RASHID, TAMIM AND SHAKIB CONFIRMED FOR ICC WORLD XI TEAM

Top-ranked bowler Rashid Khan of Afghanistan and Bangladesh stars Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal have confirmed their participation for the ICC World XI which will play a Twenty20 International against the Windies at Lord’s on 31 May.

Rashid, who is ranked number one on the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Player Rankings and is second in the list of One Day International bowlers, will be one of many big names to watch in the Lord’s match, which is being organised to raise funds for stadia in the Caribbean which were damaged due to hurricanes last year.



Shakib, the top-ranked all-rounder in ODIs and third in T20Is, and left-handed opener Tamim also come in with huge reputations and Bangladesh fans would be following their fortunes with interest. The trio joins three other Asians who have already confirmed for the match – Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik and Thisara Perera of Sri Lanka.



More big names are likely to be confirmed in the coming days for the ICC World XI side, which is being led by England’s limited overs captain Eoin Morgan.



Rashid Khan said: “It is a matter of great honour and pride for me and my country that I have been chosen to support one of cricket’s oldest and most loyal members. I don’t think it will be incorrect to say that a number of cricketers from this and previous generations were inspired and attracted to cricket due to the heroics of the West Indies sides of the 70s, 80s and 90s. And if the West Indies are now looking upon us for help, then there shouldn’t be a hesitation for even a second.



“Apart from my cricket obligations and responsibilities, the incentive of playing in this great match at the Home of Cricket at the age of 19, with and against some of the best cricketers of this generation, is just too tempting, irresistible and an icing on the cake.



“I urge all cricket fans and supporters to join hands with the match organisers and the players in making 31 May a hugely successful day so that the funds raised from this match can be reinvested into cricket that, in turn, will not only bring the smiles back on the faces of local cricket supporters but will also lead to the resumption of cricket activities in those regions.”



Tamim Iqbal said: “Cricket is a sport which unites people, bridges gaps, and in which players and teams support each other. This match is a testament to this statement and I am delighted to have been chosen to once again represent the ICC World XI for a cause which will only make cricket a bigger and better sport.



“The West Indies’ contribution to the global game is unmatched and unparalleled, and if the cricket fraternity can get together to play a small role in the rebuilding of their damaged venues following last year’s hurricanes, then this is a very small price with hugely positive results.



“Playing at Lord’s is itself a great honour for any cricketer. My only international appearance there was in 2010, so I look forward to reliving those memories. Playing with and against some of the best cricketers of this era will only make this occasion better and more memorable.”



The Windies, reigning ICC World Twenty20 champions, are being led by Carlos Brathwaite and the side includes other top names like Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Samuel Badree and Andre Russell.



The tickets for the match are available at https://tickets.lords.org/ with all proceeds going towards rebuilding and renovating five major venues as well as other community cricket facilities that were damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.



The venues that will benefit include the Ronald Webster Park in Anguilla, the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua, the Windsor Park Stadium in Dominica, the A.O. Shirley Recreation Ground in the British Virgin Islands and the Carib Lumber Ball Park in St. Maarten.

ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFIER 2018

ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFIER 2018 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

·        Hosts Zimbabwe to feature on the opening day on 4 March in Bulawayo; Windies to start campaign in Harare on 6 March

·        10 teams to fight out for two available places in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which is now 500 days away

·        Netherlands plus three highest finishing Associate Member sides to earn ODI status till 2022

Two-time world champions the Windies will be the star attraction when 10 sides converge on Zimbabwe next month for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018, to battle it out for the two remaining places in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The announcement marks 500 days to the ICC's pinnacle 50-over tournament, which will be staged in the United Kingdom from 30 May to 15 July.

Queen's Sports Club and Bulawayo Athletic Club in Bulawayo, Harare Sports Club and Old Hararians Sports Club in Harare and Kwekwe Sports Club, Kwekwe, will share 34 matches between them from 4 to 25 March, with Harare Sports Club staging the final.

The Windies, along with Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, had missed out on automatic qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 by finishing outside the top eight on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings at the 30 September 2017 cut-off date. These four sides have been joined by Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Scotland and Papua New Guinea, who finished in the top four of the ICC World Cricket League Championship.

The remaining two sides for the Zimbabwe tournament will be confirmed in Namibia from 8-15 February when Canada, Kenya, Namibia, Nepal, Oman and the United Arab Emirates will fight it out in the ICC World Cricket League Division 2, with the finalists getting a step closer to cherishing their dreams of playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Eighty-three teams had embarked on the road to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 way back in 2013 through the ICC World Cricket League, introduced to give the teams outside the top 12 meaningful competition as part of the World Cup qualification.

The 10 teams taking part in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 are split into two groups of five teams. The Windies, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and winners of the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 make up Group A, while Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and runners-up of the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 form Group B.

Each side will play the other teams in their group once with the top three from the groups progressing to the Super Six stage. The teams each play three Super Six matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage. All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Six stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.

The finalists will both progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, whilst the Netherlands (ICC World Cricket League Championship winners) and the three highest finishing Associate Members will earn ODI status till 2022 upon the conclusion of the event.

As such, only matches between Afghanistan, Ireland, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Scotland, the Windies, Zimbabwe and potentially the United Arab Emirates (if they qualify) will have ODI status in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018.

Hosts Zimbabwe will feature on the opening day of the tournament on 4 March when they will take on the runners-up from the Namibia tournament at the Queen's Sports Club, Bulawayo, while the Windies will square-off against the winners of the Namibia tournament on 6 March at Old Hararians Cricket Club in Harare.

Scotland will defend the title they had won at Bert Sutcliffe, Lincoln, New Zealand, in February 2014 when they defeated the United Arab Emirates by 41 runs. Preston Mommsen had won the player of the final for his unbeaten 139.

Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani: "We are tremendously excited to be hosting the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 event which will bring some of the world's most talented and gifted cricketers to our beautiful country. As the very proud hosts, we are very passionate about what we do on and off the field and we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure we deliver an extraordinarily memorable tournament.

"While the ultimate goal for the teams involved will be to secure one of the two remaining berths at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales, tournaments such as the qualifier event always provide the platform for raw talent and unheralded players to emerge and this can only put the game of cricket in good stead."

ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: "This will undoubtedly be a competitive and hard fought tournament with two tickets for the ICC Cricket World Cup up for grabs as well as ODI status. Seeing four Full Member sides up against our best Associate Member teams who have progressed through qualification will make for some exciting cricket.

"This is the conclusion of a four-year qualification process that began with regional events and progressed through to the global World Cricket League. There is a huge amount at stake for all ten teams battling it out for the remaining two spots at the ICC Cricket World Cup."

Groups:

Group A: Windies (A1); Ireland (A2); Netherlands (A3); Papua New Guinea (A4); ICC World Cricket League Division 2 (WCL Div.2) winner (A5)

Group B: Afghanistan (B1); Zimbabwe (B2); Scotland (B3); Hong Kong (B4); ICC World Cricket League Division 2 (WCL Div.2) runners-up (B5)

Fixtures (warm-up matches):

Tuesday, 27 February – Afghanistan v Windies, Harare Sports Club (HSC); Hong Kong v Netherlands, Old Hararians (OH); WCL Div.2 (winner) v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), Kwekwe (KK); Zimbabwe v Ireland, Queen's Sports Club (QSC); Scotland v PNG, Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC)

Thursday, 1 March – WCL Div.2 (winners) v Windies, Harare Sports Club (HSC); Afghanistan v Netherlands, Old Hararians (OH); Hong Kong v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), Kwekwe (KK); Scotland v Ireland, Queen's Sports Club (QSC); Zimbabwe v PNG, Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC)

Tournament Proper (first round):

Sunday, 4 March – PNG v WCL Div.2 winner, HSC; Ireland v Netherlands, OH; Zimbabwe v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), Queens Sports Club (QSC); Afghanistan v Scotland, BAC

Tuesday, 6 March – PNG v Ireland, HSC; Windies v WCL Div.2 (winner), OH; Zimbabwe v Afghanistan, QSC; Scotland v Hong Kong, BAC

Thursday, 8 March – Netherlands v WCL Div.2 (winner), HSC; Windies v PNG, OH; Scotland v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), QSC; Afghanistan v Hong Kong, BAC

Saturday, 10 March – Windies v Ireland, HSC; PNG v Netherlands, OH; Zimbabwe v Hong Kong, QSC; Afghanistan v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), BAC

Monday, 12 March – Windies v Netherlands, HSC; Ireland v WCL Div.2 (winners), OH; Hong Kong v WCL Div.2 (runners-up), QSC; Zimbabwe v Scotland, BAC

Super Sixes

Thursday, 15 March – A1 v B1, HSC; A3 v B3, QSC; A5 v B4 (play-off), OH; A4 v B5 (play-off), KK

Friday, 16 March – A2 v B2, HSC

Saturday, 17 March – 9^th/10^th position play-off, OH; 7^th/8^th position play-off, KK

Sunday, 18 March – A2 v B3, HSC

Monday, 19 March – A1 v B2, HSC

Tuesday, 20 March – A3 v B1, HSC

Thursday, 22 March – A1 v B3, HSC; A3 v B2, OH

Friday, 23 March – A2 v B1, HSC

Sunday, 25 March – FINAL, HSC

ABOUT THE ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

·        The tournament was known as the ICC Trophy until 2005 and started in 1979

·        Four Test sides, Bangladesh (1997), Ireland (2009), Sri Lanka (1979), and Zimbabwe (1982, 1986 and 1990), have previously won the tournament. Other winners are the Netherlands (2001), Scotland (2005 and 2014) and United Arab Emirates (1994)

·        The Netherlands and Papua New Guinea are the only sides who have featured in all tournaments since 1979

·        For the 2018 event, the Windies, Ireland, the Netherlands, Papua New Guinea and winners of the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 make up Group A, while Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Hong Kong and runners-up of the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 form Group B.
 
·        Each side will play the other teams in their group once with the top three from the groups progressing to the Super Six stage.
 
·        The teams each play three Super Six matches against the sides they did not meet in the group stage. All points won in the groups will be carried over to the Super Six stage apart from those gained against the bottom two from each group.
 
·        The finalists will both progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, whilst the Netherlands (ICC World Cricket League Championship winners) and the three highest finishing associate Members will earn ODI status for the next four years till 2022.

Monster Powered West Indies thrash India to move into Final #Wt20 - Semi Final Highlights

ICC #WT20 West Indies v India - Semi-Final Highlights

Kohli and Badree to enter knockout stage as top ranked batsman and bowler & Shane Watson retires as number-one ranked T20I all-rounder

#WT20

Kohli and Badree to enter knockout stage as top ranked batsman and bowler

·         Root vaults 38 places to 11^th, Afghanistan players also on the charge

·         Shane Watson retires as number-one ranked T20I all-rounder

·         India holds on to No.1 spot, New Zealand leapfrogs West Indies and South Africa into second position

Four of the top five sides on the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Rankings will feature in the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, which will be played in Delhi and Mumbai on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

Number-one ranked India will go head to head with third-ranked West Indies in Mumbai on Thursday, while in the first semi-final in Delhi on Wednesday, second-ranked New Zealand will square-off against fifth-ranked England.

India has retained its pre-tournament ranking as well as points, while the West Indies has gained two points to move to 120. This means both the former champions, who each won three of their four second round matches, are now separated by seven points.

In contrast, New Zealand, which has been the only unbeaten side in the competition to date, has earned six points to rise to 122 and has consequently moved up two places to second. Its semi-final opponent and 2010 champion, England, has also collected three points and is now seven points behind on 115 after winning three of its four matches.

This comparison reflects that the knockout stage of the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016 promises to be as exciting, entertaining and thrilling as displayed in the 32 matches to date.

Meanwhile, there has been a reshuffling of the pack in the MRF Tyres ICC T20I Player Rankings as leading performers have been rewarded for their good performances.

India's Virat Kohli, who averages 92 after scoring 184 runs in four matches at a strike-rate of over 132, has reclaimed the number-one batting position. Kohli had entered the tournament 24 points behind Aaron Finch, but has now opened up a 68-point advantage over the Australian.

England's Joe Root has rocketed 38 places to career-high 11^th after scoring168 runs in four matches at a strike-rate of 150. The Yorkshireman has gained 105 points in the tournament to date as he now has Zimbabwe's eighth-ranked Hamilton Masakadza firmly within his sights.

Martin Guptill is New Zealand's highest-ranked batsman after the opener has moved up two places to third following his contribution of 125 runs in three matches at a strike-rate of over 162.

West Indies' flamboyant Chris Gayle has gained one place and is now ranked sixth after scoring 104 runs in two innings at a stunning strike-rate of 208.

In the bowlers' table, West Indies' Samuel Badree has returned in number-one position. Badree has taken six wickets in four matches to date, while India's Ravichandaran Ashwin has dropped from number-one spot to third after managing just four wickets in as many matches.

New Zealand's Adam Milne and India's trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Ashish Nehra are the bowlers who have made impressive gains and are expected to feature in the final leg of what has been a highly-competitive tournament to date.

Milne's three wickets in three matches have helped him rise six places to sixth, Jadeja's four wickets in four matches have moved him up three places to seventh, Bumrah's three wickets in four matches have lifted him 13 places to 13^th and Nehra has leaped 14 places to 16^th following his four wickets in as many matches.

Shane Watson of Australia has signed off on his T20I career as the number-one ranked all-rounder. In the batting charts, Watson finished in 10^th spot (up by three places) after scoring 96 runs, while he has ended up in 29^th spot (up by five places) in the bowlers' list after taking five wickets in four matches.

Afghanistan, which consistently produced solid performances and eventually caused the biggest upset of the tournament to date by defeating the West Indies, has seen a number of players head in an upward direction.

In the batting table, opener Mohammad Shahzad is now eighth (up by three places), while Asghar Stanikzai is 47^th (up by six places). In the bowlers' table, Mohammad Nabi is ninth (up by 11 places), Rashid Khan is 11^th (up by 68 places) and Hamza Hotak is 18^th (up by 22 places).

Batsmen to improve their rankings but will no more feature in the tournament include South Africa's Hashim Amla (12^th, up by nine places), Sabbir Rahman of Bangladesh (16^th, up by four places), Quinton de Kock of South Africa (17^th, up by seven places) and Australia's Glenn Maxwell (20^th, up by 11 places).

Bowlers to head in the right direction are South Africa's Kyle Abbott (fifth, up by six places), James Faulkner of Australia (eighth, up by 28 places), Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh (19^th, up by eight places), Australia's Nathan Coulter-Nile (20^th, up by 27 places) and Kagiso Rabada of South Africa (22^nd, up by seven places).

While the team rankings will be updated after each match, the player rankings will now be updated after the final of the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016.

The T20I predictor function is available here.

MRF Tyres ICC T20I Rankings (as on 29 March, after the completion of league matches in the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016)

Rank   Team              Points (+/-)

1.      India                127 (-)

2.      New Zealand  122 (+6)

3.      West Indies     120 (+2)

4.      South Africa   115 (-3)

5.      England           115 (+3)

6.      Australia          112 (+1)

7.      Pakistan           107 (-3)

8.      Sri Lanka         105 (-4)

9.      Afghanistan    81 (+4)

10.  Bangladesh     74 (-)

11.  Scotland          59 (+10)

12.  Netherlands     59 (-)

13.  Zimbabwe       57 (-3)

14.  Hong Kong     44 (-5)

15.  UAE                43 (-)

16.  Ireland             39 (-9)

17.  Oman              37 (+5)

(Developed by David Kendix)

MRF Tyres ICC T20I Player Rankings (as on 29 March, after the completion of league matches in the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016)

Batsmen (top 25)

Rank      (+/-)        Player                   Team     Pts          Avge      S/Rate    HS Rating
   1           (+1)         Virat Kohli            Ind          871         55.42     133         897 v Eng at Edgbaston 2014
   2           (-1)          Aaron Finch          Aus         803         38.96     150         892 v Ban at Mirpur 2014
   3           (+2)         Martin Guptill       NZ          762         35.11     131         793 v SA at Hamilton 2012
   4           (-1)          Faf du Plessis        SA           741         37.68     133         843 v Ban at Mirpur 2015
   5           (-1)          Alex Hales            Eng         737         32.40     135         866 v Ind at Edgbaston 2014
   6           (+1)         Chris Gayle           WI          724         36.82     146         831 v Aus at Colombo (RPS) 2012
   7           (-1)          Kane Williamson NZ          718         34.62     125         737 v Pak at Hamilton 2016
   8           ( - )          H. Masakadza     Zim         677         30.28     120         699 v Ban at Khulna 2016
   9           (+3)         M. Shahzad          Afg         674         29.71     136         690 v SA at Mumbai 2016
  10         (+3)         Shane Watson      Aus         664         29.24     145         832 v SA at Colombo (RPS) 2012
  11         (+38)      Joe Root                                Eng         651*      36.64     139         653 v SA at Mumbai 2016
  12         (+9)         Hashim Amla       SA           646         31.50     129         657 v Eng at Mumbai 2016
  13         (-3)          Eoin Morgan        Eng         643         29.65     133         872 v Ind at Old Trafford 2011
  14         (-5)          David Warner       Aus         639         28.15     140         826 v WI at St Lucia 2010
  15         (-1)          T. Dilshan              SL           638         28.98     121         802 v NZ at Colombo (RPS) 2009
  16         (+4)         Sabbir Rahman   Ban        632         30.20     120         644 v Ind at Bengaluru 2016
  17=       (-6)          Rohit Sharma       Ind          619         30.46     127         681 v Ban at Mirpur 2016
                (+7)         Quinton de Kock SA           619         29.68     128         631 v WI at Nagpur 2016
  19         (-4)          JP Duminy            SA           612         38.46     124         713 v NZ at Chittagong 2014
  20         (+11)      Glenn Maxwell     Aus         611!       22.62     154         611 v Ind at Mohali 2016
  21         (-4)          Umar Akmal        Pak         605         26.80     123         709 v Zim at Harare 2011
  22         (-6)          Suresh Raina        Ind          598         29.34     133         776 v Eng at Kolkata 2011
  23         (-4)          Marlon Samuels  WI          585         28.10     120         723 v Ban at Mirpur 2012
  24=       (+5)         Ahmed Shehzad  Pak         553         24.97     114         709 v Ban at Mirpur 2014
                (+3)         Stephan Myburgh               Net          553         26.50     123         585 v NEP at Rotterdam 2015

Bowlers (top 25)

Rank      (+/-)        Player   Team     Pts          Avge      Eco.        HS Rating Ranking
   1           (RE)        Samuel Badree    WI          753        14.75     5.40       855 v Pak at Mirpur 2014
   2           ( - )          Imran Tahir          SA           740!       15.37     6.48       740 v SL at Delhi 2016
   3           (-2)          R. Ashwin              Ind          725         21.74     6.87       765 v SL at Visakhapatnam 2016
   4           (-1)          Shahid Afridi        Pak         674         24.35     6.61       814 v SL at Colombo (RPS) 2009
   5           (+6)         Kyle Abbott          SA           671!       22.26     7.96       671 v SL at Delhi 2016
   6           (+6)         Adam Milne         NZ          648*      20.52     7.28       661 v Pak at Mohali 2016
   7           (+3)         Ravindra Jadeja  Ind          645         29.10     6.88       651 v Pak at Mirpur 2016
   8           (+28)      James Faulkner    Aus         641!       20.29     8.19       641 v Ind at Mohali 2016
   9=        (+11)      Mohammad Nabi               Afg         638!       23.95     6.90       638 v WI at Nagpur 2016
                (-4)          M. McClenaghan NZ          638         24.46     7.69       649 v Aus at Dharamsala 2016
  11         (+68)      Rashid Khan        Afg         633*!    19.78     6.83       633 v WI at Nagpur 2016
  12         (-5)          David Wiese         SA           632*      20.70     7.60       646 v WI at Nagpur 2016
  13=       (-5)          Shakib Al Hasan Ban        631         20.32     6.74       672 v Pak at Mirpur 2014
                (+13)      Jasprit Bumrah    Ind          631*!    19.66     6.37       631 v Aus at Mohali 2016
  15         (-11)       Graeme Cremer   Zim         630         16.59     6.72       669 v Ban at Khulna 2016
  16         (+14)      Ashish Nehra        Ind          618!       20.73     7.77       618 v Aus at Mohali 2016
  17         (-3)          Al-Amin Hossain Ban        612         15.17     7.46       633 v OMA at Dharamsala 2016
  18         (+22)      Hamza Hotak      Afg         604*!    23.26     7.01       604 v WI at Nagpur 2016
  19         (+8)         M. Rahman          Ban        600*!    13.95     5.98       600 v NZ at Kolkata 2016
  20=       (-2)          N. McCullum        NZ          594         22.03     6.82       709 v Zim at Harare 2011
                (+27)      N. Coulter-Nile     Aus         594*!    25.33     8.18       594 v Ind at Mohali 2016
  22         (+7)         Kagiso Rabada    SA           583*      22.63     8.25       595 v WI at Nagpur 2016
  23         (+5)         T van der Gugten Net          582*      19.39     6.77       605 v Ban at Dharamsala 2016
  24         (-8)          M. Bukhari           Net          579         18.13     6.64       616 v NEP at Amstelveen 2015
  25=       (-19)       Dawlat Zadran     Afg         574         23.02     7.60       636 v Zim at Sharjah 2016
                (-16)       S. Senanayake     SL           574         19.33     6.35       712 v Eng at The Oval 2014

All-rounders (top 10)

Rank      (+/-)        Player                   Team     Pts          Highest Ranking
   1           ( - )          Shane Watson      Aus         373        557 v SA at Colombo (RPS) 2012
   2           ( - )          Shakib Al Hasan Ban        346        408 v Pak at Mirpur 2015
   3           ( - )          Shahid Afridi        Pak         332        413 v NZ at Dubai 2009
   4           (+3)         Glenn Maxwell     Aus         329!       329 v Ind at Mohali 2016
   5           ( - )          Marlon Samuels  WI          276        321 v SL at Mirpur 2014
   6           (+5)         Mohammad Nabi               Afg         274        276 v Eng at Delhi 2016
   7           (-1)          Yuvraj Singh        Ind          273        363 v Aus at Rajkot 2013
   8           (-4)          M. Hafeez             Pak         271        441 v SL at Dubai 2013
   9           ( - )          Dwayne Bravo     WI          268!       268 v Afg at Nagpur 2016
  10         (-2)          Angelo Mathews  SL           257        289 v NZ at New Plymouth 2016
 

​West Indies stuns Pakistan by five wickets to enter semi-finals

​​

West Indies stuns Pakistan by five wickets to enter semi-finals

Umaid's brilliant 113 goes in vain as half-centuries by Hetmyer and Imlach help the Windies chase down Pakistan's 227 with 10 overs to spare

·       West Indies squares off against host Bangladesh in second semi-final on Thursday

·       India meets Sri Lanka in Tuesday's first semi-final on Tuesday

Hetmyer and Imlach

Skipper Shimron Hetmyer and Tevin Imlach hit half-centuries as the West Indies upset Pakistan by five wickets to cruise into the semi-finals of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh on Monday.

Hetmyer scored 52 and Imlach made 54 to ensure a gallant 113 by Umaid Masood went in vain as the West Indies surpassed Pakistan's 227 for six with 10 overs to spare in Fatullah.

The West Indies take on host Bangladesh in the second semi-final in Mirpur on Thursday. India plays Sri Lanka in the first semi-final at the same venue on Tuesday.

Pakistan's defeat prevented an all-Asian semi-final despite Umaid's man of the match-winning performance, but the West Indies played better all-round cricket to emerge deserved winner.

Umaid came to the crease in the 15^th over with Pakistan struggling at 40 for four and rebuilt the innings in the company of Salman Fayyaz after half the side was back in the hut by the 21^st over.

Umaid, who had scored 13 not out and 10 in previous matches in the tournament, hit 15 boundaries and two sixes before he was out in the final over.

Salman remained unbeaten on a defiant half-century, which included three hits to the fence and a six.

The revival came after a two-wicket burst by seamer Chemar Holder and fiery fast bowling by Alzarri Joseph, who conceded just 28 runs in his 10 overs.

Once Joseph's spell finished in the 36^th over, Pakistan added a further 109 runs to set the West Indies a challenging target.

The Caribbean flair was evident as the West Indies raced to 100 for one by the 16^th over.

Hetmyer and Imlach put on 77 for the second wicket to take the score to 122 for one, before two needless run outs saw the total slip to 147 for four.

Shamar Springer was the fifth batsman to fall for 37 when 38 runs were still needed for victory, but Jyd Goolie (26 not out) and Keemo Paul (24 not out) saw their side home.

"This is a wonderful result for us," said Hetmyer. "It feels good to be through to the semi-finals.

"We just stuck to our plans and executed what we had worked on at practice. It was probably a good toss to lose because our bowlers did very well to take those early wickets."

Pakistan's captain Zeeshan Malik congratulated the West Indies, but felt his team should have defended its score.

"Our plan had been to get around 235 because we had the bowlers who were capable of defending it," he said. "I thought we put up a good score despite the poor start.

"But I must give credit to the West Indies batsmen for playing so aggressively and chasing down the target."

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe upset the tournament's defending champion South Africa by eight wickets to enter the Plate Championship final for teams that finished outside the top eight.

Left-arm seamer Richard Ngarava grabbed four for 10 in nine overs as South Africa was shot out for 91, a modest target that Zimbabwe overtook in 22 overs after an unbeaten 34 from Jeremy Ives.

Zimbabwe will take on the winner of the other semi-final between Afghanistan and New Zealand in the final on 12 February.

In a play-off for minor placings, Scotland defeated Fiji by 76 runs in another Plate match in Cox's Bazar.

Scores in brief:
Super League quarter-final: West Indies beat Pakistan by five wickets in Fatullah
Pakistan 227-6, 50 overs (Umaid Masood 113, Salman Fayyaz 58 not out; Chemar Holder 2-26)
West Indies 229-5, 40 overs (Tevin Imlach 54, Shimron Hetmyer 52, Shamar Springer 37)

Plate Championship semi-final: Zimbabwe beat South Africa by eight wickets in Cox's Bazar
South Africa 91 all out, 39.5 overs (Rivaldo Moonsamy 32; Richard Ngarava 4-10, Rugare Magarira 2-11)
Zimbabwe 94-2, 22 overs (Jeremy Ives 34 not out, Ryan Murray 26 not out)

Plate Championship play-off (13^th place): Scotland beat Fiji by 76 runs in Cox's Bazar
Scotland 225 all out, 48.1 overs (Finlay McCreath 60, Owais Shah 39; Cakacaka Tikoisuva 4-46)
Fiji 149 all out, 42.2 overs (Peni Vuniwaqa 80; Cameron Sloman 3-30, Finlay McCreath 3-48)

Forthcoming matches
9 Feb - India v Sri Lanka, Mirpur (Super League semi-final)
9 Feb - New Zealand v Afghanistan, Cox's Bazar (Plate Championship semi-final)
9 Feb – Nepal v Pakistan, Fatullah (5^th place play/off semi-final)
10 Feb – England v Namibia, Fatullah (5^th place play/off semi-final)
10 Feb – Ireland v Scotland, Cox's Bazar (13^th/14^th place play/off)
11 Feb - Bangladesh v West Indies, Mirpur (Super League semi-final)
11 Feb – 7^th place play/off, Fatullah (teams TBC)
11 Feb – Canada v Fiji, Cox's Bazar (15^th /16^th place play/off)

#CPL16 CPL announces record applications for CPL Player Draft 2016

#CPL16

CPL announces record applications for CPL Player Draft 2016

Tom Moody hails "most competitive roster" in CPL history

Badree, Bravo brothers, Gayle, Narine, Pollard, Sammy and Simmons in as West Indies talent pool increases by 22%

Afridi, Dilshan, Malinga, Misbah, Shakib and Wahab lead strong Asian presence

Amla, Miller, Philander, Morkel and Tahir named in 34-strong South African contingent

Overseas players increase by 18% from 14 countries ahead of 11 February Player Draft

A record number of local and international stars have been officially registered for the HERO Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Player Draft which takes place on 11 February in Barbados.

Commenting on this year's record list of applicants both in the West Indies and across the world, Director of International Cricket for CPL, Tom Moody said: "Some of the leading names in world cricket have signalled their intentions to join the biggest party in sport at the CPL, so this year's competition is sure to be our most exciting to date.

"Outside of our 'marquee' players, there are international players of the highest standard including a host of World champions, and a myriad of players who continue to entertain and enrich the global game.

"It is without doubt our most competitive roster and it is exciting to see such a high standard across the established and emerging nations around the world. That players from 14 nations have entered the Draft illustrates the global reach of the CPL, and with a sizable increase in the West Indies contingent which is up by over one-fifth this year, it is clear that the T20 game is growing from strength to strength."

Amongst the list of West Indies talent who are in the frame for the six franchises this year are stars of the calibre of Chris Gayle (a winner of the inaugural competition with Jamaica Tallawahs back in 2013), West Indies World T20 captain Darren Sammy and Lendl Simmons.

Darren and Dwayne Bravo are set to join the number one ranked T20 international bowler Samuel Badree, as well as Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard, who was such a driving force in Barbados reaching last year's final before being edged by eventual winners Trinidad & Tobago.

To supplement the outstanding pool of local talent on display, some of the biggest names in international cricket will bid to join the five marquee players - Faf du Plessis, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Kumar Sangakkara and Shane Watson - who were confirmed last week.

Amongst the assembled overseas stars is a 34-strong South African contingent headed by prolific top order batsman Hashim Amla, leg-spinner Imran Tahir and fast bowler Morne Morkel.

There is sure to be a strong Pakistan presence in the tournament, which takes place from the end of June until the beginning of August, with one of the stars of last year's CPL for Barbados Shoaib Malik included amongst a plethora of big names including Shahid Afridi, Misbah-Ul-Haq (who has played in both St Lucia and Barbados to date) and left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz.

Across the continents, there will be seven Bangladesh (including Shakib Al Hasan who is one of the finest all-rounders in world cricket), while there will also be seven Afghanistan players which is indicative of their recent rise in the shortest format of the game. Sri Lanka, currently ranked third in the T20 team rankings, will have 20 representatives in the frame including legends Tillakaratne Dilshan and Lasith Malinga will be looking to join their compatriot Sangakkara.

There will be 23 players from Australia in the Draft, including a blend of experience in Brad Haddin, Brad Hodge and Michael Hussey allied to a crop of up-and-coming talent, and a further 11 New Zealanders, including the likes of Nathan McCullum.

Of the current ICC World T20 player rankings, nine of the top 20 batsmen could be set to feature in this summer's CPL: du Plessis (fourth place), Guptill (fifth), Gayle (seventh), Zimbabwe's Hamilton Masakadza (eighth), Afghanistan's Mohammad Shahzad (ninth), Dilshan (13^th), Brendon McCullum (15^th), Watson (17^th) and Umar Akmal (18^th).

Four of the top five bowlers in the T20 rankings are also in the frame with the list headed by West Indian leg-spinner Badree, Afridi (third), Sachithra Senanayake (fourth) and Graeme Cremer (fifth), with Malinga (seventh) and Tahir (ninth) also amongst the leading lights in contention.

With coveted spots up for grabs from the ICC Americas region, there is sure to be a lot of interest across North America as players from Canada (seven) and the USA (10), who recently competed in the Nagico Super 50 competition, all aim to book one of the six coveted places.

England (two), Ireland (two), Scotland (two) and Netherlands (one) will be the European representatives hoping to secure a place in the CPL.

Sixteen of the 157 West Indies players to register have already been retained ahead of the draft, leaving 141 eligible for selection on draft day. This is 25 more than the 116 who vied for spots at last year's Draft and represents a 22% increase. Coupled with an 18% increase in international player registration, this is further illustration of the CPL's growing stature as one of the foremost tournaments in T20 cricket.

Players Registered for 2016 CPL Draft*:

AFGHANISTAN (7): Nawroz Mangal, Mohammad Nabi, Zadran Najibullah, Mohammad Shahzad, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohamad Asghar Stanikzai, Shapoor Zadran

AUSTRALIA (23): Tom Beaton, Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Doug Bollinger, Ben Cutting, Ben Dunk (Hawksbills 2014), Cameron Gannon, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Brad Hodge (Warriors 2015), Brad Hogg (Hawksbills 2014), Michael Hussey, Ben Laughlin (Hawksbills 2014), Tim Ludeman, Chris Lynn (Tallawahs 2015), Tim Paine, Jimmy Pearson, Nathan Reardon, Ben Rohrer, Alex Ross, Shaun Tait, Jonathan Wells, Adam Zampa

BANGLADESH (7): Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Keyes, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mustafizur Rahman, Soumya Sarkar

CANADA (7): Navneet Dhaliwal**, Nikhil Dutta (Patriots, 2015), Jeremy Gordon**, Ruvindu Gunesekera**, Nitish Kumar**, Hamza Tariq**, Srimantha Wijeyeratne**

ENGLAND (2): Azeem Rafiq, Owais Shah (Tallawahs 2014)

IRELAND (2): George Dockrell, Kevin O'Brien (Red Steel 2013 & 2014)

NETHERLANDS (1): Mudassar Bukhari

NEW ZEALAND (11): Doug Bracewell, Tom Bruce, Anton Cevcich, Grant Elliott, Roneel Hira, Nathan McCullum (Zouks, 2015), Colin Munro, Tarun Nethula, Ish Sodhi, Ben Wheeler, George Worker

PAKISTAN (37): Ehsan Adil, Shahid Afridi, Iftikhar Ahmad, Sarfraz Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal (Hawksbills 2013), Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal (Amazon Warriors 2015), Fawad Alam, Anwar Ali, Azhar Ali, Umar Amin, Mohammed Amir, Muhammad Asif, Hammad Azam, Zulfiqar Babar, Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Mohammed Hafeez, Muhammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Junaid Khan, Shahzaib Hassan Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Shaoib Malik (Tridents, 2015), Saqlain Mushtaq, Rana Naveed, Abdur Rehman, Wahab Riaz, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Sami, Asad Shafiq, Ahmad Shahzad, Sohail Tanveer (Zouks 2014 & Patriots 2015), Misbah-ul-Haq (Zouks 2013 & Tridents 2015), Tofeeq Umer, Imad Wasim

SCOTLAND (2): Majid Haq, Safyann Sharif

SOUTH AFRICA (34): Qaasim Adams, Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, Henry Davids (Zouks, 2014 and 2015), Marchant de Lange (Warriors, 2015), Cameron Delport (Red Steel, 2015), Dean Elgar, Herschelle Gibbs (Zouks, 2013), Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Christiaan Jonker, Eddie Leie (Zouks, 2015), Sisanda Magala, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Dane Paterson, Robin Petersen (Tridents, 2015), Dwaine Pretorius, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi (Patriots, 2015), Mthokozisi Shezi, Jon Jon Smuts, Imran Tahir, Hendrik Erasmus Van Der Dussen, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Morne Van Wyk, Stjaan Van Zyl, Hardus Viljoen, David Weise, Khaya Zondo

SRI LANKA (20): Dushmantha Chameera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Dilhara Fernando, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Lasith Malinga (Amazon Warriors 2013), Ajantha Mendis, Jeevan Mendis (Tridents 2015), Dilshan Munaweera (Tridents 2015), Thisara Perera, Dhammika Prasad, Gihan Rupasinghe, Prasanna Seekkuge, Sachithra Senanayake, Dasun Shanaka, Kaushal Silva, Milinda Siriwardana, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kithuruwan Vithanage

USA (10): Danial Ahmed**, Timory Allen**, Muhammad Ahsan Ali Khan**, Alex Amsterdam**, Thomas "Boomer" Collins, Akeem Dodson**, Muhammad Ghous**, Timil Patel**, Hammad Shahid**, Steven Taylor** (Tridents, 2015)

WEST INDIES – drafted in 2015 (67): Justin Athanaze (Patriots), Samuel Badree (Red Steel), Christopher Barnwell (Warriors), Ronsford Beaton (Warriors), Sulieman Benn (Red Steel), David Bernard Jnr (Tallawahs), Tino Best (Zouks), Devendra Bishoo (Warriors), Jermaine Blackwood (Tallawahs), Nkrumah Bonner (Tallawahs), Carlos Brathwaite (Patriots), Darren Bravo (Red Steel), Dwayne Bravo (Red Steel), Jonathan Carter (Tridents), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Warriors), Johnson Charles (Zouks), Kevon Cooper (Red Steel), Kyle Corbin (Tridents, 2015), Sheldon Cotterell (Patriots), Miguel Cummins (Hawksbills 2014 and Red Steel 2015), Derrone Davis (Red Steel), Narsingh Deaonarine (Warriors and Tallawahs), Mark Deyal (Red Steel, WI U19), Shane Dowrich (Patriots), Rayad Emrit (Tridents), Fidel Edwards (Red Steel and Zouks), Andre Fletcher (Zouks), Assad Fudadin (Warriors), Shannon Gabriel (Red Steel 2013-14 and Zouks 2015), Chris Gayle (Tallawahs), Trevon Griffith (Warriors), Shai Hope (Tridents), Akeal Hosein (Tridents), Delorn Johnson (Zouks), Keddy Lesporis (Zouks), Evin Lewis (Patriots), Ramaal Lewis (Tallawahs, WI U19), Horace Miller (Tallawahs), Nikita Miller (Tallawahs), Jason Mohammed (Red Steel), Sunil Narine (Red Steel), Ashley Nurse (Tridents), William Perkins (Tridents 2014 and Red Steel 2015), Verasammy Permaul (Warriors), Orlando Peters (Hawksbills 2014 and Patriots 2015), Kieron Pollard (Tridents), Nicholas Pooran (Red Steel 2013 and Patriots 2015), Gidron Pope (Zouks, WI U19), Denesh Ramdin (Warriors), Ravi Rampaul (Tridents), Raymon Reifer (Patriots, Tridents), Kemar Roach (Zouks, 2015), Andre Russell (Tallawahs), Darren Sammy (Zouks), Marlon Samuels, Krishmar Santokie (Warriors, Tallawahs), Javon Sarles (Red Steel), Liam Sebastien (Zouks), Lendl Simmons (Warriors), Dwayne Smith (Tridents), Navin Stewart (Warriors 2014 and Tridents 2015), Jacques Taylor (Patriots), Jerome Taylor (Tallawahs), Devon Thomas (Patriots), Chadwick Walton (Tallawahs), Jomel Warrican (Patriots), Tonito Willett (Patriots), Paul Wintz (Warriors)

WEST INDIES – undrafted in 2015 (90): Adrian Ali, Sunil Ambris (Zouks, 2014), Jonathan Augustus, Robin Bacchus (Warriors, 2014), Orlando Baker, Miles Bascombe, Carlton Baugh (Tallawahs, 2014), Alton Beckford, Quinton Boatswain, Nelson Bolan, Anthony Bramble, Justin Brathwaite, Shamarh Brooks, Odean Brown (Tallawahs, 2014), Cassius Burton, John Campbell, Yannick Cariah, Khismar Catlin, Bryan Charles, Roston Chase, Derwin Christian, Rahkeem Cornwall (Hawksbills, 2014), Royston Crandon, Daron Cruickshank, Dane Currency, Kirk Edwards (Tridents replacement, 2014), Jonathan Foo (Warriors, 2013), Nicholson Gordon, Jamar Griffith, Justin Guillen, Jahmar Hamilton, Keon Harding, Jermaine Harrison, Ryan Hinds, Alcindo Holder, Chaim-Alexis Holder, Kyle Hope, Danza Hyatt (Hawksbills, 2014), Damion Jacobs, Steven Jacobs (Warriors, 2014), Jonruss Jaggesar, Ricky Jaipaul, Amir Jangoo, Shane Jeffers, Leon Johnson (Warriors 2014), Keon Joseph, Kavesh Kantasingh, Steven Ketwaroo, Imran Khan (Tridents replacement, 2015), Brandon King, Yannick Leonard, Kennar Lewis (Red Steel, 2014), Steve Liburd, Jeremiah Louis, Garey Mathurin (Zouks,2014), Andre McCarthy, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley, Wayne Morgan, Shayne Moseley, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Yannick Ottley, Shane Parris, Christopher Powell, Kieran Powell (Hawksbills, 2013), Rovman Powell, Kristopher Ramsaran, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Daniel St Clair, Dario Seale, Akeel Seetal, Shane Shillingford (Zouks, 2013-14), Gajanand Singh, Vishaul Singh, Kerwyn Sirju, Devon Smith (Zouks, 2013), Michael Sobers, Nicholas Sookdeosingh, Kevin Stoute, Jameel Stuart, Aldaine Thomas, Shacaya Thomas (Hawksbills replacement, 2014), Gavin Tonge (Hawksbills, 2014), Gavin Wallace, Hayden Walsh, Kelbert Walters, Marlon Welcome-Goodman, Kenroy Williams, Philton Williams

ZIMBABWE (3): Elton Chigumbura (Tridents 2014), Graeme Cremer, Hamilton Masakadza

*This total excludes the six "marquee" players; Faf du Plessis (South Africa), Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum (both New Zealand), Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) and Shane Watson (Australia), with the final name to be announced ahead of the Player Draft.

**Denotes ICC Americas squad members