ECB to double rewards available to England Women

ECB today announced a doubling of its investment in the rewards available for England's women's cricketers ahead of their tour of South Africa later this month.Following a proposal recently approved by ECB's Management Board, the players will receive tour fees and incentivised appearance fees for the first time.The move, which will take effect for the team's forthcoming ODI and T20 series in South Africa, will mean a doubling of the overall remuneration fund available to the players.It represents a further expansion of ECB's support for the women's game following last week's appointment of five specialist coaches to work across women's and girl's cricket.Currently twenty players receive a monthly payment from ECB including seven who are also able to supplement their income by coaching schoolchildren for The Cricket Foundation's Chance to Shine scheme. These payments will increase from January 1st.ECB Head of Women's Cricket Clare Connor said: 'This is a significant step forward for women's sport in this country and a great boost for the England team as they prepare to defend the ICC Women's World Cup in 2013 and seek to regain the ICC World T20 title next year."Our leading players have traditionally had to sacrifice a career to play international cricket as the sport demands an intensive commitment of up to 100 days a year playing and training."Today's decision will make it far easier for all our players to combine part-time work or study with their England commitments and will play an important role in helping ECB attract and retain more girls and women with cricketing talent.Clare Connor is available for 1-1 interview in relation to this announcement.
For further information contact:
Andrew Walpole, ECB Head of Corporate Communications: mobile - 07785 527102 - email:andrew.walpole@ecb.co.uk
Fiona Maddocks, England Women's Team Media Manager : mobile - 07584141033. email.fiona.maddocks@ecb.co.uk
England women's squad for South Africa tour
Charlotte Edwards (captain, Kent)
Jenny Gunn (Yorkshire)
Tammy Beaumont (Kent)
Arran Brindle (Sussex)
Katherine Brunt (Yorkshire)
Georgia Elwiss (Sussex)
Lydia Greenway (Kent)
Isa Guha (Berkshire)
Danielle Hazell (Yorkshire)
Heather Knight (Berkshire)
Laura Marsh (Kent)
Susie Rowe (Kent)
Sarah Taylor (Sussex)
Danielle Wyatt (Staffordshire)
England women v South Africa women schedule
One-day series (all matches to be played at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom)
Oct 21: 1st ODI, 10am (9am BST)
Oct 23: 2nd ODI, 10am
Oct 25: 3rd ODI, 10am
Twenty20 series (all matches to be played at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom)
Oct 27: 1st T20, 10am
Oct 29: 2nd T20, 2pm
Oct 3: 3rd T20, 10am

Read More

Cook an excellent leader: Flower

England head coach Andy Flower feels the maturity of their One-day side's skipper Alastair Cook will prove vital to team's success in the forthcoming series against India.England will fly out to India Monday with Cook looking to repeat the team's success at home. England play five ODI against India beginning Oct 8 at Hyderabad.Cook's place in the side at one point was questioned, but he proved his critics wrong with prolific scoring this year and then steered his side to an impressive series victory over India.Flower called Cook an 'excellent' leader.'He's been excellent as a leader and grown in confidence,' Flower was quoted as saying in Daily Express.'On the tour of Bangladesh, when he captained while Andrew Strauss was resting, he grew and learned a lot and I'd say we've seen similar growth this summer.'It's always nice to see someone grow in confidence. It's horrible to see anyone lose confidence in any walk of life.'So the opposite, seeing someone grow in confidence, is a really nice thing, particularly for us as coaches, ' he said.

Read More

Squads and officials released for Afghanistan v UAE

Afghanistan will take on United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 5-8 October in the second-round fixture of the ICC Intercontinental Cup in Sharjah.The home side, in this instance Afghanistan, which plays its home fixtures in the UAE, will be led by Nowroz Mangal, while UAE will be under the captaincy of Khurram Khan in this fixture that will complete the second round of the tournament.Afghanistan and UAE are also scheduled to play two games as part of the Associate and Affiliate 50-over League on 10 and 12 October. ICC Regional Match Referee Graeme Le Brooy will be overseeing both the Intercontinental Cup fixture and the 50-over matches.Squads and match officials for Afghanistan v UAE, Second Round Intercontinental Cup, 5 to 8 October, SharjahAFGHANISTAN (squad): Nowroz Mangal (captain), Mohammed Nabi, Mohammad Stanikzai, Mohameed Shahzad, Javid Ahmadi, Samiullah Shinwari, Karim Sadiq, Hamid Hassan, Mirwais Ashraf, Aftab Alam, Gulbadin Naib, Dollat Zadran, Izzatullah Dawlatzai, Amir Hamza HotakUAE (squad): Khurram Khan (captain), Arshad Ali, Swapnil Patil, Amjad Ali, Palekar Hamid, Vikrant Shetty, Amjad Javed, Fayyaz Ahmed, Ahmed Raza, Shadeep Silva, Shoiab Sarwar, Ramveer Rai, Abdul Rehman, Asadullah ShareefUmpires: Buddhi Pradhan of the ICC Associate and Affiliate Umpires Panel and Ahsan Raza of the Emirates International Panel of ICC UmpiresMatch referee: Graeme Le BrooySquads and match officials for Afghanistan v UAE, Associate and Affiliate 50-over League, 10 and 12 October, SharjahAFGHANISTAN (squad): Nowroz Mangal (captain), Mohammed Nabi, Mohammad Stanikzai, Mohameed Shahzad, Javid Ahmadi, Samiullah Shinwari, Karim Sadiq, Hamid Hassan, Mirwais Ashraf, Aftab Alam, Gulbadin Naib, Dollat Zadran, Izzatullah Dawlatzai, Amir Hamza HotakUAE (squad): Khurram Khan (captain), Amjad Javed, Arshad Ali, Faizan Asif, Shoiab Sarwar, Palekar Hamid, Shadeep Silva, Vikrant Shetty, Asadullah Shareef, Shaiman Anwar, Fayyaz Ahmed, Rohan Mustafa, Ahmed Raza, Amjad AliUmpires: Buddhi Pradhan of the ICC Associate and Affiliate Umpires Panel and Ahsan Raza of the Emirates International Panel of ICC UmpiresMatch referee: Graeme Le Brooy

Read More

Mohsin Hassan Khan named interim coach

LAHORE : Chief selector Mohsin Hassan Khan has been named the interim coach of the Pakistan cricket team during the tour of Sri Lanka, Colonel Naushad Ali will be the team’s manager. The series will begin on October 18 and will feature three Tests, five ODIs and one T20 match. Pakistan has been forced to play their home series on foreign soil following a 2008 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore

Read More

Abdul Razzaq leads Pakistan in Hong Kong Super Sixes

KARACHI : All-rounder Abdul Razzaq will lead Pakistan at this month's Super Sixes in Hong Kong as he attempts to resurrect his career at international level.The 31-year-old, dropped from the national side since the World Cup in April, will lead a second-string Pakistan team for the Hong Kong event, which will be held from October 28 to 30.Umar Akmal and Sohail Tanveer -- two more discarded players from the Test squad which faces Sri Lanka later this month were also among the seven-member squad.Ramiz Raja, Hammad Azam, Yasir Shah and Sharjeel Khan are the others.Pakistan, who finished runners-up to Australia in the Super Sixes last year, are placed in Group C with South Africa, India and Hong Kong.Australia, England, Bangladesh and Ireland comprise Group B while an All Star team, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Scotland form Group A.The Hong Kong Sixes was first held in 1992 and is sanctioned by the International Cricket Council. Pakistan won the inaugural event, then again in 1997, 2001 and 2002.

Read More

Razzaq leads Pakistan in Hong Kong Super Sixes

KARACHI : All-rounder Abdul Razzaq will lead Pakistan at this month's Super Sixes in Hong Kong as he attempts to resurrect his career at international level.The 31-year-old, dropped from the national side since the World Cup in April, will lead a second-string Pakistan team for the Hong Kong event, which will be held from October 28 to 30.Umar Akmal and Sohail Tanveer two more discarded players from the Test squad which faces Sri Lanka later this month were also among the seven-member squad.Ramiz Raja, Hammad Azam, Yasir Shah and Sharjeel Khan are the others.Pakistan, who finished runners-up to Australia in the Super Sixes last year, are placed in Group C with South Africa, India and Hong Kong.Australia, England, Bangladesh and Ireland comprise Group B while an All Star team, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Scotland form Group A.The Hong Kong Sixes was first held in 1992 and is sanctioned by the International Cricket Council. Pakistan won the inaugural event, then again in 1997, 2001 and 2002

Read More

Pakistan players face 'spot-fixing' trial

LONDON : Three Pakistan Test players go on trial in London on Tuesday charged with spot-fixing during a match against England last year, allegations which rocked the world of cricket.Former captain Salman Butt, prodigal talent Mohammad Aamer and star bowler Mohammad Asif are due to appear at Southwark Crown Court charged with conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat.The players' agent Mazhar Majeed will go on trial alongside them charged with the same offences, which carry maximum sentences of seven years and two years in prison respectively The charges relate to allegations of deliberately bowling no-balls during England's fourth Test against Pakistan at Lord's in London in August 2010.The allegations were made by the Rupert Murdoch-owned News of the World tabloid, which was closed down in July this year when it became engulfed in the phone hacking scandal.At the time of the alleged offences, Butt, 26, was captain of Pakistan's Test side and had won plaudits for his leadership.Asif, 28, was the team's senior pace bowler, while teenage left-arm swing bowler Aamer, 19, was regarded as one of the hottest properties in world cricket.Majeed, from south London, is a sports agent with a history of working with Pakistan players.Detectives raided the Pakistan team hotel in London as part of their investigations following the News of the World story.The cricketers were outside Britain when summons were issued and they returned voluntarily.A separate and independent International Cricket Council anti-corruption tribunal, sitting in Doha in February, banned the three players for a minimum of five years each.Butt was banned for 10 years, with five suspended. Asif was banned for seven years, two of which were suspended, with Aamer handed a five-year penalty.All three have filed appeals against their bans at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Read More

Pakistan squad announced for Sri Lanka Test series

KARACHI : Pakistan announced a 15-man squad for the three Tests against Sri Lanka to be played in the United Arab Emirates later this month.Pakistan will also play five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka, which is expected to announce its team later.The first Test at the neutral venue starts in Abu Dhabi from October 18. The other two Tests will be played in Dubai and Sharjah.Test squad: Mohammad Hafeez, Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Shoaib Malik, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Aizaz Cheema, Junaid Khan

Read More

Sialkot Stallions win National T20 title for 6th time

KARACHI : Sialkot Stallions became the twenty20 champions for the sixth time when they defeated Rawalpindi Rams by ten runs after an interesting contest in the final of the Faysal Bank National Twenty20 Cup 2011 here at the National Stadium on Sunday.Chasing 181 runs, Rawalpindi Rams were looking set for win when they needed 19 runs from 12 balls with five wickets in hand but the Stallions captured three more wickets giving away only eight runs.For the Rams, only opener Naved Malik played a brave innings of 67 runs off 47 balls, hitting three sixes and six fours. The second highest scorer was his opening partner Awais Zia (32) whereas no other batsman could make more than 14 runs.For the Stallions, spinners Raza Hasan and Abdur Rehman got two wickets each for eleven and 27 runs, respectively.Earlier, Sialkot Stallions piled up 180-6 in the allotted 20 overs after their captain Shoaib Malik won the toss and decided to bat.The main scorers of the Stallions were Qaiser Abbas (44), Shoaib Malik (43), Shakeel Abbas (39) and Shahid Yousuf (32).Off-break bowler Awais Zia claimed two wickets for 17 runs for the Rams.

Read More

Sialkot Stallions set 181-run target for Rawalpindi Rams

KARACHI : Sialkot Stallions set a tough target of 181 runs for Rawalpindi Rams in the final of the Faysal Bank National Twenty20 Cup here at the National Stadium on Sunday.Winning the toss, Sialkot Stallions captain decided to bat first and his team piled up 180-6 in the allotted 20 overs.The main scorers of the Stallions were Qaiser Abbas (44), Shoaib Malik (43), Shakeel Abbas (39) and Shahid Yousuf (32).Off-break bowler Awais Zia claimed two wickets for 17 runs for The Rams.Sialkot Stallions made no change in the team which played in the semi-final against Lahore Eagles whereas Rawalpindi Rams made one change, bringing in Adnan Mufti in place of Yasim Murtaza.

Read More

Shane Warne and Liz Hurley get engaged in Scotland: reports

LONDON : Former Australian cricketer Shane Warne and British actress Liz Hurley have become engaged during a trip to Scotland, reports said on Sunday.Warne proposed to Hurley after a romantic dinner on Friday at an exclusive hotel in St. Andrews, on Scotland's east coast, where the sportsman was taking part in a golf tournament.The spin legend, 42, got down on one knee and popped the question in front of other diners and when Hurley agreed the couple were given a standing ovation, the Mail on Sunday and Sunday Telegraph newspapers reported.Pictures showed the couple smiling as they walked arm in arm across a golf course on Saturday, with Hurley, 46, wearing a large sapphire and diamond engagement ring.They were greeted by shouts of congratulations from well-wishers as the pro-am Alfred Dunhill Links Championship got under way, the Mail said. The couple first met at an English race meeting in July last year and have since been spotted together regularly. When she met Warne, Hurley was still married to Indian businessman Arun Nayar but the couple divorced in December. Warne has dramatically lost weight since starting to date Hurley and new pictures of noticeably slimmer star caused astonishment in Australia when they emerged in August.His romances have sparked almost as much media attention as his performance in cricket matches and his energetic love life is widely thought to have cost him the Australian captaincy.Hurley and actor Hugh Grant were one of Britain's leading celebrity couples in the 1990s but separated in 2000

Read More

Sialkot Stallions win toss, bat against Rawalpindi Rams

KARACHI : Sialkot Stallions captain Shoaib Malik won the toss and elected to bat against Rawalpindi Rams in the final of the Faysal Bank national Twenty20 Cup here at the National Stadium on Sunday.There is no change in the Sialkot Stallions side which played in the semi-final against Lahore Eagles whereas Rawalpindi Rams made one change, bringing in Adnan Mufti in place of Yasim Murtaza.Teams:Rawalpindi Rams team: Awais Zia, Naved Malik, Babar Naeem, Tahir Mughal, Umar Amin, Jamal Anwar., Sohail Tanvir*, Hammad Azam, Mohammad Rameez, Adnan Mufti, Samiullah.Sialkot Stallions team: Imran Nazir, Shakeel Ansar., Shahid Yousuf, Shoaib Malik*, Ali Khan, Naved-ul-Hasan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Abdur Rehman, Raza Hasan, Naved Arif, Qaiser Abbas.Both the teams won their semis convincingly. Stallions beat Eagles by 6 wickets and Rams outplayed Panthers by 77 runs Shoaib Malik was the star who scored an unbeaten 88 runs and won the match single-handedly against Eagles. Umar Amin's all-round performance helped Rams win against Panthers. He scored 33 runs and took 3 wickets

Read More

Rams-Stallions T20 final face-off today

KARACHI : Sharp-horned Rawalpndi Rams will match against hard-hoofed Sialkot Stallions today (Sunday) in the Faysal Bank National T20 Cup finals,Rawalpindi Rams gored Peshawar Panthers in the to land in the finals, whereas Sialkot Stallions trampled Lahore Eagles to qualify for the same. Sports analysts say the battle for the trophy would be bloody and a treat to watch.

Read More