US T20 cricket tournament abandoned due to weather

DALLAS: American cricket T20 team competition which was held in Dallas was abandoned due to inclement weather.

The sixteen teams’ competition was reduced to 8 teams for the quarter final stage when the tournament was abandoned.

The prize money of twenty five thousand dollars was equally distributed among eight teams who qualified to quarter finals.

According to details the T20 cricket tournament was organized in Dallas with special permission from ICC (California) America.

This cricket tournament was participated by Sri Lanka, West Indies, India, USA and Pakistani international players.

Pakistani players Shabaz and Naveed Latif attended the tournament as special guests as the PCB did not allow them to play in Dallas.

Some of the Pakistani national team players who participated in this tournament included, Shabbir Ahmad, Mansoor Akhtar, Shahzad Hasan, Saud, Sharyar Ahmad, Khalid Latif, Noorul Qamar. Indian player Sharma, West Indian Andrew Paul, and other prominent players also attended the tournament.

The tournament had sixteen teams contesting for the final cup including Star Eleven, US Open Florida, AFL Gladiators, Smart Choice Houston, Punjab Lion, and Alumina Cricket Club Chicago, Punjab (India) 20/20, Mama Cricket Club Houston, PIS Royal, Royal Cricket Club, Midland Club Midland, and GTCC.

The bad weather and raining for the whole week forced the organizer to abandon the tournament before the final.

The prize money of twenty five thousand was equally distributed among the finalist’s teams.

Ahmed Shehzad tipped to become Pakistan T20 captain

KARACHI: Dashing young opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad is likely to be named as Pakistan’s next Twenty20 captain, according to sources close the cricket board.

Following Pakistan’s failure to reach the knockout stage of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh earlier this month, which ultimately led to Mohammad Hafeez resigning as the national team skipper, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already started deliberating as to who would be the next captain.

According to sources, PCB chairman Najam Sethi is heavily backing the credentials of Ahmed, who has never led Pakistan in any format at the international level but is set to become one of the youngest cricketers at the age of 22 to be handed the reins of captaincy of the national side.

Moin Khan, the chief selector-cum-Pakistan team manager, has reportedly given his consent in favour of Ahmed with the formal announcement from the cricket board expected to be made in a day or two.

Hafeez, who also captained Pakistan at the World Twenty20 in 2012 when Sri Lanka hosted the event, shouldered responsibility for his country’s first-ever preliminary-round exit while announcing his resignation after a meeting with the PCB chief in Lahore a day after his arrival from Dhaka.

Veteran all-rounder and former captain Shahid Afridi was mentioned in some quarters as Hafeez’s successor as the next Pakistan T20 skipper, but his hard-hitting utterances at team’s lacklustre performance in Bangladesh upon his arrival in Karachi landed the 34-year-old in trouble when the PCB issued him a show-cause notice for the same.

With Misbah-ul-Haq’s position as the Pakistan captain - both in Test and One-day International formats - quite safe at the moment, the PCB is now mulling naming Ahmed as the T20 skipper.

However, the elevation of Ahmed — who made his Test debut during Pakistan’s last series against Sri Lanka in the UAE in December/January after having made his international debut in April 2009 — could be a risky proposition since he is prone to losing his cool.

Ahmed, who sadly has held a history of disciplinary issues since his international debut at the youth level, was fined 50 per cent of his match fee after his altercation with veteran Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan during the third game of the ODI series in Abu Dhabi last December.

Ahmed Shehzad tipped to become Pakistan T20 captain

KARACHI: Dashing young opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad is likely to be named as Pakistan’s next Twenty20 captain, according to sources close the cricket board.

Following Pakistan’s failure to reach the knockout stage of the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh earlier this month, which ultimately led to Mohammad Hafeez resigning as the national team skipper, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already started deliberating as to who would be the next captain.

According to sources, PCB chairman Najam Sethi is heavily backing the credentials of Ahmed, who has never led Pakistan in any format at the international level but is set to become one of the youngest cricketers at the age of 22 to be handed the reins of captaincy of the national side.

Moin Khan, the chief selector-cum-Pakistan team manager, has reportedly given his consent in favour of Ahmed with the formal announcement from the cricket board expected to be made in a day or two.

Hafeez, who also captained Pakistan at the World Twenty20 in 2012 when Sri Lanka hosted the event, shouldered responsibility for his country’s first-ever preliminary-round exit while announcing his resignation after a meeting with the PCB chief in Lahore a day after his arrival from Dhaka.

Veteran all-rounder and former captain Shahid Afridi was mentioned in some quarters as Hafeez’s successor as the next Pakistan T20 skipper, but his hard-hitting utterances at team’s lacklustre performance in Bangladesh upon his arrival in Karachi landed the 34-year-old in trouble when the PCB issued him a show-cause notice for the same.

With Misbah-ul-Haq’s position as the Pakistan captain - both in Test and One-day International formats - quite safe at the moment, the PCB is now mulling naming Ahmed as the T20 skipper.

However, the elevation of Ahmed — who made his Test debut during Pakistan’s last series against Sri Lanka in the UAE in December/January after having made his international debut in April 2009 — could be a risky proposition since he is prone to losing his cool.

Ahmed, who sadly has held a history of disciplinary issues since his international debut at the youth level, was fined 50 per cent of his match fee after his altercation with veteran Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan during the third game of the ODI series in Abu Dhabi last December.

Sangakkara anchors Sri Lanka to maiden World T20 title

DHAKA, Bangladesh: Kumar Sangakkara hit a memorable half-century to help Sri Lanka to a six-wicket victory over India in the World Twenty20 final in Dhaka on Sunday.
The veteran left-hander knocked a 35-ball 52 not out in his last Twenty20 match to guide the Sri Lankan chase of a modest 131-run target in 17.5 overs at a packed Shere Bangla stadium.It was Sangakkara who anchored the chase with six boundaries and a six in his unbeaten knock. The victory gave Sri Lanka their first world title in 18 years since winning the World Cup (50 overs) crown in 1996 and gave the World Twenty20 a fifth champion in as many editions.

The victory also broke Sri Lanka’s jinx of losing the final of major world level events as they had lost two World Cup (50 overs) finals (2007 and 2011) besides being runners-up in as many World Twenty20 events in 2009 and 2012.
 

Sri Lanka crush Windies to reach World T20 final

DHAKA: Sri Lanka reached the final of the World Twenty20 with a 27-run win over West Indies, the defending champions, after the first semi-final was ended by rain on Thursday.

Set a challenging 161-run target, the West Indies were well short on the Duckworth-Lewis method when a thunderstorm stopped play after 13.5 overs at the Shere Bangla stadium in Dhaka.

West Indies, who would have needed 108 to win on the D/L method, were 80-4 when play was halted.

The win was sweet revenge for Sri Lanka who lost the 2012 final in Colombo to the West Indies. Sri Lanka will face the winners of the second semi-final between 2007 champions India and South Africa, also in Dhaka on Friday. The final will be played in Dhaka on Sunday.

Dwayne Bravo hit a 19-ball 30 studded with three boundaries and a six to take the fight to the Sri Lankan bowlers who took three wickets in the space of nine runs after the West Indies had reached 25-0 in the fifth over.

Spearhead Lasith Malinga, who was leading Sri Lanka after their regular captain Dinesh Chandimal opted out due to lack of form, dismissed dangerman Chris Gayle (three) and Dwayne Smith (17) in his second over.

Malinga had figures of 2-5 in his two overs. Leg-spinner Seekkuge Prasanna had Lendl Simmons lbw (four) to leave the West Indies struggling at 34-3 before Bravo and Marlon Samuels (18 not out) added 43 for the fourth wicket.

Bravo was smartly caught in the deep by Mahela Jayawardene off paceman Nuwan Kulasekara and three balls later the rain arrived in the aftermath of strong winds. When Sri Lanka batted after winning the toss, Lahiru Thirimanne top-scored with a career best 35-ball 44, Tillakaratne Dilshan made a run-a-ball 39 and Angelo Mathews a fiery 23-ball 40.Mathews hit two sixes and three boundaries to give the innings much-needed impetus before he fell off the last delivery.

Paceman Krishmar Santokie finished with two for 46 runs.

Thirimanne hit three boundaries and two sixes.Sri Lanka had raced to 41 in the fourth over thanks to Dilshan and Kusal Perera (26), before they lost three wickets in the space of 15 balls.Perera, who hit two fours and as many sixes off 12 balls, was bowled by Santokie before Jayawardene was run out without facing a delivery.Kumar Sangakkara miscued a drive and was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Samuel Badree for one.

Dilshan and Thirimanne added 42 for the fourth wicket before Dilshan became the second batsman to be run out. He hit two boundaries and a six.

Pakistan play like children, crash out of World T20

DHAKA: Pakistan played like children as defending champions West Indies easily defeated them by 84 runs in a key Super-10 match of the World Twenty20 in Dhaka on Tuesday and sailed into the semi-finals.

The West Indies recovered from a top-order meltdown to post 166-6 after electing to take first strike, before three wickets each by spin twins Samuel Badree and Sunil Narine skittled Pakistan for 82 in 17.5 overs.

The West Indies, who finished second behind unbeaten India in group two, will clash with group one champions Sri Lanka in the first semi-final in Dhaka tomorrow (Thursday).India, who won all their four league matches, meet South Africa at the same venue on Friday. The final will take place in Dhaka on Sunday.

It was the first time Pakistan, finalists in the inaugural World T20 in 2007 and champions in 2009, failed to reach the knock-out rounds in the five editions of the tournament.

Netherlands to bowl in South Africa World T20

CHITTAGONG: Netherlands captain Peter Borren won the toss and sent South Africa in to bat in their group one super-10 match in the World Twenty20 in Chittagong on Thursday.

South Africa made one change from the side which beat New Zealand by two runs in their second match on Monday, bringing in Beuran Hendricks in place of paceman Morne Morkel.

The Netherlands, shot out for the lowest-ever Twenty20 international total of 39 against Sri Lanka on Monday, kept the same side.

Five teams are competing in each of the two groups in the super-10 stage, with top two teams from each group qualifying for the semis.

The final will be played in Dhaka on April 6.

Teams:

South Africa: Faf du Plessis (capt), Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Beuran Hendricks, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Netherlands: Peter Borren (capt), Michael Swart, Stephan Myburgh, Wesley Barresi, Tom Copper, Logan van Beek, Mudassar Bukhari, Ben Cooper, Timm van der Gugten, Ahsan Malik, Pieter Seelaar.

Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) and Bruce Oxenford (AUS)

TV umpire: Rod Tucker (AUS)

Match referee: David Boon (AUS

Wasim picks Pakistan as among T20 favourites

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain and legendary paceman Wasim Akram Tuesday tipped Pakistan as one of top three favourites to win the World Twenty20 starting in Bangladesh next week.
The fifth edition of the World Twenty20 with 16 teams in competition will be held in from March 16 to April 6.
"For me Pakistan, India and the West Indies are top three favourites as they play this format well and have enough experience at their disposal," Wasim said during a reception here.
India won the inaugural World Twenty20 held in South Africa in 2007 while Pakistan won the second edition held in England two years later.
The West Indies will defend the title they won in Sri Lanka in 2012.
Hosts Bangladesh and Zimbabwe along with six qualifiers will open the first round of the fifth edition of the World Twenty20.
The top two teams from the first round will join the eight seeded teams in the second round which kicks off with a much-awaited India-Pakistan clash in Dhaka on March 21.
Wasim said an Indo-Pak match will be an ideal kick off to the main round.
"What else do you want as an opening match," said Wasim, who will be commentating on the event. "Whenever Pakistan and India play, millions watch the game and there are no favourites in that match."
Wasim said Pakistan must enter the event with a positive frame of mind.
"Pakistan had a very balanced squad and all they need to do is to enter the event with a positive frame of mind," said Wasim, who criticised Pakistan s loss in the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka last week.
Sri Lanka chased down a challenging 261-run target in 46.2 overs with opener Lahiru Thirimanne notching a brilliant 101.
Defending champions Pakistan had posted a tough 260-5 with Fawad Alam hitting a maiden hundred with 114 not out.
This was Sri Lanka s fifth Asia Cup title, equalling India s number of triumphs in the event initiated in 1984.
"I could not sleep for two days as I failed to understand the manner in which we used our bowlers in the final," said Wasim.
"I think in the first place the decision to bat first was not correct because Pakistan had chased well in the matches against India and Bangladesh and then defending a 260-plus total we did not use our bowlers well."