In-form Chanderpaul signs up for Sixes
Shivnarine Chanderpaul will be showcasing his brilliant batting
skills at this year’s Hong Kong Cricket Sixes.
The West Indies great – currently the second-highest ranked batsman in the world
and reigning Wisden Cricketer of the Year – will appear for
the All-Stars at Kowloon Cricket Club on November 8-9.
“I'm delighted to be taking part in the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes and I'm looking
forward to what promises to be another fantastic weekend,”
said Chanderpaul, 33.
“The event has built up a deserved reputation as the best sixes tournament in
the world, one that is great fun for spectators and players
alike, so it will be a pleasure to be involved.
“The competition promises to be tough, but the All Stars will be doing their
very best to put on a great show and, hopefully, carry off
the trophy.”
Guyana-born Chanderpaul, 33, has played 112 tests, scoring 19 hundreds and 49
fifties.
He has moved up to second in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) test rankings
for batsmen – behind Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara – following
his remarkable displays in the West Indies’ recent home series
against Australia.
The left-hander scored 442 runs from six innings, including two centuries and
three fifties, to be named player of the series despite his
team losing 2-0.
Chanderpaul has also compiled eight centuries and 52 fifties in 235 one-day internationals.
“It’s great news for the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes that a player of Shivnarine
Chanderpaul’s stature is taking part,” said tournament director
Mark Burns.
“He’s a world class cricketer at the very top of his game and I’m sure Hong Kong
fans are going to enjoy seeing him in action.
Chanderpaul will play alongside former New Zealand captain
Stephen Fleming in the All-Stars line-up.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul Profile
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The All-Stars
will join nine representative international teams – Australia,
New Zealand, England, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa,
Bangladesh and hosts Hong Kong.
Sixes organisers, meanwhile, have decided against including Australia’s Damien
Martyn and Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq in this year’s All-Stars team.
“Both players are contracted to the unofficial Indian Cricket League and we have
decided out of respect for the Indian authorities not to involve them in the
Sixes,” explained Burns.
Planning
for the 2008 Sixes is proceeding smoothly with organisers recently
announcing the biggest TV deal in the tournament’s history.
An estimated 100 million fans around the world will be able to watch the Sixes
live thanks to a three-year agreement with Dubai-based Taj TV, which will show
the tournament on its Ten Sports outlet.
First held in 1992, the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes continues to be fully sanctioned
by the ICC and is the sport's longest-running, best-established and most high-profile
sixes tournament.
Players who have taken part over the past 16 years include Brian Lara, Sachin
Tendulkar, Steve and Mark Waugh, Viv Richards, Andrew Flintoff, Adam Gilchrist
and Wasim Akram.
Profits from the tournament are ploughed directly back into cricket development
in Hong Kong through the Hong Kong Cricket Association.
About the Hong Kong Cricket Association
The Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) is responsible for professionally administering
cricket at all levels in Hong Kong. It aims to promote, expand and develop the
sport, improve standards in all areas of the game and increase the number of
participants from all sectors of the local community. It organises competitions
throughout the year for all age groups, from primary school children to senior
players. The HKCA’s wholly owned subsidiary, China Cricket International Limited,
is responsible for the organisation and management of the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes. |
