Cricket - Int News
Anil Damani - new owner of Colombo LPL franchise
SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Colombo: The Lanka Premier League (LPL) Colombo franchise has a new owner as 27th Investments Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President Anil Damani entered the second season of the premier T20 tournament of the Island Nation by acquiring the Colombo-based franchise in the tournament.
Anil Damani is CEO & President of 27th Investments , which is one of the fastest growing investment companies in the southeast of USA. The 27th investments is a leader and a very manages several different entities under the 27th portfolio. Some of their primary investments are in Commercial Real Estate, Restaurants and Entertainment.
Speaking about entering the LPL, Damani said, "I am absolutely ecstatic to enter the Lanka Premier League as the owner of the Colombo franchise. The Lanka Premier League showed propitious signs of enormous growth in its last season and therefore I am thrilled to have joined the tournament at this juncture. I am eagerly looking forward to developing the Colombo franchise into one of the best T20 franchises in the world."
Welcoming the new owner, Anil Mohan, Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL, said, "It's a great honour for me to welcome the CEO and President of 27th Investments Anil Damani as the owner of the Colombo franchise. I am sure that his love and passion for the game of cricket will only boost the Lanka Premier League and increase the fan following of the Colombo franchise."
Asghar Afghan: Our cricket is in safe hands
SPECIAL REPORT:
Asghar Afghan assured Afghanistan fans that the country’s cricket has a platform to progress even further as his final international match ended in victory over Namibia.
Asghar Afghan of Afghanistan is carried off by team mates after his final game during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Namibia at Sheikh Zayed stadium on October 31, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Asghar Afghan assured Afghanistan fans that the country’s cricket has a platform to progress even further as his final international match ended in victory over Namibia.
The 33-year-old, who announced his retirement from all forms of the game on Saturday, made a sprightly 31 as Afghanistan posted a winning total of 160-5.
With Naveen-ul-Haq, 22, leading the way with the ball and other young players coming through, the former captain feels he is leaving a side in rude health.
“To be honest, trust me, Afghanistan cricket is in very safe hands, and cricket will improve definitely,” he said.
“For all the supporters from the last few years and the newcomers that are supporting us, I believe that Afghanistan cricket will improve more day by day, and trust me that will show.”
Afghanistan’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign is now back on track as they beat Namibia by 62 runs, responding to their defeat to Pakistan in their second Group 2 game.
It was an emotional day for Asghar and the vocal Afghan contingent in the stands, as the batter was given a guard of honour onto the field and showered with handshakes when dismissed.
“I announced my retirement last night, so I received a lot of messages from my fans and colleagues how they were unhappy,” he said.
“It's a very hard decision when you get to retirement, but I decided for my youngsters they should come. It was too important, and they should come and feel the pressure of the World Cup.”
Afghanistan still harbour hopes of reaching the knockout stages of an ICC major event for the first time at the seventh attempt.
They face India in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday in what promises to be a thrilling contest.
For Namibia, it was a tough day at the office and they were unable to build on the momentum of their maiden T20 World Cup victory over Scotland.
One positive came in the spell of leg-spin bowled by Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, 20, something of wildcard appearing in just his eighth T20 international.
He trapped both Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran lbw, dismissing them for low scores.
Namibia coach Pierre de Bruyn revealed that Loftie-Eaton had been suffering from injury in the lead-up.
“It was about managing Nicol leading up to game time,” said De Bruyn.
“He had a quad strain, so it was tough. He wasn't really on tour ready, so we needed to get him bowling fit in the nets first. What he's shown today is that he's ready, and I'm so pleased for him.
“He's a confident player. He's a youngster. So that's a very big positive.”
Namibia face an uphill challenge in their maiden T20 World Cup campaign with New Zealand, India and Pakistan next up.
“We're definitely looking forward to them, and we are fully aware that it's going to now really get tough,” said De Bruyn.
“We just don't want to be a team that's just going to walk up and provide a middle practice. We want to continue competing. We need to sharpen up our skills. We need to believe.
“Today was maybe an icebreaker for this team, experiencing this level of intensity. So we haven't got a long turnaround. One day training, and then we've got to come and face the heat.”
Sri Lankan players to get booster dose of vaccine
BIPIN DANI
Sri Lanka's national players will be given a dose of booster vaccine once they arrive after the World Cup from the UAE. This was revealed by Prof. Arjuna de Silva, the chairman of the medical panel of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board.
Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo on Sunday morning, he said, "all our national players already had two doses of (Sputnik) vaccine and it would be around six months once they return from the World Cup".
"We will be conducting the antibody tests on their return and those found low in tests will be given a booster dose of Pfizer vaccine".
After the World Cup, Sri Lanka will play two Tests matches at Galle (Nov. 21-25 and Nov. 29-Dec.3).
"No fans will be allowed for the home series against Windies, but yes, we are planning to allow their entry in the Lanka Premier League (LPL)", de Silva confirmed.
In the meantime, it is also learnt that all players of the Under-19 which defeated the Bangladesh team (5-0) team were given the first dose of Pfizer vaccine on 26th October. They will be given the second dose after 21 days.
ICC congratulates Asghar for a fine career
Aamir Ali Janjua
Dubai (October 31, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan for a superb career that has seen him play a crucial role in his country’s rise in international cricket.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan for a superb career that has seen him play a crucial role in his country’s rise in international cricket.
The batter, who has been a part of all seven major ICC tournaments that Afghanistan have participated in, has announced his retirement from all formats of the game.
His final match came against Namibia in the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday.
ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “Asghar has been a great ambassador of the game and played a huge part in Afghanistan’s rise up the ranks in world cricket.
“He has played a pivotal role as batter and led his team astutely during his time as captain.
“On behalf of the ICC, I wish him all the best for the future and hope that he continues to be associated with the game in the years to come.
The 33-year-old finished his career having played 114 ODI matches, scoring 2,424 runs with a century and 12 half-centuries. He also scored 440 runs in six Test matches.
Asghar captained his country in their first-ever Test match against India in 2018 and at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016.
At the time of his retirement, he holds the record for the most wins as captain in T20 internationals having led his team to victory in 42 games.
Concrete pitches help batsman to regain rhythm, says Lankan curator
BIPIN DANI
Sri Lanka's former pitch curator Jayananda Warnaweera was not surprised to see Australian opener David Warner regaining his form.
The 35-year-old left-handed batsman Warner, who was running out of form before the match against Sri Lanka, scored 65 runs (which included 10 boundaries) at Dubai Sports City (DSC) ground on Thursday.
Warner was not in the form even in the IPL also. He is understood to have practiced hard on concrete pitches in the UAE before the match against Lankans.
"Practising on a hard concrete wicket is always helpful because the ball comes faster on this pitch and it helps the batsman to regain his confidence", the 60-year-old Warnaweera, who has vast experience of working as a groundman in Sri Lanka said exclusively over the telephone.
"We don't have concrete pitches (in Srti Lanka) and I very well remember Kumar Sangakkara practicing on a turf wicket in Galle for three-four hours and it helped him a lot".
"Team India captain Virat Kohli also practices hard facing balls coming at a faster speed. The batsman can change his mind set up, tries to hit hard and gets well-adjusted to the timing".
PCB names officials for Pakistan-West Indies series
Hammad Ahmed Kayani
KARACHI (October 28, 2021):-Former Test cricketer and member of PCB’s elite panel of match referees Ali Naqvi will lead the playing control team in the three One-Day Internationals between Pakistan Women and West Indies Women at the National Stadium, Karachi on 8, 11 and 14 November.
The on-field umpiring responsibilities will be shared amongst Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Afridi and Rashid Riaz – all on the PCB’s elite panel of umpires.
The match officials’ appointments in detail are below:
8 Nov – 1st ODI. Rashid Riaz and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires) and Faisal Afridi (reserve umpire). Ali Naqvi (match referee)
11 Nov – 2nd ODI. Asif Yaqoob and Faisal Afridi (on-field umpires) and Rashid Riaz (reserve umpire). Ali Naqvi (match referee)
14 Nov – 3rd ODI. Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires) and Faisal Afridi (reserve umpire). Ali Naqvi (match referee).
Three female players test corona positive
Sports Reporter
Karachi (October 28, 2021):-Three squad members of the national women’s team participating in the pre-West Indies series camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre have tested positive for Covid-19.
These members tested positive in the routine Covid-19 testing yesterday and are under 10-day quarantine, which ends on 6 November.
The other squad members will remain in isolation till 2 November and undergo tests every alternate day, starting tomorrow, to stem any potential spread of the virus.
As per the PCB Covid-19 Protocols, all squad members had joined the bio-secure environment after returning two negative tests. These squad members had been vaccinated for Covid-19 in May.
Pakistan and West Indies will play three ODIs on 8, 11 and 14 November at the National Stadium.
Ben Stokes added to Ashes Squad
H Shah
MANCHESTER (October 25, 2021):-Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes has been added to the England Men's Test squad for the Ashes tour of Australia.
Stokes, who has been given the all-clear by his consultant and the ECB medical team to resume training following his second operation on a fractured left index finger, will depart with the Test specialists and the Lions on 4 November.
The 30-year-old is ready to return to competitive cricket following his break from the game at the end of July to prioritise his mental wellbeing. “I had a break to prioritise my mental wellbeing and I got my finger sorted,” said Stokes.
“I am looking forward to seeing my mates and being on the field with them. I’m ready for Australia.”
Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, Ashley Giles, added:
"Following a very successful operation on his finger and several conversations over the last few weeks between Ben and I, our medical staff and his management team, Ben called me to say he was ready to return to cricket and was excited about the prospect of playing a significant role in the Ashes series.
"Time and time again, Ben has demonstrated how important he is to the England team and having him available for the Ashes series is excellent news for all of us and, in particular, Chris (Silverwood), Joe (Root) and the rest of the players.
"Having not played for some time, we will move forward cautiously over the next few weeks to ensure he is fully prepared across all facets of his game.
"Ahead of a very busy period of cricket, we continue to remain mindful of the stresses on all our personnel, and our primary focus continues to be the wellbeing of all of our players and support staff."
England Men's Test Squad - Ashes Tour of Australia 2021-22:
Joe Root (Yorkshire) Captain
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Dom Bess (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Rory Burns (Surrey)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire)
Dan Lawrence (Essex)
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Dawid Malan (Yorkshire)
Craig Overton (Somerset)
Ollie Pope (Surrey)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Mark Wood (Durham)
England's Ashes tour of Australia 2021-22 Itinerary (subject to change):
8-12 December: 1st Test, Australia v England, Gabba, Brisbane
16-20 December: 2nd Test, Australia v England (D/N), Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
26-30 December: 3rd Test, Australia v England, MCG, Melbourne
January 2022 5-9 January: 4th Test, Australia v England, SCG, Sydney
14-18 January: 5th Test, Australia v England, Optus Stadium, Perth
LPL: Safexpay becomes co-owner of Kandy franchise
Sports Bulletin Report
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (October 21, 2021):-Safexpay has become c-owner of Kandy franchise for the second season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) of the prestigious T20 tournament of the Islanders, says a press release.
Ravi Gupta, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Safexpay focused on solving the problems for businesses that need to either accept online payments from or make payouts to various stakeholders. Safexpay has a strong presence in India, UAE and Singapore.
Speaking about entering the LPL, Gupta said, "The Lanka Premier League garnered a lot of interest from some of the biggest stars and the cricket fans from around the world in the first season and therefore I am absolutely delighted to enter the tournament as the co-owner of the Kandy franchise this year. The Lanka Premier League is certainly going to grow and evolve into one of the most sought-after T20 leagues in the world and I am very excited to be a part of the success of the tournament in the upcoming years."
Speaking about the new venture, Tripathi said, "We are ecstatic to be a part of the Lanka Premier League as the co-owner of the Kandy franchise. The LPL has caught the imagination of cricket fans from around the world and we wanted to be a part of the amazing competition in the upcoming seasons. We are eagerly looking forward to engaging with the fans and having a cracker of a season."
Welcoming the new owners, Anil Mohan, Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL, said, "It's a huge honour and privilege for me to welcome Safexpay Founder and CEO Ravi Gupta and Vernost Director Pankaj Tripathi as the owners of the Kandy franchise. I am certain that their passion for the game will bolster the Kandy franchise and also attract more fans to the Lanka Premier League in the upcoming seasons."
The new owners of the Kandy franchise are expecting to construct a strong team for the second season of the LPL in the Player's Draft, which is set to be held on 27 October 2021. Gupta said, "We will certainly try to acquire a well-balanced team in the Player's Draft." While, Tripathi expressed, "Hopefully the team performs to the best of its ability in the season and garners the desired results."
The inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) which was played in a bio-secure bubble at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota from November 26 till December 16, 2020, reached a cumulative audience of 557 million people through TV, digital-social space, and traditional media outlets.
Sponsors enjoyed a media evaluation (visibility) of $54.5m and title sponsor MY11CIRCLE enjoyed a ROI of 9.85x. Winner of the first edition of LPL Jaffna Stallions tops the valuation chart with $3.98m followed by Galle Gladiators ($3.82m), Dambulla Viikings (Now Dambulla Giants) ($3.54m) Colombo Kings ($3.44m) and Kandy Tuskers ($3.19m).
The LPL matches which were telecast live by Sky Sports, Sony Sports Network, Geo, PTV, and Willow TV in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UK, US, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand saw 155 million people tuning in to catch live action. On social media, it achieved a reach of 218 million and LPL found 133478 mentions as the league came alive with each and every match with some scintillating performances on the ground.
West Indies Women to play three ODIs in Karachi
Hammad Ahmed Kayani
KARACHI (October 21, 2021):-West Indies Women will visit Pakistan for three One-Day Internationals in November. Karachi’s iconic National Stadium will host the matches on 8, 11 and 14 November, following which both sides will travel to Zimbabwe for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier to be held from 21 November to 5 December.
As part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s efforts to increase the reach and viewership of the women’s sport, the three ODIs – which will start at 1000 – will be live-streamed through PCB’s YouTube channel around the world.
This will be Pakistan women’s third bilateral series in 2021 after they toured South Africa in January-February and West Indies in June-July. Stafaine Taylor’s West Indies will arrive in Karachi on 1 November for what is a reciprocal tour.
The top three of the 10 teams will qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, which will be played in New Zealand.
PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “We are delighted to announce the West Indies women’s tour to Pakistan in November. This will be a great series for the promotion, publicity and growth of women’s cricket in Pakistan, besides also providing both sides excellent opportunity to prepare for the World Cup qualifier.
“West Indies women’s tour will be followed by their men’s side who will visit Pakistan for three ODIs and three T20Is in December. So, the Pakistan cricket fans can brace for some exciting and entertaining cricket in women’s and men’s cricket later this year.”
Meanwhile, the national women’s selection committee – which includes Urooj Mumtaz (the chair) and Asmavia Iqbal – has also announced an 18-strong squad for the upcoming three ODIs and the World Cup Qualifier.
Batter Javeria Khan will lead the contingent, which has been devised after considering the performances on the last two tours and the recent Pakistan Cup Women’s One-Day.
Pakistan Women for West Indies ODIs and World Cup Qualifier: Javeria Khan (captain), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz (wicketkeeper)
Support staff: Fizza Abid (team manager), David Hemp (head coach), Arshad Khan (assistant coach), Kamran Hussain (assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (strength and condition coach), Zubair Ahmad (analyst), Dr Riffat Asghar Gill (head physiotherapist) and Rabia Siddiq (physiotherapist)
The national women’s team’s camp for the series will begin from 23 October and will run till 5 November at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre, Karachi. At the conclusion of the camp, the team will shift to the team hotel.
West Indies series itinerary
1 Nov - West Indies women arrival
4-7 Nov – Both teams’ training and practice sessions, National Stadium
8 Nov – First ODI, National Stadium
11 Nov – Second ODI, National Stadium
14 Nov – Third ODI, National Stadium
16 Nov – Departure for Zimbabwe
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