WICB SIGNS NEW DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH TEN SPORTS (4)

 

WICB SIGNS NEW DISTRIBUTION DEAL WITH TEN SPORTS

 

President Hunte Says Regional Cricket Development Will Benefit

The West Indies cricket board (WICB) has entered into a partnership with global media distribution giant, Ten Sports, to distribute television coverage of all cricket played in the West Indies between 2008 and 2012.

 Ten Sports will show the events on their channels in the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East and South East Asia and will distribute the events worldwide with the exception of the UK and Ireland, where Sky Sports has the rights, and in the Caribbean.

The President of the WICB, the Honourable Dr. Julian R. Hunte, in announcing the partnership with Ten Sports, said, “This deal with Ten Sports will give us the financial resources we need to support our strategic plan, the main goal of which is that West Indies cricket will regain its place at the pinnacle of world cricket by 2012. The platform on which we will build the future is cricket development at all levels and in all the countries of the Caribbean.”

 The CEO of Ten Sports, Chris McDonald commented, “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the West Indies Cricket Board for another 5 years.  We have been broadcasting the excitement, style and panache of cricket from the West Indies throughout Asia since 2003, and are very pleased to now work with the WICB on a global basis.  The West Indian team has many young and talented players, and we are confident that with the investments made into coaching, venues and grassroots infrastructure, the West Indies is poised to reclaim its place as one of the World's top cricketing sides.”

West Indies CEO, Dr. Donald Peters, who was directly involved in the negotiations with Ten Sports and other bidders said, “We at the WICB are elated at having a major outlet for our exciting brand of cricket in the huge markets in the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent.  This opens up more lucrative opportunities for our players and for our cricket in general.  Ten Sports is the perfect partner for us as we continue our climb back to the top and become, once more, a dominant cricket force.”

The tours included in the agreement include visits by India in 2009 and 2012, by Pakistan in 2011, England's tour to the West Indies in 2009, Australia's tour in 2012 and South Africa's tour in 2010.

 In total Ten Sports will broadcast 25 test matches, 50 one day games and nine 20-20 games between 2008 and 2012 (a total of 184 days), including the upcoming 2008 tour by Australia to the West Indies, which was part of a previous agreement between the parties.

 Ten Sports currently holds the Middle East and Asian broadcast rights to 5 of the 10 ICC full member boards and is now involved in the worldwide distribution of rights from Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the West Indies.

ABOUT TEN SPORTS: Taj TV's Ten Sports, the most watched sports channel in the sub-continent, is available in more than 60 million cable/ satellite homes worldwide. The world's biggest producer of cricket, the Channel broadcasts cricket from Sharjah, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Zimbabwe throughout the Indian sub-continent and Asia, as well as to the United States and Canada (Cricket Plus), the Middle East and North Africa. Ten Sports also owns the exclusive rights in its sub-continent territories for the WWE, the UEFA Champions League, the U.S. Open tennis and Hockey World Cup.

 

TTFF News- Whitley motivated under Maturana

Issued by Shaun Fuentes, TTFF Media Officer, February 26, 2008

 

National team midfielder Aurtis Whitley is confident that he will fit into Francisco Maturana’s plans for this country’s upcoming international programme.

 

At least the W Connection and T&T 2006 World Cup team member says he’s motivated again and willing to do what is necessary to regain a regular starting role in the team.

 

Whitley has been present at every training session this month since being recalled to the team that is preparing for upcoming friendly internationals against El Salvador at home on March 19 and Jamaica in Kingston on March 26.

 

“The sessions have been good and the coach seems to like what he’s seeing so far. The only problem right now is my fitness level but that will come in time,” Whitley told TTFF Media after Tuesday’s training session at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

 

“It felt good to be back after being out for a while. It’s a great lift from me to get recalled by the coach and hopefully now I can prove my worth.”

 

Maturana did say that Whitley would have to ensure him of his long-term commitment to the country’s cause.

 

“We did speak and I think I’m up for it and ready to give it a good shot. It will be a lot of work but as long as I continue working hard… I should be in good shape and able to make a contribution to the team..

 

“Going towards 2010 I will have some more experience than some of the others and I will try to help some of those other guys this time around to make sure we can get there again.”

 

Working under the Colombian Maturana is a change from the Leo Beenhakker period but Whitley, formerly of CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh, is fancying the style of the ex-Ecuador coach.

 

"‘His style is a different one. It’s a lot of ball possession and more playing with the ball than before. Before (it) was still a lot of ball work with this coach now.. it’s more knocking the ball and if you can take on.. then take on… It suits my game more and maybe I can do what I want to a bit more on the field. I’m looking forward to those next two games where hopefully I can settle back into the team,” Whitley said.

 

Following his brief stint in Vietnam last year which preceded largely unfavorable comments from the Hoang Anh Gia Lai coach.

 

“I like when there is some negative because it spurs me on to turn it around into something negative. Even before the World Cup there was a particular coach and some other people who said I couldn’t cut it at that level and we all still went there and held our own,” Whitley added.

 

The team will train on Wednesday but Maturana will hope to have more involvement from the Jabloteh player as there has not been a full turn out since training commenced last week. Atulla Guerra and Jason Marcano were present on Tuesday while Khaleem Hyland and Lester Peltier are away on trial. Joe Public’s Seon Power is out injured while Keyeno Thomas and Gary Glasgow are both recovering from injury. National youth team trio Daniel Cyrus, Leston Paul and Akeem Adams are being interchanged between sessions as the Under 20 team has began training in the afternoon period. The trio did train under Maturana last week.

 

GAYLE,SARWAN, CHANDERPAUL FOR RICH INDIAN AUCTION

Ponting tops Indian auction list

 

Ponting is one of 13 Australian players involved in the IPL

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has confirmed his participation in the Indian Premier League's inaugural Twenty20 tournament.

He will be among a group of star-studded names up for grabs at the IPL's auction in Mumbai on Wednesday.

Ponting is among 13 Australians in a pool of international cricketers set to feature in the ground-breaking auction.

Eight city franchises can spend a maximum of $5m (£2.565m) on eight contracted players.

Ponting's involvement in the lucrative league, which begins on 18 April and runs for 44 days, had been uncertain because of Australia's tour to Pakistan in May.

However, Cricket Australia has given the 33-year-old the green light to participate in the tournament but told BBC Sport his international commitments remained his priority.

 

LEADING NON-INDIAN PLAYERS

Australia: Ricky Ponting, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Matthew Hayden, Mike Hussey, Justin Langer

Bangladesh: Mohammad Ashraful, Mashrafe Mortaza

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming, Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram, Brendan McCullum

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Akhtar, Younis Khan

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Lasith Malinga

South Africa: Graeme Smith, Shaun Pollock, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are also involved, but Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin all declined invitations to participate.

Top-name players are set to cost upwards of $400,000 (£205,000) in the auction.

Other players include Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, South Africa's Graeme Smith and Pakistan's Shahid Afridi.

But England are the only leading Test nation with no involvement in this year's tournament.

The multi-million pound, International Cricket Council-sanctioned tournament will feature eight city franchises - Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Jaipur, Chennai, Chandigarh and Hyderabad - playing 59 matches in total.

Each franchise can sign up to eight non-Indian players for their 16-man roster, but only four foreign players can feature in the starting line-up and each XI must also contain four Indian players under the age of 22.

Organisers are hoping to persuade cricket's world governing body to introduce a break in the international calendar to avoid direct competition with national boards.

However, England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Giles Clarke said he had no intention of releasing players to accommodate the 2009 IPL tournament as England were scheduled to tour the West Indies at the same time.

"I don't believe England players will be involved next year," said Clarke.

 

606: DEBATE

If you have a spare £2.5m burning in your back pocket, who's on the top of your shopping list?

 

 

BBC Sport's Pranav Soneji

"Several have already complained about burnout caused by too much cricket. Our players are contracted and we are committed to touring the West Indies at that time."

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has already earned over £800m selling TV rights and team franchises for the IPL, which was set up as a direct competitor to the rebel Indian Cricket League.

The franchises have been snapped up by some of India's richest men, as well as a coterie of top Bollywood film stars.

 

                               

 

GOVERNANCE ON WICB AGENDA FOR FEBRUARY 23 - 24 MEETING

NEWS RELEASE

Date: 14th February, 2008

 

 

GOVERNANCE ON WICB AGENDA FOR FEBRUARY 23 – 24 MEETING

Territorial Boards To Present Review and Recommendations

 

 

 

A Special Meeting on Governance, which will review the recommendations of the Board’s Governance Committee and progress on initiatives including cricket development, is on the Agenda for the next meeting of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to be held at the Grand Pineapple Resort, Antigua, on February 23 – 24, 2008. 

 

The Special Meeting, which will be the first item of business on February 22, will consider the review and recommendations of the six Territorial Boards which constitute the WICB and determine the best way forward for West Indies Cricket.  The Governance Committee’s recommendations have also been factored into the WICB’s Strategic Plan which is scheduled for discussion immediately after the Governance session.

 

The Secretaries of the Territorial Boards, who have been invited to participate in the Governance discussions, will also attend a meeting between the Territorial Boards and the WICB Secretariat on February 22, 2008. The purpose of the meeting is to redefine the relationship between Territorial Boards and the Secretariat while identifying areas of mutual benefit and support.  Preparations for the Sri Lanka and Australia tours will also be discussed.

 

The Honourable Dr. Julian R. Hunte, President of the WICB, commenting on the Special Meeting said, “Some of the recommendations of the Governance Committee have already been implemented, and we have made considerable headway with all those that involve cricket development.  In fact, the focus of our strategic plan is based on the Committee’s primary purpose of returning the West Indies to the pinnacle of world cricket.”      

 

CFU News - Warner: Regional football and cricket should share equal place

Warner: Regional football and cricket should share equal place

Issued on February 12, 2008

FIFA Vice President Jack Warner has made a call for the two prime sporting disciplines in the Caribbean – football and cricket - to work hand in hand in order to steady progress to be achieved.

Warner, after meeting with Barbados Prime Minister Honourable David Thompson and that country’s Minister of Sport Esther Byer -Suckoo in Christchurch last weekend, urged the respective authorities and stakeholders to forge new relationships, particularly in an attempt to put West Indies cricket back on the world map.

He blasted the decision by regional cricket authorities, excepting Trinidad, to prevent football matches from being played at cricketing facilities which are among the best in the region to date.

“We have some of the best facilities in the world which are cricket stadiums and it makes no sense not sharing these for the development of other sports, particularly football. You have countries like Guyana and Antigua for instance where their national teams cannot find a proper ground to  train on or play matches because they are saying the main venue is solely for cricket and this cannot work and what I am merely saying is let’s work together to help raise the level of both sports,” Warner said.

“I will get knock for saying this… but unless Cricket has a transfusion of new ideas, concepts, people and structures…it will die. It will not survive because of Twenty-Twenty and what you have seen in South Africa in the last few weeks will not help either,” Warner stated.

“This is not to take any pleasure or joy from cricket’s demise but it is to say that there is room in all countries for the two sports to survive… countries with limited resources should share facilities. Football is denied a venue from Guyana to Antigua,” Warner said, adding that the pattern in the region was unlike Trinidad where the Queen’s Park Oval was willingly making its venue available to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation for the staging of matches at no cost to the governing body.

“These facilities can be shared by all. There are no sacred grounds in today’s world of technology. I want to appeal to Governments to open a window for football. The National Flags never be flown on fields of war but they are always flown on the fields of sport and moreso football,” Warner repeated.

He appealed to Thompson to try to influence his colleagues in other Caribbean Governments on a new way of thinking for the development of sport.

“If it’s one thing I ask of you (Prime Minister Thompson) is that you try to convince your colleagues on the importance of sport and let them see the benefits of such involvement through sport tourism thrusts etc.”

Thompson, in his address at the Barbados FA Awards ceremony, subsequently thanked Warner for his support in the development of regional football, adding that his Government has already outlined measures to develop football on that island and will support the establishment of a Professional League in two years. Minister Dr. Byer-Suckoo touched on the strategic goals of the new administration to eliminate the problems of old as they related to limited and/or inadequate facilities to stage sporting events locally and the ongoing process of negotiations to make Kensington Oval available for a wide cross-section of activities.

TTFF News - Senior Footballers to keep on working

Senior Footballers to keep on working

 

Issued by Shaun Fuentes, TTFF Media Officer, February 8 2008

 

National Team head coach Francisco Maturana will return to the training pitch at the Ato Boldon Stadium next week with a selected list of home-based professionals as the “Soca Warriors” continue their preparations, with a focus on the March 26 friendly international against Jamaica in Kingston.

 

Maturana and his staff are to meet with the T&T Pro League with an aim to having a suitable agreement with regards to the release of players for training sessions during the week. Maturana along with assistant coach Anton Corneal will relay their plans and then get on with the job at hand.

 

Corneal revealed that Maturana is keen to groom young talent.

 

“He has already indicated how much he wants to groom young talent and that is what we will set about on doing over the next few weeks once we have our program outlined with the T&T Pro League,” Corneal told TTFF Media.

 

Corneal emphasized the need for the Pro League to cooperate with Maturana and the TTFF during the calendar of World Cup qualification.

 

“I think they will realize the need to cooperate because it has to work both ways and only the League and the local players and by extension the country will benefit from having these players available as required.”

 

Already talks are underway with World Cup team midfielder Aurtis Whitley with Corneal having already spoken to him. Maturana is expected to meet with the W Connection midfielder in due course. Corneal has also been in touch with other names who were not part of the squad for the Guadeloupe friendly, saying that the response so far has been positive, bringing an obvious smile to Maturana’s face.

 

“He is very eager and optimistic at the moment. We know we didn’t get the sort of performance we wanted on Wednesday but there is a lot to work with and a lot more to look at and he (Maturana) is buzzing as it relates to this,” Corneal added, mentioning too that Maturana was impressed with Keon Daniel and Khaleem Hyland and as such is interested in including some other younger faces in his training program.

 

The Colombian himself added: “I think we have all the ingredients to get the success but there is work to be done and we must do it carefully. We have to focus on the right things and I am confident that we will get the team playing as we need in order for success,” Maturana added.