Beyond the Test World
The road to the 2015 World Cup starts here
The long and winding journey to the 2015 World Cup makes its next stop in Nepal with six teams competing in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 from 20 to 27 February.
Liam Brickhill
25-Feb-2013
The long and winding journey to the 2015 World Cup makes its next stop in Nepal with six teams competing in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 from 20 to 27 February.
The WCL gives the Associate and Affiliate nations a pathway towards qualification for the pinnacle event of the limited-overs game. Not that it is easy to get there, of course. Tournament hosts and favourites Nepal will face tough opposition from Bahrain, Fiji, Jersey, Singapore and USA as they attempt to finish in the top two and gain promotion to the Division 4 tournament to be held in Italy in August this year.
USA are heading to Division 5 straight from the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in Dubai, where they made a successful start by beating Scotland in their opening match. The side will arrive in Nepal a week early for the tournament to get some 50-over match practice in ahead of their first match against Fiji.
"We'll be heading straight from the Qualifiers to Nepal, so we'll have had plenty of match practice,” said Steve Massiah, USA’s captain. “We've got some warm-ups in Nepal to help us get back into 50 over cricket from Twenty20. We know Nepal and Jersey well as teams we've met before and as for Singapore, Bahrain and Fiji we'll just have to face what comes at us, but I am confident of my side."
Full postKhurram Chohan leads Canada to victory
Canada 178 for 6 (Bagai 52, Nabi 2-23) beat Afghanistan 177 (Nabi 62, Chohan 4-43) by four wickets Scorecard
Sahil Dutta
25-Feb-2013
Canada 178 for 6 (Bagai 52, Nabi 2-23) beat Afghanistan 177 (Nabi 62, Chohan 4-43) by four wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Afghanistan's fairytale run of success finally crashed down to earth with a chastening four-wicket defeat to Canada in the second match of the series in Sharjah. They never recovered from a disastrous start that saw Khurram Chohan destroy the top order, leaving Afghanistan floundering at 4 for 3 by the third over, on his way to match-winning figures of 4 for 43.
It was due reward for Chohan who's four wickets in the opening fixture so nearly took Canada to victory. He started the day by claiming Shafiqullah Shafiq and last game's centurion Mohammad Shahzad in his first over, before following it up with Nowroz Mangal and debutant Shabir Noori to leave Afghanistan 38 for 5 and in utter disarray.
He was well supported by Rizwan Cheema and Umar Bhatti, who took two wickets each with their nagging seamers. It was only a 51-run sixth-wicket stand and Mohammad Nabi's well-constructed 62 that gave Afghanistan any semblance of respectability. Nabi played in the way he does best, belting five sixes and three fours during his 57-ball stay. Dominating a last-wicket stand with Aftab Alam, the pair added 49 to take Afghanistan to 177.
Full postMorocco begins journey from Tangier to Benoni
Tony Munro
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
Tony Munro
Morocco has begun its preparations for the Africa Division Three tournament in South Africa in April by hosting Catalanya CC from Barcelona last week.
Although the North Africans lost the series 3-0, the visiting Barcelona side consisted entirely of South Asian expats providing all-indigenous Morocco with a thorough examination ahead of the African tournament.
During the first two games when fielding all locals, Morocco was an accomplished bowling and fielding team, although their batting was somewhat lacking. For the final game, the home side brought in reinforcements from Commonwealth embassies.
Full postLawson to help Europeans at ICC Academy in India
Europe’s 12 best cricketers will be travelling to Pune, India this month to take to attend the ICC European Men’s Academy.
Sahil Dutta
25-Feb-2013
Europe’s 12 best cricketers will be travelling to Pune, India this month to take to attend the ICC European Men’s Academy.
The academy will feature elite coaches from around the world including former Australian test bowler and Pakistan national coach Geoff Lawson and Cricket Ireland’s director of cricket, and former England team analyst Mark Garaway.
Garaway will be head coach of the Academy head coach and said he’s looking forward to being involved with the first time: “I have craved the opportunity to lead a coaching team and am really looking forward to it, as there has been a high quality support team assembled. I am honoured to be working with the team and know that the players will be working within an elite environment throughout the trip.”
It’s the eighth year the Academy has been staged and the 11-day trip will see the participants involved in a mixture of net sessions, video analysis, bowling, fielding and batting drills, centre wicket practice, and one-to-one discussions with coaches on player performance and goal-setting.
Full postLast-ball heroics take Afghanistan home
Afghanistan 289 for 6 (Shahzad 118, Ali 114, Chohan 4-39) beat Canada 288 for 8 (Bagai 91, Cheema 61, Shenwari 4-31) by one run Scorecard
Sahil Dutta
25-Feb-2013
Afghanistan 289 for 6 (Shahzad 118, Ali 114, Chohan 4-39) beat Canada 288 for 8 (Bagai 91, Cheema 61, Shenwari 4-31) by one run
Scorecard
Scorecard
Afghanistan needed a dramatic last-ball run out to edge a thriller against Canada after Ashish Bagai almost carried the underdogs to victory. The packed crowd of Afghanistan supporters, still in full voice following the team's triumph in the World Twenty20 qualifiers, were treated to a fluctuating spectacle of 50-over cricket at its clammy-palmed best as a spirited Canada side came within a whisker of causing an upset.
Chasing an unlikely 289 to win, Canada had timed the chase superbly, needing 38 from the final six overs with captain Ashish Bagai well set on 70, four wickets intact and a Powerplay still in hand. They took full advantage of the first over of fielding restrictions, with Bagai clubbing Shapoor Zadran for two fours and a two to take the equation to 25 from 30 balls.
But the 46th over proved a dramatic turning point as Samiullah Shenwari targeted the tail-ender Umar Bhati and pulled off a crucial maiden, conceding just two leg byes. Karim Sadiq and Mohammad Nabi restricted the next three overs to just 15 to leave a tantalising eight required from the final six balls.
Full postDrunken Duck, Tandoor, Phattys and Bar
Tony Munro
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
Tony Munro
Teams from across South East Asia joined local combinations for the first Vietnam Sixes in Ho Chi Minh City last week. The visitors from Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Phnom Penh joined four composite teams made up of players from the local competition in the ten-team event held on February 6-7.
There are seven teams in the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) league but to provide the visitors with some competition, the 'locals' (who are nearly all expats) were moulded into four combinations named for sponsors - the Vietnam Cricket Association (VCA) Drunken Duck, VCA Tandoor, VCA Phattys and VCA Bar No 5. The move perhaps worked too well, with Ho Chi Minh City teams winning two of three major prizes - Tandoor beat Phattys to win the Sixes Cup, Bar No 5 defeated Singapore's Spirits CC to win the Plate while Misfits CC beat fellow Singaporean club Freehits CC to win the Consolation Final. Angelo Perera, the Tandoor captain and captain of the local Sri Lankan Sports Club team won the award for he most sixes.
Misfits have been regular visitors to HCMC and visiting teams are not unusual, but this was the first time there had been a tournament on this sort of scale, according to Vietnam Cricket Association President, Terry Gordon. "There have been teams come across to Saigon (HCMC) and Hanoi (many years ago) to play one-off games. Nothing like this. We wanted to create a friendly atmosphere, with competitive cricket and free time to enjoy our adopted city."
Full postSimmons slams tournament organisers
Ireland coach Phil Simmons has slammed the organisers of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier after his side were forced to play the final against Afghanistan – which they lost - less than an hour after beating Netherlands.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Ireland coach Phil Simmons has slammed the organisers of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier after his side were forced to play the final against Afghanistan – which they lost - less than an hour after beating Netherlands.
“Six matches in five days was ridiculous,” Simmons said. “At the end of the day we’ve qualified but it’s not healthy and it wouldn’t be done for any other tournament, so I didn’t think it was right.”
“At the end of the day we came out with the win we needed today and I’m sure the Afghans were happy with their win and we both go to the World Cup.”
Full postNissan vehicles for Afghanistan team
Tony Munro
Nitin Sundar
25-Feb-2013
Tony Munro
Members of the Afghanistan cricket team, already reveling in their qualification for the World Twenty20 tournament, have been promised new Nissan vehicles by an Afghanistan-based businessman.
Aziz Hotak, described only as a 'national trader', has reportedly announced that each player in the team which won the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament will receive a vehicle. He was present at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday when the team won the final against Ireland by eight wickets. Afghanistan Cricket Federation (ACF) chairman, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, also the country's Finance Minister, was reportedly sent to Dubai for the final from Kabul by Hamid Karzai, the Afghanistan President after his country qualified for the final by beating Netherlands in the Super Fours match.
The team is now preparing for two one-day internationals and a four-day Intercontinental Cup match against Canada. It will return to Kabul on February 25.
Full postAfghanistan crowned qualifying kings
Afghanistan 147 for 2 (Shahzad 65, Johnston 1-28) beat Ireland 142 for 8 (Cusack 28, Nangal 3-23) by eight wickets with 15 balls remaining Scorecard
Sahil Dutta
25-Feb-2013
Afghanistan 147 for 2 (Shahzad 65, Johnston 1-28) beat Ireland 142 for 8 (Cusack 28, Nangal 3-23) by eight wickets with 15 balls remaining
Scorecard
Scorecard
Riding on the crest of a wave that carried them through to the World Twenty20 earlier today, Afghanistan finished the qualifying tournament in style cantering to victory over Ireland in the final by eight wickets.
After the tension of the two 'semi final' matches that saw both teams secure their place in the Caribbean, the final had a festival air to it under the bright lights of the Dubai International Stadium. With the crowd already in good cheer and the players' minds uncluttered by the pressure of needing a win, the Afghanistan batsmen blazed happily away at Ireland's total with Mohammad Shahzad guiding them home with a boundary-filled 65 that secured his team passage into Group C, alongside South Africa and India, in the main event in May.
It's a bizarre quirk of the fixture list that means runners-up Ireland will be in Group D, which features, on paper at least, the slightly easier prospects of England and West Indies. Afghanistan, however, won't mind a jot and will feel like they can beat anyone following their triumph today
Full postAfghanistan qualify for World Twenty20
Afghanistan 101 for 6 (Noor Ali 38*, Stanikzai 26, Silva 2-14, Fayyaz 2-14) beat UAE 100 for 9 (Saqib 24, Nabi 3-17, Mirwais 2-15) by 4 wickets Scorecard
Sahil Dutta
25-Feb-2013
Afghanistan 101 for 6 (Noor Ali 38*, Stanikzai 26, Silva 2-14, Fayyaz 2-14) beat UAE 100 for 9 (Saqib 24, Nabi 3-17, Mirwais 2-15) by 4 wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
With their fairytale mission resting on the game, Afghanistan held their nerve to overcome a tenacious UAE side in a low-scoring thriller and take their place in the World Twenty20 that starts in May.
Rarely has an Associate competition inspired so much emotion as people from around the world willed Afghanistan on through the tournament. Their defeat to the Netherlands yesterday brought back bitter memories of Afghanistan's near-miss on qualification for the 50-over World Cup, but today there was no mistake.
Their win was crafted on a number of useful contributions, rather than an outstanding individual but on a tired surface Noor Ali's unbeaten 38, to guide his side home in a tense run chase, must be one of the most important innings in Afghanistan's history.
Full post