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Openers
Ganesh Gamvit and Shekhar Naik struck brilliant
half centuries as India defeated World Champions
Pakistan by 56 runs in the fourth match
of the Petro Cup series for blind cricketers
on Thursday. With Wednesdy's win, India
clinched the reciprocal five-match series
3-0. The third match was abandoned due to
rain. Put in to bat, India scored a mammoth
384 for seven with Gamvit blasting 86 off
44 balls with 10 boundaries and two sixes.
Naik made a similarly explosive 82 off 42
balls with the help of 12 fours and one
six to take India to the huge total in the
stipulated 35 overs at the Bhagat Singh
College grounds. Ashish Negi (61) and Ketal
Patel (38 not out) were the other major
contributors. For Pakistan, Mohammad Shahbaz
took three wickets while Masood Jan and
Pakistan skipper Sultan Syed Shah took two
wickets each. Pakistan made a gallant chase
but were all out for 328 in 34.3 overs.
Adnan Ahmed emerged as the top scorer with
a 54-ball 76 while Tariq Samuel, Mohammad
Waqar and Ashraf Bhatt came up with useful
knocks. Among the Indian bowlers, Dinesh
Kumar claimed 2 for 56. He was ably supported
by Subhash Boya and Negi who picked a wicket
each. Sports Minister Sunil Dutt, who was
the chief guest, presented the man of the
match award to Naik.
Courtesy:
Hindustan Times, May 05, 2005
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The
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) advertises
in leading Indian newspapers inviting bids
for title sponsorship of a home series not
involving India.
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An Indian firm bags the contract to oversee
reconstruction of the Kensington Oval
in Barbados for the 2007 World Cup.
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An Indian firm bags the contract to oversee
reconstruction of the Kensington Oval
in Barbados for the 2007 World Cup.
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An Indian firm bags the contract to oversee
reconstruction of the Kensington Oval
in Barbados for the 2007 World Cup.
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former cricketers find India lucrative
for endorsements and other commitments.
India
is having an influence over world cricket
as never before. It goes far beyond the
game, of course, but the basic reason is
the same: Anything to do with cricket is
big in India. Any expense can be justified.
That's what has prompted the Pakistan Cricket
Board to publish tenders in Indian papers
yesterday for their homes series against
England later this year. ''India is a massive
industrial empire'', PCB director Abbas
Zaidi told The Indian Express. ''And Indian
sponsors are familiar with us after the
Indo-Pak series. We want to explore all
avenues transparently.'' It's a slim chance,
says Jeet Bannerjee of Gameplan, a leading
sports management company. ''No sponsor
would be interested in sponsoring a Pakistan-England
series when the Indian domestic season is
on and the Indian team will also be playing
at home.'' However, he adds, such is the
lure of cricket that a company which cannot
sponsor an India series might sponsor one
in Pakistan. Indian companies' involvement
in cricket sponsorship is legendary. During
the last World Cup, for example, Indian
companies placed such a premium on the popularity
of individual cricketers that they paid
more for endorsements than companies in
any other part of the world. A BBC report
said LG India enjoyed a 174 per cent sales
growth during the 1999 World Cup, and have
invested 10 times more in the next world
cup. About $300 million of the ICC's entire
sponsorship amount of $550 million (for
three Champions Trophy and two World Cup
events till 2007) came from India-specific
companies. Somewhere along the way all this
has made the Board of Control for Cricket
in India the richest cricket body in the
world, reportedly richer than the ICC; and
Indian cricket the hub that drives world
cricket. The latest venture is Indian construction
companies building cricket infrastructure
abroad. Larsen & Toubro have bagged the
contract to oversee the $45-million reconstruction
of the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, to
be completed by December 2006, in time for
the World Cup.
Courtesy:
Indian Express, May 04, 2005
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