Saif Ali Khan, Deepika to promote Love Aaj Kal on T20 World Cup

MUMBAI: Saif Ali Khan's debut film as producer, under the banner of Illuminati Films - Love Aaj Kal, has tied up with sports channel ESPN Star Sports to promote the movie at the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 2009 cricket tournament.

The movie stars Saif and Deepika Padukone and has been directed by Imtiaz Ali (Jab We Met). The cricket tournament is slated to begin from 5 June and will culminate on 21 June with the finals. Saif and Deepika will be travelling to England, where the tournament will be held.

Speaking to Businessofcinema.com, Illuminati Films partner Dinesh Vijan says, "The film has scope for a lot of partnerships and associations, which are beneficial for both parties provided the fit is perfect and not forced. We will be promoting the film on traditional media but we are also trying to find interesting ways to market the film. For the tie-up with ESPN Star Sports, Saif and Deepika will be going for the match as soon as we finish wrapping up things here and they will be seen cheering. What's more, Saif will also be sharing the commentary box with Harsha Bhogle."

According to information available with Businessofcinema.com, the film has been made on a budget of Rs 450 million (Rs 45 crores). Love Aaj Kal is co-produced by Eros International and has been held up from being releasing due to the on-going strike spurred by the tussle between Hindi film producers and multiplexes. While there has been almost no promotional activity around new Hindi films lined up for release (except Kal Kissne Dekha), Love Aaj Kal's tie-up with T20 World Cup will set the ball rolling in terms of promotions of movies that are slated to hit screens.

If the strike ends soon, the film is likely to release by June end.

West Indies women prepare for World Championship

The West Indies Women’s Cricket Team is presently preparing for ICC Women’s World T20 Tournament.

The West Indies women’s team will have a training camp in Barbados as they prepare for the International Cricket Council’s Women’s World T20 Tournament, to be played next month in England. The 10-day began on Monday and the team will be having net sessions, gym sessions, and fitness sessions under Head Coach Sherwin Campbell, as they get ready for the inaugural Women’s World T20 event.
The team leaves for England on June 4. While in England, they will have two pre-tournament warm-up matches against Pakistan and Sri Lanka before their first tournament match on June 11. The Windies girls are drawn in Group A alongside South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
The West Indies finished fifth at the ICC’s Women World Cup (50 overs) which was played in Australia in March.
SQUAD: Merissa Aguilleira (Captain), Kirbyina Alexander (Vice Captain), Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Cordel Jack, Stacy-Ann King, Pamela Lavine, Debbie-Ann Lewis, Anisa Mohammed, Juliana Nero, Shakera Selman, Danielle Small, Charlene Taitt, Stafanie Taylor; Patricia Greenidge (Manager); Sherwin Campbell (Coach), Jacqueline King-Mowatt (Physiotherapist), Shannon Lashley (Fitness and Conditioning Co-ordinator)
Match schedule. Warm-up matches. Monday, June 8: vs Pakistan at Taunton Vale— 4pm. Tuesday, June 9: vs Sri Lanka at Kings College—4pm.
Tournament Matches. Thursday, June 11: vs South Africa at Taunton – noon.
Saturday, June 13: vs New Zealand at Taunton —noon. Sunday, June 14: vs Australia at Taunton—noon. Thursday, June 18: First Semi-final at Trent Bridge—1:30pm. Friday, June 19: Second Semi-final at the Oval—130 pm. Sunday, June 21: FINAL at Lord’s—10:30am.

Ramdin ready for 20/20 challenge

West Indies vice-captain Denesh Ramdin says the Caribbean side will not be deterred by the tough challenges facing them at the ICC World Twenty20 tournament.

Drawn in Group C alongside the reigning World Cup champions Australia and Sri Lanka, West Indies will open against the Aussies on June 6 at The Oval and the wicket-keeper/batsman is bracing for stiff competition.

"It definitely won't be easy. Those are the two better sides in the ODI as well as in the Twenty20 formats. They have good players who on the day can do well," Ramdin said.

The 24-year-old Trinidadian declared healthy respect for their opponents but asserted that West Indies can match them if they play to their potential.

"They (Australia and Sri Lanka) have a lot of big names but we have a good team which is capable of beating anyone on a good day. I think we have a good team going into the ICC World Twenty20 with the likes of Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, along with the young players coming through, Keiron Pollard, Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo returning to the side," he said.

Anxious to improve

Ramdin also admitted that the Windies will be anxious to improve on their last showing in this tournament - South Africa in 2007 when they failed to make it past the group stages of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20.

"Yes, we played some good cricket in South Africa in parts but now it's about putting our all-round game into play. We need to be a lot more consistent.

"Hopefully, if the guys come together and play well, play some great cricket, I can't see why the West Indies can't win this trophy as well," he said.

Anyone's game

Ramdin said Twenty20 cricket is anyone's game on any given day.

"Everyone says it's a batters game but, at the end of the day, the bowlers need to come on and get wickets for you.

"Taking a couple of wickets means the bowler has done his job, and now a batter can go out there hit a couple of sixes and win a game for you. A brilliant catch by a fielder can also win a game for you.

"Anything can happen on any given day, it's anyone's game."

Ramnaresh Sarwan

Akram warns of fatigue factor

NEW DELHI: With the ICC World T20 approaching fast, will the Indian cricket team be able to defend the title it had won two years ago in South Africa?

Keeping in view India’s consistent performance around the world since that triumph, Mahendra Singh Dhoni & Co. appear the favourite but Pakistan great Wasim Akram thinks the defending champion can be a victim of playing non-stop cricket.

“India has more experience in T20, but has been playing for the last two years since the England tour. So, there is bound to be mental fatigue as well as injuries.

“But when you are playing the World Cup, the energy comes back and this can happen (to India),” Akram said on the occasion of the unveiling of the World T20 trophy here on Tuesday.

Handling pressure

On whether India could be able to withstand the pressure of being the defending champion, Akram cited the example of Australia and said, “Some teams have the ability to enjoy pressure situations and thrive on it.”

The former Pakistan all-rounder credited it to India’s bench strength, which made it a tough side in world cricket. “India does not depend on a single player. Earlier, we used to think let’s get Sachin’s (Tendulkar) wicket and we would win. But now they are not dependent on a Sachin or a (Virender) Sehwag. They believe in themselves as a team…”

Worthy champion

Former middle order batsman Sanjay Manjrekar thought India was a strong team on paper and “a worthy defending champion.”

Comparing India’s title defence in the 1987 World Cup to that of now, Manjrekar said, “Then India was not the best, a few other teams were above it. Now it’s the best team with lots of experience in T20 cricket.”

However, considering the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, the cricketer-turned-commentator refrained from forecasting whether India would retain the trophy.

“If it is Test cricket I will put my money on India, if it’s 50-over game I will put my money on India. But if it is T20, I will put my money in my pocket,” he said in a lighter vein.

Concern for Gambhir

Talking on individual players, Manjrekar said opener Gautam Gambhir’s form in the Indian Premier League concerned him.

“His body language was not great. It appears his confidence level is down. But Viru (Sehwag) does not look out of form,” he said.

On last year’s runner-up Pakistan, Akram said since the team had not played much cricket in recent times it would be “more hungry” for success.

“They performed well against Australia in Dubai and won the T20 match. So Pakistan has a chance,” he said.

Big ticket brands get ready to bat in T-20 World Cup

Mumbai, May 28 Big ticket brands that stayed away from IPL-2 are now readying to use the ICC Twenty 20 World Cup platform. With ESPN Star Sports offering relatively cheaper ad rates compared to the recently concluded IPL-2, new advertisers are willing to splurge on the tournament. From automobile majors such as Tata Motors and Maruti to multinationals such as HP and Intel are some of the new advertisers that did not use the IPL platform, but will now be visible on the T-20 World Cup matches beginning June 5 in England.

Speaking to Business Line, Ms Jasmin Sohrabji, Managing Director of media agency OMD, said: “We are looking at the T-20 both in terms of making spot buys and building properties as well. We were not present in the IPL-2 as it was an expensive proposition. The ad rates for T-20 are obviously lower than the IPL and we have made client specific deals.”

While the ad rates being quoted by ESPN Star Sports stand at Rs 3.25 lakh for a 10-second spot, media buyers claim that the negotiated rates are going to be way below it, estimated to start at Rs 2.75 lakh. In fact, in IPL-2 itself the average rates were between Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh. OMD has already signed deals for its clients such as Parle Agro (Frooti and Appy), Intel, HP and Ambuja, which were absent from IPL-2.

Meanwhile, Lintas Media has also struck ad spot deals for its client Maruti, which did not use the IPL platform. Tata Motors will be using the T-20 platform for its commercial vehicle brands such as the Ace and the Magic. “The entry cost for IPL was high so most of our clients stayed away from the property. We got a good deal for T-20 as we signed the deal almost six months in advance when the rates were relatively low,” said a media planner from Lintas Media.

Advertisers on the verge of launching campaigns have also decided to use the T-20 as a platform. “Having not used the IPL this time, we have decided to take the T-20 platform because we are on the verge of launching a new campaign. We have become the associate sponsors for the matches being telecast on Doordarshan,” said Mr Akshay Mehrotra, Head, Marketing, Bajaj Allianz.

Battery major Eveready Industries also intends using the platform for its newly released campaign for its Ultima range of powerful batteries. “Our company had not been advertising for the past two years due to high costs. But now with our new campaign we will be visible on the T-20 matches,” says Mr Partha Biswas, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Eveready Industries.

Interestingly, the O&M-created Zoozoos for the Vodafone brand will be missing from the tournament as there would a clash with its competitor Reliance Communications which is one of the associate sponsors for the T-20 World Cup matches.

Injured Flintoff will not play ICC T20 World Cup

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will not play in ICC T20 World Cup starting from 5th June in England.

Flintoff was unable to recover from knee injury he received while playing a match for Chennai Super Kings in Indian Premier League.

The ECB chief medical officer, Nick Peirce said that Flintoff is fastly recovering from the injury and there is no pain or swelling in his knee.

Peirce further added that Flintoff will be fit for Ashes Series to be played against Australia starting from 8th July.

Yorkshire's Adil Rashid, a batting leg-spinner will replace Flintoff in England squad for ICC T20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, it is an excellent opportunity for Rashid to prove himself in this international form of Cricket.

Saif taking Love Aaj Kal to T20 World Cup

Saif Ali Khan is all set to promote his debut film as a producer, Love Aaj Kal at the coming ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2009 cricket tournament. The film, directed by Jab We Met fame Imtiaz Ali stars Saif alongside Deepika Padukone. The cricket tournament is slated to begin from 5 June and will culminate on 21 June with the finals.

Buzz up!
Our sources reveal that the lead pair of the film, Saif and Deepika will be travelling to England, where the tournament will be held and Saif will also be sharing the commentary box with Harsha Bhogle.

Love Aaj Kal is co-produced by Eros International and has been held up from being releasing due to the on-going strike spurred by the tussle between Hindi film producers and multiplexes. Love Aaj Kal's tie-up with T20 World Cup will set the ball rolling in terms of promotions of movies that are slated to hit screens. If the strike ends soon, the film is likely to release by June end.

Biren Ghose executive director of Eros International states “Basically we see that the cricket tournament is a great platform to promote our film following our last win at the World Cup. Love Aaj Kal is one of our biggest movies and we want to mount it on a large platform. We are co-producers with Saif’s Illuminati films and we also announced the title of the film recently. Since there is tremendous cache with Bollywood and sports we decided to tie up with ESPN to promote our film at the T-20 world cup. We will be unveiling the look of the film at the World Cup.”

Zaheer fitness issue

Calcutta: The national selectors haven’t been told by the BCCI to pick a replacement for Zaheer Khan. Till late on Tuesday, it is therefore assumed that the pacer is fit for the World T20 in England.

Zaheer didn’t play for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL after May 3. A shoulder injury suffered during one of the matches in the tournament kept him on the sidelines.

Zaheer apart, the Team India XV has four new-ball bowlers — Irfan Pathan, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ishant Sharma and Praveen Kumar.

The Indian squad, led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is set to depart for England on Friday to defend their title in the World T20 Championship commencing on June 5.

However, if Zaheer has to be replaced, it will be a toss-up between Laxmipathy Balaji and Munaf Patel.

Zaheer Khan in fitness race for World T20 - report

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Paceman Zaheer Khan is in a race to regain fitness from a shoulder injury to play in the World Twenty20 starting on June 5, media said on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old, India's lead bowler over the last two seasons, is undergoing rehabilitation in South Africa after he was injured during the Indian Premier League.

The IPL wound up on Sunday.

"He is working with a South African doctor and an update will be issued soon by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India)," an unnamed member of the Indian team's support staff told the Times of India.

"(But) let me tell you his recovery is on track and he is expected to play the first game," he added.

Holders India play their first game against Bangladesh on June 6.

Zaheer Khan bound for England

MUMBAI, 28 MAY: Zaheer Khan (in photo), recovering from a shoulder injury, is set to leave with India's Twenty20 squad for the World Cup in England, Board of Control for Cricket in India sources said today. “The team leave here tomorrow. If there was any question about Zaheer's fitness, we would have let it be known to the media,” the sources said.
Doubts cropped up about Zaheer's availability for the world championship when he stayed back in South Africa after the Indian Premier League for medical treatment. Zaheer, who played for the Mumbai Indians, suffered an injury on his bowling shoulder while diving to stop a drive by the Bangalore Royal Challengers' Robin Uthappa in Johannesburg.
He underwent a scan that indicated "some inflammation" and the team management said the injury was not as serious as had previously been thought. But he did not take part in the Mumbai Indians' remaining matches. The left-arm pace bowler, who was not part of the squad that clinched the title in the tournament's inaugural edition two years ago in South Africa, has been India's attacking kingpin in their recent series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
India favourites: Kumble
Anil Kumble today said India could retain the title in the World Twenty20 Championship, saying they had the most balanced side.
“If they play to their potential, they will win again. They're a fantastic side and all the players did well in the Indian Premier League. England, New Zealand and Australia look good too. It will be a most competitive tournament,” the former India skipper said in Mumbai. Kumble dismissed fears that the Indian players would be jaded.
“The wickets in South Africa were on the slow side and I expect the wickets in England to be similar, though perhaps helping the seamers a bit more,” said India's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He brushed aside concern about the form slump experienced by Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.
“Viru was back in form in the IPL semi-final and I expect Gautam Gambhir always to do well in England,” he said.

Zaheer Khan: Injury mystery continues

MUMBAI: As defending champions India embark on their England sojourn for the ICC World T20, the mystery surrounding the participation of pace spearhead Zaheer Khan seems to have deepened.

The Indian left-arm-seamer suffered a left shoulder injury while playing in the IPL in South Africa on May 3 and didn’t figure in any of the games for Mumbai Indians after that. While the Board rubbished speculations of the seamer’s non-availability, things are looking increasingly curious.

None of the selectors or members of the support staff were willing to comment on the bowler’s fitness on Wednesday.

However, a key member of the World Cup bound team management said that a decision will have to be taken by Thursday.

"There will be no fitness test, but Zaheer will be physically assessed in the team hotel at some time of the day on Thursday. We will issue an update and send the report to the Board secretary. The media should know by then," he said.

If Zaheer is declared unfit, Ashish Nehra, who had such a wonderful Indian Premier League playing for Team Delhi, could replace Zaheer.

After all, Nehra is a left-armer just like Zaheer and in English conditions where the ball moves about considerably and seams a fair bit too, he could prove to be a handful.

If Nehra, who hasn’t played for India since September 2005, doesn’t find favour with the selectors, then Zaheer’s spot could go to Munaf Patel, who played in the IPL for Team Jaipur.

ICC World T20 Preview: In Rohit Sharma, Team India finds another finisher

What would you do, if your team needed 21 runs of the last over? Well sometime back Yusuf Pathan would have been an instant solution for such a situation. But Team India now has another finisher in their ranks, and this significant quality makes Rohit Gurunath Sharma Dhoni's trump card for this year's T20 World Cup.

One shouldn't have been surprised of Rohit's finishing act, as it was in this very format the Mumbaikar shot into prominence.

Rohit's unbeaten 40 ball 50 against South Africa in the 2007 T20 World Cup came before his IPL blitzkriegs. The 22 year old who took on the mantle at 61/4 powered India into the semi-finals with his match-winning innings.

A gifted player, conventional in style but contemporary in approach, Rohit's highlight in this year's IPL has been his adaptability and the manner in which he has shouldered responsibility.

Rohit has shifted gears depending on the situation and the one fifty in his 16 matches elaborates the manner in which he has paced his innings.

So when he hit 32 runs in 13 balls, Rohit pulled off an improbable victory hitting 22 runs of the last over of the match. Kolkata fell victim to another annihilation act, but such has been this maverick's domination in the death that it has shifted momentum in the space of one over.

362 runs at a strike rate of over hundred with a healthy average of close to 28 only magnifies on the role the vice-captain has played coming at No.5.

While the purists believe this 22 year old has the extra half a second when he plays his shots, they would now admit that in Rohit's armory there also exists the horizontal shots as well as the long handle which he uses at will.

At 22, one can expect Rohit to be a little moody and rash at the best of times and despite his match winning capability this free spirit does get carried away.

Soon after his heroics against Kolkata, Rohit was confronted with a similar situation against Kings XI Punjab, but needlessly fell to an irresponsible shot as Chargers lost from a winning position.

This tendency has annoyed his coaches over the years, and Rohit will need to curb his aggression and approach the situation with a thinking cap as India look to defend their crown in England.

But even if Rohit has a bad outing with the bat, don't discount him out of the match. The Mumbai all-rounder is building a reputation as a bowler even as he chipped in with 11 wickets in the IPL.

A hat-trick against Mumbai Indians only means that this talent takes his bowling seriously, and he could well play the role of a game breaker as Dhoni will look to utilise the handy tweakers of Rohit and Raina in this T20 World Cup.

One area which is turning out to be Rohit's domain is the cover region within the 30 yards circle. And what's been a delight to watch is that it's a fitter Rohit Sharma, who's shown more agility adding to his lightening fast reflexes in the field.

IPL has brought to fore this impact players' hidden talent, strengths and capabilities. And every Indian would only hope that India's latest match winning sensation carries on the good work and the form into the T20 World Cup.

So watch out for Rohit who has now become an indispensable commodity in Dhoni's scheme of things for T20 world cup; and expect the Indian captain to make optimum use of his new and ever improving utility player, the phenomenon called Rohit Sharma.

Ojha wants to shine in India colours at too

KOLKATA: Instrumental in Deccan Chargers' triumph in IPL season 2, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha is now waiting to shine in India colours if given a chance in the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 to be held in England from June 5-21.

"I am not thinking much about team selection... It's not in my hands; I had a good performance in the just-concluded IPL and I am waiting for my chance. When it comes, I will grab it in both hands," Ojha said in Mumbai.

"I will like to do well for India... the way I did for my IPL team Deccan Chargers. I hope to carry on with this momentum to England."

The Hyderbad spinner joined his India teammates who will leave for England to play for the ICC World Twenty20 this afternoon.

Ojha gave credit for his overwhelming success to Team India bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh.

"They (Prasad and Robin) helped me in and out whenever I was with the team. We used to do lots and lots of practice. I'm really grateful to them," the young spinner, who is known to be in India sidelines, said.

The 22-year-old Ojha added in the same vein, "I've learnt a lot being with the Indian team. All senior players including (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni, Yuvraj (Singh), (Rahul) Dravid are very helpful. I also used to do a lot of talking with (Anil) Kumble and Harbhajan (Singh) which really worked for me."

The young spinner, who finished with 18 wickets and took the prize scalps of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in IPL 2, said he had matured as a bowler.

"There is not much change in my bowling. Just that, I'm more confident now. I can now give that extra loop or pace with more confidence. It is helping me get wickets," he said.

On his new found aggression that was apparent in the final, the Deccan Chargers spinner said, "I never show my aggression. Maybe for the heat of that moment, I got a bit worked up in the final."

Ojha's IPL haul put him second behind Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Kumble (21) in the best Indian spinner standings.

The IPL experience, he says, will be a boon for India players to do well in England.

"Everybody had a great experience in IPL. It will help the Indians who had a great match practice in South Africa. We will be keen to defend our title... The English summer will help seamers," said the Bhubaneswar lad.

Ojha, however said they have to deal with the hectic schedule and play like a professional.

"It is going to be hectic. But we are all professional cricketers who will play for their nation. Everything comes at a price. We are doing something for the country and I don't think the hectic schedule will affect us," he said.

Asked which side would be tough to beat, Ojha said: "In T20 cricket, it's very difficult to predict. Any team can win on a given day. In IPL, Delhi DareDevils had a superb run but only to crash in the semi-finals."

India will open their campaign against Bangladesh in the second edition of the ICC World Twenty20 on June 6. The reigning champions are clubbed with Bangladesh and Ireland in Group A.

Captain cool calls for consistency

MS Dhoni believes he will be leading a side most suited to T20 when they begin their ICC World T20 title defence in England.

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes he will be leading a side most suited to the twenty20 format when they begin their defence of the T20 World Cup in England.

Defending champions India left for England this morning confident of returning with the trophy they won in the inaugural edition of the tournament in South Africa in 2007.

Dhoni believes his side has the most potential and has demanded that his players deliver on it.

"We are a side which really suits the T20 format," Dhoni said.

"We have specialist bowlers and the best part is we have part-timers who have bowled really well for their respective franchisees in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"They give us plenty of options and in this format they would be crucial because you have to keep changing your game plan.

"I'm happy with the kind of side I've got and the kind of potential there is in this side.

"In this format it's also important that you play consistently well right through because things can change very quickly.

"No team can be taken for granted. Any team can win and even beat the best of sides. It demands that you play to your full potential."

India are grouped alongside Bangladesh and Ireland in Group A and are favourites to advance to the Super Eights stage.

No extra baggage

Dhoni dismissed suggestions that carrying the defending champions tag would add extra pressure on the team.

"There is no pressure on (because we are the T20 world champions)," he said.

"In this aspect the IPL has really helped because we have played more T20 games than most other players. We have the experience and the players are exposed to different scenarios while playing for their IPL teams.

"At some time or the other in the tournament, most of our players have been put under tremendous pressure. It has helped the youngsters in handling the pressure and in the T20 game its all about handling tight situations."

T20 World Cup: Team India to Leave for England

May 29, 2009: Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Team India would leave for England to participate in ICC T20 World Cup on Friday.

Defending champions India would play their first match of the world tournament against Bangladesh on June 6.

Semi-finals would be played on June 18 and June 19, while final match is scheduled to be played on June 21 at Lords.

Speaking to reporters recently, pacer Ishant Sharma expressed confidence that the Men in Blue would clinch the trophy again in England.

Another team member Irfan Pathan too echoed Ishant's sentiments.

Background

The first ICC Twenty20 World Cup was held in South Africa between September 11 and September 24, 2007.

Twelve teams, including 10 test playing nations, had participated in the 13-day-long competition.

India had clinched the trophy beating archrivals Pakistan under the leadership of M S Dhoni.

Indian Team leave for T20 World cup

Mumbai: Indian Cricket team today left for England ICC World Cup Twenty20. Before leaving skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni assured cricket fans of repeating the magic.

Mahi said that his team would deliver the best.

Addressing a press conference, he said, “The team has always put in the best efforts. We will deliver our 100 percent in the tournament and hope to retain the title.”

Looking vigorously confident Dhoni said, ‘The team is in good form and IPL has surely helped us to prepare for the World Cup.'

Dhoni had full confidence on his boys which was very well seen when he talked about them. Talking of his team, Dhoni said, ‘I am confident that our fast bowlers will help the team to perform well in the tournament. The pitches in England also facilitate fast bowlers to perform.'

Dhoni is one captain who is credited to have instilled confidence in the players in the worst of the times. He said, ‘Every team has talent but the team that can handle pressure will emerge as the winner.'


The tournament will be played from June 5 to June 21. India will play its first match against Bangladesh on June 6.

Will Team India repeat its magic of winning the ICC World Cup Twenty20? Having done so in 2007, this seems to be the biggest question dogging the minds of Indian Cricket fans and bookmakers as Team India leaves for England on Friday afternoon.

This one would be really challenging for Dhoni's brigade keeping in mind the fatigue team must be undergoing due to continuous tours. The non-stop ride began in February with a full tour of New Zealand, after which the players went to South Africa for Indian Premier League. Dhoni's team returned home just for three days after IPL when they are all set to take off for England.

The officials admit that busy schedule and heavy workload is a cause of concern for the team but the team looks high in its confidence level after playing so much of international Cricket.

India has a good Twenty20 record which makes Team India the favourites in the tournament as Dhoni's boys are well-equipped to handle pressure after having huge successes in past few years.

Team India: MS Dhoni (Captain), Virendra Sehwag (Vice Captain), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Ravindra Jadega, Pragyan Ojha and Irfan Pathan.

Yadav wishes success to Team India for T20 Championship

New Delhi (PTI): Arun Yadav, Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs, today wished success to Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men in their bid to retain the ICC World Twenty20 title in England.

In his message after assuming office, Mr. Yadav said the team under Dhoni has the potential to repeat their 2007 success and return with the title.

Smith eyes World T20 trophy

South Africa captain Graeme Smith believes his team are in ideal shape to challenge for the World Twenty20 title.

The Proteas are the world's top-rated team in one-day internationals, and have claimed Test series victories on foreign soil against England and Australia in the past year.

Smith said: "One of the boxes we still want to tick is to win a major ICC championship and we have two chances to do that in the ICC World T20 next month and again in the ICC Champions Trophy, which will be held in South Africa at the end of September. I have been very happy with the form our players have shown in the IPL in the run-up to the World T20, and this augurs well for a good performance."

World T20 won't repeat mistakes of World Cup

	Steve Elworthy: 'Exclusivity is the key'

Steve Elworthy, the ICC's tournament director, believes that the allure of international competition will enable the forthcoming World Twenty20 to rise above the fears of overkill that are currently circulating in English cricket, but warned that the ECB will have missed a trick if they fail to use the three-week event to attract a new audience to the game.

Speaking to Cricinfo on the eve of the tournament, Elworthy admitted that the game's administrators had learnt their lessons from the disastrous Caribbean World Cup in 2007, and were also mindful of overloading the calendar with too many marquee events. But regardless of the hype and glamour of the recently completed Indian Premier League, he insisted that tickets for the World Twenty20 were proving extremely popular in what he described as a "unique summer" for the ECB.

"The key point with any product is the exclusivity," said Elworthy. "You want people walking away at the end of a match wanting more, you want them to say: 'I can't wait for next season because I can't wait for the next Twenty20 competition'.

"[It's true that] there've been a couple of very big competitions in a fairly short space of time, but it'll settle down. It is a massive summer of cricket for the ECB, but it's a unique summer. It doesn't happen very often to get the Ashes and a world event in the same year and hosted by the same board."

Elworthy was appointed to his role by the ECB back in January, having successfully overseen the inaugural World Twenty20 in September 2007 in his native South Africa. That tournament was won in a thrilling final by India, who chose to return to the country to stage last month's IPL, when the competition was forced overseas by the unstable political climate in the subcontinent.

"The IPL is a fantastic domestic product and its success is widely recognised," said Elworthy. "But this is nation versus nation, and everything we are doing goes back to that pride of pulling on your shirt and representing your country. What's the hook when you're watching the match? It's the fact that you want your country to do well."

According to Elworthy, the ICC is still heeding the lessons learnt at the 2007 World Cup, which featured 47 matches in 51 days, unrealistic ticket prices and some grindingly dull cricket between ill-matched teams. The original World Twenty20 took place just six months on from that event, and was an unqualified success thanks largely to a rock-bottom pricing policy that opened the gates to a whole new audience.

"Twenty20 is deemed a development product," said Elworthy. "It is for attracting new markets and new spectators and fans, who will hopefully go on to play cricket and participate. You've got to be able to get to the youth market, because what you're trying to achieve is dictated to you by your ticket price."

Tickets for the 2007 event ranged from the equivalent of £1.50 for the opening rounds to a top-tier cost of £11 for the final, and even allowing for a stronger UK economy and the knowledge of the event's popularity, those prices are considerably lower than the ones on offer in 2009. This time around, adult tickets will range from £20 at Trent Bridge to £90 at Lord's, even though Under-16s will be able to watch the final for as little as a tenner.

"You can't have an elite ticket price and expect it to be attended by loads of families and kids," said Elworthy. "The structure of our ticket prices there was one of the key successes [of the 2007 tournament]."

While South Africa proved to be an outstanding venue for both the World Twenty20 and the IPL, England has a less auspicious track record when it comes to global cricket events. The last major tournament to be staged in the country was the 1999 World Cup, which was memorable for a fizzer of an opening ceremony and a poor showing from the host nation, who were ejected from the competition in the opening round.

Elworthy, however, is adamant that cricket fans in England will flock to the event, even though the Ashes remain the dominant attraction of the summer. "Twenty20 in this country is extremely popular," he said. "Our first set of ticket allocations went out just under a year ago, and over 100,000 tickets were sold out in 48 hours. There are still tickets available, but we expect 95-98% capacity at the key double-headers, and we are well on target in terms of our goals of over 80% attendance across the entire tournament."

"All the venues have been supportive," he added. "Our ticketing strategy didn't want to alienate the current markets and clientele that the venues have, but we wanted to reach new audiences and get new faces to the ground. All the dug-outs and DJ boxes and dance podiums, those have become part of the Twenty20 brand, and they'll be delivered at all these venues."

Saheba to officiate in World T20

Calcutta: Amish Saheba, an International Panel umpire of the International Cricket Council (ICC), is the sole Indian in the match officials’ list for the World T20 Cup in England. The ICC announced the umpire and match referee appointments for warm-up matches and opening group stage of the tournament, on Thursday. Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf, along with Billy Doctrove and Rod Tucker, will officiate in India’s warm-up match against Pakistan at the Oval on June 3. The match referees’ responsibilities throughout the meet, including men’s and women’s matches to be staged from June 11 to 16 in Taunton, will be shared between Ranjan Madugalle, Chris Broad and Alan Hurst. Cup meeting Calcutta: The special meeting of the World Cup 2011 co-hosts, which was scheduled for June 3 in Dubai, has been postponed to June 15 in London. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday confirmed that the meeting to discuss the ongoing issues surrounding the hosting of matches of the World Cup, has been rescheduled to ensure the availability of all the parties. Afghan board Kabul: Afghanistan cricket took another step towards establishing itself, when president Hamid Karzai gave the go-ahead for founding of the country’s first ever national cricket board. Afghanistan received ODI status for the first time earlier this year when they finished top six in the World Cup 2011 qualifying event. Hall of fame Sydney: Sir Donald Bradman’s hometown will soon become the site of an International Cricket Hall of Fame. The Bradman Foundation said on Thursday that the Hall of Fame, honouring cricketing greats from Australia, England, South Africa, Pakistan, India, the West Indies and New Zealand, will open next year as an extension of the Bradman Museum at Bowral. Razzaq release Karachi: Abdul Razzaq has become the latest Pakistani player to be released by the Indian Cricket League, clearing the hurdle in his return to the mainstream cricket. The all-rounder has submitted the No Objection Certificate (NOC), he got from the rebel league, with the Pakistan Cricket Board. Sachin View Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar acknowledged the importance of shutterbugs in a cricketer’s life in his own modest way. “As a cricketer, I can tell you, I have seen photographers sit under the sun on a cricket field for an entire day, waiting for that one magical moment,” Sachin said. Diljit no more New Delhi: Former Delhi off-spinner Diljit Singh Saxena passed away on Wednesday night following a brief illness, according to Delhi and District Cricket Association officials. Saxena made his debut in 1959.

India are favourites for T20 World Cup: Kumble

MUMBAI: Anil Kumble on Thursday tipped defending champions India to retain the title at the World T20 Championships, starting in England on June 5, saying they have the most balanced side and the potential to emerge winners again.

"In my opinion India have the best balanced side. If they play to their potential they will lift the Cup again. It's a fantastic side and all the players in the team showed good form in the IPL. Playing at home England are strong while New Zealand and Australia also look good. It will be a most competitive tournament", the former India skipper said.

Kumble, who launched the new Castrol Index as part of its cricket website, dismissed fears that the Indian players would be jaded after the tour of New Zealand followed immediately by the 35-day IPL in South Africa in the run-up to the World T20.

"It was known beforehand that there was just a week's gap between the two events. As an international player it's up to you to maintain your fitness," the retired leg-spin ace said when queried whether the fatigue factor, touched upon by team coach Gary Kirsten during the IPL, could be a concern.

Kumble rated the Indian bowling attack as well rounded, strong in the pace department and well supported by spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha.

"In all formats having various options is good. It's especially true about the shorter format of the game," he said.

Kumble, who took over the reins of the struggling Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL from Kevin Pietersen of England and brought about a dramatic turn-around in the team's fortunes by leading it to the final against Deccan Chargers, said he expected wicket conditions to be similar in England.

"The wickets in South Africa were on the slower side and I expect the wickets in England too to be similar, though perhaps helping the seamers a bit more," said India's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

He also brushed aside concerns over the indifferent form of Delhi Daredevils and India's opening duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in the IPL ahead of the T20 event in England.

"Viru was back in form in the semi-final with a fifty and I expect Gautam Gambhir always to do well in England," he said.

Admitting that it was perhaps a bit difficult for the International Cricket Council currently to carve out a window for the IPL, Kumble was optimistic this can be done once the ongoing Future Tours Programme of the world body runs out in 2012.

"IPL is a month and a half long and it may be difficult now. May be the ICC can look into it after the FTP ends in 2012 and work out an opening," he said.

ICC T20 World Cup 09 has wider audience than IPL: Experts

The Twenty20 cricket format has been a big hit and has strengthened its position further with the recently concluded IPL2. However, it was the maiden ICC T20 World Cup that set the ball rolling, and with India winning the championship, the Cup of joy runneth over. exchange4media gauges the mood of media planners regarding the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2009.

T20 has national connect, but experts caution on timings

On his views on ICC T20 World Cup 2009, Mahesh Ranka, General Manager-India, Relay Worldwide, Starcom MediaVest Group, said, “I believe the timing of the game (10 pm) can affect the viewership, it has been traditionally seen that whenever India plays against any country, and especially if it is an arch rival, the ratings are bound to go up. All in all, there could be some amount of challenge in terms of ratings and if at all the viewership can retained despite the timings.”

He continued, “Indian players are divided into the eight different IPL teams and enough action happens around these teams, whereas for a country team, T20 World Cup having a national connect has wider reach of audience as compared to IPL. However, it would not be fair to compare the two – T20 and IPL – because they are two different things as both are bigger for their own reasons, and even in viewership profile there is not much difference as they have their own element of following.”

According to Manas Mishra, Country Head, Mudra Connext, “I believe the T20 World Cup 2009 should be better than the 2007 World Cup and with India as the defending champions, the enthusiasm for the game has only doubled, but viewership will only matter depending on India’s performance. Nevertheless, on the flip side, given that a lot of cricket has already been played, there is also a lot of caution on how much cricket one can take.”

He further said, “In terms of overall net reach of IPL, viewership was a little lower, and with T20 World Cup being held after IPL might benefit because there is an expectation for India to play well in international cricket.”

Sanjay Sharma, Director, Synergy, observed, “In terms of ratings, it will be on similar levels, and while T20 was very new last year, this year the expectations are very high because India is the defending champions and since most of the players have got practice in the IPL2 itself, therefore, making consumer interest a little more higher than last year. However, to sustain that viewership, India will have to perform well.”

“I feel the audience profile could be broader, however, it is the ownership of the country is far higher as there is a sense of ownership when it comes to the Indian team and, therefore, the audience profile when it comes to a national game is much broader,” he added.

The T20 World Cup 2009 is scheduled to be held from June 5-21, 2009, in England. The success of the T20 World Cup in 2007 prompted sports broadcaster ESPN-STAR Sports (ESS) to hike its ad rates by 50 per cent for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. According to industry sources, more than 90 per cent of the inventory has been sold.

Raised expectations

India’s victory in the ICC T-20 World Cup 2007 gave rise to the popularity of the domestic T-20 tournaments, thus giving birth to the Indian Premier League in 2008. Comparing how the two tournaments fared in terms of TVRs, a recent study by TAM Media Research found that the first season of IPL raked in 102 million viewers, while IPL 2009 with the final match to spare, had accumulated 118 million viewers.

Going by the study, IPL 2008 had the highest rating of 4.81 per cent, whereas the ICC T-20 World Cup 2007 on ESPN got merely 2.35 per cent. However, matches played by India got a rating of 6 per cent (including the finals, which garnered a rating of 8.46 per cent). Looking at league matches, India’s Group and Super eight matches in the T-20 World Cup got 4.9 per cent TVR, whereas league matches in IPL 2008 got a TVR of 4.64 per cent, while the league matches in IPL 2009 garnered 3.99 per cent TVR.

ESPN-STAR Sports, ICC’s global broadcast and production partner, recently announced that the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20 would be viewed by as many as 216 countries across the world as compared to 105 countries in 2007. Star Cricket will telecast Live all the 27 matches from the ICC World Twenty20 2009. The broadcaster will also showcase Live the semi-finals and finals of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2009.

In a prepared statement, RC Venkateish, Managing Director, ESPN Software India Pvt Ltd, said, “ESPN-STAR Sports had set huge benchmarks in the inaugural edition of the ICC World Twenty20, and we are confident that we will raise the bar this time again as the defending champions, India take on the best of T20 talent from all over the world.”

He further said, “We have started with a bang with international syndication rights going to as many as 216 countries. This is almost double of what we achieved in the 2007 edition. Even in terms of on-air sales, we have written 80 per cent more revenue as compared to the last edition. We have signed 10 sponsors and an additional 20 corporates for spot-buys on live as well as pre-post programming.”

Australia send mixed signals on World T20

SINCE he graduated to the senior ranks at the age of 17, Australian captain Ricky Ponting has played serious cricket on more than 2000 days, getting up towards six years of bat, ball and field - not to mention training, camps and commercial obligations.

But Ponting remains something of a boy in short pants at Twenty20 cricket and, at 34, goes into next month's ICC World Twenty20 still to prove his relevance at a young man's game. Ponting has played the short-form game just 35 times, 15 of them at an international level.

Australia were knocked out of the first World Twenty20 in 2007 by eventual winners India, who went with a bright young side, in contrast to Australia's elderly Test line-up. India will take that same approach to England next month, while Australia have picked almost a Test side, with NSW blazer David Warner the only genuine Twenty20 specialist, while Nathan Bracken, James Hopes and David Hussey are one-day regulars.

Sure, Brett Lee is back, but the fast bowler, himself 32 and due to bowl against Pakistan in a Twenty20 match in Dubai on Thursday, made his priorities clear last week: "If I can be totally frank, it's the Ashes first, with all due respect to other cricket, Twenty20 World Cup, the Australian tour here [in the UAE] and the IPL."

Given their preparation has most of the squad playing one-day cricket on flat tracks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi - while the world's best players are pushing boundaries of cricket's new frontier in the Indian Premier League in South Africa - questions are being asked about how seriously Australia is taking the tournament. Matches in Australia have been played in an apparent holiday atmosphere with some players rested and others miked up for in-game television interviews. In fact, outside the last tournament, Australia have never fielded the same Twenty20 team for consecutive matches, and they go in with two recent losses in South Africa.

Coach Tim Nielsen said he and the selectors made sure players knew it was important. "You can't ignore it. The game of Twenty20 cricket has taken the world by storm, hasn't it? So to be going to a world championships thinking of it as a second-rate event would be a bit silly," he said.

"Just the way the international structure is, it's difficult to get enough Twenty20 cricket. I think we can only play six, which I think is the maximum any side can schedule in a season."

In fact, the most experienced Twenty20 international is Kiwi Brendon McCullum, with 21 matches (and 50 domestic games).

Experience in the format does count for something, although Australia have caught up, suggested Brad Haddin, who will lead Australia against Pakistan.

"I think in the last World Cup guys were still feeling their way in, trying to understand Twenty20; I don't think that's the case any more. One thing you've got to remember with Twenty20 and Test cricket: the best players in the world are still the best players in the world, whatever format of the game you play."

And fine form at the World Twenty20 could have million-dollar consequences.

Ajmal`s selection not a risk, says Alam

Dubai(AFP): Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam Thursday defended Saeed Ajmal`s selection for next month`s Twenty20 World Cup despite the off-spinner being reported for a suspect bowling action.

Match officials reported Ajmal for a suspected illegal bowling action after Pakistan`s second one-day against Australia in Dubai on April 24.

Ajmal will now have to undergo a biomechanical assessment of his action, at an International Cricket Council-approved facility, before the Twenty20 starts in England on June 5.

However, "Ajmal`s selection for the World Twenty20 is not a risk," Alam told AFP.

"We will send him to either Australia and England for the assessment in the next couple of days and hope he will be cleared," he said.

The 31-year-old was reported for his "doosra," a delivery equivalent to a leg-spinner`s googly, which turns in the opposite direction to an off-spin.

Ajmal`s form has slipped since he was cited, and he took just one wicket in the three remaining matches of the one-day series, which Australia won 3-2.

But Alam said Ajmal had bowled well, albeit without much success."Ajmal has not been under pressure," said Alam, himself a leg-spinner in his playing days.

"He did not take very many wickets but he bowled well and could still play a match-winning part in the World Twenty20.

"In any case, Alam said, if Ajmal was not cleared by the biomechanical assessment, he could still be replaced.

"Under the ICC process, we can replace Ajmal if, God forbid, he is not cleared but I am sure that he will play in the World Twenty20," said Alam.

Alam said he believed spinners could play a crucial role the shortest version of the game.

"There has been a conception about spinners not being useful in Twenty20 matches but it has been proved wrong in recent matches, where spinners have taken wickets besides being economical."So, Ajmal can be a match-winner," Alam said.

Pakistan is placed in Group C of the World Twenty20 event, along with England and the Netherlands.

Karen Rolton's last blast

JODIE fields will be captain in-waiting of the Australian women's team after being named deputy to Karen Rolton for the Women's Twenty20 World Cup.

Rolton has announced that she will retire following the competition in England.

Australia today named a mix of younger players to replace Rolton and other experienced women set to retire in the coming year.

The 14-player Australia women’s squad is:

Sarah Andrews NSW , Age 27

Alex Blackwell NSW 25

Jessica Cameron VIC 19

Lauren Ebsary WA 26

Rene Farrell WA 22

Jodie Fields (vc) QLD 24

Shelley Nitschke SA 32

Erin Osborne NSW 19

Ellyse Perry NSW 18

Kirsten Pike QLD 24

Leah Poulton NSW 25

Karen Rolton (c) SA 34

Lisa Sthalekar NSW 29

Elyse Villani VIC 19

The Women’s National Selection Panel has named Jodie Fields as vice-captain for the ICC World Twenty20 prior to taking the captaincy for the series against England immediately after the ICC World Twenty20 tournament. Alex Blackwell will be vice captain for the series against England.

Rolton has captained the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars since February 2006, taking over from Belinda Clark.

Women’s NSP Chair Margaret Jennings said: “There are two inclusions to the squad with Elyse Villani coming in and Kirsten Pike returning from injury which will add both youth and experience to the team. We’ve lost Emma Sampson and Leonie Coleman to retirement and Delissa Kimmince is the unlucky player to miss out on selection for this squad.

“Kirsten’s been out for 18 months and we’re looking for her previous experience to help guide us through.

“We’ve brought Elyse Villani into the squad. She is a promising young batter who plays an extremely attacking style of game and she will get an opportunity to show what she is capable of in the short form of the game.

“Karen Rolton will captain the ICC World Twenty20 team in England but has decided that it’s time to hand-over leadership to a new generation at the conclusion of the tournament.

“Jodie Fields will be vice captain for the World Twenty20 and will then take over the captaincy from Karen for the series against England in July.

“It’s a great credit to Karen and her leadership skills that she has decided to make this decision, which would not have been easy. She has provided a great opportunity for Jodie and Alex to continue building their leadership skills and she will also be there in England to support this hand-over,” Jennings said.

Rolton, who was described by CA CEO James Sutherland as a legend of the game, noted that it was a transitional period for the team and that she was looking forward to the ICC World Twenty20 and working closely with Jodie.

“I think it’s going to be good for the team. I obviously can’t play forever, but I’ll keep playing and try to help out Jodie and others in the team where ever I can,” Rolton said.

The ICC World Twenty20 in England will be the first such event for women’s cricket and Rolton said that all the players were looking forward to the experience.

“Everyone can’t wait, all the players are particularly excited about playing in a joint competition with the men’s team and hopefully having an opportunity for both teams to play in a final at Lords. This will be an outstanding achievement for Australian cricket.”

To help with preparation for the ICC World Twenty20, the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars will play a three-match Twenty20 Series against New Zealand in Brisbane from 1 -3 June.

Rolton to step down as captain after World Twenty20

	The World Twenty20 will be Karen Rolton's last captaincy assignment © Getty Images

Karen Rolton will step down as captain of the Australian women's team after the World Twenty20 in England this June. Jodie Fields, the vice-captain of the Twenty20 squad, will take over Rolton's leadership role for the away series against England immediately after the tournament while Alex Blackwell will be her deputy.

"Karen Rolton will captain the ICC World Twenty20 team in England but has decided that it's time to hand over leadership to a new generation at the conclusion of the tournament," Margaret Jennings, head of the women's selection panel, said.

"It's a great credit to Karen and her leadership skills that she has decided to make this decision, which would not have been easy. She has provided a great opportunity for Jodie and Alex to continue building their leadership skills and she will also be there in England to support this hand-over."

Australia made two changes to the squad for the World Twenty20, bringing in Elyse Villani and Kirsten Pike. "There are two inclusions to the squad with Elyse Villani coming in and Kirsten Pike returning from injury which will add both youth and experience to the team," Jennings said. "We've lost Emma Sampson and Leonie Coleman to retirement and Delissa Kimmince is the unlucky player to miss out on selection for this squad.

"Kirsten's been out for 18 months and we're looking for her previous experience to help guide us through. Elyse Villani is a promising young batter who plays an extremely attacking style of game and she will get an opportunity to show what she is capable of in the short form of the game."

After the World Twenty20, Australia will play five ODIs, a Twenty20 and a Test against England and their squad for the tour was the same expect for one change - Rachael Haynes replacing Elyse Villani.

"Haynes is a talented young left-hand batter who had a good National League season for Victoria and we see her as having a big future in Australian women's cricket," Jennings said. "She's also a former captain of our national under-21 team, the Commonwealth Bank Shooting Stars so she comes in with some good experience under her belt as well.

"Although our World Cup performance didn't go according to how we planned in March, one of the good things to come out of it was that we did beat England twice which will give our squad some confidence heading into the series."

Squad for World Twenty20: Karen Rolton (capt), Sarah Andrews, Alex Blackwell, Jessica Cameron, Lauren Ebsary, Rene Farrell, Jodie Fields (vc), Shelley Nitschke, Erin Orborne, Ellyse Perry, Kirsten Pike, Leah Poulton, Lisa Sthalekar, Elyse Vilani

Squad for England tour: Jodie Fields (capt), Karen Rolton, Sarah Andrews, Alex Blackwell (vc), Jessica Cameron, Lauren Ebsary, Rene Farrell, Shelley Nitschke, Erin Orborne, Ellyse Perry, Kirsten Pike, Leah Poulton, Lisa Sthalekar, Rachael Haynes.

Proteas World Cup Twenty20 squad named

Johannesburg: Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday named their final 15-man Standard Bank Pro20 squad for the ICC World T20 to be played in England in June.

The squad consists in the main of the players who won the two Pro20 Internationals against Australia earlier this year and contains no new caps.

"Our cricket is entering an exciting period. The players are all in good form and it is particularly pleasing to have so many quality all-rounders at our disposal. As always there are a couple of unlucky players and that emphasizes the excellent competition we have for places," Sports24 quoted chief selector Mike Procter, as saying.

"I am delighted with the squad the selectors have given me. It is a team with plenty of options - great depth to the batting and plenty of bowling options. It is also an outstanding fielding unit," Coach Micky Artur said.

The squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Johan Botha (vice-captain), Yusuf Abdulla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Justin Ontong, Wayne Parnell, Robbie Peterson, Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe.

Pak, Aus set to clash in one-off T20

Pakistan and Australia face off in a one-off T20I at the Dubai Stadium to look for some practice ahead of the ICC World T20.

The game would be the only international affair before the high-profile event kicks off in England next month. Pakistan would want to make the most of it after losing the ODI series to Australia.

"We need to take full advantage so that we know where we stand. It's good to have a match against world's top team," Pakistan skipper Younus Khan said.

However, the right-handed middle order batsman felt Thursday's game will be a well-fought encounter.

"We have to be at our best to win this match because Australia are dangerous in all forms of the game," said Younus.

Pakistan have included two teenagers in their squad of 15 for the ICC World Twenty20, left-arm paceman Mohammad Aamir and spinning all-rounder Shazaib Hassan.

However, neither of them would play against Australia Thursday.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Announce Squads for T20 World Cup

Bangladesh's chief selector Rafiqul Alam told AFP: "Shamsur has been batting tremendously in recent years. He can bat at number three which has been a weak link in our batting. He is also a brilliant fielder. Mithun also scored heavily in the leagues. He is a hard-hitting batsman and can also double up as wicketkeeper."

20 year old Rehman first turned heard when he represented Bangladesh at the under 19 level. Averaging 29, one century and ten fifties from 28 first class matches. Mithun at 19 and has played only 13 first-class games, but has impressed with a strike rate of 104.

"If you look at the side we have picked you'll find that this is a nice blend of experience and youth. This is a good fielding unit with some explosive batsmen and proven slow bowlers," Alam said about the 15 man squad that is to be led by Mohammed Ashraful.

In the inaugural season of the World T20 Bangladesh did well, making their way to the super 8. Alam believes that the team has played good cricket shown considerable improvement over the past couple of years, and he hopes that they will repeat their success in the World Cup.

Meanwhile, in the Sri Lankan team, Kumara Sangakkara is to be the captain of the team. The World T20 will be his first series as captain since he took over from Jayawardane. Sri Lanka has also picked an uncapped allrounder Isuru Udana in the final 15.

21 year old Udana has been training under Sri Lanka’s bowling coach, Anusha Samaranayake, for over two years now. Samaranayake is pleased with how the youngster’s progress and believe he has the potential to replace Chaminda Vaas. 35-year old batsman Indika de Saram and Lasith Malinga (thanks to his excellent form in the IPL) too found a spot in the squad.

Sri Lankan Squad: Kumar Sangakkara (Capt.), Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene, Chamara Silva, Angelo Mathews, Ajantha Mendis, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Lasith Malinga, Isuru Udana, Farveez Maharoof, Jehan Mubarak, Indika de Saram.

Bangladesh Squad: Mohammad Ashraful (Capt.), Mashrafe Mortaza, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Siddique, Raqibul Hasan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Naeem Islam, Abdur Razzak, Shahadat Hossain, Syed Rasel, Mahmudullah, Rubel Hossain, Shamsur Rahman, Mithun Ali.

Twenty20 World Cup proves a high scorer for ESPN STAR

Broadcaster has already sold 90% of airtime at 45% premium. Cashing in on the popularity of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty 20 tournament, ESPN STAR Sports has sold 90 per cent of its on-air advertising inventory for the upcoming ICC Twenty20 World Cup cricket for about Rs 225 crore and also in record time.

The broadcaster has also been able to get a premium of more than 45 per cent over what it charged last year for a 10-second spot, at Rs 3.25 lakh.

Twelve cricket teams will take part in the second edition of this tournament that will be played in England from June 5 to 21, barely 10 days after the culmination of the IPL on May 24 in South Africa.

IPL's host broadcaster Sony SET MAX is expected to make around Rs 400 crore in advertising alone in the IPL which, however, covers 36 days against the World Cup's 16 days. The broadcaster, however, had been able to sell 10-second spots at around Rs 4 lakh for the latter stages of the tournament even before it began in South Africa.

India is the defending champion of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup tournament, having won the inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2007, defeating Pakistan in the finals. Twenty-seven matches are scheduled and they will be broadcast live to India at 6 pm and 10 pm.

ESPN is said to have roped in at least 10 advertisers, including Pepsi, Hero Honda, Maruti, Visa, Hewlett Packard, Perfetti and Nokia. There are three co-presenting on-air sponsors for the World Cup, and seven associate sponsors, sources in the advertising industry said.

The last Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 saw over 90 million viewers tuning into ESPN STAR Sports.

So far, over 70 million viewers have watched the first 12 matches of IPL2 on SET MAX, about 10 per cent more than IPL1 for the same number of matches, according to an analysis of the viewership data provided by ratings agencies aMap and TAM.

According to the advertising industry sources, ESPN is cashing in on the fact that India is the defending champion of the Twenty20 World Cup. An ESPN STAR Sports spokesperson said, "The inaugural edition of the ICC T20 World Cup caught the imagination of cricket fans across the globe. We expect the second edition to do even better and the advertiser response has been very positive till date."

The first edition of this tournament had an average rating of 15 for the Indian matches, considered extremely high for any format of a television show.

Commenting on advertiser interest in the Twenty20 World Cup tournament, Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media, said: "There is definitely a lot of advertiser interest in this particular format of cricket -- however, there is also apprehension owing to the Indian timings for its telecast and also because of the uncertain English weather."

In India, most of the 27 World Cup matches will begin at 10 pm. The Indian team will play a maximum of seven matches, if the team makes it to the finals. Otherwise, India can play a minimum of five matches after its two group matches on June 6 and June 10.

According to the tournament format, the 12 teams are divided into four groups, with India in "Group A" with Bangladesh and Ireland. The top six teams (the two toppers in each group) will move to the second stage of the tournament, after which the top four teams will play the semi-finals. The final is scheduled for June 21 at Lord's, London.

Hoteliers confident of a sell-out Twenty20 World Cup

SALES of hotel rooms for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament in Nottingham have disappointed hoteliers.

But tourism bosses are confident a late rush will ensure the city is full, when the tournament begins at the end of this month.

Nottingham is hosting 10 matches in the men's tournament and four warm-up games at Trent Bridge.

Lord's and The Oval are the other venues.

The competition is expected to boost Nottingham's economy by more than £10m.

The organisers expect thousands of visitors to attend matches, and stay in the city.

There is also strong local interest with three Notts players, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad, in England's 15-man World ICC Twenty20 squad.

The Evening Post, in association with Trent Bridge, is giving away 400 tickets for England's warm up match against Scotland.

However, ticket agencies, which sell packages of match tickets and hotel reservations, have failed to shift as many as expected.

Edward Mopps, sales manager at the Park Inn, on Mansfield Road, said: "We have taken some bookings and we are hopeful it will pick up nearer the time. Generally cricket is good for hotels in Nottingham."

Mr Mopps said trade had been better than expected in recent months, with conferences and city breaks doing well, but much of it was last minute. Other hotels have reported slow sales to cricket fans.

There is a general frustration at what is perceived as a lack of promotion of the event by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Dale Twigger, a tourism executive at Experience Nottinghamshire, said: "It is a bit slow on the uptake but booking is often late."

Experience Nottinghamshire is sending an email to 25,000 people who have previously shown interest in Nottingham, to encourage interest in the Twenty20 event.

Mr Twigger said overall June would be a good month for city hoteliers. As well as the cricket competition, there are two major tennis tournaments and international hockey matches in Nottingham.

Whereas major test matches always sell out hotels, the tewnty20 tournament is a one-off.

But Mr Twigger said: "Trent Bridge is a good venue to watch cricket. It should do well."

The Tourist Information Centre in Nottingham is now braced for an influx of calls from cricket fans seeking accommodation.

Neil Beardsley, customer service3 coordinator, at the centre, takes calls from fans in the run up to events to help them find accommodation. He has a good track record at finding rooms for desperate supporters.

Mr Beardsley said: "I will be getting calls, I can guarantee it."

Symmo, Lee in Australia Cup squad

Calcutta: Australia named injured pacer Brett Lee and all-rounder Andrew Symonds in their 15-member squad for the ICC World T20, which was announced on Tuesday. National selection panel chairman Andrew Hilditch said: “We believe we’ve got a strong squad here that, if it plays to its potential, has the ability to win the tournament.”

THE SQUAD

Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke (vice-captain), Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Andrew Symonds, David Warner, Shane Watson.

ESS hikes ad rates for ICC World T20 by 50pc, but all depends on India’s performance

India won the inaugural ICC World T20 in the year 2007 in South Africa and is now the defending champions for T20 World Cup 2009, which is scheduled to be held on June 5-21, 2009, in England. The success of the T20 World Cup in 2007 has prompted sports broadcaster ESPN-STAR Sports (ESS) to hike its ad rates by 50 per cent for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.

According to industry sources, more than 90 per cent of the inventory had been sold. ESS will charge over Rs 5 lakh for a 10-second spot, and is expecting revenues of over Rs 240 crore from the T20 World Cup this year. Earlier, the sports broadcaster was selling the spot for around Rs 3-3.25 lakh.

Sanjay Kailash, Executive VP (Advertising Sales and New Media), ESPN Software, said, “Though I cannot talk specifics, we are indeed selling the balance inventory at a premium; we feel that the event demands such a premium, given the popularity of T20.” ESS has signed up more than 30 clients for the telecast related to the tournament, including 10 sponsors.

exchange4media speaks to a few media planners to find out whether T20 World Cup 2009 would see similar ratings as was seen in 2007.

Depends on how India plays

Sandeep Lakhina, COO, Starcom Worldwide, South Asia, observed, “T20 World Cup undoubtedly is a good property, but it all depends on how India plays, especially with whom. I believe the 10 pm time slot will get very good viewership to start with, but doubt how many will stay back to watch the entire match, and if India is not playing, then the interest goes down significantly. That is going to be a big challenge.”

He further said, “In 2007, the India-Pakistan finals saw overall TRP of 16.94, however, it will all depend on specific matches and whether India is playing in it or not. Advertisers’ response is definitely positive, one reason is because India is the defending champion, and secondly, a lot of Indian players are doing well in IPL as they are getting a lot of practice during the tournament and, therefore, the expectations are going to be high. Also, T20 will be a good opportunity for brands that have missed out on IPL.”

Rajneesh Chaturvedi, National Director, MEC Access, said, “T20 is certainly a good property to invest in for advertisers, especially since India is the defending champion and is expected to do well. In terms of ratings, it is expected to do well, however, I am not sure if it will be able to deliver the same kind of ratings as it did last season. The India matches are expected to deliver anywhere between 6 and 10 TRPs, nevertheless high ratings will mainly depend upon the performance of the Indian team.”

Sanjay Sharma, GM, Mediacom, noted, “In one of the 50-over World Cup matches India got wiped out in the earlier stages, so yes, there is kind of a risk for advertisers, and yes, viewership certainly depends on how high India gets in the T20 World Cup. I believe it will be very difficult for advertisers to pay more than the IPL rates, however, there is high chance of India going ahead, one of the reason being that they have got enough practice in the T20 IPL. I believe initially it won’t be a welcome move. The ratings depend on the Indian team’s performance.”

Pakistan pick unfit Shoaib for Twenty20 World Cup

KARACHI: Just days after Shoaib Akhtar flopped miserably in the one-day series against Sri Lanka at home earlier this year, a senior team official rejected the controversial pacer as spent force and stressed that Pakistan will be “complete fools” if they took him to England for this June’s Twenty20 World Championships.

On Monday, the 33-year-old Shoaib was named by national selectors in a 15-man squad for the biennial spectacle in spite of the fact that the bowler failed to impress much in his team’s recently-concluded one-day series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates.

The injury-prone Shoaib played in four of the five games in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, bowled a total of 27 overs and took a combined haul of 3-152 at 50.66. In what was quite a low-scoring series, Shoaib had an expensive economy rate of 5.62.

That’s not all. He has been quite rusty and lethargic on the field and by selecting him, Pakistan have failed to fulfill their promise of keeping “fitness above everything else”. Shoaib spearheads a five-man pace attack that includes Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat and uncapped youngster Mohammad Aamer.

Aamer, a tall left-armer, is one of the two rookies included in the England-bound squad. The selectors have sprung a major surprise by including Shahzaib Hasan, a 19-year-old Karachi opener in the touring party.

A hard-hitting batter, Shahzaib had an impressive domestic season, scoring 607 runs in ten matches for Karachi Blues in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. In one-dayers, he has scored 250 runs in seven games at a strike rate of 96.11.

Aamer replaces the more experienced Rao Iftikhar Anjum, who was snubbed after failing to take a single wicket in the two matches he played against Australia in UAE recently. Rao’s omission is surprising considering the fact that he has returned impressive ODI figures in the last 12 months, taking 21 wickets in 14 games.

Aamer was rewarded for his outstanding showing at the first-class level as he collected 56 wickets in ten games for Rawalpindi. He also took 25 wickets in 15 one-dayers and was included in the squad for last month’s tour of Bangladesh which was postponed because of security issues.

Lahore youngster Ahmed Shahzad is also in after a string of useful contributions in the series against Australia that Pakistan lost 2-3. The selectors ignored a trio of ICL rebels after initially including them as reserves in the preliminary squad for the June 5-21 World Twenty20 Championships.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had picked the previously banned trio of Abdul Razzaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and Imran Nazir as reserves in its preliminary squad for the biennial spectacle but opted against selecting them in the final squad.

Razzaq, Rana and Imran — three of the Pakistani cricketers who defected to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) — were hoping to earn a comeback to the Pakistan team. Meanwhile, Saeed Ajmal is the only specialist spinner in the squad that includes several all-rounders including former captain Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and youngster Fawad Alam.

Ajmal, a talented off-spinner, finds a place in the squad in spite of being reported for a suspect action during the one-day series against Australia. He has to undergo an examination of his bowling action later this month and can only play if the ICC bowling action review committee clears his action.

Pakistan are eyeing the World Twenty20 title after finishing as runners-up in the inaugural edition of the tournament in South Africa in 2007 when they lost in a thrilling final against India. Pakistan will leave for England later this month and will warm up for the Twenty20 assignment by playing a couple of practice games in Nottingham and London.

On June 1, Pakistan will meet South Africa in a practice game in Nottingham followed by a mouthwatering clash against India at The Oval on June 3. Pakistan will begin their title campaign with a tough game against top Pool B rivals England on June 7 at The Oval followed by their last group game against minnows Netherlands on June 9 at Lord’s.

Pakistan squad: Younis Khan (captain), Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Ahmed Shahzad, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Kamran Akmal, Yasir Arafat, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Aamer, Saeed Ajmal and Shahzaib Hasan.

Bracken: Aussies set for world Twenty20

Left-arm paceman Nathan Bracken believes Australia are much better prepared for next month's ICC World Twenty20 than it was for the corresponding tournament two years ago.

Australia suffered a shock five-wicket loss to Zimbabwe in the opening game of the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 in 2007, before being eliminated by eventual winners India by 15 runs in the semi-final stage of the competition after failing to chase down an imposing target of 188.

"The big thing we learnt (from the last ICC World Twenty20) is how quickly the game can change," Bracken told cricket.com.au after learning about his inclusion in the squad for next month's tournament.

The Australian team has played a host of Twenty20 matches since that disappointing night in South Africa two years ago and Bracken thinks his side will be ready to go when they face the West Indies in their opening game of the tournament at The Oval in London on June 6.

He added: "From the last tournament we learnt that if you don't get it right any team can beat you and unfortunately we found that out the hard way with a loss to Zimbabwe to start off with.

"Hopefully that doesn't happen this time and we can just go out there, play some good cricket and make sure we really put the pressure on."

There is sure to be plenty of competition for spots in the team for the ICC World Twenty20 and many players will get the chance to perform on Thursday when Australia faces Pakistan in a one-off Twenty20 clash in Dubai.

Australia just completed a 3-2 victory in a closely fought five-game one-day series against Pakistan and Bracken is expecting another hard struggle in the Twenty20 clash on Thursday.

"It is going to be a tough game and we have got to make sure we get it right," he said.

"I know it is already being compared to a warm up for the ICC World Twenty20 so for us it is about getting out there, playing some good cricket, making sure we do what we need to do and try and leave here on a winning note."