Bharadwaj likely for Sharjah

With Nikhil Chopra’s chances of returning to the team being quite grim in view of the a CBI inquiry against him, the management may opt for an all-rounder to strengthen the team, he said.

Though any names have not been disclosed, the source said Vijay Bharadwaj of Karnataka stood a good chance in view of his recent performances both with the bat and the ball in domestic cricket.

India play Lanka in opener
SHARJAH: India will take on Sri Lanka in the opening encounter of the tri-nation tournament, also featuring Zimbabwe, beginning on October 20, it was announced here on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference here, Cricket Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) chief abdul Rehman Bukhatir said Sri Lanka would play against Zimbabwe in the second match on October 21. The next match on October 22 would be between India and Zimbabwe.

After two days of rest on October 23 and 24, Sri Lanka would play Zimbabwe on October 25 and on the following day, India would meet zimbabwe. On October 27, India will play a return match against Sri Lanka.

October 28 will be a rest day while the final of the tournament will be held on October 29.

A total of $ 100,000 will be at stake in the tournament. While the winning team will get $ 50,000, the losing team will receive $ 30,000. The third team in the tournament will get $ 20,000, Bukhatir said.

The Man-of-the-Match in the preliminary round will receive $ 1000 while the Man-of-the-Match in the final will get $ 1,500. The Man-of-the-Series will receive an amount of $ 3,500. In addition there will be prizes of $ 1,000 each for the fastest 50, best bowler and best fielder, he said. Also, $ 1,000 will be at stake for the super sixes.

The beneficiaries for India will be Dilip Sardesai, Russy Surti and Navjot Singh Sidhu. For Sri Lanka the benefits will go to the Players’ Benefit Fund.Bukhatir said the three teams will arrive here after completing their respective engagements at the ongoing ICC tournament at Nairobi.

Amarnath joins CBFS
SHARJAH: Veteran Mohinder Amarnath has been appointed as the new member of the Cricket Benefit Fund Series (CBFS), the organisers of the tournament in Sharjah. Amarnath will co-ordinate with former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal.

Bangla’s SA tour cleared DHAKA: The Bangladesh National cricket squad will make a planned maiden tour of South Africa after a visa hitch almost led to its cancellation, a source travelling with the squad said on Sunday.“We are going to South Africa for the scheduled tour,” the source said from Kenya.

Bangladesh’s trip to South Africa was in jeopardy last month after they failed to get their visas from the country’s mission in neighbouring India.A senior cricket official said the tour might have to be cancelled.

The South African mission in New Delhi denied that the team had been refused visas and asked that they be collected in Kenya.

Bangladesh is scheduled to play a four-day match beginning October 12 against South Africa’s Griqualand West, as well as a day-nighter and two one-dayers with the South African `A’ team between October 18 and 22.