Batting Coach Appointed to Prepare Afghan Team for 2015 World Cup

Afghanistan Batting Coach Appointed for 2015 Cricket World Cup

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced this week the appointment of Andy Moles as a batting coach for the National Team in its preparation for the World Cup 2015.

Moles is a former English first-class cricketer for Warwickshire, England and Griqualand West, South Africa.

Since his retirement as a player, his international coaching career has included positions with Kenya (2003), Scotland (2005), and New Zealand (2008).

“We are pleased to have the services of Andy Moles in our batting preparations for the World Cup,” Dr Noor Mohammad Murad, CEO of the ACB said when announcing the appointment. “He has a broad experience in international cricket both as a player and a coach and he will bring the benefits of this experience to our national players.

Moles was a gritty and determined, right-handed opening batsman. He played from 1986 until his retirement in 1997 for Warwickshire, where he scored 13,316 runs at an average of 38.59.

During the late 1980s he also played domestic cricket in South Africa for Griqualand West and in three seasons managed 1,989 runs and his average was a good 64.16.

Moles will arrive in Kabul this week to undertake a batting coaching programme with the national team.

Source: Khaama.com

Safir Tours Promotes ICC World Cup 2015 Tour Packages in India

Safir Tours Pty. Ltd., a Melbourne-based DMC and inbound tour operator is promoting packages for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, in the Indian market.

Nayaz Noor, CEO, Safir Tours, said, “We are promoting tour packages in India, mainly around two important matches: India vs. Pakistan (February 15 at Adelaide) and India vs. South Africa (February 22 at Melbourne). These teams are more popular with the South Asian Sub-Continent visitors and we have designed the itineraries accordingly.”

Safir Tours is offering a three-night Adelaide package for FITs, which includes stay in a five-star hotel with a round trip, airport transfers and full-day tour to the popular wine producing Barossa Valley, on twin sharing basis costing AUD 775.00 per person.

The combination of Adelaide and Melbourne is a six-night package costing AUD 1365.00 per person on twin sharing basis. For cricket enthusiasts, ad hoc packages would also be available for later matches. The match tickets are not included in the tour package and can be purchased online or from the authorised ICC agents in India.

Noor added, “The six-night package gives the traveller three days free time between the matches to visit Sydney, Gold Coast, Cairns or Tasmania, or with a combination of these, the traveller has an option to extend the tour. Extensions can also be made within South Australia to visit Port Lincoln for Shark Cage Diving, etc.”

Also, Safir Tours has designed packages for the semi finals and final matches, which can be customised to suit the traveller. Noor said, “We have sold a few packages and a group of 35 persons is already booked with us for the semi final matches. Our main focus is on the Indian market and we are aggressively promoting these packages through our network of travel agents and also on social media. We will also be participating in the Jaipur edition of the India Travel Mission organised by Tourism Australia in August where we will aim at getting maximum bookings.”

Source: TravelBizMonitor.com

UAE, Scotland Reached to ICC World Cup 2015

Christchurch: Aqib Javed, Paul Collingwood and Craig Wright are well known names in international cricket who have added an extra achievement to their names after steering their sides to the ICC World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.

The three coaches were at the helm as Scotland and the United Arab Emirates reached the final of the World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand Saturday, sealing the last two berths for the World Cup. An unbeaten century from captain and Man of the Tournament Preston Mommsen saw Scotland defeat the UAE by 41 runs in the final.

Scotland coaches Collingwood and Wright were thrilled with the result.

"I think the players have done a fantastic job and shown real level of consistency of performance, winning seven games in a row after a disappointing result in the first match. They recovered really well from that and pretty much every game after that was a must-win, so we are absolutely delighted," said Wright, who captained Scotland in the 2007 World Cup.

Collingwood, who represented England in three World Cups (2003, 2007 and 2011) and led England to the World Twenty20 title in 2010, agreed this kind of a tournament puts a lot of pressure on players.

"To actually know what it means to an associate team to get to the World Cup through this qualifying tournament, there`s a high amount of pressure there. For them to play under that pressure and go out there and perform, I think that puts you in really good stead for the future," said Collingwood, who played 68 Tests, 197 one-days and 35 T20Is from 2001 to 2011.

"These guys do have the skills. They`ve certainly got that with the batting, the fielding is exceptional, there might be some areas that we`ve got to work on with the bowling but it is amazing how powerful it can be if all the players go into a tournament very confident about their own games, knowing their strengths."

UAE coach Aqib was a member of the Pakistan side that won the 1992 World Cup and also played in the 1996 edition, besides featuring in 22 Tests and 163 one-days 1989-1998. He said that the team will be ready for the challenge of competing against the best.

“Twelve months is a long time. We can make huge progress. I’m excited because they will play against Pakistan and India. They’ll be very excited playing against the players that they’ve always admired. I think by the time 2015 comes, you’ll see huge progress in UAE cricket,” said the Pakistani.

“I’ve played the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. This experience has definitely helped the team already and it will help in their progress to the World Cup. I know the nature of the different venues from Melbourne to Perth.”

Source: ZeeNews

Last chance to book berth at World Cup 2015

Five years worth of fluctuating fortunes in the World Cricket League Championship culminates in the 2014 ICC World Cup Qualifier, beginning in New Zealand on Monday. Teams as low as Division Seven of the ICC's 50-over round-robin tournament structure had the chance to climb the Associate and Affiliate ladder to get within striking distance of a spot at the 2015 ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Two Associate berths remain available for next year's event after Ireland and Afghanistan snatched a pair of places by virtue of finishing first and second in the ICC World Cricket League. The bottom six teams in the WCL Championship are joined in New Zealand by the third and fourth place teams from WCL Division Two in 2011 - Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong - as well as the first and second place teams from last year's ICC WCL Division Three, Nepal and Uganda.

The 10 teams are split into two groups of five for the initial phase of round-robin play after which the top three from each group will advance to the Super Six stage and remain in the hunt for a World Cup berth. Points gained from the group stage against fellow Super Six participants will carry over while the three teams in Group A will each play three crossover games with the three that advance from Group B. The top two teams after the Super Six stage will advance to the final and gain entry to next year's World Cup.

Group-A: UAE, Scotland, Canada, Hong Kong, Nepal
Group-B: Netherlands, Kenya, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Uganda

Source: espncricinfo.com

ICC Announces Travel-Ticket Packages for 2015 Cricket World Cup

The Cricket World Cup 2015 will feature 49 matches in 44 days across 14 host cities.

The International Cricket Council has announced the details of the travel packages and ticket prices of the Cricket World Cup 2015.

According to Sport24, Australia and New Zealand will jointly host the event, which will run from February 14 to March 29, 2015.

The Cricket World Cup 2015 will feature 49 matches in 44 days across 14 host cities, the report said.

The opening match of the tournament will be played in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the final will be played in Melbourne, Australia, the report added.

The individual tickets will go on sale from February 14, 2014, exactly a year before the first ball is bowled in the ICC's flagship event, but fans can register their interest for tickets that will be available for pre-sale at www.cricketworldcup.com, the report further said.

Source: DNA

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Tickets to Go on Sale Next Year

Dubai: The tickets for the 2015 cricket World Cup, to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand, will go on sale from February 14 next year and more than two third of them have been priced at USD 50 or less.

The organisers are expecting more than a million people to attend matches and more than a billion to watch on television.

"Children's tickets are available for every match in the tournament including the Final. All children's tickets for the pools stage are USD 5. Prices for adults start from just USD 20, meaning that a family of four can attend this once in a generation event from just USD 50," the ICC said in a statement.

"Tickets go on general sale from February 14 next year, but fans who want a chance to buy before then can register at www.cricketworldcup.com to have access to a pre-sale. Travel packages for the tournament, which runs from 14 February to 29 March 2015, are on sale from today at www.icctravel.net."

John Harnden, Chief Executive of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, said he wants as many people as possible to experience the event.

"Australia and New Zealand last hosted the tournament in 1992 and since then it has become one of the biggest sporting events in the world," Harnden said.

"We've made sure the event is affordable with more than two thirds of all tickets USD 50 or under. This is a great opportunity to see the world's best cricketers right here in our own backyard.

"Fans can buy any combination of tickets and have the flexibility to build their own World Cup experience," he added.

The World Cup will feature 49 matches in 44 days across 14 Host Cities throughout. The opening match of the tournament will be played in Christchurch and the final will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"We expect high demand for tickets and we're operating on a first come first served basis. Fans are encouraged to register early so they can get the seats they want," Harnden said.

Source: Sports.ndtv.com

ICC World Cup 2015 Schedule with Match Time Table

Pool-A Teams:
 
England, Australia (co-host), Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand (co-host), Qualifier 2 (TBD*), Qualifier 3 (TBD*)
 
Pool-B Teams:
 
South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Qualifier 1 (Ireland), Qualifier 4 (TBD*)
 
[*TBD - To Be Decided]

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Schedule:

S.No.	DATE	DAY	MATCH	POOL	VENUE
1	14-Feb	Saturday	Sri Lanka vs New Zealand	A	Hagley Oval, Christchurch
2	14-Feb	Saturday	England vs Australia	A	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
3	15-Feb	Sunday	South Africa vs Zimbabwe	B	Seddon Park, Hamilton
4	15-Feb	Sunday	India vs Pakistan	B	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
5	16-Feb	Monday	West Indies vs Ireland	B	Saxton Oval, Nelson
6	17-Feb	Tuesday	New Zealand vs Qualifier 3	A	University Oval, Dunedin
7	18-Feb	Wednesday	Bangladesh vs Qualifier 2	A	Manuka Oval, Canberra
8	19-Feb	Thursday	Zimbabwe vs Qualifier 4	B	Saxton Oval, Nelson
9	20-Feb	Friday	England vs New Zealand	A	Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
10	21-Feb	Saturday	Pakistan vs West Indies	B	Hagley Oval, Christchurch
11	21-Feb	Saturday	Australia vs Bangladesh	A	The Gabba, Brisbane
12	22-Feb	Sunday	Sri Lanka vs Qualifier 2	A	University Oval, Dunedin
13	22-Feb	Sunday	South Africa vs India	B	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
14	23-Feb	Monday	England vs Qualifier 3	A	Hagley Oval, Christchurch
15	24-Feb	Tuesday	West Indies vs Zimbabwe	B	Manuka Oval, Canberra
16	25-Feb	Wednesday	Ireland vs Quallifier 4	B	The Gabba, Brisbane
17	26-Feb	Thursday	Qualifier 2 vs Qualifier 3	A	University Oval, Dunedin
18	26-Feb	Thursday	Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh	A	Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
19	27-Feb	Friday	South Africa vs West Indies	B	Sydney Cricket Ground
20	28-Feb	Saturday	Australia vs New Zealand	A	Eden Park, Auckland
21	28-Feb	Saturday	India vs Qualifier 4	B	WACA, Perth
22	1-Mar	Sunday	England vs Sri Lanka	A	Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
23	1-Mar	Sunday	Pakistan vs Zimbabwe	B	The Gabba, Brisbane
24	3-Mar	Tuesday	South Africa vs Ireland	B	Manuka Oval, Canberra
25	4-Mar	Wednesday	Pakistan vs Qualifier 4	B	McLean Park, Napier
26	4-Mar	Wednesday	Australia vs Qualifier 2	A	WACA, Perth
27	5-Mar	Thursday	Bangladesh vs Qualifier 3	A	Saxton Oval, Nelson
28	6-Mar	Friday	India vs West Indies	B	WACA, Perth
29	7-Mar	Saturday	South Africa vs Pakistan	B	Eden Park, Auckland
30	7-Mar	Saturday	Zimbabwe vs Ireland	B	Bellerive Oval, Hobart
31	8-Mar	Sunday	New Zealand vs Qualifier 2	A	McLean Park, Napier
32	8-Mar	Sunday	Australia vs Sri Lanka	A	Sydney Cricket Ground
33	9-Mar	Monday	England vs Bangladesh	A	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
34	10-Mar	Tuesday	India vs Ireland	B	Seddon Park, Hamilton
35	11-Mar	Wednesday	Sri lanka vs Qualifier 3	A	Bellerive Oval, Hobart
36	12-Mar	Thursday	South Africa vs Qualifier 4	B	Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
37	13-Mar	Friday	Bangladesh vs New Zealand	A	Seddon Park, Hamilton
38	13-Mar	Friday	England vs Qualifier 2	A	Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
39	14-Mar	Saturday	India vs Zimbabwe	B	Eden Park, Auckland
40	14-Mar	Saturday	Australia vs Qualifier 3	A	Bellerive Oval, Hobart
41	15-Mar	Sunday	West Indies vs Qualifier 4	B	McLean Park, Napier
42	15-Mar	Sunday	Pakistan vs Ireland	B	Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
	Quarter-Finals
43	18-Mar	Wednesday	QF1		Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
44	19-Mar	Thursday	QF2		Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
45	20-Mar	Friday	QF3		Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
46	21-Mar	Saturday	QF4		Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington
	Semi-finals
47	24-Mar	Tuesday	SF1		Eden Park, Auckland
48	26-Mar	Thursday	SF 2		Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
	Final
49	29-Mar	Sunday	Final		Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne