Former India captain Ajit Wadekar on Sunday asked BCCI to recognise the Indian Cricket League saying it had broadbased the talent in the country.
"ICL authorities are not getting into the Board's affairs but have helped broadbase the talent in the country. Both BCCI and ICL should co-exist in the interest of the game," said Wadekar, here to witness the final of the Essel Group's inaugural domestic one-day tournament final.
He said young players on the ICL rolls have benefited both career-wise and financially and have had the experience of playing alongside players like Brian Lara.
"It will make a lot of difference to these youngsters if they get to play for the country in matches recognised by BCCI," he said.
Meanwhile, former Chairman of the National Selection Committee Kiran More said "ICL's application for recognition is pending with the BCCI and they have not responded as of yet."
"This is the second ICL tournament held according to our schedule and the players have gained the right exposure from these tournaments," More said.
Source : http://www.hindu.com/
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Honourable Shane Bond has my sympathy - Mike Atherton
How galling for New Zealand's coach, John Bracewell, as England's Twenty20 performances highlighted the gulf in talent between the two teams, that the best pace bowler on either side, Shane Bond, should be considering penning an English county contract instead of pinning English batsmen to the crease.It is unlikely that Bond's presence alone would have bridged such a chasm of class during the first week of the tour, but New Zealand, with its tiny population and even smaller pool of good cricketers, can ill afford to lose such talent.
Having signed up for the Indian Cricket League, New Zealand decided that Bond could serve one master only, and, after months of protracted negotiations, they terminated his contract. Bond, now, will see out his days playing in a cricketing circus in northern India for part of the year, and domestically in New Zealand and England for the rest. Financially he will be better off; international cricket is the poorer. Quick bowlers are a rare commodity.
Bond himself has had no complaint publicly with New Zealand Cricket's decision, only with the subsequent public perception that somehow he has let down his country, that he has put money before honour. Last week he had this to say: "Some people are always going to think that you're a traitor and I can live with that.
"I find it strange, though, that in any other job people accept that you try to improve your circumstances and get in a better position for your family but it's almost like you're not supposed to do that in sport."
My sympathies lie with the player. Bond has, on a number of previous occasions, turned down lucrative offers to get in the best possible shape to play for New Zealand.
After an injury-plagued career, during which he has missed twice as many matches as he has played, he has probably come to the conclusion that his time as an international is limited and rather than return to the beat empty-handed (Bond was a policeman before) it was time to put the interests of his family first.
Moreover, he has acted honourably, upholding a contract he had signed in good faith. Compare his behaviour with that of the Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf. Yousuf turned his back on Pakistan and signed initially with the ICL; realised then that he had goofed because the Indian Premier League came along and offered more money; professed his love of his country as he tore up his ICL contract, before signing for the IPL. Only one of these players has been banned from playing for their country, but only one has acted with any honour.
My sympathies with Bond, though, extend beyond any empathy with his family's requirements. Ultimately, his dispute with New Zealand cricket is not so much about contractual obligations as the complete failure of New Zealand Cricket, and other countries, to stand up to the power and financial clout of Indian cricket.
When Bond signed with the ICL initially he went to New Zealand Cricket to ascertain whether he would be allowed to play in the ICL when international duties permitted. My understanding is that his employers were happy for him to do so, something they confirmed verbally and in writing. This was, of course, before the IPL emerged. Subsequently, the Indian board persuaded the governing bodies of world cricket to sanction the IPL as the 'official' Twenty20 competition as a way of putting the skids under the ICL.
Nobody is prepared to upset India for fear of losing out on valuable television revenues; the ICL, therefore, quickly accrued pariah status. It is not Bond who has back-tracked but his employers.
England have been just as craven as New Zealand. This week Geoff Miller, out here in his guise as England's new national selector, was asked whether his selection panel would consider those England cricketers - Darren Maddy, Vikram Solanki, Paul Nixon and Chris Read - who have signed for the ICL.
Miller was careful not to say that any official position had been taken - to do so would invite legal action - but reading between the lines it is clear that the 'ICL four' have rebel status. Implicit in Miller's remarks was a threat to any other English player considering his options.
Practically, a problem is unlikely to arise as Miller, James Whitaker and Ashley Giles sit down with Peter Moores and his captains to select England's summer teams. Those ICL players who have signed up have either had their time or are, at best, fringe alternatives. Following the successes of England's one-day team in the first week of this New Zealand tour, and the progress of Messrs Mustard and Wright, the chances of a recall receded even further.
Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Board’s double standards ruining Pakistan cricket, says Shoaib Akhtar
Pakistan’s controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said that the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) double standards are ruining the sport in the country. Talking to reporters after attending a practice session at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) here on Friday, Akhtar, who has played 46 Tests and 138 one-day internationals, said he was unable to understand the board’s ‘inconsistent policies’. “I was made a scapegoat after Pakistan lost the Test and ODI series in India. I bowled my heart out with 17 overs during the Bangalore Test just to hear that I was unfit and now, suddenly, the PCB considers me fit enough to lead a team in the Pentangular Cup,” he added.Akhtar, who has taken 178 Test and 219 ODI wickets, said he agreed with former captain Imran Khan that he (Akhtar) was made a scapegoat for the series loss in India and dropped from the team for the Zimbabwe series. Imran had remarked that Akhtar was dropped as a ‘scapegoat’ for the team’s series loss to India. Akhtar said that he had played international cricket even with 102 temperature because playing for Pakistan was the only preference for him. “I wanted to play the ODI series against Zimbabwe for getting match practice but was dropped from the team on the flimsy pretext that I was unfit.” The 32-year-old fast bowler, nicknamed the ‘Rawalpindi Express,’ was also criticised for his off-field activities on the tour of India, where Pakistan lost the one-day series 3-2 and Tests 1-0.
Akhtar said he was honoured to lead the Federal team. “I will prove my fitness with long and accurate spells during the Pentangular Cup.” He said he would also invite the PCB officials, who were always sitting in their luxurious offices, to see his fitness level. He said he does not need any central contract for representing Pakistan in cricket world and he would not sign any retainership. “Central contracts are not an issue because I play for my country and not for money. I will not accept retainership.” Without naming anyone, Akhtar said it was strange that a cricketer who had not played international cricket for the last three months was put in the category A. “It is all double standards,” he said.
According to critics, the PCB’s new central contracts might sow seeds of dissent among players in the national team. The board awarded enhanced and revised one-year central contracts to 15 players earlier this month excluding fast bowler Akhtar and some other senior players while upgrading junior players into top categories. The categorisation of the cricketers in the new contracts – for example senior leg spinner Danish Kaneria being bracketed with Fawad Alam who has played just three one-dayers in Category C – has raised eyebrows in cricketing circles in the country. It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan cricket has always been sensitive over seniority issues.
There are also reports in the media that Akhtar could dump the BCCI-backed Indian Premier League (IPL) to sign up for the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) as his relations with the PCB continue to deteriorate by the day. Sources close to Akhtar say that the speedster has only signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the IPL, which is backed by the PCB as well. And since he is unhappy with the treatment being meted out to him, he is now considering taking on the board by signing up for the ICL.
Akhtar also showed interest in signing on for an Indian film, raising doubts over his cricket future. Akhtar, however, denied he was leaving the sport to join Bollywood. “I want to play cricket and just showing a little interest in films doesn’t mean I am leaving the game. I want to play against Australia. I am making full preparations for the series against Australians as it is not an easy series,” he opined. Akhtar said doing well against Australia would be a motivation. “Australia are world number one team and the way Indians have done well against them, I am sure that we can also do well against them.” Pakistan hosts Australia in March-April this year. Regarding acting in movies, Akhtar said that he had five to six offers of acting in films but he would not sign any film. “I would do films after retirement from cricket,” he concluded.
Source : http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/
Monday, February 4, 2008
Cricket goes to Bollywood
The Board of Control for Cricket in India has become one of the richest sports bodies in the world, its annual income exceeding the turnover of a large number of private companies.
IT IS raining money on Indian cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, the governing body of the game, will rake in over 50 billion rupees (RM4.1bil) over the next three years from the domestic Twenty20 cricket league alone.
The rights to regional teams for the Indian Premier League (IPL) were recently auctioned to a group of industrialists and film stars.
A brand new version of the “pyjama cricket”, the IPL will also enrich cricket stars beyond their wildest dreams with remuneration of each Indian and foreign player running into seven to eight figures for a 44-day-long championship.
The country’s richest industrialist, Mukesh Ambani of the Reliance Group of Industries; the reigning Khan of Bollywood, Shah Rukh; and top liquor manufacturer Vijay Mallya were among the successful bidders for regional IPL franchises.
Ambani bid the highest amount of 4.41 billion rupees (RM364mil) for Mumbai. Mallya got hometown Bangalore for 4.4 billion rupees (RM363mil), and Shah Rukh with former actress Juhi Chawla bagged Calcutta for 2.96 billion rupees (RM244mil).
There was another Bollywood winner in actress Preity Zinta who with industrialist boyfriend Ness Wadia won Mohali (Punjab) for three billion rupees (RM248mil). Chennai went to a cement manufacturer, while Hyderabad was bagged by a local newspaper group. A construction company won the right to the Delhi team.
Beginning April 18, eight teams will compete for the IPL trophy and a cash prize of more than 160 million rupees (RM13.2mil). Each team will play 14 matches, seven at home and seven away.
To be played under floodlights in eight cities across the country over 44 days, the IPL aims to inject the razzmatazz and pomp and ceremony associated with American basketball and football.
The off-the-field entertainment quotient will be high in order to attract spectators and to engage television audiences.
Each franchisee will have to buy players, domestic and foreign, and invest in coaches, managers, ground staff, promotion, hiring of the stadiums, security and so on.
Each team can hire up to four foreign players. But icon stars associated with cities will have to play for their local teams.
For instance, Sachin Tendulkar will play for Ambani’s Mumbai while Saurav Ganguly will do duty for Shah Rukh Khan’s Calcutta and Rahul Dravid for Mallya’s Bangalore.
Besides, the franchisee will have to pay a minimum wage of two million rupees (RM165,000) to each player in the 16-man squad per season, though in reality the cost could be much higher due to the bidding for star players.
The auctions for players are being held this month. However, the top players bound to play on their home grounds would not be auctioned, but their price will be fixed at 15% higher than the most expensive player in the auction.
The BCCI will share a part of the revenue from television rights, merchandise, gate money and promotional/sponsorship receipts with the franchisees.
More than 70 foreign players have already signed up, among them Australian ace fast bowler Brett Lee and a number of top players from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and so on.
The legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, who retired this year, is also set to play in the IPL, with the bidding for him starting at more than 30 million rupees (RM2.5mil).
The injection of private capital into cricket was a decision forced on the BCCI. The placid nabobs of Indian cricket, quite content with the upturn in its fortunes due to the rise of the ball-to-ball television commentary on private channels, were jolted out of their complacency by an ambitious businessman.
Subhash Chandra Goel of Zee Television networks took everyone by surprise when he announced the launch of the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Goel hired former Indian captain Kapil Dev as his pointsman and undertook an aggressive campaign to buy foreign and Indian players. Several greats of yesteryears from home and abroad were signed up.
Finding its monopoly over the game challenged, the BCCI lost no time in declaring Goel’s ICL illegal.
It also threatened to blacklist any player associated with the ICL. Further, it denied the ICL the use of cricket grounds for holding matches.
To effectively counter the ICL, the BCCI soon came up with the Twenty20 league, and did one better by deciding to auction regional franchises to the highest bidders.
Given the immense popularity of the game and the social cache attached to owning a team of star-players, billionaire industrialists, newspaper magnates and film stars entered the fray.
The successful bidders now own the regional IPL franchise for the next 10 years and they will pay one-tenth of the bidding amount each year over the next decade.
Following the IPL auction, the BCCI has become one of the richest sports bodies in the world. Its annual income now exceeds the turnover of a large number of private companies.
Corporate cricket being all about money, each season IPL teams collectively would have to generate a minimum revenue of seven trillion rupees (RM578bil) for their owners to recoup the expenses – though there are those who believe that the Ambanis and the Mallyas have bought themselves showpieces, and they couldn’t really bother about the money.
Meanwhile, connoisseurs of the game complain that the IPL will lead to further commercialisation of cricket. They were already chafing at the Twenty20 format and now the auctioning of players has hurt their sensibilities.
“Cricketers have now become mercenaries,” lamented a former national player.
On the converse, many feel that money could play a salutary role in improving the quality of cricket.
“If privately-owned football clubs in England can provide first-rate national players, why not an Ambani-owned team with the best professional aides churning out world-beaters in cricket?” argued a sports writer.
Better coaching facilities and better monetary incentives could help nurture cricket talent. The IPL would lead to professionalisation of Indian cricket and help discover and hone local talent.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/
IT IS raining money on Indian cricket. The Board of Control for Cricket in India, the governing body of the game, will rake in over 50 billion rupees (RM4.1bil) over the next three years from the domestic Twenty20 cricket league alone.
The rights to regional teams for the Indian Premier League (IPL) were recently auctioned to a group of industrialists and film stars.
A brand new version of the “pyjama cricket”, the IPL will also enrich cricket stars beyond their wildest dreams with remuneration of each Indian and foreign player running into seven to eight figures for a 44-day-long championship.
The country’s richest industrialist, Mukesh Ambani of the Reliance Group of Industries; the reigning Khan of Bollywood, Shah Rukh; and top liquor manufacturer Vijay Mallya were among the successful bidders for regional IPL franchises.
Ambani bid the highest amount of 4.41 billion rupees (RM364mil) for Mumbai. Mallya got hometown Bangalore for 4.4 billion rupees (RM363mil), and Shah Rukh with former actress Juhi Chawla bagged Calcutta for 2.96 billion rupees (RM244mil).
There was another Bollywood winner in actress Preity Zinta who with industrialist boyfriend Ness Wadia won Mohali (Punjab) for three billion rupees (RM248mil). Chennai went to a cement manufacturer, while Hyderabad was bagged by a local newspaper group. A construction company won the right to the Delhi team.
Beginning April 18, eight teams will compete for the IPL trophy and a cash prize of more than 160 million rupees (RM13.2mil). Each team will play 14 matches, seven at home and seven away.
To be played under floodlights in eight cities across the country over 44 days, the IPL aims to inject the razzmatazz and pomp and ceremony associated with American basketball and football.
The off-the-field entertainment quotient will be high in order to attract spectators and to engage television audiences.
Each franchisee will have to buy players, domestic and foreign, and invest in coaches, managers, ground staff, promotion, hiring of the stadiums, security and so on.
Each team can hire up to four foreign players. But icon stars associated with cities will have to play for their local teams.
For instance, Sachin Tendulkar will play for Ambani’s Mumbai while Saurav Ganguly will do duty for Shah Rukh Khan’s Calcutta and Rahul Dravid for Mallya’s Bangalore.
Besides, the franchisee will have to pay a minimum wage of two million rupees (RM165,000) to each player in the 16-man squad per season, though in reality the cost could be much higher due to the bidding for star players.
The auctions for players are being held this month. However, the top players bound to play on their home grounds would not be auctioned, but their price will be fixed at 15% higher than the most expensive player in the auction.
The BCCI will share a part of the revenue from television rights, merchandise, gate money and promotional/sponsorship receipts with the franchisees.
More than 70 foreign players have already signed up, among them Australian ace fast bowler Brett Lee and a number of top players from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa and so on.
The legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, who retired this year, is also set to play in the IPL, with the bidding for him starting at more than 30 million rupees (RM2.5mil).
The injection of private capital into cricket was a decision forced on the BCCI. The placid nabobs of Indian cricket, quite content with the upturn in its fortunes due to the rise of the ball-to-ball television commentary on private channels, were jolted out of their complacency by an ambitious businessman.
Subhash Chandra Goel of Zee Television networks took everyone by surprise when he announced the launch of the rival Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Goel hired former Indian captain Kapil Dev as his pointsman and undertook an aggressive campaign to buy foreign and Indian players. Several greats of yesteryears from home and abroad were signed up.
Finding its monopoly over the game challenged, the BCCI lost no time in declaring Goel’s ICL illegal.
It also threatened to blacklist any player associated with the ICL. Further, it denied the ICL the use of cricket grounds for holding matches.
To effectively counter the ICL, the BCCI soon came up with the Twenty20 league, and did one better by deciding to auction regional franchises to the highest bidders.
Given the immense popularity of the game and the social cache attached to owning a team of star-players, billionaire industrialists, newspaper magnates and film stars entered the fray.
The successful bidders now own the regional IPL franchise for the next 10 years and they will pay one-tenth of the bidding amount each year over the next decade.
Following the IPL auction, the BCCI has become one of the richest sports bodies in the world. Its annual income now exceeds the turnover of a large number of private companies.
Corporate cricket being all about money, each season IPL teams collectively would have to generate a minimum revenue of seven trillion rupees (RM578bil) for their owners to recoup the expenses – though there are those who believe that the Ambanis and the Mallyas have bought themselves showpieces, and they couldn’t really bother about the money.
Meanwhile, connoisseurs of the game complain that the IPL will lead to further commercialisation of cricket. They were already chafing at the Twenty20 format and now the auctioning of players has hurt their sensibilities.
“Cricketers have now become mercenaries,” lamented a former national player.
On the converse, many feel that money could play a salutary role in improving the quality of cricket.
“If privately-owned football clubs in England can provide first-rate national players, why not an Ambani-owned team with the best professional aides churning out world-beaters in cricket?” argued a sports writer.
Better coaching facilities and better monetary incentives could help nurture cricket talent. The IPL would lead to professionalisation of Indian cricket and help discover and hone local talent.
Source : http://thestar.com.my/
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