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MAME enters into a five year Strategic Partnership with SIM to organize T20 Canada .
Dubai, September 21, 2008: Media Agency Middle East (MAME), the single window media and media-business consultancy provider has entered into a strategic partnership with Sports International Marketing (SIM), a Pakistan based company, to promote and popularize cricket in Canada. SIM is the first company in Pakistan and the fourth in the World, to have organized International Cricket with its announcement of the T20 Canada 2008. Both the Companies have entered into a long term arrangement which involves organising international cricket tournaments. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Canada and Zimbabwe will participate in this tournament. The first T20 Canada tournament is scheduled in October, 2008.
MAME is part of Percept Limited, one of the leading entertainment, media & communications conglomerate from India. Percept has been involved with Indian & International cricket for over 20 years & was part of the integral team behind the first international cricket tournament ‘Sahara Cup’ cricket series in Canada in the year 1997 – 98.
MAME CEO Mr. Bipin Pathak pointed out that although Canada is not a Test-playing nation it has been participating in limited overs cricket and first class games against non-Test playing nations, including the World Cup, ICC International Cup and Americas Cup. “Canada’s national team is largely made up of expatriates from cricket-playing countries and the idea of the joint venture is to popularise the game across the North American continent,” he said, adding, “The first T20 tournament being organised in the country has evoked tremendous response and we are confident that the excitement that this form of the game generates will catch the imagination and interest of youngsters.”
Cricket has always had a lower profile than other games in this sports-conscious nation. However, the 2003 World Cup was a shot in the arm for the game after Canadian John Davison clubbed half a dozen sixes in a brilliant 111 against the West Indies, which is the fastest recorded century in the history of the tournament.
Expressing his delight at signing the Strategic Partnership which will be converted into a JV, SIM Chairman Mr. Numan Nabi Ahmed said, “MAME has a distinguished track record with cricketing events and we are delighted to enter into this partnership with MAME. The T20 Canada Cup has already received the stamp of approval from the ICC and we intend to make it an annual event to build up the momentum to take cricket to every region of North America.” He further said that “Our initiative of taking Cricket back to the Americas has received tremendous response from all quarters and the Pakistan Cricket Board extended full support in making our efforts a success. It was indeed a very good experience dealing with the other Boards who readily accepted to send their teams and have been very co-operative. The feeling that we are contributing towards building the future of Cricket in one of the biggest South Asian population base in the World, Canada, is a great morale booster and we all at SIM are proud to be the leaders in this”.
MAME has extensive experience in handling cricket properties, having been closely associated with cricketing events for over 20 years. Most recently, it secured the advertising sales representation rights for the 2008 ICC Champions Trophy, popularly known as the mini World Cup, as well as the earlier 2008 IPL T20 Tournament in India.
SIM is a sports events management organisation that operates worldwide and has opened the doors for international cricket in North America. It has been motivating and encouraging the large population of cricket lovers in the region with its slogan: ‘Cricket has found a new home - North America’.
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Akhtar awaiting visa for Toronto.
Pakistan`s controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will have to wait for his visa to play in the four-nation tournament in Toronto next month as the Cricket Board has still not been able to get the clearance for him.
Shoaib`s name was sent in a shortlist of players for the four-nation tournament starting from October 10 but the Board was unable to obtain a visa for him.
"He was in England playing for Surrey and we didn`t have his passport. So he has to wait. We will now send his name in the second list most probably," one board official said.
Shoaib will also know by next week from the Lahore High Court whether he can play in Pakistan and for Pakistan without paying a fine of seven million rupees imposed on him by the appellate tribunal of the Board.
The tribunal had reduced his five year ban to 18 months but instead enforced the seven million rupees fine which the fast bowler has not paid as yet.
The Board has sought clear directives from the High Court if the pacer can play without clearing the fine first. The court has asked Shoaib to appear in person in court at the next hearing.
Meanwhile, the selectors and Board have made some changes to the list of probables adding the name of senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf and dropping young Ahmed Shahzad after he was found guilty of violating the team code in Nairobi with the Pakistan academy team touring there.
A national selector confirmed Yousuf`s name included in the list of players for whom visas were being obtained because they wanted to see how he performed in the national T20 championship beginning from October 4 in Lahore.
"He has been talking about the selectors being unjust with him and not considering him for T20 cricket. So we want to see how he performs in the national event," he said.
Yousuf, who has played in 79 Tests and 269 one-day internationals has only once been picked in Pakistan`s T20 team in 2006 and was overlooked for last year`s World Cup in South Africa where Pakistan reached the final losing to India.
The selectors are due to announce a 15-member squad for the Toronto event which also features Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Canada during the National T20 Championship from October 4 to 8 in Lahore.
Yousuf recently criticised the selectors for ignoring him for Twenty20 cricket claiming his experience would be a boost for the team even in this form of the game.
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Pakistan allows Shoaib Akhtar to play domestic event
Pakistan cricket authorities said Tuesday that controversial paceman Shoaib Akhtar can play in a domestic cricket tournament -- just one week after barring him from the same event.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said Akhtar can play in a Twenty20 event without paying a 90,000-dollar fine that he owes from an earlier disciplinary breach, contradicting an earlier statement from a PCB legal adviser.
The 33-year-old paceman was banned for five years in April for criticising the PCB's failure to award him a central contract. It was later reduced by an appeals commission to 18 months but the commission also imposed the fine.
Lahore High court suspended the ban in July but upheld the fine.
"We never barred him from playing the domestic event," PCB chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi told AFP.
Akhtar was not initially included in any of the 13 teams due to compete for the national T20 title from October 4-8 after PCB legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi said last Tuesday that Akthar could not play.
But his name was included recently in the Islamabad team for the event, which will serve as selection test for a four-nation event in Canada.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Canada are competing in the event, which will be held in Toronto from October 10-13.
The PCB last month included Akhtar in a 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, but two days later the PCB changed its stance and said Akhtar could only play if he paid the fine.
The trophy was, however, postponed for 12 months over security fears.
Akhtar returned home early Tuesday after playing two first-class matches for Surrey in the English county season. He managed just one wicket in two matches and failed to help Surrey avoid relegation to Division Two.
Akhtar said he will play in the domestic event.
"I am disappointed on not getting the number of wickets I wished but I have just returned from fitness problems so it will take some time to gain full rhythm," he said.
"I will play in the domestic T20 event to prove my fitness and want to play for Pakistan as soon as possible," said Akhtar, whose last match for Pakistan was the third Test against India at Bangalore in December last year.
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I don’t consider T20 cricket difficult: Yousuf
Pakistan cricket team’s middle-order batsman and captain of Lahore Lions Mohammad Yousuf said that he does not consider Twenty20 cricket any difficult and the impression about him in this regard is not correct.
Talking on the occasion of practice match between his team Lahore Lions and Lahore Eagles in connection with the National Twenty20 Cup at the LCCA Ground, he said that this tournament is being played at a suitable time as the players can get a good opportunity for preparing themselves for the event in Canada.
Mohammad Yousuf said that there would be a great contest in the National Twenty20 Cricket Tournament , beginning from October 4 and the players have begun full preparation for this event.
He said that his team Lahore Lions consists of talented and in-form players.
The veteran batsman said that Twenty20 cricket also requires experienced and talented batsmen and this impression is not correct that he does not have any ability to play Twenty20 cricket.
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Pakistan names squad for Canada T20 title
07 Oct 2008 : The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced 15-members squad for the upcoming Twenty20 quadrangular tournament in Toronto. Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar has made it back to the Pakistan squad after 10 months and he will be leading the pace attack in the upcoming tournament in Toronto. Shoaib Malik will continue to lead the side with Misbah-ul-Haq as his deputy. Newcomers Khalid Latif, Shoaib Khan and Anwar Ali managed to make it to the national side while Fawad Alam makes a comeback on the basis of his current form along side Sohail Khan and Abdur Rauf.
squad: Shoaib Malik (C), Salman Butt, Shoaib Khan, Misbah-ul Haq, Khalid Latif, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal (W), Sohail Tanvir, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Fawad Alam, Anwar Ali, Abdur Rauf, Sohail Khan.
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Zimbabwe head to Toronto as visa issues resolved
07 Oct 2008 : Zimbabwe squad will leave Harare on Tuesday afternoon for Toronto on a British Airways flight via Johannesburg and London. They will arrive in Canada after a 30-hour journey on Wednesday afternoon, giving them less than two days to acclimatise before their first match at 9.30am on Friday.
There had been reports that the side were having issues obtaining visas to enter Canada, but it appears that this was not an issue as Zimbabwe Cricket had submitted applications for all those likely to be named in the squad in good time.
It will be a brief visit, however, as next Monday (October 13) the squad heads to Nairobi for the start of the one-day tri-series there on the following Friday.
The booking arrangements suggest that Zimbabwe are not overly confident of making the final of the four-nation T20 Canada 2008 event. That match starts at 1.30pm on Monday and if it runs its distance will finish at around 5pm. Even if they skip the post-match ceremonies, they will have 55 minutes to get to the airport in time for their 7.55pm return flight.
One certainty is that Zimbabwe Cricket chairman, Peter Chingoka, won't be accompanying the team through London as he is banned from entering the UK as a result of sanctions imposed on those linked to Mugabe regime.
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Sri Lanka squad for Canada T20 title
Sri Lanka Saturday named a 15-member squad Saturday for the inaugural four-nation Twenty20 tournament to be played in Toronto next month.
The squad does not include a specialist wicket-keeper, with Tillakaratne Dilshan standing in for regular keeper Kumar Sangakkara, who recently underwent finger surgery in Australia and will miss the Canadian outing.
The tournament, scheduled to run from October 10-13, pits Sri Lanka against Pakistan, Zimbabwe and hosts Canada.
Sri Lanka squad:
Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Udawatte, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Thilina Kandamby, Farveez Maharoof, Thilina Thushara Mirando, Nuwan Kulasekera, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Jeevantha Kulatunga, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Kaushalya Weeraratne.
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