ICC picks Malinga to promote World T20

The International Cricket Council on Monday named Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga as the event ambassador for the World Twenty20 to be held in Iceland the nation later this year.

The almost explosive bowler with the sling-arm action is expected to play a key role in Sri Lanka's fortunes in the 12-nation event starting on September 18

Malinga will be the "face" of the World Twenty20 campaign advertising in the host nation and wants to promote the event globally, the ICC said in a statement.

"His distinct, stylish and colorful personality is synonymous with the intensity of Twenty20 cricket," the governing body added.

 Malinga, 28, who gave up last year to prolong his Test cricket limited-overs career, said he was "honored" to play a part in the first World Twenty20 to be hosted by an Asian.

 "I sincerely thank the ICC for giving Sri Lanka the opportunity to host an event of this magnitude and I invite all cricket fans to show their support and

Unite said in the spirit of the game, "he.

Malinga is the only bowler to have taken four wickets off successive deliveries in international cricket, Achieving the feat against South Africa in the 2007 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean.

 He is also the only bowler to have claimed three one-day international hat tricks.

Malinga has taken 101 wickets in 30 Tests and 186 wickets in 118 one-dayers and 40 wickets in 32 Twenty20 internationals.

England will defend the title at the event fourth edition of the World Twenty20, having won the 2010 in the Caribbean. India (2007) and Pakistan (2009) won the first two editions.

John Howard to be the ICC vice-president

Former Australian skipper Steve Waugh reckons the selection of former Australian Prime Minister John Howard to be the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) vice-president for two years will be good for cricket.

Earlier, Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket had submitted Howard’s nomination to the ICC post after a lengthy and comprehensive selection process. He was nominated ahead of past NZC chairman and prominent businessman Sir John Anderson.

“I think he is. He has a real passion for the game. I think his great skill is his diplomacy, which is vital in world cricket administration,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Waugh, as saying.

“It’s a difficult task, a bit of a balancing act, and he’s more than up to it. I’m sure if he can lead this country for more than a decade he can lead the ICC. He has all the skills that are necessary, but most importantly is he has a genuine passion for the game,” he added.

The nomination will now go to the ICC’s Executive Board meeting for approval in April and then proposed to the Full Membership at Annual Conference in June/July for acceptance.

Under the ICC’s rotational policy, an Australasian nominee will take over the ICC presidency from Sharad Pawar in 2012. That role will now fall to Howard, who will make his first strides into sporting administration.

ICC rejects PCB’s appeal against IPL snub

The ICC has rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board’s complaint against the Indian Premier League for snubbing Pakistani players, saying that it cannot act against a domestic event.

Well-placed sources in the PCB said that Pakistan had written to the ICC complaining about the treatment meted out to the players.

“Unfortunately for the PCB the ICC response was not very positive and the PCB officials are not very happy at the response from the ICC,” a source disclosed.

The source said ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat has written to the PCB informing that the governing body could not interfere in what was primarily a domestic event. “The ICC told the PCB that since the IPL was primarily a domestic tournament of the Indian cricket board, it couldn’t do anything.

“The ICC also took the same stance as the IPL that the franchises which bid for the players were also private enterprises and the ICC had no control over them,” the source said.

He disclosed that after getting this response from the ICC the PCB decided to let the matter go and adopt a policy of not allowing its players to appear in the IPL or Champions League this year or next year.

ICC-Worldcup 2011-Match Schedule

Date -Match- Venue
19-Feb Bangladesh vs India Dhaka
20-Feb New Zealand vs Kenya Chennai
20-Feb Sri Lanka vs Canada Hambantota
21-Feb Australia vs Zimbabwe Ahmedabad
22-Feb England vs Netherlands Nagpur
23-Feb Pakistan vs Kenya Hambantota
24-Feb South Africa vs West Indies New Delhi
25-Feb Australia vs New Zealand Nagpur
25-Feb Bangladesh vs Ireland Dhaka
26-Feb Sri Lanka vs Pakistan Colombo
27-Feb India vs England Kolkata
28-Feb West Indies vs Netherlands New Delhi
28-Feb Zimbabwe vs Canada Nagpur
1-Mar Sri Lanka vs Kenya Colombo
2-Mar England vs Ireland Bangalore
3-Mar South Africa vs Netherlands Mohali
3-Mar Pakistan vs Canada Colombo
4-Mar New Zealand vs Zimbabwe Ahmedabad
4-Mar Bangladesh vs West Indies Dhaka
5-Mar Sri Lanka vs Australia Colombo
6-Mar India vs Ireland Bangalore
6-Mar England vs South Africa Chennai
7-Mar Kenya vs Canada New Delhi
8-Mar Pakistan vs New Zealand Pallekele
9-Mar India vs Netherlands New Delhi
10-Mar Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe Pallekele
11-Mar West Indies vs Ireland Mohali
11-Mar Bangladesh vs England Chittagong
12-Mar India vs South Africa Nagpur
13-Mar New Zealand vs Canada Mumbai
13-Mar Australia vs Kenya Bangalore
14-Mar Pakistan vs Zimbabwe Pallekele
14-Mar Bangladesh vs Netherlands Chittagong
15-Mar South Africa vs Ireland Kolkata
16-Mar Australia vs Canada Bangalore
17-Mar England vs West Indies Chennai
18-Mar Sri Lanka vs New Zealand Mumbai
18-Mar Ireland vs Netherlands Kolkata
19-Mar Australia vs Pakistan Colombo
19-Mar Bangladesh vs South Africa Dhaka
20-Mar Zimbabwe vs Kenya Kolkata
20-Mar India vs West Indies Chennai
23-Mar First Quarter-final Dhaka
24-Mar Second Quarter-final Colombo
25-Mar Third Quarter-final Dhaka
26-Mar Fourth Quarter-final Ahmedabad
29-Mar First Semi-final Colombo
30-Mar Second Semi-final Mohali
2-Apr Final Mumbai