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CPL T20 2013 - Caribbean Premier League T20

2013-06-15T14:40:00.001+05:30

Caribbean Premier League is yet new addition in T20 format of Cricket. CPL 2013 is starting from July 2013. Total 6 Caribbean domestic teams will be participating.

CPL T20 2013 Teams

Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel
Jamaica Tallawahs
Barbados Tridents
St Lucia Zouks
Guyana Amazon Warriors
Antigua Hawksbills

CPL 2013 Schedule

Check out the following schedule of Caribbean Premier League 2013.

South Africa vs Sri Lanka ODI Series 2013

2013-05-16T18:38:00.002+05:30

South Africa and Sri Lanka is going to play ODI Series in July. Check out the Sri Lanka vs South Africa schedule below. Which team you are supporting?

West Indies beats New Zealand in T20 World Cup Super Eight Match

2012-10-02T16:10:00.000+05:30

A spirited West Indies side knocked out a fighting New Zealand XI in a hotly contested super over after both teams ended locked up on 139.

Having tasked with chasing an august 18 in 6 balls in the super over, a six from each, Gayle and Samuels, and some poor bowling from Southee made sure that WI were home. Gayle hit the very first ball of the super over out of the park over long on, and to add to Taylor's misery Southee had over stepped. Samuels finished it with a six over deep mid wicket.

Earlier, Sammy won the toss and batted only to be rocked by some brilliant bowling by Southee (3-21) and Bracewell (3-31). Gayle was the top scorer for WI with a fluent 30 while Pollard and Samuels chipped in with a brisk 28 & 24 respectively, though none of the batsmen were able to capitalize on good starts.
Bracewell's double attack dismissing Russell and Charles in quick succession by 4th over had wrecked the strong WI line up. He later picked up Pollard in the 18th over. Southee and Nathan McCullum were economical giving away only 21 and 19 in their allotted 4 overs.

With a meager 139 on board, it was almost an walk in the park for NZ until they made a heavy weather out of it. Skipper Ross Taylor (62) kept on building the innings and tried to keep in touch with the asking rate but wickets kept falling at the other end. Taylor's innings was properly mixed with equal dose of caution and aggression which included 3 boundaries and 3 sixes off 40 balls he faced, but wasn't quite enough to take New Zealand to the other side of the result.
With 14 required of the last over, Taylor hit Samuels for a maximum on the fourth delivery and picked up a single on the next, leaving Bracewell on strike for the last ball. To his disappointment, he fell short of his crease while taking the second run.
Sunil Narine (3), Badree (1) & Rampaul (1) were the pick of the bowlers for WI giving away only 61 in their allotted 12 overs combined.

Later in the day, when Sri Lanka defeated England, WI's place in the semi finals got confirmed.

Dhoni's Men Pulls Off A Win Against the Arch-Rivals Pakistan in T20 World Cup 2012

2012-10-02T10:23:00.003+05:30

Yesterday, a much going around buzz about ' five bowler or seven batsmen strategy' came to an end as India thrashed Pakistan 8 wickets with seven batsmen strategy.
India came in with two changes from their previous loss against Australia, one was inclusion of obvious Sehwag and other was inclusion of L. Balaji in place of Harbhajan Singh, while Hafeez's team was unchanged.
Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat.

Their innings started of with some disastrous batting performance and some excellent bowling performance from Balaji (3), Ashwin (2), Yuvraj (2) which reduced Pakistan to 49-4 in the 9th over. The trio picked up 7 wickets, for 54 runs in just 10.4 overs wrecking the Pakistan batting line up after a failed and feeble attempt from Shoaib Malik (28 of 22) and Umar Akmal (21 of 18) helped Pakistan to reach a fighting total of 128.

Having tasked with chasing a paltry 128, India , started of in a disastrous fashion, loosing Gmabhir in second ball of the first over, when Raza Hasan took a brilliant catch of his bowling. Soon after, the consolidation began at a brisk pace by Virat Kohli (78 off 61) and Virender Sehwag (29 off 24) adding 74 for the second wicket. In the 11th over Sehwag threw away his wicket by handing a simple catch to Umar Gul of Afridi's deliveries. In walked Yuvraj Singh only to become a spectator of Kohli's flamboyant innings which included 8 boundaries and 2 sixes although he chipped in with valuable 19 off 16 deliveries including two well struck boundaries. Earlier, it was his direct throw from backward point area that dismissed Arafat and also picked up two crucial wicket of Nasir Jamshed an Kamran Akmal.

It wasn't a good day in the office for Pakistan's bowler as Kohli took them on and dominated from the word go. Other than Hasan (22-1) and Ajmal (25-0) , all other were quite expensive in respect to the total they had set. For, India Ashwin bowled the spell of his career picking up 2 wickets for meager 16 in his allotted 4 overs.
In spite of a combined effort from Balaji, Ashwin, Yuvraj and Kohli it was the later who was awarded as the player of the match for his ebullient knock of 78.

This win en kindled India's hope to qualify for the semis, All they got to do is to win against South Africa on Tuesday.

All teams in this groups are closely placed and doesn't allow a guarantee for any team, though Australia's NRR suggests that. They will face Pakistan on Tuesday and if Pakistan looses then all India has to do is win.

A tempestuous Tuesday is on the cards.

Champions League T20 2012 Team Squad

2012-10-01T12:43:00.001+05:30

The champions league T20 is back with its fourth edition and this time it is going to be bigger because there will be new teams from other countries since they too have had domestic tournaments. The earlier seasons saw teams from the Big Bash League, the Indian Premiere League and MiWay T20 Challenge participate in this tournament but this time there has been new promotions with Sri Lanka conducting the Sri Lanka Premiere League. Unfortunately no teams have been promoted from Bangladesh as they also held their domestic tournament named Bangladesh Premiere League. No other country has made any new changes to any of their tournaments. After a poor season in 2011 the viewership ratings of the Indian Premiere League had increased and this would have a good impact on the champions league T20 because 4 teams from India has proceeded for this tournament. With more than 30% of the matches ending the last over of the innings the people will be excited to see their home teams face the big giants from all over the world.

The champions league T20 will start just after the finish of the ICC T20 World Cup and it will be a test for many players because of their fitness. Almost all the test playing nations are involved in some kind of matches or the other throughout the year and therefore things would not be as easy as it had been last year. Unlike last year there will be a qualifying stage in this year’s champions league and there will be 6 teams who will play those qualifying matches. Out of those 6 teams 2 teams will qualify for the main group matches where there will be 4 other teams along with them. Each group will have 2 teams qualifying for the knockout stages which will be the semi finals. This time there will be no quarter finals because of the 2 additional teams. Winning would give the teams 2 points and if there is no result then the points will be shared and in that case the teams will have 1 point each. Losing a match would not give any point to a team.

There will be 10 teams who will participate in this tournament. 4 teams from the Indian Premiere League namely Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians. Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers are the 2 teams who have qualified from the Big Bash League and Highveld Lions and Titans have qualified from MiWay T20 Challenge. The other 2 teams will be from various other tournaments such as Sri Lanka Premiere League and many others.

Sri Lanka Won in Super Overs Against New Zealand in T20 world cup

2012-09-29T03:09:00.000+05:30

Choosing to bat, after winning the toss, New Zealand put up a total of 174 for 7, which always felt like a dozen short of a invincible target at such a batting paradise. The contributions came from Nicol (58 of 40) and Guptill (38 of 30) gave them a solid start putting up 57 runs for the first wicket, until the debutant from Sri Lanka Dananjaya dismissed Guptill in the 8th over, and came back later to pick up threatening Nicol in the 13th over. Later Brendon McCullum (25 of 16) and skipper Ross Taylor (23 of 15) rebuilt the innings to take their tally to 174. For the hosts, Kulasekara and Dananjaya picked up 2 wickets each and Malinga and Mendis picked 1 each.

The evening saw a perfect start to the super 8 round of t20 world cup as Sri Lanka came on top in a hotly contested match against the Kiwis.

It took to a super over too put the excitement to rest, where the host emerged victorious owing to some good bowling performance from Lasith Malinga and a well judged and well balanced catch from Dilshan at long off.

In response, Sri Lanka went off to a flier when the openers whacked the Kiwi bowling attack all over the ground as Dilshan (76 of 53) and Jayawardane (44 of 26) put up 80 for the first wicket. It was the 8th over that brought the wicket of Jayawardane and the facilitator was Oram. Dilshan continued to force misery on the New Zealand bowling attack as the middle order came and went playing shield anchor around him. He fell in the 19th over following a mix up between him and Mathews which found him well short of his crease.

Following events shaped the match to a thriller, much to the delight of boisterous capacity crowd, the penultimate delivery required 5 runs. The excitement and the tension was quite explicit on both the dug outs, but this wasn't enough the match had to offer more.

It was 1 required of 1 ball as the previous one fetched 4.

Mathews and Thiramanne scampered for a single after a miscued pull at the last least delivery. Franklin collected the ball, took his time and threw it to his skipper, Taylor, at bowling end as Thiramanne was miles short of his crease.

BUT THE SKIPPER FUMBLED. It was all over for New Zealand and the disappointment was oozing out. Taylor even went on to the opponents for handshakes, but it was Simon Taufel, the man of the hour, who went upstairs and the replay showed that Taylor inadvertently dropped the ball onto the stumps.

Since the score was leveled, both team came for super over and it will Sri Lanka who finally won the match.

T20 World Cup : Pakistan vs Bangladesh - Nazir Explosion Denies Bangladesh Entry in Super Eight

2012-09-26T11:19:00.002+05:30

Pakistan's Opener Imran Nazir recorded fastest 50 of the tournament as they qualified for the next round of the competition. Nazir (72 of 36 balls) along with skipper Hafeez (45 of 47) put up 124 run stand, highest for any wicket in this tournament, to see Pakistan through, after Bangladesh put up a respectable target of 175.

Much to the surprise of experts, Bangladesh's skipper M.Rahim opted to bat first after winning the toss. Pakistan went it with winning combination while the underdogs brought in Abul Hasan in place of Elias Sunny.

The openers, Ashraful and Tamim Iqbal took Bangladesh to a steady start, until the 4th over when Ashraful (14) tried to charge down the crease to in swinging delivery form Sohail Tanvir, and missed the line completely, which uprooted his middle stumps.

Shakib-Al-Hasan replaced him, and immediately took the attack to the opposition by scoring 3 boundaries in the 6th over which also saw a terrible mix up between him and Iqbal. Hafeez played it safe by dislodging the bails himself rather than throwing it to the non striker's end as Tamim Iqbal couldn't make it to the crease.

Shakib rebuilt the innings along with skipper Rahim, putting on 68 of 53 deliveries for the 3rd wicket, where Rahim (25) was playing second fiddle going on almost a run a ball. He fell prey to Arafat's short delivery and was caught in the deep by Nazir, which was certainly against the balance of the game owing it to the sloppy fielding that Pakistan was putting up. But Shakib continued, mixing his innings with equal dose of caution and aggression and scored 84 of 54 deliveries which included two sixes of Umar Gul and Arafat respectively and 11 fours. He was dismissed in the last over trying to loft a slow full toss from Arafat over long off, but did not get enough bat on it and Umar Akmal made no mistake. 5 runs of the last 3 deliveries took the Bangladesh's total to 175.

Performance on the field was not impressive and involved clumsy fielding with dropping sitters and leaking singles by the 2009 champions. Afridi and Tanvir picked up a wicket each while Arafat picked up 3. All bowlers were expensive but for Afridi giving away only 20 runs.

Pakistan innings was much of a short story, where Nazir and Hafeez took on Bangladesh's bowlers and whacked them all over the ground. They both fell prey to Abul Hasan's disciplined bowling in the 14th over, which could have given them a ray of hope for a comeback but was shattered by cameos from Kamran Akmal (22) and Nasir Jamshed (29) who put on 56 runs of just 28 deliveries to take Pakistan home.

Bangladesh fielding also saw butter fingers and Pakistan batsmen did not leave any opportunity to cash in one that.
A good cricket match with all the action and entertainment for the public came to an end along with Bangladesh's campaign.

Pakistan will now face South Africa on Friday. That would be game to miss classes for.

T20 world cup 2012 : India victorious against England in 10th Group Stage Match

2012-09-25T18:57:00.000+05:30

So much so, to the build up to the group stage match between India and England, which later became a dead match as both teams had already qualified for the next round, couldn't even provide a fulltime action. Much to the delight of Indians, they emerged victorious in, what could have been a thriller, but was an noncompetitive contest.

India's innings was a perfect display of experimented yet excited batting performance, while England's was a clueless one. Loosing wickets at regular interval, England never gave a serious threat to India's total of 170. Harbhajan Singh grabbed 4 wickets for 12 runs in his full spell, Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla shared 2 each and Ashok Dinda picked 1, though was expensive, while as for England, Greame Swann bowled really well giving away only 17 runs in his alloted 4 overs and picking up a crucial wicket of Virat Kohli.

Stuart Broad won the toss and put India to bat first. Resting Sehwag, Zaheer and Ashwin it was clear that MSD was trying to test the bench strength, while England came in with its first team. This paved way for Harbhajan singh, making his comback to the national side, Ashok Dina and Piyush Chawla.

The kick off saw a surprise in the form of I.Pathan coming in with Gautam Gambhir to open the innings for India. The start was smooth until the 3rd over when Finn's inswinging delivery left I.Pathan baffled, and he lost his off stump. In walked Virat Kohli, only to put up a 57 runs stand between him and Gambhir before he fell prey to Swann's tossed up delivery, trying to hit him over deep midwicket. Baristow made no mistake in the deep. Rohit Sharma replaced the man in form, though many suggested he should have been sent lower down the order, but the 25 year old found his form, scoring a brilliant half century. Gambhir departed soon, after a well made 45, edging an outswinging slow delivery by Finn and Keiswetter made no mistake behind the stumps. But Rohit continued to play his natural game and took the attack to the opposition, hitting the ball all over the ground with short hand pulls and uppercuts over point and third man area. Dhoni, who had replaced Gambhir, was going run a ball and played as benchwarmer until last over when he, lost his wicket, trying to hit Dernbach over mid wicket. It took a team work from Buttler and Hales, to stop that ball from going over the ropes. Last over included a 6 by Sharma, over point, which took the India's tally to 170.

England's batting struggled from the word go. Hales stumps was left shattered by an inswinging delivery from Pathan in the very first over. Luke Wright, was the next to come in, only to get caught in front of the wicket. Pathan claimed his second wicket immediately after getting hit for a six. Harbhajan Singh struck immediately, after bringing into the attack, by uprooting crucial man Morgan's stumps. From there on, England lost wickets at regular interval, no one was able to stand up against India's mighty spin attack, though a feeble attempt from Keiswetter could have threatened India's walk in the park. Piyush Chawla got him with a classic away spinning delivery, which found a thick edge and Kohli at the first slip interrupted gravity. Minuted later England were bowled out for a paltry 80, with Harbhajan Singh wrecking England's batting order. He received MoM award for 4-12.

Playing so much in Sri Lanka, obviously helped Dhoni & Co. to read the pitch properly. They went in with two spinners while England left out Samit Patel and included Tim Bresnan.

It was an ebullient victory for India with powerpack batting and Rohit Sharma finding form along with some good bowling performances, though they have lot to prove yet. One should not get carried away by this victory as there are crunch moments ahead in the tournament and complacency has always led to some major faliure in the past for Team India.

Australia Vs Ireland 2nd Match T20 world Cup 19 September 2012 Result

2012-09-20T11:44:00.002+05:30

Second match of T20World Cup 2012 and it was again one sided. Ireland batting first never looked comfortable and their first wicket fell in the first ball of the match. O’Brien brothers looked to pose a threat in the mid way but Shane Watson’s clever bowling halted them at 123. Batting second, it was again Watson who dominated the match with the bat as well and scored 50 and took the game away from Ireland. Australia won the game by 7 wickets with more than 4 overs to go. Mitchell Starc and Hogg also delivered tight spells to help keep Ireland batsmen quiet.

Aside from Watson's all-round performance, the other trademark of Australia's show was their aggression, manifested in a series of verbal sledging with their opponents. The umpires got involved more than once, and no-one was left in any doubt about the Australians intention to make life as painful as possible for their opposition.

Watson was delivering a crucial spell, and he made it more so by coaxing Kevin O'Brien to touch a dumpy and razor-sharp delivery on its way through to keeper. Called on to bowl the last over of the innings as well as the first, Watson allowed the innings' only six to Nigel Jones, but the acknowledgment of 12 from the final six balls still left Australia's batsmen with a hunt they were always likely to bargain in some comfort.

Australia T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad & Players List

2012-09-17T18:13:00.000+05:30

Australia T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad

Australia has announced its 15 men squad for the 2012 T20 world cup championship to be held in Sri Lanka from September 18.

Australia squad-
George Bailey (captain), Daniel Christian, Pat Cummins, Xavier Doherty, Ben Hilfenhaus, Brad Hogg, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Australia has not yet won world cup in the T20 format. But with their remarkable past record in the other two formats of the game including winning the world cup championship in one day format seven times one cannot underestimate Australia. This time Australian team looks more experienced lot and it is playing safe by not experimenting with new players.

George Bailey has been named as the captain of the team. The team looks well balanced and quite impressive with a very strong batting line-up. The opening duo of David Warner and Shane Watson will definitely looking to add a lot of runs on the scoreboard. Both can hit it big and both are experienced in this format of the game.

There is a great deal of explosive strike power in the batting line-up with the likes of Matthew Wade, Cameron White, Daniel Christian and Glenn Maxwell. Cameron White will be making a comeback in the team after strong performances in The IPL and England’s domestic League.

The strong point of the Australian team is that is packed with all-rounders and that it is what you need in the T20 format. Daniel Christian and Glenn Maxwell are two such all-rounders who can bat down the order as well bowl.

As far as bowling attack is concerned the fast bowling attack has Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Strac, Clint McKay and Pat Cummins. Spin bowling department looks really strong with the likes of Brad Hogg and Xavier Doherty. As of now the team has everything it needs to go and win the world cup this year.

South Africa T20 World Cup Team Squad Players List

2012-09-17T18:09:00.002+05:30

South Africa T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad

Cricket South Africa had declared its 15 member squad for upcoming the ICC T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka.

South Africa Squad for T20 World Cup 2012
AB de Villiers (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Richard Levi, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

The Proteas currently have one of the best all round teams in the world including some of the biggest names in the T20 format. AB de Villiers will lead the squad with Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel returning back who were all rested for the triangular T20 series against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in June. But South African Test captain Graeme Smith was omitted from the squad after being included in the 30-man provisional squad. The other notable absentee is fast-bowler Marchant de Lange who has still not recovered from the back injury.

As far as batting is concerned the team has a power packed batting line up with the likes of Jacques Kallis, a very successful batsman in the IPL backed by Francois du Plessis, Richard Levi and Hashim Amla. Their middle order attack will have the reliable AB de Villiers and JP Duminy who can keep the score board ticking.

When it comes to bowling South Africa has undisputedly the best pacers in the world. They have opted to go with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel apart from Left arm angle of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell. Keeping the spin friendly Sri Lankan pitches in mind the Proteas have included two front line spinners Johan Botha and left armer Robin Peterson.

South Africa is in group C with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe with their match due on September 20 against Zimbabwe.

Mahinda Rajapaksa International T20 World Cup Stadium

2012-09-17T16:36:00.000+05:30

Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium is one of the three venues for the T20 World cup 2012 starting from September 18, the other two venues being R. Premadasa Stadium and Pallekele International cricket stadium. This stadium will host a total of 3 three matches first being between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe on September 18.

The stadium is located in Hanbantota and it was built for the mega event of 2011 cricket world cup. The stadium is one of the newest stadiums in the country and it was established in the year2009.

Since the stadium is fairly new not many matches have been played on this venue. The ground has successfully hosted two international ODI’s during the world cup 2011.The first matches played on this ground was on 20th February 2011 between Sri Lanka and Canada which Sri Lanka won.

The stadium has capacity to seat of 35,000 spectators, but it is expected to be increased to 60,000 to host the 2012 ICC T20 world cup.

R Premadasa T20 World Cup Stadium

2012-09-17T16:35:00.002+05:30

Sri Lanka will be hosting the ICC T20 world cup 2012 and 15 out of 27 matches including the semi-finals and finals are due to play in R Premadasa stadium. R Premadasa stadium formerly known as Khettarama stadium is located in Khettrarama road, Colombo in Sri Lanka. The stadium is named after the Sri Lankan president Rannasinghe Premadasa who played a pivotal role in the construction of this staduim in the year 1986.

This stadium which is the biggest in Sri Lanka has a capacity of 35,000 seats. This stadium is only one of the three stadiums in Sri Lanka to have hosted the world cup matches. The first inaugural match played in this stadium was between Sri Lanka and New Zealand on April 5 1986.

The stadium has hosted more than 100 one day international matches best remembered for the match between India and Sri Lanka in 1997/98 in which Sri Lanka scored the highest test total of 952/6. In the same test match former Sri Lankan captain Jayasuriya scored 340 and Roshan Manama scored 225 this being the highest partnership in the test cricket for the second wicket.

A new academy was started in its premises in 2003 with 16 practice pitches and dormitories. The stadium was renovated before the world cup in 2011 with its seating capacity being increased from 14,000 to 35,000 and other upgrades costing Sri Lanka eight million dollars.

The stadium is located at a distance of 31.9km from the Bandaranaike international airport.

Pallekele International Cricket T20 World Cup Stadium

2012-09-17T16:35:00.001+05:30

Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is one of the three venues where the T20 world cup championship will be played. The first match to be played here is scheduled on 21st September between Bangladesh and New Zealand. The stadium will host 9 out of 27 matches to be played in the tournament.

This stadium is one of the newest stadiums in the country and it is located at a distance of about half hour drive from Kandy. It was established in the year 2009 as a replacement for the Asgiriya Stadium which hosted the tests from 1983 to 2007.

The stadium was renamed as Muttiah Muralitharan International Cricket Stadium. The renaming decision was unanimously made by the central provincial council in Kandy in order to honour the legendary Lankan spinner. The stadium is Sri Lanka’s 8th test venue and it is owned and operated by the Sri Lanka cricket.

This stadium was one of the main venues for the world cup 2011 ODIs. But the first test match played on this ground was between Sri Lanka and West Indies in the year 2010 thus becoming the 104 test venue in the world. Along with the Sri Lankan national side the ground also hosts the Kandurata domestic team.

The stadium can accommodate 35,000 spectators and is fully equipped with floodlights. This stadium is located at a distance of 120 km from the Bandaranayke International airport.

Afghanistan T20 World Cup Team Squad Players List

2012-09-17T13:49:00.001+05:30

Afghanistan ICC T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad

Afghanistan has announced its team for the ICC T20 world cup tournament which will be commencing on September 18 in Sri Lanka.

The Afghanistan squad is as follows-
Nawroz Mangal (captain), Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Izzatullah Dawlatzai, Karim Sadeq, Mohammad Jawed Ahmadi, Mohd Nasim Baras, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad, Mohammad Asghar Stanikzai, , Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Shapur Zadran.

Afghanistan is yet to make their presence in the international cricket. They have only played a few ODIs and some qualifier tournaments. So this will be a huge opportunity for them to make a mark.
Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nasim Baras, and batsmen Najibullah Zadran and Shafiqullah have also been included in the team. The team will be led by Nawroz Mangal and he will play a vital role in the batting department along with the opening batsmen Karim Sadiq and Javed Ahmadi. Wicket keeper Mohammad Shahzad also will be playing a vital role with the bat as he is a clean hitter and has been very consistent. Mohammad Shahzad and Asghar Stanikzai will lend strength to the middle order.
The seam attack will be mainly dependent on Hamid Hassan who makes a return from an injury. This pace man had taken 12 wickets in Afghanistan's qualification for the World Twenty20 held in the West Indies in 2010. He has so far taken 24 wickets in 14 one-dayers and 14 wickets in eight T20matches. Spinning option will be left to Nasim Baras. Afghanistan is grouped with India and England in Group A.

New Zealand T20 World Cup Team Squad Players List

2012-09-17T12:10:00.001+05:30

New Zealand T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad

New Zealand has declared its team for the T20 would cup championships. Even though they are currently rated as No. 5 in ICC T20 ranking New Zealand team cannot be taken lightly.

The squad is as follows-
Ross Taylor (c), Doug Bracewell, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Ronnie Hira, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.

Ross Taylor will be leading the team instead of Daniel Vettori. Ross who is the best batsman in the team is high on confidence after winning the India tour and will definitely be hoping to win the cup this time. McCullum will be giving him company as the duo will look to score for the team. They will be backed by other batsmen like Martin Guptill and Rob Nicol. Even their lower batting line up looks strong with James Franklin, Daniel Vettori, Nathan McCullum, Doug Bracewell and even Tim Southee being able to contribute with the bat when needed apart from bowling.
New Zealand bowling attack will be comprised of Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Jacob Oram and Doug Bracewell. Adam Milne has also found a place in the final squad who with his extra pace can make an impact. As far as spin is concerned extremely experienced Vettori will lead the attack along with Nathan McCullum. Roonie Hira is also worth looking out for his spin bowling skills.
Andrew Ellis, wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Latham, batsmen Daniel Flynn and Dean Brownlie who were all part of the squad that was defeated two-nil in West Indies have not made it to the final 15.

Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad & Players List

2012-09-17T12:05:00.000+05:30

Zimbabwe T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad

Zimbabwe has declared its 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. They are in the group C along with South Africa and Sri Lanka

Zimbabwe squad is as follows-
Brendan Taylor (captain), Stuart Matsikenyeri, Vusi Sibanda, Ray Price, Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Ervine, Malcolm Waller, Brian Vitori, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Kyle Jarvis, Chris Mpofu, Richard Muzhange, Prosper Utseya, Forster Mutizwa

Brandan Taylor is named the skipper for the Zimbabwe T20 world cup side. Richard Muzhange, 21 year old medium pacer is the only new face in the squad and Brian Vitori is the only one in the team who is yet to play a T20 international.

Brandan Taylor along with Vusi Sibanda, Hamilton Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Craig Ervine and former skipper Elton Chigumbura will share the run scoring responsibility.

Fast bowling attack will be led by Chris Mpofu. He will be backed by Chigumbura, Kyle Jarvis and Brain Vitori. With the likes of Ray Price, Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer Zimbabwe boasts of a decent spin attack as well.

Where Zimbabwe stands out is its brilliance on the field and their matches promise a string of sensational catches and some excellent fielding. Zimbabwe will play the opening game of the tournament against the hosts on September 18 in Hambantota.

Pakistan T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad & Players List

2012-09-17T11:59:00.000+05:30

Pakistan ICC T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad

Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the 15 member squad for the ICC T20 world cup starting September 18 in Sri Lanka.

The squad is as follows-Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Imran Nazir, Nasir Jamshed, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi, Sohail Tanveer, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Raza Hasan, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Sami

Pakistan who were the runners-up in the first edition of the event in 2007 and winners in 2009 are placed in group D of the tournament alongside Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Mohammad Hafeez, who was named T20 captain before Sri Lanka tour will continue to captain the team for ICC T20 world cup. Kamran Akmal who last played for Pakistan in 2011 ODI world cup in India, Imran Nazir and all-rounder Abdul Razzak have made it back into the team. Nasir Jamshed the left handed opener has also been included in the squad along with Shahid Afridi.

Mohammad Hafeez who will open the batting for Pakistan will be leading the team from the front. Wicket keeper Kamran Akmal will add strength to the batting order. Abdul Razzaq can also add important runs down the batting order.

Pakistan’s strength is undoubtedly its bowling attack. Umar Gul will lead the fast bowling attack backed by Mohammad Sami and Sohail Tanveer. Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi are the best T20 bowlers in the world today. Saeed Ajmal can bowl excellent off spinners and Shahid Afridi with his variation in pace can give their opponents a tough time. The squad also includes 20-year-old uncapped left-arm spinner in Raza Hasan.

Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad & Players List

2012-09-17T11:52:00.000+05:30

Bangladesh T20 World Cup 2012 Squad

Bangladesh Cricket board has announced the 15 member squad for the ICC T20 World cup 2012.

The squad is as follows-Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Mahmudullah, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Ashraful, Junaid Siddique, Jahurul Islam, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza, Ziaur Rahman, Elias Sunny, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam, Farhad Reza, Abul Hasan.

Bangladesh had failed to put up a show in the previous edition of the T20 world cup. But this time the team looks quite promising with an interesting mix of experienced as well as young players with lot of potential. Many of the team members also have played a lot of t20 tournaments like Bangladesh premier league, Sri Lanka premier league and Indian premier league.

Mushfiqur Rahim will be leading the team with some of the best players s of the T20 format to back him like Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Abdur Razzak. The team will be heavily depending on Shakib Al Hasan who can bat as well as bowl. He is expected to bat in the middle order along with Mohammad Ashraful after Tamim Iqbal and Junaid Siddique as openers.

Bangladesh team’s strong point is its spinning attack with the likes of Shakib, Abdur Razzak, and Elias Sunny. As far as seam attack is concerned Mashrafe Mortaza will be the main man leading the bowling supported by Abul Hasan, Shafiul Islam and Ziaur Rahman

With Sri Lana’s climate and pitches being similar to that of Bangladesh and with the kind of spinners the team has Bangladesh can definitely give its opponents a tough time. Bangladesh will play their first match in the T20 world cup tournament against New Zealand on 21st of September

Ireland T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad & Players List

2012-09-17T11:46:00.000+05:30

Ireland T20 World Cup 2012 Squad

Cricket Ireland has announced the 15 member squad for the fourth edition of ICC T20 world cup starting on September 18 in Sri Lanka.

Ireland squad for Cricket T20 World Cup 2012

William Porterfield, Paul Stirling, Alex Cusack, George Dockrell, Nigel Jones, Ed Joyce, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Boyd Rankin, Tim Murtagh, Max Sorensen, Stuart Thompson, Andrew White, Gary Wilson, Trent Johnston.

Ireland is in group C along with Australia and West Indies. Left-handed opening batsman William Porterfield has been retained as the skipper of the experienced Irish squad. All the players selected have played in the T20 World Cup 2010 held in West Indies except Stuart Thompson and seam bowlers Tim Murtagh and Max Sorensen. Stuart Thompson is a promising youngster who can contribute both with bat and ball. John Mooney has been excluded due to a fractured finger which is big blow to the team.

A lot will rest on William Porterfield’s shoulders in scoring runs for his team since the middle order batting line up looks a bit in-experienced. The likes of Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Paul Stirling and Ed Joyce will play major roles as far as batting is concerned.

The team also has some very good all-rounders in the likes of the very experienced Trent Johnson Alex Cusack, Nigel Jones, Stuart Thompson and Andrew White. Boyd Rankin will lead the fat bowling attack and George Dockrell will contribute with his spin.

Ireland will play their first match against Australia on 19th of September and second against West Indies on 24th.

England T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad & Players List

2012-09-16T17:54:00.002+05:30

England T20 World Cup 2012 Squad

The defending champions of the 2010 T20world cup England have declared their team for the ICC T20 world cup tournament starting from September 18 in Sri Lanka.

The squad is as follows-Stuart Broad (captain), Tim Brensnan, Ravi Bopara, Danny Briggs, Jonny Bairstow, Jade Dembach, Alex Hales, Jos Butler, Eoin Morgan, Craig Kieswetter (wicket keeper), Steven Finn, Samit Patel, Michael Lumb, Graeme Swann and Luke Wright.

The team will aim to defend their superiority but they have to do this without the man who played the pivotal role in their success in the West Indies, Kevin Pietersen. He has been kept out of the team for disciplinary reasons after it was revealed that he had sent provocative texts to opposition players some which were allegedly critical of then England test captain Andrew Strauss.

Now Stuart Broad will lead England in the T20 world cup 2012. Eight members of the squad were involved in the 2010 victory and all members of the squad have previously represented England in the twenty over format. The team surely has some very promising youngsters who can turn around a game.

The most prominent being Tim Brensnan who is an all-rounder and has been in sublime form over the last few matches. Other all-rounders to look out for in the side are Samit Patel and Luke Wright with Samit Patel being able to contribute with the ball as well his tight left arm spin. The captain will lead the bowling attack backed by Steven Finn, Tim Bresnan and Jade Dernbach. Dernbach is worth looking out for who is capable of bowling superb slower deliveries and also his variations are excellent. The spin department will be led by Graeme Swann backed by Samit Patel.

There are also other new talents like Danny Briggs, Jos Butler and Alex Hales. But the weak point of this squad is its inexperienced batting line up since most of the batsmen excluding Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan are fairly new to the international cricket.

Sri Lanka T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad & Players List

2012-09-16T17:50:00.004+05:30

Sri Lanka T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad & Players List

Sri Lanka who are the hosting the ICC T20World Cup have declared their 15 member squad for the tournament.

Sri Lanka squad is as follows Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Angelo Mathews(vice-captain), Kumar Sangakkara (wk.), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Thirimanne, Jeevan Mendis, Dilshan Munaweera, Thisara Perera, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Kulasekara, Rangana Herath, Ajantha Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Shaminda Eranga, Akila Dananjaya.

Sri Lanka will be looking to win the cup this time after the cup had eluded the islanders in 2009 T20 world cup finals. This time since they are playing in front of the home crowd they definitely have an advantage. And also they are fresh out of the Sri Lanka premier league. So that experience will also be a huge plus.

As far as team profile goes Mahela Jayawardene will lead the team and his knowledge of the pitches will definitely help him in his decisions to utilize his resources tactfully. Kumar Sangakkara and Nuwan Kulasekara were included in the 15-man squad subject to their recovery from existing injuries.Ajanta Mendis has also made it back to the team after recovering from back injury. But the real surprise is that Sri Lanka has included two young uncapped players in the team. One being Sri Lanka premier leagues young star Akila Dhananjaya who has clinched seven wickets in four games. Other is Dilshan Munaveera who plays for the Uva Next in SLPL.

Angelo Mathews who is in good form and also left handed all-rounder Jeevan Mendis will add stability to the batting line-up. All-rounder Thisara Perera who does justice to the new ball will definitely try and do justice down the order.

Lasith Malinga once again will be the key man who will be leading the fast bowling attack. As far as spin department goes Sri Lanka has many choices like Ajanta Mendis, Akila Dhanajaya and Rangana Herath.

India T20 World Cup Team Squad Players List

2012-09-16T17:30:00.002+05:30

India T20 World Cup 2012 Team Squad & Players List

India is one of the favourites to lift the ICC T20 world cup 2012 title after winning the inaugural edition in 2007.But India had failed in the previous two T20 world cups to repeat the show losing all the matches in Super 8 rounds.

The 15 member squad is as follows-Mahendra Singh Dhoni(captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ravichnadran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Ashok Dinda, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Harbhajan Singh, Manoj Tiwary.

Batting line up looks strong for India with Virender Sehwag and Gautham Gambhir forming the best opening combinations backed by Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina. Yuvraj Singh will also play a crucial role and his return lends vital support to the batting strength of the team. He has played the all-rounders role in crucial tournaments and the same is expected from this time too.MS Dhoni has over his carrier has established himself as the best finisher.

Irfan Pathan has made a comeback and he will be a valuable player for the team since he may be asked to play the role on pinch hitter once in a while and add some important runs. And also he can swing the new ball well.

In the bowling department there is R Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla. The spin attack looks experienced and varied. But the major weakness is of course the average bowling attack.So a lot depends on the spinners as well as part time bowlers to provide much needed break troughs as well as restrict the run flow. Harbhajan Singh’s experience will be useful under conditions. He has made a comeback after the England tour over a year ago.

India is in group A with England and Afghanistan and major threat will be from England which is top ranked T20 side. So will India repeat the magic of 2007 it is to be waited and watched?

West Indies T20 World Cup Team Squad Players List

2012-09-16T17:19:00.000+05:30

ICC T20 World Cup West Indies Team Squad

West Indies has declared its squad for the upcoming ICC T20 world cup. The team has plenty of T20 superstars and is definitely one of the frontrunners to lift the cup.

The squad is as follows-Darren Sammy (captain), Dwayne Bravo (vice-captain), Chris Gayle, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Johnson Charles, Fidel Edwards, Sunil Narine, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Samuel Badree, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin and Dwayne Smith.

With Gayle and several other international T20 stars, the West Indies are widely seen as one of the favourites in the September 18 to October 7 tournament. Several current and past professional players around the world have ranked the West Indies as favourites going into the tournament.

With world’s leading T20 players like Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine to back him West Indies captain Darren Sammy who is leading the team for the first time in a WT20 will definitely be geared up for the challenge ahead.

The teams has a heavy batting line up with not only the world favourites in the T20 format but also other impressive performers like Lendi Simmons abd Samuel Badri.Johnson Charles, Dwayne Smith, Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo are also game changers who can give their opponents quite tough time. The bowling attack may not be the best but lit looks fairly good with experienced fast bowlers Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul and spinner Samuel Badree.

DLF Declines To Renew Sponsorship With IPL

2012-09-10T21:52:00.002+05:30

Real estate major DLF has declared not to renew its sponsorship with IPL, one of the magnanimous cricket events in the country. DLF had been the title sponsor of Indian Premier League for the last 5 seasons. The news has been confirmed from Rajeev Talwar, the executive director of the DLF group.

While approached on the previous 5 year title sponsorship deal with IPL, Talwar remarked that sponsoring the Indian Premier League for the past 5 seasons was a kind of strategic decision on their part. The company strived to establish its brand presence all across the country as a leading player in the real estate scene which according to it DLF has been able to achieve to a great extent.

According to sources, DLF reportedly spent 50 million USD (250 crore INR) as the chief sponsor for the most awaited T20 league in the country throughout the last 5 years- the deal terminated with the last IPL edition in 2012 March-April. 28^th July 2012 was the final date for contract renewal which the company declined to perform. Presently, there’s no comment on part of BCCI, the IPL owner.

On questions asked regarding refusal of the contract renewal, DLF stressed that presently it’s their plan to promote other sports & has already started exploring the possible platforms for patronization. Last week only, the real estate giant gifted Audi Q5 luxury SUV to 4 of the Indian medal winners of Olympic from Haryana. As per the statement of the company spokesperson, DLF is on a plan to focus on those Indian cities which hosts the core strength of the company.

The company spokesperson further informed that they haven’t yet zeroed in on any specific game for promotion but is on its way of assessing the different types of games which are emerging in the regions where DLF has commercial operations.