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Hong Kong Six seek to go one better than 2011 at KARP Group Hong Kong Sixes
[Hong Kong,
October 19, 2012]: Hard-hitting batsman Irfan Ahmed will be
hoping to lead Hong Kong to its first ever Cup title at the Karp Group Hong Kong Sixes next weekend as
the hosts named a powerful squad for the eight-team tournament at the Kowloon
Cricket Club.
Irfan, who missed last year’s tournament, returns to a side
which includes four players from the team which reached the Cup semi-finals 12
months ago – Moner Dar, Tanwir Afzal, Nizakat Khan and Babar Hayat.
Jamie Atkinson, who will lead the side and fast bowler
Aizaz Khan complete the seven-strong squad.
Hong Kong’s closest brush with winning the tournament came
in 2009 when they stormed into the finals with wins over teams like England and
India. That dream run was ended by South Africa who held their nerve to record
a last-ball victory.
That superb performance was mostly due to Irfan who
upstaged more illustrious players with his clean hitting and Hong Kong will be
hoping the all-rounder will once again be able to show his class in front of
the home fans.
“Irfan has more potential than any cricketer I have seen in
my life and that includes professionals who are paid millions every year and
who we see on television. I rate him very highly,” said Hong Kong coach Charlie
Burke.
Burke added: “Irfan has come a long way and is fitter and
is hitting the ball better than ever. With others like Jamie (Atkinson) who is
just having an amazing 12 months, I’m optimistic we will do very well and I’m
sure the local fans can look forward to the weekend.”
The squad is bristling with big-hitters. Tanwir Afzal is
one of those power hitters and is entering the tournament in fine form after having
smashed a brilliant hundred against Oman in just his fifth appearance for the
Hong Kong Senior team at the recent ACC Trophy Elite 2012. It was Afzal’s
maiden century for Hong Kong. The performance was strong enough for him to be
named Man of the Match with figures of 3-38 from eight overs to pair his 106
from 78 balls.
Another player to watch out for is teenager Babar Hayat who
had a good outing last year as Hong Kong reached
the Cup Semi-finals where they bowed out to eventual champions Pakistan.
He will be followed by the dangerous duo of Moner Dar and Tanwir Afzal
both of whom can hit the ball a long way.
Dar and Afzal will also play crucial roles with their
bowling. The left-arm spin and unorthodox style of Dar has bamboozled many
opposition batsmen and the veteran will be keen to get stuck in as he seeks a
first win for Hong Kong. Afzal, a fast-medium bowler, will also be a danger.
“We will back ourselves. We are a very close group and
everyone treats each other with the utmost respect. We also take a lot more
pride in our performance,” Burke said. “In the past Hong Kong teams may have
had individuals that cared more about their performances rather than the team.
However this squad is very committed and supportive of each other.”
Hong Kong is pooled with Australia, England and South
Africa in a tough opening pool. The other pool comprises defending champions
Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
“Both Pools are tough. We have three recent champions in
our group (Australia in 2010,) South Africa, 2009) and England (2008) so I have
no doubt that if we progress past the group stages we could be standing on the
podium collecting the silverware with the biggest smiles you have ever seen,”
Burke said.
“But the first goal will be to win our first pool game
against Australia. Sixes is all about momentum, more than any plans or
strategy,” Burke added.
Captain Shahzada Saleem Ahmed, President of the Hong Kong
Cricket Association, commented on the Hong Kong Six saying, “The HKCA is very
excited about the selection of our Hong Kong squad for the Karp Group Hong Kong
Sixes. After reaching the semi-finals last year before bowing out to eventual
champions Pakistan, Coach Charlie Burke and the selectors have done an
admirable job of keeping the squad focused and ready for this year’s event.
“The expectation amongst the team is to go one better than
last year’s strong performance. We wish the team and the coaching and
management staff the best of performance next weekend and we know that the
local and international spectators at the event will be cheering loudly for
Hong Kong,” added Captain Saleem.
Hong Kong Squad: Jamie Atkinson (Captain), Tanwir Afzal, Irfan Ahmed, Moner Dar, Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Aizaz Khan, Charlie Burke (Manager)
Ticketing
Details:
Public stand tickets for Hong Kong crickets’ annual
showpiece are still available for the Karp Group Hong Kong Sixes, however, with
capacity set at 2,000 this year, the event is expected to sell out before the
event. Ticket packages are as follows:
Weekend
Package - HK$800 (adults), HK$380
(children)
Saturday
only - HK$310 (adults), HK$180 (children)
Sunday
only - HK$550 (adults),
HK$220 (children)
Tickets
are available through HK Ticketing (www.hkticketing.com) and from the following
outlets - HKCA, HKCC, KCC, and Dot Cod Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar.
Hospitality
Packages:
The Hong
Kong Sixes Champagne Garden and VIP Gold Pass tickets are also still
available. Prices range from $3,000 per
day to $5,500 for the weekend.
For more
information, please contact chingwa@hkcricket.org
About the KARP
Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes 2012
Organized by the Hong Kong Cricket Association since 1992,
the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is the only international cricket event held in Hong
Kong. The Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is fully sanctioned by the world’s governing
body for cricket, the International Cricket Council, and title sponsored by
KARP Group.
The tournament has been broadcast live since 2008 and in 2011
reached over 115 million households on the Indian subcontinent, across
Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Australia and South Africa, as well as being
packaged for distribution in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and
China.
ENDS |
