I felt bad we couldn't get Harbhajan: Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta regrets that she couldn't get Harbhajan Singh in her Mohali team for the Indian Premier League (IPL). After all, both of them have their roots in Chandigarh.
"I felt bad that we couldn't get Harbhajan Singh on board. It would have been nice to have him on board as he is from Chandigarh. But Mumbai went all out for him, and so did we. But at least the good thing is, he got paid really well," Preity told IANS in an interview.
"A team is never made of one person. We had our budgets, and we had to stick to it. We wanted a team that was heavy with Indians. A lot of mathematics went into the game. Overall, I think we got a well-balanced team. And in the team format no individual wins or loses. That's the best part of it," she added.
Yuvraj Singh will captain Preity's Mohali team that has Simon Katich, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, Irfan Pathan, S. Sreesanth, Brett Lee, Kumar Sangakkara and M. Jayawardene.
The inaugural edition of the International Cricket Council-sanctioned Twenty20 league starts April 18.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q: The IPL also has Shah Rukh Khan coming in. How does it feel to have him as a competitor in cricket?
A: I've always looked up to Shah Rukh. When I did my first film "Dil Se" with him he was already a huge star. To me it's a matter of great honour to be on the same platform with him. We're all working very hard on the IPL. Ours is the youngest team among all the IPL owners. Let's be positive about it. It's very important for the IPL team to work in totality.
Q: Which members of the IPL have you interacted with?
A: You mean besides Shah Rukh? Vijay Mallya. He's a very good friend, and a really cool person to know. As for the cricketers, they're all in Australia now.
Q: How cricket savvy have you become?
A: Right now I'm more IPL savvy. We're working on the format and modalities constantly. But yes. I'm trying to get as cricket savvy as possible. On Tuesday, I was watching the match in Australia. I was so pleased to see Yuvraj perform so well. He's rocking. And yeah, I'm reading more sports news now. Rome wasn't built in a day. And my interest in cricket will take time to develop. We just went to Mohali. The stadium there is fantastic.
Q: Are you happy with your new work schedule?
A: I'm loving every minute of it. I've always had a lot of energy. So I'm now using it the right way.
Q: Are you growing beyond cinema?
A: I certainly am. But my first love will always be acting. Cricket will have to take a second place. When I'm in a shot, nothing else matters. When I'm watching Yuvraj Singh bat, I'm fully there. But I'm in control during my shot, not Yuvraj's shot. All I can do is motivate the cricketers. I do have various sides to me. And now I'm getting a chance to explore things that are helping me grow as a human being. I'm just so thankful to get these opportunities. I always wanted to make a positive impact.
Q: Are you proud to be so active in a game that's dominated by men?
A: Men talk about equal opportunities for women. But when it comes to the crunch, no one comes forward to let women rub shoulders with them. I just want to say the three guys who exemplify true feminism are my IPL colleagues Ness Wadia, Karan Paul and Mohit Burman. These three men have supported me wholeheartedly and without being patronising. They're truly modern men of the world.
Q: Having the love of your life by your side surely helps?
A: I joke with Ness and say you're the wind beneath my wings. When I suddenly burst into a loud exuberant rendering of "Wind Beneath My Wings", Ness looks at me as if I've gone crazy.
Q: Does Ness enjoy being called the wind beneath your wings?
A: He is that - to give me this kind of support and provide me with equal opportunities as his male colleagues. It's fantastic. Very few people will do that.
Q: Did you ever feel you might just end up as the glamour prop in the IPL?
A: I always wanted to avoid that. But in any sphere of activity people treat you the way you want. I've been on-board on IPL, attending all the conferences. At every meeting, I'm the first one in and the last one out. Everyone has got the message that I'm interested and passionate about IPL and I'm not in it as a token representative. I'm fully inducted into it. Let's see where it goes.
Q: Any downside to the auction?
A: I felt bad that we couldn't get Harbhajan Singh on board. He being from Chandigarh to have him on board would've been nice. But Mumbai went hard for him, and so did we. But at least the good thing is, he got paid really well. A team is never made of one person. We had our budgets, and we had to stick to it. We wanted a team that was heavy with Indians. A lot of mathematics went into the game. Overall, I think we got a well-balanced team. And in the team format, no individual wins or loses. That's the best part of it.
Q: Did your budget afford you the players you wanted?
A: I think the teams that didn't have to bid for icon players had more flexible budgets. Chennai, Hyderabad and Jaipur didn't have icon players.
Q: Do you think it's important for your team to have an icon player?
A: We love our icon player Yuvraj Singh. He's one of the best Twenty20 players in the world. He makes a lot of difference to our team's morale. The good thing is, we're the youngest team in the IPL.
Indo-Asian News Service
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Indian Premier League is here - but who will win it?
The Indian Premier League is here - but who will win it?
Andrew Hughes gives us the Indian Premier League: auctions, the world's best players, franchises owned by Bollywood stars and all-action Twenty20 cricket. But who is the best bet to win it?
Depending on your point of view, the Indian Premier League represents either the dawn of a thrilling new era or the opening of a Pandora's Box that will ruin the game. Others might like to tell themselves that this is just a passing fad and ignore it in the hope that it might go away.
But whatever your thoughts on the merits of this new cricket venture, head in the sand is no position for the intelligent bettor. In all likelihood the IPL will be around for the foreseeable future and as well as attracting a worldwide audience of millions, it is bound to generate huge interest on Betfair. So with a little while to go before the tournament gets underway on 18th April, there is time to get to grips with what it is all about. And as with any new format, those who are prepared to do the research will reap the profits.
First the basics. The IPL consists of eight franchises based in eight Indian cities. The franchises were awarded after a bidding process and the winners ranged from Bollywood film stars to large Indian corporations. Last Wednesday the franchise owners took part in an open auction for the 75 international players who had signed up to the IPL. In addition there were five 'Iconic' players, (Tendulkar, Sehwag, Dravid, Yuvraj and Ganguly) who had already been allocated to their home teams.
The teams will play home and away in a league format, with the top four going forward to the semi-finals and final in Mumbai at the end of May. The two finalists will also play in the Twenty20 Champions League that is planned for the autumn.
And now that the international players have been allocated, we are in a position to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the various teams. You can check out the squads here though you should remember that the domestic Indian players haven't yet been confirmed so these squads are not complete. You should also bear in mind that some of the international players may not be available, either for all or part of the inaugural tournament. The Australians are particularly affected with their tour of Pakistan scheduled for March and April. Justin Langer will also be unavailable for the inaugural tournament as he will be honouring his Somerset commitments.
So what should we look for when trying to pick the winner of the IPL? Well, with so many talented performers on show, the standard of cricket is likely to be high and so success is most likely to go to those teams with a balance of hard-hitting batsmen, accurate bowlers and dynamic fielding. And there is already a clear favourite.
Hyderabad, currently trading at [4.5] have the most explosive batting line-up of all with Gilchrist, Gibbs, Symonds and Afridi all competing for places at the top of the order. Throw in the stylish Laxman and useful allrounders Styris, Rohit Sharma and Piush Chawla and they deserve their place at the head of the market. Their only weakness might be in the bowling with three left-armers in RP Singh, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa. Vaas in particular might suffer on the flat Indian wickets.
Amongst the others, Kolkata [6.0] will be an exciting team to watch and though they have some in and out performers like Chris Gayle and Shoaib Akhtar, they have the solidity of Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly and the deadly accurate yorkers of Umar Gul, top wicket taker in the World Twenty20 Championships.
Another team I like the look of are Delhi at [6.0] who have a nice blend of big hitters (Virender Sehwag, A B de Villiers, Manoj Tiwary, Tillakaratne Dilshan) accurate and varied bowlers (Mohammed Asif, Daniel Vettori, Glenn McGrath) and an overwhelmingly young fielding side. Delhi might have a problem, however, in that all of their specialist bowlers are foreign. One of the quirks of this tournament is that no team is allowed to have more than four foreigners in their starting XI, so that is something you should bear in mind before having a bet on the tournament winner.
http://betting.betfair.com/cricket/indian-premier-league/the-indian-premier-league-is-here-but-who-will-win-260208.html
Andrew Hughes gives us the Indian Premier League: auctions, the world's best players, franchises owned by Bollywood stars and all-action Twenty20 cricket. But who is the best bet to win it?
Depending on your point of view, the Indian Premier League represents either the dawn of a thrilling new era or the opening of a Pandora's Box that will ruin the game. Others might like to tell themselves that this is just a passing fad and ignore it in the hope that it might go away.
But whatever your thoughts on the merits of this new cricket venture, head in the sand is no position for the intelligent bettor. In all likelihood the IPL will be around for the foreseeable future and as well as attracting a worldwide audience of millions, it is bound to generate huge interest on Betfair. So with a little while to go before the tournament gets underway on 18th April, there is time to get to grips with what it is all about. And as with any new format, those who are prepared to do the research will reap the profits.
First the basics. The IPL consists of eight franchises based in eight Indian cities. The franchises were awarded after a bidding process and the winners ranged from Bollywood film stars to large Indian corporations. Last Wednesday the franchise owners took part in an open auction for the 75 international players who had signed up to the IPL. In addition there were five 'Iconic' players, (Tendulkar, Sehwag, Dravid, Yuvraj and Ganguly) who had already been allocated to their home teams.
The teams will play home and away in a league format, with the top four going forward to the semi-finals and final in Mumbai at the end of May. The two finalists will also play in the Twenty20 Champions League that is planned for the autumn.
And now that the international players have been allocated, we are in a position to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the various teams. You can check out the squads here though you should remember that the domestic Indian players haven't yet been confirmed so these squads are not complete. You should also bear in mind that some of the international players may not be available, either for all or part of the inaugural tournament. The Australians are particularly affected with their tour of Pakistan scheduled for March and April. Justin Langer will also be unavailable for the inaugural tournament as he will be honouring his Somerset commitments.
So what should we look for when trying to pick the winner of the IPL? Well, with so many talented performers on show, the standard of cricket is likely to be high and so success is most likely to go to those teams with a balance of hard-hitting batsmen, accurate bowlers and dynamic fielding. And there is already a clear favourite.
Hyderabad, currently trading at [4.5] have the most explosive batting line-up of all with Gilchrist, Gibbs, Symonds and Afridi all competing for places at the top of the order. Throw in the stylish Laxman and useful allrounders Styris, Rohit Sharma and Piush Chawla and they deserve their place at the head of the market. Their only weakness might be in the bowling with three left-armers in RP Singh, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa. Vaas in particular might suffer on the flat Indian wickets.
Amongst the others, Kolkata [6.0] will be an exciting team to watch and though they have some in and out performers like Chris Gayle and Shoaib Akhtar, they have the solidity of Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly and the deadly accurate yorkers of Umar Gul, top wicket taker in the World Twenty20 Championships.
Another team I like the look of are Delhi at [6.0] who have a nice blend of big hitters (Virender Sehwag, A B de Villiers, Manoj Tiwary, Tillakaratne Dilshan) accurate and varied bowlers (Mohammed Asif, Daniel Vettori, Glenn McGrath) and an overwhelmingly young fielding side. Delhi might have a problem, however, in that all of their specialist bowlers are foreign. One of the quirks of this tournament is that no team is allowed to have more than four foreigners in their starting XI, so that is something you should bear in mind before having a bet on the tournament winner.
http://betting.betfair.com/cricket/indian-premier-league/the-indian-premier-league-is-here-but-who-will-win-260208.html
Will India's cricket league work?
Will India's cricket league work?
Mahendra Dhoni is the most expensive player in the league
The upcoming Indian Premier League cricket tournament is a heady cocktail of sports and commerce on a level that has never been attempted in the game before.
The multi-million pound, International Cricket Council-sanctioned Twenty20 tournament will feature eight city franchises - Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Jaipur, Chennai, Chandigarh and Hyderabad - playing a total of 59 matches, beginning next month.
It is a gravy train without parallel - cricketers have been bid for and sold at whopping prices, and the Indian cricket board has already earned over £800m selling TV rights and team franchises for the tournament.
India one-day skipper Mahendra Dhoni attracted the highest price at the auction last week, bought for $1.5m (£770,095) by Chennai, while Australia's Andrew Symonds went to Hyderabad for $1.35m (£694,180).
The rich and powerful from Bollywood and some of India's biggest companies have dug deep into their pockets to bid for 78 stars.
But many cricketers, fans and experts of the game are sceptical about the tournament whipping up good fan loyalty.
Fan loyalty
They say the city-based club format of the tournament where one mixed nationality team plays the other and players are "bought and sold" will take time to grow roots.
One of them is cricket historian Boria Majumdar.
"One cardinal point about cricket craze in India is nationalism," he said. "Now you have to create fan loyalties based on cities. Do you identify with players or do you identify with cities when supporting a team?"
Will Indian cricket fans root for city teams?
But advertising guru Alyque Padamsee says this will not stop the tournament becoming a success - he reminds critics that cricket in India began with a communal tournament called the Pentagular series.
"Public memory is short. In the Pentagular, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, Christians and the rest played league matches. When I was a kid I used to listen to these matches. They were hugely popular," said Padamsee, who was born in Mumbai.
"I want to see Mumbai thrash Delhi in the new league. I would watch it. People will support city teams."
The other big question is will players take the tournament seriously enough?
'Illicit liquor'
Majumdar says the tournament will fail if players treat it merely like a commercial spectacle.
"The entertainment will last a few days. Cricket fans in India are not fools. They will not come unless there is serious cricket."
Veteran cricketer Nari Contractor believes IPL will be good for cricket.
"Youngsters will get a chance to play with international players and learn from them," he said, adding that even being with senior players, sharing the same dressing room, teaches a lot to inexperienced players.
Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan have bought teams
"Every time cricket has gone the popular way, there have been objections from purists."
Some feel that the "camaraderie" among players may be affected with all the hype about the kind of money they are being offered to play.
It is another thing that most agree that the 20-over format of the game is not exactly champagne cricket.
Historian Ram Guha wryly likens Twenty20 cricket to "illicit liquor". Contractor says the format is "bad for technique" of batsmen. And Majumdar points out that "all the Twenty20 stars have failed in Test matches".
In the end, everybody agrees that the players - and not necessarily cricket - will benefit most from the tournament.
"IPL is good for players. They can make money. I have nothing against players making money, they have short careers," says former cricketer Mohinder Amarnath.
"It won't boost domestic cricket. It is more like a business and entertainment venture".
Mahendra Dhoni is the most expensive player in the league
The upcoming Indian Premier League cricket tournament is a heady cocktail of sports and commerce on a level that has never been attempted in the game before.
The multi-million pound, International Cricket Council-sanctioned Twenty20 tournament will feature eight city franchises - Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Jaipur, Chennai, Chandigarh and Hyderabad - playing a total of 59 matches, beginning next month.
It is a gravy train without parallel - cricketers have been bid for and sold at whopping prices, and the Indian cricket board has already earned over £800m selling TV rights and team franchises for the tournament.
India one-day skipper Mahendra Dhoni attracted the highest price at the auction last week, bought for $1.5m (£770,095) by Chennai, while Australia's Andrew Symonds went to Hyderabad for $1.35m (£694,180).
The rich and powerful from Bollywood and some of India's biggest companies have dug deep into their pockets to bid for 78 stars.
But many cricketers, fans and experts of the game are sceptical about the tournament whipping up good fan loyalty.
Fan loyalty
They say the city-based club format of the tournament where one mixed nationality team plays the other and players are "bought and sold" will take time to grow roots.
One of them is cricket historian Boria Majumdar.
"One cardinal point about cricket craze in India is nationalism," he said. "Now you have to create fan loyalties based on cities. Do you identify with players or do you identify with cities when supporting a team?"
Will Indian cricket fans root for city teams?
But advertising guru Alyque Padamsee says this will not stop the tournament becoming a success - he reminds critics that cricket in India began with a communal tournament called the Pentagular series.
"Public memory is short. In the Pentagular, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Parsis, Christians and the rest played league matches. When I was a kid I used to listen to these matches. They were hugely popular," said Padamsee, who was born in Mumbai.
"I want to see Mumbai thrash Delhi in the new league. I would watch it. People will support city teams."
The other big question is will players take the tournament seriously enough?
'Illicit liquor'
Majumdar says the tournament will fail if players treat it merely like a commercial spectacle.
"The entertainment will last a few days. Cricket fans in India are not fools. They will not come unless there is serious cricket."
Veteran cricketer Nari Contractor believes IPL will be good for cricket.
"Youngsters will get a chance to play with international players and learn from them," he said, adding that even being with senior players, sharing the same dressing room, teaches a lot to inexperienced players.
Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan have bought teams
"Every time cricket has gone the popular way, there have been objections from purists."
Some feel that the "camaraderie" among players may be affected with all the hype about the kind of money they are being offered to play.
It is another thing that most agree that the 20-over format of the game is not exactly champagne cricket.
Historian Ram Guha wryly likens Twenty20 cricket to "illicit liquor". Contractor says the format is "bad for technique" of batsmen. And Majumdar points out that "all the Twenty20 stars have failed in Test matches".
In the end, everybody agrees that the players - and not necessarily cricket - will benefit most from the tournament.
"IPL is good for players. They can make money. I have nothing against players making money, they have short careers," says former cricketer Mohinder Amarnath.
"It won't boost domestic cricket. It is more like a business and entertainment venture".
IPL’s annual window
IPL’s annual window
MELBOURNE, Feb. 26: The International Cricket Council has hinted that the Indian Premier League could have an annual window from next year to ensure that top international players were available. The ICC chief executive, Mr Malcolm Speed, said the move would be approved if it was supported by seven member nations, although it would be extremely difficult to negotiate things.
Kirsten in Mumbai
In Mumbai, the first meeting between the newly appointed national team coach, Mr Gary Kirsten, Test skipper Anil Kumble and a few BCCI officials was held today. Mr Kirsten and Kumble had a two hours meeting with the BCCI secretary, Mr Niranjan Shah, the treasurer, Mr N Srinivasan and Mr Ratnakar Shetty, the board’s chief administrative officer. Mr Kirsten takes over formally on 1 March.
Quality spinner
The lack of quality spinners in the domestic game is the “biggest concern” of the chief selector, Mr Dilip Vengsarkar, who fears that Twenty20 cricket will affect slow bowlers. Mr Vengsarkar said spinners would get little chance to showcase their talent in the shortest format of the game, which was heavily loaded in favour of batsmen. “It (the lack of good spinners) is our biggest concern. And, now with Twenty20 in vogue, spinners will have very little chance to parade their talents,” he said.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=5&theme=&usrsess=1&id=192684
MELBOURNE, Feb. 26: The International Cricket Council has hinted that the Indian Premier League could have an annual window from next year to ensure that top international players were available. The ICC chief executive, Mr Malcolm Speed, said the move would be approved if it was supported by seven member nations, although it would be extremely difficult to negotiate things.
Kirsten in Mumbai
In Mumbai, the first meeting between the newly appointed national team coach, Mr Gary Kirsten, Test skipper Anil Kumble and a few BCCI officials was held today. Mr Kirsten and Kumble had a two hours meeting with the BCCI secretary, Mr Niranjan Shah, the treasurer, Mr N Srinivasan and Mr Ratnakar Shetty, the board’s chief administrative officer. Mr Kirsten takes over formally on 1 March.
Quality spinner
The lack of quality spinners in the domestic game is the “biggest concern” of the chief selector, Mr Dilip Vengsarkar, who fears that Twenty20 cricket will affect slow bowlers. Mr Vengsarkar said spinners would get little chance to showcase their talent in the shortest format of the game, which was heavily loaded in favour of batsmen. “It (the lack of good spinners) is our biggest concern. And, now with Twenty20 in vogue, spinners will have very little chance to parade their talents,” he said.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=5&theme=&usrsess=1&id=192684
John Buchanan says IPL must benefit all
AS NEW Twenty20 mentor John Buchanan prepares to juggle egos in the Indian Premier League, he warned the International Cricket Council to handle superpower India with care.
Buchanan, signed to coach Kolkata, has urged the ICC to stand up to the Board for Control of Cricket in India and ensure all nations benefit from Twenty20's rich harvest.
"India is a powerhouse in terms of revenue and the new format. But if cricket is to develop, then all countries - including India - need to deliver in the best way," said Buchanan, who finished as national coach following Australia's 2007 World Cup triumph.
"The ICC has to make sure this happens. It has a critical, primary role going forward.
"The ICC needs to protect not only older players, but also careers of younger players."
Buchanan said the ICC must sanction the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, despite opposition from both the BCCI and the IPL.
"I think it will all be resolved in the next 12 months as the ICC works with other countries," he said.
Buchanan is concerned by the imminent exit of first-class stalwarts Michael Kasprowicz and Jason Gillespie to the ICL.
"It's unfortunate they have to choose because the rebel ICL is the so-called banned league. I don't think that is good for the game in terms of keeping players playing," Buchanan said.
"I think everyone should come back to the fold and that is why the ICC will play an incredibly important role."
Buchanan, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and $734,000-man David Hussey will align with Indian rivals Sourav Ganguly, Ishant Sharma and Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar at Kolkata.
Buchanan expects to win a tug-of-war with English county side Nottinghamshire over Hussey's services, but said Ponting's immediate priority should be touring Pakistan with Australia.
"My view has always been to go, as I feel that is an important step against terrorism," Buchanan said.
GIFTED batsman Cosgrove has been axed by South Australia for a second time.
A modest 340 runs at 26.15 and unsatisfactory physical condition cost Cosgrove his spot for SA's clash against Queensland, starting Friday at the Adelaide Oval.
Left-hander Cosgrove could be comforted by riches on offer in a rebel Indian Cricket League that has reportedly attracted SA teammates Matthew Elliott and Jason Gillespie.
Cosgrove, 23, now languishes in grade ranks just 18 months after making 74 during his one-day debut for Australia against Bangladesh.
"It's based on form, and obviously there's some fitness issues as well," state selector David Kelly said. "There is no getting away from the fact he needs to work on his fitness."
QUEENSLAND captain Jimmy Maher yesterday announced he would retire at the end of the season.
A teary Maher confirmed he would hang up his beloved maroons cap after the Bulls' Pura Cup clash against South Australia.
Maher, 34, has not ruled out playing in the Indian Twenty20 leagues.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23282387-2882,00.html
Buchanan, signed to coach Kolkata, has urged the ICC to stand up to the Board for Control of Cricket in India and ensure all nations benefit from Twenty20's rich harvest.
"India is a powerhouse in terms of revenue and the new format. But if cricket is to develop, then all countries - including India - need to deliver in the best way," said Buchanan, who finished as national coach following Australia's 2007 World Cup triumph.
"The ICC has to make sure this happens. It has a critical, primary role going forward.
"The ICC needs to protect not only older players, but also careers of younger players."
Buchanan said the ICC must sanction the unauthorised Indian Cricket League, despite opposition from both the BCCI and the IPL.
"I think it will all be resolved in the next 12 months as the ICC works with other countries," he said.
Buchanan is concerned by the imminent exit of first-class stalwarts Michael Kasprowicz and Jason Gillespie to the ICL.
"It's unfortunate they have to choose because the rebel ICL is the so-called banned league. I don't think that is good for the game in terms of keeping players playing," Buchanan said.
"I think everyone should come back to the fold and that is why the ICC will play an incredibly important role."
Buchanan, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and $734,000-man David Hussey will align with Indian rivals Sourav Ganguly, Ishant Sharma and Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar at Kolkata.
Buchanan expects to win a tug-of-war with English county side Nottinghamshire over Hussey's services, but said Ponting's immediate priority should be touring Pakistan with Australia.
"My view has always been to go, as I feel that is an important step against terrorism," Buchanan said.
GIFTED batsman Cosgrove has been axed by South Australia for a second time.
A modest 340 runs at 26.15 and unsatisfactory physical condition cost Cosgrove his spot for SA's clash against Queensland, starting Friday at the Adelaide Oval.
Left-hander Cosgrove could be comforted by riches on offer in a rebel Indian Cricket League that has reportedly attracted SA teammates Matthew Elliott and Jason Gillespie.
Cosgrove, 23, now languishes in grade ranks just 18 months after making 74 during his one-day debut for Australia against Bangladesh.
"It's based on form, and obviously there's some fitness issues as well," state selector David Kelly said. "There is no getting away from the fact he needs to work on his fitness."
QUEENSLAND captain Jimmy Maher yesterday announced he would retire at the end of the season.
A teary Maher confirmed he would hang up his beloved maroons cap after the Bulls' Pura Cup clash against South Australia.
Maher, 34, has not ruled out playing in the Indian Twenty20 leagues.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23282387-2882,00.html
Just keep your country above IPL: Warne
Just keep your country above IPL: Warne
Melbourne (PTI): Purists may scoff at it but the Indian Premier League (IPL) is here to stay, says Australian spin legend Shane Warne, who feels it is upto the cricketers to make sure that the cash-rich Twenty20 league does not threaten the international schedule.
"I think that's (IPL) here to stay, that isn't going anywhere. If the players make sure that their country's the number one priority then I don't think we can go wrong. We should enjoy it, we should embrace it and it should be a lot of fun," Warne was quoted as saying by the 'Australian Associated Press' (AAP).
The retired tweaker, who will play for the Jaipur team, said IPL offered good money for six weeks of work.
"The money side of things, obviously it's fantastic, it's a real bonus for six weeks' work. Whatever you get is fine by me," he said.
On the ongoing on-field hostilities between India and Australia, Warne said there was nothing negative about it and the two teams were only being competitive.
"We've obviously seen a few emotions out on the field which I think is pretty good. There's been a few incidents both sides would probably look back on and say, you know, look if we could have done that again we might have done it differently," he said.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200802261532.htm
Melbourne (PTI): Purists may scoff at it but the Indian Premier League (IPL) is here to stay, says Australian spin legend Shane Warne, who feels it is upto the cricketers to make sure that the cash-rich Twenty20 league does not threaten the international schedule.
"I think that's (IPL) here to stay, that isn't going anywhere. If the players make sure that their country's the number one priority then I don't think we can go wrong. We should enjoy it, we should embrace it and it should be a lot of fun," Warne was quoted as saying by the 'Australian Associated Press' (AAP).
The retired tweaker, who will play for the Jaipur team, said IPL offered good money for six weeks of work.
"The money side of things, obviously it's fantastic, it's a real bonus for six weeks' work. Whatever you get is fine by me," he said.
On the ongoing on-field hostilities between India and Australia, Warne said there was nothing negative about it and the two teams were only being competitive.
"We've obviously seen a few emotions out on the field which I think is pretty good. There's been a few incidents both sides would probably look back on and say, you know, look if we could have done that again we might have done it differently," he said.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200802261532.htm
Dalmiya to lead CAB members for bigger IPL pie
Dalmiya to lead CAB members for bigger IPL pie
Led by former Indian cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya, a majority of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) members Tuesday sought a grater piece of the pie in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played here in April. At a special general meeting (SGM), at least 85 of the 121 CAB member associations sought for a giant share of the proceeds and from the ticket sales of the IPL Twenty20 matches while deciding not to let the matches go out of Kolkata.
Dalmiya, a former president of the International Cricket Council as well as the CAB, said they would neither forgo their demands for a share of IPL money and tickets nor allow the matches to be taken away from the Eden Gardens.
CAB members have sought 70 percent of the IPL proceeds be equally distributed amongst them to resolve the stalemate over grant sharing.
CAB president Prasun Mukherjee had called the SGM to iron out the differences with the association. The Twenty20 tournament starts April 18.
"You cannot give or take away the matches according to your whims. Now if because of our demands suddenly the matches are taken away and the CAB is left embarrassed, who will take that responsibility," Dalmiya said.
"We have not reached that stage where the question of IPL being held or not would arise. We want the issues to be resolved. We wholeheartedly want the matches to be played here. But if pushed to the wall, we will not leave that easy," Dalmiya said after the SGM.
On Monday, 68 members had signed the memorandum demanding 70 percent share of the IPL grants. On Tuesday, two more universities and 15 more associations joined the group and swelling the number to 85. In all, 109 members attended the SGM.
The SGM lasted for two hours. At the end of the meeting, Mukherjee told reporters: "We discussed the various issues regarding IPL and an unanimous decision was taken that the IPL will be held in Kolkata. Now we can give the green signal to the Red Chillies Entertainment (of Shah Rukh Khan) to come and start their work here."
"At the same time, some terms and conditions have been placed which are being discussed and I have been given the power to talk on behalf of the members with the organising association," he said.
Regarding the money sharing aspect, Mukherjee said, "I have been given in writing by the BCCI that the minimum amount to be given by them was Rs 70 million. Any further addition will be decided during the AGM in September.
"The reimbursement will start from and after September."
On the members' demand for 30 percent of tickets, he said, "We have taken legal opinion and we have learnt that the ticket sharing matter comes only if we are organising the matches. Here we are not organising the matches, so it does not arise."
Dalmiya, informed sources said, spoke for more than 15 minutes after a commotion at the SGM.
"We have given them the statistics of number of the tickets the companies are getting at different venues for sharing tickets with the member association. Accordingly we have said instead of giving us 20 per cent of the tickets, you give us 70 per cent and you keep 30 percent for the organising company," he said.
"Even then they will get a huge number of tickets. Moreover, if they need few more tickets we will not oppose. But we have spent million to build this magnificent stadium and we will not see its spoils going to others and the members sitting out in the cold."
Regarding the money Dalmiya said, "Since Mukherjee has said Rs 70 million would be given initially, let him distribute it amongst the members. CAB can keep the remaining Rs 30 million when it gets the money. Otherwise, the money can be kept in a fixed deposit and the interest given to the members."
"Today Manoj Tewari is playing for Delhi. Ranadeb Bose will play elsewhere. We have lost so many players to ICL. We need to strengthen our base and the members need money for that. This is a time of crisis and CAB needs to think of Bengal cricket and how it can be reinstated to its position of glory," Dalmiya said.
Led by former Indian cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya, a majority of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) members Tuesday sought a grater piece of the pie in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played here in April. At a special general meeting (SGM), at least 85 of the 121 CAB member associations sought for a giant share of the proceeds and from the ticket sales of the IPL Twenty20 matches while deciding not to let the matches go out of Kolkata.
Dalmiya, a former president of the International Cricket Council as well as the CAB, said they would neither forgo their demands for a share of IPL money and tickets nor allow the matches to be taken away from the Eden Gardens.
CAB members have sought 70 percent of the IPL proceeds be equally distributed amongst them to resolve the stalemate over grant sharing.
CAB president Prasun Mukherjee had called the SGM to iron out the differences with the association. The Twenty20 tournament starts April 18.
"You cannot give or take away the matches according to your whims. Now if because of our demands suddenly the matches are taken away and the CAB is left embarrassed, who will take that responsibility," Dalmiya said.
"We have not reached that stage where the question of IPL being held or not would arise. We want the issues to be resolved. We wholeheartedly want the matches to be played here. But if pushed to the wall, we will not leave that easy," Dalmiya said after the SGM.
On Monday, 68 members had signed the memorandum demanding 70 percent share of the IPL grants. On Tuesday, two more universities and 15 more associations joined the group and swelling the number to 85. In all, 109 members attended the SGM.
The SGM lasted for two hours. At the end of the meeting, Mukherjee told reporters: "We discussed the various issues regarding IPL and an unanimous decision was taken that the IPL will be held in Kolkata. Now we can give the green signal to the Red Chillies Entertainment (of Shah Rukh Khan) to come and start their work here."
"At the same time, some terms and conditions have been placed which are being discussed and I have been given the power to talk on behalf of the members with the organising association," he said.
Regarding the money sharing aspect, Mukherjee said, "I have been given in writing by the BCCI that the minimum amount to be given by them was Rs 70 million. Any further addition will be decided during the AGM in September.
"The reimbursement will start from and after September."
On the members' demand for 30 percent of tickets, he said, "We have taken legal opinion and we have learnt that the ticket sharing matter comes only if we are organising the matches. Here we are not organising the matches, so it does not arise."
Dalmiya, informed sources said, spoke for more than 15 minutes after a commotion at the SGM.
"We have given them the statistics of number of the tickets the companies are getting at different venues for sharing tickets with the member association. Accordingly we have said instead of giving us 20 per cent of the tickets, you give us 70 per cent and you keep 30 percent for the organising company," he said.
"Even then they will get a huge number of tickets. Moreover, if they need few more tickets we will not oppose. But we have spent million to build this magnificent stadium and we will not see its spoils going to others and the members sitting out in the cold."
Regarding the money Dalmiya said, "Since Mukherjee has said Rs 70 million would be given initially, let him distribute it amongst the members. CAB can keep the remaining Rs 30 million when it gets the money. Otherwise, the money can be kept in a fixed deposit and the interest given to the members."
"Today Manoj Tewari is playing for Delhi. Ranadeb Bose will play elsewhere. We have lost so many players to ICL. We need to strengthen our base and the members need money for that. This is a time of crisis and CAB needs to think of Bengal cricket and how it can be reinstated to its position of glory," Dalmiya said.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Paran Balakrishnan: Cricketing world hit for six
Once upon a time the greatest dream of any Indian cricketer was to spend the summer playing with an English county team, getting a taste of pace bowling and walking on the field with big hitters from around the world.
Now many of the world's top cricketers will be picking up their kit and converging on the subcontinent for 45 days a year. They'll brave the Indian summer and the other attendant dangers of living in this part of the world, like the much-feared Delhi Belly. They'll learn to drink only bottled water and avoid raw food if they want to stay healthy - yep, that means no salads.
In the past week we've just watched the cricketing world being turned topsy-turvy in front of our eyes. When it comes to cricket, India is the global superpower and it has just underlined its world dominance in a torrential shower of dollars.
The new cricketing global order was born at a brash and glitzy auction that promises to change the world of cricket irrevocably. You may not like the idea of putting a price tag on cricketers but look at it for a moment just in monetary terms.
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AdvertisementThree companies each bid over US$100 million ($124 million) to own teams in the new Indian Premier League (IPL) that will play Twenty20 matches for 45 days annually. Sony Entertainment, deciding it had to be on the field for this one, dug deep into its pockets and offered US$1.06 billion for the TV rights. These deals will run for a decade.
All this has just added to the sizeable wealth of the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI). The BCCI is now so rich it's ready to out-tackle football's giants like Manchester United and Real Madrid.
The man who turned the BCCI into a powerful money-machine is an unusual figure who sometimes seems almost out of place in the sports world. Lalit Modi is a tycoon turned sports administrator who hasn't played cricket since the days when he was a schoolboy.
He learned about sports marketing when he lived in the US and the influence shows. He became a BCCI vice-president two years ago and since then he has focused on how to squeeze out more cash for the organisation. He now also has a second role at the BCCI: he's the IPL's commissioner.
Modi brought together an unbeatable combination of India's two loves - movies and cricket. So you had movie superstar Shah Rukh Khan as a team owner bidding for cricketers like India's one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Into this heady cocktail Modi also threw in some of India's richest industrialists like Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire who controls Reliance Industries, and Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant tycoon who runs a liquor-to-airline conglomerate. Ambani has bought Mumbai's cricket team and Mallya is the moneybags who'll guide the stroke-play in Bangalore.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10494497
Now many of the world's top cricketers will be picking up their kit and converging on the subcontinent for 45 days a year. They'll brave the Indian summer and the other attendant dangers of living in this part of the world, like the much-feared Delhi Belly. They'll learn to drink only bottled water and avoid raw food if they want to stay healthy - yep, that means no salads.
In the past week we've just watched the cricketing world being turned topsy-turvy in front of our eyes. When it comes to cricket, India is the global superpower and it has just underlined its world dominance in a torrential shower of dollars.
The new cricketing global order was born at a brash and glitzy auction that promises to change the world of cricket irrevocably. You may not like the idea of putting a price tag on cricketers but look at it for a moment just in monetary terms.
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AdvertisementThree companies each bid over US$100 million ($124 million) to own teams in the new Indian Premier League (IPL) that will play Twenty20 matches for 45 days annually. Sony Entertainment, deciding it had to be on the field for this one, dug deep into its pockets and offered US$1.06 billion for the TV rights. These deals will run for a decade.
All this has just added to the sizeable wealth of the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI). The BCCI is now so rich it's ready to out-tackle football's giants like Manchester United and Real Madrid.
The man who turned the BCCI into a powerful money-machine is an unusual figure who sometimes seems almost out of place in the sports world. Lalit Modi is a tycoon turned sports administrator who hasn't played cricket since the days when he was a schoolboy.
He learned about sports marketing when he lived in the US and the influence shows. He became a BCCI vice-president two years ago and since then he has focused on how to squeeze out more cash for the organisation. He now also has a second role at the BCCI: he's the IPL's commissioner.
Modi brought together an unbeatable combination of India's two loves - movies and cricket. So you had movie superstar Shah Rukh Khan as a team owner bidding for cricketers like India's one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Into this heady cocktail Modi also threw in some of India's richest industrialists like Mukesh Ambani, the billionaire who controls Reliance Industries, and Vijay Mallya, the flamboyant tycoon who runs a liquor-to-airline conglomerate. Ambani has bought Mumbai's cricket team and Mallya is the moneybags who'll guide the stroke-play in Bangalore.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10494497
For England v Australia, read Mohali v Mumbai
For England v Australia, read Mohali v Mumbai
Tectonic plates are shifting in cricket. Last week the ICC made the first moves towards a smaller and shorter World Cup on the sub-continent in 2011, with 14 countries rather than 16, and an international programme spread over a longer timescale, probably six years for each country to play the others at least once at home and away, rather than five. What they should be doing is recognising reality by creating two divisions, with promotion and relegation, immediately demoting Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and creating incentives for other nations to push towards the top division.
The clearest lesson of recent events is that the “traditional” zenith of professional cricket, nation playing against nation, needs urgent protection. In the week, too, that bidding for the world's most glitzy cricketers proved that sex appeal and commercial clout count more than runs and wickets - why else would anyone bid nearly four times more for Mahendra Singh Dhoni than for Ricky Ponting? - it was clear that international cricket has to fight back.
The decision-makers of the ICC - meaning all the chief administrators of the world game - were guilty either of appeasement or of surrender when they agreed to let the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have its way about starting the Indian Premier League (IPL) entirely on its own terms. They compounded the felony by accepting the sop of another Twenty20 tournament in October, the so-called Champions League. The alternative, without doubt, was another schism such as the one started by Kerry Packer's ambitions for televising Test cricket in the 1970s, but it might have achieved a better compromise in time than the one that now threatens the international game.
Like 1977, when World Series Cricket disrupted the Test game, 2008 will be seen by future sages as one of the most significant in the 300-year history of organised cricket. The signs are that it will mark the beginning of the end of the epoch when international matches were the main events, whatever their duration. Like it or not, England v Australia may now be on a gradual move to the edge of the stage. Its centre is likely to be occupied by Mohali against Mumbai and, within a few years no doubt, Leeds Leopards against London Lions. Welcome to the world of raw commerce and Indian control of the world game.
Pakistan is the first country to lose. Despite elections last week that defied the general expectation of violence, Australia look like getting away with a truncated tour there in April. The ICC should be applying to Australia the same penalties that it forced upon England for not playing against Zimbabwe in the 2003 World Cup, but, as usual, realpolitik has triumphed.
It is an irony indeed that there are no British players taking part in the inaugural IPL in April and May. Just as Australia and India eventually made much more out of the English “invention” of a packaged one-day game in the 1960s, so now Twenty20 is being exploited by others. A more commercially acute ECB would have applied for a patent and taken a cut with every hike on the original, but in the true British tradition, the administrators took the broader view. Good for them, although that is a moral view, not a commercial one.
There are exciting aspects to the IPL, of course, especially for the lucky few players involved. Twenty20 is still cricket, after all, and the game has always had to keep up with social trends to remain vibrant. But too much will breed contempt. The new beast can still be controlled. The primacy of international cricket, and especially of Test cricket (albeit probably played over four days rather than five), is worth fighting for.
If there can be some statesmanship and foresight in ICC circles, which includes the BCCI, it really should not be a lost cause. The best cricketers know that two-innings cricket played between nations is the ultimate test and that for satisfaction, intensity and subtlety it can never be replaced by a slogfest. A vast swath of spectators and followers, not all of them old, know that, too.
The younger ones have to be educated, which means that they deserve to be taught to play the game as well as to watch it. Relatively speaking, the BCCI has a much better record in commercially exploiting cricket than it has in nurturing the grass roots or reinvesting in facilities for players and spectators. The Wankhede Stadium in Bombay, for example, has long been a disgrace, neglected by a board that is richer by far than any of its counterparts. Now, about £1 billion wealthier still, it owes it to its booming city that the new stadium being planned is truly a state-of-the-art ground, one with some architectural merit, too, unlike the airless and graceless concrete bowls that have been put up elsewhere on the sub-continent.
The point that is in danger of being missed about the IPL is that while it may lead to a reduction in the amount of international cricket played - hence, theoretically, a slower burning out of the best players - it is certainly not going to reduce the amount of televised cricket. So overkill remains not just a danger but a positive guarantee.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article3433470.ece
Tectonic plates are shifting in cricket. Last week the ICC made the first moves towards a smaller and shorter World Cup on the sub-continent in 2011, with 14 countries rather than 16, and an international programme spread over a longer timescale, probably six years for each country to play the others at least once at home and away, rather than five. What they should be doing is recognising reality by creating two divisions, with promotion and relegation, immediately demoting Zimbabwe and Bangladesh and creating incentives for other nations to push towards the top division.
The clearest lesson of recent events is that the “traditional” zenith of professional cricket, nation playing against nation, needs urgent protection. In the week, too, that bidding for the world's most glitzy cricketers proved that sex appeal and commercial clout count more than runs and wickets - why else would anyone bid nearly four times more for Mahendra Singh Dhoni than for Ricky Ponting? - it was clear that international cricket has to fight back.
The decision-makers of the ICC - meaning all the chief administrators of the world game - were guilty either of appeasement or of surrender when they agreed to let the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have its way about starting the Indian Premier League (IPL) entirely on its own terms. They compounded the felony by accepting the sop of another Twenty20 tournament in October, the so-called Champions League. The alternative, without doubt, was another schism such as the one started by Kerry Packer's ambitions for televising Test cricket in the 1970s, but it might have achieved a better compromise in time than the one that now threatens the international game.
Like 1977, when World Series Cricket disrupted the Test game, 2008 will be seen by future sages as one of the most significant in the 300-year history of organised cricket. The signs are that it will mark the beginning of the end of the epoch when international matches were the main events, whatever their duration. Like it or not, England v Australia may now be on a gradual move to the edge of the stage. Its centre is likely to be occupied by Mohali against Mumbai and, within a few years no doubt, Leeds Leopards against London Lions. Welcome to the world of raw commerce and Indian control of the world game.
Pakistan is the first country to lose. Despite elections last week that defied the general expectation of violence, Australia look like getting away with a truncated tour there in April. The ICC should be applying to Australia the same penalties that it forced upon England for not playing against Zimbabwe in the 2003 World Cup, but, as usual, realpolitik has triumphed.
It is an irony indeed that there are no British players taking part in the inaugural IPL in April and May. Just as Australia and India eventually made much more out of the English “invention” of a packaged one-day game in the 1960s, so now Twenty20 is being exploited by others. A more commercially acute ECB would have applied for a patent and taken a cut with every hike on the original, but in the true British tradition, the administrators took the broader view. Good for them, although that is a moral view, not a commercial one.
There are exciting aspects to the IPL, of course, especially for the lucky few players involved. Twenty20 is still cricket, after all, and the game has always had to keep up with social trends to remain vibrant. But too much will breed contempt. The new beast can still be controlled. The primacy of international cricket, and especially of Test cricket (albeit probably played over four days rather than five), is worth fighting for.
If there can be some statesmanship and foresight in ICC circles, which includes the BCCI, it really should not be a lost cause. The best cricketers know that two-innings cricket played between nations is the ultimate test and that for satisfaction, intensity and subtlety it can never be replaced by a slogfest. A vast swath of spectators and followers, not all of them old, know that, too.
The younger ones have to be educated, which means that they deserve to be taught to play the game as well as to watch it. Relatively speaking, the BCCI has a much better record in commercially exploiting cricket than it has in nurturing the grass roots or reinvesting in facilities for players and spectators. The Wankhede Stadium in Bombay, for example, has long been a disgrace, neglected by a board that is richer by far than any of its counterparts. Now, about £1 billion wealthier still, it owes it to its booming city that the new stadium being planned is truly a state-of-the-art ground, one with some architectural merit, too, unlike the airless and graceless concrete bowls that have been put up elsewhere on the sub-continent.
The point that is in danger of being missed about the IPL is that while it may lead to a reduction in the amount of international cricket played - hence, theoretically, a slower burning out of the best players - it is certainly not going to reduce the amount of televised cricket. So overkill remains not just a danger but a positive guarantee.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article3433470.ece
A wake-up call for BCCI’s Technical Committee
A wake-up call for BCCI’s Technical Committee
The Indian Premier League has created a debate. Whether the cricketing heroes of India and other countries deserved to be marketed like in a crass cattle bazaar is a topic of debate. Whether the IPL is good for the game can also be debated.
Conceptually, the IPL looks exciting.
The entire cricketing world is agog with the concept and the money that is being dished out to players. But the disparity between the amount that Indian players will get in the IPL and what those same players will get while participating in the BCCI-conducted tournaments is so vast that the players’ motivation level while playing in the BCCI tournaments may be markedly less than while playing in the IPL matches.
The scene at the Duleep Trophy final in Mumbai, with three scorers and three journalists watching as against the whole lot of journalists, with quite a few arriving from outstation to cover the IPL auction, said it all.
If Australia and England can have packed stadia for the Tests without having to do any marketing exercise, why could not the BCCI have done the same for the international matches and other tournaments in our cricket-crazy country? The reason, perhaps, is that the BCCI wanted to generate money for building infrastructure, and felt it could do so at no cost, in less time and getting back more revenue through the concept of IPL franchising. Lalit Modi saw the marketing potential and acted with purpose.
Terrible mess
But on the downside, technically Indian cricket will be in a terrible mess. Why would a medium pacer be keen to exert himself match after match on lifeless pitches bowling long spells without being certain of playing for the country? Why would a batsman play in ‘V’ when playing in ‘X’ will get him in the Twenty20? The mindset of players will be focused on Twenty20 and this will affect the requirements of the longer version.
The process at the NCA will be redundant, with Twenty20 tournaments mushrooming anywhere and everywhere in the country. Performing in these tournaments will take players closer to the IPL than playing in longer version tournaments. The cash-rich Twenty20 will be the motivating goal for not only the youngsters but their families as well.
What started off as an entertainment in England will now become a serious business in India. Initially India refused to play Twenty20 but was dragged into accepting it by the other nations that saw great potential in generating revenue. The Indian cricketers’ preference for Twenty20 was to make quick money in the shortest possible time as the percentage of unemployed cricketers in the country is very high.
With financial security assured, the preparation required for the Twenty20 will not be the same.
It’s a wake-up call for the BCCI’s Technical Committee which has hardly done anything of note to improve the standard of cricket. Now that the IPL has introduced the youngsters to megabucks, the Technical Committee will have to review the formats of the Ranji and Duleep Trophy.
The monetary aspect for the Ranji and Duleep Trophy will need to be looked into.
If that is ignored, India’s national and zonal championships will lose their charm.
And, didn’t this regime of the BCCI restrict the cricketers to only three endorsements after the 2007 World Cup debacle? Isn’t the same regime now encouraging the cricketers to chase endorsements?
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/26/stories/2008022655821700.htm
The Indian Premier League has created a debate. Whether the cricketing heroes of India and other countries deserved to be marketed like in a crass cattle bazaar is a topic of debate. Whether the IPL is good for the game can also be debated.
Conceptually, the IPL looks exciting.
The entire cricketing world is agog with the concept and the money that is being dished out to players. But the disparity between the amount that Indian players will get in the IPL and what those same players will get while participating in the BCCI-conducted tournaments is so vast that the players’ motivation level while playing in the BCCI tournaments may be markedly less than while playing in the IPL matches.
The scene at the Duleep Trophy final in Mumbai, with three scorers and three journalists watching as against the whole lot of journalists, with quite a few arriving from outstation to cover the IPL auction, said it all.
If Australia and England can have packed stadia for the Tests without having to do any marketing exercise, why could not the BCCI have done the same for the international matches and other tournaments in our cricket-crazy country? The reason, perhaps, is that the BCCI wanted to generate money for building infrastructure, and felt it could do so at no cost, in less time and getting back more revenue through the concept of IPL franchising. Lalit Modi saw the marketing potential and acted with purpose.
Terrible mess
But on the downside, technically Indian cricket will be in a terrible mess. Why would a medium pacer be keen to exert himself match after match on lifeless pitches bowling long spells without being certain of playing for the country? Why would a batsman play in ‘V’ when playing in ‘X’ will get him in the Twenty20? The mindset of players will be focused on Twenty20 and this will affect the requirements of the longer version.
The process at the NCA will be redundant, with Twenty20 tournaments mushrooming anywhere and everywhere in the country. Performing in these tournaments will take players closer to the IPL than playing in longer version tournaments. The cash-rich Twenty20 will be the motivating goal for not only the youngsters but their families as well.
What started off as an entertainment in England will now become a serious business in India. Initially India refused to play Twenty20 but was dragged into accepting it by the other nations that saw great potential in generating revenue. The Indian cricketers’ preference for Twenty20 was to make quick money in the shortest possible time as the percentage of unemployed cricketers in the country is very high.
With financial security assured, the preparation required for the Twenty20 will not be the same.
It’s a wake-up call for the BCCI’s Technical Committee which has hardly done anything of note to improve the standard of cricket. Now that the IPL has introduced the youngsters to megabucks, the Technical Committee will have to review the formats of the Ranji and Duleep Trophy.
The monetary aspect for the Ranji and Duleep Trophy will need to be looked into.
If that is ignored, India’s national and zonal championships will lose their charm.
And, didn’t this regime of the BCCI restrict the cricketers to only three endorsements after the 2007 World Cup debacle? Isn’t the same regime now encouraging the cricketers to chase endorsements?
http://www.hindu.com/2008/02/26/stories/2008022655821700.htm
IPL could have annual window: ICC
IPL could have annual window: ICC
Press Trust of India / Melbourne February 26, 2008
International Cricket Council (ICC) has hinted that Indian Premier League (IPL) could have an annual window from next year to ensure that top international players are available for the lucrative Twenty20 extravaganza.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the move would be approved if supported by seven member-nations of the ICC although it would be extremely difficult to negotiate. He made it clear that the IPL schedule should not dictate international fixtures. "Countries could agree to move their tours," Speed said.
"This would be permitted by ICC if it can be achieved without having a flow-on effect for any other tour or ICC event. For the members to agree that there is to be a permanent window in the international schedule, for the IPL, which is a domestic competition, seven full members would need to vote in favour of it," he was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Speed said IPL could be a beneficial concept for the game but he reserved judgement on its consequences. "There are several possible benefits that may emerge from IPL. I have been critical in the past of BCCI's failure to exploit the commercial power of India's remarkable passion for the game. Time will tell whether IPL has a positive or negative effect on the game."
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=34069
Press Trust of India / Melbourne February 26, 2008
International Cricket Council (ICC) has hinted that Indian Premier League (IPL) could have an annual window from next year to ensure that top international players are available for the lucrative Twenty20 extravaganza.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the move would be approved if supported by seven member-nations of the ICC although it would be extremely difficult to negotiate. He made it clear that the IPL schedule should not dictate international fixtures. "Countries could agree to move their tours," Speed said.
"This would be permitted by ICC if it can be achieved without having a flow-on effect for any other tour or ICC event. For the members to agree that there is to be a permanent window in the international schedule, for the IPL, which is a domestic competition, seven full members would need to vote in favour of it," he was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Speed said IPL could be a beneficial concept for the game but he reserved judgement on its consequences. "There are several possible benefits that may emerge from IPL. I have been critical in the past of BCCI's failure to exploit the commercial power of India's remarkable passion for the game. Time will tell whether IPL has a positive or negative effect on the game."
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage_c_online.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=IN&autono=34069
Stanford, the IPL's competitor
Texan billionaire with an outsized passion for Twenty20 is pouring part of his fortune into a West Indian competitor to the Indian Premier League. Chloe Saltau flies to Antigua to meet him.
ALLEN Stanford is running roughly four hours late for an interview for which he has flown a handful of journalists to his kingdom in Antigua, where the doorknobs to The Sticky Wicket bar are shaped like cricket bats and an enormous set of stumps emblazoned with the Texan billionaire's name guard the entrance.
To fill in time, a visit to the old Antigua Recreation Ground in St John's is arranged. They don't play cricket at the ARG any more; instead, it is used for state funerals and soccer games, so the place where Viv Richards and Curtly Ambrose once ruled resembles an overgrown paddock surrounded by tumbledown stands, with a couple of rum shops still doing good business inside the gates.
The AGR hosted its last Test in 2006 and is so far removed from the tastefully decorated scene of Stanford's Twenty20 revolution that it feels like another world. Make no mistake, that world has passed into history.
Stanford shows no fondness for Test cricket and all its traditions, but he does appear to have the best interests of West Indies cricket at heart.
If the Indian Premier League is cricket's new meat-market making instant millionaires of cricketers such as Andrew Symonds, latterly of Australia but also now of Hyderabad, and teenage paceman Ishant Sharma, whose modest New Delhi family hardly knows what to do with the cash showered upon him by Kolkata. Stanford has created a Calypso competitor and is determined to make it a fixture on what is rapidly evolving into a professional, global Twenty20 circuit.
The 57-year-old started investing in the Caribbean more than two decades ago, and in Antigua owns a bank, an airline, a newspaper and, after striking a deal with the West Indies Cricket Board, the right to stage his regional Twenty20 tournament every year in return for the $140.5 million he is investing in West Indies cricket.
He makes his players look like superheroes, even if they sometimes field like grade cricketers, by equipping them with glistening black bats, pads and gloves, and is hell-bent on expansion. He recently hassled the US Government into giving him permission to do business with Havana, and while it was granted too late for Cuba to be ushered in as the 21st team in this year's regional tournament, the Cubans will have a presence in 2009.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/stanford-the-ipls-competitor/2008/02/25/1203788248401.html
ALLEN Stanford is running roughly four hours late for an interview for which he has flown a handful of journalists to his kingdom in Antigua, where the doorknobs to The Sticky Wicket bar are shaped like cricket bats and an enormous set of stumps emblazoned with the Texan billionaire's name guard the entrance.
To fill in time, a visit to the old Antigua Recreation Ground in St John's is arranged. They don't play cricket at the ARG any more; instead, it is used for state funerals and soccer games, so the place where Viv Richards and Curtly Ambrose once ruled resembles an overgrown paddock surrounded by tumbledown stands, with a couple of rum shops still doing good business inside the gates.
The AGR hosted its last Test in 2006 and is so far removed from the tastefully decorated scene of Stanford's Twenty20 revolution that it feels like another world. Make no mistake, that world has passed into history.
Stanford shows no fondness for Test cricket and all its traditions, but he does appear to have the best interests of West Indies cricket at heart.
If the Indian Premier League is cricket's new meat-market making instant millionaires of cricketers such as Andrew Symonds, latterly of Australia but also now of Hyderabad, and teenage paceman Ishant Sharma, whose modest New Delhi family hardly knows what to do with the cash showered upon him by Kolkata. Stanford has created a Calypso competitor and is determined to make it a fixture on what is rapidly evolving into a professional, global Twenty20 circuit.
The 57-year-old started investing in the Caribbean more than two decades ago, and in Antigua owns a bank, an airline, a newspaper and, after striking a deal with the West Indies Cricket Board, the right to stage his regional Twenty20 tournament every year in return for the $140.5 million he is investing in West Indies cricket.
He makes his players look like superheroes, even if they sometimes field like grade cricketers, by equipping them with glistening black bats, pads and gloves, and is hell-bent on expansion. He recently hassled the US Government into giving him permission to do business with Havana, and while it was granted too late for Cuba to be ushered in as the 21st team in this year's regional tournament, the Cubans will have a presence in 2009.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/stanford-the-ipls-competitor/2008/02/25/1203788248401.html
IPL on Setanta
IPL on Setanta
Setanta Sports have secured the exclusive rights to screen live coverage of the Indian Premier League for the next five years.
The Irish broadcaster have agreed a deal to show all 59 games of the inaugural eight-team Twenty20 competition, which will run from April 18 to June 1 in 2008.
Indians Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly will feature alongside international players including Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Jacques Kallis and Adam Gilchrist in the tournament.
IPL chairman Lalit Modi said: "We would like to welcome Setanta as our newest broadcast partner and are pleased to be working with Setanta Sports on the broadcast of the IPL in the United Kingdom.
"We're confident that this will be a successful working partnership for the next five years and we believe the viewers of Setanta will have a exciting line-up of matches to look forward to with an array of international stars and the best cricketing action."
Setanta director of sport Trevor East added: "We're absolutely thrilled to acquire these rights and add another major sport to Setanta's programme line-up.
"I firmly believe the IPL will become a highlight of the international sporting calendar for years to come. That's why we've shown our commitment to it by signing a five-year deal."
Setanta Sports have secured the exclusive rights to screen live coverage of the Indian Premier League for the next five years.
The Irish broadcaster have agreed a deal to show all 59 games of the inaugural eight-team Twenty20 competition, which will run from April 18 to June 1 in 2008.
Indians Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly will feature alongside international players including Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Muttiah Muralitharan, Jacques Kallis and Adam Gilchrist in the tournament.
IPL chairman Lalit Modi said: "We would like to welcome Setanta as our newest broadcast partner and are pleased to be working with Setanta Sports on the broadcast of the IPL in the United Kingdom.
"We're confident that this will be a successful working partnership for the next five years and we believe the viewers of Setanta will have a exciting line-up of matches to look forward to with an array of international stars and the best cricketing action."
Setanta director of sport Trevor East added: "We're absolutely thrilled to acquire these rights and add another major sport to Setanta's programme line-up.
"I firmly believe the IPL will become a highlight of the international sporting calendar for years to come. That's why we've shown our commitment to it by signing a five-year deal."
ICC wary of Indian Premier League corruption risk
FEARS are mounting the Indian Premier League could be a haven for corruption as the International Cricket Council last night revealed its security officers were unlikely to attend the billion-dollar Twenty20 tournament.
This development comes as the ICC declared it would establish a code of ethics for IPL franchise owners in a bid to guard against corruption.
The ICC assigns an anti-corruption and security officer to all international series, but while the IPL is an ICC-sanctioned event with international players, it technically is a domestic Twenty20 tournament.
That means it is unlikely to be monitored, in person, by anti-corruption officers.
Illegal gambling on cricket remains a major problem, particularly on the subcontinent, where it is estimated up to $500 million is handled on each one-day international, a staggering figure that increases to $1 billion during the World Cup.
This concern was reinforced yesterday when Indian police closed down a betting ring in Bangalore which allegedly accepted millions in bets during Friday's clash between Australia and Sri Lanka at the MCG.
While ICC officials are adamant the days of pure "match-fixing" are over, they have suspicions some players still accept money from bookies for team information or to underperform.
This could be something like finding out batting and bowling orders, or a player agreeing to bowl a wide in a certain over.
Such is the frenetic pace of Twenty20 cricket, some high-level officials are privately worried it could be extremely hard to detect questionable on-field incidents in IPL matches.
An ICC spokesman said last night the ICC would work closely with the IPL to ensure it was a "clean" tournament.
"The ICC will consult with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to ensure that anti-corruption and anti-doping processes are put in place for the IPL -- and that a code of ethics be established for the owners of the teams," he said.
"The ACSU (Anti-Corruption and Security Unit) provides advice and support to all our members but is not necessarily present during those members' domestic tournaments, such as the English County Championship, the Pura Cup in Australia or, in this instance, the IPL in India."
Worldwide players' union boss Tim May said Twenty20 cricket was at a higher risk of corruption than Test and one-day internationals.
"The shorter the format, the higher the potential risk that a single performance can affect the overall result," May said.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23275616-2882,00.html
This development comes as the ICC declared it would establish a code of ethics for IPL franchise owners in a bid to guard against corruption.
The ICC assigns an anti-corruption and security officer to all international series, but while the IPL is an ICC-sanctioned event with international players, it technically is a domestic Twenty20 tournament.
That means it is unlikely to be monitored, in person, by anti-corruption officers.
Illegal gambling on cricket remains a major problem, particularly on the subcontinent, where it is estimated up to $500 million is handled on each one-day international, a staggering figure that increases to $1 billion during the World Cup.
This concern was reinforced yesterday when Indian police closed down a betting ring in Bangalore which allegedly accepted millions in bets during Friday's clash between Australia and Sri Lanka at the MCG.
While ICC officials are adamant the days of pure "match-fixing" are over, they have suspicions some players still accept money from bookies for team information or to underperform.
This could be something like finding out batting and bowling orders, or a player agreeing to bowl a wide in a certain over.
Such is the frenetic pace of Twenty20 cricket, some high-level officials are privately worried it could be extremely hard to detect questionable on-field incidents in IPL matches.
An ICC spokesman said last night the ICC would work closely with the IPL to ensure it was a "clean" tournament.
"The ICC will consult with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to ensure that anti-corruption and anti-doping processes are put in place for the IPL -- and that a code of ethics be established for the owners of the teams," he said.
"The ACSU (Anti-Corruption and Security Unit) provides advice and support to all our members but is not necessarily present during those members' domestic tournaments, such as the English County Championship, the Pura Cup in Australia or, in this instance, the IPL in India."
Worldwide players' union boss Tim May said Twenty20 cricket was at a higher risk of corruption than Test and one-day internationals.
"The shorter the format, the higher the potential risk that a single performance can affect the overall result," May said.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23275616-2882,00.html
IPL Schedule
the team information for Indian Premier League (IPL), a Twenty 20 Cricket league in India.
IPL Game Schedule
April 19 : Delhi v Jaipur at Delhi
April 20: Mumbai v Bangalore at Mumbai;Kolkata v Hyderabad at Kolkata
April 21: Jaipur v Mohali at Jaipur
April 22: Hyderabad v Delhi at Hyderabad
April 23: Chennai v Mumbai at Chennai
April 24: Hyderabad v Jaipur at Hyderabad
April 25: Mohali v Mumbai at Mohali
April 26: Bangalore v Jaipur at Bangalore; Chennai v Kolkata at Chennai
April 27: Mumbai v Hyderabad at Mumbai;Mohali v Delhi at Mohali
April 28: Bangalore v Chennai at Bangalore
April 29: Kolkata v Mumbai at Kolkata
April 30: Delhi v Bangalore at Delhi.
May 1: Hyderabad v Mohali at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Kolkata at Jaipur
May 2: Chennai v Delhi at Chennai.
May 3: Hyderabad at Bangalore at Hyderabad; Mohali v Kolkata at Mohali
May 4: Mumbai v Delhi at Mumbai; Jaipur v Chennai at Jaipur
May 5: Bangalore v Mohali at Bangalore
May 6: Chennai v Hyderabad at Chennai
May 7: Mumbai v Jaipur at Mumbai
May 8: Delhi v Chennai at Delhi; Kolkata v Bangalore at Kolkata
May 9: Jaipur v Hyderabad at Jaipur
May 10: Bangalore v Mumbai at Bangalore; Chennai v Mohali at Chennai
May 11: Hyderabad v Kolkata at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Delhi at Jaipur
May 12: Mohali v Bangalore at Mohali
May 13: Kolkata v Delhi at Kolkata
May 14: Mumbai v Chennai at Mumbai;Mohali v Jaipur at Mohali
May 15: Delhi v Hyderabad at Delhi
May 16: Mumbai v Kolkata at Mumbai
May 17: Delhi v Mohali at Delhi; Jaipur v Bangalore at Jaipur
May 18: Hyderabad v Mumbai at Hyderabad; Kolkata v Chenna at Kolkata
May 19: Bangalore v Delhi at Bangalore
May 20: Kolkata v Jaipur at Kolkata
May 21: Mumbai v Mohali at Mumbai; Chennai v Bangalore at Chennai
May 22: Delhi v Kolkata at Delhi
May 23: Mohali v Hyderabad at Mohali.
May 24: Delhi v Mumbai at Delhi; Chennai v Jaipur at Chennai
May 25: Bangalore v Hyderabad at Bangalore; Kolkata v Mohali at Kolkata
May 26: Jaipur v Mumbai at Jaipur
May 27: Hyderabad v Chennai at Hyderabad
May 28 and 29: Rest days
May 30: First semi-final at Mumbai
May 31: Second semi-final at Mumbai
June 1: Final at Mumbai
IPL Teams
Team: Bangalore Royal Challengers
Owner’s Name: Vijay Mallya
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Rahul Dravid (icon) - 15% more
Anil Kumble - $5,00,000
Jacques Kallis - $9,00,000
Zaheer Khan - $4,50,000
Mark Boucher - $4,50,000
Cameron White - $5,00,000
Wasim Jaffer - $1,50,000
Dale Steyn - $3,25,000
Nathan Bracken - $3,25,000
Shivnarine Chanderpaul - $2,00,000
Team: Mumbai
Owner’s Name: Mukesh Ambani
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Sachin Tendulkar (icon) - 15% more
Harbhajan Singh - $8,50,000
Sanath Jayasuriya - $9,75,000
Shaun Pollock - $5,50,000
Robin Uthappa - $8,00,000
Lasith Malinga - $3,50,000
Dilhara Fernando - $1,50,000
Loots Bosman - $1,75,000
Team: Kolkata
Owner’s Name: Shah Rukh Khan
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Sourav Ganguly (icon) - 15% more
Shoaib Akhtar - $4,25,000
Ricky Ponting - $4,00,000
Brendon McCullum - $7,00,000
Chris Gayle - $8,00,000
Ajit Agarkar - $3,30,000
David Hussey - $6,75,000
Ishant Sharma - $9,50,000
Murali Kartik - $4,25,000
Umar Gul - $1,50,000
Tatenda Taibu - $1,25,000
Team: Delhi Daredevils
Owner’s Name: GMR Holdings
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Virender Sehwag (icon) - 15% more
Daniel Vettori - $6,25,000
Shoaib Malik - $5,00,000
Mohammad Asif - $6,50,000
Dinesh Karthik - $5,25,000
AB de Villiers - $3,00,000
Farveez Maharoof - $2,25,000
Tillakaratne Dilshan - $2,50,000
Manoj Tiwary - $6,75,000
Gautam Gambhir - $7,25,000
Glenn McGrath - $3,50,000
Team: Chennai Super Kings
Owner’s Name: India Cement
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
M.S.Dhoni - $1.5 million
Muttiah Muralitharan - $6,00,000
Matthew Hayden - $3,75,000
Jacob Oram - $6,75,000
Stephen Fleming - $350,000
Parthiv Patel - $3,25,000
Joginder Sharma - $2,25,000
Albie Morkel - $6,50,000
Suresh Raina - $6,50,000
Makhaya Ntini - $2,00,000
Michael Hussey - $3,50,000
Team: Mohali
Owner’s Name: Preity Zinta & Ness. Wadia
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Yuvraj Singh (icon) - 15% more
Mahela Jayawardene - $4,75,000
Kumar Sangakkara - $7,00,000
Brett Lee - $9,00,000
S.Sreesanth - $6,25,000
Irfan Pathan - $9,25,000
Ramesh Powar - $1,70,000
Piyush Chawla - $4,00,000
Simon Katich - $2,00,000
Ramnaresh Sarwan - $2,25,000
Team: Jaipur
Owner’s Name: Emerging Media
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Shane Warne - $4,50,000
Graeme Smith - $4,75,000
Younis Khan - $2,25,000
Kamran Akmal - $1,50,000
Yusuf Pathan - $4,75,000
Mohammad Kaif - $6,75,000
Munaf Patel - $2,75,000
Justin Langer - $2,00,000
Team: Hyderabad
Owner’s Name: Deccan Chronicle
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
V. V. S. Laxman (Captain) - $375,000
Andrew Symonds - $1,350,000
R. P. Singh - $875,000
Rohit Sharma - $750,000
Adam Gilchrist - $700,000
Shahid Afridi - $675,000
Herschelle Gibbs - $575,000
Chaminda Vaas - $200,000
Scott Styris - $175,000
Nuwan Zoysa - $110,000
Chamara Silva - $100,000
IPL Game Schedule
April 19 : Delhi v Jaipur at Delhi
April 20: Mumbai v Bangalore at Mumbai;Kolkata v Hyderabad at Kolkata
April 21: Jaipur v Mohali at Jaipur
April 22: Hyderabad v Delhi at Hyderabad
April 23: Chennai v Mumbai at Chennai
April 24: Hyderabad v Jaipur at Hyderabad
April 25: Mohali v Mumbai at Mohali
April 26: Bangalore v Jaipur at Bangalore; Chennai v Kolkata at Chennai
April 27: Mumbai v Hyderabad at Mumbai;Mohali v Delhi at Mohali
April 28: Bangalore v Chennai at Bangalore
April 29: Kolkata v Mumbai at Kolkata
April 30: Delhi v Bangalore at Delhi.
May 1: Hyderabad v Mohali at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Kolkata at Jaipur
May 2: Chennai v Delhi at Chennai.
May 3: Hyderabad at Bangalore at Hyderabad; Mohali v Kolkata at Mohali
May 4: Mumbai v Delhi at Mumbai; Jaipur v Chennai at Jaipur
May 5: Bangalore v Mohali at Bangalore
May 6: Chennai v Hyderabad at Chennai
May 7: Mumbai v Jaipur at Mumbai
May 8: Delhi v Chennai at Delhi; Kolkata v Bangalore at Kolkata
May 9: Jaipur v Hyderabad at Jaipur
May 10: Bangalore v Mumbai at Bangalore; Chennai v Mohali at Chennai
May 11: Hyderabad v Kolkata at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Delhi at Jaipur
May 12: Mohali v Bangalore at Mohali
May 13: Kolkata v Delhi at Kolkata
May 14: Mumbai v Chennai at Mumbai;Mohali v Jaipur at Mohali
May 15: Delhi v Hyderabad at Delhi
May 16: Mumbai v Kolkata at Mumbai
May 17: Delhi v Mohali at Delhi; Jaipur v Bangalore at Jaipur
May 18: Hyderabad v Mumbai at Hyderabad; Kolkata v Chenna at Kolkata
May 19: Bangalore v Delhi at Bangalore
May 20: Kolkata v Jaipur at Kolkata
May 21: Mumbai v Mohali at Mumbai; Chennai v Bangalore at Chennai
May 22: Delhi v Kolkata at Delhi
May 23: Mohali v Hyderabad at Mohali.
May 24: Delhi v Mumbai at Delhi; Chennai v Jaipur at Chennai
May 25: Bangalore v Hyderabad at Bangalore; Kolkata v Mohali at Kolkata
May 26: Jaipur v Mumbai at Jaipur
May 27: Hyderabad v Chennai at Hyderabad
May 28 and 29: Rest days
May 30: First semi-final at Mumbai
May 31: Second semi-final at Mumbai
June 1: Final at Mumbai
IPL Teams
Team: Bangalore Royal Challengers
Owner’s Name: Vijay Mallya
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Rahul Dravid (icon) - 15% more
Anil Kumble - $5,00,000
Jacques Kallis - $9,00,000
Zaheer Khan - $4,50,000
Mark Boucher - $4,50,000
Cameron White - $5,00,000
Wasim Jaffer - $1,50,000
Dale Steyn - $3,25,000
Nathan Bracken - $3,25,000
Shivnarine Chanderpaul - $2,00,000
Team: Mumbai
Owner’s Name: Mukesh Ambani
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Sachin Tendulkar (icon) - 15% more
Harbhajan Singh - $8,50,000
Sanath Jayasuriya - $9,75,000
Shaun Pollock - $5,50,000
Robin Uthappa - $8,00,000
Lasith Malinga - $3,50,000
Dilhara Fernando - $1,50,000
Loots Bosman - $1,75,000
Team: Kolkata
Owner’s Name: Shah Rukh Khan
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Sourav Ganguly (icon) - 15% more
Shoaib Akhtar - $4,25,000
Ricky Ponting - $4,00,000
Brendon McCullum - $7,00,000
Chris Gayle - $8,00,000
Ajit Agarkar - $3,30,000
David Hussey - $6,75,000
Ishant Sharma - $9,50,000
Murali Kartik - $4,25,000
Umar Gul - $1,50,000
Tatenda Taibu - $1,25,000
Team: Delhi Daredevils
Owner’s Name: GMR Holdings
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Virender Sehwag (icon) - 15% more
Daniel Vettori - $6,25,000
Shoaib Malik - $5,00,000
Mohammad Asif - $6,50,000
Dinesh Karthik - $5,25,000
AB de Villiers - $3,00,000
Farveez Maharoof - $2,25,000
Tillakaratne Dilshan - $2,50,000
Manoj Tiwary - $6,75,000
Gautam Gambhir - $7,25,000
Glenn McGrath - $3,50,000
Team: Chennai Super Kings
Owner’s Name: India Cement
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
M.S.Dhoni - $1.5 million
Muttiah Muralitharan - $6,00,000
Matthew Hayden - $3,75,000
Jacob Oram - $6,75,000
Stephen Fleming - $350,000
Parthiv Patel - $3,25,000
Joginder Sharma - $2,25,000
Albie Morkel - $6,50,000
Suresh Raina - $6,50,000
Makhaya Ntini - $2,00,000
Michael Hussey - $3,50,000
Team: Mohali
Owner’s Name: Preity Zinta & Ness. Wadia
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Yuvraj Singh (icon) - 15% more
Mahela Jayawardene - $4,75,000
Kumar Sangakkara - $7,00,000
Brett Lee - $9,00,000
S.Sreesanth - $6,25,000
Irfan Pathan - $9,25,000
Ramesh Powar - $1,70,000
Piyush Chawla - $4,00,000
Simon Katich - $2,00,000
Ramnaresh Sarwan - $2,25,000
Team: Jaipur
Owner’s Name: Emerging Media
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Shane Warne - $4,50,000
Graeme Smith - $4,75,000
Younis Khan - $2,25,000
Kamran Akmal - $1,50,000
Yusuf Pathan - $4,75,000
Mohammad Kaif - $6,75,000
Munaf Patel - $2,75,000
Justin Langer - $2,00,000
Team: Hyderabad
Owner’s Name: Deccan Chronicle
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
V. V. S. Laxman (Captain) - $375,000
Andrew Symonds - $1,350,000
R. P. Singh - $875,000
Rohit Sharma - $750,000
Adam Gilchrist - $700,000
Shahid Afridi - $675,000
Herschelle Gibbs - $575,000
Chaminda Vaas - $200,000
Scott Styris - $175,000
Nuwan Zoysa - $110,000
Chamara Silva - $100,000
ICC hints at annual window for IPL from '09 Agencies
ICC hints at annual window for IPL from '09 Agencies
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Melbourne, February 26:: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has hinted that the Indian Premier League (IPL) could have an annual window from next year to ensure that top international players are available for the lucrative Twenty20 extravaganza.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the move would be approved if supported by seven member nations of the ICC, although it would be extremely difficult to negotiate. He made it clear that the IPL schedule should not dictate the international fixtures.
"Countries could agree to move their tours," Speed said.
"This would be permitted by ICC if it can be achieved without having a flow-on effect for any other tour or ICC event. For the members to agree that there is to be a permanent window in the international schedule, for the IPL, which is a domestic competition, seven full members would need to vote in favour of it," he was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Speed said the IPL could be a beneficial concept for the game but he reserved judgement on its consequences.
"There are several possible benefits that may emerge from IPL. I have been critical in the past of BCCI's failure to exploit the commercial power of India's remarkable passion for the game. Time will tell whether the IPL has a positive or negative effect on the game." Speed, who steps down in July, said international matches were paramount in cricket and should not be tampered with.
"International cricket is the lifeblood of the ICC members. Apart from India, they do not receive any financial reward from the IPL," he said.
"It is a paramount consideration for them that they maintain their international schedules and play at the times that suit them best.
"International cricketers have been coached and developed by their home countries, states, provinces, counties and clubs. They are in demand by IPL teams because they are international cricketers. Their primary duty is to their country," he added.
Print EmailTo Editor
Melbourne, February 26:: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has hinted that the Indian Premier League (IPL) could have an annual window from next year to ensure that top international players are available for the lucrative Twenty20 extravaganza.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said the move would be approved if supported by seven member nations of the ICC, although it would be extremely difficult to negotiate. He made it clear that the IPL schedule should not dictate the international fixtures.
"Countries could agree to move their tours," Speed said.
"This would be permitted by ICC if it can be achieved without having a flow-on effect for any other tour or ICC event. For the members to agree that there is to be a permanent window in the international schedule, for the IPL, which is a domestic competition, seven full members would need to vote in favour of it," he was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.
Speed said the IPL could be a beneficial concept for the game but he reserved judgement on its consequences.
"There are several possible benefits that may emerge from IPL. I have been critical in the past of BCCI's failure to exploit the commercial power of India's remarkable passion for the game. Time will tell whether the IPL has a positive or negative effect on the game." Speed, who steps down in July, said international matches were paramount in cricket and should not be tampered with.
"International cricket is the lifeblood of the ICC members. Apart from India, they do not receive any financial reward from the IPL," he said.
"It is a paramount consideration for them that they maintain their international schedules and play at the times that suit them best.
"International cricketers have been coached and developed by their home countries, states, provinces, counties and clubs. They are in demand by IPL teams because they are international cricketers. Their primary duty is to their country," he added.
Shane Warne commands highest price for new IPL
Shane Warne commands highest price for new IPL
SHANE Warne will leave his former teammates in the shade by commanding the highest reserve price at today’s historic player auction in India but Michael Clarke has boldly put country ahead of cash.
Clarke last night turned his back on $250,000 for six weeks’ work and joined teammates Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson in withdrawing from the Indian Premier League competition to focus on consolidating his Australian career.
The IPL will auction about 90 players from around the world in a hotel room in Mumbai this afternoon.
About $45 million will be spent on the cream of the world’s cricketing talent.
The Herald Sun last night obtained confidential details of the reserve prices of all players. The prices were handed to franchise owners two days ago.
Warne, whose last ball in international cricket was delivered against England at the SCG 13 months ago, was the No. 1-ranked player.
He is up for sale for a minimum of $495,500 and fellow retiree Glenn McGrath ($385,500) is also rated above 11 other Australian players including captain Ricky Ponting ($358,000).
The cheapest Australian is Victorian all-rounder Cameron White at $110,500.
“I think the IPL is a great competition, and I love Twenty20 cricket and playing in India,” Clarke said. “But the timing is not right for me from a family and cricket perspective.
“I’m 26 years of age and I want to give myself every chance of having a long career for Australia. I just want to win the Commonwealth Bank Cup, a Pura Cup for New South Wales and take the old man fishing.”
The impressive single-mindedness Clarke displayed in his decision can only enhance his hopes of becoming Australia’s next Test captain.
The players keep all the money that is paid for them at the auction. Adam Gilchrist and Indian Twenty20 captain M. S. Dhoni are likely to snare the highest bids.
The franchises have about $5.5 million to splurge on eight recruits, so there is a strong chance some players will attract around $1 million for 44 days’ work.
The auction will not include what the IPL call icon players — Indian stars Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar — who have been given permission to play for their home cities.
They will receive the same figure paid for the dearest player in their franchise plus a 15 per cent loading.
If the Twenty20 league, which starts in April, succeeds, it will be given its own place on the cricket calendar and immediately threaten the future of the 50-over game.
Senior administrators fear the Twenty20 format could become the dominant form of the game.
Each IPL team will have a pool of 16 players, of whom eight can be international and four from the under-22 level or from the catchment area where the team is based.
The league will involve 59 matches and have $3.5 million prizemoney.
Former Australian coach John Buchanan has been confirmed as the coach of the Kolkata team with Tom Moody to guide Mohali.
Former Australian batsman Darren Lehmann yesterday confirmed he was considering extending his career by joining one of the Indian Twenty20 leagues.
Lehmann said he had taken advice that his participation would not conflict with his role as Australian Cricketers’ Association president.
http://timepassnews.com/?p=5
SHANE Warne will leave his former teammates in the shade by commanding the highest reserve price at today’s historic player auction in India but Michael Clarke has boldly put country ahead of cash.
Clarke last night turned his back on $250,000 for six weeks’ work and joined teammates Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson in withdrawing from the Indian Premier League competition to focus on consolidating his Australian career.
The IPL will auction about 90 players from around the world in a hotel room in Mumbai this afternoon.
About $45 million will be spent on the cream of the world’s cricketing talent.
The Herald Sun last night obtained confidential details of the reserve prices of all players. The prices were handed to franchise owners two days ago.
Warne, whose last ball in international cricket was delivered against England at the SCG 13 months ago, was the No. 1-ranked player.
He is up for sale for a minimum of $495,500 and fellow retiree Glenn McGrath ($385,500) is also rated above 11 other Australian players including captain Ricky Ponting ($358,000).
The cheapest Australian is Victorian all-rounder Cameron White at $110,500.
“I think the IPL is a great competition, and I love Twenty20 cricket and playing in India,” Clarke said. “But the timing is not right for me from a family and cricket perspective.
“I’m 26 years of age and I want to give myself every chance of having a long career for Australia. I just want to win the Commonwealth Bank Cup, a Pura Cup for New South Wales and take the old man fishing.”
The impressive single-mindedness Clarke displayed in his decision can only enhance his hopes of becoming Australia’s next Test captain.
The players keep all the money that is paid for them at the auction. Adam Gilchrist and Indian Twenty20 captain M. S. Dhoni are likely to snare the highest bids.
The franchises have about $5.5 million to splurge on eight recruits, so there is a strong chance some players will attract around $1 million for 44 days’ work.
The auction will not include what the IPL call icon players — Indian stars Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar — who have been given permission to play for their home cities.
They will receive the same figure paid for the dearest player in their franchise plus a 15 per cent loading.
If the Twenty20 league, which starts in April, succeeds, it will be given its own place on the cricket calendar and immediately threaten the future of the 50-over game.
Senior administrators fear the Twenty20 format could become the dominant form of the game.
Each IPL team will have a pool of 16 players, of whom eight can be international and four from the under-22 level or from the catchment area where the team is based.
The league will involve 59 matches and have $3.5 million prizemoney.
Former Australian coach John Buchanan has been confirmed as the coach of the Kolkata team with Tom Moody to guide Mohali.
Former Australian batsman Darren Lehmann yesterday confirmed he was considering extending his career by joining one of the Indian Twenty20 leagues.
Lehmann said he had taken advice that his participation would not conflict with his role as Australian Cricketers’ Association president.
http://timepassnews.com/?p=5
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Will IPL concept improve cricket at grassroots level?
Will IPL concept improve cricket at grassroots level?
New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Powered by top-flight business houses and Bollywood bigwigs, the Indian Premier League (IPL) might usher in a new revolution in cricket, changing the rules of the game once and for all.
But the big question is how much of the new concept will percolate down to improve the game at the grassroots level.
Adviser to Delhi franchise GMR Group B. Vanchi feels the IPL will boost cricket at the grassroots level.
As a first step, the group has floated GMR sports infrastructure to explore the 'future possibilities' of IPL.
And Vanchi believes IPL will provide options to invest at the lower levels as cricket anywhere can fetch good returns.
'The concept of IPL is well-thought-out and there are many ways in which we can help the domestic cricket structure. For instance, we have the territorial rights for a distance of 80 km in and around Delhi within which we can conduct tournaments at various levels. We can conduct school level leagues, coaching camps etc,' Vanchi told IANS.
'There can be several promotional events that can be thought of. We can take local stars like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir to meet and motivate the children in the coaching camps. Imagine how enthusiastic the kids would be to interact with them. So there are many ways by which the IPL and we as franchisees can promote the game. We can also have cricket clinics etc,' he said.
Vanchi feels that the money flowing into cricket is so huge that parents can think of cricket as a genuine career option for their children.
'The youngsters can dream of becoming cricketers and securing their future financially as well. It is going to bring in a sea change in the people's outlook towards the game,' he said.
However, former Indian cricketer Madan Lal believes that all the talk about reaching the lower strata in the game through IPL is rubbish.
'Nobody would have ever thought that the Twenty20 would have such an impact on India till India won the inaugural World Championship. The franchisees will make huge money... how many of them will be interested in investing at the grassroots level.
'Instead of concentrating on the IPL, the Indian board should have used the opportunity to improve the structure of domestic cricket,' Madan Lal told IANS.
New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) Powered by top-flight business houses and Bollywood bigwigs, the Indian Premier League (IPL) might usher in a new revolution in cricket, changing the rules of the game once and for all.
But the big question is how much of the new concept will percolate down to improve the game at the grassroots level.
Adviser to Delhi franchise GMR Group B. Vanchi feels the IPL will boost cricket at the grassroots level.
As a first step, the group has floated GMR sports infrastructure to explore the 'future possibilities' of IPL.
And Vanchi believes IPL will provide options to invest at the lower levels as cricket anywhere can fetch good returns.
'The concept of IPL is well-thought-out and there are many ways in which we can help the domestic cricket structure. For instance, we have the territorial rights for a distance of 80 km in and around Delhi within which we can conduct tournaments at various levels. We can conduct school level leagues, coaching camps etc,' Vanchi told IANS.
'There can be several promotional events that can be thought of. We can take local stars like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir to meet and motivate the children in the coaching camps. Imagine how enthusiastic the kids would be to interact with them. So there are many ways by which the IPL and we as franchisees can promote the game. We can also have cricket clinics etc,' he said.
Vanchi feels that the money flowing into cricket is so huge that parents can think of cricket as a genuine career option for their children.
'The youngsters can dream of becoming cricketers and securing their future financially as well. It is going to bring in a sea change in the people's outlook towards the game,' he said.
However, former Indian cricketer Madan Lal believes that all the talk about reaching the lower strata in the game through IPL is rubbish.
'Nobody would have ever thought that the Twenty20 would have such an impact on India till India won the inaugural World Championship. The franchisees will make huge money... how many of them will be interested in investing at the grassroots level.
'Instead of concentrating on the IPL, the Indian board should have used the opportunity to improve the structure of domestic cricket,' Madan Lal told IANS.
Is T20 cricket getting too hot to handle?
Is T20 cricket getting too hot to handle?
The Twenty20 form of the game has been on the rise since its inception years back in England. The home of cricket launched this exciting new format and its popularity sky-rocketed from the word go.
After that, other nations adapted the version for their domestic structure. South Africa were the one who promoted T20 cricket up to a new level. Their Pro20 league was a major hit and attracted huge audience.
More countries followed the same route and Pakistan, one of the leading cricketing powerhouses, also successfully hosted domestic T20 competitions. That tournament certainly paved the way for local youngsters to showcase their worth and revealed talented players for future for this cricket-loving country.
The highlight came when the inaugural World Twenty20 event was staged in South Africa last year. The tournament turned out to be the biggest blockbuster of the year and presented a showcase final match between arch-rivals Pakistan and India -- a fairytale ending to any tournament one can hope for.
And things have never been the same since then. Now, on a regular basis, T20 matches are the highlight of tour schedules between all Test-playing nations. That certainly helps the organisers to attract more crowds towards stadiums and generate funds.
But not everything generated from this T20 phenomenon has been positive.
Though cricket has been promoted because of its fast-growing recognition, a war has erupted between financial supremos in the world of cricket.
This war relates to the fact that who can attract more star power towards their respective leagues. It's about who can pay the players more. And it's about who can promote the game better amongst other things.
The scenario was created when an Indian TV company, one of the leading broadcasters in the country, was impressed by the success of T20 cricket. Having all the financial backup, sponsors and broadcasting rights in their kitty, they decided to launch their own T20 league.
That league was named the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and it created a major stir in the cricketing world. People said this was a big opportunity for the players -- both international and local -- to showcase their talent in front of the whole world.
But nobody knew that the idea of staging this tournament could explode into an ever-lasting debate.
The problem that rose was about the tournament's recognition. The ICL wasn't approved by the richest sporting body in the world -- Board of Control for Cricket in India -- and that angered the BCCI in the first place.
Everyone knows that the BCCI likes to do things its own way. They knew that ICL could be a threat to their supremacy in India and they immediately started to oppose the league terming it as 'the rebel league'.
But that didn't affect the ICL organisers' morale. They continued working on their project and stood tall against opposition.
Things took a new twist when BCCI issued statements that they would ban players from representing India or local domestic teams in future if they opt to play for ICL.
Then, BCCI teamed up with other cricketing boards to back them on this issue and were successful immediately. The ICL, which wasn't recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) either, was in tatters at that moment.
But they didn't stop here and finally did manage to stage the tournament. The event saw former and present players taking part in the tourney from all over the world. Local players from the Indian domestic structure also took part in a large number.
The tournament, though, wasn't much of a success as it didn't have the backup from ICC and national cricketing boards. It was telecasted on a single TV channel only and as the organisers didn't have authority to stage the matches on different grounds (BCCI had banned them from doing so), they had to hold the entire ties at a single stadium.
The end result saw many players getting life bans from their respective boards. They are now ineligible to play in national colours or even in domestic leagues. The ICL, one can say, put brakes on their careers.
As the BCCI had started to counter the staging of ICL, they had to show something and prove their worth that they were a force to be reckoned with. This they did by announcing their own T20 league -- known as the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The IPL, these days, has been making all the headlines in the cricketing world. Born to oppose and knock down the ICL in the first place, this official T20 league has the backing of all national cricket boards plus the ICC.
To cap that, it also ensures safety for the players. Cricketers participating in this tournament -- local or international -- won't be barred from representing their national teams or their respective domestic outfits.
The most delicious part of the tournament's recipe comes when players' salaries are brought into the equation.
The IPL, which has eight franchises, recently held a players' bid ceremony. The players were to be purchased by the franchises after calling up suitable bids for them. The franchise making the highest bid for a particular player then got him to play for them. The team will pay the winning bid to the player annually.
The IPL, one feels, will be a major breakthrough in the world of cricket. It guarantees to blow away the ICL fever and seems sure to attract more big names. Though ICL had enrolled a few big stars themselves too, the restrictions implemented on them and its players seem too much to handle for them.
The inaugural 44-day IPL will get underway on April 18. It will be broadcasted on more than one channel unlike ICL. IPL will attract more sponsors, more facilities will be provided to the players and more stadiums will get the chance to host its matches -- everything ICL was unable to do.
One of the most interesting prospects ahead will be of the Champions League. The proposed league will be played on the format of football's Champions Leagues in Europe and Asia which see top football clubs from different countries compete against each other for the coveted prize.
Likewise, domestic T20 champions from Test playing nations will compete against each other in cricket's Champions League. That will prove to be another crowd-favourite event if all goes well.
But there's something which can be a disrupting factor in the future for the ICC as well as for national boards. As IPL is a cash-rich tournament, it has attracted almost all the top players in the world. And when it comes to money-making antics, one feels that commitment towards the country is put on the line.
For example, Andrew Symonds, the Australian all-rounder, who was the second most expensive player in the IPL bidding process last week, said that he won't be touring Pakistan along with this team. (Australia's tour to Pakistan coincides with the dates of IPL).
Why? Symonds says that Pakistan's political crisis has made him take this decision. But there is nothing to worry about on this issue these days. Australia, who were thinking of pulling off from their tour because of the same reason, have now finally decided go on with it.
Pakistan saw successful elections being held last week and it surely must have erased all the concerns from Aussies' minds. Our nation has proved that it's a safe place for anyone to visit and touring parties won't have any problems here.
When Cricket Australia is ready to change its mind, why not Symonds? That's where the commitment comes into play.
Australia batsman Michael Clarke and bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark have all put their priorities above IPL. They feel playing for Australia is of more importance than making money in India. Then why is Symonds against it?
The only thing that comes to mind is the fact that he (Symonds) would like to play in the IPL and make good cash. If it wasn't for that, he surely would have said "yes, I will go to Pakistan and playing for IPL isn't a priority for me."
The second issue of concern is that of tour schedules and IPL dates. The ICC has confirmed that they won't put IPL into its calendar. And that would create a lost of hassle.
Players participating in the IPL would now feel that if their team's matches are scheduled at the same time as of IPL's, they will be in trouble. They won't be able to decide whom to play for.
Players' burn-out and fatigue factor will be amongst other things of great concern. The international cricket calendar of almost all the teams is packed up and with a lot of cricket to be played over the year, as FTP lays out, players' injuries and burn-out are likely to happen on a regular basis. That would hamper their own future and their teams' progress would also be affected.
These are some issues the cricketing masterminds and all the concerned boards have to look after. Though the popularity of cricket is on a rise and its progression is faster than ever, one has to make sure that T20 phenomenon doesn't get too hot to handle.
The Twenty20 form of the game has been on the rise since its inception years back in England. The home of cricket launched this exciting new format and its popularity sky-rocketed from the word go.
After that, other nations adapted the version for their domestic structure. South Africa were the one who promoted T20 cricket up to a new level. Their Pro20 league was a major hit and attracted huge audience.
More countries followed the same route and Pakistan, one of the leading cricketing powerhouses, also successfully hosted domestic T20 competitions. That tournament certainly paved the way for local youngsters to showcase their worth and revealed talented players for future for this cricket-loving country.
The highlight came when the inaugural World Twenty20 event was staged in South Africa last year. The tournament turned out to be the biggest blockbuster of the year and presented a showcase final match between arch-rivals Pakistan and India -- a fairytale ending to any tournament one can hope for.
And things have never been the same since then. Now, on a regular basis, T20 matches are the highlight of tour schedules between all Test-playing nations. That certainly helps the organisers to attract more crowds towards stadiums and generate funds.
But not everything generated from this T20 phenomenon has been positive.
Though cricket has been promoted because of its fast-growing recognition, a war has erupted between financial supremos in the world of cricket.
This war relates to the fact that who can attract more star power towards their respective leagues. It's about who can pay the players more. And it's about who can promote the game better amongst other things.
The scenario was created when an Indian TV company, one of the leading broadcasters in the country, was impressed by the success of T20 cricket. Having all the financial backup, sponsors and broadcasting rights in their kitty, they decided to launch their own T20 league.
That league was named the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and it created a major stir in the cricketing world. People said this was a big opportunity for the players -- both international and local -- to showcase their talent in front of the whole world.
But nobody knew that the idea of staging this tournament could explode into an ever-lasting debate.
The problem that rose was about the tournament's recognition. The ICL wasn't approved by the richest sporting body in the world -- Board of Control for Cricket in India -- and that angered the BCCI in the first place.
Everyone knows that the BCCI likes to do things its own way. They knew that ICL could be a threat to their supremacy in India and they immediately started to oppose the league terming it as 'the rebel league'.
But that didn't affect the ICL organisers' morale. They continued working on their project and stood tall against opposition.
Things took a new twist when BCCI issued statements that they would ban players from representing India or local domestic teams in future if they opt to play for ICL.
Then, BCCI teamed up with other cricketing boards to back them on this issue and were successful immediately. The ICL, which wasn't recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) either, was in tatters at that moment.
But they didn't stop here and finally did manage to stage the tournament. The event saw former and present players taking part in the tourney from all over the world. Local players from the Indian domestic structure also took part in a large number.
The tournament, though, wasn't much of a success as it didn't have the backup from ICC and national cricketing boards. It was telecasted on a single TV channel only and as the organisers didn't have authority to stage the matches on different grounds (BCCI had banned them from doing so), they had to hold the entire ties at a single stadium.
The end result saw many players getting life bans from their respective boards. They are now ineligible to play in national colours or even in domestic leagues. The ICL, one can say, put brakes on their careers.
As the BCCI had started to counter the staging of ICL, they had to show something and prove their worth that they were a force to be reckoned with. This they did by announcing their own T20 league -- known as the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The IPL, these days, has been making all the headlines in the cricketing world. Born to oppose and knock down the ICL in the first place, this official T20 league has the backing of all national cricket boards plus the ICC.
To cap that, it also ensures safety for the players. Cricketers participating in this tournament -- local or international -- won't be barred from representing their national teams or their respective domestic outfits.
The most delicious part of the tournament's recipe comes when players' salaries are brought into the equation.
The IPL, which has eight franchises, recently held a players' bid ceremony. The players were to be purchased by the franchises after calling up suitable bids for them. The franchise making the highest bid for a particular player then got him to play for them. The team will pay the winning bid to the player annually.
The IPL, one feels, will be a major breakthrough in the world of cricket. It guarantees to blow away the ICL fever and seems sure to attract more big names. Though ICL had enrolled a few big stars themselves too, the restrictions implemented on them and its players seem too much to handle for them.
The inaugural 44-day IPL will get underway on April 18. It will be broadcasted on more than one channel unlike ICL. IPL will attract more sponsors, more facilities will be provided to the players and more stadiums will get the chance to host its matches -- everything ICL was unable to do.
One of the most interesting prospects ahead will be of the Champions League. The proposed league will be played on the format of football's Champions Leagues in Europe and Asia which see top football clubs from different countries compete against each other for the coveted prize.
Likewise, domestic T20 champions from Test playing nations will compete against each other in cricket's Champions League. That will prove to be another crowd-favourite event if all goes well.
But there's something which can be a disrupting factor in the future for the ICC as well as for national boards. As IPL is a cash-rich tournament, it has attracted almost all the top players in the world. And when it comes to money-making antics, one feels that commitment towards the country is put on the line.
For example, Andrew Symonds, the Australian all-rounder, who was the second most expensive player in the IPL bidding process last week, said that he won't be touring Pakistan along with this team. (Australia's tour to Pakistan coincides with the dates of IPL).
Why? Symonds says that Pakistan's political crisis has made him take this decision. But there is nothing to worry about on this issue these days. Australia, who were thinking of pulling off from their tour because of the same reason, have now finally decided go on with it.
Pakistan saw successful elections being held last week and it surely must have erased all the concerns from Aussies' minds. Our nation has proved that it's a safe place for anyone to visit and touring parties won't have any problems here.
When Cricket Australia is ready to change its mind, why not Symonds? That's where the commitment comes into play.
Australia batsman Michael Clarke and bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark have all put their priorities above IPL. They feel playing for Australia is of more importance than making money in India. Then why is Symonds against it?
The only thing that comes to mind is the fact that he (Symonds) would like to play in the IPL and make good cash. If it wasn't for that, he surely would have said "yes, I will go to Pakistan and playing for IPL isn't a priority for me."
The second issue of concern is that of tour schedules and IPL dates. The ICC has confirmed that they won't put IPL into its calendar. And that would create a lost of hassle.
Players participating in the IPL would now feel that if their team's matches are scheduled at the same time as of IPL's, they will be in trouble. They won't be able to decide whom to play for.
Players' burn-out and fatigue factor will be amongst other things of great concern. The international cricket calendar of almost all the teams is packed up and with a lot of cricket to be played over the year, as FTP lays out, players' injuries and burn-out are likely to happen on a regular basis. That would hamper their own future and their teams' progress would also be affected.
These are some issues the cricketing masterminds and all the concerned boards have to look after. Though the popularity of cricket is on a rise and its progression is faster than ever, one has to make sure that T20 phenomenon doesn't get too hot to handle.
Jimmy trashes Twenty20 carnival
While the Indian Premier League (IPL) bandwagon reached dizzy heights last week over the unprecedented players auction, gutsy allrounder of India’s World Cup winning team, Mohinder Amarnath, isn’t amused.
In his trademark candid style, Amarnath came down heavily on the ongoing hype and hoopla surrounding the IPL carnival, slamming the Indian cricket Board for promoting Twenty20 cricket and roping in foreign players.
“Twenty20 cricket has no future at all, it makes no sense to promote it on this scale. And why do we need foreign players I just don’t understand. The focus should have been on domestic talent,” fumed Amarnath on the sidelines of a local cricket tournament in the city. The 57-year-old former player was particularly severe on the cricket administrators for allowing the IPL’s organisers to stage the widely-covered auction ceremony in Mumbai where the world’s top players were traded for phenomenal sums of money.
“There was no need at all to organise an auction like this where the players were being bought by teams. There’s a better way of handling things. The organisers should have gone about handing out contracts to the players instead of making them go through the auction,” asserted the Man-of-Match of the 1983 World Cup final.
Amarnath’s acerbic comments are no surprise, given that the player has a record of being vocal on various issues, often voicing against the BCCI on controversial matters.
Stressing on the need to revert to Test cricket, Amarnath opined: “These new formats of the game have no future. Test cricket will still remain as the best form of the game, there can’t be any doubt about that.”
As for the selectors’ decision to leave out stalwart names like Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly from the ongoing tri-nation series in Australia, the former allrounder said that he felt pity for the experienced duo. “Both of them should have been part of this ODI team, I feel sorry for both of them. It looks really bad, given the way Sourav is repeatedly made to prove himself and come back,” Amarnath said.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Jimmy-trashes-Twenty20-carnival/276821/
In his trademark candid style, Amarnath came down heavily on the ongoing hype and hoopla surrounding the IPL carnival, slamming the Indian cricket Board for promoting Twenty20 cricket and roping in foreign players.
“Twenty20 cricket has no future at all, it makes no sense to promote it on this scale. And why do we need foreign players I just don’t understand. The focus should have been on domestic talent,” fumed Amarnath on the sidelines of a local cricket tournament in the city. The 57-year-old former player was particularly severe on the cricket administrators for allowing the IPL’s organisers to stage the widely-covered auction ceremony in Mumbai where the world’s top players were traded for phenomenal sums of money.
“There was no need at all to organise an auction like this where the players were being bought by teams. There’s a better way of handling things. The organisers should have gone about handing out contracts to the players instead of making them go through the auction,” asserted the Man-of-Match of the 1983 World Cup final.
Amarnath’s acerbic comments are no surprise, given that the player has a record of being vocal on various issues, often voicing against the BCCI on controversial matters.
Stressing on the need to revert to Test cricket, Amarnath opined: “These new formats of the game have no future. Test cricket will still remain as the best form of the game, there can’t be any doubt about that.”
As for the selectors’ decision to leave out stalwart names like Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly from the ongoing tri-nation series in Australia, the former allrounder said that he felt pity for the experienced duo. “Both of them should have been part of this ODI team, I feel sorry for both of them. It looks really bad, given the way Sourav is repeatedly made to prove himself and come back,” Amarnath said.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Jimmy-trashes-Twenty20-carnival/276821/
CAB rebels to field Dalmiya for higher share in IPL cash
Kolkata, Feb 25 (IANS) The rebel group in the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) is working overtime to bring in former Indian cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya to voice their demands over higher share in the proceeds from the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
"I have not made up my mind as yet, though a lot of member associations has approached me," Jagmohan Dalmiya, who is now on a self-imposed exile from cricket, told IANS.
CAB President Prasun Mukherjee has called a Special General Body Meeting (SGM) to iron out the differences that have arisen over the sharing of tickets during the IPL.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given clear directives that the state associations will get no more than 20 percent of the tickets, the opposition, it seems, will settle for nothing less than 30 percent.
Biswaroop Dey of the opposition group said: "We are trying to get a two-thirdsmajority of the member clubs to sign our demands. That would be a little more than 70. We have only one objective and that is to see how can the IPL money help in building the infrastructure of the members of CAB."
"We are also not against IPL matches. We are against being left out. Moreover, the Working Committee meeting was also held without any papers being shown by the president. How can we believe only a word of mouth? We need something concrete," he said.
"If we can get more than two-thirds signatures of the member associations, we will coax Jagmohan Dalmiya to plead our case in the SGM," he said.
Gautam Dasgupta, former BCCI joint-secretary, said, "There are two things that we want. First, we want to know clearly in writing the terms and conditions of holding the IPL."
"Secondly, as we understand the IPL is a money spinning event, so we must know clearly what is CAB's share and how much of it would be ploughed back for the development of cricket in Bengal," he added.
Earlier, when CAB president Prasun Mukherjee raised his concerns about ticket share, IPL Commissioner and chairman Lalit Modi threatened the CAB of withdrawing the Kolkata team if it did not adhere to the rules and regulations of the League.
"I have not made up my mind as yet, though a lot of member associations has approached me," Jagmohan Dalmiya, who is now on a self-imposed exile from cricket, told IANS.
CAB President Prasun Mukherjee has called a Special General Body Meeting (SGM) to iron out the differences that have arisen over the sharing of tickets during the IPL.
While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given clear directives that the state associations will get no more than 20 percent of the tickets, the opposition, it seems, will settle for nothing less than 30 percent.
Biswaroop Dey of the opposition group said: "We are trying to get a two-thirdsmajority of the member clubs to sign our demands. That would be a little more than 70. We have only one objective and that is to see how can the IPL money help in building the infrastructure of the members of CAB."
"We are also not against IPL matches. We are against being left out. Moreover, the Working Committee meeting was also held without any papers being shown by the president. How can we believe only a word of mouth? We need something concrete," he said.
"If we can get more than two-thirds signatures of the member associations, we will coax Jagmohan Dalmiya to plead our case in the SGM," he said.
Gautam Dasgupta, former BCCI joint-secretary, said, "There are two things that we want. First, we want to know clearly in writing the terms and conditions of holding the IPL."
"Secondly, as we understand the IPL is a money spinning event, so we must know clearly what is CAB's share and how much of it would be ploughed back for the development of cricket in Bengal," he added.
Earlier, when CAB president Prasun Mukherjee raised his concerns about ticket share, IPL Commissioner and chairman Lalit Modi threatened the CAB of withdrawing the Kolkata team if it did not adhere to the rules and regulations of the League.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Money, Money, Money
The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction could well have been a turning point in the history of a game that thrives on tradition.
For the first time, cricketers were sold like commodities at Wednesday's auction. At the end of 10 hours of frenetic bidding, where every bid was followed with breathless anticipation, most of the stars went for sums that were considerably higher than the reserve price.
There were several surprises too with rookies such as Yusuf Pathan and Manoj Tiwary going for higher prices than tried and tested international players. And young Ishant Sharma was auctioned for an amazing $975,000 while poor Glenn McGrath was bought for his base price at the fag end of the bidding.
Was there a method to the madness? Most teams were not just looking for match-winners, but also those who could be the most marketable. Not surprisingly it was the Indian players in the pool who were the most wanted, grabbing $14.6 million of the total $38.2 million spent.
Someone like Robin Uthappa, who really has still to prove himself on the international stage, ended up being worth more than Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden put together.
The auction proved once again that the IPL is not just about cricket; it is also about entertainment and extravaganza.
The IPL is taking cricket into uncharted territory. The league is likely to bring about radical changes in the way cricket is played and watched. Clubs will now compete with national teams for an audience.
While the top cricketers are far richer than they could have ever imagined, the franchisees will have their work cut out. Nobody doubts that the Twenty20 format will be a hit with cricket fans. But the franchisees, which have collectively forked out $723.59 million, will have to do some serious work to recover their money.
The league will still have to convince cricket fans, who are used to rooting for their national team, to watch their local club play. This shouldn't be such a difficult task. Sports fans everywhere in the world root for both their club and country.
Innovations such as cheerleaders and live music have already been introduced in Twenty20 cricket to make the game as attractive as possible to a broad audience.
More such bells and whistles have to be thrown in to attract a loyal fan base. There is already talk of live shows by film stars before the teams take the field. Cricket stadiums, too, would have to be completely refurbished. The IPL holds the promise of redefining the experience of watching and playing cricket, in India and abroad.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Money_Money_Money/articleshow/2802652.cms
For the first time, cricketers were sold like commodities at Wednesday's auction. At the end of 10 hours of frenetic bidding, where every bid was followed with breathless anticipation, most of the stars went for sums that were considerably higher than the reserve price.
There were several surprises too with rookies such as Yusuf Pathan and Manoj Tiwary going for higher prices than tried and tested international players. And young Ishant Sharma was auctioned for an amazing $975,000 while poor Glenn McGrath was bought for his base price at the fag end of the bidding.
Was there a method to the madness? Most teams were not just looking for match-winners, but also those who could be the most marketable. Not surprisingly it was the Indian players in the pool who were the most wanted, grabbing $14.6 million of the total $38.2 million spent.
Someone like Robin Uthappa, who really has still to prove himself on the international stage, ended up being worth more than Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden put together.
The auction proved once again that the IPL is not just about cricket; it is also about entertainment and extravaganza.
The IPL is taking cricket into uncharted territory. The league is likely to bring about radical changes in the way cricket is played and watched. Clubs will now compete with national teams for an audience.
While the top cricketers are far richer than they could have ever imagined, the franchisees will have their work cut out. Nobody doubts that the Twenty20 format will be a hit with cricket fans. But the franchisees, which have collectively forked out $723.59 million, will have to do some serious work to recover their money.
The league will still have to convince cricket fans, who are used to rooting for their national team, to watch their local club play. This shouldn't be such a difficult task. Sports fans everywhere in the world root for both their club and country.
Innovations such as cheerleaders and live music have already been introduced in Twenty20 cricket to make the game as attractive as possible to a broad audience.
More such bells and whistles have to be thrown in to attract a loyal fan base. There is already talk of live shows by film stars before the teams take the field. Cricket stadiums, too, would have to be completely refurbished. The IPL holds the promise of redefining the experience of watching and playing cricket, in India and abroad.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Money_Money_Money/articleshow/2802652.cms
Everything you wanted to know about the Indian Premier League
Everything you wanted to know about the Indian Premier League
# What is the Indian Premier League?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a franchise-based Twenty20 competition organised by the BCCI, and it has official sanction since it has the backing of the ICC. It features the world's best cricketers playing - their affiliation decided by open auction - for eight city-based franchises, owned by a host of businessmen and celebrity consortiums. The inaugural edition of the tournament will run from April 18 to June 1.
# What are the logistics of the IPL?
The tournament will begin on April 18, when Bangalore take on Kolkata at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The tournament will feature 59 matches in total, the teams playing each other on a home-and-away basis. Click here for the full list of fixtures.
# Why is the IPL generating such a buzz?
Two main reasons why. One the football-club concept of the IPL, which is unlike anything cricket has known. The best players from across the world playing not according to nationality but according to market forces. Second, the sheer financial scale of the IPL is unprecedented at this level of cricket. The BCCI has already made close to US$ 1.75 billion solely from the sale of TV rights ($908 million), promotion ($108 million) and franchises (approximately $700 million). Players are expected to earn close to US$1 million for a three-year contract. It's an entire cricket economy out there.
# Who are the top cricketers involved?
There are 77 names in the fray, the top current players: Dhoni, Ponting, Gilchrist, Shoaib Akhtar, Jayawardene, Jayasuriya, Yuvraj, Hayden...The notable absentees are from England, because the IPL will clash with their domestic season, and Australia's Michael Clarke, who opted to focus on his regular cricket.
# Who are the franchise owners - celebrities and others?
Mukesh Ambani, the Reliance Industries chairman, acquired the Mumbai franchise for $111.9 million over a 10-year period; beer and airline baron Vijay Mallya, who also owns a Formula 1 team, won the Bangalore franchise for $111.6 million; Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment won the Kolkata franchise for $75 million; the biggest surprise was the Chandigarh franchise, which went to Preity Zinta, another Bollywood star, and Ness Wadia, together with two other industrialists, for $75 million. The winning team will get richer by $3 million if they win the first edition of the tournament.
# How are the players paired with teams?
The BCCI has conducted a player auction on February 20, in which the respective franchises can bid for a maximum of eight international players from pool of 89 players who have been contracted to the board. But Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Yuvraj Singh are not up for auction as they have been given 'iconic' status by the BCCI - which means that they have to represent the city in which they are based. Another exception to the bidding process is with regard to the Australian players - a clause in the rules of Cricket Australia has meant that each team can select a maximum of two Australians.
# Whose idea is the IPL?
The IPL is the brainchild of Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the BCCI, and is modeled along the lines of club football in Europe, specifically the English Premier League. Though there is a school of thought that the idea came about in the 1990s, the announcement that such a tournament would happen, and which it would be a precursor to Twenty20 Champions League, cricket's version of the European Champions League, came only after Subhash Chandra, the owner of Zee Televison said, in April last year, that he was intending to start an unofficial league called the Indian Cricket League, fuelling speculation that is was a reactive idea rather than a proactive one.
# How different are the IPL and ICL to each other?
The IPL is an official sanctioned Twenty20 tournament, and unlike the ICL, which is not recognised by any of the national boards or the ICC, it will have a better status, international reach, players, and the requisite infrastructure by default. Since the IPL is sanctioned by the ICC, players don't have the danger of bringing their international/first-class careers to a halt - as is the case with the ICL - whose players have been banned by the various boards. Another major difference is with regard to franchises - the ownership of the team rests with the individual owners and not one single entity.
# What is the Indian Premier League?
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a franchise-based Twenty20 competition organised by the BCCI, and it has official sanction since it has the backing of the ICC. It features the world's best cricketers playing - their affiliation decided by open auction - for eight city-based franchises, owned by a host of businessmen and celebrity consortiums. The inaugural edition of the tournament will run from April 18 to June 1.
# What are the logistics of the IPL?
The tournament will begin on April 18, when Bangalore take on Kolkata at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The tournament will feature 59 matches in total, the teams playing each other on a home-and-away basis. Click here for the full list of fixtures.
# Why is the IPL generating such a buzz?
Two main reasons why. One the football-club concept of the IPL, which is unlike anything cricket has known. The best players from across the world playing not according to nationality but according to market forces. Second, the sheer financial scale of the IPL is unprecedented at this level of cricket. The BCCI has already made close to US$ 1.75 billion solely from the sale of TV rights ($908 million), promotion ($108 million) and franchises (approximately $700 million). Players are expected to earn close to US$1 million for a three-year contract. It's an entire cricket economy out there.
# Who are the top cricketers involved?
There are 77 names in the fray, the top current players: Dhoni, Ponting, Gilchrist, Shoaib Akhtar, Jayawardene, Jayasuriya, Yuvraj, Hayden...The notable absentees are from England, because the IPL will clash with their domestic season, and Australia's Michael Clarke, who opted to focus on his regular cricket.
# Who are the franchise owners - celebrities and others?
Mukesh Ambani, the Reliance Industries chairman, acquired the Mumbai franchise for $111.9 million over a 10-year period; beer and airline baron Vijay Mallya, who also owns a Formula 1 team, won the Bangalore franchise for $111.6 million; Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment won the Kolkata franchise for $75 million; the biggest surprise was the Chandigarh franchise, which went to Preity Zinta, another Bollywood star, and Ness Wadia, together with two other industrialists, for $75 million. The winning team will get richer by $3 million if they win the first edition of the tournament.
# How are the players paired with teams?
The BCCI has conducted a player auction on February 20, in which the respective franchises can bid for a maximum of eight international players from pool of 89 players who have been contracted to the board. But Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, and Yuvraj Singh are not up for auction as they have been given 'iconic' status by the BCCI - which means that they have to represent the city in which they are based. Another exception to the bidding process is with regard to the Australian players - a clause in the rules of Cricket Australia has meant that each team can select a maximum of two Australians.
# Whose idea is the IPL?
The IPL is the brainchild of Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the BCCI, and is modeled along the lines of club football in Europe, specifically the English Premier League. Though there is a school of thought that the idea came about in the 1990s, the announcement that such a tournament would happen, and which it would be a precursor to Twenty20 Champions League, cricket's version of the European Champions League, came only after Subhash Chandra, the owner of Zee Televison said, in April last year, that he was intending to start an unofficial league called the Indian Cricket League, fuelling speculation that is was a reactive idea rather than a proactive one.
# How different are the IPL and ICL to each other?
The IPL is an official sanctioned Twenty20 tournament, and unlike the ICL, which is not recognised by any of the national boards or the ICC, it will have a better status, international reach, players, and the requisite infrastructure by default. Since the IPL is sanctioned by the ICC, players don't have the danger of bringing their international/first-class careers to a halt - as is the case with the ICL - whose players have been banned by the various boards. Another major difference is with regard to franchises - the ownership of the team rests with the individual owners and not one single entity.
Emphasis on youth, says Delhi IPL team
Emphasis on youth, says Delhi IPL team
Chennai, Feb. 22: The names bought by Delhi Daredevils might not be as dazzling as some other IPL franchises. What they may have quietly achieved is to string together a combination that is cut out for the shortest format.
Delhi have a number of players from the sub-continent and the team think-tank has its reasons for picking them. "Matches are going to be played in oppressive conditions and players from the sub-continent are used to this humidity more than others. That is why we also wanted a young team," said T.A. Sekar, vice-president, cricket operations of the GMR group that owns the Delhi franchise.
Fielding and athleticism were high on the wishlist of the Delhi side and they can be proud of the fact they have the best fielding unit among the eight teams. They are moving well in other directions too. They have appointed Victoria coach Greg Shipperd as the head coach and skipper Virender Sehwag has already had a detailed meeting with the coach Down Under.
The GMR group has also put in place support staff. "It is important they work as a team and know each other well. David Hacker, assistant coach of Victoria will play the same role here. The job becomes easier as they can communicate better," explained Sekar who added Shipperd was preferred as he knew the science of T20 cricket better than others having been a part of a very successful Victoria T20 team.
One area the Delhi unit could find the going tough is the bowling department. All the specialist bowlers are foreigners. With only four foreigners allowed to play a game, Delhi could be hard pressed. A local bowler has to stand up to the demands or else Sehwag has to bowl his full quota in most of the games.
Sekar, who is relatively happy with the composition of the side, however feels Delhi missed out on Albie Morkel who was snapped up by Chennai. "He is a fine all-rounder and would have been a good asset to the side." However Chennai’s Dinesh Karthik, the only Tamil Nadu player in the present Indian side, went to Delhi. "Dinesh is an intelligent cricketer and along with Ab De Villers gives us the option of two wicketkeeper-batsmen," noted Sekar.
Delhi are expected to assemble in the first week of April for a short preparatory camp. Members of the Indian Test team will however join only a few days before the IPL kicks off. The side might be without marquee names but there are enough hints that Delhi Daredevils might emerge as the dark horses.
Chennai, Feb. 22: The names bought by Delhi Daredevils might not be as dazzling as some other IPL franchises. What they may have quietly achieved is to string together a combination that is cut out for the shortest format.
Delhi have a number of players from the sub-continent and the team think-tank has its reasons for picking them. "Matches are going to be played in oppressive conditions and players from the sub-continent are used to this humidity more than others. That is why we also wanted a young team," said T.A. Sekar, vice-president, cricket operations of the GMR group that owns the Delhi franchise.
Fielding and athleticism were high on the wishlist of the Delhi side and they can be proud of the fact they have the best fielding unit among the eight teams. They are moving well in other directions too. They have appointed Victoria coach Greg Shipperd as the head coach and skipper Virender Sehwag has already had a detailed meeting with the coach Down Under.
The GMR group has also put in place support staff. "It is important they work as a team and know each other well. David Hacker, assistant coach of Victoria will play the same role here. The job becomes easier as they can communicate better," explained Sekar who added Shipperd was preferred as he knew the science of T20 cricket better than others having been a part of a very successful Victoria T20 team.
One area the Delhi unit could find the going tough is the bowling department. All the specialist bowlers are foreigners. With only four foreigners allowed to play a game, Delhi could be hard pressed. A local bowler has to stand up to the demands or else Sehwag has to bowl his full quota in most of the games.
Sekar, who is relatively happy with the composition of the side, however feels Delhi missed out on Albie Morkel who was snapped up by Chennai. "He is a fine all-rounder and would have been a good asset to the side." However Chennai’s Dinesh Karthik, the only Tamil Nadu player in the present Indian side, went to Delhi. "Dinesh is an intelligent cricketer and along with Ab De Villers gives us the option of two wicketkeeper-batsmen," noted Sekar.
Delhi are expected to assemble in the first week of April for a short preparatory camp. Members of the Indian Test team will however join only a few days before the IPL kicks off. The side might be without marquee names but there are enough hints that Delhi Daredevils might emerge as the dark horses.
IPL teams and players
IPL teams and players
Dhoni and Symonds top $1m mark in IPL auction
MUMBAI: India one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australian Andrew Symonds crossed the million-dollar mark as the world's top cricketers were auctioned off for the Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Chennai bought Dhoni for $1.5 million, which was nearly four times the Indian's base price of $400,000 in the opening round of the novel sell-off held before the lucrative 44-day tournament's debut in April.
All-rounder Symonds was a close second after going for $1.35 million to the Hyderabad team. Team-mates Brett Lee was bought by Mohali for $900,000 and Ricky Ponting by Kolkata for $400,000.
Eight franchise owners, including corporate tycoons and Bollywood actors, were bidding for 77 cricketers in a pioneering process that some observers believe will change the face of the game.
"It's a landmark day. I have not seen anything like this before. It has been amazing," said IPL governing council member Inderjit Singh Bindra.
STAR PLAYERS AND THEIR PRICE TAGS
Jaipur: S Warne ($450,000), G Smith $475,000), Y Khan ($225,000), K Akmal ($150,000), Y Pathan ($475,000), M Kaif ($675,000), M Patel ($275,000), J Langer ($200,000)
Chennai: MS Dhoni ($1.5m), M Muralitharan ($600,000), M Hayden ($375,000), J Oram ($675,000), S Fleming ($350,000), P Patel ($325,000), J Sharma ($225,000), AMorkel ($675,000), S Raina ($650,000), M Ntini ($200,000), M Hussey ($350,000)
Mumbai: S Tendulkar (icon), S Jayasuriya ($975,000), H Singh ($850,000), S Pollock ($550,000), R Uthappa ($800,000), L Malinga ($350,000), D Fernando ($150,000), L Bosman ($175,000)
Bangalore: R Dravid (icon), A Kumble ($500,000), J Kallis ($900,000), Z Khan ($450,000), M Boucher ($450,000), C White ($500,000), W Jaffer ($150,000), D Steyn ($325,000), N Bracken ($325,000), S Chanderpaul ($200,000).
Hyderabad: A Gilchrist ($700,000), A Symonds ($1.35m), H Gibbs ($575,000), S Afridi ($675,000), S Styris ($175,000), VVS Laxman ($375,000), R Sharma ($750,000), C Silva ($100,000), RP Singh ($875,000), C Vaas ($200,000), N Zoysa ($110,000).
Mohali: Y Singh (icon), M Jayawardene ($475,000), K Sangakkara ($700,000), B Lee ($900,000), S S ($625,000), I Pathan ($925,000), R Powar ($170,000), P Chawla ($400,000), S Katich ($200,000), R Sarwan ($225,000).
Kolkata: S Ganguly (icon), S Akhtar ($425,000), R Ponting ($400,000), B McCullum ($700,000), C Gayle ($800,000), A Agarkar ($330,000), D Hussey ($675,000), I Sharma ($950,000), M Kartik ($425,000), U Gul ($150,000), T Taibu ($125,000).
Delhi: V Sehwag (icon), D Vettori ($625,000), S Malik ($500,000), M Asif ($650,000), AB de Villiers ($300,000), D Karthik ($525,000), F Maharoof ($225,000), T Dilshan ($250,000), M Tiwary ($675,000), G Gambhir ($725,000), Glenn McGrath ($350,000).
Dhoni and Symonds top $1m mark in IPL auction
MUMBAI: India one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australian Andrew Symonds crossed the million-dollar mark as the world's top cricketers were auctioned off for the Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Chennai bought Dhoni for $1.5 million, which was nearly four times the Indian's base price of $400,000 in the opening round of the novel sell-off held before the lucrative 44-day tournament's debut in April.
All-rounder Symonds was a close second after going for $1.35 million to the Hyderabad team. Team-mates Brett Lee was bought by Mohali for $900,000 and Ricky Ponting by Kolkata for $400,000.
Eight franchise owners, including corporate tycoons and Bollywood actors, were bidding for 77 cricketers in a pioneering process that some observers believe will change the face of the game.
"It's a landmark day. I have not seen anything like this before. It has been amazing," said IPL governing council member Inderjit Singh Bindra.
STAR PLAYERS AND THEIR PRICE TAGS
Jaipur: S Warne ($450,000), G Smith $475,000), Y Khan ($225,000), K Akmal ($150,000), Y Pathan ($475,000), M Kaif ($675,000), M Patel ($275,000), J Langer ($200,000)
Chennai: MS Dhoni ($1.5m), M Muralitharan ($600,000), M Hayden ($375,000), J Oram ($675,000), S Fleming ($350,000), P Patel ($325,000), J Sharma ($225,000), AMorkel ($675,000), S Raina ($650,000), M Ntini ($200,000), M Hussey ($350,000)
Mumbai: S Tendulkar (icon), S Jayasuriya ($975,000), H Singh ($850,000), S Pollock ($550,000), R Uthappa ($800,000), L Malinga ($350,000), D Fernando ($150,000), L Bosman ($175,000)
Bangalore: R Dravid (icon), A Kumble ($500,000), J Kallis ($900,000), Z Khan ($450,000), M Boucher ($450,000), C White ($500,000), W Jaffer ($150,000), D Steyn ($325,000), N Bracken ($325,000), S Chanderpaul ($200,000).
Hyderabad: A Gilchrist ($700,000), A Symonds ($1.35m), H Gibbs ($575,000), S Afridi ($675,000), S Styris ($175,000), VVS Laxman ($375,000), R Sharma ($750,000), C Silva ($100,000), RP Singh ($875,000), C Vaas ($200,000), N Zoysa ($110,000).
Mohali: Y Singh (icon), M Jayawardene ($475,000), K Sangakkara ($700,000), B Lee ($900,000), S S ($625,000), I Pathan ($925,000), R Powar ($170,000), P Chawla ($400,000), S Katich ($200,000), R Sarwan ($225,000).
Kolkata: S Ganguly (icon), S Akhtar ($425,000), R Ponting ($400,000), B McCullum ($700,000), C Gayle ($800,000), A Agarkar ($330,000), D Hussey ($675,000), I Sharma ($950,000), M Kartik ($425,000), U Gul ($150,000), T Taibu ($125,000).
Delhi: V Sehwag (icon), D Vettori ($625,000), S Malik ($500,000), M Asif ($650,000), AB de Villiers ($300,000), D Karthik ($525,000), F Maharoof ($225,000), T Dilshan ($250,000), M Tiwary ($675,000), G Gambhir ($725,000), Glenn McGrath ($350,000).
IPL - Indian Premier League Twenty 20 (20 20) Cricket Matches Shedule
IPL - Indian Premier League Twenty 20 (20 20) Cricket Matches Shedule
Mumbai will play host to ten matches in the April 18-June 1 Indian Premier League, which commences with the Bangalore-Kolkata match in Bangalore.
Mumbai plays seven home matches, like all other franchises, besides hosting the semi-finals (May 30 and 31) and June 1 final.
IPL's complete schedule:
April 18: Bangalore v Kolkata at Bangalore
April 19: Mohali v Chennai at Mohali and Delhi v Jaipur at Delhi
April 20: Mumbai v Bangalore at Mumbai; Kolkata v Hyderabad at Kolkata
April 21: Jaipur v Mohali at Jaipur
April 22: Hyderabad v Delhi at Hyderabad
April 23: Chennai v Mumbai at Chennai
April 24: Hyderabad v Jaipur at Hyderabad
April 25: Mohali v Mumbai at Mohali
April 26: Bangalore v Jaipur at Bangalore; Chennai v Kolkata at Chennai
April 27: Mumbai v Hyderabad at Mumbai; Mohali v Delhi at Mohali
April 28: Bangalore v Chennai at Bangalore
April 29: Kolkata v Mumbai at Kolkata
April 30: Delhi v Bangalore at Delhi.
May 1: Hyderabad v Mohali at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Kolkata at Jaipur
May 2: Chennai v Delhi at Chennai.
May 3: Hyderabad at Bangalore at Hyderabad; Mohali v Kolkata at Mohali
May 4: Mumbai v Delhi at Mumbai; Jaipur v Chennai at Jaipur
May 5: Bangalore v Mohali at Bangalore
May 6: Chennai v Hyderabad at Chennai
May 7: Mumbai v Jaipur at Mumbai
May 8: Delhi v Chennai at Delhi; Kolkata v Bangalore at Kolkata
May 9: Jaipur v Hyderabad at Jaipur
May 10: Bangalore v Mumbai at Bangalore; Chennai v Mohali at Chennai
May 11: Hyderabad v Kolkata at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Delhi at Jaipur
May 12: Mohali v Bangalore at Mohali
May 13: Kolkata v Delhi at Kolkata
May 14: Mumbai v Chennai at Mumbai; Mohali v Jaipur at Mohali
May 15: Delhi v Hyderabad at Delhi
May 16: Mumbai v Kolkata at Mumbai
May 17: Delhi v Mohali at Delhi; Jaipur v Bangalore at Jaipur
May 18: Hyderabad v Mumbai at Hyderabad; Kolkata v Chenna at Kolkata
May 19: Bangalore v Delhi at Bangalore
May 20: Kolkata v Jaipur at Kolkata
May 21: Mumbai v Mohali at Mumbai; Chennai v Bangalore at Chennai
May 22: Delhi v Kolkata at Delhi
May 23: Mohali v Hyderabad at Mohali.
May 24: Delhi v Mumbai at Delhi; Chennai v Jaipur at Chennai
May 25: Bangalore v Hyderabad at Bangalore; Kolkata v Mohali at Kolkata
May 26: Jaipur v Mumbai at Jaipur
May 27: Hyderabad v Chennai at Hyderabad
May 28 and 29: Rest days
May 30: First semi-final at Mumbai
May 31: Second semi-final at Mumbai
June 1: Final at Mumbai
Mumbai will play host to ten matches in the April 18-June 1 Indian Premier League, which commences with the Bangalore-Kolkata match in Bangalore.
Mumbai plays seven home matches, like all other franchises, besides hosting the semi-finals (May 30 and 31) and June 1 final.
IPL's complete schedule:
April 18: Bangalore v Kolkata at Bangalore
April 19: Mohali v Chennai at Mohali and Delhi v Jaipur at Delhi
April 20: Mumbai v Bangalore at Mumbai; Kolkata v Hyderabad at Kolkata
April 21: Jaipur v Mohali at Jaipur
April 22: Hyderabad v Delhi at Hyderabad
April 23: Chennai v Mumbai at Chennai
April 24: Hyderabad v Jaipur at Hyderabad
April 25: Mohali v Mumbai at Mohali
April 26: Bangalore v Jaipur at Bangalore; Chennai v Kolkata at Chennai
April 27: Mumbai v Hyderabad at Mumbai; Mohali v Delhi at Mohali
April 28: Bangalore v Chennai at Bangalore
April 29: Kolkata v Mumbai at Kolkata
April 30: Delhi v Bangalore at Delhi.
May 1: Hyderabad v Mohali at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Kolkata at Jaipur
May 2: Chennai v Delhi at Chennai.
May 3: Hyderabad at Bangalore at Hyderabad; Mohali v Kolkata at Mohali
May 4: Mumbai v Delhi at Mumbai; Jaipur v Chennai at Jaipur
May 5: Bangalore v Mohali at Bangalore
May 6: Chennai v Hyderabad at Chennai
May 7: Mumbai v Jaipur at Mumbai
May 8: Delhi v Chennai at Delhi; Kolkata v Bangalore at Kolkata
May 9: Jaipur v Hyderabad at Jaipur
May 10: Bangalore v Mumbai at Bangalore; Chennai v Mohali at Chennai
May 11: Hyderabad v Kolkata at Hyderabad; Jaipur v Delhi at Jaipur
May 12: Mohali v Bangalore at Mohali
May 13: Kolkata v Delhi at Kolkata
May 14: Mumbai v Chennai at Mumbai; Mohali v Jaipur at Mohali
May 15: Delhi v Hyderabad at Delhi
May 16: Mumbai v Kolkata at Mumbai
May 17: Delhi v Mohali at Delhi; Jaipur v Bangalore at Jaipur
May 18: Hyderabad v Mumbai at Hyderabad; Kolkata v Chenna at Kolkata
May 19: Bangalore v Delhi at Bangalore
May 20: Kolkata v Jaipur at Kolkata
May 21: Mumbai v Mohali at Mumbai; Chennai v Bangalore at Chennai
May 22: Delhi v Kolkata at Delhi
May 23: Mohali v Hyderabad at Mohali.
May 24: Delhi v Mumbai at Delhi; Chennai v Jaipur at Chennai
May 25: Bangalore v Hyderabad at Bangalore; Kolkata v Mohali at Kolkata
May 26: Jaipur v Mumbai at Jaipur
May 27: Hyderabad v Chennai at Hyderabad
May 28 and 29: Rest days
May 30: First semi-final at Mumbai
May 31: Second semi-final at Mumbai
June 1: Final at Mumbai
INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE BIDS START ROLLING!
INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE BIDS START ROLLING!
To see the second ‘Classic Moments From The Memory pitch’ article see my previous blog post today.
The big news today is regarding the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The bids for the registered players are in and the cash flow has said enough. This tournament has a huge financial attraction and the hype is just starting.
On the Australian front, thirteen of our guys were ‘sold’ in the auction’s bidding and the grand total is a staggering $ 7,392,000!
That’s right, 7 million Australian dollars!
Andrew ‘Roy’ Symonds was the highest bid as he went for A$1.47 million to Hyderabadad!
This information is how the rest of our Aussie guys, current & past players, stood in the bids:
The franchise they will be representing is stated next to their name
Andrew Symonds (Hyderabad) $1.47 million
Brett Lee (Mohali) $982,000
Adam Gilchrist (Hyderabad) $765,00
David Hussey (Kolkata) $740,000
Cameron White (Bangalore) $546,000
Shane Warne (Jaipur) $492,000
Ricky Ponting (Kolkata) $436,000
Matthew Hayden (Chennai) $409,000
Nathan Bracken (Bangalore) $354,000
Glenn McGrath (Delhi) $381,000
Michael Hussey (Chennai) $381,000
Simon Katich (Mohali) $218,000
Justin Langer (Jaipur) $218,000
Will be interesting to see what the final figures are and the team roundups!
For those of you who maybe aren’t to clear on the IPL I will give you a quick fill in:
The IPL is an Indian Twenty20 competition that will run from April 2008 till June 2008. It will feature 8 franchises featuring some of the greatest cricketers, retired and current! The players have been bid upon by each of the Franchisees to see who will outbid who and where each player will end representing.
The tournament was not recognised by the ICC (International Cricket Council) who is the governing body of all cricket events.
This tournament is seen as a ‘rebel’ tournament and many players have been threatened by their cricketing bodies should they take part in such and event. However, not getting into all the negative speculation I find this to be an attractive product.
For the players it is clearly financially VERY attractive and a chance for many of them to play alongside their cricketing heroes.
They have 44-day accomodation and in a cricketing mad nation the hype that will surround them will be a unique experience within their careers. The stakes will be high and quality Twenty20 performances will be the focus to live up to their proposed standards!
For the fans it will be so exciting so see Shane Warne, Glen McGrath and Justin Langer in action and this is another new feature of cricket we can look forward to seeing.
For the game of cricket it will increase interest and awareness into the game, the financial aspect will monitored by many and if this tournament ends with a high the players who are presently representing their country will become the spotlight to many who watched the tournament and may find their careers followed with enthusiasm! It is very good for cricket. Many may say the financial bidding is not apart of the game but one can’t deny that this is going to prove to be one of the biggest cricketing events in a very long time! The entertainment value may be at a peak we have yet to have seen!
For some more information regarding Australia’s role in it see the news page of www.cricket.com.au (Cricket Australia) or visit the IPL official website at www.indianpremierleague.com
When I gain more knowledge on the tournament and most importantly our Aussie players roles within I will keep you all informed.
To see the second ‘Classic Moments From The Memory pitch’ article see my previous blog post today.
The big news today is regarding the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The bids for the registered players are in and the cash flow has said enough. This tournament has a huge financial attraction and the hype is just starting.
On the Australian front, thirteen of our guys were ‘sold’ in the auction’s bidding and the grand total is a staggering $ 7,392,000!
That’s right, 7 million Australian dollars!
Andrew ‘Roy’ Symonds was the highest bid as he went for A$1.47 million to Hyderabadad!
This information is how the rest of our Aussie guys, current & past players, stood in the bids:
The franchise they will be representing is stated next to their name
Andrew Symonds (Hyderabad) $1.47 million
Brett Lee (Mohali) $982,000
Adam Gilchrist (Hyderabad) $765,00
David Hussey (Kolkata) $740,000
Cameron White (Bangalore) $546,000
Shane Warne (Jaipur) $492,000
Ricky Ponting (Kolkata) $436,000
Matthew Hayden (Chennai) $409,000
Nathan Bracken (Bangalore) $354,000
Glenn McGrath (Delhi) $381,000
Michael Hussey (Chennai) $381,000
Simon Katich (Mohali) $218,000
Justin Langer (Jaipur) $218,000
Will be interesting to see what the final figures are and the team roundups!
For those of you who maybe aren’t to clear on the IPL I will give you a quick fill in:
The IPL is an Indian Twenty20 competition that will run from April 2008 till June 2008. It will feature 8 franchises featuring some of the greatest cricketers, retired and current! The players have been bid upon by each of the Franchisees to see who will outbid who and where each player will end representing.
The tournament was not recognised by the ICC (International Cricket Council) who is the governing body of all cricket events.
This tournament is seen as a ‘rebel’ tournament and many players have been threatened by their cricketing bodies should they take part in such and event. However, not getting into all the negative speculation I find this to be an attractive product.
For the players it is clearly financially VERY attractive and a chance for many of them to play alongside their cricketing heroes.
They have 44-day accomodation and in a cricketing mad nation the hype that will surround them will be a unique experience within their careers. The stakes will be high and quality Twenty20 performances will be the focus to live up to their proposed standards!
For the fans it will be so exciting so see Shane Warne, Glen McGrath and Justin Langer in action and this is another new feature of cricket we can look forward to seeing.
For the game of cricket it will increase interest and awareness into the game, the financial aspect will monitored by many and if this tournament ends with a high the players who are presently representing their country will become the spotlight to many who watched the tournament and may find their careers followed with enthusiasm! It is very good for cricket. Many may say the financial bidding is not apart of the game but one can’t deny that this is going to prove to be one of the biggest cricketing events in a very long time! The entertainment value may be at a peak we have yet to have seen!
For some more information regarding Australia’s role in it see the news page of www.cricket.com.au (Cricket Australia) or visit the IPL official website at www.indianpremierleague.com
When I gain more knowledge on the tournament and most importantly our Aussie players roles within I will keep you all informed.
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