Sports

India reach WC finals amid pitch changing allegations

Published

10 months ago

November 16, 2023

editor

India roared into the Finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup last night (15), after beating New Zealand by 70 runs.

Kohli became the first man in the history of One Day International cricket to score 50 centuries in the format, with India setting up a first-innings score of 397/4.

India will now face the winner of Thursday’s second semi-final between South Africa and Australia.

However, India’s cricket board, the BCCI, has been accused of intervening in the choice of pitch for India’s semi-final against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The selection of pitches at the tournament is the preserve of the International Cricket Council, governed by the principle that surfaces will be chosen to promote a neutral set of conditions, neither favouring the host nation’s strengths nor devaluing the evenness of the contest for the global audience.

Wednesday’s match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai was due to be played on a new surface but has been moved to one previously used twice.

Pitches are selected and prepared by the local groundstaff and authority with oversight from the International Cricket Council’s pitch consultant.

No regulations have been broken but it appears the ICC pitch consultant was only informed after the change had been made.

“Changes to planned pitch rotations are common towards the end of an event of this length, and has already happened a couple of times,” said an ICC spokesperson.

“This change was made on the recommendation of the venue curator in conjunction with our host.

“The ICC independent pitch consultant was apprised of the change and has no reason to believe the pitch won’t play well.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said, “It is a bit of a sour taste.”

“It doesn’t sit with me that a World Cup semi-final is played on a used pitch.”

“They have played the best cricket by a country mile. They shouldn’t have got involved in what the surface should be,” he has further said.

(Agencies)

Sports

ICC enters era of equal prize money for men and women

Published

15 hours ago

September 18, 2024

editor

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be the first ICC event where women will receive the same prize money as their male counterparts, marking a significant milestone in the sport’s history. The decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference in July 2023, when the ICC Board took the step of reaching its prize money equity target seven years ahead of its schedule of 2030, making cricket the only major team sport to have equal prize money for its men’s and women’s World Cup events.

The winners of the tournament, which will now be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will receive US$2.34million, a massive, 134 per cent increase on the $1 million awarded to Australia when they clinched the title in South Africa in 2023.

The runners-up will receive $1.17 million, an increase of 134 per cent in comparison to the $500, 000 South Africa received for reaching the final on home soil at Newlands Cricket Ground.

The two losing semi-finalists will earn $675, 000 (up from $210 000 in 2023), with the overall prize pot totalling $7,958,080, a massive increase of 225 per cent from last year’s total fund of $2.45 million.

This move is in line with the ICC’s strategy to prioritise the women’s game and accelerate its growth by 2032. Teams will now receive equal prize money for the equivalent finishing position at comparable events as well as the same amount for winning a match at those events. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 event prize money is only higher on account of 10 additional teams participating and 32 more matches played.

Each win during the group stages will see teams take home $31,154, while the six teams who fail to reach the semi-finals will share a pool of $1.35 million depending on their finishing positions.

In comparison, the equivalent pool for the six teams in 2023 was $180,000, shared equally. Teams who finish third or fourth in their group will take $270,000 each while the teams who finish fifth in their group will both receive $135,000.

All 10 participating teams are assured of $112,500.

The increase in prize money for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 comes in line with the prize pot for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 also increasing to $3.5 million in total.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will open on 3 October with Bangladesh taking on Scotland at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. There has been a minor change to the match order for the double header on Saturday 5 October in Sharjah, with Australia now facing Sri Lanka in the afternoon at 14h00, followed by the Bangladesh versus England match taking the evening slot at 18h00 local time. Ten teams will play 23 matches in Dubai and Sharjah to decide the 2024 champions.

(ICC)

News

SL weightlifters to compete at C’wealth C’ships

Published

2 days ago

September 17, 2024

editor

Three young weightlifters will represent Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Senior, Junior, and Youth Weightlifting Championships 2024, held from September 17-24 in Suva, Fiji.

Competing among 300 athletes from nearly 30 countries, the Sri Lankan team includes Ashen Karunarathna (61 kg) from Wesley College, Pasindu Malawana (81 kg) from the University of Colombo, and Abidh Jameel (96 kg) from Trinity College.

Sports

Harshitha, Wellalage emerge as players of the month

Published

2 days ago

September 16, 2024

editor

Rising Sri Lankan players – Harshitha Samarawickrama and Dunith Wellalage have been named as the ICC Women’s and Men’s Player of the Month in August 2024.
Dunith Wellalage’s all-round brilliance against India helped him win the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for August 2024.

The 21-year-old overcame competition from South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj and West Indies’ Jayden Seales to secure the award.

Wellalage joins teammate Kamindu Mendis as Sri Lankan men’s award winners in 2024, with Mendis claiming ICC Men’s Player of the Month for March.

Meanwhile, Harshitha Madavi overcame competition from the Irish duo of Orla Prendergast and Gaby Lewis to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August 2024.

The talented left-handed top-order batter has gone from strength to strength in recent months, and continued her stirring form in August against Ireland.

This is also the third woman’s award for Sri Lanka in 2024, with Chamari Athapaththu having won the award in May and July.