The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced Olympic legend Usain Bolt as an ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be played in the West Indies and USA from 1-29 June 2024.

The announcement comes a few weeks ahead of the start of the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever that will inspire a new generation of fans. Bolt’s global appeal alongside his out of this world athletic achievements and ability to transcend boundaries makes him a perfect fit for the biggest T20 World Cup ever.

Bolt created history at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio when he achieved the ‘Triple-Triple’, three gold medals at three consecutive Olympic Games. His journey to worldwide stardom started at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing where he won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, all in world record times. 

Bolt currently holds world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m with times of 9.58 secs, 19.19 secs and 36.84 secs. His first world record was in the 100m in 2008 when he posted a time of 9.72 secs in New York. He lowered it to 9.69 secs at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and then to 9.58 secs at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. He holds the three fastest times ever run: 9.58, 9.64 and 9.69 seconds. 

As an ambassador, Bolt will play a key role in promoting the event, starting with a cameo appearance in next week’s release of the event’s official anthem music video alongside iconic artists Sean Paul and Kes. The eight-time Olympic Gold Medallist will also attend T20 World Cup matches in the West Indies and be part of fan engagement events promoting the sport within the United States.

Usain Bolt expressed his excitement about his new role, saying: “I am thrilled to be an ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Coming from the Caribbean where cricket is a part of life, the sport has always held a special place in my heart, and I look forward to attending West Indies matches at the World Cup and making a contribution to the growth of cricket globally.

“While I will of course be supporting West Indies at the World Cup, getting the sport into the US is big for cricket. It’s the biggest sports market in the world and the energy that we will bring for the T20 World Cup is a huge opportunity leading towards cricket’s inclusion in the LA Olympics in 2028.”

ICC Chief Executive Officer, Geoff Allardice said: “Usain Bolt is a global icon, we are thrilled to have him on board as an Ambassador for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 to engage with a new generation of fans. His passion for cricket is well known, making him the perfect fit for this role. Alongside his world record breaking achievements and energetic personality, he will add another exciting element to the World Cup.”

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 is set to be action packed with Bolt’s presence adding a new level of excitement for fans globally. Fans can look forward to seeing the world’s best teams battle it out for glory, with the World Cup opening match seeing co-host USA taking on Canada at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Saturday 1 June. For full match fixtures and tickets, including hospitality packages in both the West Indies and USA, visit tickets.t20worldcup.com.

(icc-cricket.com)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by icc-cricket.com has not been edited by SLM staff)

Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders (SLARDAR) has condemned the arrests of the car drivers over the recent Fox Hill motorsport racing event accident, in which seven people were killed.

Seven individuals were killed and 23 others were injured after a car hurtled into spectators at the ‘Fox Hill Super Cross 2024’ event held in Diyathalawa on Sunday.

The drivers of two cars involved in accidents at the race were arrested and remanded over the incident.

Speaking to reporters, Sajaad Zuhair of SLARDAR said it has become an issue as the Police have deemed it a problem of the car drivers.

However, the preparations of the racetrack and crowd control are the responsibilities of the organizers, and as competitors, the racers cannot do anything about it, he explained.

Commenting on the incident, Zuhair said the drivers have been blamed for not slowing down upon seeing the yellow flag, adding “ Racers cannot immediately slow down once they see the flag. They can only slow down a few distances after seeing the flag”.

“Once a car had toppled the organizers should have resorted to showing the red flag if they were unable to immediately remove the vehicle off the track. The car toppled inside the track and not outside. The accident is a result of the public moving onto the tracks and not because of a car going off track,” he added.

Stating that it was unfair for the racers to be arrested over the incident, Sajaad Zuhair further said that the organizers must take responsibility for the accident and not pass the blame onto other persons. 

(newswire.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by newswire.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

Chamari Athapaththu, who scored an unbeaten 195 in just 139 balls to take Sri Lanka to a remarkable win over South Africa in their final ODI in Potchefstroom last week, has risen to the No. 1 spot in the ICC’s batting rankings for women’s ODIs.
Athapaththu’s knock broke a number of records in women’s cricket, including the highest individual score in a successful ODI chase. It was also the second-highest individual score in a successful ODI chase across women’s and men’s cricket, behind Glenn Maxwell’s 201 not out against Afghanistan at the 2023 World Cup.

Chasing South Africa’s 301 for 5, itself the result of Laura Wolvaardt’s outstanding 147-ball 184 not out – which took her series tally to 335 runs – Sri Lanka got home in just 44.3 overs to square the series. The second-best individual score for Sri Lanka in the chase was Nilakshika Silva’s 50 not out in 71 balls.

Following that effort, Athapaththu achieved her highest-ever rating of 773 on the ICC table, and moved past Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has 764 points. Wolvaardt, who had entered the top five in the last update of the rankings, moved up two more spots, past Beth Mooney and Smriti Mandhana, to third place.

Hayley Matthews, meanwhile, jumped seven spots to reach No. 11 on the same table after scoring 140 not out and 44 in West Indies’ wins over Pakistan in the first two ODIs of their three-match series.

Among bowlers, Sadia Iqbal, the Pakistan left-arm spinner, moved up six places to enter the top 20 after returns of 2 for 38 and 1 for 36 in the two games against West Indies.

(espncricinfo.com)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by espncricinfo.com has not been edited by SLM staff)