eSports Log

Recently a website (www.fpaofindia.com) of Football Players Association of India (FPAI) was inaugurated in New Delhi. Opening the site, Indian national football team captain Baichung Bhutia told it will unite the football community in the country; additionally, popularize the sport among the people.

Bhutia told: “It’s here to help the game, also mainly it’s obviously for the welfare of the players but at the end of the day to come together, share our issues, let our issues be known and just grow the game altogether.” He added “If you look into the PF in England it’s one of the biggest associations. Players Football Association in England is really big and I think we want to do that kind of work for the benefit of the players during their careers and after their careers as well.”

The site will give football fans a peep with the daily life of Indian football stars. It also keeps the fans abreast of the current events. The site will show all the latest news, gossips and interviews with leading footballs players. FPAI was formed in 2006 and it is registered with Fipro.

Abdul Qadir has vilified the selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for excluding experienced and qualified all-rounder Abdul Razzaq from the ICC Champions Trophy 2009 squad. Qadir was former chief selector of PCB. Additionally, he condemned the committee’s choice to disregard opening batsman Salman Butt for the tournament.

Qadir told: “I don’t know in what direction this present cricket board is taking Pakistan cricket into. There is no consistency in selection at all. Salman is your most experienced opener with an average of close to 40 in Tests and one-day internationals.Yet the selectors have ignored him for such a big tournament and instead opted for only one specialist opener in Imran Nazir.” He said: “If the board and selectors didn’t want to pick Razzaq for a major tournament like the Champions Trophy then why send him to Sri Lanka or England for the T20 World Cup in the first place.” He added: “I don’t understand what was the hurry of picking Asif when he has not played for over a year. The pace department is already strong with Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamir, Rao Iftikhar and Rana Naved bowling well. So what was the point in rushing Asif into the main fray.”

The former chief selector expressed wonder at the omission of all-rounder Razzaq, as Razzaq had played well in the last ICC World Twenty20 Championship, and the all-rounder did satisfactory performance during the Sri Lanka tour.

During a function on 20 August at Mumbai, India; ‘The International Cricket Council Champions Trophy 2009’ was unveiled. The tournament will be appeared in South Africa (SA) from September 22 to October 5.

ICC General Manager (Commercial) Campbell Jamieson told: “Well the great thing about hosting this event this year in South Africa is that South Africa is trying to improve as a host of many international cricket events, hosting very successfully 2003 cricket World Cup, the 2007 Twenty20 (T-20 World Cup) and last is Indian Premier League which was well and successfully staged.”

Eight teams will play in this year’s ICC Champions Trophy. Additionally, the teams are divided into 2 groups. Pakistan, India and defending champions Australia are appeared in the same group. All the matches will be played in two venues: Centurion in Pretoria and Wanderers in Johannesburg. The winner will get four million dollars as prize money.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said to Mohammad Asif, 26 to participate a coaching camp for young cricketers to find out his fitness condition before the ICC Champions Trophy. Already, PCB has selected Asif in the preliminary list of 30 possible players for the Champions Trophy.

Pak chief selector Iqbal Qasim said “Asif is attending the training camp for Under-23 players in Karachi where we have asked camp commandant Rashid Latif to give us a report by Thursday (tomorrow) whether he is match fit for the Champions Trophy.”

Tainted fast bowler Asif was banned from international match for a year after deteriorating in the dope test. His career had tumbled after failing the dope test in IPL inaugural season. Asif wants to get a place in the Pakistani national team after facing a one-year ban imposed by the PCB. His ban will expire on 22 September. On that, the day Champions Trophy will also be started in South Africa.

It seems to be that the fight between International Cricket Council (ICC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) come to end as ICC President David Morgan and PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt is going to meet in Dubai on 27 August for getting a resolution to the current dispute over the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

The confirm date for that meeting followed a phone conversation between the two chief on Friday. Speaking about the conversation Mr Morgan said: “My latest discussion with Ijaz, part of the ongoing dialogue between us, was relaxed and friendly, in keeping with our previous meeting in Dubai last month.” He added “Although nothing has yet been agreed, there remains a strong will on both sides to conclude this matter as soon as possible without recourse to legal means, and with that in mind we will meet in Dubai on 27 August with a view to reaching a resolution that is acceptable to both parties.In the light of our latest discussions I remain confident we can achieve that goal, something that would allow all of us, the ICC and its members, to focus on our key objective – the staging of a successful ICC Cricket World Cup in the Asian sub-continent in 2011.”

The conversation was a part of the ongoing process to resolve the problem over the venue of the 14 matches initially scheduled to be held in Pakistan. The venue for the tournament secretariat was also planned to set in Lahore.