ICL initiates cricket clinics in Delhi

As part of the ICL’s Youth Connect Program, Madan Lal – the former India all-rounder and current coach of Delhi Jets visited schools in the capital city to help young kids learn the finer nuances of the game. The overwhelming participation by the students across schools reflects the awareness and popularity of the ICL, the Delhi Giants and its players.

With cricket being the most popular sport in the country there is no dearth of talent. Most kids aspire to be cricketers and it becomes imperative to equip them with right knowledge and coaching from an early age. Keeping this is mind, the ICL arranged a seminar with Madan Lal who not only interacted with young enthusiastic kids but also gave them vital tips.

It was a big opportunity for young students to learn from one of the finest all rounders this country has produced. Madan Lal has been a bowling coach at the NCA and has also coached the senior Indian team. Meeting eager kids was also a new experience for the member of the World Cup winning team. The young kids too made most of the opportunity and sought an opinion on the technical aspect of their game. Madan Lal exhibited the correct way to grip the ball, the delivery stance and posture. The Delhi Jets players weren’t left behind and they obliged their young fans who wanted autographs.

ICL has in the past supported and encouraged various youth ventures like inter-college festivals, workshops, seminars with various education institutions and keeping in line the Dehi students competed in various quiz contests.

The following is list of winners from Delhi Public School
Sr. No.	Student Names			Class
1.	Abhinav Bahl		=	VI - A
2.	Jugal Malhotra		=	VI - C
3.	Himanshu Tiwari		=	VI - C
4.	Sarthak Soni		=	VI - D
5.	Rohan Khanna		=	VI - A
Bumper Prize
	Manik Panwar		=	VII - K
The Following is list of Winners from Amity International
Sr. No.	Student Names			Class
1.	Kunal Verma		=	V - Amity Gurgaon
2.	Sanchit Sehgal		=	VIII - Amity East Delhi
3.	Akash Ahuja		=	VIII - Amity East Delhi
4.	Madhav Kaushik		=	V - E - Amity Noida
5.	Dishant Goyal		=	VII - A Amity Gurgaon
Bumper Prize
	Shivank Chaturvedi		=	X-B Amity International , Noida.

Social Responsibility – Top agenda for ICL players

Chandigarh Lions captain and New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns undertakes 1001kms walk for his organization - the Chris Cairns Foundation. Besides, Mumbai Champs support Jai Hind College’s Monsoon Marathon.

The Indian Cricket League (ICL) fraternity has taken up social causes across the globe as a part of their social responsibility. The enormous support that the sport of cricket receives from the general masses makes it an ideal platform to create awareness and promote social causes.

Chris Cairns, Kiwi cricket stalwart and Chandigarh Lions’ captain, has undertaken a 1001kms walk from Auckland to Christchurch in New Zealand. This is in aid of his institute, Chris Cairns Foundation which has the sole objective of promoting rail safety and education in his country. “I really want the Foundation to make a difference with rail safety in New Zealand. Since Louise died over 100 people have lost their lives at road level crossings and I am committed to ensuring that people understand their responsibilities at level crossings and that this number does not continue to grow”, Chris was quoted as saying in his statement.

Indian domestic players too have displayed active interest in using the platform of cricket for promoting social causes in their respective regions. Mumbai Champs exemplified this initiative by participating and supporting Jai Hind College’s Monsoon Marathon; the run was organised in order to create consciousness about global warming.

The ICL have not only pioneered initiatives in the field of cricket but also have guided sportspersons so that they understand their social responsibility.

http://www.indiancricketleague.in/specials/diary/social-responsibility.html

ICL Stars help Sussex win Pro-40 County Championship

16th September, 2008
The ICL player-pool prowess and its contemporary relevance were proved when two of its players Murray Goodwin (Ahmedabad Rockets) & Mohammad Sami (Lahore Badshahs) were involved in a match-winning partnership to help their team, Sussex, win the Pro40 County Championship.

The high-octane match in it climax stage saw Sussex needing 4 runs of the last ball against Nottinghamshire with the stylish Rockets middle-order batsman, Goodwin on strike.

Chasing 226 for victory, Sussex was in all sorts of trouble at 130 for 8 before Mohammad Sami joined Murray Goodwin at the crease. With Nottinghamshire expecting a victory soon, Goodwin and Sami slowly started taking the game away from the opposition.

Once they settled into momentum, the duo practically had everything going in their favor as even Sami, who came as a tail-ender managed to preserve his wicket till the end scoring an unbeaten 32 from 40 deliveries with the help of 2 boundaries.

Murray Goodwin however was in impeccable form as his unbeaten 87 included six boundaries and three huge sixes. Needing four runs from the final delivery to win the match, Goodwin struck a six to take his side home to a well-deserved victory.

Goodwin, who was later awarded the ‘Player of the Match' award for his heroic efforts, admitted that he himself did not expect to win but he kept telling his ICL teammate, Mohammad Sami, to keep hitting the ball hard and into the gaps.

Sussex ended up wining the Pro40 County Championship by 2 wickets thanks to the match-resuscitating, unbeaten, 99-run partnership between the two ICL stars. This innings will hold both players in good stead for the forthcoming ICL season which begins in less than a month's time.

Sami will be seen in action for the Lahore Badshahs, a team which is considered one of the strongest units at the ICL despite not winning a title last year.

Goodwin will feature at the ICL for the Ahmedabad Rockets and his recent form in the county is a stark reminder for all opposition in the ICL that the Ahmedabad Rockets will be one of the dark-horses in the forthcoming ICL season. The challenge from the Rockets is something every ICL team management will take on priority.

It is best exemplified by the legendary player and coach of the Chennai Superstars, Michael Bevan, who in his recent interview to the ICL website, www.indiancricketleague.in, expected the Rockets to provide stiff competition to his side, Chennai Superstars. By the looks of Goodwin's form and confidence, Bevan's prediction may just come true.

Another big move in favor of the Ahmedabad Rockets is the inception of its home ground in the form of the Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad, as the fourth venue in the forthcoming ICL season. If the Hyderabad Heroes' home-court advantage last season was anything to go by, then the Ahmedabad Rockets may just be ‘the side to watch out for' this season.

Champions T20 League final to be held in Mumbai

Mumbai: Lalit Modi, Chairman of the Champions Twenty20 League today announced that the eight-team tournament, to be held from December 3-10, would be played in Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai with the final to be played in Mumbai.
Eight teams, including the reigning winners and runners-up from the domestic Twenty20 competitions in India (Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings), Australia (Western Australia Warriors and Victoria Bushrangers) and South Africa (Titans and Dolphins), besides reigning Twenty20 champions from Pakistan and England Twenty20 Cup winners Middlesex will contest a US$6 million team prize pool in this edition of the tournament. The tournament will be contested by 12 teams in Year Two between September 25 and October 10, 2009.
The eight teams have been divided into two groups of four each and will initially play each other on a league basis. The top two teams will qualify for the semi-finals, with the Winners of Group A facing off against the Runners-Up of Group B and vice versa, in the last four stage.
The winners will then clash in the Grand Finale to be played in Mumbai on December 10.
"In the Champions League Twenty20, I believe we have a concept that will inspire and motivate the future generations of club, state and county cricketers, while accelerating the development of the game globally," said Lalit Modi.

Source: www.mid-day.com

$9 million agreement with Dubai sports city

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistan has signed a three-year, $9 million agreement to play its one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches in Dubai, the country's cricket board said on Thursday. The deal with Dubai sports city comes after failed attempts by Pakistan to convince teams to tour the country after a slew of bombings in recent months. Pakistan had sought new opponents after the postponement of a test tour by Australia and the ICC Champions Trophy, both because of security concerns. "We have signed the deal with Dubai sports city," Shafqat Naghmi, chief operating officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told Reuters. "It gives us option of playing international cricket and also improves our financial health." He said the agreement will feature a tri-series in 2009 after construction of the cricket stadium in the Dubai sports city is completed. Informed sources said the PCB will be paid $1.5 million for each event, as well as a $100,000 appearance fee to each player for every tournament played in the emirate. In 2002, Pakistan played West Indies and Australia at neutral venues after the teams refused to tour the South Asian country in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. The West Indies has been invited to go to Pakistan to play two tests immediately after the two teams finish a one-day series in Dubai from Nov. 12-16. However, Naghmi said its players had also expressed security concerns about touring Pakistan.

Source: www.cricbuzz.com