Manny Ramirez Plays Cricket

Baseball Slugger Manny Ramirez Turns Cricket Batsman
In Support of DIRECTVs CricketTicket™ Service;
Hits Five of Eight Pitches in Cricket Debut

DIRECTV to Deliver All International Cricket Council (ICC) and Indian Premier League (IPL) Cricket Events Exclusively in the U.S Through 2011

GILBERT, Ariz., March 18, 2009 Baseball superstar Manny Ramirez has faced baseballs toughest pitchers, but today he encountered a challenge of a different kind at Nichols Park in Gilbert, Ariz., home to the Arizona Cricket Club. Ramirez was swinging at googlies and grubbers instead of split-finger fast balls in his debut as a cricket batsman to promote DIRECTVs exclusive CricketTicket™ Service. The great slugger hit five of eight pitches from the bowler, including a rocket shot that dispersed a crowd standing behind the bowler.

I have faced some tough pitchers before, but we dont have to ever swing at a bouncing ball that is rising as it passes us, said Ramirez, who was coached at the event by Australian cricketer Shaun Marsh. Shaun is a great hitter and he gave me some great pointers. I hadnt watched much cricket in the past, but the game is a lot like baseball. Shaun said I definitely have a future in the game.
Marsh, just 25, is one of the finest young batsmen in Australia and has played for such fabled clubs as Kings XI Punjab and Western Australia. An Australia A representative, Marsh made his first-class debut in 2000-01, and was also part of the Australia Under-19 squad that won the World Cup in 2002.

I am honored to be the one player in the entire world of cricket selected to give Manny some pointers today, said Marsh. I thoroughly enjoyed coming to the United States and being able to spend some time sharing my passion for the sport with someone who is just as passionate about his sport as Manny is. Maybe he can return the favor next Spring.

DIRECTV, Inc., the nations leading satellite TV service provider, and Willow TV, Inc., the Internets largest portal for cricket streaming video, have entered into multi-year agreements that give DIRECTV broadcast rights for International Cricket Council (ICC) tournaments, Indian Premier League (IPL) tournaments, Champions League Twenty20, Australian cricket, South African cricket, New Zealand cricket. These rights also include events such as the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 in England, the 2009/10 IPL tournaments, the 2009 India tour of New Zealand and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

As Manny Ramirez, who tried his hand at cricket for the first time today can attest, being an all-star hitter in baseball does not automatically mean that you are going to be an outstanding batsman in cricket, said John de Armas, vice president, WorldDirect, Inc. Perhaps if he watches some of the biggest cricket events from around the world on DIRECTVs CricketTicket™ this year, his skills as a batsman will improve.
Since February 11, ICC and IPL cricket tours have been available to U.S. audiences, exclusively on DIRECTVs CricketTicket™ 2009 package. CricketTicket is part of DIRECTVs International programming platform and is available for $299.99 for the full season, or the IPL & ICC World T20 package can be purchased for $199.99.
Individual matches can also be purchased, á la carte pricing varies depending on the specific game. WorldDirect™ customers must first subscribe to DIRECTV BASIC ($9.99/mo) or PREFFERED CHOICE ($32.99/mo) and one of the international programming packages or any

DIRECTV base programming package ($29.99/mo or above). CricketTicket is the first-ever, year-long subscription TV package for international cricket. Customers can receive more information on the package by calling 1-800-378-4179 or visit www.cricketticket.com. High resolution photos of the event are available after 3:30 PM PST at the following address: http://leaderwestcoast.smugmug.com/gallery/7632061_Zk8J3/1/494087734_ovxCq