Beyond the Test World
Maben to coach China
Mamatha Maben, the former India women's captain, will coach the Chinese women's side in the lead-up for the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, which includes cricket among the 41 sports to be played
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Mamatha Maben, the former India women's captain, will coach the Chinese women's side in the lead-up for the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, which includes cricket among the 41 sports to be played. "I have just got the contract and I will leave in probably ten days' time," Maben, a qualified Level 1 coach, told the Hindu. "I will be handling their senior women's team as well as the age-groups. It is also time to move on as I have been playing cricket for about 20 years."
Maben's first assignment will be the Asian Cricket Council's Under-19 Women's Championship in Thailand in December. "Each and every person, no matter what her role, is very important to the team. As a captain, I tried to motivate my team. I think that's my strength. I talk to the girls about the effects of positive thinking. I believe it makes a difference." Maben has also worked as a journalist in the past.
Full postNamibia: we need more money
The chief executive of Namibia Cricket, Laurie Pieters, has blamed Namibia's inferior professional setup for their defeat against Ireland in the final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup on Sunday.
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
The chief executive of Namibia Cricket, Laurie Pieters, has blamed Namibia's inferior professional setup for their defeat against Ireland in the final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup on Sunday.
"We are obviously disappointed that we did not win the cup because that was our intention," Pieters told Namibia Sport, "but the fact that Namibia is not in the ICC's High Performance programme had a lot to do with it."
The top six Associate member countries each received US$350,000 over the past year under the ICC's High Performance programme. A small sum in the grand scheme of things but, for Associate cricket, this amounts to relative riches. Namibia, on the other hand - who are ranked in the top ten of Associates - only received US$50,000 from the ICC over the past year.
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Full postAberdeenshire named club of the year
Aberdeenshire lifted the Magners Club-of-the-Year award last night at the Scotland National Cricket League ceremony
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Aberdeenshire lifted the Magners Club-of-the-Year award last night at the Scotland National Cricket League ceremony. Huntly CC and Kinross CC share the honours for the CMYK Junior Club of the Year.
Steven Knox, Sean Weeraratna and Cedric English took the individual honours for the Scotland Premier Division.
Jan Stander celebrated his recent call-up to the Scotland squad by winning two awards in the Second Division whilst also accepting the championship flag on behalf of Stoneywood Dyce.
“It has been a very competitive year in the SNCL with all three divisional champions not sorted out until the final couple of weeks of the year. There have been some excellent team and individual performances which gained due reward tonight,” said Roddy Smith, the chief executive of Cricket Scotland.
Full postCricket Fiji general manager eyes grassroots
Martin Shaw, Cricket Fiji's general manager, is aiming to lift the image of the sport in the country
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Martin Shaw, Cricket Fiji's general manager, is aiming to lift the image of the sport in the country. Fiji finished last in the ICC World Cricket League Division 4, which was won by Afghanistan. Their players have often faced charges of indiscipline; the ICC is currently conducting an investigation into an incident where a player was found in a pool of blood during the recent tournament.
With the ICC having increased the funding for Fiji, Shaw is targeting the grassroots. "There is a lot of work to be done over the next few years to lift cricket in Fiji and to where we would like it to be," Shaw told the Fiji Times. "We need to be more active in the schools with our development officers to ensure that junior players have an opportunity to learn to play cricket.
"We also need to educate teachers who then should be able to run cricket programs in their schools. We need to increase the pool of qualified coaches and umpires so that our club competitions are strengthened.
"With regard to elite cricket, we have to put in place a proper development program that identifies players from a young age and assists them in developing their skills from a junior level right through to senior international cricket.
Full postHinnavaru Hiriya begin Cyprea Cup defence with win
Tony Munro
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
Tony Munro
Defending champions Hinnavaru Hiriya have started their title defence in convincing fashion by winning their first match in the 45th annual Cyprea Cup Maldive Islands national tournament by an innings and 44 runs last week.
Full postTwins in new-look Cayman Islands squad
Pearson Best, the 44-year-old batsman, will lead a new-look Cayman Islands team in the ICC Americas Division One tournament to be played in Florida from November 24 to December 1
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Tony Munro
Pearson Best, the 44-year-old batsman, will lead a new-look Cayman Islands team in the ICC Americas Division One tournament to be played in Florida from November 24 to December 1.
Best replaces Ryan Bovell, who has led the Caymans since 2004, in what their coach, Theo Cuffy, said was a “change of direction”. "He [Best] is a transitional leader who will bring to the front our next couple of guys to take over in the not-too distant future."
The Barbados-born Best has been the Cayman Islands' best batsman since they began playing in ICC competitions from 2000. He has hit one century, 116 not out against Argentina in 2006, and three half-centuries.
Full postArgentina set to conquer Americas
Argentina player-coach Hamish Barton expects an improved showing at next month's Americas Championship in Florida thanks to the experience gained from the World Cricket League
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Tony Munro
Argentina player-coach Hamish Barton expects an improved showing at next month's Americas Championship in Florida thanks to the experience gained from the World Cricket League.
"We have played a lot more international cricket through the WCL and the players have
gained invaluable experience so we are looking to be a lot more competitive this time around," Barton said.
And last year's WCL Division 3 tournament in Darwin would have been hugely beneficial to Argentine confidence not just because they were finalists, losing to Uganda. They beat the Cayman Islands in the semi-finals, their first ever win over their regional foes, who they face at the Americas Championship on November 27. The tournament runs from November 25 to November 30.
Full postCanada and USA invited into WI competition
Canada and USA have been invited to take part in the as yet unsponsored West Indies domestic one-day tournament which starts on November 13 in Guyana.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Canada and USA have been invited to take part in the as yet unsponsored West Indies domestic one-day tournament which starts on November 13 in Guyana.
Full postFlorida tournament attracts overseas interest
Cricket Council USA has announced that 31 teams have registered to take part in its $100,000 US T20 Cricket tournament which takes place next April in Florida.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Cricket Council USA has announced that 31 teams have registered to take part in its $100,000 US T20 Cricket tournament which takes place next April in Florida.
The teams that have registered come from as far away as Canada, West Indies, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Australia, as well as from within the USA.
Full postUSACA leaves competition in limbo
While many hoped the USA Cricket Association elections last March would herald a new era of openness and progress, the reality is that it seems to have slumped back into its bad old ways with little communication between it and its stakeholders.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
While many hoped the USA Cricket Association elections last March would herald a new era of openness and progress, the reality is that it seems to have slumped back into its bad old ways with little communication between it and its stakeholders.
The most recent high-profile event, the USA Senior National Tournament, should have started on October 10 but nothing seems to have happened and nobody knows when and if it will happen.
USACA’s unexplained failure to appoint a new chief executive is also threatening to affect the amount of funding it receives from the ICC.
Full post