Revamped Hong Kong Sixes proposal part of plan to make 2016 a big year for local cricket

The relaunch of the globally popular Hong Kong Sixes is part of an action plan to make 2016 a landmark year for local cricket on and off the field, starting with this week’s ACC Asia Cup qualifier and the ICC World T20 next month.

The Hong Kong Cricket Association is hoping to resurrect the international sixes event with a revamped format to include women cricketers and mainland teams, as well as separately stage Hong Kong’s first ICC-sanctioned women’s tournament featuring rising powers.

HKCA chief executive Tim Cutler said on-field efforts begin this month with the Asia Cup qualifier in Bangladesh, followed quickly by the Hong Kong men’s second appearance in the ICC World T20 tournament, in India next month.

“The Sixes is a famous tournament,” said Cutler. “When I’m around the world and mention Hong Kong, they talk about the Sixes rather than us being ranked 10th in the world. Not that the Sixes define us, but it’s almost like a USP.

“It is something nobody else has and to get it up and running is critical for Hong Kong and for what it can do for emerging nations.

“We’d like for us to be able to stand up on our own two feet and make it commercially viable to help grow cricket in emerging nations like China, the US and Brazil.”