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Mid East Info
15-03-2025
- Sport
- Mid East Info
DP World ILT20 to sponsor Ramadan cricket tournament in Dubai - Middle East Business News and Information
Staying true to their commitment to develop and support UAE cricket, particularly at the grassroots, DP World ILT20 will sponsor the Ramadan cricket tournament to be held at the ICC Academy Oval 1 and 2 in Dubai from 13 March to 3 April 2025 . The 22-day tournament will feature 10 domestic teams including the Dubai Cricket Council Starlets, Karwan Cricket Club, Emirates Fly Better, Seven District, Prospero Properties, Dubai Dare Devils, Consolidate Shipping Service, Z Games, Lexington Shot Guns, and GHK Properties, with over 200 players vying for the top prize. Each team will play nine single round-robin league games followed by semi-finals and the final. The tournament will be live streamed on both YouTube and Facebook. Speaking about lending their support for the event David White, CEO of DP World ILT20 said, 'It is DP World ILT20's endeavour to support and nurture local talent in UAE. With 220 players turning up for the Ramadan cricket tournament, it's a great opportunity to see and encourage emerging talent. We stay true to our commitment of developing cricket at the grassroots and I wish all the players the very best.' The DP World ILT20 season 3 recently concluded with Dubai Capitals emerging as the new champions. While the league has been a global success, the DP World ILT20 amongst its many initiatives, continues to support domestic cricket at the grassroots level to help in the growth and development of the emerging local talent.
Gulf Today
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Gambhir lambasts one-venue critics, Shami admits it as an advantage
Indian coach Gautam Gambhir lambasted the critics over the unfair advantage remark of playing their matches at the same venue in the ongoing Champion Trophy. India defeated Australia by four wickets in the semi-final to notch up their fourth straight win in the tournament in Dubai. India are playing all their matches in Dubai as they refused to travel to Pakistan because of political tension between the two countries. Whereas the other teams are juggling between Pakistan and India to play their matches. Even the host nation Pakistan had to come to Dubai to play with India, which they lost and were sent packing from the tourney. South Africa came to the UAE in anticipation of playing their semi-final with India. As it was not confirmed where India would finish in the group stage. India defeated New Zealand in the last league game and set up a semi clash with Australia. South had to fly back to Pakistan without playing a single ball and Australia were flown in. The other teams and former cricketers have accused Indian of having an unfair advantage of playing all their matches in one venue. They know the pitches well and have got acclimatized to the conditions. Moreover, they are also avoiding the travelling hassles. 'It is as much a neutral venue for us as for anyone else. This is not our home ground. I don't remember which tournament we played here last time,' said an angry Gambhir after the match. 'Our plan was to field two frontline spinners. Even if we would have been playing in Pakistan we would have fielded at least two genuine spinners because the tournament is being played in the sub-continent,' he added. India played with four spinners in the last two games against New Zealand and Australia, which they won comfortably. Hardik Pandya, an all-rounder, was given the role of shouldering the burden with pace spearhead Mohammad Shami to open the bowling as Harshit Rana was dropped. The controversy was stoked by the fact that India named a spin-heavy squad with Dubai in mind. Gambhir denied it vehemently. 'It is nothing like that, we wanted to set up a spin trap,' said an agitated Gambhir. 'Picking up two frontline spinners in a 15-member squad is not too much. Why do people forget out of the four spinners, two are genuine all-rounders and they are great assets to the team. 'If you see, in the first two matches, we played with just one frontline spinner. We fielded two frontline spinners in the last two matches only. So there were no such plans,' added an agitated Gambhir. "And there's a lot of controversy about the undue advantage. What undue advantage? We are not practising here. We're doing our practice at the ICC Academy. "If you look at the pitches there and here, there is 180 degree difference between the two. Some people are just perpetual cribbers, man. "They've got to grow up. So, I feel that there was nothing like we had any undue advantage or we had planned something like that." Meanwhile, contrary to the views of his coach, Shami admitted to having a fair bit of advantage playing at the same venue. Shami took three wickets, conceding 48 runs to help India thwart Australia to 264. 'It definitely helped us because we know the conditions and the behaviour of the pitch. It is a plus point that you are playing all the matches at one venue,' said Shami after the match in Dubai. Shami has been instrumental in India's run-up to the final. He took a five-wicket haul against Bangladesh in the opening match to set the tempo for the tournament. Shami returned to the team after a long lay-off of two-and-a-half years. But, there was no trace of his absence from the game for such a long time in his performance. When asked about getting the reverse swing with the old ball, Shami used the media to request the custodians of the game to allow the use of saliva. 'We are trying to reverse, we don't get to use saliva during the game. The bowlers are constantly appealing to allow the use of saliva and it will make the game more competitive and interesting,' added Shami. Bowlers from ages used saliva to shine one side of the ball so that the rough side soaks the dew and becomes slightly heavier, helping the ball to swing. In reverse swing, the ball swings toward the shiny side which makes the life of batsmen difficult. Since the outbreak of coronavirus in 2019, the use of saliva was banned to stop the spread of the disease, which in its early stages was considered as highly contagious. Apart from the ban on using saliva, most of the rules in cricket have been bent in the favour of batsmen, who are the pampered babies of the game.
Reuters
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Australia skipper Smith not buying into India's Dubai advantage
March 5 (Reuters) - Australia captain Steve Smith steered clear of commenting on India's Dubai advantage at the Champions Trophy following the four-wicket defeat to the south Asians in the semi-final. India alone have been spared travel in the ODI tournament, having refused to play in host nation Pakistan, citing security concerns. The semi-final win was India's fourth in succession in Dubai at the tournament and their next opponent, either South Africa or New Zealand, will have to travel to the Emirate after the second semi-final in Lahore later on Wednesday. Asked about India's advantage, Smith said he was not "buying into it", though he noted the Dubai wicket suited their game. "India obviously played some really good cricket here," Smith told the post-match press conference. "The surface kind of suits their style with the spinners that they've got and the seamers that they have at their disposal for a wicket like that. "They played well, they outplayed us and they deserve the victory." India coach Gautam Gambhir hit back at critics, saying Dubai was not the team's home ground. "First of all, this is as neutral a venue for us as it is for any other team," he told reporters. "What undue advantage? We haven't practised here even for a day. We're practising at the ICC Academy. "If you look at the wickets there and here, the difference is between the ground and the sky. Some people are just perpetual cribbers, man. "They've got to grow up." While one-day world champions Australia posted a competitive 264 all out after winning the toss, their depleted bowling unit was powerless to stop Virat Kohli from anchoring India's successful chase. Australia were missing regular captain Pat Cummins along with their two other first-choice pace bowlers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. Smith said getting 300 might have made a difference against India and conceded his team's relative inexperience may have cost them. But he praised the raw players in the squad for turning up and doing a "really good job". "They're going to be better for the exposure to a big event and playing against world-class players like the ones we came up against today and throughout the tournament," he added. "So, plenty of positives to take from it."
Dubai Eye
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Dubai Eye
Australia's Zampa looking for form ahead of India semi-final
Australia spinner Adam Zampa says he is below his best at the ICC Champions Trophy but will still be ready to take big wickets in the semi-final against India on Tuesday. Zampa took 2-48 in the washed-out group match against Afghanistan and 2-64 in the five-wicket win over England in Lahore to help Australia reach the last four of the ODI tournament. The veteran legspinner may be key to Australia's hopes of victory in Dubai, where India, who refused to play in co-hosting nation Pakistan, won their three group matches on spin-friendly wickets. "Personally, I don't think I'm bowling quite at my best but I like to think the beauty about me, when I'm not quite at my best and not feeling that great out there, is my ability to still contribute and take those big wickets," Zampa said. "So, yeah, (I am) obviously working on some stuff at the moment to hopefully get back to my best. "But as I said, the ability to still do a job for the team and get those big wickets is still there, which to me is really important." The Australia squad flew from Lahore to Dubai on Saturday despite knowing they might need to fly back to Pakistan for the second semi-final depending on the result of the India-New Zealand group match. India duly beat New Zealand by 44 runs on Sunday to ensure Australia's early trip to Dubai was worth it. South Africa, however, were forced to travel back to Pakistan for the second semi-final against New Zealand in Lahore on Wednesday. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has come under fire over the scheduling but Zampa was not complaining. "Obviously we had a bit of a hectic schedule playing a couple of games in Pakistan, back and forth in between cities," he said. "It's kind of nice to get here. We've got a great facility here at the ICC Academy, changes it up a little bit as well, so yeah, the boys are feeling OK about it." Australia have moved to cover for the injured Matt Short, with all-rounder Cooper Connolly approved as a replacement in the squad, organisers said. Short was ruled out due to a left quadriceps injury. Left-arm spinner Connolly will help cover the loss of Short's off-spin if the 21-year-old is selected against India.
Khaleej Times
03-03-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
Dubai: Australia's Zampa looking for best form ahead of India semifinal
Australia spinner Adam Zampa says he is below his best at the Champions Trophy but will still be ready to take big wickets in the semifinal against India on Tuesday. Zampa took 2-48 in the washed-out group match against Afghanistan and 2-64 in the five-wicket win over England in Lahore to help Australia reach the last four of the ODI tournament. The veteran legspinner may be key to Australia's hopes of victory in Dubai, where India, who refused to play in co-hosting nation Pakistan, won their three group matches on spin-friendly wickets. "Personally, I don't think I'm bowling quite at my best but I like to think the beauty about me, when I'm not quite at my best and not feeling that great out there, is my ability to still contribute and take those big wickets," Zampa said. "So, yeah, (I am) obviously working on some stuff at the moment to hopefully get back to my best. "But as I said, the ability to still do a job for the team and get those big wickets is still there, which to me is really important." The Australia squad flew from Lahore to Dubai on Saturday despite knowing they might need to fly back to Pakistan for the second semifinal depending on the result of the India-New Zealand group match. India duly beat New Zealand by 44 runs on Sunday to ensure Australia's early trip to Dubai was worth it. South Africa, however, were forced to travel back to Pakistan for the second semifinal against New Zealand in Lahore on Wednesday. The International Cricket Council has come under fire over the scheduling but Zampa was not complaining. "Obviously we had a bit of a hectic schedule playing a couple of games in Pakistan, back and forth in between cities," he said. "It's kind of nice to get here. We've got a great facility here at the ICC Academy, changes it up a little bit as well, so yeah, the boys are feeling OK about it." Australia have moved to cover for the injured Matt Short, with all-rounder Cooper Connolly approved as a replacement in the squad, organisers said. Short was ruled out due to a left quadriceps injury. Left-arm spinner Connolly will help cover the loss of Short's off-spin if the 21-year-old is selected against India.
