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World Cup Recorded

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Thomas

The programmes produced by ESPN STAR Sports, the ICC’s global production and broadcast partner, looks back at the event’s rich history through stories told by the players who experienced the highs and the lows. This audio-visual history beautifully captures the precious moments that will stand the test of time.
ICC CWC-winning captains – Clive Lloyd,  Kapil Dev, Allan Border, Imran Khan, Arjuna Ranatunga, Stephen Waugh and Ricky Ponting.

And they also include the views of some other pivotal figures from each tournament, including Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Ian Botham, Mike Gatting, Wasim Akram, Sanath Jayasuriya, Martin Crowe and Brett Lee.

Broadcast by ESPN STAR Sports and other official ICC broadcasters, they are the perfect lead-in for cricket fans ahead of next year’s ICC CWC in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka that begins on 19 February.
The programmes chart the evolution of the ICC CWC from humble beginnings in 1975 through to its current status as The Cup That Counts.

Each of the nine previous tournaments are recalled and analysed, and the seven victorious captains also have a programme devoted to their own personal recollections of achieving the ultimate honour in the game – lifting the ICC Cricket World Cup.

ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “The ICC Cricket World Cup is cricket’s flagship tournament – it’s The Cup That Counts – so we are delighted that, for the first time, a definitive series of programmes charting its history has been produced.

“The programmes feature the key players from the first nine editions dating back to the inaugural event in 1975 and will serve as the essential historical record of the ICC Cricket World Cup. The timing of its release is also a perfect lead in to the 2011 tournament.

“It is a must-watch television show, not only for those who love and watch the game but also for those who have no real knowledge of our great sport. The programmes capture vividly the fantastic national drama that only the ICC Cricket World Cup can produce.

“These documentaries are the best possible illustration of why the ICC Cricket World Cup is the biggest and best tournament in the game.”

Manu Sawhney, ESPN STAR Sports Managing Director, said: “The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 will draw massive interest from around the globe as cricket’s flagship event, and this compelling cricket programming is a must watch for all cricket fans in the lead up to next year’s showpiece event.

“As the global production and broadcast rights holder for ICC events, this documentary was produced to highlight the proud history and traditions of the Cricket World Cup in perspective to the upcoming blockbuster event next February, and we hope that cricket fans will enjoy every minute of it.”
 
Imtiaz Patel, Group CEO of MultiChoice South Africa, one the ICC’s official broadcasters for the ICC CWC, said: “The ICC Cricket World Cup is full of extraordinary feats, intense rivalries and gripping human drama, and we look forward to highlight the many personalities and teams that have made this stellar event so well celebrated around the world.

“SuperSport is delighted to be showing every match of the 2011 edition live to its subscribers and this additional content will complement the live transmissions superbly. With the extensive research and value put into the production of these documentaries, this cricket programming will certainly bolster the interest leading up to this remarkable global sports event.”

In total, there are 12 programmes – two devoted to an overall history of the ICC CWC, a further nine on each edition of the tournament (1975, 1979, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2007) and one in which the captains provide their memories of what it took to lift cricket’s greatest prize.

posted @ 11:12 AM, ,

Probable semi-finalists

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Michelle Beckett

With the 2011 World Cup around the corner, speculation on the probable champions has started to rise. Australia has dominated the competition for a long time winning the Cup 3 consecutive times, in 1999, 2003 and 2007. This time, however, many fear that the 4-time World Cup winners will face a much stiffer challenge to reclaim the title.

An interesting fact to notice is that in all their previous three wins, Australia has faced the three Asian giants in the final. 1999 was the year when Wasim Akram’s Pakistan failed miserably after scoring just 132 runs in the final. The 2003 final saw Indian bowlers being smashed to all parts of the ground in South Africa. In 2007, Sri Lanka were hoping to replicate their 1996 World Cup win but failed.

Another stat regarding Asian teams in the tournament is that in the previous 5 ICC World Cups, there has been an Asian team in the Final. In 1992, Pakistan won their only ODI World Cup under the influential captaincy of Imran Khan. In the following 1996 competition, Sri Lanka beat Australia in the final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Pakistan.

Considering the fact that the 2011 World Cup is being played in Asia, the three mighty Asian teams have a good chance of winning the tournament. The list of for probable semi-finalists, however, is easily topped by India.

1. India: One of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sir Viv Richards, has labelled India as the favourites for the 2011 tournament. Under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, India has developed a formidable team which will be difficult to beat on home soil. A batting line up which includes the little master Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yousaf Pathan, Dhoni and the inform Virat Kohli, can demolish any bowling attack. Perhaps the only worry the Indian camp has is the lack of pace in their bowling attack which is held together by only Zaheer Khan.

2. Australia: Australia might not be as strong a team as they were a couple of years back, nonetheless, it is still hard to rule out a team which has made it to the final in the previous four attempts. The Kangaroos have managed to reach the final of the World Cup 6 times in the 9 tournaments held so far. As a Captain, Ricky Ponting has a remarkable 100% record in the competition. Australia have won all 22 matches played under his leadership. Their experience in the tournament is bound to come in handy even with this less high profile team.

3. Sri Lanka: This will be spin-wizard Muttiah Muralitharan’s final World Cup outing and he will surely be looking to end his illustrious ODI career on a high. On World Cup pitches, which are expected to support spin bowling, Murali’s magic can single-handedly win games for Sri Lanka. He will be supported by the Lasith Malinga in the bowling department, who will be looking to exploit batsmen with his reverse swing. The batting will be anchored by Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene and players like Tillakaratne Dilshan will look to impose themselves on the opposition.

4. Pakistan: Most people will be surprised to see this name in the list as Pakistan has failed to secure an ODI series win since 2008. However, given the fact that the World Cup will be played in conditions similar to Pakistan, this unpredictable team has the ability to cause an upset. With players like captain Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Shoaib Akhtar, who can win matches single-handedly, Pakistan can go on to win their second World Cup title.

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posted @ 11:59 AM, ,

Loyal fans cop nightmare

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Andrew Alderson

Two highlights emerged from the Black Caps' fifth and final one-day series defeat to India early yesterday.

The first was James Franklin's 17 not out as he built on outstanding returns of 72 and 98 in the previous two matches.

It has cemented his place batting at six for now, leading into the World Cup.

The second highlight was that the match finished mercifully early, enabling a decent night's sleep for the ever-dwindling number of New Zealand cricket tragics prepared to put the kettle on and settle in front of the telly until the early hours.

That's provided they didn't have nightmares afterwards about men in black enacting premeditated shots, playing the wrong line or shuffling timidly about the crease against some vicious subcontinental spin on their way to an 11th straight one-day defeat.

Ironically Kane Williamson, one of New Zealand's best batsmen against spin in the test series, was not selected on a wicket doctored for turn.

Williamson, thrown in at number three to start the series, missed the final two games as the Black Caps shuffled their order in the vain hope of success against India B with Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh rested.

The work put in against spin on the specially-prepared wickets of the Sandgate club in Brisbane from June to August for all the team (except Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor) came to little as India unveiled more local talent, notably off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

The wicket was a cruel sign-off from the local Chennai head groundsman against a team in patent disarray. Maybe he wanted to head home early too.

The total of 103 in 27 overs was New Zealand's lowest in the 88-one-day international history between the two countries. It seemed an appropriate climax after a fortnight of Black Caps' cricketing melancholy.

With the customary post-match tour debrief this week, the onus goes on what the team can do ahead of the World Cup to regain some pride. Winning the tournament seems out of the question but New Zealand has a proud history at the event with five semifinal appearances in nine attempts. However, none of those top four finishes have occurred when the World Cup has been held on the subcontinent (1987, 1996).

It was hoped three tours and 14 one-day internationals - to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India - over the last four months would be the perfect build-up to the six-week World Cup running from late February to early April. Instead it has shattered the Black Caps' confidence and they return jaded and lethargic.

Solutions are hard to find. A fit Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder and Daryl Tuffey would be a positive start.

Ryder could join McCullum at the top of the order with Martin Guptill, Taylor, Scott Styris, Franklin and Oram slotting in from there - if Williamson remains out of favour with his struggle to score quickly and Grant Elliott can't rediscover past form in the coming weeks.

Vettori, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills and another pace bowler could fill numbers 8-11. Daryl Tuffey, Tim Southee, Andy McKay or Hamish Bennett could be number 11.

But how about an unfashionable suggestion - if Tuffey's bicep fails to recover, should Chris Martin's experience be backed ahead of youth?

The World Cup is not for experimentation. Choosing Martin means a batsman is lost, but few matches are won on the performance of a number 11 with the willow. Martin is a well-respected team man.

Success in India looks set to be based on spin, subtlety and guile with the ball rather than express pace, so he could provide some glue. Are any of the other pace prospects reliable enough?

The Black Caps' horrendous form now faces the ultimate test of loyalty from fans. Pakistan play the first of their Twenty20 matches in a fortnight.

Is it worth turning up to see a team that sometimes tries to win versus a team that can't win?

It's a hard sell. Yet it is potentially the booster the Black Caps need. It's a chance to play at home in familiar conditions and regain some momentum ahead of the World Cup and break that daunting 11-match streak.

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posted @ 9:05 AM, ,

Javed Miandad

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Former Pakistan captain and top batsman Javed Miandad has accepted an offer from the Pakistan Cricket Board to work as a batting and fielding consultant with the national team before the 2011 World Cup.

Miandad who represented his country in more than 350 test and one-day internationals in an illustrious career joined the team on the first day of a training camp in Lahore on Wednesday set up to prepare for the tour to New Zealand later this month.


"It is a great feeling to be back in cricket gear. Coaching has always been a passion for me and anyway I can help our players, I am always ready," Miandad told Reuters.


Miandad, who is also director general of the board, has three times been coach of the national team before leaving or being told to leave the post in acrimonious circumstances.

The last time he was coach in 2004, the board asked him to step down after a home series defeat against India.


Miandad said he had agreed to work with the players so that the batsmen could further polish their skills.


"It is all about fine-tuning them and preparing them mentally for difficult conditions and situations, they have the talent," he said.


The board has also asked Miandad to accompany the team to New Zealand.


Pakistan tour New Zealand for three Twenty20 matches, two tests and six one-day internationals before the World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in February and March.   Continued...

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posted @ 9:41 AM, ,

Volunteers needed for Cricket World Cup 2011 in Sri Lanka

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The World Cup Secretariat in Sri Lanka will be accepting applications for volunteers for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The secretariat is seeking to fill 150 positions in Hambantota, Pallekele and Colombo.

"We are targeting school leavers, University students and graduates, as well as experienced corporate workers. Regional recruitment drives and walk-in interviews will be organized between 9th and 20th December 2010," according to Shevanthi Fernando, Volunteer Manager at the World Cup Secretariat in Sri Lanka.

"Interviews and selection will be done from mid December. There are limited slots we encourage interested individuals to apply early. Suitable candidates will be selected on a first come basis, based on their alignment to our requirements."

Application forms will become available over the coming days via Sri Lanka Cricket's website: www.srilankacricket.lk

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posted @ 3:15 PM, ,

The story of International Cricket Council

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The process of drawing up rules and regulations for a particular system has always been a tedious and tiresome task. Inevitably, a rule maker has to make sure that he is acting just and fair because rule making is actually a godly act.

Talking about the game of cricket, we never bother to worry about making new rules because we know that there is an organisation fully responsible and capable of managing the game of cricket. It is none other than the International Cricket Council. Indeed, ICC is the international governing body of the game of cricket.

The International Cricket Council was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in the year 1909. It was renamed as International Cricket Conference in 1965, and the year 1969 it got its current name. Currently, the headquarters of ICC are located in Dubai, UAE and the organisation has 104 member countries.

International cricket is the only major source of income for the ICC. According to one estimate, sponsorship and television rights of the Cricket World Cup brought in about 1.6 billion dollars to the ICC and this happens to be ICC’s major source of income. And keeping this fact in mind, ICC has sought to create new events in order to augment the revenue generated from the cricket world cup. The new events include The ICC Champions Trophy and ICC Super Series.

The international umpires and the match referees that ICC employs are all sponsored by Emirates Airline. The three umpire panels that ICC operates include: Elite Panel, International Panel and Associates and Affiliates Panel. The Elite Panel consists of eleven umpires two of which officiate at every Test match. The members of the Elite panel are full employees of the ICC and they may even umpire in the First Class Cricket in their country.

The international panel consists of officials who are elected from ten Test playing cricket boards of the world. The international panel members may take overseas umpiring assignments in order to augment their experience in the field of umpiring. It is very interesting to note that all of the official third umpires that ICC hires are first class umpires in their own country. This shows that ICC lays special emphasis over decision making and making the game of cricket as transparent as possible.

A big challenge that ICC has to face from time to time is the corruption in the game of cricket. Being the sport’s governing body, ICC has to make sure that the corruption is kept to a minimum. From time to time ICC has to deal with drugs and bribery scandals often involving some of the top cricketers. ICC set up an Anti-Corruption and Security Unit in the year 2000.

The retired commissioner of London Metropolitan Police, Lord Cordon was made the head of this security unit. The ACSU continues to monitor the corruption taking place in the international cricket. It is responsible for creating certain laws like prohibiting the use of mobile phones in the dressing in order to minimise the disease of corruption.

Inevitably ICC has an iron-clad rule of being relentless with those involved in corruption. The organisation is quite vigilant and intolerant towards corruption and that’s the reason we see that most of the international goes on smoothly.

ICC has always maintained an excellent public policy. It makes sure that it has access to a common man so that cricket education may be available to all. In order to achieve this goal, ICC telecasts a weekly 30 minute program on television called ICC Cricket World. The program is produced by a sports brand and provides all the latest cricket news including all the recent Test and one day matches.

So far so good! ICC has always strived for excellence and it has done it well so far. It seems that the organisation has been able to uphold the traditions of the glorious game of cricket. One of the prime games of the organisation is to keep the many cricketing powers united on a single plat form. So far it has been able to achieve this goal and let’s hope that ICC succeeds in keeping up the traditions of the glorious game of cricket.

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posted @ 11:12 AM, ,

Unveiling ceremony of cricket WC 2011 in Pakistan

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The unveiling ceremony of cricket World Cup 2011 trophy will be held in Lahore today. 

Pakistani cricket team players among Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials will attend the ceremony, which is to be held at Royal Palm Golf Club.

The press conference will also be arranged on the occasion.All the matches of cricket World Cup 2011 will be played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

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posted @ 12:19 PM, ,

World Cup ticket 'is worth £130m'

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If FIFA's 2018 World Cup decision on 2 December goes in favour of England, and Nottingham is successful in becoming a host city, experts say the rewards will be plentiful.

The body that represents businesses in Nottinghamshire estimates the area could reap financial benefits in excess of £130m.

Scott Knowles, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, said: "It will create a large number of local business and employment opportunities during the tournament and beyond."

This is a sentiment echoed by Experience Nottinghamshire, the county's official tourism promoters. In a statement they said: "The global attention will allow Nottingham to showcase itself as a premium visitor destination."

Nottingham is well used to large-scale sporting events. Last year it hosted cricket's World Twenty20 and the 1996 UEFA European Football Championship.

Hugh White is in charge of Nottingham's 2018 bid. He was also part of the team that co-ordinated activities during Euro '96, when Nottingham Forest's City Ground played host to Croatia, Turkey and Portugal.

Because of Nottingham's central location, Danish fans also made the city their base.

Mr White said: "Anywhere up to 500 Danish fans taking over Yates Wine Lodge [in Long Row] for brunch. Having a great time, mixing with locals. That's the nature of Nottingham," he said.

And he remains hopeful that Nottingham will be chosen if the England 2018 bid is successful.

He said: "We have good experience of hosting large scale events. Our transport infrastructure, police, security and safety set-up is well versed and we're confident we can rise to the challenge."

As part of the city's bid, a new 40,000-seat Nottingham Forest stadium would be built. Despite the county council and local residents objecting to the proposed location at Gamston, Mr White said it remained the officially preferred site.

One Nottingham psychology expert has claimed that bringing World Cup football to the city would be good for us.

Professor Mark Griffiths from Nottingham Trent University said: "Football is the one thing that brings the country together and we'll have none of the anxiety of whether we will qualify as the host country automatically qualifies."


To go to the Forest ground and watch Brazil, that'd be amazing!

Home advantage is also a huge motivator. Out of only eight countries that have ever won the World Cup, six of those have done it on home soil.

Prof Griffiths said psychological evidence showed that people were happier and healthier during Euro '96. "In medical terms," he said. "When teams are doing better, psychological admissions reduce."

He also said that happy people spend more money, and therefore the longer England remain in the competition, the more profits Nottingham businesses should make.

On what it would mean to the people of Nottingham, and the legacy it would leave, he added: "To go to the Forest ground and watch Brazil, that'd be amazing!"

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posted @ 9:23 AM, ,


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