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Tag: David Richardson

  • Waqar Younis is now on the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

    Waqar Younis is now on the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame

    MUMBAI: Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame before the first Twenty20 International between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai Sports City kicked off on Wednesday.

     

    The cricketer received his commemorative cap from International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive David Richardson in front of a large and appreciative crowd. He has now become the 70th male member and fifth Pakistani after Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

     

    Nicknamed ‘The Burewala Express’, Waqar is famously known as one half of ‘The Two Ws’ – a moniker for the fast bowling pair of Wasim Akram and Waqar. A famed exponent of reverse swing, he claimed 373 wickets from 87 Tests and 416 scalps from 262 One-Day Internationals.  

     

    The 42-year-old, who was born in Vehari, Punjab, also led his country in 17 Tests and 62 ODIs. In a first-class career spanning over a decade, he snared 956 wickets from 228 matches with a best of 8-17.

     

    Waqar’s Test figures bear ample testimony to his brilliance – he registered 22 hauls of five wickets or more in an innings, and, on five occasions, took 10 wickets or more in a match. He also boasted the best strike-rate of any bowler with more than 200 wickets in Tests during his playing days – a record only recently beaten by Dale Steyn. His best bowling performance in a Test came almost 20 years ago, when he registered match figures of 13-135 against Zimbabwe in the first Test in Karachi, having taken 7-91 and 6-44.  

     

    Earlier the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame has felicitated many well-known cricketers including Sydney Barnes, Bishan Bedi, Alec Bedser, Richie Benaud, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Greg Chappell, Ian Chappell among many others.

     

    In 2009-10, Herbert Sutcliffe, Steve Waugh, Wasim Akram, Victor Trumper and Clarrie Grimmett were included in the list. In 2010-11, Rachael Heyhoe Flint, Ken Barrington, Courtney Walsh and Joel Garner were the inductees. Belinda Clark, Frederick Spofforth, Curtly Ambrose, and Alan Davidson were the inductees of 2011-12; while Enid Bakewell, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne were included in the list in 2012-13.

     

    Besides Waqar Younis and Adam Gilchrist, two more cricketers would be announced later this year.

  • ICC announces CSR partnerships for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013

    ICC announces CSR partnerships for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the three Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnerships that will feature during the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2013 in England and Wales.

    The ICC will once again be working with Room to Read and will also partner with UNAIDS and UNICEF to deliver the global cricket AIDS awareness partnership ThinkWise. The organisations will be joined for this tournament by ‘Chance to Shine‘, the Cricket Foundation‘s programme responsible for getting cricket back into state schools across England and Wales.

    During the tournament the ICC will work with the three partners hosting a variety of coaching clinics and visits involving players from the eight participating teams, while also providing tickets to matches and highlighting each of the initiatives at various match days throughout the event.

    At this year‘s ICC Champions Trophy, the governing body will celebrate its decade long association with UNAIDS to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS which ultimately led to the foundation of the ThinkWise partnership with UNAIDS, Unicef and the ICC in 2009. To celebrate that partnership, the ICC will be dedicating the final of the tournament to the ThinkWise campaign.

    The other two initiatives, of Room to Read and Chance to Shine will also be show-cased at a number of matches throughout the tournament. Room to Read is a global non-profit organisation, working to promote literacy and gender equality in education across Asia and Africa. Room to Read began its operations in 2000 and, to date, has reached more than seven million children globally by empowering them with quality education. It aims to reach 10 million children by 2015. Room to Read commenced its association with the ICC in 2011 with the vision to benefit children in cricket playing nations and enhance cricket‘s positive contribution to local communities.

    ICC CEO David Richardson, said of the three partnerships for the tournament, “I am delighted once again that the ICC is partnering with ThinkWise along with Room to Read to continue promoting both the importance of HIV and AIDS awareness and the education of children around the globe.

    We are also happy to welcome Chance to Shine, an ECB supported initiative run by the Cricket Foundation to help continue building a legacy of promoting cricket and creating opportunities amongst the younger generations in England and Wales.”

    Chance to Shine CEO Wasim Khan said, “We‘re delighted to be selected as a local charity partner for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. Chance to Shine is keeping cricket alive in UK schools, bringing cricket to two million young people and teaching them key life skills such as team work, leadership and respect.

    Our campaign is inspiring children through cricket and what better way to excite them about the game than having the best international teams competing on home soil this summer.”

    Room to Read chief development officer Dr Geetha Murali said, “Room to Read is thrilled to be an ICC charity partner at the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. In a few short years, our partnership has benefited thousands of children through the establishment of libraries and publication of children‘s books.

    “The magic of cricket is one that speaks strongly to children across many of the countries where we work. Through this partnership, our ambassadors Virat Kohli, Angelo Mathews and Shane Watson are actively promoting reading to inspire children to open up their books and minds, and ensuring that children can benefit from the power of education. We are thankful that cricket has become such a transformative and unique tool in our fight against illiteracy.”

    Senior advisor to the UNAIDS executive director, Djibril Diallo, commented, “Like cricket, the partnership with ICC is about getting results. As we mark 10 years of action on AIDS through cricket, we have seen how cricket can unite billions of people across the globe. Through the ThinkWise global cricket AIDS partnership, we continue to encourage young people to get the facts, protect themselves and be leaders in eliminating stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.”

    Unicef HIV and AIDS chief Craig McClure said, “Unicef has been a longstanding supporter of the ICC/ThinkWise partnership and over the past seven years we have worked together towards achieving an AIDS Free Generation throughout the world. We have come a long way, but the battle against AIDS is not over yet. The ongoing commitment to preventing HIV and breaking down the stigma towards children and families who are affected is critical.”

    The ICC Champions Trophy, featuring Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies, will be played across three world-class venues – Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and The Oval – over 18 days from 6 – 23 June 2013.

  • BCCI tells ICC to keep off its players

    BCCI tells ICC to keep off its players

    MUMBAI: “Stay away from our players.” That was the message that the Indian cricket board today shot off to the International Cricket Council (ICC), with which it is currently at loggerheads over the Members’ Participation Agreement (MPA).

    “It has been made clear to the ICC that they cannot deal directly with the Indian players. They have to come through the Board,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India News Service.

    Shah, who was speaking from Ahmedabad, claimed it was not the BCCI alone, but the cricket boards of Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh as well who were against the ICC’s dealing directly with players.

    “Not only me (BCCI), but Sri Lanka Cricket, Pakistan Cricket Board and Bangladesh Cricket Board, have said at the recent ICC meeting that on any issue related to the players, the ICC has to approach the boards first,” Shah told PTI.

    Shah’s riposte was in reaction to comments made yesterday by ICC general manager – Cricket, David Richardson, who said, “While the ICC is required to deal directly with the Indian board on player issues, I’ve always enjoyed a good relationship with the Indian captain Rahul Dravid and several of their leading players and, should the BCCI permit, I’d welcome an opportunity to answer any queries they may have.”

    India, which hosts the ICC’s Champions Trophy from Saturday, won the right to hold the 2011 World Cup jointly with neighbors Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

    The ICC has given the BCCI till next Monday (9 October) to notify it of any and all difficulties it has with the MPA. About the deadline, Shah had earlier said that the board would “meet that date”.

    However, today he took on a more belligerent tone when he said, “Are they going to hang us otherwise?” Shah told PTI the BCCI had already sent a reply to the ICC detailing its stand on the MPA.

  • MPA face-off: ICC reaches out to Indian players

    MPA face-off: ICC reaches out to Indian players

    MUMBAI: The jousting being played out through the media between the ICC and the Indian cricket board shows no signs of any let-up. In a clear attempt to demarcate what it sees as the BCCI’s commercial interests and that of its players, the ICC today explained that the Members’ Participation Agreement (MPA) for ICC events from 2007-2015 will provide greater flexibility for all the players taking part.

    ICC general manager – Cricket, David Richardson, said, “The new MPA will be more flexible for players than previous agreements regulating participation in ICC events.

    “In drafting the player terms that fall within the MPA we have taken on board the views of players, including views expressed from India, to build a framework of agreements that will provide added benefits to players.”

    Richardson’s comments are pertinent if you consider the kind of statements that Indian cricket board officials have been issuing on the subject. The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) in India vice-president Lalit Modi was quoted by Agence France Presse news service as saying: “The MPA in its existing form affects BCCI’s commercial interests, gives ICC the right to change agreements unilaterally and affects the players’ interests. The MPA would affect the BCCI and the players’ interests for a period ranging from six to nine months. We are very unhappy with the way the MPA has been drafted.”

    Countering Modi’s line, Richardson says, “Players will be faced with fewer restrictions regarding their own endorsement deals and will have greater control over the use of their own player attributes before, during and after ICC events.

    “The formal and informal discussions that we have had with players and their representatives indicate widespread support for these developments. The new system will have the added benefit of incorporating clearer guidelines and opportunities for all.

    “While the ICC is required to deal directly with the Indian board on player issues, I’ve always enjoyed a good relationship with the Indian captain Rahul Dravid and several of their leading players and, should the BCCI permit, I’d welcome an opportunity to answer any queries they may have.”

    India, which hosts the ICC’s Champions Trophy from Saturday, won the right to hold the 2011 World Cup jointly with neighbours Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

    The ICC has given the BCCI till next Monday (9 October) to notify it of any and all difficulties it has with the MPA. About the deadline, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah told AFP. “We have been given a deadline till Monday to inform the ICC of our objections and we will meet that date.”