Sanjog Gupta Named ICC Chief Executive
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Sanjog Gupta as its new Chief Executive Officer, marking a significant leadership transition for the global cricket body. Known as a visionary in the media and sports ecosystem, Sanjog brings over two decades of cross-functional experience, having led major sporting initiatives across broadcasting, league development, and fan engagement. His appointment follows an extensive global search and reflects ICC’s intent to scale cricket’s global footprint, commercial strength, and Olympic ambitions.
ICC Launches Task Force To Support Displaced Afghan Women Cricketers
ICC forms task force to support exiled Afghan women cricketers, banned from sports since Taliban’s 2021 return.
No Captain’s Event Or Photoshoot Before Champions Trophy 2025
The PCB confirmed that no official ICC captain’s meet or photoshoot would precede the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. No Captain’s Event For Champions Trophy 2025 For the first time, the Champions Trophy will be skipped in the buildup to the event in Pakistan. The host nation usually organizes this meet in the host country. In the case of the first ICC event in Pakistan after 1996, i.e. the Champions Trophy 2025, the usual meet would be skipped. Reasons Behind The Logistical Challenges Unlike the Champions Trophy in 2017 that took place in the UK where there was a captain’s event and photoshoot, this tournament will not repeat the same this year. According to the PCB, there was no plan for an opening ceremony, further revealing that neither the ICC nor the PCB had planned one. However, the PCB will host a special event on February 16 in Lahore three days before the opening match to mark the tournament. The reason for not attending the captain’s event and photoshoot was logistical. The tournament will be played in four venues across two countries, and with tight schedules for teams, many will arrive in Pakistan close to the start of the tournament. In fact, Australia’s team will not reach Pakistan until February 19, the day of the opening match. Effect On India’s Participation This also provides a fillip to the debate over India playing in the captain’s event. India and Pakistan have not played any bilateral series since 2012 due to political tensions and have met each other only at ICC events. Under the tournament’s hybrid model, India’s matches, which will include the final if it reaches there, will be staged in Dubai. Glorifying Renovated Grounds In a further buildup of the excitement, the PCB has planned ceremonies at the completion of refurbished stadiums in Lahore and Karachi. Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, under renovation, will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on February 7, 2025 and National Stadium, Karachi, by President Asif Ali Zardari on February 11, 2025. This will indeed mark the start of a keenly awaited tournament in Pakistan. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Team India Announce Squad For The ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Team India today announced the team that will represent it at theICC Champions Trophy 2025, which starts on February 19, 2025. Team India will face Bangladesh the very next day and will have a much-awaited Pakistan encounter on February 23 in Dubai. Hybrid Model For Team India During Champions Trophy After the breakthrough agreement last month, the ICC has decided on a hybrid model for the 2025 Champions Trophy. In this, the matches involving India will be played in Dubai despite the tournament officially being hosted by Pakistan. Team India To Take On England Before Champions Trophy Team India’s preparation will begin with a bilateral ODI series against England. India will play three bilateral ODIs against England on February 6, 9, and 12 – the first 50-over cricket for the team since the series against Sri Lanka in August 2024. Bumrah And Kuldeep Return Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav have been named in India’s provisional 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy. The final squad must be submitted to the ICC by February 11. Team India Schedule For Champions Trophy Team India will be featuring in the Group A at the Champions Trophy. Under this group, Team India will be playing Bangladesh on February 20, 2025, Pakistan on February 23, 2025 and New Zealand on March 2, 2025. All the matches will be played in Dubai as the Indian authorities refused permission for the team to travel to Pakistan. Team India For The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Women’s T20 WC 2024: And Then There Were Two
Cricket will see a new champion of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 when New Zealand faces South Africa in the final on Sunday, 20th October, 2024, in Dubai. New Zealand New Zealand, led by Sophie Devine, sealed their place in the final with a close victory over the West Indies on Friday in Sharjah. That is all they have been missing in their history-long quest for some silverware as they look to achieve their first-ever T20 World Cup title. South Africa Meanwhile, South Africa knocked out six-time champions Australia in the first semi-final on Thursday. They hope to go a step further than the previous tournament in 2023, where they lost to Australia in the final played on home soil. South Africa’s Second ICC Tournament Final This will only be the second time South Africa has reached the final of an ICC tournament, with their first last year when they were defeated by 19 runs to Australia in Cape Town. New Zealand’s Return To The Final After 14 Years This will be the Kiwis’ first appearance in a T20 World Cup final since 2007. Having been runners-up in the very first edition of the tournament and then again in 2010, when Australia edged them out, New Zealand will be looking to go one better than their record so far. Despite all that, only three teams have succeeded in achieving the ultimate prize in its eight different editions of Women’s T20 World Cup and these teams are England 2009, West Indies 2016 and Australia who have dominated the tourney by being crowned champions six times, including the last successive three. Neither New Zealand nor South Africa has successfully won a title of T20 World Cup for either men or women. Final The Dubai International Cricket Stadium has scheduled the final to be held at 6:00 PM local time on Sunday. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
India’s Best Finish At The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup So Far
The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 has begun in the UAE and the Indian Women’s Cricket Team is determined to have their hands on the title. Building on their best finish in 2020, where the women in blue reached the final, India’s women are poised to make a stronger push for the title this time. India’s T20 WC 2020 Campaign India’s 2020 campaign saw them dominate the group stages with wins against Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, topping Group A. Their semi-final against England was washed out and India advanced to the final based on a superior group-stage record. Unfortunately, India suffered a heavy 85-run defeat at the hands of Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. New Stars Were Born Key contributors to India’s 2020 campaign were Poonam Yadav, who took 10 wickets and teenage sensation, Shafali Verma, who scored 171 runs at just 16 years of age. Both players will play crucial roles again at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Poonam was named in the ICC T20 World Cup Team Of The TournamentI, and Shafali’s explosive batting earned her the recognition she deserved. Skipper Stands Tall Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s skipper in 2020, returns to lead a squad featuring nine players from the previous tournament, bringing experience and hunger to their 2024 campaign. The blend of seasoned stars and young talent makes India a formidable force. Strong Competition In 2024 With fierce competition from powerhouses like Australia, England and South Africa, India will need to channel their 2020 heartbreak to fuel their ambition. Fans’ expectations are sky-high and India will be under pressure to finally deliver the long-awaited ICC title. Will 2024 be the year India’s women make history? Stay tuned and support the team as they aim for glory! The Sportz Planet Desk,Nitya Sutrave
Women’s T20 WC 2024: Players Who Have Featured In All Editions
The ninth edition of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will start today, 3rd October 2024 in the United Arab Emirates and cricket enthusiasts will get to see seven big names in women’s cricket who have been a part of every single edition of the tournament since the first one in 2009. Here’s an up-close-and-personal view of the cricketers who have been regular attendees to this carnival. 1. Ellyse Perry (Australia) Ellyse Perry is arguably the greatest player to ever play the game in women’s cricket. She has appeared most frequently in the history of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with 42 matches and counting in 2024. Perry is the third-highest wicket-taker in tournament history with 40 scalps. Her wickets have been a contribution to Australia’s hegemony, which they have won six times in eight editions so far. 2. Suzie Bates (New Zealand) Suzie Bates was one of the most dominant players after New Zealand’s T20 World Cup debut back in 2009. She was the highest run-scorer in the tournament, surpassing 1000 runs with ease. This is an individual achievement that no other batter has managed so far; thus, Bates has epitomized consistency for the White Ferns, who are expected to be led by veteran batter Sophie Devine in tandem in 2024 to go all the way and win their first-ever title. 3. Harmanpreet Kaur (India) Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for years has been the face of Indian Women’s cricket and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will see her head again at the helm of affairs. For 35 World Cup matches, Harmanpreet remains the only Indian player to score a hundred for the side. Experience and leadership now with India continuing its quest for its maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title will be crucial assets in the UAE for Harmanpreet. 4. Sophie Devine (New Zealand) Sophie Devine will be alongside her long-time teammate Bates, since 2009 in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Devine who has played 32 matches for New Zealand has led the country in 2024 as well where she will hand over the charge to some other player post World Cup to concentrate solely on the job of a pure player. Sophie Devine’s all-round skill will be integral as New Zealand will look to end the title drought. 5. Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) Stafanie Taylor topped off her sparkling career with glory when she led the West Indies to their first and only ICC Women’s T20 World Cup triumph back in 2016 as she steered her team to triumph over the overwhelming Australians in the final. Here today, she is a player and not a skipper although with her rich experience of 31 matches, she still remains an invaluable asset to the West Indies in 2024 and would definitely guide the younger players under the present skipper Hayley Matthews well. 6. Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) Chamari Athapaththu has been a source of inspiration for Sri Lanka over the years.. Recently, she led Sri Lanka to their first Women’s Asia Cup title after overcoming the mighty Indian Women’s Cricket Team in the final. Athapaththu will look to replicate the same success as she heads to her ninth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, hoping Sri Lanka goes deep into the tournament. 7. Marizanne Kapp (South Africa) All-rounder Marizanne Kapp has been the jewel of South African cricket’s journey forward for many years. Kapp played a vital role in guiding the Proteas to their maiden final in ICC Women’s World Cup 2023. She is a known specialist who gets the ball to swing. The 34-year-old will be contributing both with bat in hand for South Africa as they hope to have their maiden title in the UAE. These cricketing stalwarts have left their mark in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup, first through consistency and then excellence over the last decade. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Casting Light on Science Of Health in Athletes and the Female Athlete Triad
With just a day to go for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, the focus should not only be on the extraordinary performances that these athletes will display but also the silent battles they may be facing, especially in health-related issues. What is the Female Athlete Triad? The major problem is the Female Athlete Triad, an interrelationship between inadequate calorie intake, menstrual dysfunction and decreased bone density. The Triad is extremely common among elite athletes who push their bodies to the limits of what is safe, without ever knowing it. Women cricketers preparing for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 are no exception. Balancing Performance with Health Some benefits of habitual exercise on women are quite apparent-these are the strengthening of bone density, decrease in anxiety and building of muscles. However, when the caloric intake is deficient coupled with regular exercise, the menstrual cycle alterations like amenorrhea or missed periods lead to low estrogen production. This hormonal imbalance affects both muscle function and the levels of cholesterol, even fertility. Energy Availability A third factor is calorie intake or more precisely energy availability, in which female athletes by necessity consume fewer calories than they burn. There has been pre-T20 World Cup training and this may unwittingly result in lower calorie intakes among players. Such circumstances can result in low stress fractures by bone density because of the presence of reduced bone density—another feature of the Triad. This may impede further bone development in the growing adolescent athlete, such as newly arising cricket stars and hence might increase the risk of injuries both now and in life. Ensuring Athlete Well-Being With the world’s top athletes about to hit the pitch, an athlete’s diet and general health is of equal importance. With the Female Athlete Triad already addressed, not only will she play at the best of her ability, but do so in a healthy, sustainable way, as her calorie intake is bolstered by energy balance, which is restored. While cricketing fans lean forward to make some solid predictions during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, what is more important to note is the challenge faced by female athletes The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
ICC announces all-female match officials for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced a list of match officials it would send for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, which is to be held from October 3rd to October 20th, in the United Arab Emirates. The tournament will be the first time a tournament in the ICC’s most important series will be strictly all female as the council continues efforts for a significant increase in women officiating in cricket. Among the match officials are Claire Polosak, who will umpire her fifth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. She will be aided by Kim Cotton and Jacqueline Williams, who will return to their fourth ICC World Cup after umpiring the final in Cape Town last year. Sue Redfern will also return for her fourth appearance at the tournament, having been the TV umpire for the 2023 final. Zimbabwe’s Sarah Dambanevana debuts for this tournament. Match Referee GS Lakshmi who has been refereeing since 2012, has refereed the final in 2023. Shandré Fritz and Michell Pereira each will officiate in this second Women’s T20 World Cup. Here is the ICC Elite Panel of match officials for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024. Match Referees Shandré Fritz, GS Lakshmi, Michell Pereira Umpires Lauren Agenbag, Kim Cotton, Sarah Dambanevana, Anna Harris, Nimali Perera, Claire Polosak, Vrinda Rathi, Sue Redfern, Eloise Sheridan, Jacqueline Williams The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 would feature 23 matches to be played across Dubai and Sharjah as ten teams vie for the coveted title. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye
Jay Shah Elected as New ICC Chairman, Set to Usher in a New Era for Cricket
The 35-year-old Jay Shah created history when he was elected as the youngest chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary is all set to take over as the new ICC Chairman, starting from December 1, after Greg Barclay. Shah will have a three-year term but is allowed to extend his tenure for another three years. Unopposed Election Marks Shah’s Rise Shah was elected as no other nominations came in against him. The ICC also confirmed he was the sole nominee, with a couple of sets of nominations coming in for him by the 16 existing directors of the ICC. According to the regulations of the ICC, the candidate need not file the nomination papers, and thus it was pretty easy for the election of Shah himself. From BCCI to ICC Shah, who assumes the new assignment in the ICC, has got to go out of BCCI as secretary-a position he has held since 2019. The first major job for Shah as ICC Chairman is to appoint a new Independent Woman Director in place of Indra Nooyi after the latter completed her recent tenure. He will also have to deal with the issue of Disney Star seeking a renegotiation of the $3 billion broadcast deal. Besides, his other immediate task will be finding an adequate replacement for his stint with the BCCI. A Vision for International Cricket Growth In his maiden statement as ICC Chairman-elect, Shah outlined a future vision for the sport at large, with particular emphasis on the sport’s impending inclusion into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Shah was all ears over the fact that the opportunity to come would prove pivotal in cricket’s attempt to spread its wings around the world. “I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council,” Shah said. “I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalize cricket. We stand at a critical juncture where it is increasingly important to balance the coexistence of multiple formats, promote the adoption of advanced technologies, and introduce our marquee events to new global markets. Our goal is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before.“ Innovative Leadership for a New Era Shah said that new ideas and innovation have to be embraced to increase cricket’s popularity across the world. He even considers the inclusion of cricket in the Olympics to be a moment when the growing graph of cricket began. “While we will build on the valuable lessons learned, we must also embrace fresh thinking and innovation to elevate the love for cricket worldwide. The inclusion of our sport in the Olympics at LA 2028 represents a significant inflection point for the growth of cricket, and I am confident that it will drive the sport forward in unprecedented ways” added Shah. A New Chapter for the ICC The ICC hailed Shah’s tenure thus: “Shah’s election marks a new chapter for the ICC as it seeks to expand the game’s reach and continue its evolution on the global stage.“ As Jay Shah prepares to take on this prestigious role, the cricketing world will keenly watch how this vision shapes the future of the sport. The Sportz Planet Desk,Atharva Shetye