As the Hong Kong World Sixes 2017 tournament has returned to the traditional ground of Kowloon Cricket Club (KCC) with such a bang after an indefinite break of five years, this time around eight teams are participating as a six-a-side – to bask the glory, but unfortunately, India has withdrawn from the ongoing competition.
As the action already started on Saturday (October 28), the teams are looking forward to entertaining the crowd which has so far garnered the massive reach through its YouTube channel – to give a refreshing feeling to the audience: to relive the moments following the fiscal fetters.
The eight-team list also includes the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), for the first time since the inception of the tournament way back in 1992.
New Zealand, Australia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and hosts Hong Kong teams are also battling it out to make most out of the short-paced tournament.
(Read Also: Cricket Hong Kong To Go Digital After Massive Rebranding Plan)
With the last tournament held in 2012, the defending champion South Africa won the tournament four times which is also participating in the two-day championship which is based on the knockout fixtures, as England and Pakistan teams have had respectively clinched the title five-time each.
Earlier, Cricket Hong Kong administration took stock of the situation, before promoting the tournament in a bid to garner massive audience following the changes in the format in the recent past which even witnessed 12 teams participating in the tournament.
To promote the cricket in China, Hong Kong will play a solitary fixture against the Dragons on the final day (October 29).
Here’s the list of players for eight different teams featuring in Hong Kong World Sixes 2017:
Team Hong Kong: Babar Hayat (Skipper), Nizakat Khan, Aizaz Khan, Ehsan Khan, Ehsan Nawaz, Tanveer Ahmed and Jamie Atkinson.
Team MCC: Samit Patel (Skipper), Darren Stevens, Rikki Clarke, Ryan Higgins, Jordan Clark, Gareth Berg and John Simpson.
Team Australia: John Hastings (Skipper), Ben Laughlin, Arjun Nair, Nathan Reardon, Matthew Short, Sebastian Gotch and Alexander Gregory.
Team New Zealand: Peter Fulton (Skipper), Shanan Stewart, Ronnie Hira, Brad Cachopa, Steve Wilkins, Elliott Herd and Graeme Beghin.
South Africa: Sarel Erwee (Skipper), Corne Dry, Jerry Nqolo, Farhaan Sayanwala, Aubrey Swanepoel, Somila Seyibokwe and Ferisco Adams.
Team Pakistan: Sohail Tanvir (Skipper), Mohammad Sami, Anwar Ali, Hammad Azam, Sohail Khan, Sahibzada Farhan and Jahid Ali.
Team Sri Lanka: Farveez Maharoof (Skipper), Jeevan Mendis, Andy Solomans, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Tillakaratne Sampath, Ramith Rambukwella and Angelo Perera,
Team Bangladesh: Saif Hasan (Skipper), Afif Hossain, Mahidul Islam Ankon, Damien Wright, Monirul Islam, Qazi Onik Islam and Robiul Haque.
It’s pertinent to point out that each team will have the list of seven players, as the final would be comprised of eight overs.
However, the plate final would witness six overs on super Sunday (October 29) which would subsequently witness 24 fixtures including a final of the 2017 competition and a solitary game which subsequently fixtures the China-based side Dragons.
Live Streaming of Hong Kong World Sixes 2017 could be accessed here:
The fixtures of the Hong Kong World Sixes are given below:
In the Group A, Hong Kong is listed with MCC followed Pakistan and South Africa.
On the other side, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh will feature in Group B with Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand.
Hong Kong World Sixes – Group Stage Fixtures for 28th October and 29th October:
| Time | Fixtures | Team Pool |
| 08:00-08:45 | Hong Kong V South Africa | A |
| 08:45-09:30 | Bangladesh V Sri Lanka | B |
| 09:30-10:15 | Pakistan V Hong Kong | A |
| 10:15-11:00 | Australia V Sri Lanka | B |
| 11:00-11:45 | MCC V South Africa | A |
| 11:45-12:30 | New Zealand Kiwis V Bangladesh | B |
| 12:30-13:15 | Hong Kong V MCC | A |
| 13:15-14:00 | New Zealand Kiwis V Sri Lanka | B |
| 14:00-14:45 | South Africa V Pakistan | A |
| 14:45-15:30 | Bangladesh V Australia | B |
| 15:30-16:15 | MCC V Pakistan | A |
| 16:15-17:00 | New Zealand Kiwis Vs Australia | B |
| 08:00-08:45 | Hong Kong will host the Dragons | Five Overs |
| 08:45-09:30 | One will take on eight | Five Overs |
| 09:30-10:15 | Second will take on seven | Five Overs |
| 10:15-11:00 | Third team will play sixth | Five Overs |
| 11:00-11:45 | Fourth will face fifth | Five Overs |
| 11:45-12:30 | Title Semi One | Five Overs |
| 12:30-13:15 | Plate Semi One | Five Overs |
| 13:15-14:00 | Cup Semi Two | Five Overs |
| 14:00-14:45 | Plate Semi Two | Five Overs |
| 14:45-15:30 | Playoff for 3rd Place | Five Overs |
| 15:30-16:15 | Plate Final | Five Overs |
| 16:15-17:00 | Title Final | 8 overs |