U A E C R I C K E T . C O M

Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, flanked by Mohinder Amarnath (left) and Wasef Hammouri of Coca-Cola, announces the Sharjah Cup 2000 cricket tournament at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

BY : FAROOKH SHAIKH
THE stage is set for yet another tri-nation cricketing extravaganza at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, as the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) hosts India, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe between Oct. 20-29.

The $100,000 day-night series will see India open against Sri Lanka on Friday, Oct. 20 while the Lankans will meet Zimbabwe on the following day. The final is on Oct. 29.

Abdul Rehman Bukhatir, the founder of the sport in the UAE and who is ensuring its spread over the Middle East particularly in Morocco said that despite the current upheavals in the sport, particularly caused by the match-fixing scandals, he is expecting things to revert back.

"Hopefully, things will come back to normal," Bukhatir said, adding that 'Sharjah was not part of this business'.

A resurgent India, who finally clipped world champions Australia's wings in their ICC Knock-Out quarter-final on Saturday in Nairobi, should be a treat to watch as they attempt to put an on-going match-fixing scandal behind them.

A refurbished batting lineup should do well on their happy hunting ground, and statistics if they are of any use prove that India have done wonderfully against these two rivals earlier in Sharjah.

India have played nine matches against Sri Lanka, winning eight and three matches against Zimbabwe, winning two. These, incidentally, are among the best figures recorded by India against any country at this venue. Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe have clashed on Sharjah soil five times, with the Africans coming out on top thrice.

The Islanders will be looking to rectify this situation while also getting the acrid taste of defeat they lost badly to Pakistan in the Nairobi quarter final on Sunday out of their system, which could be bad news for their rivals.

Sri Lanka last met India at Sharjah in the 1998 Champions Trophy, where coincidentally, Zimbabwe were also the third country participating. India went on to take the trophy from Zimbabwe with Sri Lanka coming out third.

For the first time ever, the final of a tournament here will be played on a Sunday Oct. 29 which CBFS'Asif Iqbal said was due to the availability of dates. He also said that the arrival dates of the teams will depend on how they perform in Kenya. This will now mean that only India's arrival date is to be finalised.

In their Nairobi semi-final to be played on Oct. 13, India await the winners of the Tuesday's South Africa versus England match and should they win, they will advance to the Oct. 15 final.

Matches here will be played over 50 overs in the day-night format, beginning from 2.30 pm on match days. Beneficiaries this time will be India's Dilip Sardesai, Rusi Surti, Navjot Singh Sidhu and the Sri Lanka Cricket Players Benefit Fund, Bukhatir detailed.

Wasef Hammouri, sales manager (Sharjah & N. Emirates) Coca-Cola, Zahid Q. Noorani, Mohinder Amarnath, Bikram Vohra and Zahid Shiraz, all of CBFS, were also present at the conference.

Click here Tournament Schedule.

TICKET RATES
STAND	WEEKDAYS	FRIDAY & FINAL
MEMBERS ENCLOSURE	350	700
GRAND STAND	200	400
PLAYER'S ENCLOSURE	150	390
WEST STAND	60	90
EAST STAND	40	65
NORTH STAND	20	40
Note: No season tickets. Figures in UAE Dirhams.

AWARDS
WINNERS	$ 50,000
RUNNERS - UP	$ 30,000
THIRD-PLACED	$ 20,000
MAN OF THE MATCH	$ 1,000
MAN OF THE SERIES	$ 3,500
MAN OF THE FINAL	$ 1,500
FASTEST 50	$ 1,000
BEST BOWLER	$ 1,000
BEST FIELDER	$ 1,000
SUPER SIXES	$ 1,000
UMPIRES	George Sharp (England), Steve Dunne (New Zealand), Daryl Harper (Australia).
REFEREE	Denis Lindsay (South Africa)
BENEFICIARIES	Dilip Sardesai, Rusi Surti, Navjot Singh Sidhu (all from India), Sri Lanka Cricket Players' Benefit Fund.

Monday, October 09, 2000.
source : Gulf Today.

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