Asian full members agree World Cup bid

The Asian full members of the ICC (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) have agreed to bid for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

I wonder if the BCCIs current plan of pissing the ICC off as much as possible will help the bid at all?

Bangladesh look for series win

via BBC SPORT

Bangladesh are looking for a first ODI series win against a major opponent when they take on Sri Lanka tomorrow. Their only other ODI series win has come against Zimbabwe.

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar said:-

We used to concentrate on winning one match, now we are looking to the series

This is a good thing for Bangladesh, and hopefully they can win more series. Especially as Ricky Ponting doesn’t like them.

ICC announce huge schedule for associates

The ICC have today announced a huge schedule of cricket for six associates with ODI status. (Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands and Scotland).

Good to see these countries getting a lot more cricket.

Ponting should keep his mouth shut

via Cricinfo - The Surfer

After Bangladesh’s win over Sri Lanka, Wasim Akram has chosen to speak out again, saying;

Ponting, you just keep your mouth shut and look back to what they did against you people in Cardiff last year and take a note of the latest one against Sri Lanka.

He’s talking about Pontings pathetic attitude towards the minnows of the game. Ponting thinks that they shouldn’t play in the world cup. He’s wrong of course, and it’s good to see a respected player like Wasim Akram saying so.

Tikolo confident

via Kenya Cricket

Steve Tikolo is confident about the forthcoming tour to Zimbabwe, which features 5 ODIs.

They’ve every right to be. They thrashed Zimbabwe A late last year, but that A side was actually the full test side, featuring Heath Streak and Tatenda Taibu.

Those players have now left, and with an inexperienced captain at the helm, Zimbabwe are set to struggle.

Zimbabwe captain never played an ODI

From Cricinfo

Zimbabwe have appointed a captain who has never played an ODI. Coach Kevin Curran sees no problem with this, but the fact that they are having to appoint such an inexperienced player as captain just shows how many players have quit in recent years.

There may be other problems too, especially as Duffin is white.

The move to appoint Duffin as captain is said to have angered some black players who feel that Zimbabwe Cricket used them, claiming that they had been promised the post following the resignation of Tatenda Taibu. One of these players who is understood to unhappy is medium-pace bowler Blessing Mahwire, who has 10 Test and seven one-day appearances to his name.

Sad to see that the racism that has already infected the board is now spreading to the players.

India and Pakistan against Twenty20 World Cup

I’ve written earlier about the BCCIs objections to a Twenty20 world cup, saying that they’re totally against Twenty20. Pakistan are also along for the ride, at least according to the BCCI. Although having a domestic Twenty20 cup, and playing an international in England this summer seem to contradict that.

John Cook at CricketBlog.com has an interesting comment on this.

Pakistan and India will also be bidding to host the 2011 World Cup, going up against Australian and NZ. I wonder if the combative approach they’ve taken with the ICC, not only with the Twenty20 World Cup but also with India boycotting the Champion’s Trophy, will harm their chances of winning the bid.

It’s a good point. Will the BCCI and the PCB want to piss off the people who could put a lot of money their way with the 2011 World Cup? I doubt it.

To Sub or Not to Sub

via Cricinfo - Different Strokes

The scrapping of the supersub rule has seen positive reactions from most, but did it really just need some modification?

Writing for Cricinfo’s Different Strokes Blog, Angshuman Hazra says:

Can cricket afford to be so regressive in this day and age? Who knows, a proper implementation of that rule may have ensured that the traditionally skilled cricketers - those who are not in the bits-and-pieces mould - add more to the shorter version than they are otherwise allowed to. In other words, vitalising droplets of quality could be added to the sometimes monotonous brew of one-dayers.

For instance, McGrath and Warne could have adorned the one-day game for a few more years through this rule. So could have Tendulkar, Harmison and Shoaib in the future, as age starts catching up on them. On a smaller scale, Ashish Nehra could be the missing new ball partner to Irfan Pathan that India are constantly on the lookout for.

Maybe a little modification of the supersub rule was all that was really required.

I agree with him. Surely the best solution was to adopt the 12-a-side model from the ING Cup in Australia, where 11 field and 11 bat?

Under 19 players to look out for.

Cricinfo have a list of players from the recently concluded Under 19 World Cup to look out for in the future.

Eoin Morgan is the name people on the county circuit could well be hearing a lot from over the next few years. He came fourth in the player of the tournament list, was the second highest run scorer, had the third highest average and the third highest individual score of the tournament.

He currently plays for Middlesex and Ireland, but like county colleague Ed Joyce, it would appear that his future lies with England.

In an interview with the BBC back in November, Morgan indicated that he would like to follow Joyce from Ireland into the England set-up.

This is a problem that also affects Scotland as well as Ireland, and it needs to be sorted out. Joyce has recently made his debut for England A, and so we have the very real possibility that he could have helped Ireland qualify for the World Cup, and then play for another team in the competition itself.

I’ve no problem with players chosing to qualify by residence for another country, but I think that once you have played for one country, that should be it. The best players from Scotland and Ireland are always going to be attracted to the county circuit, but why should England be the ones to benefit from the development clubs are putting into their young players in Scotland and Ireland?

Suriname in next qualifying stage

Qualifying for the 2011 World Cup is back underway, and Suriname have won the latest tournament.

Playing in the Americas Region Division Three championships against Brazil, Chile and the Turks & Caicos Islands, Suriname went through the tournament unbeaten, claiming the crown.

They will now play in the Division Two tournament in Argentina in April, against the Bahamas, Belize and Panama, as well as the hosts.