FIRST IT WAS SAID THAT CRICKET IS THE GAME OF ASHES BUT IT IS THE GAME OF GAMBLE AS WELL CRICKET PASSION "LOVE FOR CRICKET"
Monday, September 12, 2011
Cricket's biggest award for top performers to be presented
The LG International Cricket Council (ICC) awards for the outstanding performers in world cricket during last year (between 11 August 2010 and 3 August 2011) will be given away at a colourful function to be held today (September 12) at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane in London.
The Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Cricketer of the Year is being closely contested this year with England's Alastair Cook, and Jonathan Trott along with India's Sachin Tendulkar and Hashim Amla emerging as the four strong contenders.
Reacting to intense contest for all the awards which includes the best Test player of the year, One-day cricketer of the year, emerging player of the year, associate and affiliate player of the year, former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, who chaired the panel of experts and independent voting academy, said: "It was an extremely close run contest this year in all the categories as everyone performed well over the period."
Trott, who has been short-listed in three categories such as Cricketer of the Year, ODI Cricketer of the Year and even the People's Choice Award said: "It is not something you think about when you are playing. But what nomination brings with it some good and fond memories. I think the nominations show plenty of England players in all categories. It shows how we have been successful as a side over the past year and how everyone has contributed to it."
The other three short listed for the Test player of the year are his teammates Cook and James Anderson along with South Africa's Jacques Kallis. Before the start of the awards, ICC will announce the One-day team of the year.
The ODI player of the year will be decided from among Amla, Gautam Gambhir, Kumar Sangakkara and Shane Watson. Commenting on his chances, Watson said: I'm very excited. It's always a great honour to be nominated in a couple of categories, let alone being short-listed. I'm not sure how bright my chances are but I'm thrilled to be in the category with three extremely talented players in Hashim Amla, Kumar Sangakkara and Gautam Gambhir, all of whom have had fantastic years."
Another prestigious category is the emerging player of the year award. The four players short listed are Pakistan's Azhar Ali and Wahab Riaz, West Indies Davendra Bishoo and Darren Bravo. Bishoo expressing his surprise at being nominated said: "It was a huge surprise to be announced as one of the players. I'm really quite nervous about being on the short-list."
The trophy for the best umpire has been named after the late umpire David Shephered. Umpires Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Ian Gould and Simon Taufel are the contenders.
PCB agrees to tour Bangladesh
The Pakistan Cricket Board seems to be working hard to improve the strained relationship with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as it agreed to tour Bangladesh for a full series in December this year.
A source in the Board said that the PCB had recently approved a tentative itinerary sent by the Bangladesh board for the series that will include two Tests, three one-day internationals and a T20 match in December.
The itinerary for the series has been tentatively agreed upon by both the boards.
"Pakistan has not played Bangladesh in a bilateral series since early 2008 as it believed that the Bangladesh board had let it down on many occasions, especially by not supporting Pakistan when the World Cup matches were moved out of the country. But now things seem to have settled down," the source said.
Stating that the tension between Pakistan and Bangladesh first surfaced in 2009, the source explained, "Pakistan board has not been very happy with BCB since 2009 when it cancelled a bilateral one-day series between the two nations to be held in Bangladesh, immediately after the militants attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.
"Pakistan team was to tour Bangladesh for the ODI series but after the attack took place, the BCB cancelled the series on security grounds, saying its government had not given clearance for the Pakistan team to play in Bangladesh."
The source said that the relations further soured between the two boards when against all expectations the Bangladesh board supported a resolution in the International cricket Council (ICC) to move the 2011 World Cup matches out of Pakistan on security grounds.
"The PCB chief Ijaz Butt was really upset and angry with his Bangladesh counterpart and even had a heated exchange with him after the ICC meeting in 2009 in which the World Cup matches were moved from Pakistan," the source revealed.
He said since then the relations had remained tense and even recently when the Bangladesh board didn't fulfill its commitment of sending its under-19 team to Pakistan two months back, the PCB got very upset.
"The PCB officials were not satisfied with the reasons given by the Bangladesh board for not sending its team to Pakistan and asking for the series to be postponed to next year," the source said.
He also informed that since 2010, even Bangladesh has been requesting the PCB to send its team to Bangladesh to play an ODI series, which was cancelled in 2009 but the PCB kept on refusing.
"But now both boards appear to have taken steps to improve their relations and the PCB recently approved the itinerary sent for the Test series by Bangladesh," the source said.
A source in the Board said that the PCB had recently approved a tentative itinerary sent by the Bangladesh board for the series that will include two Tests, three one-day internationals and a T20 match in December.
The itinerary for the series has been tentatively agreed upon by both the boards.
"Pakistan has not played Bangladesh in a bilateral series since early 2008 as it believed that the Bangladesh board had let it down on many occasions, especially by not supporting Pakistan when the World Cup matches were moved out of the country. But now things seem to have settled down," the source said.
Stating that the tension between Pakistan and Bangladesh first surfaced in 2009, the source explained, "Pakistan board has not been very happy with BCB since 2009 when it cancelled a bilateral one-day series between the two nations to be held in Bangladesh, immediately after the militants attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore.
"Pakistan team was to tour Bangladesh for the ODI series but after the attack took place, the BCB cancelled the series on security grounds, saying its government had not given clearance for the Pakistan team to play in Bangladesh."
The source said that the relations further soured between the two boards when against all expectations the Bangladesh board supported a resolution in the International cricket Council (ICC) to move the 2011 World Cup matches out of Pakistan on security grounds.
"The PCB chief Ijaz Butt was really upset and angry with his Bangladesh counterpart and even had a heated exchange with him after the ICC meeting in 2009 in which the World Cup matches were moved from Pakistan," the source revealed.
He said since then the relations had remained tense and even recently when the Bangladesh board didn't fulfill its commitment of sending its under-19 team to Pakistan two months back, the PCB got very upset.
"The PCB officials were not satisfied with the reasons given by the Bangladesh board for not sending its team to Pakistan and asking for the series to be postponed to next year," the source said.
He also informed that since 2010, even Bangladesh has been requesting the PCB to send its team to Bangladesh to play an ODI series, which was cancelled in 2009 but the PCB kept on refusing.
"But now both boards appear to have taken steps to improve their relations and the PCB recently approved the itinerary sent for the Test series by Bangladesh," the source said.
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