Day: June 6, 2023

Dubai, June 06, 2023 (PPI-OT): India fell to an eight-wicket defeat to the Black Caps in the inaugural World Test Championship Final in Southampton in 2021 and get the chance to gain some redemption for that loss when they take on the strong Australia outfit in the one-off clash at The Oval that commences on Wednesday. India will enter this week’s match without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and first-choice keeper Rishabh Pant due to injury, but Rohit believes his team has enough quality in their squad to cover the loss of this key duo. “Last time we played we did make a few mistakes, which we have already spoken about in this group,” Rohit said at The Oval on Tuesday.

“There are a few guys missing from that squad, but we are quite excited about the score as well and it is a good challenge to have. “We know exactly what went wrong for us in the last Championship Final, so hopefully we will not repeat those kind of things. “You don’t want to repeat mistakes that can get the better results eventually. We have played the opposition a fair bit in the last two or three months so we know what they are capable of – so it’s just about considering all the factors and pulling it through.”

Rohit revealed he will wait until the morning of the match to finalise his playing XI, with much dependant on the often-fickle London weather and what the pitch at The Oval looks like prior to the toss. Fine weather is predicted for the majority of the clash, but Rohit would not be drawn into making an early call on who is in line for selection. “The weather forecast looks all right, but in terms of the combination, I think it’s better that we wait until tomorrow,” Rohit added.

Australia counterpart Pat Cummins revealed earlier on Tuesday that seamer Scott Boland had won the race over Michael Neser to fill in for the injured Josh Hazelwood and the skipper is confident the right-armer can perform well in what will be just his second Test on foreign soil. Boland went wicket-less during the first Test against India in Mohali in February, but Cummins thinks the 34-year-old can thrive in the more suitable English conditions. “These conditions just seem to suit him, you’d think,” Cummins said.

“He hasn’t played a lot over here, but a seam bowler who will be rewarded for just bowling in the good areas over and over again and that is what he brings to the team. “He has been fantastic. Even in India, he played the first Test match there on a pretty docile wicket and still did a fantastic job. He’s a seasoned pro. If there’s any assistance in the wicket as well, he just goes to that next level.”

For more information, contact:

Headquarters,

International Cricket Council (ICC)

Street 69, Dubai Sports City,

Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Phone: +97-143828800

Fax: +97-143828600

E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com

Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, June 06, 2023 (PPI-OT): The International Cricket Council today announced the details of its broadcast licensee arrangements as well as an experienced commentary panel for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 Final to be played between Australia and India at The Oval from 7 June. The final of the second edition of the championship, that ran from 2021 to 2023, will be broadcast across the globe to attract a potential audience of 700 million people across 100 territories through ICC’s official broadcast licensees, plus additional coverage on icc.tv to reach a truly global audience.

In India, the Star Sports network will showcase the English World Feed and provide regional coverage in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu. Their digital platform Disney+ Hotstar will show live coverage of each day’s play. India’s public broadcaster Doordarshan will also carry live coverage of each day’s play via their DD Sports channel. In Australia, the Test will be shown live on Channel 7 and its digital platform 7Plus along with pitch-side studio analysis. In the UK, Sky Sports will carry the live coverage via their Sky Sports Cricket channel, which is also available via subscription on the Sky Go app and NOW.

Supersport will cover the match in full across their linear network in Sub-Saharan Africa with digital coverage via the DSTV app. In New Zealand, the match will be telecasted via Sky Sports as well as through their linear channels and the Sky Go app. In the US and Canada, cricket fans will be able to enjoy the action via Willow TV on both linear and digital platforms. Fans in the UAE can access the match on CricLife on Etisalat and Starzplay, while people from the Caribbean will be able to watch the Test on Sportsmax. Other broadcasters include ATN in Afghanistan, Gazi TV in Bangladesh and Maharaja TV in Sri Lanka.

In other markets, broadcast coverage can be accessed on ICC’s in-house digital platform ICC.tv, ensuring genuine global live coverage of the Ultimate Test. Live audio-only coverage will be provided by BBC Test Match Special direct from the venue to a UK audience and SEN will be airing live to listeners in Australia and New Zealand. Several other radio channels will be broadcasting live, full details here. Non-live coverage can be viewed on ICC’s Facebook and Instagram channels, which will include in-play clips and highlights clips in the Indian subcontinent and global five-minute highlights.

BBC Sport will also provide coverage via short-form in-play and highlights clips within the host country.

Production details:

ICC TV will produce the live coverage of the WTC Final with best-in-class production enhancements. There will be a fully produced live match day programme for broadcasters with a 30-minute pre-matchday build-up, lunch and tea interval shows and a post-matchday wrap-up. The commentary panel for The Ultimate Test will include stalwarts of the game – Ravi Shastri, Ricky Ponting, Sunil Gavaskar, Matthew Hayden, Nasser Hussain and Kumar Sangakkara, who will be joined by experienced broadcasters Harsha Bhogle and Alison Mitchell, alongside Dinesh Karthik and Justin Langer.

Ricky Ponting: “Test cricket is the ultimate format for cricketers of my generation. It is the ultimate test of skill and temperament. I’m looking forward to commentating on the World Test Championship Final at The Oval between two top-class sides. I can’t wait!” Ravi Shastri: “India and Australia have had some epic encounters in the past, and they are two tough sides who will give everything to lift the mace. This is The Ultimate Test, and it will take not only talent and flair but a lot of grit and determination to come out on top. India have been in the final before and this is a chance for them to go one better.”

Alison Mitchell: “The Oval provides a great stage for what promises to be a superb Test match between two sides that have played some extraordinary cricket over the last two years. There are going to be some splendid performances in the battle for the mace, and I am really looking forward to calling all the action from the commentary box.” Dinesh Karthik: “It’s a great honour for the teams fighting it out at The Oval for the World Test Championship mace. Nothing beats the buzz of Test cricket. It’s also a great honour for me to be able to commentate on what promises to be an epic encounter.”

Matthew Hayden: “Australia and India have been superb throughout this World Test Championship cycle. It will be great to see how they perform in neutral English conditions, and the crowds are going to love every bit of it as Kohli and Smith, Shami and Cummins, Lyon and Ashwin go head-to-head in this battle of epic proportions. It’s an amazing opportunity to watch the match and share my views along with my distinguished fellow commentators.” ICC TV is supported by production services partner Sunset+Vine and equipment services partner NEP Broadcast Solutions. AE Live will deliver the on-air graphics for the coverage.

Viewers will be treated to state-of-the-art coverage which will include a minimum of 35 cameras. The coverage will be complemented with a variety of analytical and visual enhancements. There will also be a comprehensive range of DRS services including ball tracking and edge detection which will be provided by Hawk-Eye. The graphics system will be supplemented by in-depth cricket data analytics to be provided by Cricviz. The drone camera provided by Batcam will provide stunning views of the venue and its surroundings. There will be a Batcam buggy cam as well for a roving ground level view, while Spidercam will provide an aerial view of play.

The broadcast will feature extensive fielding analysis through Field 360° – a virtual field model, powered by an AI enabled live player tracking engine which will be used to highlight fielding positions and strategies, provided by Quidich Innovation Labs with creative direction from ICC TV. ICC TV will also produce a host of additional content off the field of play, to be distributed to its media rights partners via the ICC TV content delivery service. This content will include player profiles, team features, match previews, venue features and other behind the scenes content, getting fans close to all the action around The Ultimate Test.

ICC Digital

A dedicated website worldtestchampionship.com has been set up for the tournament, which will bring to the fans all exclusive content revolving around the event. Dedicated mobile apps on iOS and Android will also feature vertical videos including match clips, daily highlights (including Hindi) and behind-the-scenes player content.

Also exclusively on app, users can view a 360-degree replay of every six via the VR ShotTracker experience. To enhance fan experience, bespoke in-stadium activations will be carried out like live polling and quizzes.

For more information, contact:

Headquarters,

International Cricket Council (ICC)

Street 69, Dubai Sports City,

Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Phone: +97-143828800

Fax: +97-143828600

E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com

Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, June 06, 2023 (PPI-OT): The WTC Final begins on Wednesday 7 June, with both teams having spent the past fortnight reacquainting themselves with the particular challenges of playing cricket early in an English summer. India succumbed to New Zealand in the 2021 edition of the WTC Final in such conditions, playing under heavy cloud cover for much of the Test in Southampton. But the forecast and pitch conditions appear to be far more favourable this time around, with India captain Rohit Sharma set to wait until the toss to confirm the exact make-up of his playing XI. “We are quite aware of what the conditions are, what is going to happen in the next five days,” Sharma said in his media conference on Tuesday at the Oval.

“The weather forecast looks all right. But in terms of the combination, I think it’s better that we wait till tomorrow. That’s a common answer, I think. “Whoever uses the conditions really well, probably will win the game. As simple as that.” Rohit Sharma of India poses for a portrait prior to the ICC World Test Championship Final 2023 at The Oval 1920x1080Rohit Sharma of India poses for a portrait prior to the ICC World Test Championship Final 2023 at The Oval 1920×1080 Both teams possess plenty of quality in their bowling attacks, with Australia set to use Scott Boland alongside Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc in the absence of the injured Josh Hazelwood.

And Australia captain Cummins is also well aware of the threat that India will pose with the ball this week, particularly given that he and so many of the Australian side have only just finished playing alongside their Indian opponents in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL). “I think through the IPL we know a lot of the guys now as well, which always kind of has some healthy battles,” Cummins said. “I think in a lot of ways we play a similar style. Some quick bowlers, the batters want to get out there and take the game on, and there’s been really close battles over the last few years, so it’s going to be a bit different playing in a neutral venue but it should be good fun.”

Warner receives some advice from assistant coach Michael Di VenutoWarner receives some advice from assistant coach Michael Di Venuto Mohammad Shami and Mohammed Siraj will spearhead the Indian bowling attack in the absence of the injured Jasprit Bumrah, with a decision yet to be made on whether both spinners, Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, will play. And Steve Smith, who comes into this match ranked at number three in the MRF Tyres ICC Test Batting Rankings, is wary of the threat that the Indian bowlers will pose.

“Yeah, I think they’ve got a good mix of quality seam bowlers,” Smith said. “Shami and Siraj are probably their two main guys who have really good skills and I think the Duke ball suit them nicely. “And then obviously there are their spinners as well, who bowl really well in all conditions. So I think they’re a good attack and we’re going to have to play well against them this week.” While India have plenty of quality in their squad, ICC pundit and former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes that the Aussies have a slight edge in the English conditions. “I think Australia are going to be a lot more settled and then when you think about conditions here as well, these early June conditions are probably more like Australian conditions than they are Indian,” Ponting said.

“Saying that, we all know how well India played in Australia last time they were there, but I just think on the back of their work that they’ve done, Australia start narrow favourites.” This week’s game represents the finale of two years of hard-fought Test cricket in the World Test Championship cycle, with the world’s top-two ranked sides both making it through to this showpiece event. “It’s been two years of hard work to get here, quite a few ups and downs along the way,” India coach Rahul Dravid said. “It’s something that you start the cycle aspiring to be in the top two teams so that you can get an opportunity to play this game.

“We’re looking forward to it and hoping for a good game of cricket.” Play is scheduled to start at 10:30 local time in London on Wednesday, with Monday scheduled as a reserve day should it be required.

For more information, contact:

Headquarters,

International Cricket Council (ICC)

Street 69, Dubai Sports City,

Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Phone: +97-143828800

Fax: +97-143828600

E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com

Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, June 06, 2023 (PPI-OT): The International Cricket Council today revealed the latest crop of outstanding international performers shortlisted for their outstanding performances in May as the candidates for the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month Awards were announced. A competitive month of men’s international matches saw the conclusion of fixtures in the ICC Super League, thus confirming the full line-up of teams set to battle it out in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe later this month. In women’s internationals, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh went head-to-head in May, along with a host of bilateral fixtures and the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia which was won by Thailand.

The Men’s shortlist comprises three names which starred in the ODI format. Pakistan skipper and holder of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, Babar Azam is nominated for his performances at the latter end of his side’s series victory over New Zealand. Bangladesh batter Najmul Hossain Shanto is shortlisted for the first time following a prolific spell of run-scoring as his side triumphed over Ireland. The final candidate in line for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award is Ireland’s Harry Tector, who continued his fine international form against Bangladesh, albeit in a losing cause.

Sri Lanka can boast two nominees for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for May. Captain Chamari Athapaththu led the line in series victories over Bangladesh in ODI and T20Is, scoring well in both formats. Her compatriot Harshitha Madavi also enjoyed decisive contributions in both series, starring as the Player of the Series in the T20I round of matches. The line-up is completed by Thailand’s Thipoatcha Putthawong, who aims to emulate teammate Naruemol Chaiwai’s Player of the Month prize in April, and whose bowling prowess helped her side claim gold in the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh.

An independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world will now be invited to cast their votes to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered at icc-cricket.com/awards will be able to vote for their favourite performers until Saturday.

ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for May:

Babar Azam (PAK)

As Fakhar Zaman dominated the start of the ODI series against New Zealand in April – claiming the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award in the process – his captain Babar Azam took the spotlight in the latter stages of the 4-1 win on home soil. 54 runs in the third ODI preceded his highlight of the month, a commanding 107 from 117, guiding the home side to a convincing 102-run triumph in Karachi. If successful, Babar will become the first player to win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award on three separate occasions (April 2021 and March 2022).

Najmul Hossain Shanto (BAN)

Bangladesh and Ireland played out the final series in the ICC Super League during the month, and Shanto claimed the Player of the Series award for 196 runs across the tourists’ hard-fought 2-0 sweep. Sandwiched between 44 runs in the abandoned first ODI and 35 in the final match, Shanto was the principal catalyst in a memorable last-over triumph in the second fixture, scoring a brilliant 117 in 93 balls which helped them chase down an improbable 320 in Chelmsford after a slow start.

Harry Tector (IRE)

Tector becomes Ireland’s first nominee for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award since Paul Stirling was shortlisted back in January 2021, and his maiden nomination comes on the back of a sustained period of good form in international colours. Despite the series against Bangladesh ending in defeat, Tector’s 206 runs presented several positives for Ireland as the Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier approaches, most notably a career-best innings of 140 in the second ODI, featuring 10 sixes.

ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for May:

Chamari Athapaththu (SL)

The Sri Lanka skipper is nominated for the first time since January 2022 after overseeing two notable series victories in May – the first, a weather affected ODI series, and the second, an evenly-fought T20I series – against touring Bangladesh. Athapaththu was a key figure in the solitary ODI that took place, scoring a valuable 64 in 60 balls before taking the prized scalp of Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana with the ball in the response. This 58-run victory preceded another fine spell at the crease in the shortest format, Athapaththu inspiring her side to claim the 2-1 victory thanks to three consecutive scores of 30-plus atop the order in Colombo.

Harshitha Madavi (SL)

With 170 runs scored across her four fixtures in May (one ODI and three T20Is), the Sri Lankan top order batter excelled in her side’s short format successes. Her unbeaten 45 in the decisive ODI proved crucial in support of her captain, and she followed that victory up with 125 runs across three T20Is, only losing her wicket once. Scoring 45 in a losing cause in the first fixture, she inspired a strong response with unbeaten scores of 29 and 51 to seal the 2-1 series triumph and claim the Player of the Series award as the top run-scorer.

Thipoatch Putthawong (THAI)

Thailand scooped gold in the Women’s T20I category of the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, and they can owe their success in part thanks to a string of glittering bowling displays by their 19-year-old spinner. The left-armer took 11 wickets in four T20Is during the performance period at a staggering average of 1.54, enjoying successive spells of four wickets for three runs, three for three, and three for two against Philippines, Malaysia and Myanmar respectively in Thailand’s surge to gold.

The ICC Player of the Month Voting Process:

The three nominees for either category are shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month. The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters and members of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 per cent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC can vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on ICC’s digital channels.

Voting Academy for ICC Player of the Month May 2023:

Afghanistan: Hameed Qayoomi and Javed Hamim; Australia: Scott Bailey and Lisa Sthalekar; Bangladesh: Mohammad Sekander Ali and Md Ariful Islam Roney; England: Elizabeth Ammon and Lydia Greenway; Ireland: Ger Siggins and Clare Shillington; India: S Gomesh and Irfan Pathan; New Zealand: Merryn Anderson and Craig Cumming; Pakistan: Sawera Pasha and Sana Mir; South Africa: Zaahier Adams and Ashwell Prince; Sri Lanka: Azzam Ameen and Farveez Maharoof; West Indies: Daren Ganga and Stacy Ann King; Zimbabwe: Daniel Nhakaniso and Grant Flower; Others: Ajit Vijaykumar and Dirk Nannes.

For more information, contact:

Headquarters,

International Cricket Council (ICC)

Street 69, Dubai Sports City,

Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Phone: +97-143828800

Fax: +97-143828600

E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com

Website: www.icc-cricket.com