AHMED BROTHERS LINE-UP FOR HOSTS IN CATHAY PACIFIC/STANDARD CHARTERED HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL CRICKET SIXES
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| Nadeem Ahmed earns his place in the Hong Kong Sixes team after some impressive bowling performances © HKCA |
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Hong Kong, October 16: Teenage brothers Nadeem and Irfan Ahmed will spearhead the challenge of hosts Hong Kong in next month's Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes.
The talented Ahmed siblings, both tipped for a bright future in the game, are joined in the seven-man Hong Kong squad by Najeeb Amar, Rahul Sharma, Munir Dar, Mark Fuzes and Amjad Mahmood.
Krishna Kumar, chairman of the Hong Kong selection committee, said: "We have a well balanced side this year. We're pleased to provide an opportunity for some of our most promising young prospects to test themselves against world-class players. It will be a great experience for them."
Kumar acknowledges that Hong Kong – the only non-Test playing nation in the nine-team event to be held at the Kowloon Cricket Club on November 11-12 – will have their work cut out to finish in the top-two in Pool 3, which comprises four-time Sixes champions Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
"It's an exceptionally tough group in which we have been drawn and we know both Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be sending top teams. But we will go out there and try our best. There is nothing for us to lose and we might just pull off a surprise."
For Nadeem and Irfan, participation in the world's richest Sixes tournament presents a chance to showcase their precocious talents on an international stage.
Irfan, who will turn 17 the week after the Sixes, made history last year when he became the youngest player to appear in the tournament, earning widespread praise for some impressive bowling displays.
Recently, it's been 18-year-old Nadeem to the fore, performing with distinction for Hong Kong at both junior and senior level. Most impressively he claimed a match haul of 10 wickets in a losing cause against Nepal in an ACC Premier League contest in Kathmandu that concluded at the weekend.
Kumar is also encouraged by the potential of Amjad Mahmood and the form of Munir Dar and Mark Fuzes, both of whom were in the runs recently against a visiting team from the Marylebone Cricket Club.
The selection of right-handed opening batsman Fuzes is a reward for his performance in topping the domestic Sunday League batting averages last season, amassing 643 runs in 12 innings including three centuries.
In terms of experience at the Sixes, Rahul Sharma is out on his own. And the man who turned 46 last month, will be making his ninth appearance in a tournament in which he has often produced heroic performances.
Captaining the Hong Kong team this year will be Najeeb Amar, who has fully recovered from a shoulder injury that prevented him participating last year.
The opening phase of this year's tournament will see three Pools of three teams playing on a round robin basis.
Pool 1 consists of defending champions India, Australia and West Indies while Pool 2 is made up of England, South Africa and New Zealand.
Hong Kong Squad: Najeeb Amar (captain); Rahul Sharma; Munir Dar; Mark Fuzes; Nadeem Ahmed; Irfan Ahmed; Amjad Mahmood.
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The 2006 Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes will take place at Kowloon Cricket Club, 10 Cox's Road, Kowloon on November 11-12. Special tickets are priced at HK$550 and include reserved seating, a lunch box for both days of the event and an Official Programme. Two-day passes cost HK$300 for adults and HK$150 for children aged 14 and under, went on sale from Monday, October 9 at the following outlets: Hong Kong Cricket Association (Tel: 2504-8102); Kowloon Cricket Club (10 Cox's Road, Jordan, 2367-4141); Hong Kong Cricket Club (137 Wong Nai Chung Gap Road, Happy Valley, 2574-6266); Dot Cod Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar (Prince's Building, Central 2810-6988); The Viceroy (Wanchai 2827-7777); Gaylord Restaurant (Tsim Sha Tsui 2376-1001) and Bayside Brasserie (Stanley 2899-0818) . For further inquiries please visit www.hksixes.com or call 2504-8103.
Provided by the Hong Kong Cricket Association. For further information, please contact Charles Lau or Novan Tang at (852) 2504-8101. |
