Beyond the Test World
Associates fume at World Cup pruning
The Associates are up in arms over proposals to reduce their number from six to four at the 2011 World Cup.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The Associates are up in arms over proposals to reduce their number from six to four at the 2011 World Cup.
The move comes as organisers try to make the tournament less prone to early upsets - the early eliminations of India and Pakistan in 2007 were financially crippling - as well as giving the bigger teams more matches in the early stages.
The favoured format for 2011 is in effect a reversion to the one used in South Africa in 2003 where in the first round there were two groups of seven teams, with the top three in each group progressing to the Super Sixes. It was heavily criticised at the time for being too long, but more matches mean more revenue and that is a priority for both the ICC and the tournament organisers.
The main flaw of the 2003 event was that the Super Sixes was rendered almost pointless because of the way points were carried forward from the first round, and it remains to be seen if that will be addressed. The length of the last two World Cups have also been attacked, but it is hard to see with a reversion to the 2003 format how much time can be trimmed from the eight-week event.
Full postSame old wall of silence blights US elections
Any lingering hopes that the approval of a new constitution would herald the dawn of a new era for US cricket have been ended by the conduct of the USACA executive over the last three weeks
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Any lingering hopes that the approval of a new constitution would herald the dawn of a new era for US cricket have been ended by the conduct of the USACA executive over the last three weeks. Rather than a fresh approach, US stakeholders continue to be treated with disdain with elections being conducted once more in the complete secrecy which has been a hallmark of the association of late.
The USACA website carried the brief news that the constitution had been updated but nothing more has materialised since. Under that constitution elections have to be held within 30 days – ie by February 10 – and yet it is unclear what is happening.
Cricinfo has learned that many of the people who have been running the USACA during the last few chaotic years are offering themselves for re-election, including Gladstone Dainty, the reclusive president.
The wall of silence put up by the USACA ensures that however fair the process is, the elections are almost certain to be mired in controversy with various factions claiming to be the real representatives. That is only likely to lead to a return to exact situation which led to the ICC suspending the US in the first place.
Full postStanford scatters his dollars
Ahead of the Stanford 20/20, which gets underway this weekend, its billionaire benefactor and organise, Allen Stanford, is piling another $3.5m into promoting the tournament...in one town.
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Ahead of the Stanford 20/20, which gets underway this weekend, its billionaire benefactor and organise, Allen Stanford, is piling another $3.5m into promoting the tournament...in one town.
Fort Collins is the lucky recipient of "ads, parties, promotions, billboards, giveaways, clinics" in order to promote the game to an "audience more concerned with the Super Bowl and college basketball".
“I wanted to see if we could get a city in the U.S. that knew nothing about the sport to be cricket crazy,” Stanford said in a telephone interview.
“It’s so dadgum entertaining, it will be different from anything you’ve ever seen.”
20/20 Cricket, Stanford points out, is a faster paced version of the sport that can take two to three days to play in its original form.
Full postIreland and England agree on ODI schedule
The Irish Cricket Union (ICU) and the ECB have agreed that Ireland will host England for ODIs in 2009, 2011 and 2013, while also confirming that Ireland will continue to participate in the English domestic structure "for the foreseeable future"
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
The Irish Cricket Union (ICU) and the ECB have agreed that Ireland will host England for ODIs in 2009, 2011 and 2013, while also confirming that Ireland will continue to participate in the English domestic structure "for the foreseeable future".
The two governing bodies have also agreed to finalise television contracts for the two countries in order to provide income to support the development of the game and to avoid any scheduling clashes.
Full postUAE confident ahead of Namibia clash
UAE might be languishing at second from bottom in the 2007-08 Intercontinental Cup, but they remain confident of reversing their fortunes ahead of their match against Namibia on Wednesday
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
UAE might be languishing at second from bottom in the 2007-08 Intercontinental Cup, but they remain confident of reversing their fortunes ahead of their match against Namibia on Wednesday.
In three matches, they have only won one match - an excellent 138-run win over Bermuda last November. And it was this win which inspired UAE, and their captain, Saqib Ali, to believe in themselves. UAE were dismissed for a lowly 143, conceding a first-innings deficit of 168, but fought back brilliantly on days three and four to win by 138 runs.
Full postCricket comes to Timbuktu
Phil Watson
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Phil Watson
There has been a great deal of activity in the last two months in Mali. As well as the different Muslim and Christian festivals (Tabaski, Christmas, New Year and Muslim New Year) several members of the FeMaCrik Executive Committee have been visiting cricketers in the regions thanks to an ICC-ACA grant. In particular Sikasso, Ségou and Timbuktu.
1. Sikasso. Sikasso is the principal city of Mali’s third region and close to the Ivorian border. FeMaCrik’s Technical Director (Dr Phil Watson) and Deputy Logistics Secretary (Mr Youssouf Coulibaly) made the seven-hour coach trip in December to visit the Sikasso Cricket league. The visit included visits to the regional director of the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Art and Culture and some cricket clinics. The exciting news is that Mr Jacques Ouattara, a dynamic cricket coach and PE teacher, has returning to Sikasso after a year in Germany, and is introducing cricket into four high schools.
2 Ségou. Ségou is Mali’s second city and the principal city of Mali’s fourth region. FeMaCrik’s President (Mr Kawory Berthé) and the Malian Senior team’s Vice-Captain (Mr Mahamadou Taïfour Diaby) made the 3-4 hours coach trip in early January 2008. Having begun in 2005-6, the Ségou cricket league has had some administrative difficulties that are now being resolved. We hope there’ll soon be news of cricket being re-launched in the school system by Mr Soumaïla Toloba.
Full postSaudi Arabia's slightly hollow victory
Saudi Arabia won the ACC Under-19 Challenge Cup, but the tournament was marred by six of the ten participants withdrawing.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Saudi Arabia won the ACC Under-19 Challenge Cup, but the tournament was marred by six of the ten participants withdrawing.
Full postIreland line-up Bangladesh ODIs
Ireland are about to confirm that they will play three ODIs in Bangladesh in March, according to a report in the Belfast Telegraph .
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Ireland are about to confirm that they will play three ODIs in Bangladesh in March, according to a report in the Belfast Telegraph.
The games will come on the tail of Ireland’s Intercontinental Cup match against UAE in Abu Dhabi and while in Bangladesh they will play a four-day match followed by a couple of one-day warm-ups and then the three ODIs.
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