Buildup to ICC Champions Trophy 2008

[diegovegaz]

i believe that after losing two finals, india will finally come back with the champions trophy if zak, rpsingh, ishant, sree are fit, sachin is there as well, no1 can beat india in the final

[Dravid]

tait is back for aus...hmmm

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Four uncapped players in SA's provisional 30 for the ICC Champions Trophy. Dolphins Johann Louw and Yusuf Abdullah are among four uncapped players included in the provisional 30-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy. More... National call-up for Louw, Abdullah Patrick Compton July 17 2008 at 07:24AM Dolphins Johann Louw and Yusuf Abdullah are among four uncapped players included in the provisional 30-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy to be played in September. Louw, who is currently playing for Northamptonshire in England, said he was "surprised and delighted" to be included in the squad that was announced by Cricket South Africa on Wednesday. "That's why I didn't accept a Kolpak over here because I still want to represent my country. I see this as a reward for all the work I've been putting in recently," said Louw. The right-arm pace bowler and hard-hitting lower-order batsman enjoyed his best domestic season in 2007/8, capturing 41 wickets at 18.31 in the SuperSport Series, 20 wickets at 16 in the MTN Domestic Championships (45 overs) and 12 wickets at 15.16 in the Standard Bank T20 competition. As a result, Louw was named the SA Cricketers' Association's most valuable player at the Mutual and Federal South African Cricket awards banquet last month. The other two uncapped players in the squad are Cobras all-rounder Rory Kleinveldt, and Titans seamer Ethy Mbhalati. The two other Dolphins in the squad are Hashim Amla and Alfonso Thomas. South Africa are grouped with England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the competition, although the original venue, Pakistan, has not been confirmed by the ICC which is awaiting a security report. "They are all players who have done well in domestic cricket in the limited-overs game," commented selection chief Joubert Strydom, "and they are talents we have identified who will play important roles in South African cricket. "The rest of the squad is made up of players who have represented South Africa with distinction over the past year. We have every confidence in them to bring a major ICC trophy home." The squad will be cut to 15 players shortly before the tournament. Provisional squad: Yusuf Abdullah (Nashua Dolphins), Hashim Amla (Nashua Dolphins), Goolam Bodi (Nashua Titans), Loots Bosman (Gestetner Diamond Eagles), Johan Botha (Chevrolet Warriors), Mark Boucher (Chevrolet Warriors), A B de Villiers (Nashua Titans), J P Duminy (Nashua Cape Cobras), Herschelle Gibbs (Nashua Cape Cobras), Paul Harris (Nashua Titans), Jacques Kallis (Chevrolet Warriors), Rory Kleinveldt (Nashua Cape Cobras), Johann Louw (Nashua Dolphins), Ethy Mbhalati (Nashua Titans), Neil McKenzie (bizhub Highveld Lions), Albie Morkel (Nashua Titans), Morne Morkel (Nashua Titans), Andre Nel (bizhub Highveld Lions), Makhaya Ntini (Chevrolet Warriors), Justin Ontong (Nashua Cape Cobras), Robin Peterson (Chevrolet Warriors), Alviro Petersen (bizhub Highveld Lions), Vernon Philander (Nashua Cape Cobras), Ashwell Prince (Chevrolet Warriors), Graeme Smith (Nashua Cape Cobras), Dale Steyn (Nashua Titans), Alfonso Thomas (Nashua Titans), Thandi Tshabalala (Gestetner Diamond Eagles), Morne van Wyk (Gestetner Diamond Eagles), Monde Zondeki (Nashua Cape Cobras).

[amits]

they should have included wayne parnell as well. he is doing well in the emerging player tournament & also did well in the u-19 wc. he was even the sa u-19 captain

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Pakistan wait for Champions Trophy verdict A crucial day awaits Pakistan, and the subcontinent, as ICC members gather round in front of a team of security experts to discuss arrangements and address concerns for the Champions Trophy, currently scheduled to be held in Pakistan this September. More... Champions Trophy 2008 Pakistan wait for Champions Trophy verdict Osman Samiuddin July 19, 2008 A crucial day awaits Pakistan, and the subcontinent, as ICC members gather round in front of a team of security experts to discuss arrangements and address concerns for the Champions Trophy, currently scheduled to be held in Pakistan this September. Representatives from all eight countries will be present at the important briefing in Dubai tomorrow and it is expected that if there is to be any decision on shifting the venue, it will be taken here. Security experts, led by the Australian Reg Dickason, have toured Pakistan recently, visiting venues in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi amid increasing concerns in Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa about the security situation in Pakistan. Though their final assessment is yet to be heard, Pakistan is cautiously optimistic of its chances as host. "We are pretty confident that the tournament will go ahead, as scheduled in Pakistan," Shafqat Naghmi, the board's chief operating officer, told Cricinfo. Naghmi, in Dubai ahead of tomorrow's meeting, believes the incident-free and smooth hosting of the Asia Cup helped Pakistan's case as much as Australia's pull-out a few months before hindered it. Security measures in place for the Asia Cup were stringent and a similar level will be provided for the Champions Trophy. "We did a fairly good job in hosting the Asia Cup without any such issues," Naghmi said. "We have assured fool-proof security measures for the Champions Trophy and there is no reason for us to believe that the tournament will be relocated from Pakistan. The ICC has so far said nothing to suggest that the tournament will not be held here, so we are pretty confident." The slow pace of the ongoing renovation of the stadium in Rawalpindi has been a micro concern, but even that, Naghmi says, should be completed by August 15. "The roof design had changed there, but the stadium should be ready between August 15 and August 20." The other reason to believe the tournament may not be moved is that the implications of any such shift are likely to be far-reaching. The credible talk is of moving the event to South Africa - recent reports about England being a venue have been dismissed by one high-ranking non-Asian official - which also means bypassing the official alternative Sri Lanka, presumably because the security situation there is also a concern. The four full members of the subcontinent are due to jointly host the World Cup three years from now. It is unlikely that the strife in Sri Lanka or the war on terror afflicting Pakistan will have stopped in that time, so if the Champions Trophy goes to neither Pakistan nor Sri Lanka now, the precedent set for the 2011 World Cup and future tournaments in the subcontinent, as one official points out, is a "dangerous" one. Pakistan will also hope that their position as hosts does not become the subject of politicking and bargaining between boards of India, England and Australia, for example, over issues such as the Champions League.

[Sachinism]

Yeh I hope we dont have pitches where 300 is easily chased

[Chorazin Reto]

Yeah you guys might have a chance of winning something without us there :giggle: Im not too sure Aust will boycott this time round, i think the team will go but the decision will be on a per player basis, some players may think it is still too unsafe after the bombings others may think the security provided for the event is enough to keep them away from harm. I know Symonds was pretty sure he was going to boycott, whereas Hayden was waiting on an official ICC decision, and players like Watson were quoted saying they would play anywhere for Australia.

[Sachinism]

^^ Like we did in the CB series oh wait... you were there

[Guest Hiten.]

Good to see Pakistan gonna host Champion Trophy. Thank you padosi bhaiyo ! :-D In return, ham aapka khoon peejaaayengay ! ...Just kidding !:haha: On a serious note, PCB better use quality pitch right away. I have seen quality pitch before in Pakistan. Hope to see em again in Champion Trophy which is badly needed. Oyeee KaKa ! i am coming

CT pitches will be prepared by ICC curators. CT pitches in India were not that bad. Pitch they prepared in Mohali was almost as good as Perth's strip.

[diegovegaz]

CT pitches will be prepared by ICC curators. CT pitches in India were not that bad. Pitch they prepared in Mohali was almost as good as Perth's strip.

is it really going to be that way?? pak pitches supporting bowlers??

[Kumar]

LETS SEE SURESH RAINA THE FTB DOMINATE AGAIN!!!!!:haha:

[Texy]

i bet symo got a heart attack getting this news..... all the lame players are making excuse of "security" to not tour pak. Oh well, good for us

[cowboysfan]

hope the pitches are better-I cannot watch another 300 total chased within the 42nd over.

[Chorazin Reto]

Yeah you guys won one CB series, was a good effort by India, i find it kind of amusing that India won off the back of some great innings from Tendulkar and is he even in the ODI side still?

[Guest Hiten.]

Yeah you guys won one CB series' date=' was a good effort by India, i find it kind of amusing that India won off the back of some great innings from Tendulkar and is he even in the ODI side still?[/quote'] SRT will feature in CT :P:yay:

[The Outsider]

Yeah you guys won one CB series' date=' was a good effort by India, i find it kind of amusing that India won off the back of some great innings from Tendulkar and is he even in the ODI side still?[/quote'] He was injured for the Asia Cup. Hasn't retired or been dropped yet.

[Sachinism]

Yeah you guys won one CB series' date=' was a good effort by India, i find it kind of amusing that India won off the back of some great innings from Tendulkar and is he even in the ODI side still?[/quote'] lol since when was he dropped? :haha:

[King]

Good decision that. Hopefully things will work out well.

[DomainK]

Yeah you guys won one CB series' date=' was a good effort by India, i find it kind of amusing that India won off the back of some great innings from Tendulkar and is he even in the ODI side still?[/quote'] Who has the guts to drop SRT after those knocks?

[Chorazin Reto]

Injured, ahh ic, i thought i seen him playing in a game tho not for India(maybe a local team) and i was like wtf, must have been someone else.