Pakistan have begun a race against time to set up a world-class cricket stadium in Islamabad by 2008, when the country is due to host the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time.A PCB official told `The News’ that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would soon be signed with the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for the allocation of land to build the proposed stadium.”We have a couple of major tournaments to host in the coming years and would like to add to the existing cricket facilities,” said Saleem Altaf, Director of Cricket Operations, PCB.Pakistan are due to stage the biennial Champions Trophy in 2008 and will be the co-hosts for the 2011 World Cup with India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.Altaf conceded it will be a race against time if Pakistan want to have the facility in Islamabad ready ahead of the Champions Trophy. “But it is a possibility,” he said, adding the PCB would make efforts to hasten the process.The PCB is presently waiting for a physical possession of a piece of land which it is to get from the CDA. “Once we get the physical possession then the actual work can begin,” he said.Altaf said the PCB would start issuing tenders for the construction of the stadium once it gets possession of the land in Islamabad. “We hope if everything goes according to the schedule, the stadium would be ready by the end of next year.”Pakistan might extract some aspects from the design of a cricket stadium being built in the Dubai Sports City while finalising its own blueprint for the proposed stadium in Islamabad. The stadium in Dubai, once completed, is expected to be counted among the best cricket facilities in the world.Islamabad does not have a cricket stadium of international standard. Test and ODIs are, however, regularly played in its twin city Rawalpindi. But the Rawalpindi stadium is not controlled by the PCB, as it has to hire the facility from the local authorities.The PCB, in fact, has the administrative control of just two Test venues — the Gaddafi Stadium (Lahore) and the National Stadium (Karachi).Cricinfo adds:The PCB, as part of their preparations, are planning to bring the administration of stadiums in Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi – all venues for 2011 – under their control. In addition, as reported recently, the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad – once an venue of Tests and ODIs – is also coming under the supervision of the PCB.At a recent press conference. Shaharyar Khan, chairman PCB, said, “Our preparations for the World Cup have to begin in earnest from now and one of the first things we must accomplish is gaining control of stadiums in Faisalabad, Multan and Rawalpindi. We need to bring these stadiums up to international standards and at the moment they aren’t. But I will impress upon the government that these stadiums need to be in our control for them to be upgraded to the requisite standard.”
Ireland recovered from a batting blip against UAE to move to the verge of qualification for the World Cup 2007 with a two-wicket victory at Stormont. Ireland overcame their toughest challenge to date thanks to an unbeaten century from Ed Joyce, the tournament’s leading run scorer. UAE posted their highest total of the event. Khurram Khan and Javed Ismail both contributed half-centuries to a competitive 230 all out. Ireland’s reply began disastrously as an inspirational opening spell from Ali Asad Abbas had them reeling at 23 for 4. However, Joyce steadied the Irish reply and he found and able ally in Trent Johnston. The pair put on 122 for the fifth wicket before Johnston was bowled for 67. Ireland scraped home with one ball to spare as Paul Mooney scrambling the single required.Bermuda threw Group A wide open with a comfortable 93-run victory over Denmarkat Cliftonville. The Danes, who had won their opening two games, allowed Bermuda to compile a solid 249 for 8 and never looked like getting close in their reply. Frederik Klokker, the century-scoring hero of Denmark’s victory over USA, was the third man out with the score on seven and only a late 51 from Thomas Hansen added a degree of respectability to Denmark’s total of 156 all out.Uganda picked up its first victory of the tournament at Lurgan, with an Independence Day rout of USA by six wickets. The result leaves USA with only an outside chance of making the top five – and therefore the World Cup – just a year after qualifying for the Champions Trophy. Steve Massiah made an unbeaten 108 as USA made a useful total of 236 for 7. But Uganda had few problems knocking off the runs, after an opening stand of 152 between Joel Olwenyi (76) and Bibodi Nehal (68). USA’s bowlers struggle to maintain any pressure and Hamza Saleh guided Uganda home striking an unbeaten 45 with 14 balls to spare.
Holland claimed its third consecutive 2005 victory with a six-wicket defeat of Namibia. Namibia looked to be making steady progress towards a good total until Edgar Schiferli, Holland’s strike bowler, was brought back into the attack. He took three crucial wickets in one over, to send Namibia crashing from 148 for 5 to 150 for 8 at a crucial stage of their innings. Bas Zuiderent and Tom de Grooth provided Holland with the perfect platform with a century partnership. De Grooth was first out for 55 but by then the target of 189 was already in sight. With Namibia’s bowlers struggling to control the white ball – they bowled 24 wides – Zuiderent carefully steered his side to victory, finishing the match with 3.1 overs to spare on 65 not out.Scotland made light work of Papua New Guinea at Shaw’s Bridge in a match that was reduced to 44 overs due to heavy overnight rain. John Blain and Dougie Brown both picked up four wickets as PNG were bowled out for 90 in 35 overs. Seven of the PNG batsmen were dismissed leg-before-wicket. Scotland took only 19 overs to reach the target but PNG will take some consolation from claiming five Scottish wickets.Oman’s highest score of the tournament almost caught out a Canada side determined to try and improve its net-run-rate. With the flashing blade of John Davison leading the way, Canada looked like reaching their target of 184 within 30 overs. But once Davison was dismissed for 74 off 53, Canada stuttered to a two-wicket victory in the 42nd over.The penultimate round of group games takes place on Tuesday.
PointsTableWestern Province 155 for 4 (Kallis 74*, Puttick 39*) beatKwaZulu-Natal 154 (Kent 40, Henderson 3-29) by 6 wickets ScorecardWith a small target to chase Jacques Kallis helped himself to an undefeated 74 and Western Province maintained their unbeaten record as KwaZulu-Natal in their Standard Bank Cup clash at Newlands in Cape Town. KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins won the toss and decided to bat first on what appeared to be a perfect batting strip.It soon became apparent that not too many drives were going to be played off the front foot. Struggling to come to grips with the pitch the Natal batsmen all battled, with only Jon Kent able to work the ball around, scoring an undefeated 40 off 60 balls. Much was expected from Lance Klusener, but he fell cheaply, caught and bowled by Graeme Smith, after spending an unusually unproductive 25 balls at the crease.Claude Henderson again suggested that he is the best spinner in South Africa at the moment, taking 3 for 29 in his nine-over spell, to leave KwaZulu-Natal all out for 154 in 43.2 overs.Western Province made an uncertain start, losing Neil Johnson in the second over and Gary Kirsten in the sixth. This brought Kallis to the crease, who, with a lot of time on his hands, stroked the ball around nicely for an undefeated 74. Together with Andrew Puttick he saw Western Province home in the 41st over for an easy six-wicket win.
Left arm chinaman bowler Shannon Tubb was an unlikely last-day hero for Tasmania as the Tigers clinched an innings victory over South Australia to lift them to second on the Pura Cup table with a round to play.Tubb fought back after taking an early hammering to snare three crucial second-innings wickets and help dismiss SA for 242 today as the Tigers won by an innings and 32 runs.Veteran paceman David Saker was superb in taking 5-53 as Tasmania dominated for the fourth straight day to gain the richly deserved win, which also boosted theTasmanian percentage and put it ahead of Western Australia, which is on equal points.Only a valiant innings of 138 from SA opening batsman Ben Johnson, lasting 418 minutes, forced the Tasmanians to stay in the field until an hour before thescheduled close.It was the third century of the season from Johnson, who carried his bat on the two previous occasions, in a superb comeback after failing to earn a place in the side at the start of the summer.SA started today at 2-66 and lost Ben Higgins (seven) and Chris Davies (three), both dismissed by Saker, in the opening eight overs to slump to 4-79.Bradley Young shared a 61-run partnership with Johnson which soaked up 86 valuable minutes before Scott Kremerskothen bowled Young for 21 in the overbefore lunch.Mike Smith joined Johnson and the pair batted for almost the entire session between lunch and tea, adding 64 runs in a partnership that looked as though it could deny the Tigers an outright win.But it was Tubb, who conceded 35 runs in a loose five-over spell before lunch, who made the crucial breakthrough, having Smith caught behind for 31, the secondhighest score in the SA innings.Tubb followed with the wicket of Graham Manou (zero) in his next over on his way to a critical spell of 2-6 from three overs leading into the tea break.Tubb also claimed the wicket of Johnson, the ninth wicket to fall, which finally killed off SA’s hopes, on his way to career best figures of 3-57.Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox, named man of the match after his 174, said he was pleased with Tubb’s comeback after his wayward early spell.”We picked him to bowl these guys out on the last day, we took him off and we had to bring him back on at some stage,” Cox said.”He’s turned it around brilliantly, he’s had a real big turn in saying who won the game.”The Tigers play New South Wales in Hobart in the last round and an outright win will guarantee them a Pura Cup final berth for the first time since 1997/98, when they lost to WA.
At face value, it’s a rather barren vista at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.The South-West Stand has gone. Two sets of practice nets have vanished. Bulldozers, cranes and denuded earth now occupy the territory where the Stuart Spencer Stand was previously positioned. Even the most photographed toilet block in Australian cricket has disappeared from its former base behind the bowler’s arm at the River End.The bottom line, though, is that things at the ground have never looked so good.After years in the planning, work has begun on the formal redevelopment of the Oval – home of the Tasmanian Cricket Association (TCA) and the premier cricketing facility in Australia’s southernmost state. A far-reaching redevelopment, that is, which will see the ground transformed into a boutique venue capable of accommodating 15,000 fans for major matches in the future.Bellerive has been the headquarters of Tasmanian cricket ever since a shift from the TCA Ground on Hobart’s western shore in 1987. In the years that have followed, it has gained a fine reputation and played host to five Tests, sixteen One-Day Internationals and countless other first-class and limited-over games. Complete with a perfectly-manicured surface and offering spectacular views from its position at the eastern edge of the Derwent River, it has also come to be widely regarded as one of the most picturesque ovals in Australia.But the need for further enhancement – to maintain its status and its suitability for elite-level cricket – has long been on the agenda of the state’s senior administrators. And, as the heavy construction equipment and hordes of construction workers have moved in during recent weeks, so it has been that that exciting ideal has started to inch toward realisation.”Our impetus to do this was the fact that we needed to continue to host international cricket here successfully,” explains TCA Chief Executive, David Johnston.”In some ways, our ground was getting a little tired for that purpose and our infrastructure for players, spectators and the media probably wasn’t as good as it could have been.”Back in 1999, the TCA initially proposed a more comprehensive redevelopment programme. After re-appraising the costs, reviewing its members’ reactions, and setting its plans against the backdrop of opposition from a band of local ratepayers, though, it soon opted for a re-think.At a cost of close to $A16 million, this new upgrade weds a blueprint of contemporary stadium design with affordability and practicality. But, while the TCA has been careful to ensure that the budget for the project will not exceed the capital it has drawn together from a $5 million Commonwealth Government grant, $8 million of commercial borrowings and $3 million of its own reserves, it is still the case that few expenses are being spared in adorning the ground with levels of comfort which significantly surpass those previously known at Bellerive.Headlining the array of alterations will be the relocation (to the southern end of the ground), extension and roofing of the existing Northern Stand. In providing seating for just under 6,000 people, it will form the centrepiece of the TCA’s plans to attract more spectators to premium cricketing events. The Members’ Pavilion will also undergo significant reconfiguration, to provide vastly upgraded facilities not only for members but also for players and umpires, the TCA’s administrative staff, and the electronic and print media.To complement those developments, the Oval will be equipped with indoor practice facilities for the first time. Its new indoor centre, which will provide state-of-the-art training equipment and house the Association’s coaching and development staff, will in fact be the first of the new features to reach completion. There will be no alterations to the playing surface that cricket devotees around the world already know well. But a dedicated cricket museum and library, clock-tower, regraded hill, enhanced function rooms and deluxe corporate hospitality areas will also be among the amenities new to Bellerive.”It has taken us around two years in total to go through all the planning and then through the local Planning Appeals Tribunal itself,” says Johnston.”In short, what we’re trying to do is upgrade the overall quality of the facilities for our patrons and our members. We’ll ultimately be able to fit considerably more people into the ground and they’ll also have a better view, be a lot more comfortable and enjoy a higher standard of catering and public facilities.”Much of the work on the project will be completed by the time the ground hosts the second match of the three-Test series between Australia and New Zealand in November and a One-Day International between New Zealand and South Africa in January. The second and final phase of construction activity will be undertaken in the lead-up to the 2002-03 domestic season.It will be then that the recurring dream of a ground that can truly take Tasmanian cricket deep into the twenty-first century will have become a reality.
League One outfit Sunderland have reportedly registered an interest in 18-year-old Guiseley striker Josh Stones, with the Black Cats trailing league rivals Wigan Athletic.
What’s the story?
According to Football Insider, the Wearside outfit are keen on the non-league sensation, who is also part of the England schoolboy set-up, but face competition from both Wigan and Scottish giants Rangers.
The young Englishman has scored 21 times in 13 games for the National League North side’s youth team this season whilst making 15 appearances for the first-team scoring once.Â
The striker signed first-team forms with Guiseley in October but could be lured away from the West Yorkshire club this summer.
Sunderland must sign Stones
Having seen Jermain Defoe retire this week after a brief second stint proved unsuccessful, whilst there are no guarantees that loanee Nathan Broadhead will sign permanently, the Black Cats will undoubtedly be looking to add a striker to their ranks this summer.
Granted, if the Wearside club were to sign Stones, it would be incredibly unlikely that manager Alex Neil would throw the youngster into the first-team mix straight away, but there is definitely bags of potential there.
Having scored a ridiculous tally of goals for Guiseley’s youth side as well as impressing in the National League North, there is no doubt that the striker is ready to make the next step up, and joining Sunderland’s youth ranks could be exactly what the 18-year-old needs to continue his development.
It’s still uncertain as to what status of a club the Black Cats will be in the summer with the League One outfit now sat outside of the playoff positions in seventh after Sheffield Wednesday beat Cheltenham Town 4-1 yesterday.
With seven games to secure a playoff spot, Neil’s side face a crucial couple of weeks which will certainly factor the pedigree of talent that they can recruit in the summer.
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Moreover, as Wigan lead the race for Stones’ signature, the Latics are also on course for a return to the Championship, with Leam Richardson’s team three points clear of third-placed MK Dons in second with two games in hand.
Although the Wearsiders are trailing in the hunt for the 18-year-old’s signature, the North-East club must continue to pursue bringing the Guiseley man to the Stadium of Light, with the striker already showing glimpses of exciting potential.
In other news: Big boost: Sunderland handed huge transfer lift which could finally see them promoted
Ashley Noffke will warm up for his Test tour of West Indies with a brief stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after Bangalore picked him to replace the injured Nathan Bracken. Noffke leaves for India on Tuesday but must be back in Brisbane in early May for Australia’s training camp ahead of the Caribbean series.Noffke did not originally nominate for either of the IPL auctions and intended to stay focused on his push for international honours. But after he was confirmed for the West Indies trip and named in Cricket Australia’s 25-man squad of contracted players for 2008-09, Noffke decided a short Twenty20 spell could be beneficial.”It’s a pretty exciting proposition to go up against so many good players,” Noffke said. “I’m taking the view that it will be good for my development as a player as well as a chance to get some bowling under my belt ahead of the Windies tour.”Noffke’s last-minute dash to India means he will be available for Bangalore’s opening clash against Kolkata on Friday. If selected, that could pit Noffke against the Australia captain Ricky Ponting as well as the newly-contracted David Hussey.He will also be free to play three more IPL games before heading home for the training camp. Bracken, who is still recovering after having knee surgery in March, will be assessed prior to the ODI tour of West Indies to determine whether he can take part.
The Afro-Asia Cup, already undermined by the non-availability of several big-name players, has received another jolt with Nimbus Sports, which owned telecast rights for the tournament, pulling out of the deal. In a desperate bid to salvage to tournament, which is scheduled to begin on June 5 in India, the Asian Cricket Council are now trying to finalise a last-minute deal with ESPN-Star.”We will not be part of the event in any way,” Harish Thawani, the Nimbus chief, told PTI. “We will not be telecasting the event. Neither will we be producing nor bringing sponsorship for the matches.”Nimbus Sports bought the rights for three editions of the tournament, which was first played in 2005 in South Africa, for $12 million, and cited the absence of several big stars in the Asia XI as the reason for pulling the plug. Among the names missing are Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Muttiah Muralithran, Chaminda Vaas, Kumar Sangakkara, Shoaib Akhtar and Lasith Malinga.”Nimbus committed the money on the understanding that the teams will be drawn from the best available talent,” said an industry source. “This is clearly not the case with this tournament and the thus terms on which the deal was signed are not valid anymore. It would be understandable if the players were injured. But this is not the case here.”Muralitharan, Vaas and Sangakkara are currently playing county cricket with permission from the Sri Lankan Cricket Board, and Shoaib was pulled out by the Pakistan Cricket Board on the grounds that he had not regained full fitness. The last straw, according to the source, was the voluntary withdrawal of Tendulkar a couple of days ago. Dravid had not been originally picked in the XI that will be captained by Mahela Jayawerdene.”By no stretch of imagination this is the best Asian XI,” said the source, adding that the Twenty20 team, which doesn’t feature a single player from the one-day XI, has only one Indian player in Sreesanth, who is hardly an automatic choice for India’s limited-overs matches. It is hardly a secret that India is the biggest source of television revenue in cricket, and the absence of the top Indian stars have left Nimbus with little chance of recovering their fee.However, the tournament is likely to go ahead with ESPN-Star being roped in at the last minute. While no financial details are available at the moment, it is understood the deal will be significantly lower than the original sum. Though ACC officials and ESPN-Star refused to comment, an official decision is expected to be announced on Monday.The brainchild of Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former president of the Indian cricket board, the first Afro-Asia Cup was held in South Africa in August 2005. The idea was to raise money for the Asian Cricket Council and the African Cricket Association, and the whole venture was given a massive boost when the ICC agreed to give the series of one-day matches full ODI status. It could not be held in 2006 owing to a busy international calendar.
Doug Insole has been appointed president of MCC for a one-year term beginning this October.Insole, who turned 80 last month, played for England nine times and while he had a distinguished 17-year career with Essex, he is perhaps better known for his achievements off the cricket field.He has previously chaired both Essex and the Test & County Cricket Board (TCCB) and currently chairs the European Cricket Council. He was an England selector for ten years and managed the 1978-79 and 1982-83 Ashes tours to AustraliaInsole played 450 first-class games and scored over 25,000 runs. Coincidentally, his year as president will end 60 years after he made his first-class debut.
When the Bangladesh team steps onto the hallowed turf of Lord’s today, back home some thousands of miles away millions of eyes will be glued to television sets in anxious, nervous anticipation. But nowhere will they glow with as much pride as in a fenced-off complex which is roughly an hour’s drive from the capital, Dhaka.For the coaches, teachers and trainees of the Bangladesh Institute of Sports (BKSP), the historic Lord’s landing of the Tigers has a special significance. The XI to take on England will feature two players who are still students at the institute – Shahadat Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahim – and another one, Anwar Hossain, who is a recent graduate. In 1987 BKSP welcomed its first batch of cricket talents, some 30-odd dreamy-eyed seventh-graders, but until today, it has never had three of its products in the playing XI of the national team.Anwar, a fast-medium bowler, is appearing in only his second Test after two years in the wilderness. He has apparently shown more adaptability to English conditions than the tireless Tapash Baisya. Shahadat’s debut was inevitable after he made a pacey and hostile first impression against the British Universities in the tour opener. But the newsmaker so far has been the angel-faced Rahim.Picked originally as cover for Khaled Mashud, the 16-year-old Rahim, who barely exceeds five feet, was given a go in Bangladesh’s second warm-up match, against Sussex, and ended up batting better than any of his team-mates in that ill-fated game, including scoring the only half-century. Just to confirm it was not a fluke, he then smacked an unbeaten hundred against Northamptonshire, during which he even advised his 36-year-old batting partner, Mohammad Rafique, to “play the balls a little late” in order to get proper timing. That’s the uninhibited, confident gait with an unmistakable touch of innocence which sets him apart from other kids of his age. And there are some other traits in Rahim that money can’t buy.”He comes from one of the most reputed and affluent families of his district [Bogra],” says the BKSP’s cricket coach Mohammad Salahuddin. “He could have had all the comfort in the world. Instead, he has decided to shape his life through hard work. His work ethic is exemplary, and he is absolutely single-minded about pursuing his goals – being successful in cricket and career. Mind you, he is academically very sound too.”We have had individuals who have been far more talented than Rahim,” added Salahuddin. “But some have fallen by the wayside while others have not made the next leap forward. That is why he is different. He has not got distracted and hasn’t lost focus. His level of determination is much higher than the average trainee and he carries himself with dignity. He is very polite and disciplined. You won’t hear anything negative about him from anyone here.”Rahim was in Australia with the Under-19 side when the news emerged that he had been picked for the senior side, and he was suitably dumbfounded when Nazmul Abedin, the chief coach at the institute, dropped the bombshell. But Nazmul also foresees brilliant times ahead for Rahim. “I think he is a future Bangladesh captain. He has the attributes to go the distance.”While BKSP gave Rahim the scope to flourish his sporting gifts, his character was moulded under the influence of the Australian, Richard McInness, the outgoing High Performance Manager of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and coach of their Under-19 and A squads. McInness had a good idea how his pupil was going to react to the Lord’s adventure: “Obviously he’ll be excited but he won’t let it show. He will go about his business without letting the occasion get to him. That’s the kind of character he is. He is very, very professional, which is a rarity in someone so young.”