Opinion: ICC new WCQS 5 Div format…

ICC website hasnt been updated yet, but ACC website has the new 5 Div format for WC qualification……. it doesnt change anything until 2008 though, so the 2007 Div III and the 2007 Div II (moved up from 200 are still the same with the same releagation and promotion rules…… Since ACC site has [...]

Opinion: ICC should introduce a development factor for associates…..

At least this would give them something else to work towards except for standard……. and would also discourage countries to pay people to come and play cricket in them just to qualify and represent that country in 4 years………
The development factor (a factor representing the cricketing system of the country) can be done in the following [...]

Opinion: On Namibia

Most of the time on this blog, I have given little attention to Namibia……. this is basically because I was biased against them…… my thinking was that they are another Zimbabwe in the making, because only the whites play the game over there. I wasnt sure whether they were doing anything to take the game [...]

News: Africa WCQS Qualifier round up…..

Tanzania have won the WCQS Div III spot from Africa…… their margin of victories were also comprehensive enough….. 151 runs, 111 runs, 9 wkts and 8 wkts.
there were 2 surprises in this tournament…..
The first was Zambia… the qualifer last time around, and one which on paper had done a lot in terms of playing numbers [...]

Opinion: What is the big deal with expats?

This question keeps on coming up…… in the last one month we have seen UAE dominate ACC Trophy, with Hong Kong getting into the WCQS Div III, and Norway getting into Euro Div I……………. on every occasion people have been posting that it is ok for expat based countries to win these spots ‘because that [...]

Opinion: Lowdown on UAE…..

UAE squad had about 3-4 born and bred players……. but if I look at their performing players in the ACC Trophy, it is still an expat team……
Ali Asad (Expat, from Pakistan)
8-1-18-1 v Saudi Arabia
8-2-23-0 v Malaysia
10-0-24-2 v Nepal
10-3-23-0 v Hong Kong
Mohammed Iqbal
51 v Saudi Arabia
45 v Qatar
Saqib Ali (expat, from Pakistan)
132* v Saudi Arabia
52* v [...]

Opinion: ACC Trophy… little to celebrate….

UAE has thrashed Hong Kong by 5 wickets, needing only 35 overs to wrap up the match…….
Hence, nobody, except for Saudi Arabia in one game, came close to UAE. Saudi Arabia too probably need to be checked by the ACC for their player eligability, I cannot imagine how else a team can improve so drastically [...]

News: Ireland annouce World Cup Squad….

Ireland squad for the 2007 World Cup has been annouced as follows:
DT Johnston, captain (Clontarf)
A Botha (North County)
J Bray (Eglinton)
K Carroll (Railway Union)
P Gillespie (Strabane)
K McCallan, vice-captain (Waringstown)
J Mooney (North County)
P Mooney (North County)
E Morgan (Middlesex)
K O’Brien (Railway Union)
N O’Brien (Kent)
W Porterfield (Rush)
B Rankin (Bready)
D Langford-Smith (Phoenix)
A White (Northants)
I think this squad is pretty much [...]

Opinion: What is Malaysia getting out of Tri series?

This is not a sarcastic or suggestive question…… its just a simple question…..
I know that Abu Dhabi Cricket Association was given a million dollars for the 2 ODIs between India and Pakistan this year…… Is Malaysia Cricket board expecting something like that? Australia and WI are going to be given $1million each for every game [...]

Opinion: On the new ACC Trophy format…

It is a shame that lousy ACC needed a farce like the Myanmar 10 all out match to act….. but at least they have made the right choice……. in Urdu, there is a saying “Dair Aye par Durust Aye” roughly translated to “Better late than never”…..
According to my sources, the ACC is thinking of the [...]