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SHARJAH, April 12: India’s absence from the Sharjah Cup has failed to take the gloss off the tournament which was a big success, a Cricket Benefit Fund Series (CBFS), official said Friday.
“India’s absence is not a worry for us and it is fourth successful event without India,” said CBFS chairman, Abdul Rehman Bukhatir.
India made their last appearance at Sharjah Cup in Oct 2000 and since have not played Pakistan on the instructions of their governments.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been asked by the Indian government not to play Pakistan on home and away basis and even on any other offshore venue.
Critics are of the view that the tournament has lost its charm since after India refused to play in the desert city which is why the contest is being organized without a title sponsor.
“It is not true. There are other reason for not having a title sponsor. We did not want to devalue the tournament by engaging sponsors on unacceptable terms,” the CBFS chief said.
He said the tournament would have been scratched for good if there was no attraction for the followers and the sponsors when India pulled out from the event for the first time.
Bukhatir supported Pakistan Cricket Board’s stance and urged the BCCI to respond positively.
He said the presence of ICC Anti-Corruption Unit had been beneficial for monitoring the activities of the players on and off the field in view of the match-fixing allegations.—APP
LONDON: Cricket chiefs have voted to support a new 20-over competition to replace the Benson and Hedges Cup from the 2003 season, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Thursday.
The ECB’s First Class Forum (FCF), which represents the 18 counties, backed a shortened limited-overs game that will run for an initial minimum of three years.
The new tournament, which will be played in the evenings in June with each match lasting less than three hours, is designed to appeal to a younger audience.
Speaking after Thursday’s meeting, ECB chief executive Tim Lamb said: “This is another very positive development for the future of cricket in this country.
“It’s essential that we reach out and appeal to a new generation of young cricket followers, and this new competition is designed to do exactly that.”
The competition will consist of three regional groups of six teams who will play each other once with the three group winners and the best runner-up going through to a finals’ day at Lord’s, where the two semifinals and the final will take place.
The idea has been opposed by traditional voices within the game who say the format will not help England and the ECB should stick with the one, four and five-day versions of the game.—Reuters
