder during the camp. On Saturday, he rejoined training and also participated in the target matches at Gaddafi Stadium.
The Pakistan team is training under the supervision of former captain Waqar Younis to prepare for the ICC World Twenty20 Cup scheduled to be held in West Indies later this month.
A number of cricketers including Gul sustained injuries when Waqar stressed the players with some field practice which is considered the weakest link in the team. Apart from Gul, Umar Akmal, Yasir Arafat, Fawad Alam and Shahid Afridi got minor injuries. But Waqar said that the injuries are not of serious nature that would keep the players out of the team.
Arafat, Fawad and Afridi kept practicing during the camp while Umar Akmal will be joining the team training on Monday.
The Pakistan team will leave for the Caribbean by April 21 to defend the World title under Shahid Afridi. Pakistan won the second edition of the T20 with win over Sri Lanka in the final played at the Lords, England last year and made the final of the inaugural event losing to India.
West Indies’ International Cricket Council World Twenty20 Championship Group D opponents Ireland, are one of two international teams that will make Trinidad and Tobago their base for preparation ahead of the tournament which bowls off on April 30.
Afghanistan are the other team that will be in T&T and both are scheduled to be in action at Queen’s Park Oval during the local Carib Shield Twenty20 tournament quarter-final matches from April 20-23.
Ireland, who will be coached by former T&T and West Indies cricketer Phil Simmons, join the regional team and England in Group D, while Afghanistan join South Africa and India in Group C.
West Indies face Ireland in their opening match of the ICC T20 competition on April 30 in Guyana, while Afghanistan take on India in their first match on May 1 in St Lucia.
This will be Ireland’s second stint in T&T before a major tournament, following their stay here ahead of the ICC World Cup in 2007 when they reached the second round of the competition and finished second in Group D which also included West Indies, Pakistan and Zimbabwe.
This will be Afghanistan’s first appearance in a global tournament and they will be confident following their qualification campaign which culminated in them chasing down 494 to beat Canada in the Intercontinental Cup qualifier.
Both teams arrive in Trinidad next weekend.
Shahid Afridi, the captain of Pakistan's squad for the World Twenty20, believes that not being selected to play in the IPL is a "blessing in disguise" for his players. "No I don't have any regrets at all. In a way it is a blessing in disguise for all our players that we are not playing in the IPL before the World Cup," Afridi told PTI.
"Given the problems that have besieged Pakistan cricket in recent months it is good that we have got time to work together as a team in the World Cup training camp, it has allowed us to settle down and focus on the World Twenty20," Afridi said.
Pakistan's cricketers were unanimously cold-shouldered by IPL franchises despite being put up for auction before the current season of the tournament. This was the second successive year that Pakistan players missed out on the IPL, after being left out of the 2009 edition due to political tensions between the two countries. On that occasion, Pakistan went on to win the World Twenty20 tournament that followed.
The Pakistan squad is undergoing rigorous training in Lahore in a bid to improve fielding and general fitness before the World Twenty20, and Afridi said it did not give his players time to follow the IPL. "We really are not following the IPL closely. We don't know who is playing or who is not playing because the purpose of holding this training camp has been to gel the players and allow them to prepare as a team for the World Twenty20," he said.
Being the captain and most senior member in the team, Afridi admitted he had to shoulder extra responsibility. "[If we win] I would definitely feel that I have achieved the biggest landmark of my career, I want the team to do well in the World Cup. It is a big ambition for me and I know as a senior player I will have to show the way in every department of the game," he said.
The World Twenty20 is scheduled to begin from April 30 with Pakistan slated to play Bangladesh and Australia in the league phase, on May 1st and 2nd respectively.
Friday, April 30, 2010
7:23 PM
