USACA is seeking experienced volunteers to assume the following roles of the US National Under 19 touring party;

• Team Manager
• Team Physiotherapist

The touring party will depart the US on July 5th and return July 16th. USACA will meet all travel costs to and from Toronto, meals and other incidentals. These roles are voluntary in nature and as such applicants must be prepared to donate their services for the good of US cricket.

The appointment of these roles will be from June 15th to July 20th 2013.

Applicants must be residents of the USA and possess all the necessary Federal Government travel visa documents that allow international travel to and from the US. Furthermore, experience in dealing with a national sporting team, in particular cricket, will be highly regarded.

All applications submitted must address the Selection Criteria (see the relevant form on the web site) either by mailing it to the USACA office or e-mailing it;

USA National Under 19 Team Manager:
The United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) is seeking to appoint a Team Manager to work with the USA National U19 Team for the period June 15 to July 20, 2013 including a tour to Toronto, Canada from July 7 to 15, 2013 to participate in ICC Americas U19 World Cup Qualifier Tournament

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and qualified manager. The role will include travel with the USA National U19 team on all tours (international and nationally) and to attend team training camps where appropriate.

The USA National Under 19 Team Manager will be responsible for the administration, organization, and the welfare of all of the players and team management from the time the team departs on a tour until its dispersal upon return.

The successful applicant must have:

• Strong managerial and proven organizational skills with at least 3-5 years management experience;

• Demonstrated involvement in a business administration and/or finance role in a commercial environment is preferred;

• Experience gained from being involved in a cricket or sports background – as a participant, volunteer, or administrator – will be regarded favorably;

• The ability to work as a team with players, team management, support staff and other officials;

• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to work with youth;

• Must possess a valid passport and the any necessary documentation to travel to and from the US;

• Successfully pass a background check

Please submit a written application that addresses each of the Selection Criteria to the USACA office or e-mailing it;

USACA Team Physiotherapist:
The United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) is seeking to appoint a Team Physiotherapist to work with the USA National U19 Team for the period June 15 to July 20, 2013 including a tour to Toronto, Canada from July 7 to 15, 2013 to participate in ICC Americas U19 World Cup Qualifier Tournament

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and qualified physiotherapist. The role will include travel with the USA National U19 team on all tours (International and nationally) and to attend team training camps where appropriate.

The Team Physiotherapist will be required to work closely with the Team Manager, Coach, Strength & Conditioning coach and other medical personnel to ensure that the players maintain optimal fitness.

The successful applicant will have:
• Registration and/or Certification to work as a physiotherapist in the United States;

• A high degree of knowledge and experience in the field of sports medicine;

• Previous experience working with strength and conditioning staff;

• Experience gained from being involved in a cricket or sports background – as a participant, volunteer, or administrator – will be regarded favorably;

• The ability to work as a team with players, team management, support staff and other officials;

• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to work with youth;

• Must possess a valid passport and the any necessary documentation to travel to and from the US.

• Successfully pass a background check.

Please submit a written application that addresses each of the Selection Criteria to the USACA office or e-mailing it to: info@usaca.org

Attention: General Manager
USA Cricket Association
8461 Lake Worth Road
Suite B-1-185
Lake Worth, FL 33467
T: +1.561.839.1888
F: +1.305.675.3346

PLEASE NOTE: Applications that do not address the Selection Criteria will NOT be considered.
Applications close at 5.00 PM on  Friday, May 31st,  2013.

WICB Chief Executive Officer Michael Muirhead. Photo by Randy Brooks

Confident Group, is an Indian conglomerate, headquartered in Bangalore with interests in infrastructure, hospitality, aviation, entertainment, education and health care. Confident Group is the largest owner and operator of hotels in Bangalore.

“We welcome Confident Group as our team sponsor for these two mega world cricketing events. The West Indies Team, having won the World Twenty20 in 2012 is one of the most attractive teams for a sponsor to be associated with in international cricket at the moment and we are delighted to have the Confident Group on board for the Champions Trophy and the World Twenty20 in 2014 when the West Indies will defend our title,” WICB Chief Executive Officer Michael Muirhead said.

“This association of the West Indies Team with another major Asian company is significant from the point of view that we are able to attract some of the most high profile companies from a dynamic and wide-ranging cricket market to our portfolio and it is a demonstration of the confidence of the corporate sector in West Indies cricket which remains a strong brand on the global cricket stage,” Muirhead added.

Dr Roy CJ, Chairman & Managing Director, Confident Group said “As a Group, we see and believe that there exists tremendous value in being associated with a talented, high profile and lively team like the West Indies. We will be partnering with them as the lead sponsor of the team for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy and the 2014 ICC World Twenty20. The West Indian team boasts of cricketing legends from time immemorial and the confidence the current team exudes is surely something that energises us as a brand as well. Cricket has undergone a sea change over the years and the sheer reach of the game forms a perfect fit in our business expansion plans as well.”

Tuhin Mishra, Vice President, Sales & Marketing of Total Sports Asia (which facilitated the sponsorship) said: “It has been an honour and privilege to work with the West Indies Cricket Board and Confident Group. This is yet another landmark deal from TSA’s stable and the very first for any Indian brand like Confident Group who is reaching out to a global audience through West Indies cricket sponsorship.“

West Indies Champions Trophy Schedule
Friday June 7 – West Indies v Pakistan, The Oval
Tuesday June 11 – West Indies v India, The Oval
Friday June 14 – West Indies v South Africa, Cardiff

West Indies wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin. Photo by Shiek Mohamed

The 28-year-old, who has kept wicket for the Windies in 97 One-Dayers since his debut in 2005, believes it is vitally important that the team uses the build-up time wisely as they bid to win the Champions Trophy for the second time.

The team is a camp which started on Monday and will end on Friday. They will depart from Barbados on Saturday and have another camp in Cardiff, Wales from May 25 to June 2 as they try to get acclimatised to the foreign conditions.

“A tour to England or a tournament in England …it is always important to get there early to get used to the conditions. The weather is always unpredictable. You have to go there early and get accustomed to the outdoor conditions. Two and a half weeks is good time to get ready. We have two matches before our first match of the competition so that will be very good for us,” Ramdin said.

“We have two new balls now [in One-Day Internationals], not just one. It’s very challenging in England at this time of the year so having the right kind of preparation is great and should do the team a world of good.”

The ICC Champions Trophy will feature eight teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The tournament will be played across three venues – Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and The Oval – from June 6-23.

The Windies have been drawn in Group B alongside the Indians, the Pakistanis and the South Africans. They open against Pakistan on Friday, June 7 at the Oval and return to the famous venue on Tuesday, June 11 to take on India. The final preliminary match will be against the Proteas on Friday, June 14 in Cardiff.

“Hopefully we can get that in this tournament and get the chemistry right. The first game is very important. Once we can overcome in that game, it will give us some form of confidence,” Ramdin said.

“Pakistan is a team, you know, where anything can happen on the day with those guys. India is one of the best teams in the world along with Australia and South Africa. Those teams are playing really good one day cricket but with the conditions you never know.

“If you win the toss and put in a team, it’s two new balls that you’re using now so if you pick up four or five wickets in the first 20 overs you can set up a match…we have a good bowling unit as well.”

Ramdin outlined that he has been working overtime in his batting and glovework with Assistant Coaches Toby Radford and Andre Coley.

“I was making some mistakes with my technique but I have worked to correct that. I have been looking at footage and I have worked with the coaches. Going to England, I have done well there, so I will look to get it right,” he said.

He backed the team to be ready for 50-over format.

“The guys are professional cricketers and they have the ability to make that transition – the Chris Gayles, the Dwayne Bravos, the Kieron Pollards, those guys – they can sit down and bat and play long innings,” Ramdin added.

“They’ve been doing well in the IPL so that will be good for their confidence going into England. I’m sure they’ve done well in England before so it’s just about gelling together and the batters batting long in the middle.

“Fifty overs are a lot of balls so we’re not going to bash it around. We have a strong middle and lower order so if we get a good start with Gayle and the other guys at the top of the order we can capitalise lower down.”

The Guyana Tri-County 2012 champions Berbice. Photo by Shiek Mohamed

The rest of the Guyana eleven line up will feature some very talented players who did not get a chance to represent their respective counties in the past years. According to Mr. Johnson this will enhance and bring more competition to the tournament and will also give more players a chance to showcase their talent.

If anyone is interested to play for their respective county kindly get in touch with your county representative. The four teams are expected to announce by the end of July.

Anyone interested in becoming a team or tournament sponsor should contact Telston Johnson at 347-723-3284.

The contact information for the tournament is:
Mr. Telston Johnson – Chief Organizer/Rest of Guyana Eleven
Mr. Linden Fraser: Berbice 646-235-3243
Mr. Chubby Beddesee: Berbice 718-272-1300
Mr. Jerry Persaud: Demerara   347-401-0390
Mr. Kerk Higgens: Demerara 917-667-7835
Mr. Ajaz Asgarally: Essequibo 646-261-1201
Mr. Chandar Bob Persaud: Essequibo 718-757-0938

The decision has been made after media reports on Wednesday indicated that the umpire was under investigation by Mumbai Police.

Explaining the decision, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “In the wake of reports that the Mumbai Police are conducting an investigation into Asad Rauf’s activities, we feel that it is in Asad’s best interests as well as those of the sport and the event itself, that he is withdrawn from participating in the ICC Champions Trophy.”

At this stage, the ICC has no further comment to make.

Containing all the latest information on the tournament, the site, accessible from www.icc-cricket.com on any device, will be an essential resource for supporters wishing to follow the event.

The site will have short form match highlights from all matches in the tournament as well as exclusive behind the scenes content with all the teams and leading players, as well as special pieces around the event.

The official match centre will be one of the most informative and interactive to date, allowing fans to follow live ball-by-ball coverage, including an exclusive interactive video scorecard, of all warm-up and event matches. Fans will also get a chance to use the integrated Reliance Rankings predictor along with an opportunity to post comments using their social media accounts. Containing exclusive event features, supporters will also be able to catch the latest event news, and there will be profiles on all of the tournament participants.

A new and unique feature of the site will allow fans to enter the special ‘Hot or Not’ contest to choose the ‘hottest’ moment in ODI cricket from among a selection of the 50 best moments in the format. The supporters of the game will receive an opportunity to pick, for example, whether Sachin Tendulkar of India’s double hundred in February 2010 against South Africa in an ODI is hotter than Javed Miandad’s last ball six to seal Pakistan’s famous win against India at Sharjah in 1986.

The ICC Champions Trophy website has been developed by global digital media company, Pulse Innovations Limited. Pulse specialises in the sports sector, providing Sports Federations and Media Publishers with a turn-key solution in the capture and delivery of sports content across internet-enabled devices.

Campbell Jamieson, the ICC’s General Manager – Commercial, said: “The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 website will allow fans to connect with the official voice of the tournament with a number of exclusive behind the scenes content from across the tournament in all variety of formats, be it video, photo or text.

“The concept of the ICC Champions Trophy is of course the best versus best in the ODI format and this seems an ideal time for us to have launched the opportunity for fans to pick their best moment in the ODI format.”

Wyndham Richardson, MD of Pulse Innovations Limited, added: “The ICC Champions Trophy 2013 is yet another example of our continuing effort to deliver best-in-class sports websites.

“We’ve focused on building a destination that will bring cricket fans closer to the event than ever before, from social initiatives in partnership with Twitter, to real-time Hawk-Eye data-visualisation. It is a proud moment for us to be associated with the world governing body of the sport, the International Cricket Council.”

The ICC will be releasing information on its other digital and social media activations in due course.

For more information on the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, please visit www.icc-cricket.com

Tweet about the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 using the hashtag #ct13

Stafanie Taylor of West Indies plays a shot during the ICC Women World Cup Super Six match between New Zealand and West Indies played at the Brabourne stadium in Mumbai, India on February 10, 2013. (ICC/SOLARIS IMAGES)

The American Cricket Federation is the title sponsor of the tournament being staged this Memorial Day Weekend (May 25-26) in Atlanta, GA. The four participating teams are defending champions Atlantis, Atlantic Region Lady Eagles, a Cayman Islands Women’s club XI, and host team Atlanta Pearls.

Ms. Taylor is the International Cricket Council (ICC) 2012 ODI Women’s Cricketer of the Year. The 22 year-old made her ODI debut for the West Indies against Ireland in 2008 at age 17.  In 64 ODI appearances, she has scored 2,444 runs at an average of 43.64, including four centuries and sixteen 50s, while in 44 T20s she has amassed 1,161 runs at an average of 33.17 per appearance. The all-rounder has also captured 80 ODI and 48 T20 wickets, in 64 and 44 matches respectively.

According to tournament organizer, Petal Samuels, “GWCA is delighted to have Ms. Taylor at the tournament. I have no doubt that her participation will be a plus for all the competing teams and the tournament, and it will serve to help develop women’s cricket in the USA. I am inviting women and men to come out to see Ms. Taylor in action on Saturday, May 25 at Creel Park, 2775 Creel Road, College Park, Georgia.”

The WICB, as a kind gesture, has graciously agreed to Ms. Taylor’s participation in the tournament and as its Women’s Cricket Ambassador. Earlier this year the Jamaica-born batswoman unleashed a remarkable 171 off 137 balls against Sri Lanka women in Mumbai, India, as the West Indies women crushed their Sri Lankan counterparts by a whopping 209 run margin.

In an invited comment, Ms. Taylor who is currently vacationing in the USA said that she was looking forward to the tournament and doing whatever is possible to help women’s cricket grow in this part of the world.

Members of the Australian cricket team pose in front of a Qantas A380 during the Cricket Australia Ashes official team farewell at Sydney International Airport on May 22, 2013 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Captain Michael Clarke joined teammates Brad Haddin, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Matthew Wade, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Clint McKay, Phillip Hughes and Ryan Harris at the official farewell morning tea which was held in Hangar 96 at the Qantas Sydney Jetbase.

Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland, who attended today’s event to wish the players good luck said: “We are extremely proud of all of the members of the VB Tour of England squad and we look forward to seeing our best take the field to hopefully return the urn.

“We are under no illusions that the Australian cricket team will go into this Ashes series as the underdog, however all of the players relish the challenge before them and are buoyed by the knowledge the nation is right behind them.

“Cricket is in great shape in our country as we head into 10 back-to-back Tests against England. Four of the last seven years have seen record crowds at cricket matches played in Australia, our average TV audiences rate higher than any other Australian sport and cricket is Australia’s highest participation sport with 950,000 national participants.”

Mr Sutherland also expressed his gratitude towards Qantas for holding today’s function.
“Cricket Australia would like to thank our official airline and sponsor Qantas for hosting today’s event and being a committed force behind the Australian cricket team since 2011. Qantas’ partnership ensures the Australian Cricket team has the best travel experience possible,” he said.

Qantas Group Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said the airline was delighted to be partnering with the Australian cricket team.

“Qantas has been flying Australian cricketers to England to compete for the Ashes for decades,” Mr Joyce said.

“Our pilots and crew are honoured to be flying the Australian cricket team to England, via our new hub in Dubai. We’ll be supporting them every step of the way and we’re reserving seat 1A for the Ashes urn when the team makes its return to Australia.”

Cricket Australia is calling for all Australians to register with the Australian Cricket Family (ACF) by 5pm on Tuesday 25 June for their best chance to secure tickets to the Commonwealth Bank Ashes 2013-14 Series.

ACF Membership is free and provides priority access to discounted tickets (compared to general public pre-purchased ticket prices and at-the-gate ticket prices).  For more information please visit www.cricket.com.au/acf.

The Australian Cricket Team will begin the VB Tour of England with the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy on 8 June. The first Ashes Test begins on 10 July at Trent Bridge.

Warner, who pleaded guilty, received a $5,750 fine, the maximum financial penalty for a first offence under rule 6 of CA’s Code of Behavior.

At the hearing tonight, CA Senior Code of Behavior Commissioner, The Hon. Justice Gordon Lewis AM, found Warner guilty of breaching Rule 6: Unbecoming Behavior regarding Twitter comments made by Warner at the weekend.

Following the adjudication, David Warner said: “In hindsight, clearly I let my frustrations get the better of me and posted some inappropriate tweets last weekend. While I disagreed with the story and my image being used alongside the story, I could have chosen my words better and I apologize for any offence that my language may have caused.  I’ll continue to have honest conversations with all my followers and I will be mindful of the language I use in future.”

Cammie Smith talks about a piece of memorabilia with Shemaine Campbell, Shamilia Connell, Sabrina Munroe, Natasha McLean and Merissa Aguilleira during a tour of the Legends of Barbados Museum.

A squad of 13, including off-spinner Anisa Mohammed, left-handed batsman Kyshona Knight, wicketkeeper/batsman Natasha McLean and fast bowler Subrina Munroe were all part of the training sessions.

All four players felt the camp was timely, coming ahead of a busy schedule for the players in the next few months that include the Regional Women’s Super50 and a tri-nation home series against highly-regarded teams, England and New Zealand.

Mohammed said she thinks the camp was valuable due to the individual attention that each player was able to receive from the coaching staff.

“It was a very important camp for us,” she said. “It was just 13 of us and we each got plenty of individual attention and so we were able to work on stuff that needed to be worked on.

“My batting has improved a bit, so hopefully if it comes down to me in a game, I think I have the confidence to handle the situation and make some runs for the team – and my bowling has also improved a lot compared to last year and the year before.

“I have been struggling lately with my bowling, but this camp has really helped me a lot and I am really confident and hopefully I can take my 100th One-day International wicket during the upcoming tri-nation series.”

Mohammed said she was looking to build on the work she did during the next few months, as she prepares with her native Trinidad & Tobago to play in the Regional Women’s Super50 Tournament.

“I am really looking forward to it and to representing my country once a year,” she said. “The girls have been training very hard, they have been to South Africa, they have done some preparation so far, so it will be going back and working with them for the next two months.

“Then the Windies Women have England and New Zealand. We have a record of winning home series and it would be a plus for us to win our first tri-nation home series.”

McLean said the best was yet to come for her and the Windies Women, and felt the camp helped her to re-focus on working hard at her game.

“It was a good opportunity to get to work on the areas that I knew needed work and I have seen some improvement,” she said. “My batting will come along, but I have to continue working hard and look for success.

“I learnt a lot about being focussed and being patient among the many things I have learnt in this camp, so that when I reach into a game situation, I can execute and make big runs to help the Windies Women and my hometown Jamaica.”

McLean has just completed her first year with the Windies Women, having made her international debut in an ODI last April against Sri Lanka Women, and said the experience was eye-opening.

“It was a good experience because I attended my first ICC Women’s World Cup and gaining a lot of experience of life outside of the Caribbean,” she said.

“It was a good opportunity. I did not grasp it the way I wanted, but I will get another opportunity, and I plan to keep working hard, so that I can be successful for the team and me.”

The 18-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman added: “We are a young group of players. Fortunately, time is on our side, so we will get more experience and the team will get stronger for the next World Cup.

“Each time we play, we grow and we grow, and with opportunity and experience we will become more competitive.”

McLean said this year’s Women’s RS50 would be extra-special, since her native Jamaica would be defending the title.

She admitted however, she would have to perform much better than she did when Stafanie Taylor’s side also won the Women’s Caribbean Twenty20 last year on home soil.

“I am looking forward to this tournament to get some 50s and carrying up my average,” she said. “This training camp was a wonderful opportunity to work on my game, so that I can get some runs in the Women’s RS50.

“I took in all that I could from the coaches and so the Women’s RS50 would be a good occasion to put what I have learnt into practice.”

The 21-year-old Knight said she was grateful for the time spent honing some of the basic skills of the game.

“The coaches worked extremely hard with the girls over the last two weeks and I think we have gained some valuable knowledge,” she said.

“I’ve seen some improvements in my skills over the last two weeks. I’m trying to hit the ball a lot straighter and I am ‘timing’ the ball a lot better.”

Knight said her first season playing with the Windies Women was an “excellent” experience, but she wanted to improve her game to make greater contributions.

“I was a bit disappointed with some of my scores,” she said. “I got good starts against some of the top teams, but I did not cash in on them.

“But it has been a memorable period and I am working on getting better at the game so that I can become one of the top players in the World.

She said: “We have a lot of cricket coming up. I am hoping to get the opportunities that I want to play and take full advantage of them.

“I want to score a lot of runs in the Women’s RS50 and the tri-nation series later in the year to bring my average up and stay in the team as long as possible.”

Munroe said the focus at the camp about enhancing the basic skills of all the players that attended was beneficial for her.

“It was a great experience because we are looking to build a team of well-rounded players and the focus was just not on each player’s strength, but on the other parts of the game,” she said.

“Apart from the work on my bowling, I also had to work on my batting and my fielding, which I think would help to improve my all-round cricket.”

She said: “One of the things I learnt at this camp was that everyone had a contribution to make. No one knows when they will be called upon to make that match-winning performance.

“It’s not just about being good with the skill in which you excel, but you have to be able to be a rounded player to make that contribution.”

Munro said it was a privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility of being an opening bowler for the Windies Women.

“Knowing that the team depends on you to set the tone with the ball and being able to make the early breakthroughs is quite an honour,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to the remainder of the year, playing for Guyana in the Women’s RS50 and the tri-nation series later in the year.

“This camp was a great way to get me focussed again on what’s coming up, so I can hardly wait for the opportunity to put what I have learnt at this camp into practice – particularly my batting.”