Mustafiz leaves for IPL

Bangladesh speedster Mustafizur Rahman on Tuesday flew off to India to play in the Indian Premiere League for franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“I am not at all edgy. I am going to play for IPL for the first time in my life. I hope everyone will put me in their prayers. I hope they will pray for Shakib as well,” said Mustafiz prior to his departure.

But he regrets that he and Shakib Al Hasan will not be in the same team. “It would have been great if I could play in Shakib’s team,” he said. Sunrisers Hyderabad hired Mustafiz, who had the best bowling figure in the just-concluded World T20, for Rs 1,40,00,000.

ICC names teams of World T20

The ICC on Monday announced the teams of the tournament for the men’s and women’s ICC World Twenty20 2016, which finished at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.

A story published on the cricket body's website read, "The teams were chosen by a select group of former cricket stars and highly respected commentators who were given the task of picking a balanced side for all conditions on the basis of performances in the tournament. Statistics were used but were not the sole basis for selections."

The men’s team, including 12th man, contained four players from England, two players each from India and the West Indies, and one each from Australia, Bangladesh, New Zealand and South Africa, while the women’s team comprised four players from New Zealand, two players each from Australia, England and the West Indies, and one player each from Pakistan and South Africa.

The experts chose India’s Virat Kohli as captain of the men’s side while Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies was named to lead the women’s line-up.
Both teams include the respective players of the tournament, Virat Kohli of India and Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies. The two players, for their achievements, won glittering trophies as well as ICC World Twenty20 Gold limited edition watches from ICC Timing Partner, Hublot.

Men's Team (as per batting order): Jason Roy (England), Quinton de Kock (South Africa / wicketkeeper), Virat Kohli (India / captain), Joe Root (England), Jos Buttler (England), Shane Watson (Australia), Andre Russell (West Indies), Mitchell Santner (New Zealand), David Willey (England), Samuel Badree (West Indies) and Ashish Nehra (India). 12th Man: Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)

Women's Team (as per batting order): Suzie Bates (New Zealand), Charlotte Edwards (England), Meg Lanning (Australia), Stafanie Taylor (West Indies / captain), Sophie Devine (New Zealand), Rachel Priest (New Zealand / wicketkeeper), Deandra Dottin (West Indies), Megan Schutt (Australia), Sune Luus (South Africa), Leigh Kasperek (New Zealand) and Anya Shrubsole (England). 12th Player: Anam Amin (Pakistan)

Announcing the squads, ICC general manager cricket Geoff Allardice who chaired the meeting, said, “The experts had an extremely difficult task to select the men’s and women’s squads from around 400 cricketers who represented the 26 teams, thanks to outstanding performances by all the players at this hugely successful event.

“In the end, I believe the selectors have chosen two very well balanced sides which are capable of beating any opposition under any conditions.”

The selection panel, led by Geoff Allardice, also consisted of Ian Bishop (former West Indies fast bowler), Nasser Hussain (former England captain), Mel Jones (former Australia women’s batter), Sanjay Manjrekar (former India batsman) and Lisa Sthalekar (former Australia women’s all-rounder).

Aussies to play first Lankan Test tour in 5-year

Australia on Wednesday announced their first Test tour of Sri Lanka in five years, with the world’s number one team embarking on a two-month series from July.

Steve Smith’s side will play three Tests-in Kandy, Galle and Colombo-along with five one-day internationals and two Twenty20s, Cricket Australia said on its website, with the team departing on July 11.

Only three members of Australia’s most recent Test side-Nathan Lyon, Peter Siddle and Usman Khawaja-have experienced the five-day game in Sri Lanka, when Michael Clarke’s team won their last series 1-0 in 2011.

Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka:
July 26-30 - 1st Test, Kandy
August 4-8 - 2nd Test, Galle
August 13-17 - 3rd Test, Colombo
August 21 - 1st ODI, Colombo
August 24 - 2nd ODI, Colombo
August 28 - 3rd ODI, Dambulla
August 31 - 4th ODI, Dambulla
September 4 - 5th ODI, Kandy,
September 6 - 1st T20, Kandy
September 9 - 2nd T20, Colombo

Kiwi Radio jockeys suspended over Stokes prank

A pair of New Zealand radio presenters were suspended Wednesday for broadcasting a heated conversation with England all-rounder Ben Stokes’ mother without her knowledge.

Radio Hauraki shock jocks Jeremy Wells and Matt Heath had been mocking Kiwi-born Stokes’ role in England’s loss to the West Indies in the World Twenty20 final on Sunday before the on-air incident.

Stokes, who moved from Christchurch to England as a child, conceded four consecutive sixes in the final over to give the Windies victory, making him a target for some New Zeal

His mother Deborah called the radio station to take issue with her son’s treatment and found herself talking to Heath, unaware she was on air.

She subsequently realised she had been broadcast live and complained to station owner NZME, resulting in Heath and Wells being suspended for a day.

“Matt and Jeremy are famous for identifying where the line is and then ignoring it,” NZME group program director Mike McClung said in a statement.

anders.

“However putting Ben’s mum to air without her knowledge, albeit defending her son, was obviously well over that line. They’ve been suitably reprimanded, and are off-air tomorrow.”

Stokes moved to England so his father Gerard, a former rugby league international, could take a coaching role.
Both his parents have since moved back to Christchurch.

Windies name cricket stadium after Sammy

Darren Sammy’s success in captaining the West Indies to the World Twenty20 title has been recognised by his native St Lucia after it was announced that the island’s main cricket ground would be renamed in his honour.

The Beausejour Cricket Ground will now be known as the Darren Sammy National Cricket Ground, with one of the stands to be named in honour of fellow St Lucian and Twenty20 winner Johnson Charles.

According to the West Indies Cricket Board, the announcement was made by the Prime Minister of St Lucia, Kenny D. Anthony, at a “welcome reception” on the island on Tuesday.

“The West Indies Cricket Board would like to congratulate West Indies captain, Darren Sammy and opener, Johnson Charles for the honour their home country St Lucia has bestowed on them,” the WICB added in a statement, issued from their St John’s, Antigua, headquarters.

Sunday’s victory over England, in a thrilling Kolkata final where Carlos Brathwaite hit four successive sixes in the last over, meant the West Indies became the first team to win the World Twenty20 title twice.

Sammy, 32, was also the West Indies’ captain when they beat then hosts Sri Lanka in the 2012 final in Colombo.
But immediately after the team’s latest triumph at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens ground, the all-rounder slammed the WICB for a “disappointing” lack of support, saying the team felt “disrespected” by their own officials.

Sammy’s comments came on the back of a bitter pay dispute that has dogged West Indies cricket for several years.
Dave Cameron, the WICB president, responded by calling Sammy’s remarks “inappropriate”.

However, Cameron added the board would meet players after the end of the Indian Premier League (IPL) next month to persuade them to play for the West Indies, rather than opt for lucrative franchise Twenty20 leagues.

“We want to see how we can find common ground in ensuring that the best players in the region are available for selection for West Indies teams,” Cameron said.

A pay dispute two years ago led to the team flying home in the middle of a tour of India and the players only reluctantly agreed to sign contracts for the World Twenty20 a few weeks before the tournament began.