Namibia have named a squad with a good blend of youth and experience for their Intercontinental Cup fixture against Ireland in Belfast from September 6, with several teenagers in a group led by Craig Williams. The match was originally scheduled for early July but was postponed because the Namibia players were facing issues getting their visas.

Namibia squad: Craig Williams (captain), Raymond van Schoor, Chris Coombe, Gerrie Snyman, Stephen Baard, Andre Englebrecht, Merwe Erasmus, Pieter Rossouw, Louis Klazinga, Stephanus Ackerman, Louis van der Westhuizen, Christoffel Viljoen, Pikky Ya France

UAE and Namibia have been selected to join the top six Associate and Affiliate nations in the next edition of the Intercontinental Cup. They were picked based on their performances in World Cricket League Division Two, where they finished in the top four, and take the first-class tournament back to its previous structure of eight teams.

Click here for the full story.

Despite unfounded scaremongering among some sections of the media, the ICC has announced details of the sixth staging of the Intercontinental Cup, running from May 2011 through to December 2012.

As expected, Zimbabwe will not field a side – its participation in the just-completed tournament was of mixed benefit, finishing in farce when they forfeited their final match against Scotland.

The promotion from the World Cricket League into the Intercontinental Cup is a welcome move, allowing a chance for any team to rise through the ranks as Afghanistan have done with such great success.

The one casualty is the Intercontinental Shield, but few outside holders Namibia will mourn its demise. Such was the event’s profile, it is unlikely if most people even knew of its existence.

Afghanistan secured another piece of silverware after defeating Scotland in the ICC Intercontinental Cup final © ICC

Afghanistan's rise through the cricket world continued they secured the Intercontinental Cup in their first year of participation with a commanding seven-wicket victory against Scotland in Dubai. Mohammad Shahzad guided the pursuit of 124 with an unbeaten 56 after Scotland had been skittled for 82.

Scotland were facing an uphill battle at the start of the third day when they resumed on 64 for 6 and the lower order couldn't turn around their fortunes. The innings last just a further eight overs with Mirwais Ashraf claiming three quick wickets and Hamid Hassan completed a match-haul of eight when he removed Richie Berrington.

Karim Sadiq fell early in the chase, but Scotland needed more than one breakthrough to give Afghanistan a scare. Shahzad and Shabir Noori (35) added a brisk 55 to ease any tension in the dressing room. When Noori was caught behind, Narwoz Mangal hit four boundaries to take Afghanistan to the brink of victory.

For the full report click here.

Online video coverage of the Intercontinental Cup final between Afghanistan and Scotland in Dubai is to be streamed live in a joint initiative between the ICC and Cricket Scotland. The match, being staged at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai Sports City from December 2, is a five-day game and the culmination of the premier two-year first class competition among the leading ICC Associate and Affiliate nations.

The coverage, which will be presented in an informal manner, is being produced through the Livestream website using a channel set up by Cricket Scotland and can be viewed here. Highlights of each day's play will also be available on the official ICC website.

"Even with basic resources, it is quite remarkable what can be achieved through the internet these days," said Scotland-based producer Mike Stanger. "Our three-camera live coverage will not constitute a fully fledged outdoor broadcast of professional origin, but our production team includes cricket fans with professional broadcasting experience.

"We will be working hard to convey the progress of the match in a manner that can be appreciated by the many thousands of followers of both Scotland and Afghanistan cricket who cannot be there in the flesh."

"This is a fantastic chance for fans of Afghanistan and Scotland, as well as all those associated with Associate and Affiliate cricket, to see live action from the Intercontinental Cup final," added ICC Global Development Manager Matthew Kennedy. "We're grateful to be able to work alongside one of our Associate Members, in this case Cricket Scotland, in order to provide this service to fans of the game."

The hours of play in Dubai will be from 0930 to 1630 each day (0530 to 1230 GMT), and coverage of the game will start about half an hour before play begins and continue until approximately half an hour after the close of play. Recordings of each of the three sessions of play each day will be available from the Livestream channel to view in full as VoD (Video on Demand) services at any time as well as on the ICC's website.

The Intercontinental Shield final, between United Arab Emirates and Namibia, is also scheduled to be played from December 2 to 5 at the ICC Global Cricket Academy in Dubai Sports City.

ICC Intercontinental Cup squads
Afghanistan: Mohammed Nabi (capt), Nawroz Mangal, Karim Sadiq, Asghar Stanikzai, Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shinwari, Shapoor Zadran, Shabir Noori, Shehzad Mohammadi, Aftab Alam, Batin Shah, Abdullah Mazari, Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammed Sami Agha, Afzar Zazai, Najeeb Zadran, Gulbodin Naib, Khaliq Dad Noori

Scotland: Gordon Drummond (capt), Kyle Coetzer, Neil McCallum, Richard Berrington, Majid Haq, David Watts, Simon Smith, Gordon Goudie, Ross Lyons, Preston Mommsen, Matthew Parker, Gregor Maiden, Ryan Flannigan, Stuart Chalmers

ICC Intercontinental Shield squads

Namibia: Craig Williams (capt), Raymond van Schoor, Ewald Steenkamp, Sarel Burger, Gerrie Snyman, Louis Burger, Bjorn Kotze, Tobias Verwey, Kola Burger, Louis Klazinga, Bernhard Scholz, Louis van der Westhuizen, Nicolaas Scholtz, Chris Viljoen (TBC)

United Arab Emirates: Khurram Khan (captain), Mohammed Touqir, Abdul Rehman, Arshad Ali, Ahmed Raza, Saqib Ali, Amjad Ali, Swapnil Patil, Naeemuddin Aslam, Qassim Zubair, Amjad Javed, Shoaib Sarwar, Shaiman Anwar, Aamer Ali, Nizel Fernandez, Arfan Haider, Riyaz Khaliq, Manjula Guruge

Scotland raced to their second win of the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup on the 4th day at Nairobi Gymkhana despite Maurice Ouma's battling century. Scotland made light work of their target, with Douglas Lockhart and Ewan Chalmers sealing an eight-wicket win just after lunch after Dewald Nel's maiden first-class five-for wrapped up the Kenyan tail.

Kenya began the morning session in a dire position, with a slim 73-run lead and only three wickets still standing. Ouma, on 106 overnight, continued in a positive vein while Elijah Otieno, who has no pretensions as a batsman, gave him admirable support at the other end. The pair added 31 runs in just over 15 overs before Otieno, who had survived for 71 balls, edged Nel through to wicketkeeper Simon Smith.

His dismissal broke Kenya's resistance, with Ouma falling in Nel's next over for a hard-fought 130 - his best effort in first-class cricket. James Ngoche, in his debut game for the national side, was dismissed soon after as Kenya folded for 323 to set Scotland a paltry 109 for victory.

An early wicket could have put some pressure on the Scottish side, but it was not to be as Lockhart and Kyle Coetzer eased to 70 before Ngoche found Coetzer's edge. Qasim Sheikh, the first innings centurion, was run out without scoring this time round, but with only 31 runs still needed the result was already all but sealed. The experienced Lockhart went to his half century, while Chalmers cracked four boundaries in his short innings to wrap the game up in the 33rd over.

This win takes Scotland to the top of the points table, six points clear of second-placed Afghanistan. They will now remain in Kenya for the one-day tri-series, with Uganda being the third participant, before heading to the United Arab Emirates for the World Twenty20 qualifiers in February.

Afghanistan pulled off their second win in the Intercontinental Cup, defeating defending champions Ireland by seven wickets to propel themselves to the top of the table.

Click here for the full story.

Tony Munro

Uganda and United Arab Emirates (UAE) will contest the outright lead in the ICC Intercontinental Shield when their four-day match begins in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

Both teams won their only matches in the tournament, Uganda beating Bermuda by seven wickets last August in Bermuda and UAE defeating Namibia by four wickets in Windhoek last month.

UAE are arguably favourites on the basis of home advantage and recent form.

The teams:

Uganda: Akbar Baig (capt), Arthur Ziraba, Lawrence Sematimba, Benjamin Musoke, Davis Arinaitwe, Roger Mukasa, Arthur Kyobe, Frank Nsubuga, Waiswa Charles, Dennis Tabby, Ronald Ssemanda

UAE: Khurram Khan (Capt), Arfan Haider, Arshad Ali, Saqib Ali, Naeemuddin Aslam, Abdul Rehman, Fayyaz Ahmed, Amjad Javed, Qasim Zubair, Moiz Shahid, Shoaib Sarwar

The ICC has confirmed that the ICC Intercontinental Cup match between Afghanistan and Ireland, due to be played in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, has been moved forward by two days. It will now be played from January 21 to 24 at the same venue.

With presidential elections due to take place on January 26, which had originally been scheduled as the final day of the game, Sri Lanka Cricket requested the move for reasons of security and logistics.

The ICC has confirmed the remaining fixtures in the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup, with everything leading towards next November's final, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates.

The next match will start on January 23 and sees defending champions Ireland facing improving newcomers Afghanistan in Sri Lanka. Two days later, second-placed Kenya will take on 2004 champions and current leaders Scotland in a top-of-the-table clash.

There is a total of US$250,000 in prize money for the Associate and Affiliate teams taking part in the ICC Intercontinental Cup with US$100,000 for the winners and US$40,000 for the runners-up.

Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event then evolved in 2006 to an eight-team round-robin and truly global tournament of four-day cricket which gives those teams who do not play Test cricket the invaluable experience of the longer form of the game.

This year's format includes seven teams (Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, Scotland and Zimbabwe XI), while the new competition, the ICC Intercontinental Shield, involves the four teams below that, namely Bermuda, Namibia, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.

Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in all three events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider, Canada in the 2006-07 event and Namibia in 2007-08.

The remaining fixtures for the second-tier ICC Intercontinental Shield have also been announced.

ICC INTERCONTINENTAL CUP

23-26 Jan - Afghanistan v Ireland, Sri Lanka
25-28 Jan - Kenya v Scotland, Kenya
17-20 Feb - Afghanistan v Canada, UAE
10-13 Jun - Netherlands v Scotland, Netherlands
11-14 Aug - Scotland v Afghanistan, Scotland
11-14 Aug - Ireland v Netherlands, Ireland
21-24 Aug - Canada v Zimbabwe XI, Canada
1-4 Sep - Canada v Ireland, Canada
1-4 Sep - Netherlands v Zimbabwe XI, Netherlands
2-5 Oct - Kenya v Afghanistan, Kenya
6-9 Oct - Zimbabwe XI v Ireland, Africa
13-16 Oct - Zimbabwe XI v Scotland, Africa
25-29 Nov - FINAL (five days), UAE

ICC INTERCONTINENTAL SHIELD

20-23 Jan - UAE v Uganda, UAE
2-5 Apr - Namibia v Bermuda, Namibia
5-8 Jul - Bermuda v UAE, Bermuda
18-21 Sep - Uganda v Namibia, Uganda
25-28 Nov - FINAL, UAE

Tony Munro

Namibia will be without opener, Gerhard Randolph and middle-order batsman, Norbert Manyande, for its ICC Intercontinental Shield match against United Arab Emirates starting in Windhoek on Saturday.

Randolph, who has three scores in the 90s in the CSA Provincial 3-day Challenge, and Manyande (two half-centuries) are not residentially qualified to play in the ICC-run tournament and have been replaced by Willem Groenewald and Wian van Vuuren respectively for this match.

The match is the first for both teams in the tournament which is a de facto second division equivalent of the ICC Intercontinental Trophy, from which Namibia were controversially dumped by the ICC.

The teams have had contrasting preparations - Namibia have played five games in the South African amateur three-day provincial competition, where they drew three and lost one while UAE were runners-up in the ACC Twenty20 tournament that they hosted, losing to Afghanistan in the final.

Namibia coach, Johan Randolph, told Cricinfo he was "reasonably happy" with the team's performance in the three-day competition. "We need to establish a culture in Namibia for batsman to occupy the crease and to score hundreds plus, which I believe we have achieved. We had five hundreds and if Gerhard Rudolph converted his three 90s together with Norbert Manyande's 90 we would have had nine hundreds in five matches. Not to bad at all. Already had five hundreds in club cricket so something is working."

The Shield game will be played from December 5 to 8, followed by a 50-over match on December 10 and a Twenty20 game on December 11.

Namibia: - Raymond van Schoor (wk), Willem Groenewald, Sarel Burger, Wian van Vuuren, Craig Williams (capt), Nicholaas Scholtz, LP van der Westhuizen, Wessel Myburgh, Tobie Verwey, Louis Klazinga, Elton Ambambi

UAE: Khuram Khan (capt) Saqib Ali Ahmad Raza, Amjad Javed,Amjad Ali ,Fahad Al Hashimi,Fayaz Ahamed,Arfan Hyder,Mohamed Tauqir ,Mohammed Iqbal,Abdul Rehman (wk), Arshad Ali Qasim Zubair ,Shoaib Sarwar and Mois Shahid

Uganda will travel to Dubai in February to play the United Arab Emirates and later host Namibia in August in their ICC Intercontinental Shield campaign. Uganda started well with a win in Bermuda, and are early favourites to reach the final.

And Uganda have hired a South African coach, Fayyaaz Mohiudeen, as a temporary replacement for Ebrahim Mohammed who is back home attending a course.

The Scotsman has reported that Scotland’s ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Zimbabwe A is likely to be played in Dubai. If so, that would avoid the politically difficult situation of Scotland playing in Harare and the even more troublesome prospect of hosting the game in Scotland given the government’s hardline towards allowing teams from Zimbabwe into the UK. Peter Chingoka, the Zimbabwe Cricket chairman, and Ozias Bvute, the chief executive, are both barred from entering the European Union because of their links to the Mugabe regime.

The Scottish selectors have invested in youth by selecting a young squad with an average age of 25 against Canada in the ICC Intercontinental Cup and two ODIs in Aberdeen over the next ten days. Scotland will play a four-day Intercontinental Cup match from July 2-5 before taking on Canada for two 50-over fixtures on July 7 and 8.

Scotland, looking to rebuild in the wake of their failure to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, have named two teams with distinctive challengers under two different captains. Gordon Drummond will lead the Intercontinental Cup squad for the four-day match and Gavin Hamilton will take over for the ODIs.

"With these selections, we are starting to look ahead over the next four years and, broadly speaking, we are seeking to give the younger generation as much experience as we can," said coach Peter Steindl. "We believe that some cricketers are more suited to the longer form of the game, while some flourish in the one-day variety. With more and more top-quality youngsters pushing for places in the national squads, those squads may show more differences as time goes on. It’s up to the players to make their case on the field."

Drummond termed this an exciting time for Scottish cricket. "I am delighted to have been asked to take responsibility for the Intercontinental Cup squad, where we need players who are in for the long haul. The matches against Canada and, next month, Ireland, will certainly be a test to be savoured. The players will, I’m sure, rise to the occasion."

Intercontinental Cup squad:

Gordon Drummond (capt), Ryan Watson, Fraser Watts, Jan Stander, Neil McCallum, Simon Smith (wk), Qasim Sheikh, Moneeb Iqbal, Majid Haq, Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, Ewan Chalmers.

ODI squad:

Gavin Hamilton (capt), Navdeep Poonia, Gordon Drummond, Ryan Watson, Fraser Watts, Jan Stander, Neil McCallum, Simon Smith (wk), Majid Haq, Richie Berrington, Calum MacLeod, Ross Lyons.

The 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup is just around the corner, and Ireland are this weekend due to announce their squad for their first match against Kenya on July 3. Ahead of that, however, Ireland A are taking on a young Yorkshire team who yesterday compiled an impressive 337, with Chavez Younes top-scoring on 71. Cricket Europe has the full report and a scorecard.

Zimbabwe Cricket has confirmed that it will enter an A side into the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup, in accordance with the recommendations of the ICC's task force.

The initial fixtures for the seven-team competition have been announced but, so far, no fixtures including either Zimbabwe or Afghanistan have been included.

The ICC is believed to have contacted the other five participants and asked if their governments position on them sending teams to the two countries or even playing against them.

If there are problems they are likely to come from the three European countries - Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland - as the European Union has blocks on certain senior ZC officials and issuing visas for Zimbabwe teams could prove problematical.

It is expected that Afghanistan's home matches will be staged in the UAE.

Canada have confirmed details of their European tour which will include four ODIs and the opening two games in the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup.

The trip will start with the Intercontinental Cup tie against Scotland (July 2 to 5) and that will be followed by two ODIs, also against Scotland, on July 7 and 8.

From there the team fly to the Netherlands where they play two more ODIs (July 11 and 12), finishing off with their second Intercontinental Cup match between July 15 and 18.

Laurie Peters, Namibia’s chief executive, has called the ICC’s decision to restructure the Intercontinental Cup as “disappointing” and said that it will have a negative affect on cricket in the country.

Last month, Namibia finished eighth in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers which should have been enough to secure them a place in the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup. But at an ICC development committee meeting earlier this week, the competition was restructured and Namibia, who finished runners-up in the 2007-08 event, were demoted to a four-team second division known as the Intercontinental Shield. A further blow was that the ICC ruled out any promotion or relegation between the divisions.

“It’s disappointing, and I not only see this as a Namibia issue but a development one in its entirety,” Peters told Cricinfo. “The ICC are all excited that there are now ten [Associate] countries competing against eight previously. One has to ask is this an extension of the competition … what competition? The four countries competing in the Shield will have three matches each and not even the incentive of a promotion-relegation match.

“Previously, eight countries participated. Should Zimbabwe decide to compete why not then have six in the Cup, and five in the Shield, with the opportunity at least one more game plus a promotion/relegation match.

“It’s important that the top Associate countries compete against the Full Members to prove that there is improvement and progress. However, the fact [Zimbabwe are] brought in the Intercontinental Cup at the expense of an Associate is very disappointing and sad for development.”

Peters was also worried that much of the development work inside Namibia would be undermined. “This will have its repercussions. The previous Intercontinental Cup raised a great amount of awareness, excitement and interest in our country. The final of the Intercontinental Cup had flashes and updates on four radio stations every five minutes.
Suddenly cricket had a following amongst the local people that was there never before.”

He was also worried that there would be much less cricket for the national team against lower-profile opponents. In 2007-08 Namibia played seven Intercontinental Cup group games plus a final. This time round, they will have three matches against Bermuda, Uganda and UAE, with the possibility that only one will be at home.

“[It does] nothing to raise awareness and interest and serve the development of cricket,” Peters said. “This is a backward step in itself. Our sponsors have been wonderful over the past years but it will have be ‘wait and see’ as to the effect on our sponsorship.”

Zimbabwe Cricket has told Cricinfo that it is working with the ICC on proposals that it enters a team into the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup. The tournament features the leading eight Associates who play each other in four-day first-class matches spread over more than a year, with the top two playing-off in a final at a neutral venue.

The idea that Zimbabwe, who have been suspended from Test cricket since 2005, participate in the competition was one of the proposals put forward to the ICC to enable their cricketers to prepare for an eventual return to the Test arena. A ZC spokesman said that the board were “in principle agreeable” and it was sorting out the “finer details” with the ICC.

An ICC source said that were Zimbabwe Cricket to agree it could create potential difficulties for it. “It would, in effect, admit that they were at Associate level, and unless they do very well, there would be a compelling argument for them to be stripped of their Full Member status. Imagine the situation where Ireland or Scotland, whose funding from the ICC is a fraction of Zimbabwe’s, beat them. There could be calls for that anomaly to be resolved.”

There are also issues over where games would be played as some countries involved in the competition still have serious political reservations over travelling to, and hosting, Zimbabwe. Those, however, are not believed to be insurmountable.

The other uncertainty which will need to be addressed by the ICC development committee when it meets later this month is whether, if Zimbabwe Cricket agrees to take part, the competition is expanded to nine countries or one of the existing Associates will be dropped to make room for them. However, it seems highly unlikely that an Associate – and Namibia would be the prime candidate as they secured the eighth and final qualifying slot – will be ditched.

Tony Munro

Kenya will be playing for a win in the Intercontinental Cup match against Ireland starting in Nairobi on Saturday despite needing just a draw to qualify for the final.

"My approach is to always play positive cricket and the Kenyan team will approach the game in this frame of mind,” Andy Kirsten, the coach, told Cricinfo. “There are a few scenarios which will see us reach the final, but the most clear one is to go and win the match, so that is what we aim to do.”

While Kirsten felt the batting, especially among the younger players, sometimes lacked in patience. However, the recent matches against the Pakistan Academy had aided their learning curve.

"The main problem, and it has been around for many years not just this year, and is also to be found in most Associate countries, has been one of patience. We gained valuable match practice [against the Pakistan Academy] in the four-day format, and witnessed how to approach batting in the longer version and the importance and value of shot selection, patience and partnerships in building big scores."

He echoed the captain Steve Tikolo's view that it was hard to develop successful habits under the present playing environment. "The lack of consistent and regular international matches is also a major problem"

On the opposition, Kirsten said Ireland was more than a collection of talented players.

"They have several individuals who have performed well in recent times and they are a well balanced unit, but I think their main strength at present has been their success as a team. The Irish are renowned for their fighting spirit and probably start this game as favourites, but they are on foreign turf and we will not make life easy for them."

When asked about the challenges of coaching Kenya, he spoke of the sport's status within the country.

"The biggest challenge has been trying to work in an environment that receives very little support from the rest of the country, such as the private sector, cricket supporters, government, and media."

Tony Munro

This weekend Namibia plays Ireland in the Intercontinental Cup. It’s Namibia's last qualifying match while Ireland has another against Kenya after this. Cricinfo spoke to the captain, Louis Burger.

Well, it’s your last chance to cement a place in the final and your opponents, Ireland, have a game in hand. Nothing like a bit of pressure to bring out the best out of the team, is it?

LB: Yes, we play every game to win and Ireland will be no exception in this regard. They will be coming at us really hard as they also want a place in the final. The pressure is a bit relieved on our side seeing that we are virtually assured of a spot in the final unless Ireland and Kenya finish in an outright tie, which is very unlikely, and we have to gain no points in the Ireland game.

Namibia hadn't hit a ball in anger for about five months prior to the Bermuda match. How did you rate the performance and in which areas would you like to see improvement?

LB: To us it was the beginning of the season and our preparations for the Bermuda game was intense seeing that we wanted the 20 points to relieve the pressure of having to gain points in our last game to go to the final.

Having said that, I was happy with our performance. We didn’t really know what to expect of the wicket and weather but eventually everything worked out, and we managed to get full points even though the wicket turned a lot and had half a day of cricket rained off.

Obviously the World Cup qualifiers next year would be in the back of your mind, but why is winning the Intercontinental Cup important?

LB: It’s all about reaching goals we set ourselves at the beginning of the year. Our first goal was to get into the final, which we are almost sure of at this moment. The next goal is to win the final. Our last goal is to qualify for the next World Cup and with the World Cup Qualifiers just a few months away, I feel that this is already a real confidence booster. To win this competition will give us the confidence to go into any game knowing that we can beat whoever the opposition is.

After this, Namibia start their campaign against the amateur South African provincial teams. How important is playing in this competition and in what areas does it improve your cricket?

The two seasons prior to the previous World Cup qualifiers, we did not play in this competition. Previously we did and it was called the Bowl Competition back then. Even though this is an amateur competition the standard of cricket is high and it gives us the opportunity to play against really tough opposition. To play as much competitive cricket as possible makes you a better team and help you cope in tight situations as you have been there before playing in this kind of competition. The competition consists out of a three day game followed by a limited overs match which gives one the opportunity to play both forms of the game over 4 days.

Ireland won the last meeting between the teams. How much will that enter into team planning?

LB: I don’t think that really bothers us. Quite a few of our players didn’t go on that tour due to working commitments, and also, both teams have a few new players. So yes, we don’t really look at what happened two years ago. We’d rather focus on what lies ahead. We do know that Ireland are a decent team and that they will be coming hard and so will we. Hopefully it will be a great contest.

Andre Botha has scored three centuries in the 07-08 Cup for Ireland , including 150s against Scotland and Holland . Does the team know much about him? Have you got plan in place for him?:

LB:Yes I know Andre very well seeing that we played together in Griqualand West in South Africa . We are good friends and he is a very good cricketer and you can’t take that away from him. Cricket is an interesting game and no one can predict what’s going to happen on the day and hopefully (laughs) he won’t score too many runs against us.

You must be in charge of one of the most versatile teams at Associate level. Why is it that Namibian cricket produces so many allrounders?

LB:It’s difficult to say why but, yes, it is very nice to be leading a team with so many individually talented cricketers. We probably have four to five individuals who, on their day, can take the game away from the opposition. And to top it all, we blend together as a great team with great team spirit which feels like one big family.

On a lighter note, I suppose that with the great (flat) batting wickets in Namibia, all the bowlers coming here eventually convert themselves into batsmen, which makes them good all-rounders eventually.

What is Ireland's greatest asset as a team?

LB: They have had the opportunity to play competitive cricket over the past 2 years. The World Cup, ODIs and so forth.

Ireland's rain-affected match against Canada was frustratingly cut short with no play possible on the fourth and final day, but Ireland have closed the gap on an already tightly packed top four in the Intercontinental Cup table

Click here for more.

Scotland will have little time to prepare for their Intercontinental Cup clash with Canada after they were stranded in Bermuda by the after-effects of Hurricane Bertha.

The storm had been expected to disrupt their game with Bermuda but as it happened the match was unaffected. But it hit the region afterwards, leaving the Scottish players stranded in their hotel rooms.

“The airport in Hamilton was shut down and the squad were unable to make their connection to Toronto,” Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith said. “The guys were confined to their rooms all day to escape the worst of the wind and heavy rain.

"We were given the option of delaying the start of the Canada match by 24 hours, but we decided against that because of the tight schedule next week when the lads go to Belfast for the European Championships."

Scotland will have less than a day to acclimitise to conditions which are far removed from those experienced in Bermuda as the match in Toronto starts on July 16.

Scotland will travel to Bermuda and Canada next month without several front-line players who are being rested for other matches later in the summer.

Scotland captain Ryan Watson, along with Gavin Hamilton, Craig Wright, Glenn Rogers and John Blain, have not been included in the 13-man squad which will play Intercontinental Cup matches in Bermuda (July 10-13) and Canada (July 16-19).

But, after discussions with the selectors, they will leave behind a group of experienced players who are being ‘rested’ in preparation for other major matches later in July and August.

“Although Scotland cannot now hope to win the Cup itself, we will certainly take these matches seriously, and the players know that they represent an excellent platform for their talents,” Peter Steindl, Scotland’s coach, said. “For our own ranking in the global game, we aim to win both matches."

Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland’s chief executive, added: "It is vital that we build strength in depth among our international squads - particularly with next year’s World Cup qualifying tournament in mind."

Scotland squad Fraser Watts (capt), Richie Berrington, Dewald Nel, Sean Weeraratna, Gordon Drummond, Gordon Goudie, Dougie Lockhart, Majid Haq, Ross Lyons, Qasim Sheikh, Neil McCallum, Gregor Maiden, Colin Smith (wkt).

Bermuda will host their first international match in four years when they play Scotland in the Intercontinental Cup after the National Sports Centre ground received ICC approval.

Click here for the full story.

	Arshad Ali, the former UAE captain, struck 185 in UAE's win over Bermuda last year © Eddie Norfolk

UAE might be languishing at second from bottom in the 2007-08 Intercontinental Cup, but they remain confident of reversing their fortunes ahead of their match against Namibia on Wednesday.

In three matches, they have only won one match - an excellent 138-run win over Bermuda last November. And it was this win which inspired UAE, and their captain, Saqib Ali, to believe in themselves. UAE were dismissed for a lowly 143, conceding a first-innings deficit of 168, but fought back brilliantly on days three and four to win by 138 runs.

"It was an unbelievable win for us," Saqib said. "That victory really gave us the belief that we can do well in this competition. I think we have what it takes. We have plenty of experience with people like Khurram Khan and Arshad Ali and there is a good feeling in the squad."

In spite of their bullishness, UAE's preparations for Wednesday's match have been far from ideal, with heavy rains sweeping the region. "Also it is a new pitch at Sharjah Stadium," Saqib said, "so we don't really know how it is going to play."

Saqib took over the reins from Arshadfor the Bermuda match, and the new-found freedom paid immediate dividends for Arshad whose mammoth 185 set-up UAE's matchwinning 449.

"I decided that I wanted to play as just an ordinary player, not captain," Arshad said. "It is easier for me that way and since I gave up the captaincy I have been doing very well, scoring runs and taking wickets."

Namibia, meanwhile, come into the match following an impressive eight-wicket win over Canada in October. Their win was set-up by a fine 163 from Bjorn Kotze, but neither his brother, Deon, or Louis Klazinga, who took 6 for 82 in the match, have made the trip. UAE, though, will not be underestimating Namibia.

"We are wary of Namibia. We know they have a good side with plenty of experience and lots of batting," Saqib said. "It will be very interesting. I am looking forward to it."

Concern is growing that the civil unrest in Kenya might put the Intercontinental Cup tie against Namibia at the end of the month in doubt. It has already delayed Kenya's preparations for the match against UAE in Sharjah.

Click here for more

The inaugural ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, which will take place in Belfast at the start of August, is the highlight of the Associates schedule for 2008 which was announced by the ICC today.

The three-day Qualifier will feature the six leading Associates - Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland - with the winners going through to the ICC World Twenty20 in England in 2009. The two successful teams will also stand to gain US$250,000 each for qualifying.

Click here for the full story

Tony Cozier is, rightly, one of the most respected journalists in the game. His work to cover and promote cricket in the Caribbean has been unstinting for almost four decades. And yet even the best writers have off days, and his attack on the way that the ICC funds the Intercontinental Cup, the first-class competition for the Associates, is one of those.

Cozier's outburst in his Caribbean-syndicated column at the weekend in effect concluded that rather than waste money on Associate tournaments it would be better spent on aiding West Indies, a “well-established member with a great tradition presently fallen on hard times”.

Cozier attacked the ICC for doling out "heaven knows how much cash every year" to run the Intercontinental Cup. The overall annual cost of the tournament is actually around $400,000 on top of which the participants contribute another $120,000 between them. For that, the leading eight Associate countries get to play in a prestigious (for them) competition, to meet a variety of opponents across the world and to improve.

Yes, it has its faults and there are mismatches, but the same could be said for any competition or series involving the Full Members. When was the last time Bangladesh or Zimbabwe or, dare it be said, West Indies played in a gripping contest as opposed to occasional one-off successes. As seen at the World Cup, the gulf between the have and have-nots on the field may be large but it is nothing like as vast as the chasm between their respective funding.

The leading Associates survive on grants of under half a million dollars a year; some, such as Kenya and Scotland, earn more through winning tournaments such as the World Cricket League which entitles them to ICC World Twenty20 participation money. The Full Members receive twenty times more. Zimbabwe, for example, coined in almost $11 million from the World Cup, and yet they struggle to hold their own with several Associates. What is more, the Full Members almost all have bloated payrolls; the Associates rely almost entirely on goodwill of hard-working administrators who often end up digging deep into their own pockets to keep things ticking over.

What Cozier seems to overlook is that the ICC should not be about looking after the big boys and forget the rest, although as the major boards become more money-obsessed by the month it may go that way. It has a responsibility to nurture and support the game in areas away from the traditional bedrocks. That is done through a myriad of tournaments, coaching clinics and advice. The total sum spent on Associates is under 25% of the ICC's overall budget. To scrap that would be akin to pulling up the drawbridge, hoping that the game survives among the existing ten Full Members, and hang the rest. No other sport would consider such a short-sighted policy, and neither should cricket.

Then there is the additional income that Full Members can earn through the very fact they play each other so often. Sponsorship and TV deals bring in tens of millions on top of the ICC funding. Although the WICB has never revealed the value of the original deal with Digicel, it is believed to be worth more than $20 million for five years. The England board's four-year TV deal with BSkyB was worth in excess of $400 million, the Indian board's own deals even more. They should be awash with cash.

Associates cannot attract funding worth even 5% of that as they play precious few big matches, a fact not helped by the continuing reluctance of most Full Members to play them. The big boys prefer to pack their schedules with ever longer one-day series against the same old - more lucrative - opposition. Television and sponsorship deals for Associates, if they ever get them, are for peanuts.

Cozier also argues that the Intercontinental Cup is not worthwhile as sides cannot always field their full sides as players cannot get time off work. It is a problem, and one everyone is aware of. But that ignores the fact that the bulk of players are prepared to make remarkable sacrifices to represent their countries. With more funding, and not with less, those players can be rewarded for their cricket skills and so availability will improve. As an aside, it is worth remembering West Indies couldn't find 15 players to represent their A team in Zimbabwe last July.

To argue that the woes of the West Indies could be cured by diverting cash from Associates to the Caribbean simply doesn't add up. Those who have witnessed the antics of a succession of West Indies boards might counter that to pour money into the region would be akin to chucking it onto a bonfire. In the last decade the WICB has run up debts running into tens of millions of dollars. It has failed to handle sponsors or players remotely adequately and needed the income from a (poorly run) World Cup to bail it out. That the game in the Caribbean is in need of help is beyond question. But it is in even more need of some broad-minded and competent leadership. Julian Hunte, the new WICB chairman, might be such a man but he has a daunting job ahead of him.

This is not a call for more money to be poured into Associate cricket, but there has to be some kind of reality check before those looking to establish and build the game are asked to tighten their belts even more because a Full Member is down to its last few dozen administrators.

Tony Cozier, the veteran Caribbean journalist and broadcaster, has launched a scathing attack on the way the ICC funds global cricket outside the Test-playing countries.

Writing in his column which is syndicated throughout the Caribbean, Cozier was angry at the way that established regions, such as West Indies, were not allocated more money instead of so much being spent by the ICC on Associate competitions.

“Certainly there is no ICC venture more illogical or costly than the one dubbed the Inter-Continental Cup,” he wrote. “It is an annual tournament, described by the ICC as its ‘flagship first-class competition’, comprising round-robin, four-day matches between its second tier members, those one below Test status. These are countries where the game has always been based on amateur, weekend, one-day club cricket. They play no four-day domestic matches and almost certainly never will.

“Yet the ICC doles out heaven knows how much cash every year to fly them, and their own entourage of officials, across the world and to house and feed them at venues as scattered as Aberdeen, Dublin, Namibia, Toronto, Sharjah and Windhoek.

“Canada were unable to raise their strongest team for the African tour because many of their best players simply could not get time off from their jobs. The same problem affects others, rendering the tournament even less relevant.”

The ICC maintains that the competition enables players from Associate countries to gain more experience in the longer form of the game.

Bermuda batsman Lionel Cann has been sent home from the tour of Africa and the Middle East after the Bermuda Cricket Board chose to increase his suspension for showing dissent when he was given out lbw against Kenya on Saturday.

Cann took his time leaving the crease after being given out for a golden duck then hit a trash can with his bat as he left the field. The ICC has already dealt with the offence - handing him a two-match suspension from one-day-internationals after finding him guilty of showing "serious dissent at an umpire's decision". That ruling had meant Cann would have been eligible for the two four-day Intercontinental Cup games against Kenya and the UAE.

But the BCB announced that they had upped his suspension. In a short statement the executive voard announced its decision that Cann should play no further part in the tour and revealed it was making arrangements for him to fly home as soon as possible.

Click here for the full story.

Namibia have beaten Canada by eight wickets in their Intercontinental Cup match at Windhoek. Click here for the bulletin and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Bermuda's confidence has been hit by the absence of their leading batsman, David Hemp © Getty Images

Their squad is severely depleted and inexperienced and they have just been humiliated in two warm-up one-dayers against Denmark. But according to Gus Logie, the Bermuda coach, his side are embarking on a new era with confidence.

Logie's men take on Netherlands in their Intercontinental Cup match on Monday with only four surviving players from their disastrous World Cup campaign in the Caribbean earlier this year: Irvine Romaine, Stephen Outerbridge, Dwayne Leverock, the crowds' favourite, and Lionel Cann.

"Some of the younger players have an opportunity to prove themselves and I am looking forward to seeing them progress more than anything else," Logie said. "It is always important to start on a winning note. We have to be realistic of the situation. We are looking forward to seeing some good individual performances and trust that it will be enough to benefit the whole team.

"To emulate any past achievements, we need a similar commitment level of the players and a good start in the competition."

Jekon Edness takes over the wicket-keeping duties from Dean Minors, and a number of youngsters such as Jacobi Robinson, Arthur Pitcher and Ryan Steede are also set to feature.

In stark contrast, the Netherlands are almost at full strength after the return of the captain Jeroen Smits, Bas Zuiderent, Edgar Schiferli and Adeel Raja. The quartet missed the trip to Aberdeen last week where they lost to Scotland by an innings and 59 runs.

"I know Bermuda is missing some good players and I feel sorry for them but when we step on the field, I want my team to be ruthless and play as hard as it can," Paul-Jan Bakker, Netherlands' coach, said. "No disrespect to Bermuda but if we produce a clinical performance and win comprehensively, it will do a world of good to our confidence for the next game against Ireland. It [the game against Ireland] will be a very important match for our progress in the competition because Ireland is certainly one of the top sides in the tournament.

"It is good for the balance of the team that the four players are back. It gives the team a fresher look and, most importantly, it gives us the firepower and aggression we missed in Aberdeen last week."

The best things in life are free, or so they say. The Intercontinental Cup final may not be the best thing ever - particularly where Derbyshire and Northamptonshire are concerned, as they won't release their Irish players - but there is no charge for entry for what promises to be a quality contest.

In an era where the cost of sports tickets is ever-spiralling, the opportunity to see two of the best Associates, who are World Cup qualifiers to boot, is not to be sniffed at. You may have to make it to Leicester for the privilege (the game was originally scheduled for Chelmsford in Essex) but Grace Road is an intimate ground which could reward the spectators who come to see if Ireland can retain their title against Canada.

All the signs are that they can. Even without Boyd Rankin, Niall O'Brien and an injured Andre Botha, and even after losing five one-day Friends Provident Trophy matches on the trot, the Irish are the out-and-out favourites. They picked up many new fans in the wake of their spirited World Cup victories against Bangladesh and Pakistan, and hope to convert more this week.

Their new coach, Phil Simmons, has had years of experience at Leicester, his former home ground, so his input will help. Ireland are well established in the four-day game and, despite their recent defeats, at least they have been getting adjusted to the spring conditions of the UK, which is their home turf anyway.

Contrast that with Canada, who have managed just a single day of cricket since the World Cup, when they were knocked out in the initial stages on March 22. Their former captain John Davison labelled their performance against Kenya as "village and embarrassing" and the side underperformed throughout.

Ashish Bagai now takes the reins, and his immediate task has been made all the more difficult by a chaotic build-up that included lost baggage, missed flights, jet-lag and washed-out matches. Throw in the fact that some of those who didn't play in the Caribbean haven't played outdoors for many months and Canada could be in real trouble.

Then there's the future. This match represents the last time that Andy Pick will coach them; he will return to his duties as England Under-19 coach after the final, leaving Canada needing appoint a replacement soon.

It may be Pick's swansong, but Canada will need to perform to the best of their abilities if they are to glide to success.

If you are in Leicester this week, then head down to Grace Road to catch the Intercontinental Cup final – for free. That’s right. It’s your chance to see Canada (including John Davison) take on the reigning champions and World Cup heroes Ireland. The four-day match kicks off on Tuesday 22.

The fixtures for the first half of the 2007-08 Intercontinental Cup have been released by the ICC.

The tournament undergoes a change of format once again, with the group stages scrapped and a round-robin system introduced. This will mean that the eight participants play seven matches after the two-year span of the competition.

The event kicks off on June 28 when Canada, who meet Ireland in the final of the 2006-07 tournament at Leicester between May 22 and 25, meet Netherlands in Toronto.

Scotland play back-to-back matches against Ireland and Netherlands at the start of August, while Bermuda will be in Europe to take on the same opponents at the end of the month.

The schedule shows that Bermuda are the busiest country in 2007 with four matches, all away from home. In addition to their European trip, they play Kenya in Nairobi at the start of November and from there go straight to the meet UAE.

Namibia, on the other hand, have only one game inked in, while Kenya have two.

Henry Osinde will replace Ashish Patel in Canada's squad for the Intercontinental Cup final against Ireland next month. Patel could not get time off work according to the CCA website.

The ICC has announced that the final of the Intercontinental Cup between Canada and Ireland will be held at Grace Road, Leicester between May 22 and 25.

The County Ground at Chelmsford had originally been earmarked to stage the game, but negotiations between Essex and the ICC broke down earlier in the month.