Gilchrist and Yuvraj head all-star cast for first edition of ICC Cricket World audio show

Programme available for free download and editorial use fromwww.icc-cricket.comGilchrist tips Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma as potential stars of ICC World Twenty20 2009Yuvraj: India is “pretty confident” ahead of the tournament Dirk Nannes, Charlotte Edwards and ICC World Twenty20 2009 tournament director Steve Elworthy among a host of top names featured ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat: “The show is an excellent way of getting news of our great game to the public in a new way.”

Adam Gilchrist and Yuvraj Singh head an all-star cast on the first edition of the ICC Cricket World audio show which is online at www.icc-cricket.com from today.

The show, which will be released every Thursday on the ICC’s website, is available for free download and editorial use and this week previews the ICC World Twenty20 (ICC WT20) 2009, which starts on Friday when hosts England plays the Netherlands at Lord’s.

Former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Gilchrist, who led the Deccan Chargers to victory in this year’s Indian Premier League, has tipped the India duo of Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma as two of the players set to shine during the upcoming tournament.

And Yuvraj, part of the India side that lifted the inaugural ICC WT20 title in South Africa two years ago, said he and his team-mates are “pretty confident” of repeating their success this time around in England.

The show also includes the views of a host of other top names from the game including ICC WT20 2009 tournament director Steve Elworthy, who looks forward to the 17-day event.

And there is comment from former Australia all-rounder Tom Moody, Netherlands fast bowler and one of the stars of this year’s IPL Dirk Nannes and ex-Australia leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.

And others to feature include South Africa batting star AB de Villiers, Australia batsman David Hussey, the Ireland trio of Kevin O’Brien, Kyle McCallan and Jeremy Bray, England Women’s World Cup winners Isa Guha and captain Charlotte Edwards, and former Australia women’s captain Belinda Clark.

Gilchrist said of Raina and Sharma: “They will be two India players of the highest quality for years to come.

“Suresh Raina is certainly a player who is one of the most talented around the cricket world. He really impressed in the second edition of the IPL and he impressed in the first edition too.

“He is a guy I find is continuing to mature and show a real hunger and thirst for the game to keep learning and playing well.

“Rohit Sharma, from the Deccan Chargers, is a guy that I’ve seen play and show no end of talent. He’s a guy that wants to keep maturing, he wants to learn and he wants to lead.”

Yuvraj said of India’s chances in the upcoming ICC WT20: “We’re pretty confident.

“The Twenty20 format is very unpredictable and you never know what’s going to happen but the team we have is very solid and we’re confident to defend it.”

In his exclusive interview with the ICC Cricket World audio show, Yuvraj also weighed up whether India had an advantage because its players are coming into the event off the back of the IPL. And he also reflected on his six sixes in the last ICC WT20 in 2007 and his two hat-tricks in the IPL.

Explaining why the ICC had opted to branch out with an audio show in addition to the already-existent ICC Cricket World television programme, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “For us, the first thing we look for is reach and the ICC Cricket World audio show is an excellent means of getting the stories about our great sport to the public in a new way.

“It may be a modern era of communication but we should never forget that many people still like to get their news, information and entertainment via audio.

“The show can be used in whole or part by radio stations that want cricket content while the public can also download it straight from the ICC website.

“We are delighted to offer this new service to people interested in the game of cricket and we will look to develop it further in the weeks and months ahead.”

The first show is a bumper 30-minute edition to pack in all the build-up to the ICC World Twenty20 2009 with subsequent shows running for 15 minutes. The show has been put together by the ICC’s global broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports.

The ICC World Twenty20 2009, which starts on Friday 5 June, involves 12 of the top men’s teams and the top eight women’s line-ups playing at four venues – Lord’s, The Oval, Trent Bridge and Taunton – in the pinnacle of international cricketing action.

The defending men’s champion is India, which beat Pakistan in the final of the inaugural event, in South Africa in 2007. This is the first staging of the women’s tournament.

A limited number of tickets are still available for the ICC World Twenty20 2009. Further details can be found at: https://eticketing.co.uk/iccwt20