ITV

Tag: Shane Warne

  • Kevin Pietersen Talks about the IPL’s Final Week

    Kevin Pietersen Talks about the IPL’s Final Week

    This season of the Indian Premier League witnessed some high voltage clashes as debutantes Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants began to entertain us.

    Gujrat Titans bagged the most wins so far compared to others. The team won 10 out of 14 matches and has successfully lived up to the hopes of its fans.

    On it, the Former England Captain – Kevin Pieterson – also mentions that the Hardik Pandya led team will be tough-to-beat in this IPL playoffs.

    It’s worth noting that Gujrat Titans’ continuing wins have become a matter of concern for opponent teams.

    And that makes Kevin Pieterson stay more confident about Gujarat Titans.

    “Gujrat Titans are Difficult to Stop”

    The legendary England Batman adds more words to appreciate the continuing success of the Gujrat Titans. The team equips a winning attitude, making them so good at getting things done pretty well on the ground.

    Beyond a doubt, it is going to be tough to break Gujrat Titans – he added. Kevin Pietersen even compares their performance with Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals, who have won the 2008 IPL championship.

    Keving thinks the Gujarat players also adopted a winning attitude for the game and won the trophy with a wonderful mentality in the end. A similar reflection can be viewed in Gujrat Titans this time.

    Few Other Good Names Covered in the Winning list of Kevin Pietersen

    Apart from Gujrat Titans, Kevin Pietersen firmly believed in Royal Challengers Bangalore in its match  against Lucknow Super Giants.

    Delhi Capitals were few other big names in the Kevin List but unfortunately they failed to qualify in the next stage of the league after losing by five wickets against Mumbai Indians.

    Neither Delhi Capitals nor Mumbai Indians were lucky enough to play in the playoffs.

    However, Rajasthan Royals have showcased some of the best moves this time and will get a second chance of making it to the final.

    Kevin Pietersen mentions that despite the fact that Chennai Super Kings is also a tough competition, their winning chances were already less this season. They might have won 4 trophies so far, but their transition didn’t have that magic this time and went out in IPL Season 2022.

    Wrapping up

    The four teams Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Lucknow Super Giants have successfully made it to the playoff.

    But in the end, Titans made direct entry to the finale to compete with Royals who have been riding their luck through the group stage so far. But as Hardik Pandya led Gujrat Titans are favorites to lift the trophy this season.
     

  • 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.

  • Sachin Tendulkar announces ‘Cricket Carnival’ at Smaaash, India

    Sachin Tendulkar announces ‘Cricket Carnival’ at Smaaash, India

    BENGALURU: Smaaash Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., launched the Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival in association with its brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar at its new outlet at the DLF Mall of India, Noida. Smaaash is a world-class sports-centric immersive and interactiv entertainment center that offers unmatched range of games – covering sports like cricket, football, ten-pinbowling besides a superlative virtual-reality experience. The launch of Smaaash Noida also commemorates the launch of Mighty Small Café & Bar in NCR. Mighty Small at Smaaash is the new concept café being launched at all Smaaash properties across the country.

    The ‘Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival’is presented by legendary cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who are associated with Smaaash – India’s leading sports and entertainment zone. The carnival with nationwide presence is designed to be a fun-filled cricket tournament that will bring together 2000 teams across the nation to compete against each other. The tournament will be played across five Smaaash centers and the finals will be held in Mumbai. The highlight of this tournament will be the grand finale where the prizes will be awarded by both the cricket luminaries, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, at a glittering event in Mumbai.

    Brain child of the multi-faceted entrepreneur Shripal Morakhia, Smaaash combines the best of sports, music and dining into a highly immersive, interactive, innovative and involved entertainment experience. At the launch of the ‘Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival’, the founder said, “Smaaash is the only brand that has the support of two cricketing legends – Sachin and Virat. The glorious presence of these stalwarts will surely make the this carnival an event to remember for cricket enthusiasts all over the country.”

    Sachin Tendulkar, the brand ambassador of Smaaash addressed his fans at the launch event and said: “The exciting and unique concept of Smaaash provides the avenue to enjoy the pleasures of life. With the kind of stressful lives we lead, it’s imperative to play sports and relax our minds. This Cricket Carnival is designed to bring the excitement of real sports into your lives with incredible precision, modern equipment and real life experience. I look forward to this tournament connecting cricket lovers from across the country.”

    On the other hand, Virat Kohli, Smaaash Youth Icon, added: “All that cricket lovers want is entertainment. Not a war or a fight. This Cricket Carnival is a larger-than-life sports festival that will be a perfect platform for all cricket enthusiasts to showcase their skills. The aim of this fun fiesta is to engage youth in thrilling activities and social interaction with their peers. Of course, the pulsating energy of a real-like cricket pitch will make this tournament a memorable experience for all. I am so excited to be a part of this one-of-its-kind cricket fest.”

    The legendary sportstar Sachin Tendulkar has been an integral part of the Smaaash family since its inception in 2012. In his own words, “The advanced simulators at Smaaash are fascinating and are very close to the real match experience.” On the other hand, one of the world’s leading batsmen, Virat Kohli was signed as the Smaaash Youth Icon in early 2015. Thus Smaaash is the only brand that has the support of two cricketing legends, and the glorious presence of these stalwarts will surely make the Smaaash Cricket Carnival an event to remember for cricket enthusiasts all over the country.

    Cricket lovers can start registering their entries for the tournament that will be conducted across Smaaash centers, in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Noida, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Each six member team will play in the Smaaash cricket lanes and face a selected bowling line up. The Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival will have five Categories- Under 16 (School), Under-25 (College), Open, Corporate and Women’s Category. The Open Category winners from each city will be eligible to come to Mumbai and will face off as Team Sachin and Team Virat.

    This tournament will be played at Smaaash’s one-of-its-kind 360-degree cricket simulator at each center where cricketing legends like Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Kieron Pollard, Sachin Tendulkar and many others bowl to you.

    The precise technology of Smaaash Cricket not only replicates the bowler’s action perfectly, but also the cricket simulator is the only one of its kind which can bowl spin and swing balls with variations of line and length. The laser tracking and the high-tech cameras track every move and even offer replays and wagon wheels of the score.

    Thus cricketing teams, who’re used to playing in apartment compounds and neighbourhood parks, will now get the experience of playing at the packed Lord’s stadium.

    There is a nominal registration fee and the interested teams can register on the official website of Smaaash i.ewww.smaaash.in. The registration process will begin on May 20th, 2016 at all five Smaaash centres. The winners across categories can take home the Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival Cup along with memories of being mentored by a legend. That’s not all, the national winner and runner-up in the Open category will get Rs. 5 lakhs and Rs.3 lakhs respectively.

    This is a press release.

     

  • Sachin Tendulkar announces ‘Cricket Carnival’ at Smaaash, India

    Sachin Tendulkar announces ‘Cricket Carnival’ at Smaaash, India

    BENGALURU: Smaaash Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., launched the Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival in association with its brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar at its new outlet at the DLF Mall of India, Noida. Smaaash is a world-class sports-centric immersive and interactiv entertainment center that offers unmatched range of games – covering sports like cricket, football, ten-pinbowling besides a superlative virtual-reality experience. The launch of Smaaash Noida also commemorates the launch of Mighty Small Café & Bar in NCR. Mighty Small at Smaaash is the new concept café being launched at all Smaaash properties across the country.

    The ‘Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival’is presented by legendary cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, who are associated with Smaaash – India’s leading sports and entertainment zone. The carnival with nationwide presence is designed to be a fun-filled cricket tournament that will bring together 2000 teams across the nation to compete against each other. The tournament will be played across five Smaaash centers and the finals will be held in Mumbai. The highlight of this tournament will be the grand finale where the prizes will be awarded by both the cricket luminaries, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, at a glittering event in Mumbai.

    Brain child of the multi-faceted entrepreneur Shripal Morakhia, Smaaash combines the best of sports, music and dining into a highly immersive, interactive, innovative and involved entertainment experience. At the launch of the ‘Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival’, the founder said, “Smaaash is the only brand that has the support of two cricketing legends – Sachin and Virat. The glorious presence of these stalwarts will surely make the this carnival an event to remember for cricket enthusiasts all over the country.”

    Sachin Tendulkar, the brand ambassador of Smaaash addressed his fans at the launch event and said: “The exciting and unique concept of Smaaash provides the avenue to enjoy the pleasures of life. With the kind of stressful lives we lead, it’s imperative to play sports and relax our minds. This Cricket Carnival is designed to bring the excitement of real sports into your lives with incredible precision, modern equipment and real life experience. I look forward to this tournament connecting cricket lovers from across the country.”

    On the other hand, Virat Kohli, Smaaash Youth Icon, added: “All that cricket lovers want is entertainment. Not a war or a fight. This Cricket Carnival is a larger-than-life sports festival that will be a perfect platform for all cricket enthusiasts to showcase their skills. The aim of this fun fiesta is to engage youth in thrilling activities and social interaction with their peers. Of course, the pulsating energy of a real-like cricket pitch will make this tournament a memorable experience for all. I am so excited to be a part of this one-of-its-kind cricket fest.”

    The legendary sportstar Sachin Tendulkar has been an integral part of the Smaaash family since its inception in 2012. In his own words, “The advanced simulators at Smaaash are fascinating and are very close to the real match experience.” On the other hand, one of the world’s leading batsmen, Virat Kohli was signed as the Smaaash Youth Icon in early 2015. Thus Smaaash is the only brand that has the support of two cricketing legends, and the glorious presence of these stalwarts will surely make the Smaaash Cricket Carnival an event to remember for cricket enthusiasts all over the country.

    Cricket lovers can start registering their entries for the tournament that will be conducted across Smaaash centers, in Mumbai, Gurgaon, Noida, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Each six member team will play in the Smaaash cricket lanes and face a selected bowling line up. The Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival will have five Categories- Under 16 (School), Under-25 (College), Open, Corporate and Women’s Category. The Open Category winners from each city will be eligible to come to Mumbai and will face off as Team Sachin and Team Virat.

    This tournament will be played at Smaaash’s one-of-its-kind 360-degree cricket simulator at each center where cricketing legends like Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Kieron Pollard, Sachin Tendulkar and many others bowl to you.

    The precise technology of Smaaash Cricket not only replicates the bowler’s action perfectly, but also the cricket simulator is the only one of its kind which can bowl spin and swing balls with variations of line and length. The laser tracking and the high-tech cameras track every move and even offer replays and wagon wheels of the score.

    Thus cricketing teams, who’re used to playing in apartment compounds and neighbourhood parks, will now get the experience of playing at the packed Lord’s stadium.

    There is a nominal registration fee and the interested teams can register on the official website of Smaaash i.ewww.smaaash.in. The registration process will begin on May 20th, 2016 at all five Smaaash centres. The winners across categories can take home the Smaaash Sachin Virat Cricket Carnival Cup along with memories of being mentored by a legend. That’s not all, the national winner and runner-up in the Open category will get Rs. 5 lakhs and Rs.3 lakhs respectively.

    This is a press release.

     

  • Shane Warne, Greg Matthews in new TV commercial for Advanced Hair Studio, even as Carl Howard throws a challenge

    Shane Warne, Greg Matthews in new TV commercial for Advanced Hair Studio, even as Carl Howard throws a challenge

    New Delhi, 9 April: Famous cricketer and Advanced Hair Studio’s 12-years brand ambassador Shane Warne and his Australian cricketing spin partner Greg Matthews have starred in a new television commercial for AHS.

    The TV commercial was unveiled for the first time at a news conference in East Melbourne.

    Though Matthews has been with AHS since 1993 and Warne since 2005, this is the first time they have appeared together in an AHS commercial promoting AHS not just for men but also women.

    Meanwhile Carl Howell is also challenging any corporation or cricketing body to play the AHS international cricket team in a charity match. “We’ve a great association with the host of international cricketing stars and I’ve have always wanted to put the whole team together for a good cause. Perhaps in the English or Australian summer 2016/2017 we can make it happen as a charity fundraising initiative” says Howell.

    Apart from Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir from India, cricketing stars who have had their hair replaced or restored with AHS and who are part of the AHS team include Shane Warne (Australia), Darren Gough (England), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), AB De Villiers (South Africa), Graham Gooch (England), Doug Bollinger (Australia), Ravi Bopara (England), Fahaard Behardien (South Africa), Brett Lee (Australia), and Greg Matthews (Australia).

     

  • Shane Warne, Greg Matthews in new TV commercial for Advanced Hair Studio, even as Carl Howard throws a challenge

    Shane Warne, Greg Matthews in new TV commercial for Advanced Hair Studio, even as Carl Howard throws a challenge

    New Delhi, 9 April: Famous cricketer and Advanced Hair Studio’s 12-years brand ambassador Shane Warne and his Australian cricketing spin partner Greg Matthews have starred in a new television commercial for AHS.

    The TV commercial was unveiled for the first time at a news conference in East Melbourne.

    Though Matthews has been with AHS since 1993 and Warne since 2005, this is the first time they have appeared together in an AHS commercial promoting AHS not just for men but also women.

    Meanwhile Carl Howell is also challenging any corporation or cricketing body to play the AHS international cricket team in a charity match. “We’ve a great association with the host of international cricketing stars and I’ve have always wanted to put the whole team together for a good cause. Perhaps in the English or Australian summer 2016/2017 we can make it happen as a charity fundraising initiative” says Howell.

    Apart from Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir from India, cricketing stars who have had their hair replaced or restored with AHS and who are part of the AHS team include Shane Warne (Australia), Darren Gough (England), Jacques Kallis (South Africa), AB De Villiers (South Africa), Graham Gooch (England), Doug Bollinger (Australia), Ravi Bopara (England), Fahaard Behardien (South Africa), Brett Lee (Australia), and Greg Matthews (Australia).

     

  • Star India snaps up broadcast rights to Sachin-Warne’s Cricket All-Stars

    Star India snaps up broadcast rights to Sachin-Warne’s Cricket All-Stars

    MUMBAI: Star India has snapped up the broadcast rights of the much awaited venture of Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne namely The Cricket All-Stars T20 tournament, featuring cricket legends from across the globe.

     

    Confirming the development to Indiantelevision.com a source close to the development said, “The rights are with Star and we all are looking forward to the tournament.”

     

    While Master Card has been roped in as the title sponsor of the tournament, negotiations are on with a few more brand. The source adds, “We are in the last phase of proceedings and will soon reveal many more developments.”

     

    The Cricket All-Stars T20 tournament is set to unfold on 7 November, 2015 in New York. The tourney will then move to Houston on 11 November and to Los Angeles on 14 November.

     

    Virender Sehwag, who recently retired, has also joined the roster, which has former Indian greats like Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Ajit Agarkar. While Warne confirmed his participation in the tournament a few days back, the master blaster Tendulkar was also spotted sweating it out in the nets yet again. Some of the others former cricketers who are a part of the league are Kumar Sangakkara, Jonthy Rhodes, Wasim Akram, Glen Mcgrath and Ricky Ponting.

     

    His recent tweets read : 

     

    Had fun at the nets today. #ComingToAmerica, see you in New York in 10 days.. #CricketAllStars2015 @T20AllStars

     

     

    Welcoming Sehwag and beginning the countdown, Telndulkar tweeted: Welcome my friend and a batsman with distinct style …………………. #10daystogo

     

     

    Senior cricket expert Hemant Kenkre said, “It’s a delightful opportunity for the average American cricket fans to see the legends playing in front of them. The initiative is nice. I remember something similar was done in Brabourne Stadium long back. From cricket’s perspective, it remains to be seen how fit the players are, it’s been long since many of them retired and no one knows how much cricket they have been playing. But overall Wasim Akram bowling to Lara or Sachin facing Warne again would be a worthy sight for cricket lovers.”

     

    A sports media planning veteran added, “Sachin, Sourav, Sehwag, Warne in one pitch again can take viewership to a different level, recently we saw in Wankhede how the entire stadium was chanting Sachinnnnn! Sachinnnnnn! Having said that, the matches are to be played in America so the timing will be an issue for the Indian audience. Moreover, how competitive the matches are, will be another factor to look at. Overall the first three matches will be an experiment and the quality of those will determine the future.”

     

  • Star India to promote Tendulkar-Warne promoted T-20 series?

    Star India to promote Tendulkar-Warne promoted T-20 series?

    MUMBAI: The game of cricket is all set to get bigger and better. Cricketing demigods Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne have reportedly teamed up with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp to establish a new Twenty20 cricket league for former international players renowned for their contribution to the sport.

     

    As per media reports, the Tendulkar – Warne joint innovation called Cricket All Stars League is set to roll as early as September 2015 in the US and in all likelihood  will air on Star India’s sports venture Star Sports. India’s leading broadcast network also holds the broadcasting rights of Indian cricket and other ICC tournaments. 

     

    Cricket All Stars League will have veterans from across the globe and the tournament will be organised by keeping cricket regulatory boards like International Cricket Council (ICC), Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and Wales Cricket Board (WCB) in the loop.

     

    The league envisages 15 matches being played over a period of four years. Tendulkar and Warne have reportedly made an offer of between $25,000 per match to retired players like Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff and Jacques Kallis.

     

    Unlike the Indian Premier League (IPL), where there are eight teams participating, Cricket All Stars League will have 28 players equally divided into two teams.

     

    A senior media planning and buying executive, who closely deals with sports tells Indiantelevision.com, “If Sachin and Warne come together and start a league involving legends like Ponting, Flintoff, Dravid, it is obvious that it will get viewership. Now if it is happening in New York as reports are suggesting then the timings can emerge as an issue. Overall, it is very early to predict a future but if Sachin himself plays and gets his close buddies like Sourav, Dravid, Laxman and Kumble in, Indian cricket lovers’ admiration for him will grow further as no one ever expected to see the legends playing again. If Indian legends get involved in it and Star airs it, I see a flurry of advertisers, who will be ready to pay anything.”

     

    A cricket expert was of the opinion that the innovation can popularize cricket in the United States and unless it forces a player to leave national commitments in order to participate in the league, it is a good move. 

     

    “The coming together of legends is always big. Two names Sachin and Warne successfully grabbed attention of so many people. Now add Ponting, Flintoff, Kumble, Lee and see the prodigy and magnitude. Shane Warne’s post earlier this year hinted that a joint venture from them was coming but the success will be determined by the participation. If a noble cause is associated with it, I see legends participating but I doubt that a two-time world champion captain Ricky Ponting will be a part of something only for money. So we should wait before drawing conclusions. Retired players’ participation for financial purposes can put a question mark on their legacy and hence it remains to be seen how many agree to participate. However, if Sachin himself decides to play, I don’t see any of these arguments coming in.”

     

    As reported by Cricket.com.au, Cricket Australia and the International Cricket Council denied any knowledge of the proposal for the Cricket All Stars League. However, a CA spokesman suggested it could be a positive way to promote and grow the game in new or emerging markets – as long as it didn’t poach contracted international players.

     

    Brett Lee’s manager Neil Maxwell confirmed that Tendulkar and Warne had approached his client and that Lee would be seeking clearance from Cricket Australia to play in the league. “I can’t see anything wrong with it, it’s a group of retired blokes playing a game of cricket,” Maxwell told Fox Sports.

     

    With sports broadcasting on the rise in India, a property such as this, if done right, has the potential to garner enormous attention and emerge as a prime broadcasting asset for broadcasters, advertisers and cricket fanatics alike.

  • Anil Kumble to be inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

    Anil Kumble to be inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

    MUMBAI: Former India captain and one of the most versatile wrist-spinners to ever play the game Anil Kumble, and Betty Wilson, one of the greatest women’s cricketers of all-time, will be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 match between India and South Africa at the MCG on 22 February.

     

    Kumble, with 619 Test wickets, is the third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket after Muttiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708), while his 337 wickets in ODIs ranks him in ninth position on the all-time list of most successful bowlers in that format. Kumble captained India in 14 Tests between 2007 and 2008, winning three and losing five.

     

    In the 138-year history of Test cricket during which 2,156 Tests have been played to date, Kumble is one of only two bowlers after England’s Jim Laker to have taken all 10 wickets in an innings. He achieved this feat against traditional rival Pakistan in New Delhi in February 1999.

     

    Kumble made his Test debut in 1990 in Manchester and his final appearance was in New Delhi in October-November 2008. During his career, Kumble played 132 Tests and 271 One-Day Internationals. Apart from his 619 Test and 337 ODI wickets, Kumble also scored 2,506 runs in Tests and 938 runs in ODIs.

     

    Wilson, a former Australia batter, played 11 Tests between 1947 and 1958 in which she scored 862 runs at average of 57.4 and took 68 wickets at 11.8 per wicket.

     

    On her debut against New Zealand at the age of 26 in 1948, she scored 90 and took four for 37 and six for 28. In her second Test, she scored 111 against England, becoming the first Australia woman to score a Test century against England, and took nine more wickets. Against England in 1957-58, she became the first cricketer, male or female, to score a century and take 10 wickets in a Test. Wilson passed away on 22 January 2010, aged 88.

     

    Kumble and Wilson will be formally inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the innings break in the India versus South Africa match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday 22 February. International Cricket Council (ICC) director and chairman of Cricket Australia, Wally Edwards, will present Kumble with his commemorative cap, while Wilson’s commemorative cap will be received by her nephew, Ken Wilson, from ICC chief executive David Richardson.

     

    Kumble, who is now the chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee, is the fourth India cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame after fellow former captains Bishen Singh Bedi, Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar were inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

     

    The process for the selection of players into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame started last year when the ICC chairman invited all the living ICC Cricket Hall of Famers to send their nominations. The ICC Nominations Committee reduced the long-list to 10 men and three women cricketers. The short-list was then sent to the Voting Academy, which included representatives of all the 10 Full Members, media representatives from all the 10 Full Members, Associate & Affiliate Member, women’s cricket and FICA representatives as well as living ICC Hall of Famers. The ICC collated the nominations and forwarded the ballot papers to the auditors who provided the final results.

  • ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to be broadcast in 4K

    ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to be broadcast in 4K

    MUMBAI: For sports in India, nothing is bigger than the World Cup and the official broadcaster Star India is set to make the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 even bigger and better by rolling out an ambitious broadcast plan. 

     

    The network will revolutionise sports broadcasting in the country, as it is all set to broadcast certain select matches, including India’s opening match against arch-rivals Pakistan, in the ground breaking 4K format. This will be the first ever global broadcast of cricket in 4K.  

     

    Announcing a slew of initiatives, Star India COO Sanjay Gupta said, “The last edition was watched by 90 per cent of TV viewers in the country, making it the largest aggregation of consumers possible. We will introduce many firsts and innovations in sports broadcasting to take the great game of cricket to the next level and provide an unprecedented viewing experience to the millions of cricket fans in India.” 

     

    Star will broadcast the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in six languages, making it far more inclusive than any other sporting tournament on television. This will be the first time that the WC will be telecast in Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada, apart from English and Hindi. 

     

    With an aim to bring the best of World Cup action through the best of experts, Star Sports’ commentary panel will feature 13 World Cup captains, 20 World Cup winners and 26 World Cup semi-finalists. The likes of Allan Border, Kapil Dev, Wasim Akram, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh, Graeme Smith, Ian Botham, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Saurav Ganguly among others will add to the viewing experience with their expert insights and analysis during the WC. To take the viewer experience to the next level, it will launch a state-of-the-art studio in Mumbai to present the pre and post-match analysis, expert comments and insights.

     

    Never seen before player analytics across 4000 hours of match footage, ball-by-ball data from 600 matches (ODI data from 2010-till date), 200 players and 14 venues will be analysed in new look graphics, keeping the fans engaged 24×7 during the WC. For the first time ever, technologies mounted on sunglasses and wickets will be used during practice sessions to showcase what the players see while batting and bowling, bringing the viewers closer to the game. Drone cameras to give an aerial perspective of the majestic stadiums will be used for the first ever time for the ICC WC.

     

    Star will also add two new HD channels to its sports portfolio, Star Sports HD 3 and Star Sports HD 4, as a lead up to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Star Sports HD 3 will be an all-Hindi HD channel, a first for sports broadcasting, taking the game closer to the cricket loving audience across the country. 

     

    starsports.com, will offer live streaming and 24×7 video-on-demand accessible through the web, WAP and apps on 200+ devices, all of which will contribute towards making the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 easily and readily available.

     

    Star India’s marketing blitz started with the film with Sachin Tendulkar, invoking India to ‘Chase the Dream’ to win the World Cup again, the most coveted prize in international cricket. The broadcaster’s World Cup campaign, #wontgiveitback followed the film, reflecting the young nation’s attitude and mood for the World Cup. The nation’s rallying call to Team India #wontgiveitback has created high buzz and conversations online. On YouTube the video has garnered more than 7,18,050 views and counting.