World Cup Committee Meets With Prime Ministers

The International Cricket Council (ICC) 2015 Cricket World Cup Local Organising Committee has met with the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, and Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, in Melbourne Australia.

To mark the occasion, the Prime Ministers were each presented with a specially produced ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC2015) bat signed by the captains of the Australian and New Zealand cricket teams, Michael Clarke and Ross Taylor.

Chairman of the ICC CWC2015 Local Organising Committee (LOC), James Strong, said the support of both Prime Ministers is critical to the delivery of a successful event on and off the field.

“Today represents a significant milestone for the ICC Cricket World Cup local organising committee. I welcome the support of Prime Minister Gillard and Prime Minister Key and look forward to working with both governments to deliver a successful global marquee sporting event,” Mr Strong said.

“Apart from showcasing the best of international cricket, the ICC 2015 Cricket World Cup provides an enormous opportunity to promote both countries as world-class destinations for business, trade and tourism. The event has a potential viewing audience of 953 million people, with some 800 million of those in Asia alone.

“More importantly, the local organising committee wants to make this event the most fan-friendly event of its kind and will take cricket to a wide-range of communities throughout Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Strong said.

Mr Strong said the ICC CWC2015 will have 14 cricketing countries representing their own nation, but together engaging over one fifth of the world’s population.

Waters Named 2015 World Cup LOC Deputy Chairman

Cricket Australia (CA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) have appointed Ralph Waters as Deputy Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the 2015 World Cup, which Australia and New Zealand will co-host.

New Zealander Waters will act as deputy to Australian James Strong, who was last week named as the Chairman of the LOC.

Waters' extensive business experience includes chairmanship of Fletcher Building Limited and directorship of Woolworths Limited, Fonterra Co-Operative Limited and Westpac New Zealand Building Limited.

"We are delighted to have Ralph as the Deputy Chairman on the ICC CWC 2015 Board," CA CA chairman Jack Clarke said.

"To have attracted a highly credentialed candidate like Ralph gives cricket great confidence that we will deliver one of the great sports events this region has seen. Ralph’s extensive business experience will be a significant asset to us as we welcome the world to Australia and New Zealand in 2015."

NZC Board Chairman, Chris Moller, added: "Ralph Waters has an excellent working knowledge of New Zealand, business and our sporting capability. His combination of executive and non-executive leadership roles within some of Australasia’s leading companies will make him an excellent Deputy Chairman on the Board charged with preparing and delivering a world class event in 2015.

"The Board of New Zealand Cricket is delighted that he has accepted this challenging role."
Commenting on his appointment, Mr Waters said: "As a cricket tragic, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be involved in the organisation of the next World Cup. I played years of low level cricket around Australia and for four years in London too. I have travelled the world to watch the Australian team play. Being involved with cricket - and for the two countries where I now share my time - will be a privilege."

Pakistan squad to be named soon

Pakistan national cricket selection committee has selected the squad for Bangladesh tour but announce it after the approval of PCB Chief Zaka Ashraf, who is presently in Dubai, after his return in couple of days.
No major change has been made in the squad and the selection committee agreed to retain the same squad but did not announce the same and now it will be announced after the end of the third one-day. Ilyas said the selectors had decided to hold back the announcement as they wanted to wait till the end of the ongoing one-day series against Sri Lanka in the UAE.

"Basically we don't want players to be complacent if we announce the touring squad now. There is nothing wrong in waiting a bit and then announcing the squad," Illyas said. Pakistan is due to tour Bangladesh after a gap of nearly 10 years for a Test, three ODIs and a Twenty20 match.

Meanwhile, a source revealed that the selectors were not happy with the pressure being exerted by some governing board members to have players of their region picked in the squad for the Bangladesh tour.
But a well-informed source confirmed that the delay had also occurred because some members of the PCB governing board want inclusion of their regions players, who had performed superbly in the recently-concluded Saarc Under-25 T20 Cup, should be inducted into the side as the series against Bangladesh would not be a tough one.

"For example Shakil Sheikh who is a governing board member from Islamabad and Rawalpindi wants all-rounder Umar Amin and dashing opener Awais Zias inclusion in the squad for the limited-over matches in Bangladesh," the source said. He said similarly Aamir Nawab, who heads the Abbotabad region and represents it on the PCB, wants leg-spinner Yasir Shah in the team.
Awais Zia and Umar Amin performed well in the Saarc tournament that Pakistan won and have also performed well in the domestic cricket recently. Awais Zia had scored two back-to-back centuries and made 350 plus runs in the Saarc tournament and deserve a place in the final playing XI. Orthodox spinner Raza Hassan has also performed well during the tournament and deserved a place in playing XI and be inducted in place of Abdul Rehman who is on the end of his career. Raza inclusion will also prove beneficial for Pakistan in the 2015 World Cup. On the other hand, the min objection of interim chief selector M Ilyas is that the selectors should be allowed to work independently to select the best possible squad, the source added.
Leg-spinner, Yasir Shah went with the senior team to Zimbabwe in September but did not impress in the matches he played. "Ilyas is a straight forward person and is not happy with this interference and is waiting to talk to Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Zaka Ashraf," another source said.

He said the selectors were not in favour of making changes in the squad that was already playing against Sri Lanka. "The feeling is that the Bangladesh series should be used as a springboard to give players confidence for next year's series against England in the UAE," the source said. The Pakistan squad will leave directly from Dubai for Dhaka after completing their series against Sri Lanka next week.

By: Haroon Siddiqui

Games man to head up cricket World Cup

Photo / Craig Sillitoe

A MAJOR events veteran currently at the helm of South Australian cricket is poised to be given primary responsbility for organising the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

John Harnden, best known in Melbourne as chief executive of the organising committee for the 2006 Commonwealth Games, is believed to have won the endorsement of Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket officials to become chief executive of cricket's biggest tournament, to be held in early 2015.

The only appointments made so far to the 2015 World Cup organising committee are a chairman, former Qantas chief executive James Strong, and a deputy chairman, prominent New Zealand businessmen Ralph Waters.

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Following the appointments of Strong and Waters the chief executive's position was formally advertised, with both men charged with having a big influence on selecting who should run the day-to-day operations of the committee.

Strong has been a director of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation for more than a decade, a stint that overlapped with Harnden's tenure as its chief executive from 1999 to 2002.

The yet-to-be-announced appointment is likely to require Harnden, a South Australian, to relocate to Melbourne. The 46-year-old did, however, live in Melbourne for an extended period until his appointment as South Australian Cricket Assocuation chief executive in November 2009, following the acriomonious departure of predecessor Michael Deare.

During Harnden's tenure SACA won approval from its members for the contentious $535 million redevelopment of Adelaide Oval, which will involve a significant increase in capacity in order to host AFL matches from 2014.

Harnden and his skeleton staff are likely to initially work out of the Cricket Australia headquarters in Jolimont but will eventually gain more autonomy and most likely move to new premises as the tournament organising demands increase.

Australia and New Zealand have not hosted the 50-over World Cup since 1992. The event, which will remain with 14 teams despite organisers' preference to cut it 14, will provide a crucial cash injection to both countries' cricket boards.

Championship on backburner due to hectic schedule

INTERNATIONAL Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat has confirmed England will not host the Test Championship in 2013.

The new tournament between the top four ranked Test teams, had been pencilled into a packed international calendar but Lorgat revealed it has been delayed until 2017 at the earliest.

“I am afraid that it is no longer going to happen in 2013,” said Lorgat. “At the last board meeting we decided the first opportunity to play the Test Championship is 2017.
“I am disappointed it is not going to take place sooner but it is a reality of the commitments we have already got through to 2015.”
Lorgat has been an enthusiastic advocate of the introduction of a Test Championship and major venues in England were primed to host the semi-finals.

The intention then was to stage a final at Lord’s, the home of cricket.
After a board meeting last month the governing body admitted that the tournament was on shaky ground due to the apparent reluctance of broadcasters to embrace the idea.
The championship was set to replace the Champions Trophy but the commercial appeal of the 50-over game is set to win out.

After last month’s meeting, the ICC released a statement which read: “It would be unfortunate if the Test Championship is delayed to 2017, but the board needs to balance several objectives.

“The ICC executive board confirmed their preference to host an ICC Test Championship in 2013 but recognised the significant commercial challenge in trying to replace the Champions Trophy.

“Without the support and consent of the ICC’s broadcast partner, ESPN Star Sports, the financial implications on the members and the development of the game would be significant.”

Rahul Dravid’s 36th Test century helped put India in a strong position at stumps on the opening day of the second Test against the West Indies, but Sachin Tendulkar’s quest for his 100th international hundred was again put on hold.

Dravid made 119 while VVS Laxman (73 no) and Gautam Gambhir (65) also made good contributions as India, leading 1-0 in the three-Test series, closed on 346-5 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

It might have been even better for the hosts but they lost Dravid and nightwatchman Ishant Sharma in the last two overs of the day.Dravid’s century was his fourth in his last six Tests, but Tendulkar, the ‘Little Master’, has remained stuck on 99 international centuries since the World Cup in March.His wait to reach his unprecedented milestone continued after he fell for 38 in the afternoon session.

John Harnden

Melbourne, The cricket boards of Australia and New Zealand have appointed experienced sports administrator John Harnden to head up the organization of the 2015 Cricket World Cup.

Harnden currently heads the South Australian Cricket Association and has previously served as chief executive of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and the Australian Grand Prix Corporation.

James Strong, World Cup organizing committee chairman, said Monday that Harnden has built a reputation for delivering large scale, international events “on time, on budget and to world’s best standard.”

Harnden said he is looking forward to starting work on the tournament, hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand. “We will make this a real partnership across the Tasman.”

ICC announced James Strong as Cricket World Cup 2015 Chairman

James Strong

James Strong announced as ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Chairman Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket have announced the appointment of James Strong as Chairman of the Local Organising Committee for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, to be hosted in New Zealand and Australia.

James Strong is the current Chairman of Woolworths Limited, a non-executive Director of Qantas Airways Limited, Chairman of Kathmandu Holdings and the Chairman Australian Council for the Arts.

Mr Strong is also a member of the Board of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, which stages the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and the Australian Motor Cycle Grand Prix. He is a former CEO of Qantas Group and Group Chief Executive of DB Group Limited in New Zealand. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2006.

Mr Strong will lead the Board overseeing the delivery of the 2015 Cricket World Cup, including the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer. The Committee Chairman's appointment was made following an extensive executive search process conducted on behalf of New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia.

Cricket Australia Chairman Jack Clarke was delighted that a candidate of the calibre of James Strong had been successfully appointed to the role.

Mr Clarke said: "Cricket is very fortunate to have attracted James Strong to lead the ICC CWC 2015 Local Organising Committee. James' experience of heading large multi-national enterprises will assist the World Cup to be an event that will attract fans from all over the world. "The event will leave a lasting legacy for cricket in Australia and New Zealand and promote our sport not only in Australia and New Zealand but all around the world," Mr Clarke added.

NZC Board Chairman, Chris Moller, said: "The 2015 Cricket World Cup will be one of the biggest sports and entertainment events to be delivered in New Zealand and Australia. It will require strong and experienced leadership to deliver a successful event on a global stage and we are confident that James Strong has the expertise to provide such leadership," he said.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Strong said: "I am absolutely delighted to be involved in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup to be jointly hosted by New Zealand and Australia. Both countries have a great track record of organising major sporting events, and share a passion for cricket.

"The recent ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup showcased One-day cricket as a fast paced and highly competitive form of a great game. We are working to develop an exciting tournament with matches in both countries, which will capture public imagination here and throughout the cricketing world," Mr Strong added.

The organising committee will comprise the independent Chairman, two representatives from both New Zealand Cricket and Cricket Australia and the potential for up to two additional independent appointees. The appointment of an independent director, who could be the Deputy Chairman, is expected in the near future.