Smaller Cricket Nations Are Feeling The Financial Pain During The Coronavirus Crisis

International cricket has a rather archaic hierarchical system. Only 12 countries are allowed to play Test cricket – the sport’s longest and most prestigious format.

These teams – deemed the best cricket countries – are categorized as Full Members, according to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rather elitist structure.

It is tough to gain full membership. Only three countries - Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Ireland - have been granted the coveted status in more than 25 years. Teams below the top tier are Associate member nations – they get less funding than the elite 12 and fewer opportunities to play against the best.

Only 20 teams currently hold One-Day International status and a mere 10 teams featured in last year’s World Cup. Those not qualifying missed out on a windfall – a prime example being Scotland losing out on the $1 million qualifying fee and potential sponsorship funds of $200,000-300,000.

Associates cricket is cut-throat. Magnified during the tumult of the coronavirus pandemic, which has thrown the sport into chaos and exposed the grim finances of supposedly wealthy cricket nations.

For 12th ODI ranked Netherlands, a leading Associates nation and the best cricket country on mainland Europe, it has been a bitter pill to swallow. This year promised so much marked by being part of the 16-team T20 World Cup starting in October in Australia, which is now under a cloud.

Read More

4:54 AM

India tour of Australia likely to go ahead as scheduled

BCCI sources confirmed that India's tour of Australia is most likely to happen in 2020 and the board is considering various prospects for resumption of cricket post coronavirus pandemic.

HIGHLIGHTS

• India are scheduled to play four Tests and three ODIs in December-January
• BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal has already said India is ready to quarantine for 14 days
• BCCI feels that cricket should resume in September and October

Cricket Australia (CA) has received a major reprieve as India's upcoming tour of Australia is likely to go ahead according to BCCI sources. If India tour doesn't take place, Cricket Australia could lose as much as 300 million Australian dollars.

While BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal has already said the team is ready to quarantine for 14 days, BCCI sources told Boria Majumdar, India Today Consulting Editor Sports that the tour will most likely happen as scheduled.

India are scheduled to play four Tests and three ODIs in December-January, a tour that should give a massive fillip to Cricket Australia’s (CA) dwindling finances.

As per the rules amid Covid-19 pandemic, those travelling to Australia have to go into isolation for a couple of weeks. The quarantine rules could have seen BCCI postponing the tour but the Indian cricket board is willing to play the scheduled four-match Test series.

BCCI sources also confirmed that if the T20 World Cup doesn't happen the tour will not be broken up into parts but will continue with Test and T20I as a continuous series.

The Indian cricket board also feels that cricket should resume in September and October but is unlikely to say anything in public till the lockdown ends and the things open up.

BCCI is also taking into consideration the prospect of bio friendly stadiums and different formats for resumption of cricket.

BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal had said on downplaying the logistical issues likely to arise because of the Covid-19 pandemic, stating that India’s tour of Australia later this year is likely to go ahead.

Read More

4:28 AM

South Africa Thrashed Sri Lanka in T20 Worldcup 2012

South Africa topped Group C after skipper A B de Villiers led them to a 32-run victory over Sri Lanka in a rain-curtailed match of the ICC World Twenty20 here today.

South Africa rode on De Villiers' 13-ball 30 to post 78 for four after the match was reduced to a seven-over-a-side affair. In reply, the Sri Lankans were restricted to 46 for five as the Protea bowlers took centrestage at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium.

The loss meant Sri Lanka will enter the Super Eight stage as the second best team from the group.

Besides de Villiers, Hashim Amla (16), Faf du Plessis (13) and JP Duminy (12) chipped in with important runs to lay the foundation for a comfortable win, after being put in to bat.

In what was the first international T20 match between the two sides, the hosts always had a tough task at hands after the Proteas set a stiff target. It became even more difficult after the Lankans lost openers -- captain Mahela Jayawardene (4) and Tillakaratner Dilshan (0) -- cheaply.

The Sri Lankan batsmen simply failed to find their ground, even as Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Jacques Kallis came up with tremendous bowling efforts to restrict the opponents.

The bowlers managed to tightened the noose further and the likes of Dilshan Munaweera, Kumar Sangakara (13) and Thisara Perera (1) could never get the momentum going.

Steyn finished with impressive figures of two for 10 from as many overs.

Earlier, South Africa also did not have an ideal start as Nuwan Kulasekara dismissed opener Richard Levi (4) in the very first over, when Dilshan Munaweera took a brilliant diving catch going back from mid on.

Read More

9:48 AM

Pune clash with rejuvenated Chennai

Pulled up by skipper Sourav Ganguly following a lackluster showing in their previous outing, the Pune batsmen would look to put up a much better display when they take on the formidable Chennai team in the Indian T20 League match played at Pune. Pune started the tournament on a positive note, notching up wins in their first two matches, till Punjab disturbed the momentum. Chennai, on the other hand, have not been their usual self at the start, but the thrilling win over Bangalore on Thursday when they chased down 206, should come as a shot in the arm for the visitors. The Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium is expected to be packed to the brim by Pune fans, but going by Chennai's depth and variety, the visitors are not likely to be too worried about that. As far as captaincy is concerned, Ganguly led the side well, but is yet to fire with the willow. Considering that they are not a side packed with experienced international stars, it is important that Ganguly takes the lead himself and inspires the rest who follow him in the batting line-up. The top-order hasn't fired yet. They would be expecting the likes of Jesse Ryder, Robin Uthappa,Manish Pandey and Angelo Mathews get into the groove quickly as it will benefit the team immensely. Their batting may not seem that formidable but Pune surely have a pretty good bowling attack in Ashok Dinda, Ashish Nehra and leg-spinner Rahul Sharma. Nehra attributed their seven-wicket loss on Thursday to fielding lapses and the failure to play the full quota of 20 overs, and Pune would do well to avoid repeating the same mistakes. In the match against Punjab, Pune were bundled out for 115 in 19 overs. In stark contrast, the Super Kings batted with aplomb as they successfully chased a mammoth target at the Chepauk stadium. While Murali Vijay hasn't really done anything of note till now, his opening partner Faf du Plessis has been in a rich vein of form. He cracked 71 off just 46 deliveries while skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni contributed 41 off 24 that also marked his return to form after a quite start to the tournament. Albie Morkel and Dwayne Bravo, too, were in full flow as they tore into the Bangalore bowlers. The defending champions would be hoping to continue the momentum against Pune, who are placed third on the points table with two wins from three matches, while the Super Kings are on fifth position with as many wins as the hosts from four games.

Read More

3:05 AM

Nehra blames fielding lapses for the loss

Pune Warriors pacer Ashish Nehra has blamed the fielding lapses and not playing the full quota of 20 overs for his team's seven-wicket loss to Kings XI Punjab in their IPL match at the PCA stadium.

"The kind of chances we got...(Robin) Uthappa missed one caught behind chance of Shaun Marsh. Jessy Ryder missed one run out and there was a drop chance off my bowling," Nehra said at a post-match press conference last night.

Pune were dismissed for a modest 115 in just 19 overs after Punjab won the toss and invited the visitors to bat. The hosts then returned to overhaul the target with 14 balls to spare.

Stating that losing opener Jesse Ryder (7) with the ball doing a bit early on, did not help their cause, Nehra said: "The first half was a bit slow, with ball doing a bit, but we didn't even play full 20 overs. Had we batted through and got 130-135 with the kind of bowling we have and supported with the fielding, things could have gone in our favour."

Nehra also felt that given the conditions on the ground with a hint of movement, it was a bad toss to lose. "Bad toss to lose, I would say. The ball was doing a bit," he said.

With the Warriors having won their first two games and losing one so far, Nehra said it was still early days.

"T20 is that kind of a format, there will be ups and downs. I am sure in future we will learn from our mistakes."

Nehra, who remained wicketless from three overs he bowled last night giving away 22 runs, was satisfied with his performance after missing the earlier games because of a muscle pull.

"The muscle pull is okay now and hopefully as the tournament progresses, I will keep bowling well," said Nehra, who also missed the last edition of IPL due to a hand surgery.

"Last year's IPL, I didn't play because of hand surgery. I am fine now and hopefully will have a good IPL (this season)."

Read More

11:38 AM