IPL franchisees' ego harming the game of cricket
Apart from clashes between the competing teams, the IPL has also witnessed franchisees' king sized egos. The free hand given to franchisees has put cricket on the back-burner. There is a need to fix the problem before it gets out of hand
THE BOARD of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) conceptualised the Indian Premier League (IPL), brought in big bucks, mega deals and high profile ego centric franchisees, who were given a free hand to run cricket with proper checks and balances. The cracks are now developing and unless the BCCI nips the problem in the bud, the future of the IPL seems in danger.
I guess too much importance was given to entertainment and celebrity franchisees and this put cricket and the players on the back-burner. This, in my personal opinion, was a catastrophic mistake as it belittled the cricketers and the core fan base. The BCCI claimed that it was the domestic Indian talent that would be the biggest benefactor of the IPL. But their actions and communication have suggested otherwise. It has highlighted big-bucks, star player assortments and over enthusiastic franchisees, who were made to feel as the new messiahs of Indian cricket.
How else could you explain the fact that at the half way stage Shahrukh Khan, under the after effects of his Chak De image, emerged as the poster boy of the IPL? The significance of the blunder was evident in the fact that the IPL was inclusive of cricket icons like Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid.
In their over zealous enthusiasm, the franchisees - under the ill advice of their entertainment brief - started destroying the sanctity of the game by trespassing dressing room etiquettes, player dugouts and probably team compositions ( how else can one explain the packing-off of domestic players as a cost-cutting measure).
I guess the biggest culprit in this whole episode, which was avoidable, has been the BCCI. As patrons of the game and principle employers of the Indian cricketers, they should have imparted their experience of running a sporting product to their enthusiastic franchisees rather than giving them a free hand. Especially the handling of players and cricket related issues. It's time the BCCI steps in and briefs the franchisees on their roles.
Some dos and don'ts for the franchisees:
Stay away from cricketing issues. The winning and losing of a side is beyond the preview of the franchisees. The franchisee should only concentrate on promoting the regional identification of the team, stadium audience and endorsement and merchandise deals. I guess, they should feel privileged in handling a product, which enjoys unparalleled brand equity. Irrespective of the results of their performance, a Tendulkar, a Ganguly, a Dravid or a Yuvraj will guarantee you publicity and eyeballs. Winning or losing is a part of the game. It's only the ego of pompous franchisees, like Vijay Mallya's, that has instigated them to make unwarranted statements against some of the biggest names in the sport.
Maintain sanctity: Shahrukh Khan, as the self proclaimed ambassador of entertainment with the Kolkata Knight Riders, has been crossing the line very often, smoking in the stadium, trespassing team meetings, crossing the boundary line. This is just not cricket. It was just a matter of time before those associated with cricket took notice of this blatant trespass and they have rightly cautioned him.
I guess that Khan got the best answer in Mumbai when his act of upstaging the biggest icon of world cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, was met with a vociferous booing from the traditionally rich, cricket fanatic Mumbai public. I guess this is the best reminder to the Chak De star that his reel image of the hockey icon should be restricted to the 70-mm screen. He should take the backseat and let the likes of Ganguly and Dhinda remain in the forefront of the Knight Riders' campaign.
(c) Merinews
'One in 10' play cricket at school
Competitive cricket has become a minority interest in state schools, research has found.
Only one in 10 children plays cricket at school, according to a poll of parents.
But parents said pupils who played competitive sport gained in confidence, while they felt professional cricketers made far better role models than football stars.
The YouGov research came a week before the first Test match of the summer between England and New Zealand and two weeks ahead of National Cricket Day in schools on May 20.
Nick Gandon, director of the Cricket Foundation, which commissioned the study, said: "The YouGov survey is a reminder of what exactly cricket can uniquely offer, but also how much more needs to be done."
In the poll of nearly 1,000 parents, just 9% said their children received coaching or were part of school cricket teams.
More than half - 53% - of parents of state school pupils believed sporting activities had an impact on children's academic work.
And 90% thought playing cricket and other competitive sports boosted children's confidence and helped them develop life-skills such as team-work, discipline and resilience.
But 84% of parents said their child did not receive cricket coaching or play in a school team.
On Tuesday May 20, hundreds of state primary and secondary schools in England and Wales will hold a day of cricket-related activities to mark the third anniversary of Chance to Shine - the campaign to educate school children through competitive cricket.
(c) 2008 The Press Association
Tribunal rejects Shoaib appeal on ban
KARACHI (Reuters) - A tribunal rejected fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar's appeal on Wednesday against the five-year ban imposed on him by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Justice Aftab Farrukh, head of the three-member tribunal, told reporters the suspension would remain in place under an interim order until a new hearing was held in June.
"Shoaib could play anywhere else in the world but not in or for Pakistan domestically or internationally," said Farrukh.
The 32-year-old Shoaib was banned earlier this month for repeated disciplinary violations, the most recent being his criticism of board policies when the new central contracts were announced in January.
Tafazzul Rizvi, the PCB's legal counsel at the hearing, said the tribunal had offered some respite for Shoaib.
"They have provided him relief by allowing him to play anywhere else outside Pakistan," Rizvi told Reuters.
He added the PCB did not want to prevent Shoaib earning his living elsewhere, opening up the possibility of the fast bowler joining the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).
"If someone asks us we will make it clear we have no objections," added Rizvi.
"How he (Shoaib) behaves in future is up to him. He has apologised to the tribunal, not to the board."
The paceman made an unconditional apology to the tribunal on Monday and pledged to mend his ways.
Farrukh, though, was critical of Shoaib's past conduct.
"We feel he has not tried to reform himself in the past and repeatedly violated discipline," said Farrukh.
"He has caused problems for the board and to his team mates and not lived up to the expectations of the nation."
(c) Thomson Reuters 2008
Pink cricket ball trial succeeds
The pink cricket ball experiment went without obvious hitch at Lord's yesterday but it is the proscription of chuckers and superbats that the MCC are really out to nail with the research and development programme they are undertaking with Imperial College, London.
Chucking is arguably the most emotive issue in cricket and one many feel has not been properly addressed by the International Cricket Council.
Instead of supporting umpires who wanted to uphold the old law by calling no-ball against bowlers they suspected of bending their elbows beyond acceptable limits (as Darrell Hair once did with Muttiah Muralitharan), the ICC simply increased the angle of tolerance to 15 degrees.
Through their work with Imperial College, MCC are hoping to produce a technology that can be worn by bowlers in matches without impinging on their action. John Stephenson, MCC's head of cricket and yesterday's captain in the pink ball trial against Scotland, is hoping that enough data can be collected in time for the general rewrite of the Laws in three years' time.
"Instead of banning suspected bowlers or sending them away for remedial action, they put these sensors on and play," said Stephenson at Lord's yesterday. "Then we come back to the true definition of the law which allows umpires to call bowlers when they infringe."
If that technology is some way from being perfected, and accepted, Law 6, which defines the bat, has already been redrafted with special detail regarding the handle, which must be composed solely of cane, rubber and adhesive. With modern bats seemingly hitting the ball ever further, limits need to be applied, and the rewrite needs only the MCC members' consent on May 7 to be passed.
"There has been a general concern about the balance between bat and ball for a while," said Stephenson, who helped set up MCC's world cricket committee, a body including Steve Waugh as well as current players such as Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble. "MCC is the conscience of the game and wants to make sure that balance is retained."
According to Dr Anthony Bull, a bio- and mechanical engineer at Imperial College, cricket balls could be hit 20 per cent further with just a few tweaks to bat technology within the current regulations. "The question is whether you want to allow that," said Bull. "What we're trying to discover is how we might do that within the law and then how we might ameliorate against that by changing the wording of the law."
MCC are setting up a bat approval system, with Imperial as a testing centre. "We won't test every bat, just new ranges and those that invite suspicion," said Stephenson. "Umpires will need to be vigilant though."
As for the pink ball, it looked like one of those DayGlo golf balls hackers get out during winter months. It was easy to see from the boundary though MCC's Darren Bicknell, whose 132 helped his team overhaul Scotland's 253 for seven, felt it was no more visible than a newish white ball.
But the players' views are irrelevant. It is how visible it is on television under floodlights that will ultimately decide whether it has a future.
(c) Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2008
India spin a win in Kanpur, clear Test before IPL carnival
Like a commuter on a rush hour Virar Fast, Virender Sehwag is hanging on to the SUV as Team India gets ready to start yet another victory lap. Coach Gary Kirsten smiles as he watches his team test the capacity of the vehicle, the prize for the man of the series, that has the stand-in skipper and the unofficial team driver for all such occasions at the wheel.
Sehwag shouts in an exaggerated accent, "Gary, come along."
The coach doesn't oblige as he has a television interview to give. But watching the new coach in a sea of happy faces around him, it was clear that the Kanpur trip has helped the coach hop onto Indian cricket's bandwagon that has been on a roll for some time now.
Dhoni spoke about Kirsten's rapport with the team. "Of course, it is too early, but I think he is hitting the right areas," he says.
It isn't just the coach who's hitting the right areas, but the entire team did that here after being totally off-target during the three-day loss at Motera. They travelled to Kanpur with a lot on their minds. Sunil Gavaskar had spoken about IPL distractions during the Test series and asked Kirsten to crack the whip. Injury had hit the bowling department hard. There was a question mark over Ishant Sharma, who was returning after an injury.
Intrigue was speculated as shorter-version skipper Dhoni replaced injured Test captain Anil Kumble. The morning that had started with television visuals showing Kumble leaving the team hotel with interpretations of a senior-junior divide in team ended with a number of happy family frames around.
At the award ceremony, Dhoni played the graceful skipper inviting Kumble to pose with rival skipper Graeme Smith and the shared trophy. Earlier, Kumble had rushed out after the India's win to receive Ganguly and Rahul. He looked out for Sharma, who had played a big role in this crucial game, and gave him a hug before moving towards the dressing room with an arm around Sehwag.
In days of IPL countdown and in the background of the longer version's diminishing popularity, the timing of this three-day diet Test with its thrill-a-minute excitement has been perfect.
The positives after the Kanpur win have been many. Kirsten seems comfortable after the drawn series, fear of IPL distractions have faded away, seniors have proved their worth to the side and the newest kid on the block, Sharma, has proved more than one point. He can be lethal even at home and he is certainly fit.
With the 9-to-5 schedule over, the players were not guilty to talk about the short Twenty20 evening outings. "IPL is back on our minds. It is wonderful to get to know people you have been playing against will be playing along side you now," Smith said. At the end of the drawn series, there were no bitter losers or overbearing winners but bonhomie was in the air.
Copyright (c) 2008 Yahoo Web Services India Pvt Ltd.
Netherlands claim vital victory
Netherlands overcame some stubborn lower-order resistance from UAE to complete a 64-run win in Sharjah, which keeps them in with a chance of reaching the final with two matches left. The task appeared relatively straightforward for the visitors after they had reduced UAE to 89 for 6 chasing 342, but a stand of 119 between Nizel Fernandes and Mohammad Tauqir kept them waiting well into the final session.
After Netherlands failed to add to their overnight score - leaving Bas Zuiderent unbeaten on 149 - Edgar Schiferli, who claimed five in the first innings, struck on the opening delivery of the chase. Wickets fell regularly and when Peter Borren claimed two in quick succession the UAE were in deep trouble.
However, Fernandes and Tauqir got their heads down while also managing to keep the scoreboard ticking. The pressure was growing for Netherlands as Jeroen Smits rotated his bowling options. The breakthrough, though, came from the field as Fernandes was run out. Tauqir fell shortly afterwards, trapped lbw for a fighting 64 off 115 balls.
Still, UAE refused to give in as Shoaib Sarwar put bat to ball in effective style with an unbeaten 55-ball 54. The final two batsmen hung around with him, but the end came when Schiferli completed an outstanding match with his eighth wicket as he trapped Fahad Alhashmi in front.
(c) Cricinfo 2008
Imtiaz Patel withdraws as next chief executive of International Cricket Council
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Imtiaz Patel has withdrawn his candidacy to become the next chief executive of the International Cricket Council.
Cricket's world governing body chose Patel in mid-March, but the South African said he wants to remain in his home country where he heads broadcast network SuperSport International.
"My family and I have reflected deeply on the wonderful opportunity which the ICC presented to me to fulfil such an important role in a sport which is in my blood," Patel said in a statement Monday.
"After considering my position carefully, I have, however, resolved to remain in my beloved country, South Africa, and continue in my challenging and fulfilling role as chief executive officer of SuperSport International."
Patel was scheduled to replace Malcom Speed, who steps down as chief executive in July.
ICC president-elect David Morgan said the group was disappointed with Patel's decision but was confident it could find another qualified candidate.
"We are obviously disappointed that Imtiaz has chosen to withdraw his interest, having regarded him highly," Morgan said. "However, the fact that he has withdrawn does not mean that, by default, we will be left with a candidate who is, in any way, inferior to him."
Copyright (c) 2008 The Canadian Press.
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