India vs Sri Lanka in India, Nov-Dec 2009

Sri Lanka in India Three Test, five ODI and Two T20 match series

Sri Lanka will be looking for the elusive test match and series win when they tour India for a Three Test, five ODI and Two T20 match series from November to December 2009. The team arrive in India on November 8th for the 55-day tour.

2009 ICC World Twenty20, England

ICC World Twenty20 England 2009

The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 is the World Championship for Cricket in the Twenty20 format. There are 12 teams competing in the Group Stages. The first two placed teams from each of the four groups (Group A to D) will move on to the Super Eights. Each team plays three games against teams they have not already played. (Teams divided into Group E and Group F). Fixtures are predetermined and have no connection to who finished first and second in the group. No points are carried forward from group stages. Top two teams in Groups E and F qualify for semi-finals.

Complete News Coverage of the Second ICC World Twenty20

ICC World 20/20 Championship 2009

ICC World Twenty20 2009: 20/20 Cup Index | Latest News | Results | Championship Schedule | Groups & Points | Twenty20 Teams | Venues | Live Telecast

Cricket Olympics

Cricket in the Olympics

1900 Paris Olympic Games

Cricket’s one and only Olympic appearance was during the 1900 Paris Games, with the final taking place between Great Britain and France, with the British team coming out as eventual Gold Medal winners.
Although there have been some campaigns to get the sport reinstated back in the Olympics, due to the format and length of the One Day game cricket did not lend itself to fit into the tight calendar constraints of the Olympic programme.

Possibility of Re-Entering the Olympics

With the development of Twenty20 Cricket the possibility of Cricket rejoining the Olympics is becoming more likely. Following the success of the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and the International Olympic Committee provisionally recognising the sport, support to reinstate Cricket back into the Olympics programme is growing. Murad Qureshi, an Assembly Member at the Greater London Authority is spearheading the campaign, trying to get the organisers of London 2012 to include a Twenty20 version of the games included as a demonstration sport. He has stated that “It will draw in a large south Asian TV audience - and with more than 120 cricket-playing nations recognised by ICC, it will have a truly global appeal."
In an odd coincidence, even if featured as a demonstration sport it would take until at least the year 2020 for Twenty20 Cricket to feature as a full Olympic sport, and with the Cricketing Super Power of India positioning itself to bid for the Games, the future of Cricket entering the Games is promising.

Cricket in Olympics

News related to Cricket Olympics

Ponting expects Twenty20 to be Olympic event

Australian captain Ricky Ponting said Wednesday it is only a matter of time before Twenty20 cricket is part of the Olympic Games.
Just days after the completion of the Beijing Games, Ponting said it was "inevitable" the game's newest form would become an Olympic event given its popularity in the sub-continent. Ponting, who also called for a portion of the international cricket calendar to be kept free for Twenty20 tournaments, was speaking here Wednesday night at a dinner to celebrate 100 years since the birth of Donald Bradman.
"I actually think it's inevitable Twenty20 cricket will be an Olympic sport," Ponting said. "You think about the audiences in the sub-continent, 22 or 23 per cent of the world's population is based in that area. "The IOC could do a lot worse than put cricket into the Olympics."
But although he called for Twenty20 cricket to be part of the world's biggest sporting event, he also warned that it had to be handled carefully by international cricket bosses. Ponting said he had mounting concerns about players chasing quick dollars in the game rather than playing for their country. He suggested the need for a window in the international calendar each year for Twenty20 tournaments such as the Indian Premier League.
"The critical issue with the game of Twenty20 cricket is how do we make it work," Ponting said. "We definitely need a carve-out period. "The reason I say that is not because I want to go off and play, it's not about that.
"I want to play for Australia as much as I can, I want to play as many Tests for Australia as I can. "I want the next generation of Australian players to have that dream to put on the baggy green cap and play 100 Test matches and 300 one-day games.
"I'm worried if there's not that period of time be it in the IPL or the EPL, or whatever competition it might be, that this next generation's opinions might change. "They might see the dollars and think, 'maybe it's more appealing to me that I go and play IPL instead of playing for my country'. "That would be the saddest thing ever to happen to this great game."

Smith joins calls for Twenty20 to be in Olympics

South Africa captain Graeme Smith became Wednesday the latest leading cricketer to say he was in favour of Twenty20 cricket becoming an Olympic sport.
Opening batsman Smith, asked his view at a press conference ahead of the fourth Test against England at the Oval, backed the call of former Australian star Adam Gilchrist for the 20-overs game to be part of the Games from 2020. "From a player's perspective it would obviously be a fantastic thing to be part of an Olympic Games," said Smith. "We've always just watched from the side and seen how special the event is.
"Twenty20 offers the opportunity (for cricket) to become an Olympic event. It's not only going to grow the game around the world but it will be nice for us as players to be part of a special event." Smith's comments followed those of Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik, who said: "I myself would like to play cricket in the Olympics and join the mega event of the sports world."
Sri Lanka star Kumar Sangakkara was equally enthusiastic. "The Olympic Games would provide the perfect platform to showcase the game to a larger audience, drawing in new fans and helping drive cricket development in emerging cricket countries," he said.
"From a player's perspective, the privilege of competing at an Olympics would undoubtedly be a highlight of your career." Other players who have publicly supported Gilchrist's stance include former international captains Stephen Waugh (Australia), Stephen Fleming (New Zealand) and India's Sourav Ganguly. Cricket was part of the Olympics just once, in 1900, but last year it was recognised as an Olympic sport -- the first step towards full admission to the Games.

Watson enthuses over Olympic chance

Australia all-rounder Shane Watson is daring to dream of a shot at Olympic gold, via Twenty20 cricket.
Watson has added his voice to those of several other high-profile players - including ex-Australia, New Zealand and India captains Steve Waugh, Stephen Fleming and Sourav Ganguly - who have spoken in the past few days about their hopes for Twenty20 to be in the 2020 games. "This brand of cricket is a perfect fit for the Olympic schedule," said the Queenslander, a hard-hitting batsman and medium-pace bowler who helped to power Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals to the first IPL crown.
The International Cricket Council have reacted to Waugh and Co's remarks by committing themselves to further consideration to press for Twenty20's inclusion as an Olympic event. Ex-Hampshire all-rounder Watson was enthused last year by a meeting with Britain's five-time Olympic rowing gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, during cricket's World Cup in the Caribbean. Although, now 27, he would be well into the veteran stage by 2020, the lure of Olympic gold endures.
"As a cricketer it would be great to think you could achieve an Olympic gold medal in your career - everybody who plays elite sport dreams of Olympic gold," he said. Waugh and others have noted the potential of Olympic membership to help the globalisation of cricket - while Watson has identified a two-way street of mutual benefit, should the International Olympic Committee agree to take his sport under their wing.
"Importantly, it would give a greater ability for the Olympic movement to tap into enthusiasm of the 1.5 billion population of the Asian sub-continent that love cricket," he reasons. "Everyone wants to be part of the Olympic Games. I think we should continue to explore this."

Younis, Malik also call for cricket's inclusion in Olympics

Joining the band of players pushing for cricket's inclusion in the Olympics, Pakistan's present and former captains Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan said with the advent of twenty20, the sport could easily fit into the Games' schedule.
After Adam Gilchrist, Steve Waugh, Stephen Fleming and Kumar Sangakkara, Malik and Younis also said cricket deserved to be a part of the biggest sporting extravaganza on the planet. The International Cricket Council is targeting a place in the 2012 Olympics or 2016 with the twenty20 version.
"We are all professional cricketers and I for one would really like to take part in the Olympics which are the biggest global sporting event," Malik said yesterday. "It would be great to go to the Olympics and play cricket. The length of a match is a factor which has dissuaded the organizers from considering cricket as a Olympic sport but with twenty20 cricket coming into play things have changed," Malik stated.
He said the ICC and the International Olympic Committee should find a way to include cricket in the Olympic games. Younis said cricket was one of the top-five sports in the world and should be part of the Olympic Games.
"Other team games are played in the Olympics so why not cricket. I am not concerned what type of cricket makes it to the Olympics... Be it over 10 over version, 20 overs version or 50-50 but it must be there," Younis said. Younis also called upon all teams to tour Pakistan insisting they had nothing to fear here.
"All teams should visit Pakistan with confidence as it is a very safe place and also as we provide the best security in the world to cricketers," he added.

Cricket handed Olympic lifeline

Cricket has moved a step closer to returning to the Olympic Games after the International Olympic Committee provisionally recognised the sport.
It has been brought back into the Olympic movement for the first time since the Paris Games of 1900. However, the earliest cricket could feature would be in 2020.
"Maybe one day it will be right for cricket to return to the Olympic programme," said International Cricket Council president Ray Mali. "This is great news for cricket, the Olympic movement is instantly recognisable around the world and for cricket to be a part of that again has to be a good thing. "Our goal has been to become an international federation that is recognised by the IOC and we are pleased to have achieved this target.
"We want to play an active role in the Olympic movement and we will be looking at ways in which we can work with the IOC for the benefit of cricket, sport and society in general."
The provisional status is for an initial two-year period, after which sports bodies can seek full recognition and apply for inclusion in the Olympics. If given full status in two years time, cricket would then be able to be considered for a place at the Games when the IOC review the programme for 2020 after the 2012 Olympics in London.
"The important thing is that this is the first step for the federation to be able to apply for inclusion into the Olympic programme," said an IOC spokeswoman.
The England and Wales Cricket Board began a campaign three years ago to have Twenty20 cricket included in future Olympics, prior to London being awarded the 2012 Games. The last time cricket was last part of the Olympics, Great Britain beat France to take the gold medal.