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Tag: David Richardson

  • Nissan inks eight-year sponsorship deal with ICC through 2023

    Nissan inks eight-year sponsorship deal with ICC through 2023

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has roped in Nissan Motor Company in a long-term partnership deal through 2023.

     

    Nissan will be the global sponsor of cricket’s international tournaments, including the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and ICC World Twenty20, as well as Under 19 and Women’s Cricket and qualifying events. Nissan will have extensive in-venue activation, broadcast and digital rights at all ICC events.

     

    The ICC partnership is an expansion of Nissan’s ongoing international sports sponsorship strategy.

     

    “Innovation that excites is what Nissan does. As partners with the ICC we will introduce ways to enrich the experience of cricket fans through our rights with the global Trophy Tour, the International Flag Bearer Program and new live event experiences. We’re excited to be part of the global cricketing family and to be involved in some of the world’s most prestigious and popular tournaments. Our aim is to share with cricket fans around the world the excitement of the game and our cars. Both are created by people who have passion for what they do,” said Nissan corporate vice president and global head of marketing and brand strategy Roel de Vries.

     

    International Cricket Council CEO David Richardson added, “The ICC is delighted to welcome Nissan on board as a global partner and we look forward to working together for the next eight years to deliver a strong partnership at all ICC global events.”

     

    Nissan India operations president Guillaume Sicard said, “In India, cricket goes way beyond simply being a sport. It is practically a way of life for millions of people. I believe we have found a perfect partner for our brand. Our goal is to achieve five per cent market share in India by 2020 and we have already invested substantially to build one of our most advanced plants and established one of our three global R&D centres. Now, we are keen to repeat in India the sales success we already have in Europe, China, the US, Japan and elsewhere. We are thrilled to bring our passion and unique approach to cricket in India and around the world and are very much looking forward to the ICC World Twenty20 in India in 2016.”

     

    Apart from this ICC partnership, Nissan is associated with other sport events such as the UEFA Champions League, the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Olympic Teams of Great Britain, Mexico and Brazil, the National Collegiate Athletics Association, the Heisman Trophy, City Football Group and GT-R ambassador Usain Bolt.

  • World T20 Qualifier is another boost for cricket’s global development

    World T20 Qualifier is another boost for cricket’s global development

    MUMBAI: On the eve of another exciting opportunity for the best Associate and Affiliate Members (AMs) to qualify for a major ICC event, the success of the ICC Development Programme is illustrated by the fact that there are now more people playing cricket outside the 10 full members than ever before.

     

    Indeed, the number of cricketers has increased in those countries three-fold in just the past six years. Now there are 1.4 million male and female participants currently involved in formal cricket programmes beyond the traditional boundaries.

     

    As the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, hosted by Ireland and Scotland, is set to start tomorrow, the truth is the associate game has never been so buoyant as it is today. This is due, in no small part, to the phenomenal financial investment that flows from ICC into its members, both in terms of direct funding and also opportunities afforded through high-performance programmes and tournaments.

     

    The ICC’s Development Programme was launched in 1997. Then, there were 26 Associate and 10 Affiliate Members. 17 years later, the ICC has 95 members (below the 10 full members), including 57 Affiliate and 38 Associate Members.

     

    There has been a substantial increase to the funding of the ICC Development Programme. Between 1998-2007, USD $65million was invested in the ICC Development Programme. In the recently concluded rights cycle, this was increased to USD $250million and in the next cycle approximately USD $300million will be invested.

     

    The results of this investment are evident. There were approximately 277,637 participants in countries below the Full Members in 2005. This number climbed to 410,248 at the end of 2008. At the end of 2014, the number of participants in countries below Full Members stood at 1.4million.

     

    ICC chief executive David Richardson said, “Cricket around the world is in rude health with more people playing the game outside the Full Members than ever before. This is a tribute to the hard work, passion and dedication of people within the Associate and Affiliate Members as well as the significant financial and other resources passed on from the ICC.

     

    Richardson added,  “As the final preparations are put in place for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, this is another special opportunity for those Associates to claim a place at a major ICC event. The ICC World Twenty20 2016 in India will no doubt be a spectacular tournament. No fewer than six places are available for the best sides outside of the Full Members and I know that competition will be fierce over the next three weeks or so as we determine exactly which teams will be traveling to India next year.”

     

    The ICC Development Programme is tasked with building a bigger, better global game by assisting the 95 AMs grow and improve the standard of cricket within their territories. This is done through direct funding, the funding and management of qualification pathways to major events and the provision of guidance and advice in the crucial areas of administration, domestic participation, high performance, education, fund-raising and promotion. This includes senior men’s and women’s cricket as well as the youth game.

     

    Richardson stated, “The ICC is committed to growing the game beyond the historical heartlands and our Development Programme is reaping the rewards of its investment. All over the world, people are taking up cricket for the first time and, through the game’s unique spirit, lives are being changed for the better.”

     

    “While this qualifying tournament is all about Twenty20, the ICC is also working to improve the quality and depth of ODI cricket and Test cricket. Indeed, the ICC Intercontinental Cup is the clear pathway to Test cricket for the Associates and the decision to include the top Associates in the One-Day FTP with the Full Members provides a great opportunity for the best AMs to break into the hierarchy of the ODI game,” he concluded.

  • ICC Cricket WC 2015 gives economic boost to Australia, NZ: PwC

    ICC Cricket WC 2015 gives economic boost to Australia, NZ: PwC

    MUMBAI: The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, hosted by Australia and New Zealand during February and March this year, was one the biggest events in the history of both countries and provided a significant positive boost to the local economies.

     

    The findings of an economic impact and benefits analysis carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers show that the tournament generated more than $AU 1.1 billion in direct spending, created the equivalent of 8,320 full time jobs, and had a total of 2 million bed nights across the two countries.

     

    Attendance at tournament matches was 1,016,420, with 295,000 international and interstate/inter-regional visitors to Host Cities.

     

    Of these, there were 145,000 international visitors to Australia and New Zealand for the tournament providing a huge boost to tourism, with the largest number of overseas visitors coming from Asia.

     

    The tournament was watched by more than 1.5 billion people worldwide.

    ICC chief executive David Richardson said the outstanding success and popularity of the tournament proved that cricket was not only popular across both countries but a significant contributor to the local economies. 

     

    “The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 was the most popular ever played,” said Richardson.

     

    “The venues were world class, the host cities were world class and the two countries delivered a world class tournament which was watched by more people around the world than ever before,” he added.

     

    Australian Sports Minister Sussan Ley said the Australian and New Zealand governments had worked closely with the World Cup organisers to ensure the greatest spectacle for sports fans while also maximising the trade and tourism opportunities created by the tournament.

     

    “While fierce rivals on the field Australia and New Zealand have a proud tradition of working together to deliver world-class sporting events,” Ley said.

     

    “The Cricket World Cup has been an outstanding success across all measures which is highlighted by the contribution it has made to the economies of both countries through trade and tourism as well as the unique benefits of sport diplomacy with key partners and markets around the world,” Ley added.

     

    Cricket World Cup 2015 chief executive officer John Harnden, said the $1.1 billion in direct spending converted into an increase in gross domestic product of $AU460 million across the two countries.

     

    “This was the biggest event in Australia since the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and it has changed cricket in New Zealand forever,” Harnden said.

     

    “The Cricket World Cup generated two million bed nights across the two countries and around $855 million was spent by visitors while here for the tournament which is great for the tourism industries of both countries.

     

    “The Australian and New Zealand Governments were great supporters of the event. The introduction of a single visa for the Cricket World Cup was a significant initiative which made it easier for international guests to visit New Zealand and Australia. Most importantly, both countries provided a safe, warm and welcoming experience for all fans from around the world and provided them with an experience they would not forget.

     

    “When you consider the TV audience of over 1.5 billion, saturation of coverage across all digital platforms and the mainstream media coverage of the event across the 14 host cities, the Cricket World Cup has not only showcased the best of Australia and New Zealand but has enhanced the tournament’s reputation as a major global driver for economic and community benefit,” concluded Harnden.

  • “Working with channel partners globally to make this a widely covered WC”: Uday Shankar

    “Working with channel partners globally to make this a widely covered WC”: Uday Shankar

    MUMBAI: This year’s mammoth ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will soon begin and host broadcaster Star Sports is gearing up its production to make sure that people who have access to the live pictures from more than 200 territories around the world, enjoy a spectacular experience on their viewing platforms.

     

    Star India CEO Uday Shankar speaking on the networks broadcast plan said, “Star won’t rest on its laurels and would ensure that fans feel closer to the game and their heroes, like never before. We will be working closely with 45 of our channel partners across the globe, making this one of the most widely covered ICC Cricket World Cup.”

     

    Shankar further commented that four production teams with seven state-of-the-art technology kits will cover the action from each of the 49 games across the 14 stadia in Australia and New Zealand in 44 days, to create an exciting visual spectacle for fans all around the world.

    “Whatever the outcome in cricket’s greatest face-off in Australia and New Zealand, this edition of the Cup promises to be bigger and better,” he added.

     

    Star India will broadcast the World Cup in seven languages, brought together by Star’s expansive world feed, Hindi and regional commentary panel consisting of 13 former skippers, 20 World Cup winners and 26 World Cup semi-finalists. The production of the World Cup will be in the high definition (HD) format and audiences will enjoy the riveting experience as each and every match will be covered by at least 29 cameras, including Ultramotion cameras, Spidercam at 13 matches and the drone camera at all the knock out matches. Technology in use includes Real Time Snicko and LED stumps. Other innovative features will be introduced for the latter stages of the event.

     

    For the first time ever cricket will be covered using 4K technology. To bring its viewers closer to the game, Star Sports will produce live coverage of seven matches in 4K, including the semi-finals and the final.

     

    Meanwhile ICC chief executive David Richardson said: “We expect the World Cup to be the most viewed cricket event in the history of the game. With a great line up of commentators and innovative features, it promises to be an event to remember and the biggest and greatest sporting event anywhere in the world this year.”

     

    Richardson also said that for those who can’t be there in person, Star Sports and its broadcast licensees’ coverage will ensure that 2.5 billion people can view every single game from across all 14 venues in Australia and New Zealand.

     

    In addition to the live coverage of the 49 tournament matches, Star Sports will also produce live broadcast coverage for the warm-up matches from Adelaide and Sydney.

     

    The live broadcast will feature more than 30 commentators. These include Wasim Akram, Russell Arnold, Michael Atherton, Ian Bishop, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Simon Doull, Rahul Dravid, Damien Fleming, Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Dean Jones, Nasser Hussain, Brendon Julian, Nick Knight, Brett Lee, David Lloyd, Sanjay Manjrekar, Damien Martyn, Mpumelelo Mbangwa, Tom Moody, Shaun Pollock, Rameez Raja, Mark Richardson, Michael Slater, Ian Smith, Scott Styris, Mark Taylor, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh alongside Harsha Bhogle, Mark Nicholas and Alan Wilkins.

     

    To complement the television coverage, live online and mobile streaming will be visible on digital channels of most official broadcasters, while starsports.com will also stream the matches live in territories where television broadcast is unavailable.

     

    In Australia, national broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation will be broadcasting all matches live while CrocMedia will provide live coverage of all Australia matches, the semifinals and the final. In the other host country New Zealand, Sport Radio will provide radio coverage. Outside of the host countries, the event will have ball by ball commentary from the BBC (UK), All India Radio (India), SLCB (Sri Lanka), SABC (South Africa), 107 FM (Pakistan) and Channel 2 (Middle East and the USA).

     

    ICC has also tied up with news access agencies SNTV, Perform and Thomson Reuters to provide news broadcasters around the world with 90-second match highlights, subject to these highlights being used in bonafide news programmes within 24 hours of end of the relevant match, for editorial purposes only.

  • World Cup 2015 will be bigger and better: David Richardson

    World Cup 2015 will be bigger and better: David Richardson

    MUMBAI: With ICC Cricket World Cup fast approaching, several questions relating to the integrity of the sport are looming large. To jog our readers’ memory, not long back the world witnessed the shocking demise of Bob Woolmer while the tournament was on in 2007. To clear all such doubts and questions, ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said, “On the corruption side, it’s safe to say we’re the best prepared we’ve ever been.”  

     

    “There has been no stone left unturned,” he added even as preparations continue ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. However Richardson stressed on the need for players to remember their responsibilities to uphold the sport’s integrity at all times.

     

    On the eve of the eleventh edition of the tournament, Richardson strongly reinforced the ICC’s expectations on player behaviour as well as maintaining the game’s integrity at all times, on and off the field of play. “Over the last six months, or even going back further to the last Ashes series, there have been too many examples of player’s behaviour going too far and overstepping the boundaries of acceptances. The amount of sledging and disrespect shown by players to each other was bad. Since then, we have done a lot of work with our Umpires and Match Referees to ensure that they are much more pro-active in terms of policing behaviour on the field and when players do over-step the mark, taking appropriate action,” he asserted.

     

    While outlining the ICC’s recent worldwide clampdown in dealing with suspected illegal bowling actions, Richardson outlined the ICC’s position for the upcoming World Cup. “We want to make sure that we don’t lose ground on what I think has been significant progress over the last few months. We realised that we had a significant problem. There were just too many bowlers from all teams, bowling with suspected actions. So, I think we have made very good progress in identifying those bowlers, sending them off to be tested and where necessary, suspending them until they can remedy their actions,” he said.

     

    Substantiating his point, he further added, “There might be one or two bowlers who were suspended and who are now coming back into international cricket and the challenge for them will be to make sure that they maintain their remedied action. The instructions to the match officials will be no different and these matches will be treated exactly the same as any other international match. And if there are bowlers who are bowling with suspect actions, they will be reported.”

     

    With corruption and match-fixing specters that loom over world sport, Richardson credited the work of the local agencies, as well as the ICC Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU). He believes that the ICC is well-equipped to deal with these threats.

     

    “Our Anti-Corruption personnel have done a lot of work in entering into agreements, associations and arrangements with the local police and law enforcement agencies in both New Zealand and Australia. Our intelligence and information on who these corruptors are, and who may try and fix matches around the world, has grown. We know exactly where these people are and we have got a list of more than a hundred names that we will be passing on to these law enforcement agencies. It will be very difficult for anybody outside of the game to come and even attempt to try and corrupt players, umpires or anybody involved in the World Cup, to try and fix a match,” he emphasised.

     

    “In addition, the New Zealand and Australia governments have introduced specific legislation, which makes attempting to fix, or fixing matches, a criminal offence. This enables, not only us (ICC ACSU) but the police themselves to take much more specific and direct action against these people who are trying to corrupt the game,” Richardson added.

     

  • ICC teams up with SAP to bring fans closer to the game

    ICC teams up with SAP to bring fans closer to the game

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a new partnership with SAP SE, a leader in enterprise application software services, as its exclusive analytics and cloud partner for the upcoming Cricket World Cup to be held in February next year.

     
    The partnership which starts immediately and runs through to the end of the tournament, will see SAP utilise its HANA platform to power live match experiences across the council’s network of websites, to enhance the experience for fans and media with real-time data, statistics and performance analysis that promises to get them closer to the action and tell insightful stories.

     

    In addition, SAP will provide cloud-based services to host the mega event’s historical statistics database, incorporating match data for its flagship ODI event. This data will be made publically available over the coming months, offering fans many ways to analyse previous team and player performances.

     
    Commenting on the announcement, ICC chief executive David Richardson said, “In a sport such as cricket where there is appetite for information and statistics, especially across digital platforms, the ICC is delighted that SAP’s powerful technology will bring the fans closer to the game.”

    SAP SE member of executive board and SAP global customer operations president Robert Enslin added, “Our partnership with the ICC will allow SAP to continuously develop technology that can be adapted for infinite use cases. This partnership is another example of how all organisations, including sports leagues, teams, players and events, can run more efficiently and simply in their pursuit of success.”  

  • Inaugural ICC Women’s Championship to commence in August

    Inaugural ICC Women’s Championship to commence in August

    MUMBAI: The inaugural edition of the ICC Women’s Championship kicks off in August and will see the top eight sides in the game lock horns in a multi-year, bilateral qualifying competition that will lead into the pinnacle event in women’s cricket, the ICC Women’s World Cup.

    Developed in order to create a more extensive and meaningful bilateral playing programme for women’s cricket, the ICC Women’s Championship will see the eight sides play each other in three One-Day Internationals, either at home or away, between 2014 and 2016. 

    Points will be awarded for each game, with the top four sides at the conclusion of the ICC Women’s Championship gaining automatic qualification to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, to be hosted by the England and Wales Cricket Board. 

    The bottom four sides will have a second chance to qualify for the marquee event through the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2017, details of which will be announced in due course.  Joined by six regional qualifiers, the bottom four will face off for the final four positions at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.

    The first round of the ICC Women’s Championship will see reigning world champion Australia begin its title defence against Pakistan on home soil, while three-time ICC Women’s World Cup champion England will host India, Sri Lanka will host South Africa and the West Indies will host New Zealand. The dates and venues for the first round fixtures will be announced shortly.

    ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “The ICC Women’s Championship provides another fantastic opportunity for women’s cricket.  Following the ICC Board’s decision to hold a stand-alone ICC Women’s World Twenty20 tournament every four years, alternately with the ongoing joint men’s and women’s ICC World Twenty20, this tournament guarantees both regular playing opportunities and a meritocratic pathway to the ICC Women’s World Cup.”

    Chair of the ICC Women’s Committee, Clare Connor, said: “The ICC Women’s Championship is an exciting new initiative that represents a significant step in the continued development of women’s cricket. The multi-year structure provides regular playing opportunities for the leading women’s teams, as well as clear context around bi-lateral series that provides a competitive pathway into the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017.”

    The seven rounds of the ICC WC will be played during windows as follows:

    The competing teams will announce fixture details closer to the relevant dates.

    Notes to Editors:

    The ICC Women’s Championship 2014-16 structure

    The ICC Women’s Championship 2014-16 is a multi-year event, with seven windows for each round of competition.  The competing teams will be responsible for determining the dates of their series within each window.

    The competition was agreed by the ICC Board at its January 2014 meeting.   

    ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings

    The eight participating teams are ranked as per their finishing positions at the ICC Women’s World Cup India 2013, and are as follows:

    1.      Australia

    2.      West Indies

    3.      England

    4.      New Zealand

    5.      Sri Lanka

    6.      South Africa

    7.      India

    8.      Pakistan

  • Dav Whatmore to help Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and UAE for ICC WC 2015

    Dav Whatmore to help Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and UAE for ICC WC 2015

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has today announced that Dav Whatmore will help Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and UAE prepare for the 50 over ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 (CWC) as part of the ICC High Performance Programme (HPP).

    Whatmore will begin his new role during the ICC HPP Support Staff Forum, which opens on 14 May in Scotland, where he will meet each of the teams’ coaches and start to provide tailored assistance.

     

     “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with the leading Associate and Affiliate teams during such a memorable period in world cricket.  We have seen some amazing performances recently from these teams, and, over the next 10 months, I look forward to being able to assist in honing their performances even further,” said Whatmore.

    Whatmore who in the past has coached full member teams like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will now work closely with the ICC High Performance Manager and each of the four teams in an advisory and support role as they prepare for the ICC CWC 2015. The mega sporting event will commence on 14 February 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. Whatmore is considered to have first-hand knowledge of the preparations needed to succeed on the global stage. He is best known to have coached Sri Lanka to ICC CWC glory in 1996.  

    “The ICC Cricket World Cup is the world’s biggest stage for any cricketer.  It takes hard work, dedication and motivation to succeed at such a huge global event, as well as unflinching confidence.  I hope to be able to assist on all of these fronts to ensure that Afghanistan, Ireland, Scotland and the UAE fire on all cylinders from the moment they arrive in Australia and New Zealand next year,” he added.

    ICC chief executive David Richardson said, “We welcome Dav Whatmore to this important advisory role.  Dav’s extensive coaching experience, including leading Sri Lanka to its unforgettable ICC Cricket World Cup victory in 1996, will provide excellent support and expertise to the four qualifying teams as they put the finishing touches on their preparations for cricket’s premier one-day tournament.”

    Ireland coach and former West Indies Test player Phil Simmons, who led Ireland to a unique treble in 2013 when it became the first team to win three ICC events across three formats in one season, welcomed the appointment, saying, “Ireland is focused on making a big impact in Australia and New Zealand in 10 months’ time, and we have detailed plans in place to make sure we do just that. With Dav’s knowledge and experience, we will gain an extra edge in our preparations.”

       

    Afghanistan coach and former Pakistan bowler Kabir Khan, whose side claimed the second qualification spot at the ICC CWC 2015 after finishing behind Ireland in the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Championship, said: “Afghanistan has a rigorous schedule of training and fixtures in the lead-up to its maiden appearance at the ICC Cricket World Cup.  This will be the biggest ever participated in, and the extra support from Dav Whatmore will be an excellent addition to our preparations.”  

    Aqib Javed, a member of the Pakistan side that won the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992 and also played in the 1996 tournament, and who coached the UAE to the final qualification spot with a second-place finish at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier New Zealand 2014, said, “We are very focused on our one-day preparations over the next 10 months, and the opportunity to work alongside Dav Whatmore as we fine-tune our programmes and training is very exciting for us.”

     

    Craig Wright, who coached Scotland to victory at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier New Zealand 2014 to seal the third qualification spot at the ICC CWC 2015, and has also captained Scotland in the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007 said, “Scotland performed strongly under pressure to win the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier earlier this year, and with insight from someone as experienced as Dav, we have the opportunity over the coming months to not just keep up that momentum, but boost it even further.”
     

  • ICC honchos meeting culminates in Dubai

    ICC honchos meeting culminates in Dubai

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council met on Wednesday at the ICC headquarters in Dubai for the second of its scheduled quarterly meetings of 2014. The Board discussed a range of issues, including reports from the ICC chief executives’, audit, finance and commercial affairs, among other plans.

    The two day meeting that ended today resulted in some very important announcements regarding the schedule for 2014 as well as the coming years.

    Meritocratic pathway for Test cricket

    The ICC Board approved the introduction of an ICC Test Challenge which will take place every four years between the lowest ranked Test team and the winner of the ICC Intercontinental Cup.

    The proposal is that the 10th ranked side on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings on 31 December 2017, or at the conclusion of any series in progress at that time, will play two five-day matches at home and two five-day matches away against the winner of the upcoming ICC Intercontinental Cup, with the inaugural Challenge scheduled to take place during 2018.

    In the next eight years, two ICC Intercontinental Cup tournaments are planned with the first to run from 2015 to 2017 and the second to be held between 2019 and 2021.  The second ICC Test Challenge is scheduled for 2022.

    ICC chief executive David Richardson said: “The ICC Test Challenge now opens the door for Associate Members to play Test cricket and in doing so gives even greater context to the ICC Intercontinental Cup which will now be a pathway to Test cricket.”

    ICC reform of governance and financial models

    Further to the resolutions passed at the ICC Board meeting in Singapore on 8 February 2014, the ICC Board members agreed a long-term work plan to support the implementation of those resolutions which do not require constitutional change.

    At the same time the ICC Board authorised the drawing up of the necessary constitutional amendments which will be placed before the Full Council at the ICC Annual Conference to be held in Melbourne at the end of June.

    One of the cornerstones of the new financial model is an extended Future Tours Programme (FTP) which will now run until 2023.

    Richardson explained: “The FTP is a very important piece of work as it gives Members long-term certainty in relation to both their playing schedule and financial planning. Significant progress has been made but there is still work to be done to develop a balanced calendar of tours and finalise these agreements.”

    ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014

    The ICC Board thanked the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for the successful staging of the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 and praised the Bangladesh government, security agencies and the general public for their contributions and support. The ICC Board also congratulated Sri Lanka for winning the men’s title and Australia’s women for completing a hat-trick of titles.

    ICC president Alan Isaac said: “The ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014 was an extremely successful event which was thoroughly enjoyed by the players, officials, spectators and media. A lot of credit must be given to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC team for putting up a memorable show.”

    “The event helped Bangladesh enhance its infrastructure in Dhaka and Chittagong and develop a new international venue in Sylhet.  Sri Lanka’s triumph means the event has produced five different men’s champions in as many editions. The encouraging performances of the Associate Members and their successes over the Full Members clearly reflect that the ICC World Twenty20 is the most open tournament on the ICC calendar,” he added.

    Format and qualification process for the ICC World Twenty20 2016

    Following the success of the ICC World Twenty20 Bangladesh 2014, the ICC Board agreed that the same format be retained for the ICC World Twenty20 events in 2016, which will be staged in India.

    For the 2016 event, the top eight Full Members on the Reliance ICC T20I Team Rankings as on 30 April 2014 will automatically qualify for the second round, while the ninth and 10th ranked Full Members will get automatic places in the first round. The six qualifiers will progress from the 14-team ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, which will be staged in Ireland and Scotland from 9 July to 2 August 2015 during which a total of 51 matches will be played.

    ICC Cricket Committee

    The Board ratified the appointment of Australia coach Darren Lehmann and the West Indies coach Ottis Gibson as the representatives of national coaches on the ICC Cricket Committee following the completion of former India and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten’s term.

    Other updates

    The ICC Board also considered a general update on anti-corruption and integrity while the IDI Board received a report from the Finance & Commercial Affairs Committee which included updates on the commercial rights post-2015, Host and Members’ Participation Agreements for the next commercial rights cycle, online piracy, event forecasts and audited financial statements for 2013.

    The next ICC and IDI Board meetings will take place during the ICC Annual Conference week in Melbourne in June 2014.

  • ICC U19 Cricket WC gets underway today in UAE

    ICC U19 Cricket WC gets underway today in UAE

    MUMBAI: The tenth edition of the tournament will be staged across seven venues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 14 February to 1 March, and the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) global broadcast partner Star Sports is stepping up its production, as it gets set to make history.

     

    More cricket fans than ever before will be able to enjoy watching the most far-reaching and comprehensive coverage of an ICC U19 Cricket World Cup (ICC U19 CWC).

     

    Following up on its world-class production of the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, Star Sports will produce 11 matches in High Definition (HD) – the most matches ever at an ICC U19 CWC.

     

    Star Sports business head sports Nitin Kukreja said, “The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is a premier tournament which showcases cricket’s future super stars. We have mounted an unprecedented production and broadcast effort to take cricket aficionados even closer to the action than ever before. We are confident that cricket fans will enjoy introduction of LED stumps for the very first time in an ICC tournament which will further enhance the broadcast experience.”

     

    The event is set to reach an estimated audience of 1.3 billion, with broadcast agreements secured by Star Sports. This includes the continued coverage by ICC broadcast partners, Fox Sports in Australia, Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, OSN across Middle East and North Africa, ESPN in North America and the Caribbean and Sky NZ in New Zealand.

     

    The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will be the main TV venue for the tournament while one match from the Sharjah Cricket Stadium will also be broadcast live. All televised matches will be covered using 14 cameras, including ball tracking and virtual graphics provided by Hawk-Eye.

     

    ICC chief executive David Richardson said: “The expanded broadcast and digital reach of this edition of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup will ensure that more fans globally now have an opportunity to see the sport’s future stars in action.”

     

    For the first-time in an ICC event, LED stumps will be used to provide the television viewers and spectators at the venue an enhanced experience.  The stumps and bails illuminate when the bails are dislodged, giving the broadcaster and the crowd a true indication of when a batsman is out. They will be used for the semi-finals and final only.

     

    The live broadcast will be complimented by a world-class commentary team, which includes Harsha Bhogle, Sanjay Manjrekar, Damien Martyn, Danny Morrison, Jonty Rhodes, Wasim Akram and Alan Wilkins.

                                                                                

    The TV broadcast of the event will be a truly interactive one for fans, who can stay engaged through polls on the event website www.icc-cricket.com and via the social media using the hashtag #futurestars and #u19cwc.

     

    Fans can also stay updated on the event via the event website www.icc-cricket.com which will feature live scores of all the matches and video clips of the key moments from the televised matches.