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Tag: Brendon McCullum

  • Brendon McCullum considers upcoming test series against India as the real test for Bazball at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India

    Brendon McCullum considers upcoming test series against India as the real test for Bazball at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India

    Mumbai: The English test cricket team’s head coach Brendon McCullum highlighted the significant challenge that England will face in the upcoming test series against India while he was addressing the convergence of global sporting stakeholders at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India in Bengaluru.

    McCullum expressed a sense of anticipation and readiness for the test that lies ahead for Bazball, “We have got a huge challenge against a very good Indian team in five tests in India. I am excited about it because you want to test yourself against the best side and I genuinely believe that India is the best in their own condition. It is going to be a good challenge for us. If we have success then fabulous, if we don’t then I know we will go down in the style that we want to go down.”

    RCB Innovation Lab through the Leader’s Meet: India successfully created a participative platform where global sporting heavyweights exchanged influential dialogues, shared innovative ideas and sporting excellence.

    “I have been invited here to come and share some more stories about leadership. But the opportunity to oversee and rub shoulders with other leaders that have some similarly shared experiences is what you are after as a leader. You are always trying to grow and evolve and this week has been simply fabulous,” shared McCullum while talking about the significance of the first-of-its-kind summit that brought together influential leaders from various sectors of sports industry to discuss and explore the dynamics of leadership in the ever-evolving landscape of sports.

    The renowned former New Zealand captain also revealed that the red ball cricket ensures ninety percent of the English Cricket Board revenue from red ball cricket, and it struggling has a huge impact on the sport for England.

    In his address, McCullum also expressed his thoughts on the essence of Bazball and what it stands for, “We are playing the game, because we love cricket and we want to try and be as good at cricket as we possibly can. During the time that you are in the chair, you want to make sure you enjoy it and you shouldn’t wait till the end of your career to do so. We are very lucky that we have had some immediate success but I don’t think it is the ceiling for us. I think we have seen some guys who have unlocked their potential in the last 18 months or so and that’s what the job is as a leader; to get the most out of the people that you’re in charge of.”

    The 42-year-old also reminiscing the fearless and unbeaten knock of 158 off 73 balls in the very first IPL game credited this unbelievable knock as the inspiration for the Bazball phenomenon and how he still daydreams about this life-changing moment, McCullum said, “The reason why I daydream about that moment is because it literally changed my life. I was just a cricketer for New Zealand, where no one really knew what you did where you’re from, or what you’re capable of. But that day provided the platform, the forum, and the opportunity to change my life.”

  • RCB announces flagship sports conference in partnership with leaders in Sport

    RCB announces flagship sports conference in partnership with leaders in Sport

    Mumbai: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) with its innovation arm—RCB Innovation Lab, has partnered with Leaders in Sport, the premier global sports events and media organisation, to bring the first-ever Leaders Meet to India, scheduled in Bengaluru on 29 and 30 November.

    RCB Innovation Lab is a groundbreaking intersection between sports and business, that aims to generate insights, ideas, methodologies, and products in order to shape the future of sports. Leaders Meet: India aligns seamlessly with RCB Innovation Lab’s mission to further grow sports ecosystem.

    The first-of-its-kind summit is set to host a stellar line-up of global sporting leaders who will collectively delve into the convergence of sports, business, technology, and social impact. They will address critical themes and share insights on multi-faceted topics that are not only shaping the sports industry but are also poised to drive the expansion of India’s future sports market.

    The event will mark a historic occasion and witness insightful discussions in the presence of prominent figures from the sports world such as BCCI honorary secretary Jay Shah, Will Brass (chief commercial officer of the English Premier League), Ellie Norman (chief communications officer of Manchester United), and Charlotte Burr (director of strategy, corporate development & digital, FIFA). Notably, the summit will also feature the Indian badminton legend Pullela Gopichand, Brendon McCullum (former New Zealand skipper and current head coach of England’s Test team), and Olympic Gold Medal winner and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, Italian International Football icon & World Cup winner 2006 Alessandro Del Piero, G20 Sherpa – India & Ex – CEO of Niti Aayog, Government of India Amitabh Kant among many other notable dignitaries.

    Commenting on RCB Innovation Lab bringing leaders meet to India for the first time, Royal Challengers Bangalore vice president & head Rajesh V Menon said, “Growth requires a catalyst; we want to create the perfect conditions for sport and business to thrive – sowing seeds of change through new connections, relationships, opportunities, ideas, and perspectives. We want to make it happen faster by creating optimal conditions – bringing together the very best in the sports industry, both on and off the field. We want to accelerate the process by connecting members of the business & sporting community to the best conversations, the best connections, the best insights, the best solutions, and the best opportunities. I am confident that this confluence of industry stalwarts will help bring out valuable insights and build & engage stakeholders contributing to India in the journey of creating more participants in sports than just spectators”.”

    Leaders in Sport has been in existence for 15 years and has served as a catalyst for bringing together the most prominent figures and groundbreaking ideas in the world of sports. With past editions hosted in key cities like New York, Abu Dhabi, London, Los Angeles, Beijing, and Shanghai, Leaders in Sport has been instrumental in facilitating dialogues and propelling the sports industry towards progress. It continues to lead the way in providing the latest sports business intelligence and delivering exclusive perspectives from global industry leaders at the forefront.

    Sport managing director and leader Laura McQueen said “We stand on the verge of an exciting new chapter in the world of sports. Leaders Meet is not just an event; it’s a convergence of some of the world’s most influential leaders and a platform to usher in a new era for the sports industry in India and Southeast Asia. At the summit, we will witness catalytic discussions, innovative ideas, and a global perspective on how to shape the future of sports.

    We are thrilled to partner with RCB to host this event in India for the first time, and it serves as a testament to our shared vision of unlocking India’s potential as a thriving hub for sports and all verticals in sports, related to business, technology, and social impact. The summit promises to bridge the gap between opportunity and execution, propelling India to the forefront of the global sports landscape.”

    Leaders Meet: India will also see the participation of distinguished government administrators including Amitabh Kant, who served as the G20 Sherpa and previously held the role of CEO at Niti Aayog, and R Vineel Krishna, an IAS officer and Special Secretary to Odisha CM & Secretary of Sports and Youth Services in the Odisha Government. These esteemed individuals will engage in discussions and brainstorming sessions covering innovations in sports technology, business, performance, and social impact during the two-day conference.

    Below is the detailed list of speakers with their theme of the talk:

    1.   Jay Shah: Honorary secretary, BCCI; president, ACC; Chair F&CA Committee, ICC

    Topic: How the BCCI built the IPL, launched the WPL and what it tells us about the future of cricket and the trajectory of Indian sport

    2.   Amitabh Kant: G20 Sherpa – India & ex-CEO of Niti Aayog, Government of India

    Topic: The Indian growth story, the socio-economic opportunities, and the role for sport

    3.   Alessandro Del Piero: Italian International Football icon & World Cup winner 2006

    Excerpts of one of the most picture-perfect careers, multiple series A league titles, World Cup winner, champions league winner. Reflections of an iconic career and the current changing landscape of football and with emerging markets what is the future trend of football, will Europe still be the premier club football destination in the near future.

    4.   Dr. R. Vineel Krishna, IAS: Special Secretary to Odisha CM & Secretary – Sports and Youth Services, Odisha Government
    Topic: How states can drive sports promotion and development – the Odisha model and the future of public-private partnerships

    5.   Brendon McCullum: Head Coach, England Test Cricket Team
    Topic: Leading transformative change in team environments – what’s gone into Bazball?

    6.   Neeraj Chopra: Indian Olympic Gold Medallist and World Champion – Javelin
    Topic: The journey, reflections and path ahead to create more world champions in India.

    7.   Abhinav Bindra: Indian Olympic Gold Medallist and 5-time Olympian, Shooting
    Topic: The future of the Olympic movement and Olympism in India

    8.   Pullela Gopichand: All England Badminton Champion and iconic badminton coach
    Topic: From also-rans to Champions – reflections on the growth of India as a badminton powerhouse.

    9.   Charlotte Burr: Director of Strategy, Corporate Development & Digital, FIFA
    Topic: The importance of India to football and the importance of football to India

    10.   Will Brass: Chief Commercial Officer, Premier League
    Topic: An insider’s account of the business affairs of the #1 football league in the world and its plans in a high-growth market like India.

    11.   Ellie Norman: Chief Marketing Officer, Manchester United
    Topic: Managing a global fan base and an iconic brand through the ups and downs of sport through strategic marketing, partnerships, content and fan engagement

    12.   Scott Munn: Chief Football Officer, Tottenham Hotspur
    Topic: How to harness and internationalise the power of a legacy fan base in the Indian subcontinent.

    13.   Mohammad Bobat: Director of Cricket Operations, RCB. Ex-Performance Director: England Men’s Cricket team.
    Topic: Managing high-performance environments and translating potential to winning performances in a team filled with star players.

    14.   Harsh Jain: Co-Founder and CEO, Dream Sports
    Topic: Helming the largest fantasy sports platform in the world and reflections on engaging 200m+ users.

    15.   Nic Coward: World Renowned Sports Advisor and Ex-Gen. Secretary of the Premier League, Ex-CEO of FA, Ex-Consultant FIFA
    Topic: From market entry to consolidation – how foreign brands and investors can look at opportunities in the Indian sports market

    16.   Max Hamilton: Global Commercial Director, European Tour, Golf. 
    Topic: The journey of building and curating a premium brand identity for a sport and its properties.

    17.   Rufus Hack: CEO, Hawk-Eye Innovations
    Topic: How technology builds trust in sports adjudication

    18.   Shikha Tandon: Former Indian Olympic Swimmer and chief partnerships officer, Svexa
    Topic: How human performance intelligence, physiology, health data science, tech & molecular profiling translate into practical peak sports performance.

    19.   Gareth Balch: Co-Founder and CEO, Two Circles
    Topic: Trajectories and trends in the global sports rights market – from acquisition to measurement

    20.   Anil Jayaraj: CEO, Viacom 18 Sports. 
    Topic: Delivering one of the largest sports leagues in the world from rights acquisition planning to advertising to operational execution to broadcast/innovations.

    21.   Abhijit Bhattacharya: Founder, Brahmaputra Volleyball League, former captain of the Indian volleyball team
    Topic: Learnings from building a community sports league

    22.   Nitish Chiniwar: Founder and CEO, Bridges of Sports Foundation
    Topic: Making the community a stakeholder in the sporting journeys of athletes

    23.   Rohini Mukherjee, Head – Global Partnerships & Strategy, Naandi Foundation
    Topic: Empowering India’s adolescent girls through sport – The Toofan Games.

  • Kevin Pietersen lauds Eoin Morgan, Zak Crawley, and Jonny Bairstow

    Kevin Pietersen lauds Eoin Morgan, Zak Crawley, and Jonny Bairstow

    MUMBAI: Kevin Pietersen has attributed white-ball captain of England, Eoin Morgan, for England’s 3-0 victory over New Zealand. He said it was Eoin Morgan who brought a culture shift to English cricket in the year 2015, which, seven years later, is already showing results.

    He further said that a culture shift like that which handed England a 3-0 victory was worth it. In addition to this, he mentioned Brendon McCullum, and he said from all the years that he had known Brendon, he knew how Brendon intended to bring a positive attitude to the English team.

    Going further, he also lauded England’s Cricket Board(ECB) for the inclusion of 24 years old lad Zak Crawley in the test match against India. Brendon McCullum’s updated management has constantly backed Zak Crawley. In fact, according to him, it would have been a massive blunder if Zak Crawley hadn’t been included despite his failure against New Zealand.

    It’s important to note that Zak scored merely 87 runs in 6 innings on an average of 14.5. Even Jonny Bairstow, who’s known for his fearless shots in shorter formats of the game, hasn’t missed out on Kevin Pietersen’s compliments. He said it’s a treat to his eyes to see Jonny play, and the inclusion of Jonny in the test team is a bonus because Jonny is always ready to score rapidly in test matches, and Brendon’s new management backs him.

    Kevin has given credit to IPL for Jonny’s high performance because he got accustomed to massive crowds and faced nearly all kinds of bowlers. However, after closely monitoring the 1st innings of the 5th test match of India vs England, it seems like Kevin wasn’t wrong about Jonny’s performance at all. Jonny scored 106 runs in merely 140 balls at a phenomenal average of 75.71; thus, keeping that in mind, we can say Jonny is having his time of life in 2022.

    Furthermore, Kevin said that after the English team handed over a 3-0 defeat to New Zealand, he was shocked how New Zealand was able to lift the world test championship trophy because they certainly didn’t deserve it.

    He also highlighted the efforts of Eoin Morgan on how he has transformed the English cricket team and brought out the best in the players. With a winning culture, young talent backing, etc. overall, Eoin Morgan should be widely appreciated for his devotion and honesty towards English cricket. Kevin thinks Eoin always believed in his players, and that’s what a great leader does. But it’s sad to see him being replaced by another great batsman, Jos Butler.
     

  • Star Sports curates a special line up of programming shows for VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction

    Star Sports curates a special line up of programming shows for VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction

    Mumbai: The forthcoming VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction promises to be an unparalleled spectacle with Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the tournament geared up with a special line up of programming shows for all the cricket fans across the country. 

    VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction will be held in Jaipur on Tuesday, December 18, 2018. The live coverage of the auction will be preceded by a 60-minute special pre-show starting 2.30 pm onwards. 

    The broadcast of the 12th edition of the VIVO IPL Player Auction on Star Sports will include live expert reactions, analysis and a special spotlight on all the leading developments throughout the day featuring some of the best cricket experts such as Gautam Gambhir, David Hussey, Dean Jones, Kiran More, etc.

    Besides the robust programming, Star Sports launched the second edition of the hugely popular VIVO IPL Election Se Selection as a lead up to the VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction.  VIVO IPL Election Se Selection offers fans an opportunity to vote for their favourite player they wish see playing in their favourite VIVO IPL team. The largely popular campaign has received massive response so far with more than 3.1 million fans voting on the official portal  vivoiplelection.hotstar.com.

    Fans can vote for their player till midnight December 17, 2018 team in three easy steps by logging on to vivoiplelection.hotstar.com

    • Select your favourite team
    • Choose your player
    • Complete the voting process  

    Yuvraj Singh and Brendon McCullum are the most voted players overall so far: 

    Whereas, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Kings XI Punjab fans have voted the most: 

    VIVO IPL 2019 Player Auction received an overwhelming response from fans and was viewed by a 46.5 million people across the Star Sports network.

     List of experts:

    Hindi: Gautam Gambhir Kiran More and RP Singh

    Select Dugout (English): Dean Jones, Anil Kumble and David Hussey

    Tamil: Hemang Badani, S Badrinath, L Siva, Muthuraman R and RK

    Telugu: C Venkatesh, Kalyan Krishna, Vindhya Vishaka and Venugopal Rao

    Anchors: Mayanti Langer, Jatin Sapru and Arjun Pandit

  • Sony Pictures acquires telecast & digital rights of Hero Caribbean Premier League in six countries, starts today

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) has pocketed the exclusive broadcasting rights to the much-anticipated Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

    The league that has a fusillade of cricket stars such as Kieron Pollard, Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Bravo, will commence on 4 August 2017 and conclude on 9 September 2017.

    Besides India, the league will be telecast live in the Indian sub-continent including countries such as Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives.

    Sony Pictures Network, that comprises India’s premier sports channels, has also acquired the digital rights for the tournament and will live stream the matches in Afghanistan over and above these six countries on its digital platform, SonyLiv.

    The tournament will be held across six scenic venues in the Caribbean and for the second time the fixtures will be played in Lauderhill, Florida, USA. This year the teams will include the likes of Jamaica Tallawahs, Trinbago Knight Riders, Tridents – Pride of Barbados, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Lucia Stars and St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, all battling it out in an initial group stage format before progressing to the knock out matches.

    The opening match of the league will see St. Lucia Stars take on the Trinbago Knight Riders to be held at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium (named after the St. Lucia Stars captain) on 4th August at 6:30 a.m.only on SONY ESPN. The game that day will see the likes of Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson and Daren Sammy himself battle it out at the stadium. The remaining matches will be televised on SONY SIX & SONY SIX HD.

    Sony Pictures Networks India president – distribution and sports business Rajesh Kaul said, “At SPN, it is our constant endeavour to showcase the finest cricketing action. The T20 format has always been favoured by cricket enthusiasts and we are thrilled to broadcast the CPL for the fifth successive year. This year, the CPL matches will be broadcast in six different countries and be live streamed on our digital platform, SonyLIV.”

    CPL chief operations officer Pete Russell said, “We are delighted to continue our broadcast partnership with Sony Pictures Sports Network. Across the Indian subcontinent, there are huge supporters of CPL who have a keen interest in this league.”

  • Cricketing legends to speak at Aaj Tak conclave in London

    MUMBAI: India’s No. 1 Hindi news channel- Aaj Tak, is bringing the legends of cricket together on a mega cricket platform– Aaj Tak Salaam Cricket 2017 on 31st May in London to brainstorm and predict the winner of the upcoming Champions Trophy 2017.

    The 08th edition of the bi-annual cricket tournament, second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup is scheduled to start on 1 June, 2017 in England. Eleven former Captains, Five Members of Champions Trophy Winning Teams and other superstars of the game will converge at the largest Cricket event being held just before the start of the tournament.

    Prominent names from cricket word would include: Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Shane Warne, Michael Clarke, Nasser Hussain, Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara and Brendon McCullum. Legends Like these are now in London at Salaam Cricket 17’.

    The day will start with the session – Master Stroke by Sunil Gavaskar, Former Captain & Member of the World Cup Winning Indian Team. This will be followed by a session by Australian Cricket Legend Shane Warne- Wow Warne!

    The Champions of Captains session will be attended by former Captains- Michael Clarke, Australia, Kumar Sangakkara, SriLanka, Graeme Smith, South Africa and Mohammad Azharuddin, India while Sourav Ganguly, Shane Warne & Michael Clarke will share their views during session Warnie, Pup and Dada Show.

    Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, former England skipper Nasser Hussain, former Pakistan captains Rameez Raja, Amir Sohail and former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar will also speak at the event alongside Ganguly, Warne, Clarke and Azharuddin.

    There will be a big clash between India and Pakistan before the match on June 4th as captains Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin, Rameez Raja and Aamir Sohail clash off the field in the session Superhit Muqabla-Indo-Pak Captains .

    The cricket conference will be an all-day affair and it would be a chance for cricket aficionados to listen to some of the most well respected minds in the game.

  • Champions Trophy from 1 June: ICC reveals broadcast plans, supported by Sunset+Vine & NEP

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a stellar line-up of commentators as well as detailed broadcast production plans, which for the first time in cricket, include Player Tracking for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in England and Wales from 1 to 18 June. ICC TV will produce live coverage of all 15 matches, supported by production partner Sunset+Vine and equipment partner NEP Broadcast Solutions.

    Former captains — Ricky Ponting of Australia, Brendon McCullum of New Zealand, Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka and Graeme Smith of South Africa will be making their ICC TV debut. Other big names who will commentate through the tournament include Sourav Ganguly, Shane Warne, Michael Slater, Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, Shaun Pollock, Sanjay Manjrekar, Ian Bishop, Ramiz Raja, Simon Doull and Athar Ali Khan.

    Ponting said: “Winning it (the trophy) on two occasions was a big thrill. This year I’m really looking forward to it being staged in England and being a part of the commentary team. “I’m expecting Australia and England to make the final with Pat Cummins and Jason Roy, two guys to stand out across the two weeks. I can’t wait!”

    McCullum said: “At the Champions Trophy, each team will be desperate to do well and put their stamp on the 50-over game. “To now be in the commentary box for such a prestigious tournament is something I am really looking forward to. Working with names like Ponting, Ganguly and Smith is going to be great fun and hopefully we can give the viewers a unique insight on the action unfolding out in the middle.”

    Smith said: “The trophy is a great tournament where every team has a chance to do well. I am sure there will be a few surprises and many memorable performances, so there’s a lot to look forward to!”

    Sangakkara said: “The trophy is a special tournament which I loved playing in and am honoured to have enjoyed success in. Most of the teams have a chance of lifting the trophy so it promises to be a fascinating three weeks of action.”

    The eight-team tournament, which kicks off with host England playing Bangladesh at The Oval on 1 June, will see a state-of-the-art coverage which will include 34 cameras at every game, including eight ultra-motion Hawk-Eye cameras, front and reverse view stump cameras and a Spidercam.

    In what is a first for cricket coverage, six Player Tracking cameras will be used in each match while the final at The Oval on 18 June will have additional pictures provided by a drone camera to supplement the broadcast coverage.

    Among other enhancements for the live coverage will be an Analysis Zone that will add depth to the coverage, bringing out details and nuances for the benefit of the audience. Regular broadcast tools such as the Hawk-Eye will be supplemented by an in-depth cricket data analytics system to be provided by analytics app Cricviz and a player tracking and real-time data visualization system made available by leading graphics company Chyron Hego.

    ICC Head of Media Rights, Broadcast and Digital Aarti Dabas said: “The ICC is committed to providing a world class broadcast that is credible, informative, engaging and attracts a global audience. Our team of 15 champion commentators will help tell the story and build heroes, connecting with the fans using relevant insights and broadcast innovations.”

    Scores and statistics, which are an important element of any cricket coverage, will be provided by sports graphics specialists Alston Elliott in a fresh new style and feel designed by creative design agency DixonBaxi.

    The coverage provided by ICC TV to broadcasters will commence 30 minutes before the start of play of each match and will include the live toss, the pitch report, player profiles and features looking ahead to the game.

    Programming will be produced for the innings break to ensure continuous and engrossing content that will keep the viewers hooked. Reviews of the first half of games and a preview of run chases will be inter-woven with a segment dedicated to the history and stars of the ICC Champions Trophy. Match telecasts will culminate with a crisp post-match show.

    ICC TV has also made arrangements to produce engaging and informative additional content, to be distributed to its broadcast partners and other media rights partners via the ICC TV Content Delivery Service. This content will include daily player profiles, team features, match previews and other behind the scenes content, getting fans up close and personal with all the action around the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.

  • CPL ties with Facebook Live for 2016 matches international broadcast

    CPL ties with Facebook Live for 2016 matches international broadcast

    MUMBAI: The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced live broadcast on Facebook of all thirty four CPL 2016 matches around the world, via Facebook’s official live streaming partner Grabyo. CPL will become the first sports league to supplement its existing broadcast deals and use the Facebook Live platform to ensure that 40 countries around the world, including the likes of Pakistan, South Africa and The Philippines can now view the sport live. It will also be the first time ever an international cricket match will be broadcast on Facebook Live.

    A host of international stars will be competing from across the cricketing world at this year’s CPL including the likes of AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Shakib Al Hasan, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Shoaib Malik, Kumar Sangakkara, Dale Steyn, Mike Hussey and Shane Watson.

    In addition, the six CPL sides – Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Zouks and Trinbago Knight Riders will include a number of ICC World T20 champions including the likes of Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell who took the world by storm in India earlier this year.

    Cricket fans from Argentina to Hungary will now be able to watch the T20 stars in action starting with Trinbago Knight Riders clash with St. Lucia Zouks from the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Wednesday, 29 June (9pm Caribbean / 2am GMT / 6.30am India) and running through to the final in St. Kitts & Nevis on 7 August.

    Commenting on using Facebook Live, CPL chief operations officer Pete Russell said: “We are delighted to announce how we’re using Facebook Live, which we believe has the potential to change the face of cricket broadcasting and enhance the CPL’s ever-increasing international audience.”

    “In 2015 the CPL’s global viewership exceeded 93 million and we now have the platform to boost our viewership even further for the forthcoming tournament. Caroline Smith, CPL’s Head of Digital, and her team have done a fantastic job with our social media activity and this deal proves that they have put us ahead of the curve in understanding how best to reach our global fans with live games” added Russel.

    Facebook India Sports Partnerships Asha Thacker said “Facebook Live allows fans to connect to cricket and their favourite stars and we are delighted to be working with the Hero Caribbean Premier League and Grabyo for this cricketing first and to help bring fans around the world closer to the game. As the world’s largest sports stadium, more cricket fans engage with content on Facebook than anywhere else and it is unique experiences such as this that allow fans to engage in a more meaningful way.”

    Grabyo CEO Gareth Capon said, “On the pitch, T20 cricket is helping to globalize and expand the sport of cricket, bringing a new generation of fans into the game. The use of social video, particularly live streaming, presents an opportunity to reach an unparalleled audience far beyond the traditional broadcast ecosystem.

    “Facebook offers an user base of 1.6 billion and to be able to bring live action from the best cricketing talent direct to mobile devices around the world, right as the action happens, is incredibly exciting. We look forward to working with the CPL throughout the tournament and helping them use social video to engage new audiences across the globe.” Added Capon.

    CPL will be live broadcasted in Argentina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, PNG (Papua New Guinea), Romania, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Vanuatu

  • CPL ties with Facebook Live for 2016 matches international broadcast

    CPL ties with Facebook Live for 2016 matches international broadcast

    MUMBAI: The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced live broadcast on Facebook of all thirty four CPL 2016 matches around the world, via Facebook’s official live streaming partner Grabyo. CPL will become the first sports league to supplement its existing broadcast deals and use the Facebook Live platform to ensure that 40 countries around the world, including the likes of Pakistan, South Africa and The Philippines can now view the sport live. It will also be the first time ever an international cricket match will be broadcast on Facebook Live.

    A host of international stars will be competing from across the cricketing world at this year’s CPL including the likes of AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Shakib Al Hasan, Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Shoaib Malik, Kumar Sangakkara, Dale Steyn, Mike Hussey and Shane Watson.

    In addition, the six CPL sides – Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Zouks and Trinbago Knight Riders will include a number of ICC World T20 champions including the likes of Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell who took the world by storm in India earlier this year.

    Cricket fans from Argentina to Hungary will now be able to watch the T20 stars in action starting with Trinbago Knight Riders clash with St. Lucia Zouks from the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad on Wednesday, 29 June (9pm Caribbean / 2am GMT / 6.30am India) and running through to the final in St. Kitts & Nevis on 7 August.

    Commenting on using Facebook Live, CPL chief operations officer Pete Russell said: “We are delighted to announce how we’re using Facebook Live, which we believe has the potential to change the face of cricket broadcasting and enhance the CPL’s ever-increasing international audience.”

    “In 2015 the CPL’s global viewership exceeded 93 million and we now have the platform to boost our viewership even further for the forthcoming tournament. Caroline Smith, CPL’s Head of Digital, and her team have done a fantastic job with our social media activity and this deal proves that they have put us ahead of the curve in understanding how best to reach our global fans with live games” added Russel.

    Facebook India Sports Partnerships Asha Thacker said “Facebook Live allows fans to connect to cricket and their favourite stars and we are delighted to be working with the Hero Caribbean Premier League and Grabyo for this cricketing first and to help bring fans around the world closer to the game. As the world’s largest sports stadium, more cricket fans engage with content on Facebook than anywhere else and it is unique experiences such as this that allow fans to engage in a more meaningful way.”

    Grabyo CEO Gareth Capon said, “On the pitch, T20 cricket is helping to globalize and expand the sport of cricket, bringing a new generation of fans into the game. The use of social video, particularly live streaming, presents an opportunity to reach an unparalleled audience far beyond the traditional broadcast ecosystem.

    “Facebook offers an user base of 1.6 billion and to be able to bring live action from the best cricketing talent direct to mobile devices around the world, right as the action happens, is incredibly exciting. We look forward to working with the CPL throughout the tournament and helping them use social video to engage new audiences across the globe.” Added Capon.

    CPL will be live broadcasted in Argentina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Fiji, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, PNG (Papua New Guinea), Romania, Russia, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Vanuatu

  • Astral Poly Technik comes in as associate sponsor of IPL franchise ‘Gujarat Lions’

    Astral Poly Technik comes in as associate sponsor of IPL franchise ‘Gujarat Lions’

    MUMBAI: IPL 2016’s newest entrant ‘Gujarat Lions’ have roped in Astral Poly Technik as their Associate sponsor. The new giants will be a team to reckon and will feature swashbuckling Indian and foreign players from the world of cricket.

    With this association, Astral looks to boost its image and reach out to the cricket lovers of Gujarat. Astral has been a dominant force in the plumbing industry with its continuous novel and consumer-oriented services and is one of the premier Indian companies in the plumbing industry.

    On partnering with Gujarat Lions for the 9th edition of the Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL), Astral Poly Technik Senior Business Development Manager Kairav Engineer said, “We are elated to be the Associate Sponsors for the Gujarat Lions franchise at this year’s IPL. The Gujarat Lions comprehend the significance of cricket in India and they believe, as we do, in the commitment and support that the sport requires. We are ready for a great head-start as the team debuts and hope that it is a great season for them.”

    “We are happy to have Astral Poly Technik as our associate sponsor. The support of a Gujarati brand such as Astral makes our association with the state and the fans stronger. We are thrilled about the partnership and are sure that it will help both brands expand our reach across the country”, said Gujarat Lions owner and Intex Technologies Director Keshav Bansal

    Gujarat Lions has world-renowned players like Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, and Brendon McCullum, among others and will be led by Suresh Raina.

    The 9th edition of the Vivo Indian Premier League begins on 9 April in Mumbai. Gujarat Lions will play their first match against Kings XI Punjab at PCA Cricket Stadium, Mohali on 11 April.