The ICC has announced that it will begin the process of selling the commercial, sponsorship and audio-visual rights for 18 ICC tournaments starting from the second half of 2007 till the World Cup in 2015.This period covers the 2011 World Cup in Asia, the ICC Champions Trophy, the Twenty20 Championship, World Cup qualifiers, Under-19 World Cup and the Women’s World Cup.The ICC will issue the tender documents to broadcasters, agencies and persons qualified to bid for the rights, and will begin discussions shortly. Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, will lead the discussions, along with Ehsan Mani, the former ICC president, who will act as a consultant. Mani negotiated the previous agreement, which ends with the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.Speed said the initial discussion began in April, when the ICC allotted the countries hosting the various forthcoming events. “With those venues and the timings for the tournaments agreed, we are now in a position to go to market to obtain the best deal for cricket,” Speed was quoted as saying in a media release. “The sale of these rights is of huge significance for cricket throughout the world at all levels as the revenue it generates will play a pivotal role in sustaining and growing the game.”I am delighted Ehsan has agreed to act as a consultant with us in this process as he played a significant role in securing the previous agreement and his experience and expertise in this area is certain to be invaluable.”
Latest points tablesHosts Ireland, along with Bermuda, booked their places in the semi-finals with wins in the last round of group matches. Bermuda’s victory meant that they (and Ireland) will be involved in the Caribbean’s 2007 World Cup, as well gaining ODI status for four years and $500,000 of funding from the ICC.But Denmark, who came into the tournament as outsiders and who rated their own best hope as a sixth-place finish, saw their own dreams of a place in the last four evaporate as they were well beaten by Ireland who had Ed Joyce to thank for bailing them out after they slipped to 28 for 3. Denmark needed a good start in chasing 223 in unhelpful conditions, but lost early wickets and despite a spirited 58 from Baljit Singh, fell 73 runs short. But Ireland will have to do without Joyce from now on in as he returns to Middlesex.Denmark will now meet Netherlands on Saturday with the winners of that tie going on to play the winners of the other play-off between UAE and Namibia. The side that wins that game will join the four semi-finalists in the World Cup.Bermuda took full advantage of Denmark’s slip by routing USA in a one-sided meeting at Waringstown. Bermuda were wobbling on 88 for 4, but Janeiro Summers (132) and Dean Minors (41) savaged the dispirited bowling, enabling them to reach 311 for 8. USA, whose performances have been verging on the shambolic, were never remotely in the hunt and they were bowled out for 198 with more than 14 overs of their innings remaining. One of the pre-tournament favourites, they slink back home without a win to their name.UAE, another one of the fancied teams to have had a disappointing tournament, ended with a win over Uganda, one of the surprise packages. Naeemuddin led the way with 76, but with only two batsmen passing 20, UAE’s final score of 201 looked very chasable. But Uganda lost early wickets, slipping to 66 for 6, before finally being bowled out for 138.
Wasim Akram, Courtney Walsh and Henry Olonga are among an astonishing array of past and present Test stars to play for Lashings against the Scottish Saltires in a special Twenty20-format evening game on Friday, 25 June.The Lashings batting line-up includes players such as Richie Richardson, Grant Flower, Gregg Blewett and Shahid Afridi, and under the management of Alvin Kallicharan the star-studded team will surely provide spectacular entertainment for the Edinburgh crowd. More than a thousand tickets for the game have already been sold, which is thought to be a record advance sale for a cricket match in Scotland.Lashings Richie Richardson (capt), Jimmy Adams, Wasim Akram, Shahid Afridi, Gregg Blewett, Sherwin Campbell, Vaspert Drakes, Grant Flower, Rashid Latif (wk), Junior Murray, Henry Olonga, Franklin Rose, Courtney Walsh, Stuart Williams. Scottish Saltires Craig Wright (capt), Yasir Arafat, Stewart Bruce, Majid Haq, Dougie Lockhart (wk), Gregor Maiden, Dewald Nel, Sridharan Sriram, Ian Stanger, Greig Williamson, Ryan Watson, Simon Smith(12th man).
West Indies fast bowler Jermaine Lawson will miss the remainder of the one-day series against Australia because of a back injury. He might also miss the one-day series against Sri Lanka in June because of bulging discs in the lower back, according to Roger Brathwaite, chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board.Lawson’s bowling action is under review by the International Cricket Council after he was reported by umpires David Shepherd and Srinivasa Venkataraghavan during the fourth Test against Australia. He will fly to Antigua to work with bowling advisor Andy Roberts once he is free of pain and ready to resume bowling.The sessions in Antigua form part of the ICC’s prescribed six-week review process for bowlers whose actions are reported.
Southland Boys’ High School teacher and sports co-ordinator Steve Jackson has been appointed coach of the Otago Sparks women’s cricket side this year.A qualified Level II coach, Jackson has coached the Otago third form boys’ team for the past two seasons and has also been the fitness advisor/trainer for the Southern Sting netball team for the past three seasons. He comes with an extensive playing and coaching background in club, high school and representative cricket.Otago Cricket’s coaching director Michael Hesson will also take a greater role with the team especially with winter training, now that additional coaching resources will be available to the Association through the appointment of Glenn Turner as full-time coach for the State Otago Volts.Chief Executive, Graeme Elliott said: “While coach for the past season, Billy Ibadulla worked tirelessly, this very young and inexperienced Otago team found it difficult to commit to the levels required for us to justify the reappointment of a professional coach.”We will be looking at alternative ways that Otago Cricket can utilise Billy’s specialist coaching expertise in the future” added Elliott.The appointment of Jackson is initially for a one-year period and commences immediately.Team selectors will be Michael Hesson and Steve Jackson.
ScorecardFile photo – Todd Astle took the second ten-wicket haul of his first-class career•Associated Press
Legspinner Todd Astle took 7 for 78 on the third day to dismiss Sri Lanka A for 234 in their second innings, leaving New Zealand A with only 19 to chase, which they did to secure victory with a day to spare in Lincoln. Astle’s performance gave him match figures of 11 for 133, his second ten-wicket haul in first-class cricket.The stage for Astle had been laid by a strong batting performance from New Zealand A in their first innings. Not only did they score big, they also scored quick. Dean Brownlie made 113 off 151 balls, and Henry Nicholls 137 off 152, to go with half-centuries from Jeet Raval, Will Young and Derek de Boorder. Sri Lanka A legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay ran through the lower order to finish with 5 for 128, but not before the hosts had amassed 519 at 4.37 per over to take a first-innings lead of 216.The Sri Lankans were steadily eating into that deficit in their second innings, with Minod Bhanuka and Kithuruwan Vithanage adding 110 for the second wicket. From 134 for 1, however, the visitors collapsed, with Astle and fellow legspinner Ish Sodhi running through the middle and lower order. Sri Lanka A were dismissed for 234 in 59.1 overs, and New Zealand A chased the target of 19 with nine wickets in hand.Astle had also taken four wickets in Sri Lanka A’s first innings, spinning through the middle order to help dismiss the visitors for 303, when they looked like getting more at one stage. His performance ensured that New Zealand A won all the matches in the series.
Alex McLeish doesn’t expect Karamoko Dembele to get much game time for Celtic ahead of the expiry of his contract in the summer.
The lowdown
As it stands, Dembele will be leaving Celtic at the end of the 2021/22 campaign when his deal expires.
The 19-year-old is a product of the Hoops’ academy and has made nine appearances in total.
He missed Ange Postecoglou’s first 26 league matches in charge with a serious ankle injury.
But in the midweek win over St Mirren, he finally made his first appearance under the Australian, coming on for the final six minutes.
The latest
Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish said Postecoglou would favour the players who have already earned his trust.
The outlook, then, could be somewhat bleak for Dembele in the coming months.
“I get the feeling with Postecoglou that he isn’t going to fire in the young ones and that means Dembele is not part of his plans,” the Sky Sports pundit said.
“He is focusing on the guys that he has invested in and put some thought into.
“He already knows his strategy for Celtic. When he knows what he can get out of people, these are the guys that he tends to play.
“That is just something I’ve noticed from observing him over a few months.”
The verdict
There’s little doubt about Dembele’s potential. L’Equipe (via 67 Hail Hail) have previously described him as a player with ‘extraordinary acceleration’ and agility, and predicted that he will enjoy a ‘great career’.
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The immediate problem he faces at Celtic is competition for the right-wing role in the form of Liel Abada.
The summer signing has contributed 11 goals and eight assists since he arrived – more league goal contributions than anybody else in the Bhoys’ squad (via BBC Sport).
Given that Abada is only 20, he may have that spot locked down for a number of years, giving Dembele all the more reason to consider a departure.
In other news, Celtic’s latest target has emerged.
ScorecardAn unbroken 47-run final-wicket stand between Deon Kotze and Louis Klazinga pushed Namibia to a thrilling victory in Windhoek, keeping their unbeaten record in the Intercontinental Cup alive and leaving Scotland with an almost impossible task to qualify for the final.Sarel Burger kept the innings afloat with 79 off 162 balls, although when the last pair came together it appeared they’d been left with too much to do. Boundaries were rare, but Kotze and Klazinga worked hard to tick off the runs, piling pressure on the Scotland attack as they tried to claim the final breakthrough.Scotland had controlled proceedings for much of the third day after Namibia started on 45 for 3 chasing 237 on a sporting surface where wickets have fallen steadily. They chipped away at the resistance with John Blain taking his match haul to nine wickets while Glen Rodgers chipped in with a couple.But the defeat leaves them well adrift in the table with three matches remaining. Namibia, however, go from strength to strength and now sit with 82 points from their 100% record. Kenya, with a game in hand, are their closest challengers with Ireland 33 points behind in third place although they have played two matches less.
Craig McMillan, the New Zealand batsman, will captain MCC in their three-day match against Sri Lanka A at Arundel starting on July 10.McMillan has played 55 Tests and 191 one-day internationals and following a recall to New Zealand’s one-day side in January, he played at the World Cup. In his ODI career McMillan has scored over 4,500 runs and taken 46 wickets. He also holds the record for the fastest one-day century scored by a New Zealander – 117 off 67 balls against Australia earlier this year.Keith Bradshaw, MCC’s chief executive, said: “I’m delighted that Craig has accepted our invitation to captain MCC. His talent and international experience will surely be a great asset to the team.”McMillan is currently in England playing for Nelson Cricket Club in the Lancashire Leagues. The rest of MCC’s line-up will be confirmed in the next few days and the match marks the start of Sri Lanka’s tour which lasts for a month.
After keeping New Zealand Cricket waiting, Mathew Sinclair has signed on for the next season.Sinclair was expected to stay in New Zealand even though he considered contracts from clubs in South Africa, and the top-order batsman has confirmed this.Sinclair won back his contract with New Zealand Cricket after a good performance last season with the Central Districts. His next assignment is a a tour with New Zealand A to Australia. All 20 cricketers offered deals by the national body have signed on.