Qualifiers’ schedule announced

Calcutta: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced the schedule for the inaugural six-team ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier (WT20 Qualifier), to be held in Ireland from August 2 to 4, says A Staff Reporter.

According to an ICC release, Kenya and the Netherlands will play the first match in Stormont and Belfast will host three matches per day with in the final on August 4.

At stake, apart from the pride of being the top associate team in this form of the game, will be a place in the ICC World Twenty20 2009 being staged in England. Both finalists from this event will qualify for the big one which will take place at Lord’s, the Oval and Trent Bridge next June.

The WT20 Qualifier involves two groups of three teams playing a total of nine matches over three days. Ireland, Scotland and Bermuda make up group A while Kenya, the Netherlands and Canada will fight it out for supremacy of group B.

THE SCHEDULE

August 2: Group B – Kenya v Netherlands; Group A — Ireland v Scotland; Group B – Netherlands v Canada;

August 3 — Group B — Scotland vs Bermuda; Group A – Kenya vs Canada; Group B – Ireland vs Bermuda; August 4 — Semi-final 1 (Group A winner vs Group B runner-up); Semi-final 2 (Group A runner-up vs Group B winner); Final;

August 5 — Reserve day

Ricky on top

Melbourne: Ricky Ponting remains Australia’s most marketable athlete and cricketers, both retired and contemporary who occupy six of the top 10 places in the chart, according to a recent study here.

The study of Australia’s most marketable sportspersons found Ponting clings on to the top spot for the second year running.

Former wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist follows his former captain at number two, ahead of swimmers Grant Hackett and Ian ‘Thorpedo’ Thorpe.

Asif decision

Karachi: The Dubai attorney-general is likely to take up the case of detained pacer Mohammed Asif on Sunday and may perhaps even deliver a verdict on the same day, according to the Pakistan Embassy in Dubai.

Dismissing media reports that Asif might be deported on Friday, a senior official of the Embassy in Dubai said, “I think if any decision was taken to deport him, we would know about it.”

Curator advice

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) Global Cricket Academy chief curator Tony Hemming shared tricks of making quality pitches with Pakistani groundstaff at a three-day seminar in Lahore.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had invited Hemming to talk to more than 30 participants.

Eves camp

Calcutta: A physical conditioning camp for the Indian women team will be organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ahead of their visit to England in August, says A Staff Reporter.