Category: Games

Dubai, March 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):South Africa skipper Sune Luus has backed her experienced squad to peak at the right time as they target glory at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022.

The Proteas begin their campaign against debutants Bangladesh in Dunedin on Saturday with a side containing numerous survivors from the 2017 tournament, which saw them narrowly beaten by eventual winners England in the last four.

With stalwarts such as Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp and Shabnim Ismail each now into their 30s, this tournament could represent the final chance for South Africa’s settled squad to go all the way and Luus is determined to seize it.

“We have played a couple of World Cups together but this is the ultimate one for us,” she said.

“For a lot of our experienced players, this is their big one. Hopefully, we can make it count and make it an enjoyable one.

“We have a well-balanced team and if all three departments fire, we can beat any team in the world.

“The challenge for us is to get all three skills on the day to fire and make sure we do that consistently. We are all feeling pretty confident. We had a run around the park today and it’s a pretty cool scene here in Dunedin, it’s a very nice ground and we’re all excited to get going.”

South Africa will be missing one of their key players against Bangladesh, with Lizelle Lee still seeing out her spell in quarantine following a delayed arrival due to the birth of her first child.

Tazmin Brits has been entrusted with the opener vacancy alongside Laura Wolvaardt in South Africa’s two warm-up matches, defeats against England and India, and Luus hopes to see the 31-year-old stake a claim to stay in the side once the competitive action gets underway.

“We always knew she [Lee] wouldn’t be available for the first game so we’ve given a couple of players a run up front and hopefully we’ve got the combination right for tomorrow,” she said.

“Hopefully she’ll make it difficult for Lizelle to come back into the side.

“For us, the warm-ups were all about assessing the conditions and taking out of it what we could.

“There were a lot of positives and it gave a lot of players some game time and confidence in the middle as well.”

The identity of South Africa’s opponents in their opening match also holds a special significance for Luus, who made her international debut against Bangladesh in 2012.

“It was pretty cool – the stadium was full and it was one of the best experiences of my life,” she recalled. They are a very good side and you know every game will be a challenge in a World Cup. You can’t take any team lightly so our standards and intensity will be the same.

“Captaining my country in a World Cup is a great opportunity and something I’ve dreamt about for many years. I’m hoping I can lead from the front and pull the team towards victory.”

Luus’s opposite number Nigar Sultana is set to make history as she becomes the first to lead Bangladesh in a 50-over ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup match and the 24-year-old is confident her side can make their mark on the tournament.

Defeats against England and Pakistan, the latter by just seven runs, in the warm-up matches have shown Bangladesh where they need to improve and Sultana is fully aware of the importance of a strong start against a side they have faced regularly over the years – though not since 2018.

“We have prepared well in the practice matches,” she said. “The results didn’t go our way but we took a lot of positives going into the tournament.

“We have played against South Africa many times so we know about their strengths. We have faced their fast bowlers before so we have some ideas about them and we have done our homework as well.

“For us and for everyone, the first match is very important. This is our opportunity, because we know South Africa well – it is a very good chance for us and we are going for a good win. We are taking it one match at a time. It’s our first ever World Cup and we want to make it memorable.

“We know we need a good start as that will give us more confidence to do well in the rest of the tournament.

“I am trying to give the girls confidence that we don’t want to focus on the names we are playing against, we want to focus on our strengths and what we can do as a team.”

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, March 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The International Cricket Council has expressed sadness at the death of former Australia wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh at the age of 74. In a statement, ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice praised ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Marsh’s impressive career and said his impact on and off the field would be remembered for years to come.

“It is incredibly sad to hear of Rod’s passing. He was a true legend of the game who has been part of international cricket for more than fifty years. His skill and talent with the gloves was exceptional, holding the world record for the number of dismissals at the time of his retirement.

“But his legacy has gone way beyond what he achieved on the field. An ICC Hall of Fame inductee in 2009, he played a significant role in developing young cricketers all around the world, including through his time as the inaugural director of coaching at the ICC Cricket Academy in Dubai, a facility that future generations of players from all countries will continue to benefit from. He will be sorely missed and the thoughts of everyone at the ICC are with his family and friends.”

Marsh, who was among the initial inductees to the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009, made his debut against England at Brisbane in 1970 and retired 14 years later with the then world record of 355 victims in 96 Tests. This tally comprised 343 catches and 12 stumpings.

Marsh was also a useful batter and the first Australian wicketkeeper to score a century in Tests. He aggregated 3,633 runs in Test cricket including three centuries. In 92 ODIs, he scored 1,225 runs, took 120 catches and effected four stumpings.

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, March 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The International Cricket Council has expressed sadness at the sudden passing of legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne at the age of 52.

In a statement, ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice expressed shock and sadness at Warne’s passing and said his impact on and off the field would be remembered for generations.

“I was stunned to hear the news of Shane’s passing. He was a true legend of the game, who changed the landscape of cricket by reviving the art of leg-spin. His larger-than-life personality, extraordinary skill and immense cricketing intellect ensured fans were glued to their seats whenever he was involved in a game.

“His contribution off the field was also remarkable, where he shared his time and experiences so generously with young players, especially up and coming leg-spinners. He also established a successful career in the commentary box, where his insightful and forthright views on the game made him one of the first-choice commentators for broadcasters in most cricketing countries.

“He will be sorely missed, and our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans at this difficult time, said Allardice.

Warne made his Test debut in 1992 against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground, going on to become the most successful leg-spinner of all time. He played 145 Tests, finishing with 708 wickets that included 37 five-wicket hauls and 10 10-wicket match hauls. In 194 ODI appearances, Warne snared 293 scalps.

Warne was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2013 and named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Century for his unparalleled achievements in an illustrious 15-year career that ended in 2007.

He helped Australia win the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 1999 and took more wickets than any other bowler in Ashes cricket, with a tally that stood at 195. After retiring from international cricket, Warne doubled up as captain and coach of the IPL Franchise team Rajasthan Royals, guiding them to the title in the league’s inaugural edition.

A flamboyant personality both on and off the field, Warne also found success as a commentator and was considered one of the sharpest analysts of the game.

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, March 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The next round of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 supported by Dream 11, which is part of the qualification pathway to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is set to resume on 5 March in UAE and will feature hosts UAE, Namibia, and Oman. All 49 games of the various tri-series that make up league 2 will be streamed live on ICC.tv.

A gateway to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India, the teams finishing top three in League 2 will secure berths in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers. The bottom four will compete in the World Cup Qualifiers set to take place in Zimbabwe in June and July of 2023. Oman leads the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup league 2 standing with 29 points followed by Scotland which is on 16 points. Current standings of all participating teams can be viewed here.

Series 9 of League 2 features a tri-series between UAE, Namibia and Oman and will be played in UAE from 5 to 12 March. The earlier fixture from series 7 that was to be played between Oman and Namibia will now be played on 14 March also in the UAE.

Following is the schedule of the remainder of the tri-series comprising the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2:

Series 9 – UAE v Namibia v Oman: 5 – 12 March 2022 in UAE

Postponed Oman v Namibia match from Series 7: 14 March 2022 in UAE

Series 10 – UAE v Nepal v PNG: 15 – 22 March 2022 in UAE

Series 11 – PNG v Oman v Scotland: 9 April – 16 April 2022 in UAE

Series 12 – USA v Scotland v UAE: 27 May – 3 June 2022 in USA

Series 13 – USA v Nepal v Oman: 7 June – 14 June 2022 in USA

Series 14 – Scotland v Namibia v Nepal: 10 – 17 2022 July in Scotland

Series 15 – Scotland v UAE v USA: 8 August – 16 August 2022 in Scotland

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, March 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):Hayley Matthews believes Deandra Dottin represented the spirit of their West Indies side in their three-run win over hosts New Zealand as the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 got underway.

Dottin’s magical final over spell, which gave her figures of two for two, threatened to overshadow Matthew’s fine all-round performance – a career-best 119 with the bat before taking two for 41 with the ball.

Her opening partner Dottin bravely took the ball for her first over, the final of the game, with New Zealand needing just six runs and three wickets in hand, but having picked up two wickets Dottin knocked the bails off to run out Fran Jonas for the win.

Matthews said: “Shakera Selman I believe it was, who was meant to bowl, and Deandra pretty much just came up and said to Staf [Stafanie Taylor, Windies captain] ‘Give me the ball.’

“We were like when you haven’t bowled in international cricket in about a year now, literally hasn’t bowled to anyone in the nets since we’ve been here.

“She just came and said ‘Give me the ball’ and I think a player like Deandra Dottin when she says to give her the ball, you just give her the ball, it doesn’t matter if she’s bowled in a year, if she hasn’t.

“That’s what’s really good about our team. We’ve got so much experience, and we’ve got so many veterans that we can really call on. People that we know once we call on them, they’re going to get the job done, she was the epitome of that today.”

Dottin and Matthews had got West Indies off to a blistering start having been sent in to bat in Tauranga before Lea Tahuhu dismissed Dottin for 12.

Matthews would go on to make 119 from 128 balls, combining for a useful partnership with Stafanie Taylor (30) before Chedean Nation’s 36 saw the Windies set New Zealand 260 win, a potential record chase for an ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup.

On her own performance, Matthew said: “I think initially going out there to open I probably thought I would try to take it a bit steady.

“I think when we got out there and saw how good the wicket was playing, I was able to capitalise without trying too much.

“That’s pretty much how I just played my whole innings taking it ball by ball. I set small targets with my partner, always looking for partnerships. That happened to work really well and then we were able to push pretty hard at the end.”

New Zealand captain Sophie Devine scored a century of her own, but wasn’t able to get the win as her side opened the World Cup on home soil.

And just like Dottin demonstrated the Windies’ fiery fighting spirit, Devine showed the kind nature of the Kiwis.

She said: “I think full credit has to go the West Indies I thought the way Hayley Matthews played was brilliant and they set the game up well but I thought we were right at it to the last over.

“You don’t get much more clutch than bowler coming into bowl the 50th over and do what Dottin did so look for credit to them but we’ve got to take the positives out of it and we’ve got to move on quickly.

“[I was] a bit disappointed to get out when I did because it was probably just about go-time for me to try and get that run rate down on down a little bit.

“But a fantastic bit of fielding and it is what it is. Again, we’ve got to dust ourselves off and go for Bangladesh.”

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