ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2010 to be launched in New Zealand on Monday

October 24th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has made it clear that he has no intention of playing Test cricket until the 2011 World Cup and would be concentrating solely on the shorter versions of the game. Afridi told PakPassion.net that since the selectors did not consider him good enough for the five-day game, he decided to focus only on T20 and 50 over cricket, which suited his style more.

October 20th, 2009 SYDNEY - Australia has continued its domination in every aspect of cricket, as they have won the Indoor Cricket World Cup after beating arch rivals New Zealand by 11 runs in a low-scoring affair in Brisbane. The Australians displayed a tight bowling performance that restricted the Kiwis to a total of 44, with Daniel McLauchlan snaring figures of four for negative-nine.

October 16th, 2009 AUCKLAND - Recently retired New Zealand Test all-rounder Jacob Oram has hit out at detractors who have questioned his commitment to the national team. The 31-year-old injury-prone Black Caps allrounder on Tuesday announced his retirement from test cricket in a bid to extend his longevity in shorter forms of the game.

October 15th, 2009 WELLINGTON - New Zealand Cricket is optimistic that they will host a tour by one of world cricket's big four nations-England, Australia, India and South Africa-in each year of the next international calendar. The International Cricket Council is hammering out its post-2012 Future Tours Programme and the prospects are bright for England, Australia, India and South Africa visiting New Zealand in each of the following five years with the exception of 2015, when New Zealand would co-host the World Cup.

October 11th, 2009 WELLINGTON - Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who launched a company called Digital Publications after his retirement, has said his involvement in the corporate world has been challenging, but he finally understands how business works after twelve months. Fleming began 'Digital Publications' with fellow former Black Cap Richard Petrie, and the company holds the New Zealand licence for a next-generation online publishing product.

October 7th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - India have been clubbed with South Africa and England among seven countries in Group B for the 2011 cricket World Cup. West Indies, Bangladesh, Ireland and Netherlands are the other teams in the group, it was announced by International Cricket Council (ICC) here Wednesday.

September 26th, 2009 KARACHI - Pakistan will host a limited overs series against New Zealand in UAE Nov 3-13, the country's cricket board announced Saturday. According to the itinerary announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Pakistan will host New Zealand for a three-match One-day International (ODI) series in Abu Dhabi Nov 3-9 following by two Twenty20 Internationals in Dubai Nov 12 and 13.

September 14th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ijaz Butt has said that he has had constructive talks with Emirates Cricket Board officials about holding a proposed ODI series against New Zealand there later this year. Butt, who is in London, said that he would officially announce the venues for the four One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches on Monday after returning home.

August 29th, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan might host New Zealand in a one-day international series in United States or Malaysia if the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) fails to convince the UAE cricket authorities regarding hosting the matches in that country. "These are available options for us although our first preference is to have the series in Abu Dhabi and Dubai," a PCB official said.

August 12th, 2009 DUBAI - The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 will be launched in Johannesburg on Thursday. A number of current and former South Africa cricket players, as well as South African champions from other sports, are expected to be in attendance at the launch, an ICC release said.

July 24th, 2009 WELLINGTON - New Zealand Cricket (NZC) Friday confirmed that all 20 players, including the six contracted with the Indian Premier League (IPL), have signed its international playing agreements. NZC Chief Executive Justin Vaughan said that all the six IPL players - captain Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor - were granted an extension to confirm their contracts, and all had now signed, "sacrificing significant sums of money".

July 3rd, 2009 LAHORE - Pakistan would host New Zealand for three Tests and five one-day internationals on a neutral venue, after all efforts by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to relocate the 'home' series against Kiwis to New Zealand failed. Sources said the PCB proposed hosting the series in New Zealand itself , but issues regarding television rights and sharing of revenues could not be sorted out with the New Zealand cricket officials The PCB is now considering hosting the series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), The News reports.

June 21st, 2009 LONDON - England defeated New Zealand by six wickets to win the women's World Twenty20 cricket title at the Lord's here Sunday. Brief scores: New Zealand 85 all out in 20 overs (Ammy Satterthwaite 19; Katherine Brunt 3/6, Nicky Shaw 2/17).

June 8th, 2009 AUCKLAND - New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin rubbishes suggestions that Twenty20 could one day rule cricket, surpassing Test matches. Franklin felt that Test cricket would survive.

June 4th, 2009 WELLINGTON - New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will welcome Indian Cricket League players back with open arms - as long as they can prove they have severed all ties with the unsanctioned competition. Today's board decision means that former ICL players will be considered for inclusion in the Black Caps' tour to Sri Lanka in August-September, and a New Zealand A tour to India in August.