Archive for October 9th, 2007
IPL Snares More Quality Recruits
International captains Graeme Smith and Daniel Vettori are the latest recruits to the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The Twenty20 league has been set up by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), starting in April, to rival the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL).
South African internationals Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince and Albie Morkel have also signed up alongside their captain Smith.
And New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris joins his skipper Vettori, with West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pakistan’s Mohammad Yousuf, Sri Lanka seamer Chaminda Vaas and former Australia opener Justin Langer also set to play in next year’s tournament.
The new crop of players join the likes of Australian legends Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, and Sri Lankans Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya, and BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi expects more to come.
“We had made a promise to the cricket-loving masses of India for some truly international class high-octane action through the Twenty20 format in the IPL,” Modi said.
“It is in line with this promise and philosophy that we have signed some of the best cricketing talent on display internationally, including over five players that have captained their respective countries.
“We are in talks with some very promising talent and should shortly be making further announcements.”
Each of the eight teams in the IPL can include four internationals alongside domestic players and local youngsters.
The top two sides will then qualify for the international Champions Twenty20 League, which will take place in October next year.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Still no clarity on Indian cricket league
Cricket South Africa (CSA) will not stand in the way of contracted players who are approached to play in the newly formed Indian Premier League (IPL), provided that this does not clash with their commitments to the Proteas Test squad or the one-day international squad.
“The Premier League is an initiative of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and as such is recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and consequently by CSA,” said CSA chief executive Gerald Majola.
“Many of our players have been approached to play in this competition, and they will do so with our support and sanction, provided they make an official approach to CSA in this regard,” he continued.
“Obviously, their first commitment is to CSA and to its international commitments in terms of the Future Tours programme. The Proteas team management, coaches and selectors will also have to be happy that participation in the IPL does not prevent them getting adequate rest and rehabilitation periods between international commitments.”
However, there is still no final clarity on the position of players who have signed up for the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL), which has attracted such luminaries as Brian Lara of the West Indies and Shane Warne of Australia.
The ICL was supposed to be played in India in November, but has not won the approval of the BCCI.
Majola has said that anyone who joined the ICL would not be allowed to play in matches organised by CSA.
Five South Africans — Andrew Hall, Nicky Boje, Lance Klusener, Loots Bosman and Johan van der Wath — have signed up for the ICL.
Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricketers’ Association (Saca), said that as matters stood at present, these players would not be allowed to play cricket in South Africa.
“I have taken the matter up with Cricket South Africa,” he said.
“The four franchise players — Boje, Bosman and Van der Wath of the Eagles and Klusener of the Dolphins — have all been left out of their franchise teams for the Supersport Series matches this weekend.
“At present, they are not able to play cricket, which is the way they earn their living.
“Saca and CSA are holding talks on the matter, and I hope the matter will be clarified soon.”
Andrew Hall is still on a national contract, but has advised convenor of selectors Joubert Strydom that he does not want to be considered for selection.
Meanwhile, Supercricket reports that Proteas captain Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince and rising star Albie Morkel are among 10 international players who have signed up for the inaugural IPL Twenty20 competition, scheduled to be played next year.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Five South African cricketers sign up for Indian board’s league
MUMBAI (Reuters) – Skipper Graeme Smith and four other South Africans are among 10 current internationals to have signed up for the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played next year, organisers said on Tuesday.
Building on the national team’s Twenty20 World Cup triumph, the Indian cricket board is to launch its own multi-million dollar professional Twenty20 league, the IPL.
It will counter a rival Twenty20 league which has attracted a number of big names but has come under pressure after the board refused to give it approval.
Batsmen Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers and Ashwell Prince and rising all-rounder Albie Morkel are the other South African cricketers to sign up along with New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori and all-rounder Scott Styris.
Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who was linked to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) earlier, West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sri Lankan paceman Chaminda Vaas and retired Australian batsman Justin Langer have also signed up.
The Indian board said last month the league would be played in April next year with $3 million in prize money and eight teams to be bought by franchisees.
Each franchise would have a playing squad of sixteen comprising BCCI registered players drawn from a central pool of Indian players and designated players, who could be contracted players from the Indian national team or the overseas pool.
National boards also jointly announced a Champions Twenty20 league from next year offering $5 million in prize money and featuring two finalists each from leagues in India, Australia, South Africa and England.
Eight Sri Lankans, including skipper Mahela Jayawardene and off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, had signed up earlier.
Retired Australian stalwarts Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne have opted for the official Indian version which will also feature New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming and India’s Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Anil Kumble.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )‘Dhoni has shown a lot of maturity’
Those who saw Pravin Kalyan Amre’s brilliant 103 on Test debut against the likes of Allan Donald, Brett Schultz, Brian McMillan and Meyrick Pringle at Kingsmead in Durban in November 1992 still vouch for his guts and gumption, and ability to play fiery pace bowlers with aplomb.
He was a supremely gifted batsman in his own right. He began well and impressed for a while, but gradually failed to live up to the early promise.
Of course, there were certain factors for it. He did not have a fixed position in the batting order and usually came lower down, which did not leave him too many overs to play big innings. As if that was not enough, he had often to sacrifice his wicket, particularly in One-Day Internationals, in order to score quick runs in the few overs that were left when he came in to bat. After being persistently overlooked by the selectors, he eventually called it a day.
In the following interview with Haresh Pandya, whom he once famously told that he did not have a godfather and that was the reason why he was taken for granted by the selectors, the former Mumbai batsman-turned-coach expresses his views on India’s triumph in the Twenty20 World Cup and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy, among other things.
What impact will the triumph in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa have on Indian cricket?
The impact of any World Cup win could be mind-boggling. I can say from my own experience that I decided to become a cricketer only after I saw Kapil Dev [Images] with the World Cup trophy that India won in 1983. I was only 14 then and I made up my mind to play for my country one day. The 1983 World Cup victory had a huge impact on the budding cricketers of the country. By the same token, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team’s success in the Twenty20 World Championship will herald a new era in Indian cricket. It will definitely help Indian cricket in many ways. There is no dearth of promising players in the country and I am sure many talented, tough and competitive cricketers will emerge in the near future thanks to the impact of the Twenty20 World Championship success.
’20-20 team is the future of Indian cricket’
What if India had not won the Twenty20 World Championship? After all, it was such a close thing in the end, wasn’t it?
So what? The important thing is that we won. And victory in the World Cup, by whatever margin, means a lot. I think we deserved to win. We produced good cricket, we played competitive cricket and that is why the result was in our favour. Considering our team’s poor performance in the World Cup in the West Indies [Images] earlier this year, I think the win in the Twenty20 World Championship must taste sweeter. This is the best thing that could have happened to Indian cricket in the present scenario, just like our win in the World Cup in 1983 keeping in mind the circumstances then, all things considered.
‘Passion, not aggression, drives me’
Maybe it is a bit too early to say, but do you feel some of the youngsters who performed brilliantly in South Africa should form the nucleus of Team India for the quadrennial World Cup on the subcontinent in 2011?
Yes, of course. They are very young and it will be good investment to encourage them in every possible way. Age is definitely with them and they have got tremendous potential. We have to groom them properly. We have to take proper care of these exciting talents. The ongoing one-day series against Australia is a very tough one. We should not be in a hurry to judge them on the basis of how they perform against the world champion Australians. We have to give them enough time to settle down and blossom. We must show faith in their abilities. We have to keep reminding ourselves that these youngsters are winners.
Who are the ones who have impressed you the most?
We have many talented players who are actual performers, too. Piyush Chawla was very impressive with the ball in England [Images]. Dinesh Karthik played very well as a batsman. Robin Uthappa played well in England and South Africa. Rohit Sharma batted so well when it really mattered in South Africa. It is a very good sign that there will be very tough competition among these and many other talented players. It is an embarrassment-of-riches scenario of sorts.
Dhoni: India’s captain cool
How do you rate Dhoni as a captain?
He was outstanding in South Africa. He led from the front and always seemed to motivate his players. For one so young, he has shown a lot of maturity. I think that besides the collective effort of our players, Dhoni’s intelligent captaincy went a long way towards India winning the Twenty20 World Cup. He played a major role as a captain right through the competition. He has it in him to be a great captain.
He has been elevated to the captaincy of India’s one-day squad now. Considering the fact that Dhoni is a regular member of Team India, don’t you think he should be appointed to lead the country in Test cricket as well?
I think we have to go step by step. Dhoni was perfectly suited to the Twenty20 variety. With the success has come a reward in the form of captaincy of India’s one-day side. And he fully deserves it. But I think we should give him some time before giving him the Test captaincy also. As I said earlier, we should groom these youngsters with care. He should be gradually appointed Test captain as well. So much responsibility all of a sudden should not prove to be a burden on him.
What are your comments on Rahul Dravid’s decision to step down as captain of Team India?
Well, it was his personal decision and we should not read too much into it. As he said, he was not enjoying the captaincy. And this is very important. Ultimately you should enjoy your cricket, whether you are playing your first Test or hundredth.
Don’t you think it is high time the BCCI appoints a full-time coach for Team India?
The BCCI is in the process of appointing one. They have already advertised for the same. And many people have sent in their applications. So I think it will not be too long before Team India has a full-time coach once again.
Are you one of the applicants?
No, I have not applied. Right now I have been coaching the Ranji Trophy team of Mumbai. I had not applied even for the Mumbai side. But the Mumbai Cricket Association authorities wanted me. So I accepted the offer and I am happy coaching the Mumbai team.
You are still quite young and fit as a fiddle. Given your experience as an international player, aren’t you keen on becoming the coach of Team India? If the BCCI offers you to coach Team India, will you accept it?
Of course, I will. Who will say no? It is always a great feeling to represent your country, whether as a player or as a coach. Nobody can deny this. But I personally believe that just like you have to earn the Indian cap as a player, you have to earn your country’s cap as a coach, too, on the basis of your talent and performance.
Who are you in favour of, an Indian coach or a foreigner?
Whoever is best for Team India is very important regardless of his nationality.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )ESPN Star seeks new innings with BCCI
As the Indian cricket team defeated Australia by eight runs on Monday evening, Manu Sawhney wasn’t watching his competitor network but was strategizing how he might replace it.
Sawhney, former chief of the Indian operations, was in town for the first time since being named ESPN Star Sports’ managing director last month.
With ESPN Star Sports’ competitor Neo Sports having rights to all cricket played in India and organized by the local cricket board, Sawhney said he planned to appeal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to consider ESPN a partner as it rides the return of the euphoria surrounding the game.
He said the upcoming Indian Premier League represents the perfect opportunity. “For any sport to develop one has to nurture it,” he said. “BCCI should tie up with ESPN sports to be successful. We have brand equity. People recognize us.”
Sawhney cited ESPN’s success in nurturing the Premier Hockey League and said future relationships between cricket leagues and bodies with broadcasters should be modelled on relationships between broadcasters and leagues such as the US’ National Basketball Association and National Football League.
Sawhney joined ESPN Star Sports in 1996 as marketing manager and was promoted to managing director of ESPN Software India Pvt. Ltd in 1999. He moved to the network’s headquarters in Singapore in 2003 as senior vice-president of programming and event management, and was promoted to executive vice-president of programming and marketing in 2005.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Nimbus bags T20 rights for 60% of ODI fees
MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Nimbus have struck an agreement under which the latter will have the broadcast rights for all international Twenty20 matches to be played in India.
“We have struck a separate deal with Nimbus to broadcast the international Twenty20 matches hosted by BCCI. Considering the T20 matches are very limited, it interested no other broadcaster,” BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi told ET.
BCCI sources said that while there was no rights fee per se for these matches, two parties agreed upon the financial terms and conditions after several rounds of discussions.
They also agreed to amend Nimbus’ contract. It must be noted that the original tender for the BCCI rights, which Nimbus bagged in 2005 for $612 million, did not include the T20 format. The $612-million deal only included international Test and ODI matches apart from domestic cricket.
A top BCCI source said that Nimbus would pay BCCI about 50-60% of an ODI fee per match. While ODI fees differ from series to series, a ballpark of what Nimbus pays the Board of Control for Cricket in India per match falls in the range of about Rs 25 -30 crore.
A Nimbus spokesperson confirmed that all T20 international matches staged by the BCCI were part of the rights granted to Nimbus but declined to furnish any details.
BCCI is still in the process of scheduling Twenty20 matches. However, the number of international T20 games that can be played at home are very limited. International Cricket Council also wants to safeguard the 50-over game, which after T20, seems to have lost its flavour amongst audiences.
Meanwhile, the government of India issued a notification declaring all official One-Day and Twenty20 matches played by Team India as of “high public interest” for which the private broadcasters would have to share the feed with Prasar Bharti.
Meanwhile, Nimbus has objected to the BCCI going in for a bid for its home league — Indian Premier League (IPL) — rights, and has told the cricket board that this in turn would materially affect its contract with BCCI.
Nimbus has asked for a 20% reduction in the licence fee, which accounts for the domestic component of the entire $612-million deal. Nimbus has asked for a $120-million reduction.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )CSA backs Indian Premier League
Cricket South Africa (CSA) will not stand in the way of its contracted players who are approached to play in the newly formed Indian Premier League provided it does not clash with their commitments to the Castle Proteas Test squad as well as the Standard Bank ODI squad.This was made clear on Monday in a statement from Johannesburg by CSA CEO Gerald Majola. “The Premier League is an initiative of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and as such is recognized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and consequently by CSA.
“Many of our leading players have been approached to play in this competition and they will do so with our support and sanction provided they make an official approach to CSA in this regard.
“Obviously, their first commitment is to Cricket South Africa and to its international commitments in terms of the Future Tours programme. The Proteas team management, coaches and selectors will also have to be happy that participation in the premier league does not prevent them from getting adequate rest and rehabilitation periods between international commitments,” Mr Majola concluded.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )
Indian Cricket League News 