Draw

Saturday 14 April - Community Competition

Sunday 15 April - Cricket Masala Mini World Cup

Teams

Saturday April 14, 2007 : Community Competition

1. NSW Tamils League

2. India Sports Club
3. Bangla Gold Cup
4. Combined Universities
5. Sikh Sports Association
6. Afghanistan
7. Pakistan Sports Club
8. Sri Lanka Lions
9. Bankstown Sports Club
10. Sydney Shires
11. NSW Districts Cricket Association
12. NSW Breakers Womens team

Sunday April 15, 2007 : Cricket Masala Mini World Cup

1. India
2. Sri Lanka
3. Pakistan
4. Bangladesh
5. Bradman Foundation
6. Africa
7. Fiji-South Pacific
8. NSW Aboriginal Allstars
9. Europe
10. China-SE Asia
11. Lebanon-West Asia
12. Community competition Winner

SpeedBlitz Blues players to feature in the tournament include :

Þ        Tim Lang (India)

Þ      Moises Henriques (Europe)

Þ      Nathan Hauritz (Lebanon)

Þ      Usman Khawaja (Pakistan)

Þ      Martin Paskal (NSW Aboriginal Allstars)

Þ      Murray Creed (Africa)

Þ      Aaron Bird - Bankstown Sports Club

Þ      Scott Coyte - Bangladesh

Sunday April 15, 2007 : Cricket Masala Mini World Cup

INDIA

Lisa Sthalekar and Subroto Banerjee

2006 performance - India

Sri Lanka

Cosikan Beadle and Hamish Solomans

2006 performance - Sri Lanka

Pakistan

Usman Khawaja

2006 performance - Pakistan

Bangladesh

The captain for the Bangladesh team in Commonwealth Bank Cricket Masala was announced today with Mosman player Naiian Yazdani of Mosman accepting the honour.  Yazdani said today "It is an honour to captain the Bangladesh team in this year’s Cricket Masala.  We have a good mix of youth and experience and I believe we will improve on our performance last year.   We are also delighted to again have Aminul Islam in our team and as a former Bangladesh test captain he brings a lot to the table". Yazdani added "At the other end of the cycle we welcome Kurab Akhter to the senior team as a reward for his extraordinary performance for Bangladesh in the Under 18’s Cricket Masala last year.  Kurab has just finished his HSC and Aminul Islam scored the first ever test hundred for Bangladesh and it will be cool to have them both in the same team". 

Aminul Islam played 13 tests and 39 One Day internationals for Bangladesh and was the captain for the 1999 World Cup.  In Bangladesh's first Test match against India, Aminul ground out a nine-hour 145, an amazing display of concentration and perseverance, especially given his lack of first-class experience.  He has played the last couple of seasons for South Sydney in the Sydney Shire’s competition.   Currently in Bangladesh he is excited about the event “I had a great time in last year’s event and am looking forward again to teaching the youngsters a few tricks I learnt along the way”.

 In other news Naimul Chowdhury former first grader and wicketkeeper for Bangladesh in last year’s event is unlikely to play due to a hamstring injury.  Naimul said today “We’re working on it but it looks doubtful at this stage – but don’t worry, the Bengal Tigers always find a way”

 The Bangladesh squad is as follows:

Naiian Yazdani  (C)  

2006 Performance - Bangladesh

BRADMAN FOUNDATION

Africa

Today the African squad was announced and is to be captained by St George’s Kevin Pillay.  Pillay who anchored the Rest of the World’s victory in 2006 is thrilled to be part of the first ever African Australian representative team.  The team includes 2 Zimbabwean internationals Vusi Sibanda, fresh off the plane from the ICC World Cup and legendary chicken farmer and opening bowler Eddo Brandes.  Brandes, who has taken a test hat trick  is thrilled to be back in the action “I’ve kept reasonably fit up north on the Sunshine Coast and we have assembled a squad with the right mix. I never got to play with Zimbabwean brother Vusi Sibanda and together we will weave some African magic”

The team also includes Shane Pargeter who has been in stellar form for South Sydney in the Shires competion and rising stars Neshen Munusamy and Ardil Domingo.  Ex Currie Cup and current SpeedBlitz Blue player Murray Creed will bring his experience to the team.

Africa Squad

Africa is in the same qualifying pool as India, Europe and the Community competition.   Vusi Sibanda and Eddo Brandes (below)

Vusi Subanda (L) and Eddo Brandes

Fiji-South Pacific

NSW ABORIGINAL ALLSTARS

2006 Performance - NSW Aboriginal Allstars

EUrope

The European Squad was finalized today with Owen Babula from Campbelltown winning the final spot.  Anchored by exciting SpeedBlitz Blues allrounder Moises Henriques the Europeans are strong contenders for the favourites title for the tournament closely followed by the Sri Lankans

Europe is in the same qualifying pool as India, Africa and the Community Competition winner.  Moises Henriques and Stephen Cazulini pictured below.

China-South East Asia

The captain for the China East Asia team in Commonwealth Bank Cricket Masala was announced today with South Sydney opening batsman and ex NSW Master Blaster Richard Chee Quee accepting the honour.   Chee Quee said today “It’s an honour to be involved with a small piece of history, the first outdoor Chinese Australian representative cricket team. “ Chee Quee who played for the victorious Rest of the World team in Cricket Masala 2006 is confident of his teams chances. “We have an athletic team drawn from all parts of Asia and the South Pacific who are patient like crouching tigers.  I don’t think we are the favourites and that’s the way we like it.  Hunter Poon would be proud”

Richard Chee Quee is the second  player of Chinese origin to play first-class cricket in Australia following Hunter Poon who had one game for Queensland in 1923/24.  Chee Quee is a powerful top or middle-order batsman who dominated Sydney grade cricket for more than a decade at Randwick scoring almost 11,000 runs for them, and only six other batsmen have scored more. He played in 21 first class games for the NSW Blues with highlights including  a hundred against the West Indies in 1995-96 and a devastating  131 in the Mercantile Cup final.

The China East Asia squad is as follows:

The Squad includes Australian Under 19 representative James Phatanak who has Laotian ancestry.

Lebanon-West Asia

The captain  for the Lebanon West Asia team in Commonwealth Bank Cricket Masala was announced today with John Boulous of Fairfield Liverpool accepting the honour.  Boulous said today "It is an honour to captain this historic team.  We hope to bring some West Asian flavour to the competition and we have assembled a strong squad that will surprise many.  We are also delighted to have Nathan Hauritz as our honorary West Asian teammate".  Boulous added "Nathan is a perfect addition to our team and we suspect the secret of his success so far for the SpeedBlitz Blues has been homous and tabouli". 

Nathan Hauritz is one 6 SpeedBlitz Blues players participating in Commonwealth Bank Cricket Masala and has represented Australia in both test and one day internationals. A player of exceptional potential, Nathan Hauritz is an offspinner and capable batsman who made his One Day International debut for Australia at 20. He was one of the country's most accomplished junior players, having combined several years of representation in state under-age teams with appearances in a succession of national sides.

Enjoying stints as the under-19 captain of both state and country, he became a regular in Queensland's first-class and one-day teams on his way to a surprise Test tour of India ahead of Stuart MacGill in 2004. After making his Test debut in India in 2004 in which he took 5 wickets including Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, Hauritz left his native Queensland for Sydney and has provided the SpeedBlitz Blues with significant depth and experience.   (Nathan Hauritz pictured below).

 

John Boulous ©	Fairfield Liverpool
Basem Latif	Port Kembla
Chris Georges	AKA Sports
Chris Boulous	AKA Sports
Robin Younan	Souths
Nathan Hauritz	SpeedBlitz Blues
Andrew Jelanty	Briars
Simon Boulous	Manager

Saturday April 14, 2007 : Community Competition

NSW Tamils League

Combined Universities