ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: Bangalore cops, KSCA lock horns over security

Gangsters are cashing in on the cricket fever that has gripped the sub-continent ahead of the World Cup, and are selling tickets for the tournament in the black market. On Tuesday, Bangalore police arrested a man and recovered 80 tickets to the members’ stand from him. His associate, however, escaped arrest.

Umesh Shetty, 23, was arrested while trying to sell the tickets outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the Bangalore venue of the tournament.

The recovery, however, has left the police stumped. The members’ stand tickets were sold at the counters. Still, black marketeers managed to get the tickets, and sell them for a higher price.

“No one but the Karnataka State Cricket Association members can get these tickets. We wonder how such a large number of members’ stand tickets are available in the black market. The members can avail the tickets by showing identity cards to the authorities at the stadium or the Karnataka State Cricket Association,” a police officer said, adding that he suspected some members might also be involved in the racket.

An executive member of the Karnataka State Cricket Association said the tickets recovered could be fake, since the game body was yet to get the passes from the Board of Control for Cricket for the match between England and India on February 27.

BIG FM partners ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

Mumbai : Cricket and Bollywood are synonymous with entertainment in India and with the World Cup fever around the corner, 92.7 BIG FM the radio arm of Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (RBNL) announces its association with ‘ICC Cricket World Cup 2011’ as the official radio partner. Starting from February 7th 2011 – April 4th 2011, 92.7 BIG FM will entertain its listeners with live cricket action across its 45 station network. This celebration of cricket will last through out the World Cup with live match updates, detailed match analysis, rewarding contests and more…

As part of its promotion, 92.7 BIG FM will engage and entertain its listeners with an innovative campaign called ‘Bollywood meets Cricket’; an action packed property that will offer listeners a chance to be part of their favourite Bollywood superstars team. This activity will see the celebrity-named teams fight against each other for the coveted title. Registered listeners from different teams will play against each other to answer 6 questions on their favourite superstar and the final winner will win goodies ranging from merchandise of the World Cup mascot, to movie tickets and world cup tickets etc.

During the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, 92.7 BIG FM will introduce famous RJ and stand-up comedian Udham Singh, who in his inimitable signature style and humour will comment on the preparation of the team before every match along with pre and post match analysis. Prior to every match, the radio station will treat its listeners with Pitch Report, Astro Prediction, Weather Report, Team Profiles, etc. Famous cricket commentators like Arun Lal, Charu Sharma will also come on air to provide expert comments during the match and explain finer details on the World Cup 2011. Post the cricket match, the RJ will also share match summaries with names of the best bowler, best batsman and best fielder.

92.7 BIG FM will bring the cricketing action alive on-ground by playing Power Cricket in Tier I and Tier II cities. The players can participate for the on-ground activities by answering the right question of their favourite Bollywood superstar and can win on the spot movie tickets.

The radio station also has an excellent line up of activities guaranteeing the highest excitement levels with their Cricket Microsite where listeners can register, choose their favourite team and play the game of Bollywood ka World Cup online. The website will also host audio podcasts of Udham Singh’s interstitials, expert comments on the game, RJ links of the game played, et al.

The holistic promotions will be taken on mobile through SMS led games that allows listeners to undertake net practice, as well as members who have registered for the service can predict about players and their team. The registered members will also get daily updates via mailers and SMS. The radio station further take the activity to social networking sites like Facebook wherein people can add an exciting gaming application and send challenges to their friends who can either bet on a match or a player.

BIG Street, the Out of Home arm of Reliance Broadcast network Limited will add to the excitement by projecting online game on LED screens wherein people around the LED screens can also get a chance to play the innovative game. This activity will be taken to Delhi Metros through a flip book that will be brought alive through innovative use of back to back site of DMRC. The creative will be designed such that when the train moves in or out of the station, the passengers inside will get an impression that the cricket ball is moving from one side to the other.

92.7 BIG FM will ensure maximum reach through multiple touch points for the ICC World Cup 2011 and also provide a 360 degree approach by offering integrated solutions through its various media verticals including BIG Digital that will offer online and mobile solutions along with an effective campaign to assure this activity permeates into consumer’s lives and garner great success

Commenting on the development, Soumen Ghosh Choudhary, Business Head 92.7 BIG FM, commented, “We are excited to be associated with this prestigious cricketing event and this campaign sets a new benchmark for the offerings of 92.7 BIG FM to its listeners. With hectic schedules it becomes difficult for cricket fans to follow all the matches, 92.7 BIG FM will provide its -listeners near live updates, match analysis and all the action right from the cricket field so that they can follow the game on the go. We will offer the perfect blend of Bollywood and cricket and give a chance to our listeners to be a part of the World Cup while allowing them a chance for excellent gratification too.”

World Cup will reverse poor perception of 50-over cricket: ICC

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat believesnext month''s cricket World Cup will dismiss fears of thedemise of the 50-over format of the game and prove that allthree formats can co-exist.

Buzz up!
"I think the talk of poor interest in 50-over cricket isoverstated. I firmly believe that all three forms of the game(Test, ODI and T20I) will co-exist and in fact thrive atinternational level," Lorgat told Espnstar.com.

"I hope that the ICC Cricket World Cup, being the game''sflagship event and cricket''s biggest prize, will add toreversing the poor perception of 50-over cricket as some ofthe recent matches already have.

"To be frank, the talk of a demise of 50-over ODI cricketis way out of whack with what we are experiencing. Players,spectators, TV viewers and administrators still see greatvalue in the ODI and I think we are very fortunate as a sportto have three viable formats that are so popular in their ownways. I can''t think of any other sport that enjoys such anembarrassment of riches in that way," he added.

Lorgat said 2011 will witness the most open andunpredictable ICC Cricket World Cup in history.

"This year''s event promises to be one of the most openand unpredictable in history. It seems to me that the topteams are all playing some wonderful cricket at present andthere is precious little to decide between them," he said.

"The Australians could make history by becoming the firstteam to win four in a row but they will be challenged as theyare not as dominant today as they were four years ago. Theother teams no doubt will sense an opportunity to wrestle ''TheCup that Counts'' from their tight grasp," he added.

The ICC CEO said the governing body doesn''t have plans totinker with the format of the game but it is ready to considerchanges if it is good for cricket.

"There are no plans to dramatically change the format ofthe 50-over game at international level. That said, weencourage our Members to experiment with different formats andinitiatives to see if there are ways it can be enhanced," hesaid.

"The ODI today has a very different look and feel to whatit was 40 years ago when the first match took place in 1971.

We have always embraced change and will continue to do so. Ifit''s good for ODIs we will consider it," he added.

The World Cup, which is being co-hosted by India, SriLanka and Bangladesh, will be starting from February 19 inDhaka.

ICC World Cup 'trophy' is also a star attraction

IT IS not that any only  handsome players or cheer leaders or a team is a star attraction in ICC World Cup. At the end of the day, it is the trophy which steals the show. From year 1975 to 1983, when the Prudential plc was the primary sponsors, the Prudential Cup trophy was awarded to the winners of the World Cup.

From 1999, the design of the World Cup trophy changed with change of sponsors. In the history of cricket world cup,  first three world cups had a similar trophy while 1987, 1992 and 1996 had different trophies due to different sponsors.

In 1999, International Cricket Council decided to award its own trophy and it is the first permanent prize in the tournament's history. Since, then ICC  Trophy has been designed and produced in London by Garrard & Co (the Crown Jewelers) and its team of artisans.

There are many new features in the ICC World cup trophy. The current trophy is made from silver and gold, 60 cm high and weighs approximately 11 kilograms. The main attraction is golden globe held by three silver columns. These three columns shaped as stumps and bails also represent three fundamentals aspects of cricket: which is batting, bowling and fielding. The big golden globe characterizes a cricket ball. Other attraction is that it is designed with platonic dimensions, so that it can be easily recognized from any angle.

In addition, all the previous world cup winners and their team names have inscribed on its base. Original trophy is kept at Dubai Office of ICC. A duplicate trophy resembling the original ICC Champions Trophy is given to the winning cricket team of the world cup.

BCCI to give students free tickets for World Cup

New Delhi: To ensure capacity crowd at the stadiums, the organising committee of the 2011 cricket World Cup has decided to distribute free tickets to school and college students.

Tournament director Ratnakar Shetty told reporters here Thursday that the organising committee is in talks with the sponsors and the host associations to work out how many tickets can be distributed among the students.

"We have decided to distribute free tickets among students. We have lots of sponsorship programmes through which we will be distributing the tickets. State associations will also have some quota for the students. We want the state associations to throw their gates open for the students," said Shetty.

Shetty, who is also the chief administrative officer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said that free tickets will be given to draw crowds, specially for the non-India matches.

"The real challenge is to bring in people for non-India games and one of the suggestions is to bring in school and college children," he said.

Shetty said that ICC officials have visited Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata to inspect the stadia, which have been renovated.

"All the three stadiums in Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata have undergone massive renovation. We have made sure that the stadiums have better spectator services, media facilities and proper set-up for the broadcaster," he said.

CWC 2011 50-day countdown celebrations in Cape Town

Cricket fans flocked to the picturesque and world famous V and A Waterfront in Cape Town on Friday evening to celebrate 50 days to go before the start of the game's flagship event, the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. The tournament begins in Mirpur, Dhaka, on 19 February with the much-anticipated opener between co-hosts Bangladesh and India. Joining the many followers of the game in Cape Town were Western Cape Premier Helen Zille, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat and South Africa and India captains, Graeme Smith and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The full version of the official promotional film for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 was also revealed at the press conference. This promotional film will be part of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 television marketing campaign that will go on air this month. The ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 trophy was later displayed at the function which concluded shortly after midnight with a spectacular fireworks display. The celebrations will continue today (Saturday) at the V and A Waterfront Shopping Centre with the fans having an opportunity to be photographed with The Cup that Counts.

Ms Zille, in her welcome address, said: "2010 will always be remembered as the year of a successful and exciting FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It is a fitting way to conclude 2010 by welcoming the ICC Cricket World Cup trophy to Cape Town." Mr Lorgat said he was delighted to see so much interest and excitement building up amongst the players and followers of the game. "With 50 days to go before cricket's flagship event starts, key players are starting to think and talk a lot more about the World Cup" "The players will soon start with their World Cup focus and preparation and the related anticipation across the world will escalate with each passing day."

With the three host nations busy with extensive preparation and recognizing that a few venues were behind schedule, Mr Lorgat urged everyone to continue with the hard work required to successfully stage a world-class event. "We must do our utmost to complete all the necessary work to deliver another memorable event," said Mr Lorgat. He also thanked the host countries and the ICC's commercial partners for their excellent work to date. South Africa captain Graeme Smith, whose side opens its campaign against two-time winner West Indies in New Delhi on 24 February, shared his excitement when he said: "I can't believe that the World Cup is only 50 days away! The spectacular way that 50 days to the World Cup was marked is a pointer to the magnitude of the event.

"As a unit, we are looking to make sure we head into the showpiece with the best preparation possible. "The five-match ODI series against India starting on 12 January will be our last chance to make sure we are fully prepared and we hope to bring home the silverware." India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he can feel the World Cup buzz around him. "With just 50 days remaining before we launch our campaign to win the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, I can clearly feel and sense the tremendous excitement which is gripping the cricket fraternity," he said.

"It is not a surprise to me as it doesn't get any bigger than the World Cup. It is the ultimate dream of every cricketer to represent his country in this competition and win the glittering trophy at least once in his career. "Every one of us in the India dressing room wants to lift that cup, not only for ourselves, but also for the billions of fans supporting us around the globe. It will require a lot of hard work, self belief and also a positive approach which Team India is capable of displaying at the highest level."

Commenting on his side's preparations for the World Cup, Dhoni said: "I'm happy with our preparations so far as we have gelled well, we have backed each other all the way and have played some excellent cricket lately. But we are also aware that we need to peak at the right time and maintain a winning momentum as the competition will be tough and every team will enter the event fancying its chances.

"Each team and match will bring a fresh challenge and we will have to play to our potential every time we take the field." The charismatic India captain urged the spectators to play their part in making the event the most successful ever. He said: "I also take this opportunity to urge the India public and spectators to support the tournament and all the teams taking part in it. I would love to see every stadium packed to capacity even when we are not playing. "With billions of eyes following the World Cup on television, this would be another great opportunity for us to showcase our love and passion for this great sport. Let us all unite and make the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in the subcontinent the best ever."

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 – Details

The ICC CWC 2011 will be played in the 50 over a side or ODI format. The top 14 cricketing nations will participate to vie for the prestigious top spot. The event opener has India taking on Bangladesh at the Dhaka on February 19th, 2011 post an elaborately planned opening ceremony and the final will take place at Wankhade Stadium, Mumbai on April 2nd, 2011. Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka are host nations and the matches are being played across 13 stadia spread across these three countries.

The 14 teams have been placed into two Groups, which are as follows:

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011  Group A : Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Canada & Kenya

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 Group B : India, South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland & the Netherlands

The tournament comprising of 49 matches will be played across a span of 42 days with India hosting 29 matches across eight venues including the finals and one semi-final. Sri Lanka will host 12 matches at three venues across the island nation; Bangladesh will host eight matches at two venues including the inaugural game and one quarter final, both to be played at Dhaka. The 10th edition of the ICC CWC is expected to be an intensely gruelling and fiercely competitive tournament between the 14 teams who will battle for a record prize pool of US $ 10 million.  All the matches will be aired live on ESPN Star Sports.