On this week’s special edition of ICC Cricket World audio show, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat reviews 2010 and previews 2011 while ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Tournament Director Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan and former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena look forward to ICC’s flagship event which starts in Mirpur, Dhaka, on 19 February.
Mr Lorgat, looking back at the year that has just finished, says: “Restructuring of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) was quite significant where we created the Test Championship model. This will add a lot of context and meaning to the bilateral cricket. “The anti-doping code was introduced and came into effect in 2010 while the Decision Review System (DRS) was also significant. We have seen how it is aiding the umpires in the current Ashes series. “There was a change of guard in the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) with Sir Ronnie Flannigan taking over from Lord Paul Condon. This year there was also a change of presidency when Sharad Pawar took over from David Morgan.”
Look ahead to 2011, Mr Lorgat says: “The single big objective is to deliver a world-class ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. That is our flagship event. It’s The Cup that Counts. “We will also like to finalise the new FTP League structure that we have got. We have got the new league rules to agree on. Hopefully during the year we can agree that the first World Test Championship can be held in 2013. It is still something which is a work in progress.” The show can be used in whole or part by radio stations that want cricket content, while the public can also download it straight from the ICC website at http://icc-cricket.yahoo.net/media_interactive_zone/podcast.php.
Prof. Shetty, giving an update on the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 preparations, says: “The Central Organising Committee (COC), which is headed by Mr Sharad Pawar, who is also ICC President, has taken several decisions in trying to make this event a memorable one and to ensure that the non-India, non-Sri Lanka and non-Bangladesh games also have good spectator attendance. “What we have also impressed upon the venues is to keep the ticket rates at the minimal and affordable so that people come to stadia, and to look after the spectators, media and players facilities. The emphasis has been not on the size of the stadia but at ensuring that the facilities are good at all the grounds.”
Shakib Al Hasan, talking about the fitness of fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza and the players to watch out for from his side, says: “I had a chat with Mashrafe and he told me that he will be able to play after a month. It will take him four weeks to get back to the ground. I firmly believe he will be fit and that will be a great bonus for us.” The number-one ranked all-rounder on the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders, adds: “Tamim Iqbal for the last one-and-a-half year has been terrific. Imrul Kayes has been the highest run-getter for Bangladesh last year. Mushfiqur Rahim is the other one who is improving and Abdur Razzak has been bowling really well.”
Jayawardena, who led his side to the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies, believes Sri Lanka will look to pace itself well during the tournament. “I don’t want to consider ourselves as favourites. We can be a force to be reckoned with. “We will just like to start slowly and concentrate on one game at a time. I know the conditions will help us, the crowd and home advantage and all that. But we can only control things on the field. We can just keep our focus on that. I think we have got a pretty good chance.” Apart from the above interviews, the show has the usual round up of cricketing news plus an update of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test and ODI cricket. This week’s ICC Cricket World audio show runs for 25 minutes and has been put together by the ICC’s global broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports.
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