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With the world war of cricket sniffing distance away, here are some facts for the lovers of the sport Sandeep Kumar Delhi
The world is readying to witness the biggest cricketing action as ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 unfolds in a fortnight. The 10th ICC World Cup will be the biggest world cup in the history as far as the number of participating teams is concerned. The 43 days event will jointly be hosted by three countries of the sub-continent, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
This is the third time when the World Cup is being played in the Asian subcontinent. India is the only team which has been a host on all three occasion. Pakistan was also supposed to hold 14 matches of the forthcoming 2011 World cup but due to the 2009 attack on the Srilankan cricket team in Lahore, the ICC cancelled the holding rights of the neighbouring country.
The teams are divided into two groups with World Champion Australia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan New Zealand, Canada, Zimbabwe and Kenya in Group A. While co-hosts India, South Africa West Indies, England, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands complete the other group. It would be an auspicious moment for Bangladesh as they will be hosting any world cup event for the first time. The tournaments begins on February 19, 2010 when India and Bangladesh face will battle it out at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka.
Altogether 49 matches will be played on different stadia spread over three countries. The grand finale is slated for April 2, 2010 at the Wankhede stadium, Mumbai. Four time world champion Australia is again the hot favourite to take the trophy home. India, Sri Lanka and South Africa too are closing in the gap with a strong line-up. Australia won in 1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007. West Indies won in 1975 (the first World Cup) and 1979. India won the World Cup in 1983, Pakistan in 1992 and Sri Lanka won in 1996
TUI Travel PLC’s Sport Division which is part of the Specialist & Activity Sector have joined forces with Emirates to offer travel packages to some of the world’s most exciting sporting events to a global audience. The partnership will enable fans to utilise Emirates fantastic flight network and the specialist sport tour operating skills from leading companies such as Gullivers Sports Travel.
The newly created Emirates Sports Travel will kick off the partnership by offering sport fans ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 packages to the tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (19th February – 2nd April 2011).
Hailed as ‘The Cup That Counts’, The ICC Cricket World Cup is the biggest prize in the sport, held over 43 days with 14 countries competing for the title.
Not only do fans have the chance to watch the excitement on the field, and the England team fresh from their Ashes win, but it is also the perfect opportunity to discover the diverse and vibrant countries of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, possibly the most passionate cricket countries in the world.
Marc Bennett, Managing Director of TUI Travel PLC’s EMEA Sport Division said: “We are excited to partner Emirates for this iconic sporting event. As Gullivers Sports Travel has been appointed Official Travel Agent to ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, we are best placed to be able to offer cricket fans the full experience. We also look forward to working with Emirates after the tournament to add more sporting events to this partnership.”
Packages to ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 start from £323 per person to watch hosts Bangladesh take on England at Zohur Ahmed Choudhury Stadium, Bangladesh (10th – 13th March 2011). This price includes three nights B&B accommodation at the 4* Hotel Agrabad and the guarantee of an official match ticket (charged separately at face value). These packages are only available in combination with an Emirates flight which is available at extra cost.
Emirates Sports Travel will also offer packages to other sporting events across the globe.
For more information call Emirates Sports Travel on 01684 851005 or visit www.emiratessportstravel.com
Despite being considered as one amongst the minnows and an easy pushover for the stronger sides, the Ashish Bagai-led Canadian team will travel to the Indian subcontinent with the intention of creating a few upsets and go back home with some pride and accolades. In a group that has biggies like Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Canada will look to contribute to the twists and turns of the mega tournament by trying to make themselves competitive against the big guns, all the while hoping to pick up the odd win against other teams in the same bracket as them.
Having won a World Cup warm-up match against Netherlands on February 6th at Abu Dhabi, Canada will be pumped up to begin their World Cup campaign with the right attitude and playing some good competitive cricket. Though this Canadian side has seldom played in the Indian subcontinent, the presence of players of Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan origin should mean that conditions aren't too alien for them. They are in the limelight straight away in the tournament, opening their campaign on Day 2 against co-hosts Sri Lanka on February 20th at Hambantota. It will be imperative for their confidence that they are not ripped to shreds by the likes of Muralitharan, Mendis and Malinga, and batting out their 50 overs will be one of the targets they set themselves when competing with the big boys.
Batting:
Although Canada will enter their third World Cup as a minnow, one cannot forget what opening batsman John Davison did against West Indies in the 2003 World Cup. His beserk innings of 100 from 67 balls still remains untouchable. Davison, now 40-years old, is the senior stateman in the Canadian side, and while no longer quite as lethal, he does still pose a threat. Hiral Patel, who has often been moved up and down the order, could play as Davison’s opening partner. The Indian-born Patel doesn’t have the stats to back him up but his energy and the urge to work hard and play well will help him fight any initial nerves on such a huge stage.
At number three, Canada will play the Sri Lankan-born Ruvindu Gunasekera. The 19-year old Gunasekera has represented Canada in just three ODIs but has scored half centuries in two of them. Although the southpaw failed to impress against Netherlands in the warm-up tie, he will be very useful in conditions that will suit him well. Captain and Wicket keeper Ashish Bagai, who is most likely to play at number four, will be Canada’s top dog. Bagai, who is one of the few members of the squad to have featured in a World Cup before, will bring in a lot of consistency into the team’s batting. Although Canada finished at 5th spot in the ICC World Cricket League Division One, Bagai played a few good innings and was instrumental in both their victories against Kenya in the tournament. He has also been very effective with the gloves effecting 13 dismissals in the two World Cups he has played. The Indian-born Bagai will lead his side for the first time in a World Cup and will be excited about the prospect of returning 'home' for the tournament.
In the middle order, Canada has the likes of Rizwan Cheema and Jimmy Hansra. The 32-year old Cheema is known for his fearless batting and is believed to have the audacity to hit big pacers all over the park. In the 21 ODIs he has played, Cheema has scored 523 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 119.40.On batsmen-friendly pitches, if this man gets going, even the strongest team will be in a spot of bother. Jimmy Hansra, another Canadian player of Indian origin, fits into the batting lineup as one of the lower order batsmen who can clear the ground as well as nudge the ball around and consolidate a partnership according to the given circumstances. In the warm-up tie against Netherlands, Hansra scored a patient fifty to set up his side’s run chase after a few initial hiccups, and took them to a good win ahead of the World Cup.
Bowling
Canada’s bowling attack is spearheaded by the Pakistan-born Khurram Chohan. Chohan is partnered by Henry Osinde, who is considered to be Canada’s fastest bowler. Both Chohan and Osinde are aggressive bowlers and will look to get their side a couple of wickets early on. Both have done reasonably well for Canada in ODIs, with Chohan picking up 22 wickets in 15 games at an economy rate of 4.78 rpo while Osinde has 35 wickets in 33 games at an economy rate of 5.00 rpo. Both of them bowled exceptionally well in the warm-up tie against the Netherlands, going for just 46 runs and picking up two wickets in 16 overs between them. The Canadian squad has a good first change medium pacer in Harvir Baidwan. Known for his impeccable line and length, Baidwan has done well in the 19 ODIs he has played so far, picking up 24 wickets at an economy rate of 4.83 rpo. Baidwan picked up two wickets and gave away just 29 runs in 7.4 overs at an economy rate of 3.78 in the aforementioned game.
Among the spinners, Canada has the 20-year old Parth Desai, who is considered to be one of the best young spinners in Canada. With his disciplined line and length, Desai is capable of keeping the runs down, while picking up the odd wicket too. He had a decent outing in the ICC World Cricket League Division One, picking up six wickets in six games at an economy rate of 3.96. He also bowled exceptionally well in the warm-up tie against Netherlands, finishing with figures of 2 for 18 in 5 overs. In conditions that will suit spinners more than the pacers, this Indian-born off-spinner will look to make the most of this opportunity and help his side to win a couple of games. Captain Bagai also has another spin option in Balaji Rao. Rao also bowled very well in the warm-up tie, picking up two wickets, giving away just 12 runs in his quota of 6 overs.
Squad:
Ashish Bagai (c & wk), Rizwan Cheema, Harvir Baidwan, Balaji Rao, John Davison, Parth Desai, Tyson Gordon, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Jimmy Hansra, Khurram Chohan, Nitish Kumar, Henry Osinde, Hiral Patel, Zubin Surkari, Karl Whatham, Hamza Tariq
Support Staff:
Coach - Pubudu Dassanayake, Assistant Coach- Chandika Hathurusingha, Match Analyst- Rathan Moorthy, Strength and Conditioning Coach- Coling Berenhaut, Physio- Dr. Giovanni Perri, Manager- Michael Henry, Assistant Manager- Johnny Bujan
Likely XI: Hiral Patel, John Davison, Ruvindu Gunasekera, Ashish Bagai(c & wk), Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan, Jimmy Hansra, Harvir Baidwan, Henry Osinde, Parth Desai, Balaji Rao
Players to Watch
John Davison- Davison, with his 67-ball century in the 2003 World Cup is one of the most dangerous batsmen that Canada possesses. The 40-year old is probably playing in his last World Cup and would be looking to go all out to perform well and give the cricket fans in Canada something to cheer about.
Ashish Bagai - Playing three crucial roles of the Captain, Wicket keeper and often even opening the batting, Ashish Bagai will be the man to watch out for on the batsman friendly pitches in the Indian subcontinent. The former Delhi-lad will look to lead the team from the front and play the role of sheet anchor in his side’s pursuit to make sure they bat out the 50 overs.
Dark Horse:
Jimmy Hansra - Jimmy Hansra, who often plays in the side as a floater, will look to seize this opportunity to cement a permanent spot in the batting order. Bagai can use Hansra wisely by bringing him out according to the demands of the situation. He already displayed his ability to revive a batting collapse in the warm-up tie against Netherlands where he scored a resilient half century to take his side to victory.
Schedule
The minnows Canada have their task cut out from the word go at the World Cup as they begin their campaign against one of the World Cup favourites and the co-hosts, Sri Lanka on February 20th at Hambantota. They then travel to Nagpur on February 28th for a game against Zimbabwe, where they will look to play out of character and squeeze out a win against an opposition that will find the subcontinent pitches a bit more of a challenge.
The action then shifts to Colombo, where they take on a strong Pakistan side on March 3rd. Despite Pakistan’s problems before the World Cup, Canada is unlikely to challenge the Asian powerhouse. Canada then travel to Delhi to take on Kenya on March 7th. Having beaten Kenya on two previous occasions in the ICC World Cricket League Division One, this will be Canada’s most crucial fixture and they will hope to pick up all the points from this game. They next travel to Mumbai to take on New Zealand, who have not been in the best of form in ODIs. Canada is easily the weaker side but will look to take their chances and hand the Kiwis an upset.
Canada end their group stage matches with a game against Australia on March 16th at Bengaluru. They will be keen to escape that match with their dignity intact, and end the tournament on a high.
Fixture List: February 20th: Sri lanka vs Canada at Hambantota at 14:30 local time February 28th: Canada vs Zimbabwe at Nagpur at 09:30 local time March 3rd : Canada vs Pakistan at Colombo at 14:30 local time March 7th: Canada vs Kenya at Delhi at 14:30 local time March 13th: Canada vs New Zealand at Mumbai at 09:30 local time March 16th: Canada vs Australia at Bangalore at 14:30 local time
Recent Form: September 2010: Ireland vs Canada ODI Series- Series Drawn (1-1) July 2010: ICC World Cricket League Division One – Fifth Place April 2010: West Indies vs Canada: West Indies won 1-0
Predictions:
The minnows from North America will come in with no expectation and will set themselves a target of a minimum of two wins in the Group Stage of the competition. But more often than not, a big stage like the World Cup, gives these 'little ones' an extra reason to go out onto the field and set the stage alight. In their bid to beat the biggies of the Cricketing World, expect Canada to play out of their skins and entertain the huge crowds before they head back home with a group stage exit.
MUMBAI: For S Sreesanth, a firm believer, this has to be yet another reason to reinforce his faith in the almighty. Just when it seemed like a lost cause, after failing to find a slot in the 15-member Indian squad for the World Cup, the Kerala speedster has been included in the side albeit at the expense of an injured Praveen Kumar.
"The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that Praveen Kumar can be replaced in the squad by Sreesanth," BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement, a day after the Uttar Pradesh bowler was ruled out of the quadrennial event with an elbow injury.
A "heartbroken" Sreesanth had tweeted immediately after the team was announced in January. "I will keep giving my very best to the game no matter how small my chances are... I truly believe in God," he had tweeted then.
On Tuesday, the joy of being part of a World Cup squad ruled as he went about with his training at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore on Tuesday. "Better late than never. God has been great to me and I am really looking forward to playing in the World Cup. I was thrilled when I got the call this afternoon," he said. "Honestly, I was not hoping to play in this World cup. In fact, for the last few days I have been coming to NCA to get ready for the upcoming domestic matches. This news came in as a big surprise. I am fully fit and also bowling well. I hope to continue the same form in the World Cup," said Sreesanth.
The Kerala paceman is already a World Cup winner being part of the 2007 World T20 triumph and he is looking forward to achieve glory in the 50-over format this time around. "I know everyone talks about that catch (to dismiss the last Pakistan batsman in the edge-of-the-seat final). But here I hope to give my best with the ball and will certainly want that we go all the way to Mumbai and end the World Cup drought," he added.
The chances he got at the international level over the past few months point to the fact that Sreesanth has been more or less looked upon as a Test specialist. After featuring in eight ODIs in early 2010, Sreesanth had to wait till November for another chance in the 50-over format and has played just one more after that, making it just 10 ODIs in a span of 14 months.
Injuries, the constant companion of fast bowlers these days, might have played a part in Sreesanth's exclusion many times including in the last ODI series in South Africa but one factor that has always gone against him was the high economy rate.
A bowler, who is known for his wicket-taking capabilities, Sreesanth's economy rate of 6.01 from 51 ODIs is highest among all the specialist bowlers in the Indian squad. His 71 wickets at an average of 32.14 is quite impressive.
The ICC Cricket World Cup starts in just a few days now, and Hyundai has signed an agreement with the ICC to be the official automotive partner for the ICC World Cup 2011. The company will be providing cars for transportation of players and officials, and will also be involved in a number of activities to promote their brand along with the World Cup.
Arvind Saxena, Director, Sales and Marketing, Hyundai, spoke to exchange4media about some of the plans that the company has to promote their cars during the World Cup.
He said, “Aside from branding and advertising, Hyundai will also be reaching out to the audience from a variety of touch points. We are exploring digital, radio, television and ground activities. Showrooms will all have branding for the World Cup and all buyers will get a free kit as well. There will be Fan Parks, which we will set up in select metros where people can get together and watch the matches and take part in activities and even win tickets to watch the match in the stadium. The first ball will be taken through three cities in a specially branded car as well, and fans can wish the team luck this way.”
Of course, with over 250 sponsors tied up with the ICC for the World Cup 2011, there is a risk that brands will be lost amongst the clutter. Brand fatigue is a concern, but according to Saxena, good planning should take care of this. He said, “Obviously, one cannot just advertise and hope that things work out. We have to engage the customer for a longer period regardless of the touch point, and so we use a number of approaches, from advertising to creating a special song for the ICC World Cup and engaging mindshare.”
“We are not just advertising our products during the games, but also working to efficiently get the brand message to the audience. It requires a scientific approach which takes into account a number of factors, including this,” he added.
At the same time, he said, the company had not set any targets for their advertising from the World Cup. Saxena said, “We are not looking at a specific number directly from the association with the ICC. Cricket is the biggest property in India across all media, and we are looking to engage with the consumers and create top of the mind recall. Down the line this will lead to sales, but we are not looking at instant results or specific targets.”
More important, he felt, were, the core values of the brand. He said, “We have long been associated with sporting events, including the IPL, the ICC Awards and FIFA. We are a very dynamic brand and want to be associated with such events. We have a budget of Rs 200 crore over the next five years, which will be spent in part on television, in part on cricket, and also through other mediums. We are very committed to the World Cup and are looking at this as a long term investment.”
At the same time, the company will be shifting some of its spending away from GECs during the World Cup to focus on the changes in the audience during the same time. He said, “The interest generated by cricket means that people who would be watching other channels turn away from them. When India is playing the numbers are huge and when India is playing a high profile match, nothing can compete. So it only makes sense to shift some of the budget away from the other programming, which will lose out some of the audience as well.”
He also spoke about the importance of cricket from an advertiser’s perspective, giving the example of the plans for Hyundai. He said, “We are reaching out to the consumers in a number of ways across various platforms. We are going to invest Rs 200 crore by 2015, because the interest in cricket in India is phenomenal, and this will be an ongoing spend, which we hope will build engagement through digital, radio, print and television campaigns, and also ground events like branding, and the fan parks, and tours through the country. Part of the tie-up with the ICC also allows us to have the cricketers be part of our branding, which we will explore.”
“Cricket gets a phenomenal response from India. When India is playing, even if it is taking place outside the country, people will tune in to watch the match. The TRP generated by cricket is phenomenal, far beyond any other sporting event or show. Also, advertising on cricket transcends geography, language and other boundaries, and is highly universal. The brand values are well integrated with cricket as well, and will help build a powerful engagement with the consumers,” he added.
Mumbai : Cricket and Bollywood are synonymous with entertainment in India and with the World Cup fever around the corner, 92.7 BIG FM the radio arm of Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) announces its association with ‘ICC Cricket World Cup 2011’ as the official radio partner. Starting from February 7th 2011 – April 4th 2011, 92.7 BIG FM will entertain its listeners with live cricket action across its 45 station network. This celebration of cricket will last through out the World Cup with live match updates, detailed match analysis, rewarding contests and more…
As part of its promotion, 92.7 BIG FM will engage and entertain its listeners with an innovative campaign called ‘Bollywood meets Cricket’; an action packed property that will offer listeners a chance to be part of their favourite Bollywood superstars team. This activity will see the celebrity-named teams fight against each other for the coveted title. Registered listeners from different teams will play against each other to answer 6 questions on their favourite superstar and the final winner will win goodies ranging from merchandise of the World Cup mascot, to movie tickets and world cup tickets etc.
During the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, 92.7 BIG FM will introduce famous RJ and stand-up comedian Udham Singh, who in his inimitable signature style and humour will comment on the preparation of the team before every match along with pre and post match analysis. Prior to every match, the radio station will treat its listeners with Pitch Report, Astro Prediction, Weather Report, Team Profiles, etc. Famous cricket commentators like Arun Lal, Charu Sharma will also come on air to provide expert comments during the match and explain finer details on the World Cup 2011. Post the cricket match, the RJ will also share match summaries with names of the best bowler, best batsman and best fielder.
92.7 BIG FM will bring the cricketing action alive on-ground by playing Power Cricket in Tier I and Tier II cities. The players can participate for the on-ground activities by answering the right question of their favourite Bollywood superstar and can win on the spot movie tickets.
The radio station also has an excellent line up of activities guaranteeing the highest excitement levels with their Cricket Microsite where listeners can register, choose their favourite team and play the game of Bollywood ka World Cup online. The website will also host audio podcasts of Udham Singh’s interstitials, expert comments on the game, RJ links of the game played, et al.
The holistic promotions will be taken on mobile through SMS led games that allows listeners to undertake net practice, as well as members who have registered for the service can predict about players and their team. The registered members will also get daily updates via mailers and SMS. The radio station further take the activity to social networking sites like Facebook wherein people can add an exciting gaming application and send challenges to their friends who can either bet on a match or a player.
BIG Street, the Out of Home arm of Reliance Broadcast network Limited will add to the excitement by projecting online game on LED screens wherein people around the LED screens can also get a chance to play the innovative game. This activity will be taken to Delhi Metros through a flip book that will be brought alive through innovative use of back to back site of DMRC. The creative will be designed such that when the train moves in or out of the station, the passengers inside will get an impression that the cricket ball is moving from one side to the other.
92.7 BIG FM will ensure maximum reach through multiple touch points for the ICC World Cup 2011 and also provide a 360 degree approach by offering integrated solutions through its various media verticals including BIG Digital that will offer online and mobile solutions along with an effective campaign to assure this activity permeates into consumer’s lives and garner great success
Commenting on the development, Soumen Ghosh Choudhary, Business Head 92.7 BIG FM, commented, “We are excited to be associated with this prestigious cricketing event and this campaign sets a new benchmark for the offerings of 92.7 BIG FM to its listeners. With hectic schedules it becomes difficult for cricket fans to follow all the matches, 92.7 BIG FM will provide its -listeners near live updates, match analysis and all the action right from the cricket field so that they can follow the game on the go. We will offer the perfect blend of Bollywood and cricket and give a chance to our listeners to be a part of the World Cup while allowing them a chance for excellent gratification too.”
Reliance Communications, the Global Partner for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, today displayed the trophy in the city as part of their trophy preview across India and also promotional activity.
The 11 KG cup, made in Gold and Silver, was unveiled at a function by Lakshinarayanaswamy, President, Coimbatore DIstrict Cricket Association, in the presence of city police commissioner, C Sylendra Babu.
World Cup trophy on display in the city
Encouraged by the overwhelming response to its Value Added Services from cricket loving fans during the T20 World Tournaments, Reliance is all set to launch a host of services that would provide exciting audio and video content on 3G platform during the World Cup, which would be kicked off in Dhaka on Feb 19, Rakseh Singh, Hub head, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, said at the function.
Both Sylendra Babu and Lakshminarayanaswamy expressed hope that India would win the cup, as the team have the potential to do so. Later the trophy was taken through the main thoroughfare of the city and kept at strategic points for the public to have a view.
Despite being considered as one amongst the minnows and an easy pushover for the stronger sides, the Ashish Bagai-led Canadian team will travel to the Indian subcontinent with the intention of creating a few upsets and go back home with some pride and accolades. In a group that has biggies like Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Canada will look to contribute to the twists and turns of the mega tournament by trying to make themselves competitive against the big guns, all the while hoping to pick up the odd win against other teams in the same bracket as them.
As part of its promotion, 92.7 BIG FM will engage and entertain its listeners with an innovative campaign called ‘Bollywood meets Cricket’; an action packed property that will offer listeners a chance to be part of their favourite Bollywood superstars team. This activity will see the celebrity-named teams fight against each other for the coveted title. Registered listeners from different teams will play against each other to answer 6 questions on their favourite superstar and the final winner will win goodies ranging from merchandise of the World Cup mascot, to movie tickets and world cup tickets etc. 