(ICC) – Page 177 – Newswire Pakistan

September 9, 2021

Botswana, Cameroon and Eswatini to compete in their first ICC Women’s event

Dubai, September 09, 2021 (PPI-OT):Botswana, Cameroon and Eswatini will compete in an ICC women’s event for the very first time this week, as the Africa Qualifier to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 begins.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier supported by Dream 11 is two steps away from the World Cup on the road to South Africa 2023. Hosts Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe will comprise group A, whilst Cameroon, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Uganda will form group B in the 11-team tournament to be played in Gaborone from 9 to 19 September.

The top two teams from each group will play in the semi-finals, before the two finalists compete for the lone qualification spot to the Global Qualifier 2022, on 19 September. The event also provides the opportunity for teams to move up the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings with Zimbabwe (12th) the highest ranked out of all participating teams, and Uganda (18th) and Tanzania (19th) also featuring in the top 20.

On the back of the successful live streaming of the European Women’s Qualifier, there is now another opportunity to catch live women’s cricket. For the Africa Qualifier, the live streaming arrangement between IMG Arena and ICC will be produced by CricClubs, with each match available to view live on FanCode in the Indian sub-continent and on ICC.tv in the rest of the world.

In all, there will be 29 Women’s T20 Internationals streamed across the event. Highlights and the very best in-play moments will be shared on ICC’s digital assets, providing additional exposure to the event, giving fans an opportunity to watch the action on-demand.

Botswana captain Laura Mophakedi said: “It is a great privilege for us as Botswana to be participating in the Africa Qualifier to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 for the first time and to also be hosting in these difficult times. We have been working towards the tournament covering all aspects of the game and improving from the playing experience we recently had in Rwanda. We are expecting a very competitive tournament and we are up for the challenge especially with home ground advantage. I will also take this opportunity to wish all the other teams participating all the best.”

Cameroon captain Michele Solange Ekani Ngono said: “Given that this is the first time that we are participating in this tournament, it is a great opportunity and opens doors for my team and our country. We have been playing cricket for a few years in Cameroon and the event provides a great platform where we can showcase our talent. We will make use of this opportunity given to us to make our country proud.”

Due to a player in the Cameroon team receiving a positive result from an arrival COVID-19 test, the whole squad has been placed in isolation until Saturday and will then re-test. The ICC has developed and implemented robust biosafety protocols, consistent with international best practice, that safeguard the wellbeing of all participants, spectators and host nation communities during an ICC event, the individuals currently affected are being provided the best possible medical support.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier revised fixtures are:

9 September – Rwanda v Mozambique (BCA 1, 09:15); Uganda v Namibia (BCA 2, 09:30); Eswatini v Botswana (BCA 1, 14:15); Sierra Leone v Nigeria (BCA 2, 14:30)

10 September – Zimbabwe v Tanzania (BCA 1, 09:15); Botswana v Mozambique (BCA 1, 14:15); Namibia v Nigeria (BCA 2, 14:30)

11 September – Zimbabwe v Eswatini (BCA 1, 09:15); Mozambique v Tanzania (BCA 1, 14:15); Nigeria v Uganda (BCA 2, 14:30)

12 September – Eswatini v Rwanda (BCA 1, 09:15); Cameroon v Uganda (BCA 2, 09:30); Botswana v Zimbabwe (BCA 2, 14:30)

13 September – Tanzania v Rwanda (BCA 1, 09:15); Namibia v Sierra Leone (BCA 2, 09:30) Zimbabwe v Mozambique (BCA 1, 14:15); Nigeria v Cameroon (BCA 2, 14:30)

14 September – Eswatini v Tanzania (BCA 1, 09:15); Uganda v Sierra Leone (BCA 2, 09:30) Botswana v Rwanda (BCA 1, 14:15); Cameroon v Namibia (BCA 2, 14:30)

15 September – Sierra Leone v Cameroon (BCA 2, 14:30);

16 September – Mozambique v Eswatini (BCA 1, 09:15); Rwanda v Zimbabwe (BCA 2, 09:30); Tanzania v Botswana (BCA 1, 14:15);

17 September – A1 vs B2 (BCA 1, 09:15) B1 vs A2 (BCA 2: 14:15)

18 September – Rest/Reserve Day

19 September – 3rd/4th place playoff (BCA 1, 09:30); Final (BCA 2: 14:15)

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

September 8, 2021

Pope and Thakur gain in MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings

Dubai, September 08, 2021 (PPI-OT):England batter Ollie Pope and India all-rounder Shardul Thakur have made notable gains in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after fine performances in the fourth Test of their ICC World Test Championship series played at The Oval.

Pope’s first innings knock of 82 has helped him advance nine slots to 49th position among batters while Thakur’s two half-centuries have lifted him a good 59 places to 79th position. Thakur has also moved up seven places to 49th in the bowlers’ list after finishing with three wickets in the match.

India opener Rohit Sharma remains fifth but his match-winning 127 in the second innings sees him increase the lead over captain Virat Kohli from seven to 30 rating points while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah is up from 10th to ninth after finishing with two wickets in each innings of the match.

England all-rounder Chris Woakes is another one to progress in the latest weekly update, gaining seven places to reach 87th among batters and three places to 23rd among bowlers after finishing with seven wickets at The Oval. Ollie Robinson’s five wickets have lifted him three places to 33rd.

In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, South Africa opener Janneman Malan has moved up 31 places to 34th after scoring 162 runs in the three-match ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series that Sri Lanka won 2-1.

Aiden Markram (up six places to 69th) and Heinrich Klaasen (up seven places to 70th) are the others from the team to progress among batters. Left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi, who is the top-ranked bowler in T20Is, has moved up nine places to 28th among bowlers.

Sri Lanka’s Avishka Fernando is up 11 places to 41st while Kariyawasa Asalanka’s series topping 196 runs see him shoot up 122 places to 66th position. Wanindu Hasaranga is up three places to 32nd among bowlers.

In the In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, Paul Stirling has gained nine slots to reach 14th place after scoring 234 runs in the five-match series against Zimbabwe, which they won at home. Craig Ervine is another batter to move up the batting rankings, from 128th to 85th.

For Bangladesh, spin bowlers Shakib Al Hassan and Mehedi Hasan, who have four wickets each in the first three matches of their ongoing five-match home series against New Zealand, have also progressed. Shakib has gone up from 12th to ninth and Mehedi from 91st to 24th.

September 7, 2021

Shabbir banned for four years under ICC Anti-Corruption Code

Dubai, September 07, 2021 (PPI-OT):Wicketkeeper-batter Ghulam Shabbir of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been banned from all cricket for four years after admitting breaching six counts of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code.

Mr Ghulam admitted to being in breach of the following provisions under the Code:

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of attempted approaches to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the series against Nepal in January/February 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.4 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of approaches or invitations to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the series against Zimbabwe in April 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.5 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of an approach received by a teammate to engage in corrupt conduct in relation to the series against Zimbabwe in April 2019.

Breach of Article 2.4.5 – failing to disclose to the ACU full details of facts and/or incidents that he was aware of which may have evidenced corrupt conduct by other Participants.

Breach of Article 2.4.6 – failing to cooperate with the ACU’s investigation by failing to surrender all his mobile devices upon request and failing to produce documentation requested by the ACU.

Breach of Article 2.4.7 – obstructing the ACU’s investigation by concealing information that may have been relevant to the investigation.

As a result of the admissions, he has accepted a sanction of a four-year period of ineligibility which ends at midnight on 20 August 2025.

Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit, said: “Shabbir played 40 matches for the UAE and was expected to understand his responsibilities as an international cricketer. He also attended at least three anti-corruption education sessions in which players were reminded of their obligations to report any approaches by corrupters.

“It was disappointing to note that he did not report any of the approaches. Although he was cooperative when interviewed and expressed remorse, it is only appropriate that he be banned so that a strong message goes out to other players and potential corrupters.”

The agreed sanction decision (which has been redacted to protect the identities of the ICC’s witnesses and other third parties) is available here:

https://www.icc-cricket.com/about/integrity/anti-corruption/acu-publications

September 7, 2021

Devine and Sciver share the top spot in MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings

Dubai, September 07, 2021 (PPI-OT):New Zealand captain Sophie Devine’s Player of the Match effort of 50 and two for 28 in the second match against England has lifted her back to the top of the all-rounders’ list, at par with England’s Natalie Sciver, in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings.

Devine was number one among all-rounders for well over a year after first seizing that position in February 2020 and is now ranked joint-first along with Sciver at 371 rating points, while also progressing in the other two tables in the weekly update, carried out on Tuesdays.

The 32-year-old, who had a record six consecutive scores of 50 or more in the format early last year when she had reached a career-best second place among batters, is now fifth in that list after moving up one slot. In the bowlers’ rankings, she is up four places to 30th.

Other New Zealand players to progress in the rankings include Amy Satterthwaite (up two places to 26th) and Maddy Green (up eight places to 65th) among batters, and off-spinner Leigh Kasperek (up one place to 22nd) and medium pacer Hayley Jensen (up eight places to 52nd) among bowlers.

England’s Tammy Beaumont, who struck a match-winning 97 in the first match against New Zealand, has advanced four places to reach 16th position among batters in the latest update, which also includes performances from the three-match series between the West Indies and South Africa in Antigua that ended 1-1.

South Africa opener Lizelle Lee’s series-topping 114 runs see her gain three slots to reach eighth position while her compatriot Laura Wolvaardt has advanced four places to 20th position after aggregating 71 runs. Tazmin Brits is another one to move up the list for batters, up eight places to 36th, while seam bowler Ayabonga Khaka is now 25th in the bowlers’ list.

The West Indies players to gain in the latest update include Chedean Nation, who is up two places to 54th among batters and the bowling pair of Hayley Mathews (up seven places to 14th) and Anisa Mohammed (up six places to 37th).

September 6, 2021

ICC Player of the Month nominations for August announced

Dubai, September 06, 2021 (PPI-OT):The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the August nominees for the ICC Player of the Month awards, instituted in January this year to recognise the best international performances across formats for male and female cricketers.

The nominees for the monthly men’s awards this time are, Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi, India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Joe Root from England while Thailand’s Nattaya Boochatham, Gaby Lewis and Eimer Richardson from Ireland feature in the women’s shortlist.

An independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world can now vote to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered on icc-cricket.com/awards are invited to cast their votes for their favourite ICC player of the month for August in both categories.

ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August:

Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)

Shaheen Afridi who played two Tests against the West Indies last month was exceptional with the ball in both the games and secured the best bowling figures by a Pakistan fast bowler since 2006. In the first game against the West Indies, Shaheen took eight wickets, before completing a ten-wicket match haul to bowl Pakistan to a series-levelling 109-run victory over the West Indies in the second Test. 21-year-old Shaheen also became the fourth youngest fast bowler from Pakistan to this feat which features his compatriots, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Mohammad Zahid.

Jaspreet Bumrah (India)

Indian pacer Bumrah played three Tests against England as part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series last month where he took nine wickets in the first Test and contributed brilliantly with the bat in his match winning partnership of an unbeaten 89 with Mohammed Shami which kept the opposition waiting for a breakthrough and helped bring India victory in the second Test at the Lords.

Joe Root (England)

England captain Joe Root also played three Tests against India last month where he scored centuries in each and reclaimed the number one spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. Root’s sublime form in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series against India has helped him reclaim the top spot for batters after nearly six years.

ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August:

Nattaya Boochatham (Thailand)

Vital contributions with both ball and bat in the series against Zimbabwe last month helped Thailand’s Nattaya Boochatham achieve a career-best position across the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player rankings for batters, bowlers, and all-rounders last month. Boochatham played a starring role in Thailand’s 2-1 triumph over Zimbabwe, winning the Player of the Match award in both their wins.

Gaby Lewis (Ireland)

Gaby Lewis became the first Irish woman to score a century in T20I cricket as Ireland registered a 164-run win over Germany in the opening game of the Europe Qualifiers of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup supported by Dream 11. Lewis struck 11 fours and three sixes in a remarkable 60-ball unbeaten innings of 105.

Eimear Richardson (Ireland)

Eimear Richardson was the Player of the Tournament in Europe Qualifiers of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for her contributions with bat and ball. In the four T20Is she played against Germany, Scotland, France and Netherlands, Richardson took 7 wickets at an economy rate of 4.19 and scored a total of 76 runs.

The voting process:

The three nominees for either category is shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month. The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters, and members of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 percent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 percent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC’s digital channels.

ICC Voting Academy for ICC Player of the Month August 2021*:

Afghanistan: Hameed Qayoomi and Javed Hamim; Australia: Melinda Farrell and Lisa Sthalekar; Bangladesh: Tarek Mahmoud and Mohammad Isam’ England: Elizabeth Ammon and Claire Taylor; Ireland: Ian Callender and Isobel Joyce; India: Rica Roy and Irfan Pathan New Zealand: Mark Geenty and John Wright; Pakistan: Faizan Lakhani and Ramiz Raja; South Africa: Firdose Moonda and Makhaya Ntini; Sri Lanka: Neville Victor Anthony and Russel Arnold; West Indies: Desmond Haynes and Merissa Aguilleira; Zimbabwe: Tristan Holme and Mpumelelo Mbangwa; Others: Paul Radley and Dirk Nannes.

September 5, 2021September 6, 2021

Rahul fined for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

Dubai, September 05, 2021 (PPI-OT):India opener KL Rahul has been fined 15 percent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third day of the fourth Test against England at The Oval.

Rahul was found to have breached Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match.”

In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Rahul, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

The incident occurred in the 34th over of India’s second innings on Saturday, when Rahul showed dissent on being adjudged caught behind the wicket following a DRS review.

Rahul admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Chris Broad of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees and ratified by the ICC Cricket Operations department as per the COVID-19 interim playing regulations. There was no need for a formal hearing.

On-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf, third umpire Michael Gough and fourth official Mike Burns levelled the charges.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.