Reception hosted for NSW Blues Cricket Team
Champions League Twenty20 is an initiative of three founding members, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa and features 12 leading domestic Twenty20 teams from around the world – representing Australia, South Africa, India, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and West Indies.
The teams compete in India and the event is being watched by a massive global television audience.
NSW Blues’ team is one of the teams participating in the tournament and a reception was organized for the team at the Indian Consulate in Sydney, just a few days prior to their departure to India. NSW team had been practising warm-up games in Lismore and after landing in Sydney Airport, drove straight to the Indian consulate for the reception function.
NSW has fielded a virtual international strength line up with Simon Katich, Bret Lee, Stuart Clark, Nathan Hauritz and Nathan Bracken joining forces with rising stars Philip Hughes, Aaron Bird, David Warner, Doug Bollinger and Moises Henriques, who helped win last summer’s KFC Tewnty20 game.
Speaking on the occasion Indian Consul General in Sydney, Amit Dasgupta wished the team well and said, “You are going to India, bang in the festive season and in the third week of October there will be Deepavali festival which is the festival of lights and it is time when you have lot of fun and we hope all of you apart from playing good cricket will also take this opportunity to make new friends. We hope you have a wonderful time during your stay in India.”
Cricket NSW chairman Harry Harinath thanked the Consul General and the Indian Consulate for the kind gesture of inviting the whole cricket team. Said Harry, “He (Amit Dasgupta) is not only a fine diplomat but a great supporter of the game of cricket. This is the first time this sort of a tournament is being organized in the world and this is the first time that Cricket NSW team will have an opportunity to play an international game with millions of TV viewers watching the game.” Exhorting the young team members to explore Indian outdoors, Harry advised, “Going to India should not mean staying inside your 5 star hotel rooms. I advise you to go out and extend the hand of friendship to the people there. You are going as Ambassadors of this country and our aim is to improve the relationship between these two countries.”
Harry Harinath also presented a cricket bat signed personally by all NSW Cricket team members to Amit Dasgupta.
Simon Katich, the team captain was all praise for the Champions Twenty20 concept and said the whole team was looking forward to the tournament and their trip to India. “I am sure all the cricket team members have a first hand experience of knowing how Deepavali is being celebrated in India, with fire crackers and missiles going off in the air. Most of our guys have played in India before and we know what to expect”, he added.
David Gilbert, Chief Executive of CricketNSW while talking to THE INDIAN said, “This is one of the most exciting starts to a season, ever experienced in NSW. The inaugural Champions League Twenty20 promises to be exciting for the RTA Speed Blitz Blues.”
Matthew Mott, the New South Wales team coach was also present at the event. Mott has worked in the past with the Kolkata Knight Riders Twenty20 team in the coaching department.
For more details about the Airtel Champions Twenty20 event log on to http://www.clt20.com/
Champions League Twenty20 is an initiative of three founding members, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa and features 12 leading domestic Twenty20 teams from around the world – representing Australia, South Africa, India, England, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and West Indies.
The teams compete in India and the event is being watched by a massive global television audience.
NSW Blues’ team is one of the teams participating in the tournament and a reception was organized for the team at the Indian Consulate in Sydney, just a few days prior to their departure to India. NSW team had been practising warm-up games in Lismore and after landing in Sydney Airport, drove straight to the Indian consulate for the reception function.
NSW has fielded a virtual international strength line up with Simon Katich, Bret Lee, Stuart Clark, Nathan Hauritz and Nathan Bracken joining forces with rising stars Philip Hughes, Aaron Bird, David Warner, Doug Bollinger and Moises Henriques, who helped win last summer’s KFC Tewnty20 game.
Speaking on the occasion Indian Consul General in Sydney, Amit Dasgupta wished the team well and said, “You are going to India, bang in the festive season and in the third week of October there will be Deepavali festival which is the festival of lights and it is time when you have lot of fun and we hope all of you apart from playing good cricket will also take this opportunity to make new friends. We hope you have a wonderful time during your stay in India.”
Cricket NSW chairman Harry Harinath thanked the Consul General and the Indian Consulate for the kind gesture of inviting the whole cricket team. Said Harry, “He (Amit Dasgupta) is not only a fine diplomat but a great supporter of the game of cricket. This is the first time this sort of a tournament is being organized in the world and this is the first time that Cricket NSW team will have an opportunity to play an international game with millions of TV viewers watching the game.” Exhorting the young team members to explore Indian outdoors, Harry advised, “Going to India should not mean staying inside your 5 star hotel rooms. I advise you to go out and extend the hand of friendship to the people there. You are going as Ambassadors of this country and our aim is to improve the relationship between these two countries.”
Harry Harinath also presented a cricket bat signed personally by all NSW Cricket team members to Amit Dasgupta.
Simon Katich, the team captain was all praise for the Champions Twenty20 concept and said the whole team was looking forward to the tournament and their trip to India. “I am sure all the cricket team members have a first hand experience of knowing how Deepavali is being celebrated in India, with fire crackers and missiles going off in the air. Most of our guys have played in India before and we know what to expect”, he added.
David Gilbert, Chief Executive of CricketNSW while talking to THE INDIAN said, “This is one of the most exciting starts to a season, ever experienced in NSW. The inaugural Champions League Twenty20 promises to be exciting for the RTA Speed Blitz Blues.”
Matthew Mott, the New South Wales team coach was also present at the event. Mott has worked in the past with the Kolkata Knight Riders Twenty20 team in the coaching department.
For more details about the Airtel Champions Twenty20 event log on to http://www.clt20.com/
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