Chennai: Out of the national side for the past three years, pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji has been included as an additional bowler in the Indian Premier League's (IPL) Chennai Super Kings team.
Announcing Balaji's inclusion, V B Chandrasekar, a former selector and head of cricketing matters in the Chennai Super Kings, said, "We have pitchforked him in our team as an additional bowler. He has been in action after recovery from injury in the TNCA's first division matches this season."
"Balaji has been effective in two spells of 10 overs, though he has not been tried on the trot. He is surely going to be a lethal weapon in our scheme of things in the Twenty20 IPL matches," he said.
He said the whole composition of the team has to be decided this evening and the squad list would be sent to BCCI's IPL Committee first.
"This is mandatory. We cannot officially release the list to the media now. You will have two or three more surprises in our composition. We also have plans to launch the team by month end," he said.
Balaji was sidelined after a stress fracture and had last played for India in 2005, during the Indian Oil Cup in Sri Lanka.
He returned to action in the Irani Trophy match and Challenger Trophy matches for India Red at Chennai in 2006.
Balaji, with his open-chested action and a wide off the crease line, made his Test debut against New Zealand at Ahmedabad in October 2003.
The Chennai-based pacer received accolades for his all round display from none other than Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf during India's 2004 tour of Pakistan.
He bagged 12 wickets in three Tests on that tour. He has claimed 27 and 34 wickets in eight tests (Av.37.18) and 29 ODIs (Ave.38.58) respectively.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Royal Challengers - Game for Life!
The Royal Challengers website is up. The tag line for the team is Game for life! . The website features fan club, team news, player info, statistics and wallpapers. Also you could support the royal challengers and stand a chance to walk on the pitch with Dravid for toss.
The promo videos are not yet put up. Stay tuned on the RC website for their team promo video which will feature Katrina kaif, Deepika Padukone, Dravid, Zaheer and Virat Kohli.
Until then… Say Cheers!
URL: www.royalchallengers.com
The Unstoppables - Deccan Chargers
The star studded and power packed team of Hyderabad has finally unveiled their team website. A great logo and a neat website. The team promo video somewhat resembles the hero honda hunk advertisement. The website has news, player infos and fan club. Really love their logo. No glimpses of their jerseys yet!
URL: www.deccanchargers.com
Check out their team anthem and promotional video. The bulls of IPL are the “Deccan chargers”, charging in on their opponents eh?
Mohali team is named as ‘Kings XI Punjab‘. Happen to see an interview article published on The Telegraph dated 6th March 2008 in which Karun Paul gives an insight on partnering with Preity, buying Yuvi and Lee, setting goals for Apeejay group. In the interview he says the team would be named as Kings XI Punjab.
Article Url: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080306/jsp/entertainment/story_8983974.jsp
The Knights of Kolkata have arrived. It’s time for the Kings of Mohali to make their appearance. Kings have their logo as a shield with roaring lions. Let’s see when the website gets unveiled.
ICC to keep a tab on IPL
Dubai: The International Cricket Council decided to closely monitor Indian Premier League (IPL) to ensure that it works in harmony with international cricket.
The ICC has made it clear that bilateral commitments of members will take precedence over IPL fixtures.
The IPL will have to follow certain terms and conditions. All member nations have been given the right to lodge an objection to any player from playing in the IPL. This objection can be lodged up to two years after that player's retirement.
David Morgan confirmed that IPL is an official event and that ICL is an unofficial event.
The ICC officially announced the appointment of India's I.S. Bindra as ICC's principal advisor.
The ICC has made it clear that bilateral commitments of members will take precedence over IPL fixtures.
The IPL will have to follow certain terms and conditions. All member nations have been given the right to lodge an objection to any player from playing in the IPL. This objection can be lodged up to two years after that player's retirement.
David Morgan confirmed that IPL is an official event and that ICL is an unofficial event.
The ICC officially announced the appointment of India's I.S. Bindra as ICC's principal advisor.
Fresh IPL battle on the cards?
Mumbai, March 19: : For the first time ever, since the formation of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the International Cricket Councl (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have formally met, discussed and emerged with a few vital decisions that will eventually have a large role to play in the league’s high-profile ten-year programme.
When the ICC board met in Dubai for a two-day working committee meeting, the first day was spent agreeing upon an official policy regarding the IPL. The ICC board stressed on a few points and the BCCI, which according to the ICC represented the meeting as the owner of the IPL, agreed to the terms and will now sign a standard-form contract with all the full member nations.
The biggest surprise to come out of the meeting is that the BCCI did not, according to the release, put in a formal request to include the IPL in the ICC’s Future Tours Programme. Such an inclusion would have provided franchise owners some relief, keeping in mind the amount of money that has been spent.
The ICC board raised five issues which are bound to directly or indirectly concern the IPL. Certain points, such as nation-versus-nation cricket being given high priority and IPL introducing a Code of Conduct, an anti-corruption code and anti-doping code according to ICC regulations are mandatory, and can be easily accommodated.
However, once the franchise owners of the league come across some other issues raised and agreed upon, there is bound to be a bit of quiver in the otherwise smooth proceedings.
Here’s a brief look of the ICC terms and conditions and what it could mean...
A) Each ICC member will have an unfettered right in its absolute discretion to lodge an objection to a player from its country playing in the IPL
A possible result to this particular rule in future could be a growing dissent among players, who are being paid in millions. The IPL has in place a strict rule asking players to procure a No Objection Certificate from their respective boards to take part in the league. Once the NOC is procured and these players sign up with the IPL, an objection to a player participating in the league could lead to legal complications.
The franchise owners will end up buying players or using the transfer window next year onwards only after being assured that these players are available either fully or partially as per the contract signed for three years.
If any situation arises out of a conflict between the player and his board, it will directly affect the interest of the team owner.
B) The objection can be lodged up to two years after the player’s retirement
The IPL had earlier initiated a rule that said that players would not be able to take part in the league for two years after retirement. This is a variation of that. This basically ensures that players cannot hold their boards to ransom and will prevent them from cutting short their international careers to play in the IPL. Also, if the player is in his second year of an IPL contract and his board then has any particular objection, it could lead to harming his financial interest or even that of the franchise owner.
C) All such objections will be respected by the IPL and its various franchises and the player in question will not be selected to play
The Indian Express spoke to a few officials from franchise teams, and the consensus remains that this particular rule could be subject to speculation.
The objection raised to a particular player in question by any member board will be respected by IPL and team owners.
However, the general view remains that it should also not harm the team owners’ view directly in terms of financial remuneration being offered to a player, breach of any contract or the team’s prospects.
D) Bilateral commitments will take precedence over IPL fixtures
This particular rule immediately brings to memory the Kerry Packer days. Players being paid in millions could disagree to playing bilateral tours that will harm their financial interests. Already, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is trying to waive off a few days of their scheduled series against Australia to ensure Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle can play in the IPL. Even players such as Daniel Vettori and Scott Styris are currently in talks with New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan so as to allow them to play in the IPL and join the national team later than scheduled during the upcoming tour of England.
While most of these rules were expected, and are in place to assuage fears that the IPL would threaten the position of national teams, the fact that BCCI did not push for the FTP at all actually means that all the above fears have a better chance of coming true.
The ICC insists that IPL is a good concept and brings benefits to the game. It is also willing to work more closely with the BCCI in this regard. For now though, it does seem as if the BCCI and the ICC have agreed that all headaches will rest solely with the franchise owners.
Other decisions taken
* Hair reinstated as Test Umpire
Darrell Hair, who had been banned since November 2006 because of his conduct during a Test between Pakistan and England that led to the first forfeit in Test cricket’s 129-year history finally got a green signal from the International Cricket Council and would be reinstated as a Test umpire and his position will be reviewed at the end of March 2009. Hair’s appointment comes after he completed his ‘rehabilitation program’
* Champions Trophy on schedule
The ICC Board gave their green signal to the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan from September 11-28. The tournament will be held in three venues across the country though a final decision on the venues is yet to be made. Also a full independent security assessment of the situation in Pakistan will be conducted in June.
When the ICC board met in Dubai for a two-day working committee meeting, the first day was spent agreeing upon an official policy regarding the IPL. The ICC board stressed on a few points and the BCCI, which according to the ICC represented the meeting as the owner of the IPL, agreed to the terms and will now sign a standard-form contract with all the full member nations.
The biggest surprise to come out of the meeting is that the BCCI did not, according to the release, put in a formal request to include the IPL in the ICC’s Future Tours Programme. Such an inclusion would have provided franchise owners some relief, keeping in mind the amount of money that has been spent.
The ICC board raised five issues which are bound to directly or indirectly concern the IPL. Certain points, such as nation-versus-nation cricket being given high priority and IPL introducing a Code of Conduct, an anti-corruption code and anti-doping code according to ICC regulations are mandatory, and can be easily accommodated.
However, once the franchise owners of the league come across some other issues raised and agreed upon, there is bound to be a bit of quiver in the otherwise smooth proceedings.
Here’s a brief look of the ICC terms and conditions and what it could mean...
A) Each ICC member will have an unfettered right in its absolute discretion to lodge an objection to a player from its country playing in the IPL
A possible result to this particular rule in future could be a growing dissent among players, who are being paid in millions. The IPL has in place a strict rule asking players to procure a No Objection Certificate from their respective boards to take part in the league. Once the NOC is procured and these players sign up with the IPL, an objection to a player participating in the league could lead to legal complications.
The franchise owners will end up buying players or using the transfer window next year onwards only after being assured that these players are available either fully or partially as per the contract signed for three years.
If any situation arises out of a conflict between the player and his board, it will directly affect the interest of the team owner.
B) The objection can be lodged up to two years after the player’s retirement
The IPL had earlier initiated a rule that said that players would not be able to take part in the league for two years after retirement. This is a variation of that. This basically ensures that players cannot hold their boards to ransom and will prevent them from cutting short their international careers to play in the IPL. Also, if the player is in his second year of an IPL contract and his board then has any particular objection, it could lead to harming his financial interest or even that of the franchise owner.
C) All such objections will be respected by the IPL and its various franchises and the player in question will not be selected to play
The Indian Express spoke to a few officials from franchise teams, and the consensus remains that this particular rule could be subject to speculation.
The objection raised to a particular player in question by any member board will be respected by IPL and team owners.
However, the general view remains that it should also not harm the team owners’ view directly in terms of financial remuneration being offered to a player, breach of any contract or the team’s prospects.
D) Bilateral commitments will take precedence over IPL fixtures
This particular rule immediately brings to memory the Kerry Packer days. Players being paid in millions could disagree to playing bilateral tours that will harm their financial interests. Already, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is trying to waive off a few days of their scheduled series against Australia to ensure Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle can play in the IPL. Even players such as Daniel Vettori and Scott Styris are currently in talks with New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan so as to allow them to play in the IPL and join the national team later than scheduled during the upcoming tour of England.
While most of these rules were expected, and are in place to assuage fears that the IPL would threaten the position of national teams, the fact that BCCI did not push for the FTP at all actually means that all the above fears have a better chance of coming true.
The ICC insists that IPL is a good concept and brings benefits to the game. It is also willing to work more closely with the BCCI in this regard. For now though, it does seem as if the BCCI and the ICC have agreed that all headaches will rest solely with the franchise owners.
Other decisions taken
* Hair reinstated as Test Umpire
Darrell Hair, who had been banned since November 2006 because of his conduct during a Test between Pakistan and England that led to the first forfeit in Test cricket’s 129-year history finally got a green signal from the International Cricket Council and would be reinstated as a Test umpire and his position will be reviewed at the end of March 2009. Hair’s appointment comes after he completed his ‘rehabilitation program’
* Champions Trophy on schedule
The ICC Board gave their green signal to the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan from September 11-28. The tournament will be held in three venues across the country though a final decision on the venues is yet to be made. Also a full independent security assessment of the situation in Pakistan will be conducted in June.
PepsiCo India has signed a $12.5-million deal
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: PepsiCo India has signed a $12.5-million deal with Lalit Modi-promoted Indian Premier League for five years as the event’s official beverage partner. Sources said IPL is expected to sell more slots such as travel and hotel partners, but on a cost basis, the details of which are being worked out. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla confirmed PepsiCo’s association with IPL as beverage partner. PepsiCo India EVP marketing Sandeep Singh Arora maintained: “We are in negotiations with IPL towards the beverage sponsorship deal.” But a BCCI official said: “PepsiCo has acquired pouring rights for the IPL for $2.5 million per annum, for a five-year period.”
The money will be split among IPL’s eight franchisee owners of the Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Mohali, Jaipur and Hyderabad teams and not the IPL management. This is in contrast to all earlier IPL sponsorships, in which the IPL promoters have been beneficiaries of the deals. The move will strengthen PepsiCo’s association with cricket. PepsiCo has already committed about $60 million to the International Cricket Council (ICC) as one of its global sponsors for an eight-year period (2007-15). Unlike rival Coca-Cola, PepsiCo has associated itself with international and domestic cricket in a big way. Considering that the title sponsorship for IPL was bought by real estate major DLF for Rs 200 crore for a five-year term, PepsiCo’s pouring rights deal is big money. In addition, two-wheeler company Hero Honda has also signed up as a co-sponsor. IPL is looking at six co-sponsors, including Hero Honda. IPL is currently talking to players in categories such as insurance, telecom, banking, automobile and retail, all of which are expected to be closed next week.
The money will be split among IPL’s eight franchisee owners of the Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Mohali, Jaipur and Hyderabad teams and not the IPL management. This is in contrast to all earlier IPL sponsorships, in which the IPL promoters have been beneficiaries of the deals. The move will strengthen PepsiCo’s association with cricket. PepsiCo has already committed about $60 million to the International Cricket Council (ICC) as one of its global sponsors for an eight-year period (2007-15). Unlike rival Coca-Cola, PepsiCo has associated itself with international and domestic cricket in a big way. Considering that the title sponsorship for IPL was bought by real estate major DLF for Rs 200 crore for a five-year term, PepsiCo’s pouring rights deal is big money. In addition, two-wheeler company Hero Honda has also signed up as a co-sponsor. IPL is looking at six co-sponsors, including Hero Honda. IPL is currently talking to players in categories such as insurance, telecom, banking, automobile and retail, all of which are expected to be closed next week.
IPL to cross 500 cr sponsorship mark
New Delhi: The numbers sounded so unbelievable that for a while it seemed like Lalit Modi was pulling a fast one on the Indian cricket market. But the sponsors are queuing up at the gates of the Indian Premier League, and projections are turning into fat cheques. The IPL central revenues were hovering on the 500-crore mark and still the dust hasn’t settled. The latest to come on board are Kingfisher Airlines, who have paid 106 crore to become official umpire partners for the tournament.This deal gives Kingfisher Airlines branding on the clothing that match officials wear, and crucially on giant screens when the third umpire’s decision is pending. DLF was the first to come on board, as title sponsor, and they pay out 200 crore over five years. Hero Honda then came on as one of potentially six associate sponsors at 90 crore. The cola wars fuelled the next bonanza as PepsiCo forked out 50 crore to become official beverage partners of the tournament. What’s interesting is that Kingfisher, part of the UB Group, own the Bangalore Royal Challengers franchise, but this did not stop them from becoming associate sponsors of the Delhi Daredevils. “Kingfisher’s decision bears testimony to the fact that the DLF Indian Premier League is here to stay and is set to carve out a distinct niche for itself in the international cricket calendar,” said Modi soon after the signing. What’s more, at least two others, a major oil company and a designer jewellery line are on the verge to signing on the dotted line as associate sponsors. What these deals do is lessen the financial burden on individual franchisees each of whom receive 80% of central revenues for the first five years. A number-cruncher closely monitoring IPL finances believed that each franchise would end up getting close to Rs 28 crore annually for the first five years, from these central revenues. In addition to this franchisees have 100% rights over local revenues, which include gate receipts, team shirt sponsorships, merchandising, local sponsorship and licensing, hospitality and match day promotions
IPL stakeholders in touch with rivals will get banned
The cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) has warned companies and agents allied to it that they will be “blacklisted” if they linked up with any rebel league as well. The punishment would also extend to players aligned to these stakeholers. The IPL decision is a reaction to some “aggressive” business approaches adopted by its rivals in the world. But the IPL, backed by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC), has not named any rebel league from which it feels threatened.
“The IPL governing council decided that if anyone, a company or agents, who has anything to do with it is found to be linked with any rebel leagues, directly or indirectly, it will blacklisted,” a source in the BCCI told IANS.
IPL Chief Operating Officer Sundar Raman said the warning had nothing to do with any particular case that might have brought a conflict of interest between IPL and any rebel tournament, particularly the ongoing Indian Cricket League (ICL), promoted by business tycoon Subhash Chandra.
“We are just being protective of our things,” Raman told IANS.
IPL has taken the precaution as huge amounts of money are at stake in the lucrative, path breaking and popular Twenty20 tournament. The league, starting April 18 and lasting 45 days, will have eight teams competing for the top prize of $3 million.
Some of India’s richest businessmen and Bollywood stars, including Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Shah Rukh Khan, have bought IPL team franchises for millions of dollars. They have additionally spent huge sums on buying Indian and foreign players, making IPL the richest tournament in cricket history.
“It has been sternly communicated to all concerned with the IPL that if their association with any rebel league is established, the BCCI or the IPL will debar them and discontinue all businesses with them,” said the source on condition of anonymity.
“The IPL was forced to issue the warning as the rivals have started recruiting people with an extremely aggressive intent,” the source added.
Companies and their agents have also been told that any transgressions would result in their players also being debarred from the tournament.
“The companies and players’ agents have been warned that if they try to make money by working for any rival camp, they and their players would be banned from playing in the IPL,” the source pointed out.
Many foreign players from Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe entered the IPL auction through management companies or their agents.
“The IPL governing council decided that if anyone, a company or agents, who has anything to do with it is found to be linked with any rebel leagues, directly or indirectly, it will blacklisted,” a source in the BCCI told IANS.
IPL Chief Operating Officer Sundar Raman said the warning had nothing to do with any particular case that might have brought a conflict of interest between IPL and any rebel tournament, particularly the ongoing Indian Cricket League (ICL), promoted by business tycoon Subhash Chandra.
“We are just being protective of our things,” Raman told IANS.
IPL has taken the precaution as huge amounts of money are at stake in the lucrative, path breaking and popular Twenty20 tournament. The league, starting April 18 and lasting 45 days, will have eight teams competing for the top prize of $3 million.
Some of India’s richest businessmen and Bollywood stars, including Mukesh Ambani, Vijay Mallya and Shah Rukh Khan, have bought IPL team franchises for millions of dollars. They have additionally spent huge sums on buying Indian and foreign players, making IPL the richest tournament in cricket history.
“It has been sternly communicated to all concerned with the IPL that if their association with any rebel league is established, the BCCI or the IPL will debar them and discontinue all businesses with them,” said the source on condition of anonymity.
“The IPL was forced to issue the warning as the rivals have started recruiting people with an extremely aggressive intent,” the source added.
Companies and their agents have also been told that any transgressions would result in their players also being debarred from the tournament.
“The companies and players’ agents have been warned that if they try to make money by working for any rival camp, they and their players would be banned from playing in the IPL,” the source pointed out.
Many foreign players from Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, the West Indies, South Africa and Zimbabwe entered the IPL auction through management companies or their agents.
Hero Honda-IPL deal now for five years
Mumbai, March 7 (IANS) Hero Honda have extended their association with the Indian Premier League (IPL) to five years. The company, which had initially agreed to co-sponsor the Twenty20 tournament for three years have now decided to do so for five at a cost of $22.5 million, according to an announcement made by Hero Honda MD Pawan Munjal. The title sponsors are DLF. Eight teams of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mohali, Jaipur and Bangalore will compete from April 18 in the IPL, which will see 59 Twenty20 matches.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India sold the eight franchises for $723 million while Sony Max and World Sport Group (WSG) secured the telecast rights for $1.026 billion.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India sold the eight franchises for $723 million while Sony Max and World Sport Group (WSG) secured the telecast rights for $1.026 billion.
Kingfisher sponsors IPL umpires for Rs.1.06 billion
Mumbai, March 20 (IANS) Vijay Mallya’s Kingfisher Airlines will pay the Indian Premier League (IPL) Rs.106 crores (Rs.1.06 billion or $26.17 million) to sponsor the umpires for five years for the Twenty20 tournament beginning next month. While announcing the deal here Thursday, Lalit Modi, IPL chairman and commissioner, said that the airline would be known as the Umpire Partner for the eight-team tournament.
“Kingfisher Airlines has had a long association with a variety of sports, at both the domestic and international levels, including tennis, Formula 1, polo and now cricket. Their decision bears testimony to the fact that the DLF IPL is here to stay and is set to carve out a distinct niche for itself in the international cricket calendar,” he said in a statement.
Kingfisher chairman and CEO Mallya, who had bought the Bangalore Royal Challengers for $106 million, said he was happy to acquire the sponsorship for the umpires.
“Our five-year association with the IPL is further testimony to our commitment to building the Kingfisher Airlines brand through sports. The DLF Indian Premier League is a highly innovative concept and the Twenty20 format will undoubtedly take cricket’s popularity to a new high,” he said.
“Kingfisher Airlines will present the DLF IPL umpires in a completely new and modern style while retaining their critical role in the sport.”
Earlier, broadcaster Sony Max and World Sport Group had bagged IPL’s global media and production rights for $1.026 billion.
Soft drink giant Pepsi has paid $12.5 million to be the official beverage partner for five years.
The eight competing IPL teams are Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mohali, Kolkata and Jaipur.
A total of 59 matches will be played over 45 days starting April 18, with each team playing seven home and seven away matches. The top four teams in the league will contest the semi-finals and the winners will vie for the top prize of $3 million in the final June 1 in Mumbai.
“Kingfisher Airlines has had a long association with a variety of sports, at both the domestic and international levels, including tennis, Formula 1, polo and now cricket. Their decision bears testimony to the fact that the DLF IPL is here to stay and is set to carve out a distinct niche for itself in the international cricket calendar,” he said in a statement.
Kingfisher chairman and CEO Mallya, who had bought the Bangalore Royal Challengers for $106 million, said he was happy to acquire the sponsorship for the umpires.
“Our five-year association with the IPL is further testimony to our commitment to building the Kingfisher Airlines brand through sports. The DLF Indian Premier League is a highly innovative concept and the Twenty20 format will undoubtedly take cricket’s popularity to a new high,” he said.
“Kingfisher Airlines will present the DLF IPL umpires in a completely new and modern style while retaining their critical role in the sport.”
Earlier, broadcaster Sony Max and World Sport Group had bagged IPL’s global media and production rights for $1.026 billion.
Soft drink giant Pepsi has paid $12.5 million to be the official beverage partner for five years.
The eight competing IPL teams are Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Mohali, Kolkata and Jaipur.
A total of 59 matches will be played over 45 days starting April 18, with each team playing seven home and seven away matches. The top four teams in the league will contest the semi-finals and the winners will vie for the top prize of $3 million in the final June 1 in Mumbai.
IPL: Kingfisher is umpire partner
IPL: Kingfisher is umpire partner
Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)-promoted DLF-Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 championship augmented its Central Pool sponsorship revenue to Rs. 446 crore for a period of five years with Kingfisher Airlines coming on board as the official umpire partner.
Kingfisher Airlines will pay the IPL $26.5 million (Rs. 106 crore). The IPL now has commitments from real estate major DLF for Rs. 200 crore for the title sponsorship, Hero Honda as co-sponsor at $22.5 million (Rs.90 crore), PepsiCo India as the beverage partner at $12.5 million (Rs. 50 crore) and Kingfisher Airlines as the umpire sponsor.
The UB Group, owned by Vijay Mallya, had first bought the Bangalore region (Royal Challengers) at $111.6 million for 10 years and thereafter Kingfisher became the associate sponsor of the Delhi Daredevils team.
Mallya, Chairman and CEO, Kingfisher Airlines said that the five-year association as official umpire partner with the DLF-IPL was further testimony to the company’s commitment to build the Kingfisher Airlines brand through sports.
The eight franchise owners are to share 80 per cent of the revenue from the Global Media Rights for the first five years and 60 per cent from the sixth to the 10th year and a uniform 60 per cent of revenue generated from other sponsorships for 10 years.
According to observers, the eight franchisees will receive between $6 and 7 million from the Central Pool for each of the first five years. Furthermore, the eight teams have 100 per cent right on revenue earned from franchisee shirt sponsorship, local sponsorship, licensing programme, uniform merchandising, hospitality and premium seating, gate receipts, match-day concessions and match-day promotions. — Special Correspondent
Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)-promoted DLF-Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 championship augmented its Central Pool sponsorship revenue to Rs. 446 crore for a period of five years with Kingfisher Airlines coming on board as the official umpire partner.
Kingfisher Airlines will pay the IPL $26.5 million (Rs. 106 crore). The IPL now has commitments from real estate major DLF for Rs. 200 crore for the title sponsorship, Hero Honda as co-sponsor at $22.5 million (Rs.90 crore), PepsiCo India as the beverage partner at $12.5 million (Rs. 50 crore) and Kingfisher Airlines as the umpire sponsor.
The UB Group, owned by Vijay Mallya, had first bought the Bangalore region (Royal Challengers) at $111.6 million for 10 years and thereafter Kingfisher became the associate sponsor of the Delhi Daredevils team.
Mallya, Chairman and CEO, Kingfisher Airlines said that the five-year association as official umpire partner with the DLF-IPL was further testimony to the company’s commitment to build the Kingfisher Airlines brand through sports.
The eight franchise owners are to share 80 per cent of the revenue from the Global Media Rights for the first five years and 60 per cent from the sixth to the 10th year and a uniform 60 per cent of revenue generated from other sponsorships for 10 years.
According to observers, the eight franchisees will receive between $6 and 7 million from the Central Pool for each of the first five years. Furthermore, the eight teams have 100 per cent right on revenue earned from franchisee shirt sponsorship, local sponsorship, licensing programme, uniform merchandising, hospitality and premium seating, gate receipts, match-day concessions and match-day promotions. — Special Correspondent
Sledging is out as Indian league gets a lesson in spirit of the game
Concerns that the integrity of international cricket is being undermined by sledging, cheating and a growing lack of respect for umpires and opponents has prompted the billion-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) to take a stand to reinforce the spirit and laws of the game.
The eight captains and players taking part in the six-week tournament will, on the day of the opening match on April 18 in Bangalore, sign a pledge to embrace the “Spirit of Cricket”, the preamble to the laws of the game as drawn up by the late Colin Cowdrey and officially adopted by MCC, of which he was a president. He was also chairman of the ICC.
Appropriately, Chris Cowdrey, Lord Cowdrey of Tonbridge’s eldest son and a former England captain, will be invited to India, his father’s birthplace, to witness the initiative of Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which has the full support of the Cowdrey family.
The move is timely, given recent events, particularly the rancour of the recent India tour to Australia. “It is a great principle and it is important that the Spirit of Cricket is something the IPL embraces,” Modi, who is also the IPL chairman, said. “It will be part of our tournament. It is absolutely apt for us.
“Sledging has become a serious issue and in some instances has got out of control. In the IPL we have for the first time in history players from different countries playing together and the fact that this is the case will help to prevent any problems in the future.
“These players will be able to establish a second set of friendships beyond their own national teams. It is so exciting. There has been a lot of concern at the level of sledging and intimidation that has appeared in our game. It is the right time to make a public stand. It is important that we show to the world that we endorse the Spirit of Cricket.”
Modi denied that the declaration was an exercise to deflect criticism aimed at the fledgeling tournament for merely being a business venture, the scale of which has led to fears that it could pose a threat to Test cricket. “Not at all,” Modi said. “It is important that we set an example for cricket. This tournament is not about making money purely for profit. IPL is part of BCCI, a nonprofit organisation. Money will be made, but that money goes back 100 per cent into the game to build the game.”
Chris Cowdrey said that he was delighted that the Spirit of Cricket was back on the agenda. “My father saw cricket positioned between two sports – golf and football,” he said. “In one there is self-regulation from the players resulting in, on the whole, immaculate behaviour. In the other there is anarchy, with the accepted practice being to cheat and intimidate referees.
“The Spirit of Cricket puts the onus on each captain to make sure that his players show respect for the umpires and the opposition and that unfair play and cheating is not tolerated. This is arguably the biggest issue in the game today. My father would be so thrilled if it were his beloved India which made this stand. People have dismissed the Spirit of Cricket concept as some outdated Corinthian ideal. It is not.
“There is a golden opportunity to leave a positive legacy for the millions of youngsters in India and across the globe who emulate every move of their heroes – their conduct and demeanour – and aspire to play cricket.
“If you talk to Ricky Ponting [the Australia captain], he is right up for it. Everyone is committed to it. Where it goes wrong is in people not knowing what the Spirit of Cricket is. It needs to be up in lights not because of the old man but because everyone knows it is the right way to go. It is a brave decision by Mr Modi to stand up for everything that is good about cricket.”
The eight captains and players taking part in the six-week tournament will, on the day of the opening match on April 18 in Bangalore, sign a pledge to embrace the “Spirit of Cricket”, the preamble to the laws of the game as drawn up by the late Colin Cowdrey and officially adopted by MCC, of which he was a president. He was also chairman of the ICC.
Appropriately, Chris Cowdrey, Lord Cowdrey of Tonbridge’s eldest son and a former England captain, will be invited to India, his father’s birthplace, to witness the initiative of Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which has the full support of the Cowdrey family.
The move is timely, given recent events, particularly the rancour of the recent India tour to Australia. “It is a great principle and it is important that the Spirit of Cricket is something the IPL embraces,” Modi, who is also the IPL chairman, said. “It will be part of our tournament. It is absolutely apt for us.
“Sledging has become a serious issue and in some instances has got out of control. In the IPL we have for the first time in history players from different countries playing together and the fact that this is the case will help to prevent any problems in the future.
“These players will be able to establish a second set of friendships beyond their own national teams. It is so exciting. There has been a lot of concern at the level of sledging and intimidation that has appeared in our game. It is the right time to make a public stand. It is important that we show to the world that we endorse the Spirit of Cricket.”
Modi denied that the declaration was an exercise to deflect criticism aimed at the fledgeling tournament for merely being a business venture, the scale of which has led to fears that it could pose a threat to Test cricket. “Not at all,” Modi said. “It is important that we set an example for cricket. This tournament is not about making money purely for profit. IPL is part of BCCI, a nonprofit organisation. Money will be made, but that money goes back 100 per cent into the game to build the game.”
Chris Cowdrey said that he was delighted that the Spirit of Cricket was back on the agenda. “My father saw cricket positioned between two sports – golf and football,” he said. “In one there is self-regulation from the players resulting in, on the whole, immaculate behaviour. In the other there is anarchy, with the accepted practice being to cheat and intimidate referees.
“The Spirit of Cricket puts the onus on each captain to make sure that his players show respect for the umpires and the opposition and that unfair play and cheating is not tolerated. This is arguably the biggest issue in the game today. My father would be so thrilled if it were his beloved India which made this stand. People have dismissed the Spirit of Cricket concept as some outdated Corinthian ideal. It is not.
“There is a golden opportunity to leave a positive legacy for the millions of youngsters in India and across the globe who emulate every move of their heroes – their conduct and demeanour – and aspire to play cricket.
“If you talk to Ricky Ponting [the Australia captain], he is right up for it. Everyone is committed to it. Where it goes wrong is in people not knowing what the Spirit of Cricket is. It needs to be up in lights not because of the old man but because everyone knows it is the right way to go. It is a brave decision by Mr Modi to stand up for everything that is good about cricket.”
CA worried over IPL’s influence on calendar
Melbourne: Cricket Australia has expressed concerns that the success of the DLF-Indian Premier League may have a negative influence on the international calendar in future.
James Sutherland, CEO of the CA, said the cash-rich league may ask for more weeks for conducting the Twenty20 event as it gains popularity.
“It’s a six-week window one day, does it creep into eight, 10, 12 weeks when the IPL becomes a great success?,” Sutherland was quoted as saying in The Age on Tuesday.
“The moment it starts to compromise international cricket, we have concerns and doubts about the whole thing,” he added.
Sutherland’s fears stem from the fact that the West Indies Cricket Board has allowed three of its players to play in the inaugural IPL, instead of in the Tests against Australia in May and June in the Caribbean.
West Indies captain Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, will be unavailable for the opening two Tests of the series if their IPL sides make the finals.
Donald Peters, WICB Chief Executive Officer, said that there was little chance of stopping them with so much money on offer.
“Given the amount of money involved, it certainly destabilises the infrastructure of cricket” he said.
Peters, however, was confident that the series against Australia would be a success even without big names.
James Sutherland, CEO of the CA, said the cash-rich league may ask for more weeks for conducting the Twenty20 event as it gains popularity.
“It’s a six-week window one day, does it creep into eight, 10, 12 weeks when the IPL becomes a great success?,” Sutherland was quoted as saying in The Age on Tuesday.
“The moment it starts to compromise international cricket, we have concerns and doubts about the whole thing,” he added.
Sutherland’s fears stem from the fact that the West Indies Cricket Board has allowed three of its players to play in the inaugural IPL, instead of in the Tests against Australia in May and June in the Caribbean.
West Indies captain Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, will be unavailable for the opening two Tests of the series if their IPL sides make the finals.
Donald Peters, WICB Chief Executive Officer, said that there was little chance of stopping them with so much money on offer.
“Given the amount of money involved, it certainly destabilises the infrastructure of cricket” he said.
Peters, however, was confident that the series against Australia would be a success even without big names.
Big business and Bollywood grab stakes in IPL
Mumbai most expensive team costing US$111.9 million
The IPL continues to rake in the money with huge bids being received for the franchises
The Indian Premier League (IPL) took a huge step forward on Thursday with the naming of the eight city franchises and their owners, a mix of the biggest names in business and Bollywood. The auction to pick the owners fetched the IPL - which is backed by the Indian board - US$723.59 million, almost double the combined base price of US$400 million. Mumbai was the most expensive team, costing over US$111.9 million.
The franchisees come from several areas previously unconnected with cricket, testifying to the sport's growing profile as a blue-chip investment in India. Among the successful bidders were Bollywood's top stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, a Hyderabad-based newspaper group, a UK-based media rights company and the regular big players, Reliance Industries - owned by Mukesh Ambani, the richest Indian, and Vijay Mallya, who also owns a Formula 1 team. The failed bidders included Deutsche Bank and construction major DLF, and among those disqualified was ICICI Ventures.
"We can say that all the hard work fructified and the IPL is here to stay," the IPL chairman and commissioner, Lalit Modi, said. The league, which has the ICC's sanction, sees the teams play on a home-and-away basis and is due to begin on April 18.
A large part of the IPL's success will depend on its entertainment value as much as its sporting value and Modi, in his interaction, harped on how Bollywood and cricket are the two biggest box-office draws in India. The involvement of Khan, Zinta and Juhi Chawla - Khan's partner in the Kolkata franchise - takes care of the glamour quotient; Zinta's presence alone at the BCCI office in Mumbai saw a larger-than-usual media turnout.
Khan said he would take expert help before putting together a winning combination. "I have already decided on the entertainment part but we have not decided on the core and content of the team," he told the news channel CNN-IBN. "We want to put together a winning combination ... [but] I hope [Sourav] Ganguly leads my team."
The sporting element was established last month, when the IPL unveiled its roster of more than 70 international cricketers. They included some of the biggest names in current limited-overs cricket, and some from the recent past: Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Kumar Sangakkara and Graeme Smith. The affiliation of these players, and the Indian players involved, will be decided by a draft pick; it was originally slated for February 7 but will be finalised after consultation with the franchisees.
However, four top Indian players - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh - will not be included in the auction but will play for their home teams, to ensure maximum support.
The next step is for the IPL to be marketed, and Modi spoke of a multi-million-dollar campaign, with US$15 million coming from the media deal with the Sony Entertainment Television-World Sports Group combine and the IPL chipping in as well.
The one sour note was struck when Modi was asked whether there was a conflict of interests in India Cements, of which BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan is vice-chairman and managing director, becoming a team owner. "Mr Srinivasan is just a stakeholder there, he is not the owner," Modi said. "So there is no conflict of interests."
The winning bids City Franchise Owner Cost (in US$ millions)
Bangalore Vijay Mallya's UB group 111.6
Chennai India Cements 91
Delhi GMR Group 84
Hyderabad Deccan Chronicle 107
Jaipur Emerging Media-led consortium 67
Kolkata Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment 75.09
Mohali Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, Karan Paul and Dabur's Mohit Burman 76
Mumbai Mukesh Ambani's Reliance India Limited 111.9
The IPL continues to rake in the money with huge bids being received for the franchises
The Indian Premier League (IPL) took a huge step forward on Thursday with the naming of the eight city franchises and their owners, a mix of the biggest names in business and Bollywood. The auction to pick the owners fetched the IPL - which is backed by the Indian board - US$723.59 million, almost double the combined base price of US$400 million. Mumbai was the most expensive team, costing over US$111.9 million.
The franchisees come from several areas previously unconnected with cricket, testifying to the sport's growing profile as a blue-chip investment in India. Among the successful bidders were Bollywood's top stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta, a Hyderabad-based newspaper group, a UK-based media rights company and the regular big players, Reliance Industries - owned by Mukesh Ambani, the richest Indian, and Vijay Mallya, who also owns a Formula 1 team. The failed bidders included Deutsche Bank and construction major DLF, and among those disqualified was ICICI Ventures.
"We can say that all the hard work fructified and the IPL is here to stay," the IPL chairman and commissioner, Lalit Modi, said. The league, which has the ICC's sanction, sees the teams play on a home-and-away basis and is due to begin on April 18.
A large part of the IPL's success will depend on its entertainment value as much as its sporting value and Modi, in his interaction, harped on how Bollywood and cricket are the two biggest box-office draws in India. The involvement of Khan, Zinta and Juhi Chawla - Khan's partner in the Kolkata franchise - takes care of the glamour quotient; Zinta's presence alone at the BCCI office in Mumbai saw a larger-than-usual media turnout.
Khan said he would take expert help before putting together a winning combination. "I have already decided on the entertainment part but we have not decided on the core and content of the team," he told the news channel CNN-IBN. "We want to put together a winning combination ... [but] I hope [Sourav] Ganguly leads my team."
The sporting element was established last month, when the IPL unveiled its roster of more than 70 international cricketers. They included some of the biggest names in current limited-overs cricket, and some from the recent past: Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Kumar Sangakkara and Graeme Smith. The affiliation of these players, and the Indian players involved, will be decided by a draft pick; it was originally slated for February 7 but will be finalised after consultation with the franchisees.
However, four top Indian players - Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh - will not be included in the auction but will play for their home teams, to ensure maximum support.
The next step is for the IPL to be marketed, and Modi spoke of a multi-million-dollar campaign, with US$15 million coming from the media deal with the Sony Entertainment Television-World Sports Group combine and the IPL chipping in as well.
The one sour note was struck when Modi was asked whether there was a conflict of interests in India Cements, of which BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan is vice-chairman and managing director, becoming a team owner. "Mr Srinivasan is just a stakeholder there, he is not the owner," Modi said. "So there is no conflict of interests."
The winning bids City Franchise Owner Cost (in US$ millions)
Bangalore Vijay Mallya's UB group 111.6
Chennai India Cements 91
Delhi GMR Group 84
Hyderabad Deccan Chronicle 107
Jaipur Emerging Media-led consortium 67
Kolkata Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment 75.09
Mohali Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, Karan Paul and Dabur's Mohit Burman 76
Mumbai Mukesh Ambani's Reliance India Limited 111.9
First IPL cricket match in Bangalore: Modi
Mumbai: The first match of the much awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) will be held in Banglaore in April, while the semi-finals and the final will be in Mumbai, a top IPL official announced here on Friday."The final will be played June 1 and the semi finals May 30 and 31. These matches will be in Mumbai," IPL commissioner and chairman Lalit Modi told reporters after a meeting with the eight franchise owners and representatives of the match staging associations.
Modi said the IPL board has the option of staging these important matches either at the Brabourne Stadium of the Cricket Club of India (CCI) or the D.Y. Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai. "I guess they will choose CCI," he said.The opening match of the Indian cricket board-promoted tournament, based on Twenty20 matches, will be played between business tycoon Vijay Mallya's Bangalore and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata side at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium April 18.This was decided by the IPL governing council at a meeting in which the marketing strategy and guidelines were also thrashed out.Modi said the International Cricket Council (ICC) umpires would officiate the matches
Modi said the IPL board has the option of staging these important matches either at the Brabourne Stadium of the Cricket Club of India (CCI) or the D.Y. Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai. "I guess they will choose CCI," he said.The opening match of the Indian cricket board-promoted tournament, based on Twenty20 matches, will be played between business tycoon Vijay Mallya's Bangalore and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata side at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium April 18.This was decided by the IPL governing council at a meeting in which the marketing strategy and guidelines were also thrashed out.Modi said the International Cricket Council (ICC) umpires would officiate the matches
"Seven or eight ICC Elite Panel umpires and 16 Indian umpires would officiate. The match referees are being appointed and we already have the anti-corruption and anti-doping measures in place," he said.
On Cricket Australia's (CA) demand that its sponsors should not clash with those of the IPL, Modi said that no national team sponsors would get protection in the IPL."No team sponsors will get protection from IPL," he said. IPL will offer $3 million prize money while the Champion's Twenty20, to be contested by two teams from India Australia, England, South Africa and Pakistan, will offer $5 million.IPL will feature eight franchises in the first season, with each team playing seven home and away games against each another. IPL hopes to grow the eight franchises to 16 by 2010.
The IPL governing council comprises seven members. Besides Modi, the other members are: former Indian cricket board president I.S. Bindra, board vice-president Chirayu Amin and Delhi District and District Cricket Association president Arun Jaitley besides former Indian captains Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shashtri
Nations given veto power over IPL
Dimitri Mascarenhas is the only England player signed with the IPLThe International Cricket Council has granted national boards new powers in a bid to stop the Indian Premier League taking precedence over Test cricket.
The IPL is regarded as a domestic event but the ICC is giving member nations a right of veto over individual players.
The national board's veto can apply in respect of any cricketer, whether or not on a central contract.
And it can remain in force up to two years after an individual player has retired from international duty.
The ICC has agreed a standard-form contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the owner of the lucrative IPL, which begins in April.
The deal gives countries "absolute discretion" to lodge objections.
Any objection will have to be respected by the IPL, says the ICC, with the player in question not selected by his franchise.
This means any player seriously considering a long Test career - and a stint in the IPL Twenty20 competition - would have to fulfil his international commitments first.
West Indies coach John Dyson said he hoped IPL officials would allow three of his senior players - captain Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and their fellow batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan - sufficient time to prepare for Australia's visit in May.
"I expect our players to be back here a week before the Australian series," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"I think everyone here understands the dilemma our players will find themselves in if the pressure comes down from their IPL franchises," Dyson added.
"Gayle couldn't make anywhere near that kind of money here."
However the ICC's new rule does not prevent international players simply turning their back on Test cricket altogether to accept a more generous pay packet with the IPL.
ICC formalises guidelines for IPL
ICC executive board meeting
ICC formalises guidelines for IPL
Cricinfo staff
March 18, 2008
The ICC executive board has formalised its stand on the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying international cricket was its top priority and laying out guidelines to ensure it stayed that way. It also emerged from the meeting, in Dubai, that the ICC's Future Tours Programme will not be altered to suit the IPL as neither the league nor the Indian board, which runs it, made such a request.
Amid increasing uncertainty over the sanctity of the traditional format of the game, the ICC said 'nation-versus-nation' cricket will remain at the top of the pyramid and bilateral commitments between the boards will take precedence over IPL fixtures.
To underscore that the BCCI will, on behalf of the IPL, sign a standard-form contract with all ICC Members giving countries absolute discretion to lodge an objection to a player - anytime up to two years' of the player's retirement - from its country playing in the IPL. "This will be respected by the IPL, with the player in question not selected by his franchise," David Morgan, the ICC's president-elect, said.
The IPL, which begins on April 18, is a domestic Twenty20 competition in the sense that all teams - called franchises - are based in Indian cities and all matches will be played in India. However, much of its appeal lies in the fact that these franchises have signed up the world's leading players on contracts worth up to US$1.5 million a year.
This has sparked fears that players would prefer to play for the more lucrative IPL over their countries. New Zealand and West Indies are the major nations at particular risk of losing star names because they cannot come close to competing financially with the IPL.
ICC formalises guidelines for IPL
Cricinfo staff
March 18, 2008
The ICC executive board has formalised its stand on the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying international cricket was its top priority and laying out guidelines to ensure it stayed that way. It also emerged from the meeting, in Dubai, that the ICC's Future Tours Programme will not be altered to suit the IPL as neither the league nor the Indian board, which runs it, made such a request.
Amid increasing uncertainty over the sanctity of the traditional format of the game, the ICC said 'nation-versus-nation' cricket will remain at the top of the pyramid and bilateral commitments between the boards will take precedence over IPL fixtures.
To underscore that the BCCI will, on behalf of the IPL, sign a standard-form contract with all ICC Members giving countries absolute discretion to lodge an objection to a player - anytime up to two years' of the player's retirement - from its country playing in the IPL. "This will be respected by the IPL, with the player in question not selected by his franchise," David Morgan, the ICC's president-elect, said.
The IPL, which begins on April 18, is a domestic Twenty20 competition in the sense that all teams - called franchises - are based in Indian cities and all matches will be played in India. However, much of its appeal lies in the fact that these franchises have signed up the world's leading players on contracts worth up to US$1.5 million a year.
This has sparked fears that players would prefer to play for the more lucrative IPL over their countries. New Zealand and West Indies are the major nations at particular risk of losing star names because they cannot come close to competing financially with the IPL.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Hyderabad, Chennai IPL's dream teams
New Delhi: The players have been bought, but the big question is who has got the right ones. Powered with the findings of an opinion poll on Cricketnext.com, here's the expert view on who have the best team to go all the way in the IPL.
After a day of hectic buying and selling, everyone is wondering who got the mix right? That may not be easy to answer but the experts reckon some have no chance at all after the players they picked up, like team Jaipur.
"Serendipity. Whatever that lands up on the auction day. We might have picked out a few players and targetted them, but during the course of the auction, if you have been a little off target, there is a possibility of going off balance," VB Chandrasekhar, former India cricketer and selector of the Chennai Super Kings, told CNN-IBN on Saturday's Cricket 360.
Just one per cent of Cricketnext users thought Jaipur would win the league. Bangalore faired a touch better with four per cent, and Mumbai was at nine per cent.
"When you have these iconic players with you, and you pay them loads of money, I think it will call for true professionalism in them, and you have got to make sure that they win," notes former India speedster Javagal Srinath.
But one team that gets the accolades from nearly everyone is Hyderabad, who have Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi, Herschelle Gibbs, VVS Laxman and Rohit Sharma among others to call on.
"They have got the best balance because they have got players who can win the game single-handedly," explains former India spinner Maninder Singh.
Cricketnext users tend to agree. Hyderabad, along with Chennai fetched the highest number of votes with 26 per cent.
And the mastermind behind Chennai's selection is in no doubt they have hit the nail on the head. "I would tend to think that it's all ours already," Chandrashekhar beams.
What of the dark horses? Shahrukh Khan's Kolkata and Priety Zinta's Mohali are pretty close; 17 per cent go for Kolkata while 13 per cent back Preity's Mohali. Delhi managed just two per cent.
After a day of hectic buying and selling, everyone is wondering who got the mix right? That may not be easy to answer but the experts reckon some have no chance at all after the players they picked up, like team Jaipur.
"Serendipity. Whatever that lands up on the auction day. We might have picked out a few players and targetted them, but during the course of the auction, if you have been a little off target, there is a possibility of going off balance," VB Chandrasekhar, former India cricketer and selector of the Chennai Super Kings, told CNN-IBN on Saturday's Cricket 360.
Just one per cent of Cricketnext users thought Jaipur would win the league. Bangalore faired a touch better with four per cent, and Mumbai was at nine per cent.
"When you have these iconic players with you, and you pay them loads of money, I think it will call for true professionalism in them, and you have got to make sure that they win," notes former India speedster Javagal Srinath.
But one team that gets the accolades from nearly everyone is Hyderabad, who have Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi, Herschelle Gibbs, VVS Laxman and Rohit Sharma among others to call on.
"They have got the best balance because they have got players who can win the game single-handedly," explains former India spinner Maninder Singh.
Cricketnext users tend to agree. Hyderabad, along with Chennai fetched the highest number of votes with 26 per cent.
And the mastermind behind Chennai's selection is in no doubt they have hit the nail on the head. "I would tend to think that it's all ours already," Chandrashekhar beams.
What of the dark horses? Shahrukh Khan's Kolkata and Priety Zinta's Mohali are pretty close; 17 per cent go for Kolkata while 13 per cent back Preity's Mohali. Delhi managed just two per cent.
Younus disappointed at bid price at IPL auction
Younus disappointed at bid price at IPL auctionPTIPrintSaveWrite to EditorMail
KARACHI, February 23: After Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Pakistan batsman Younus Khan is another player to express disappointment at not fetching a bigger bid price in the Indian Premier League players' auction. Younus, who is captaining the North-West Frontier Province in the ongoing Pentangular tournament, told reporters he was surprised at the low price tag he attracted from the city teams taking part in the IPL Twenty20 event. The Jaipur franchise signed on Younus for a bid price of $225,000, which is far less than the $675,000 obtained by Shahid Afridi, $650,000 by Mohammad Asif and $500,000 by Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik. "It is a bit worrying because I was expecting a more attractive price tag," Younus said. "It is less than my expectations and it is a little bit of worry for me but I am confident that it (money) will improve next time with better performance," he said. Ponting, who was signed on by the Kolkata team for $400,000, has also expressed disappointment at the price he fetched at the auction. However, Younus said he remained a strong believer that performance would eventually help in achieving the targets he has set. "I know one thing that if I perform better, I will be given a better offer and I am committed to achieving that goal in the IPL," he stated. The Pakistan Cricket Board Younus hopes that India will tour the country for a short One-day series with Australia likely to come only for a curtailed visit. Younus felt the series against the archrivals will prepare Pakistan to take on the world champions.
KARACHI, February 23: After Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Pakistan batsman Younus Khan is another player to express disappointment at not fetching a bigger bid price in the Indian Premier League players' auction. Younus, who is captaining the North-West Frontier Province in the ongoing Pentangular tournament, told reporters he was surprised at the low price tag he attracted from the city teams taking part in the IPL Twenty20 event. The Jaipur franchise signed on Younus for a bid price of $225,000, which is far less than the $675,000 obtained by Shahid Afridi, $650,000 by Mohammad Asif and $500,000 by Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik. "It is a bit worrying because I was expecting a more attractive price tag," Younus said. "It is less than my expectations and it is a little bit of worry for me but I am confident that it (money) will improve next time with better performance," he said. Ponting, who was signed on by the Kolkata team for $400,000, has also expressed disappointment at the price he fetched at the auction. However, Younus said he remained a strong believer that performance would eventually help in achieving the targets he has set. "I know one thing that if I perform better, I will be given a better offer and I am committed to achieving that goal in the IPL," he stated. The Pakistan Cricket Board Younus hopes that India will tour the country for a short One-day series with Australia likely to come only for a curtailed visit. Younus felt the series against the archrivals will prepare Pakistan to take on the world champions.
Local stars named in IPL squad
Local stars named in IPL squad
Principal Correspondent
HYDERABAD: Andhra’s finds of last season, fast bowlers Doddapaneni Kalyankrishna and P. Vijay Kumar, are two of the eight first-class cricketers who will play for Hyderabad in the forthcoming Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket championship, according to manager Vijay Mohan Raj.
Vijay said that the six other cricketers are N. Arjun Yadav, D.B. Ravi Teja, N. Sarvesh Kumar and Pragyan Ojha (all from Hyderabad), India discard Y. Venugopala Rao (Andhra) and Orissa wicketkeeper Halhadar Das.
“With the addition of the first-class players, we have fulfilled the franchisee’s obligation to include under-22 players and players from the ‘catchment area’ (which included Hyderabad, Andhra and Orissa) in the Twenty20 squad,” Vijay Mohan Raj explained.
Principal Correspondent
HYDERABAD: Andhra’s finds of last season, fast bowlers Doddapaneni Kalyankrishna and P. Vijay Kumar, are two of the eight first-class cricketers who will play for Hyderabad in the forthcoming Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket championship, according to manager Vijay Mohan Raj.
Vijay said that the six other cricketers are N. Arjun Yadav, D.B. Ravi Teja, N. Sarvesh Kumar and Pragyan Ojha (all from Hyderabad), India discard Y. Venugopala Rao (Andhra) and Orissa wicketkeeper Halhadar Das.
“With the addition of the first-class players, we have fulfilled the franchisee’s obligation to include under-22 players and players from the ‘catchment area’ (which included Hyderabad, Andhra and Orissa) in the Twenty20 squad,” Vijay Mohan Raj explained.
Icons proved a handicap, complain IPL franchisees
DELHI, February 21: They were supposed to be the jewels in the crown. But if the proceedings at Wednesday's mega auction in IPL are anything to go by, the five "icon" players may have become millstones around the necks of their franchisees. According to sources, all the franchisees of the teams that had been allocated an icon player - Mumbai (Sachin Tendulkar), Bangalore (Rahul Dravid), Kolkata (Sourav Ganguly), Delhi (Virender Sehwag) and Mohali (Yuvraj Singh) - protested during the auction that they had been handicapped in the bidding process. They pointed out, the stipulation that the icons have to be paid at least 15% more than any other team player unduly raised their costs in the bidding. In comparison, they argued, teams with no icons could afford to bid high for specific players, while they could not do so, since it would effectively mean paying even more for the icon player, leaving them with little for the rest of the squad. For instance, if Chennai had an icon player and had still chosen to buy Dhoni for Rs 6 crore, it would have had to spend 15% more, that is Rs 6.9 crore, on the icon player. Out of a maximum budget of $5 million, or about Rs 20 crore, it would've ended up paying Rs 12.9 crore on just two players - that's almost two-thirds of the total available money. Not surprisingly, the two highest bids - for Dhoni and Andrew Symonds from Hyderabad - came from teams that don't have an icon. The franchisees expressed the view that IPL should have allotted an icon to each team to level the field. Alternatively, they suggested, the icons could have been kept out of the $5 million cap imposed on franchisees for buying players. A third option was that the non-icon teams like Jaipur and Hyderabad should've paid their captain 15% more than the most expensive player. IPL officials at the bidding - Lalit Modi, I S Bindra and Rajeev Shukla - said the rules were known to all franchisees and it was too late in the day to change the goalposts
Hyderabad aiming to build a solid fan base for IPL
New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) After spending a staggering $112 million in buying the franchise and players for the Indian Premier League (IPL), Hyderabad team owners Deccan Chronicle are now out to build a solid fan base for their powerful team. Deccan Chronicle, the leading newspaper from Hyderabad, has some of the big names in world cricket like Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist and local hero V.V. S. Laxman. They won Symonds for a whopping $1.35 million, the highest amount paid for an overseas player.
So with the great names in business, they are hoping that they would not only recover the millions spent, but also make handsome profit. It is only a matter of time.
Team spokesperson J. Krishnan told IANS that Deccan Chronicle would recover the money from the central telecast rights fee and from local franchise revenue.
“The central revenue will be from the IPL board, which will distribute the TV rights revenue. The local or the franchise revenue will come from gate money and in-stadia advertisements. We will get a big chunk of in-stadia ads and the rest of the amount would be shared by the IPL and the state association.”
Krishanan said all investments were made keeping long-term strategy in mind. “Now the aim is to build a broad fan base for the team. The big names in the team will help us do that.”
Happy with the players they bought at Wednesday’s auction in Mumbai?
“Absolutely, the $5.8 million amount spent in buying 11 players was made in the right direction and it was the best we could have.”
Deccan Chronicle was the second highest bidder at the auction after India Cements which spent $5.9 million in buying players for their Chennai Super Kings team.
“If you look at the players we bought, I think we have one of the best balanced teams. All the players have proven record and I think Hyderabad will be a good competitive team,” said Krishnan.
Asked if buying controversial all-rounder Symonds was a planned move, he said: “We were aware of the fact that Australians won’t be available for the first year owing to their international commitments. So we bought him only keeping the long-term interests of the team in mind because players are contracted for three years. Now his presence will certainly make a difference to the team. He is a very popular player.”
Krishnan also said despite Laxman’s exclusion from the national one-day and Twenty20 side, he will add to the weight of the team as captain. Laxman also showed his generosity by declining to be an iconic player and get 15 percent more than the highest paid player in the team. It also helped the franchise as it could shell out more money to raise a good team.
Besides 11 players bought during auction, the Hyderabad team will look to promote local talent in the catchments area extending to even Orissa.
“We feel IPL is all about promoting local talent and we will do it and nurture it. Local Ranji Trophy players and under-22 players will get a chance and they will be paid according to the IPL norms,” Krishnan said.
According to IPL rules, a Ranji Trophy player should be paid $50,000 while an under-22 cricketer $20,000.
Krishnan also disclosed that India’s fielding coach Robin Singh will be the coach of the team but declined to names of physio and fitness trainer. “We are in the final stage of appointing Robin. About physios and fitness trainer, we have quiet a few names,” he said.
So with the great names in business, they are hoping that they would not only recover the millions spent, but also make handsome profit. It is only a matter of time.
Team spokesperson J. Krishnan told IANS that Deccan Chronicle would recover the money from the central telecast rights fee and from local franchise revenue.
“The central revenue will be from the IPL board, which will distribute the TV rights revenue. The local or the franchise revenue will come from gate money and in-stadia advertisements. We will get a big chunk of in-stadia ads and the rest of the amount would be shared by the IPL and the state association.”
Krishanan said all investments were made keeping long-term strategy in mind. “Now the aim is to build a broad fan base for the team. The big names in the team will help us do that.”
Happy with the players they bought at Wednesday’s auction in Mumbai?
“Absolutely, the $5.8 million amount spent in buying 11 players was made in the right direction and it was the best we could have.”
Deccan Chronicle was the second highest bidder at the auction after India Cements which spent $5.9 million in buying players for their Chennai Super Kings team.
“If you look at the players we bought, I think we have one of the best balanced teams. All the players have proven record and I think Hyderabad will be a good competitive team,” said Krishnan.
Asked if buying controversial all-rounder Symonds was a planned move, he said: “We were aware of the fact that Australians won’t be available for the first year owing to their international commitments. So we bought him only keeping the long-term interests of the team in mind because players are contracted for three years. Now his presence will certainly make a difference to the team. He is a very popular player.”
Krishnan also said despite Laxman’s exclusion from the national one-day and Twenty20 side, he will add to the weight of the team as captain. Laxman also showed his generosity by declining to be an iconic player and get 15 percent more than the highest paid player in the team. It also helped the franchise as it could shell out more money to raise a good team.
Besides 11 players bought during auction, the Hyderabad team will look to promote local talent in the catchments area extending to even Orissa.
“We feel IPL is all about promoting local talent and we will do it and nurture it. Local Ranji Trophy players and under-22 players will get a chance and they will be paid according to the IPL norms,” Krishnan said.
According to IPL rules, a Ranji Trophy player should be paid $50,000 while an under-22 cricketer $20,000.
Krishnan also disclosed that India’s fielding coach Robin Singh will be the coach of the team but declined to names of physio and fitness trainer. “We are in the final stage of appointing Robin. About physios and fitness trainer, we have quiet a few names,” he said.
Why VVS Laxman gave up a motza
Whispers and glances were thrown around the air-conditioned conference room in Mumbai's Hilton Towers, then silence descended.
"Next up is Andrew Symonds," said auctioneer Richard Madley, "with a base price of $US250,000."
Within moments, that base price had tripled and franchises couldn't wait for rivals to finish raising their hands before putting in higher bids.
Madley was working overtime: "$1 million, do I have $1.25? $1.25 here, do I have $1.3 million? Yes, $1.3 million [$A1.47m]."
Hyderabad's offer was simply too much. Some franchises weren't prepared to spend that much on one player; others were not prepared to see how far Hyderabad would go to get Symonds.
"Sold to Hyderabad for $1.3 million." Madley's hammer sounded the dawn of a new era for Australia's professional cricketers.
And Symonds - who signed his first professional contract wearing footy shorts, thongs and a cowboy hat - is now Twenty20 royalty and the richest non-Indian in this format of the game.
But in the ensuing days of head-shaking and figure-quoting, what few have realised is that Symonds's enormous pay-day was largely made possible by one man: VVS Laxman.
The Indian Test batsman, who will captain Symonds, gave up his "icon" status so Hyderabad could spend more money on talent. Under the stipulations, icon players (hometown heroes) were to receive 15 per cent more than their highest-earning teammates, a deal capitalised on by Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh to earn million-dollar contracts.
But Laxman declined and he received only $US375,000, a figure which allowed Hyderabad to spend big on Adam Gilchrist, RP Singh, Rohit Sharma and Shahid Afridi. If Hyderabad had to pay Laxman 15 per cent more than Symonds and remain under the $US5 million cap, they would not have been able to sign two of the other players. Symonds and Gilchrist in particular were chosen because Hyderabad felt its young squad members would benefit from exposure to the game's champions.
Now Symonds will make most of his money in a country where some middle-class fans are openly racist towards him, but where some of India's richest men want to make him a sporting god.
N. Krishnan is chief financial officer of the Deccan Chronicle, the newspaper company which purchased Hyderabad for $116.7 million.
The decision to make Symonds the second-highest paid IPL player was based on on-field strength, said Krishnan, and he is certain Indians are ready to embrace the Australian despite his racism row with Harbhajan Singh during the Sydney Test.
"We believe that things can happen on the field in the heat of cricket, and that it is now forgotten," Krishnan said. "I don't think any of the players carry it with them. We didn't really look at it like that. I am sure he will learn from it. Bygones are bygones.
"This is a long-term commitment. Once the cricket succeeds everything else will follow; the branding, everything will come. If my team is losing, marketing will be difficult."
But marketing is part and parcel of the deal. Players will be expected to feature heavily in advertising campaigns and Symonds could soon be asked to write a column for the Deccan Chronicle - "anything is possible", Krishnan said.
The anomaly of pricing put on players - with fringe players such as Cameron White and David Hussey earning more than Ricky Ponting - should have a flow-on effect in Australia.
Todd Deacon, general manager of the Sweeney Sports marketing firm, said television ratings for the IPL in Australia would determine whether local companies follow India's lead.
"There is still the issue of not necessarily representing your country - so you might be big in India but not the elite of the elite in Australian cricket, and that would still have an impact," he said.
"We believe that things can happen on the field in the heat of cricket, and that it is now forgotten," Krishnan said. "I don't think any of the players carry it with them. We didn't really look at it like that. I am sure he will learn from it. Bygones are bygones.
"This is a long-term commitment. Once the cricket succeeds everything else will follow; the branding, everything will come. If my team is losing, marketing will be difficult."
But marketing is part and parcel of the deal. Players will be expected to feature heavily in advertising campaigns and Symonds could soon be asked to write a column for the Deccan Chronicle - "anything is possible", Krishnan said.
The anomaly of pricing put on players - with fringe players such as Cameron White and David Hussey earning more than Ricky Ponting - should have a flow-on effect in Australia.
Todd Deacon, general manager of the Sweeney Sports marketing firm, said television ratings for the IPL in Australia would determine whether local companies follow India's lead.
"There is still the issue of not necessarily representing your country - so you might be big in India but not the elite of the elite in Australian cricket, and that would still have an impact," he said.
Vidarbha bookies gear up for IPL
NAGPUR: It’s not just Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta who are looking to make money out of the glitzy DLF Indian Premier League. Even the bookies of Vidarbha are hoping to cash in on the inaugural event, which brings together cricketers from around the world in a motley cocktail. The title-sponsorship went for Rs 200 crore for five years. But local bookies are expecting business of at least worth Rs 500 crore in the initial stages of the 44-day event. The betting will only increase towards the later stages of the league and the final figure can’t even be guesstimated. “This amount is just for the Vidarbha region,’’ said a bookie. “In metros like Mumbai and Delhi, the amount could almost be four to five times more. For big clashes, we expect the volume to go up to Rs 100 cr per match.’’ The IPL has got the bookies very excited. “We did not do much business neither during the India-Australia Test series nor in the ongoing Triangular series,’’ said the bookie. “But we very hopeful of the IPL. The amount of money that’s been spent on players have seen many bettors coming to us with inquiries on the event. Even last year’s World Cup and World T20 did not generate so much interest.’’ Local bookies had an informal discussion following Wednesday’s auction in Mumbai. “We will decide on the favourites and the odds to be offered on the teams within a few days,’’ said the bookie. An insider claimed that the ‘cricket satta’ centres in Vidarbha would soon be activated to ensure that each of the nodules attract maximum bettors. The bookies are expected to exercise caution in the city and may shift to the rural areas to escape detection by the city police. During the Caribbean World Cup and the Twenty20 World Cup held in South Africa, the city-based bookies had a tough time evading the police. Now the bookies are expected to use laptops, mobile phone lines and fast-moving vehicles to avoid being caught by the cops.
Mumbai to host ten IPL ties
Mumbai frachise winners Reliance India Ltd of Mukesh Ambani, will host ten matches, including the two semi finals and final, in the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League set to kick off at Bangalore on April 18.
Reliance Ltd. Has earned the right to host the final and the two semi finals by virtue of having bid the highest (USD 111.9) during the franchise auction which netted the Cricket Board USD 723.6 million, according to IPL sources.
"The bid by Vijay Mallya's UB Group of USD 111.6 m for the Bangalore franchise was the second-best and that's why he has been allotted the League opener on April 18," they said.
With each franchise team playing all other teams once on a home and away basis, the Mumbai franchise owners will be hosting seven ties in the preliminary stage of the tournament plus the three in the knock-out phase, making it ten in all.
IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi today said the Mumbai franchise owners have been given the option of hosting matches at the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium and the D Y Patil Stadium, in Navi Mumbai.
"I guess they will choose CCI," he said when asked which of the two venues would be preferred for the June 1 final and the two semi finals, slated for May 30 and 31.
The other seven franchise owners - Bangalore (United Breweries), Hyderabad (Deccan Chronicle Group), Chennai (India Cements), Delhi (GMR Group), Kolkata (Red Chillies Entertainment of Shah Rukh Khan and Group), Chandigarh (Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, R Burman and Group) and Jaipur (Emerging Media Group) would host seven matches each in the 44-day, 59-match League
Reliance Ltd. Has earned the right to host the final and the two semi finals by virtue of having bid the highest (USD 111.9) during the franchise auction which netted the Cricket Board USD 723.6 million, according to IPL sources.
"The bid by Vijay Mallya's UB Group of USD 111.6 m for the Bangalore franchise was the second-best and that's why he has been allotted the League opener on April 18," they said.
With each franchise team playing all other teams once on a home and away basis, the Mumbai franchise owners will be hosting seven ties in the preliminary stage of the tournament plus the three in the knock-out phase, making it ten in all.
IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi today said the Mumbai franchise owners have been given the option of hosting matches at the Cricket Club of India's Brabourne Stadium and the D Y Patil Stadium, in Navi Mumbai.
"I guess they will choose CCI," he said when asked which of the two venues would be preferred for the June 1 final and the two semi finals, slated for May 30 and 31.
The other seven franchise owners - Bangalore (United Breweries), Hyderabad (Deccan Chronicle Group), Chennai (India Cements), Delhi (GMR Group), Kolkata (Red Chillies Entertainment of Shah Rukh Khan and Group), Chandigarh (Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, R Burman and Group) and Jaipur (Emerging Media Group) would host seven matches each in the 44-day, 59-match League
Purists fume as IPL shifts crickets powerbase to India, Twenty20
Purists fume as IPL shifts crickets powerbase to India, Twenty20
1 day ago
NEW DELHI - The massive spending on the new Indian Premier League shows the power base of the game has shifted very firmly to the subcontinent and the Twenty20 game, and the game's traditionalists are not happy.
Cricket's old guard attacked the new Indian Premier League on Friday, saying the tens of millions spent at a player auction on Wednesday - not to mention the US$1.7 billion on combined television rights and franchise ownership - had cheapened the sport.
The critics pounced two days after IPL franchise owners spent almost $42 million at the auction, staffing their teams with the cream of world cricket's talent ahead of the April 18 launch.
While the majority of fans in India were eagerly awaiting the new league, and cherishing their place as the new centre of the sport, not all were happy.
"Cricket is not going to change, but the unfortunate side is that cricketers have become commodities ... just commodities," said former India Test player Erapalli Prasanna.
"If I look at you like some sort of vegetable, is it good for you?" Prasanna was quoted as saying at a panel discussion in Mumbai by Press Trust of India.
"You should be looked at for your quality, as a cricketer ... a talented cricketer."
The Indian media dubbed the IPL as a "million-dollar baby", but historian and cricket author Ramchandra Guha was not convinced about the merits of a city-focused league or the dominance of Twenty20 over Test cricket and 50-over game.
"How can you generate city loyalty in a sport so focused on national identity," Guha said in a debate on independent New Delhi Television.
Guha said he was not tempted to watch the IPL, and would instead prefer to spend his time viewing a domestic Ranji Trophy game.
"Test cricket is scotch, one-dayers are Indian whisky and Twenty20 is local hooch," said Guha.
The jibe may or may not have been aimed at billionaire Vijay Mallya, who runs one of the world's biggest spirits companies and is the owner of the Bangalore team.
Regardless, Mallya seemed pleased with the players he had bought Wednesday.
"I'm very happy with the team we've got, we have the best bowling attack in the IPL," Mallya told the independent Times Now network.
Mallya's team paid top prices for seasoned South Africans Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher to back up former India captain Rahul Dravid - who was given the "icon" status and not available for bidding.
Mallya said Dravid, who attended the auction, had influenced who the franchise targeted in bidding.
It secured current Test captain and ace leg-break bowler Anil Kumble before focusing on bolstering its pace attack by buying Indian left armer Zaheer Khan, Australia's Nathan Bracken and South Africa's Dale Steyn.
Young Australian big-hitting allrounder Cameron White was another player on its wishlist whom Bangalore claimed.
"We bid very aggressively for (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni, but could not go beyond a certain budget as we needed to keep money for the bowlers," said Mallya, adding that he had wanted Bangalore-based batsman Robin Uthappa "but he slipped through my fingers."
Dhoni was ultimately the highest-paid player at the auction, fetching $1.5 million from Chennai. Teams were permitted to spend a maximum of $5 million at the auction.
Uthappa, who features in the Indian one-day squad currently playing in a tri-series in Australia, was bought for $800,000 by Mumbai, which will be led by India batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
"We play cricket, do the job we love and the money that comes with it is a perk," PTI quoted Uthappa as saying in Sydney.
Uthappa will be joined at Mumbai by ace India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who fetched $850,000 in the auction after fierce bidding as the Mohali team too was eager on buying him.
"I'm happy to be playing under Tendulkar, who's my cricket idol," Singh was quoted as saying in Sydney by PTI. Singh said it would be unusual playing against his childhood friend and Punjab state teammate Yuvraj Singh, who will be leading Mohali.
Mohali's owners, industrialist Ness Wadia and film actress Priety Zinta, were delighted with their acquisitions, which included India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, Australia pace spearhead Brett Lee, Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, plus young Indian bowlers Shantakumaran Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla.
"The team comprises only winners and we'll play to win," said Wadia.
Jaipur's lineup will feature an interesting combination of South Africa skipper Graeme Smith and former Australian spin great Shane Warne, whose dislike for each other is well known and who have a history of fiery verbal exchanges.
The pair could boost light-spending Jaipur's prowess if they can establish a working relationship.
After the high-profile acquisitions, team franchises face the task of filling out their squads with players from their catchment areas and youngsters, whose presence in the squad is mandatory.
Team scouts have already started their search for promising youth, including reaching out to the India team currently participating in the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia.
Extracting brand value ahead of the IPL's launch will be difficult as the leading India players - the biggest draws at the auction - will be on national duty until three days ahead of the IPL's launch.
India's home Test series against South Africa will run from March 26-April 15, giving the Test stars just a few days to bond with new teammates and promote their teams.
1 day ago
NEW DELHI - The massive spending on the new Indian Premier League shows the power base of the game has shifted very firmly to the subcontinent and the Twenty20 game, and the game's traditionalists are not happy.
Cricket's old guard attacked the new Indian Premier League on Friday, saying the tens of millions spent at a player auction on Wednesday - not to mention the US$1.7 billion on combined television rights and franchise ownership - had cheapened the sport.
The critics pounced two days after IPL franchise owners spent almost $42 million at the auction, staffing their teams with the cream of world cricket's talent ahead of the April 18 launch.
While the majority of fans in India were eagerly awaiting the new league, and cherishing their place as the new centre of the sport, not all were happy.
"Cricket is not going to change, but the unfortunate side is that cricketers have become commodities ... just commodities," said former India Test player Erapalli Prasanna.
"If I look at you like some sort of vegetable, is it good for you?" Prasanna was quoted as saying at a panel discussion in Mumbai by Press Trust of India.
"You should be looked at for your quality, as a cricketer ... a talented cricketer."
The Indian media dubbed the IPL as a "million-dollar baby", but historian and cricket author Ramchandra Guha was not convinced about the merits of a city-focused league or the dominance of Twenty20 over Test cricket and 50-over game.
"How can you generate city loyalty in a sport so focused on national identity," Guha said in a debate on independent New Delhi Television.
Guha said he was not tempted to watch the IPL, and would instead prefer to spend his time viewing a domestic Ranji Trophy game.
"Test cricket is scotch, one-dayers are Indian whisky and Twenty20 is local hooch," said Guha.
The jibe may or may not have been aimed at billionaire Vijay Mallya, who runs one of the world's biggest spirits companies and is the owner of the Bangalore team.
Regardless, Mallya seemed pleased with the players he had bought Wednesday.
"I'm very happy with the team we've got, we have the best bowling attack in the IPL," Mallya told the independent Times Now network.
Mallya's team paid top prices for seasoned South Africans Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher to back up former India captain Rahul Dravid - who was given the "icon" status and not available for bidding.
Mallya said Dravid, who attended the auction, had influenced who the franchise targeted in bidding.
It secured current Test captain and ace leg-break bowler Anil Kumble before focusing on bolstering its pace attack by buying Indian left armer Zaheer Khan, Australia's Nathan Bracken and South Africa's Dale Steyn.
Young Australian big-hitting allrounder Cameron White was another player on its wishlist whom Bangalore claimed.
"We bid very aggressively for (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni, but could not go beyond a certain budget as we needed to keep money for the bowlers," said Mallya, adding that he had wanted Bangalore-based batsman Robin Uthappa "but he slipped through my fingers."
Dhoni was ultimately the highest-paid player at the auction, fetching $1.5 million from Chennai. Teams were permitted to spend a maximum of $5 million at the auction.
Uthappa, who features in the Indian one-day squad currently playing in a tri-series in Australia, was bought for $800,000 by Mumbai, which will be led by India batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
"We play cricket, do the job we love and the money that comes with it is a perk," PTI quoted Uthappa as saying in Sydney.
Uthappa will be joined at Mumbai by ace India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who fetched $850,000 in the auction after fierce bidding as the Mohali team too was eager on buying him.
"I'm happy to be playing under Tendulkar, who's my cricket idol," Singh was quoted as saying in Sydney by PTI. Singh said it would be unusual playing against his childhood friend and Punjab state teammate Yuvraj Singh, who will be leading Mohali.
Mohali's owners, industrialist Ness Wadia and film actress Priety Zinta, were delighted with their acquisitions, which included India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, Australia pace spearhead Brett Lee, Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara, West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, plus young Indian bowlers Shantakumaran Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla.
"The team comprises only winners and we'll play to win," said Wadia.
Jaipur's lineup will feature an interesting combination of South Africa skipper Graeme Smith and former Australian spin great Shane Warne, whose dislike for each other is well known and who have a history of fiery verbal exchanges.
The pair could boost light-spending Jaipur's prowess if they can establish a working relationship.
After the high-profile acquisitions, team franchises face the task of filling out their squads with players from their catchment areas and youngsters, whose presence in the squad is mandatory.
Team scouts have already started their search for promising youth, including reaching out to the India team currently participating in the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia.
Extracting brand value ahead of the IPL's launch will be difficult as the leading India players - the biggest draws at the auction - will be on national duty until three days ahead of the IPL's launch.
India's home Test series against South Africa will run from March 26-April 15, giving the Test stars just a few days to bond with new teammates and promote their teams.
Ageing Cricketers 'priceless' For Chennai Super Kings
Ageing Cricketers 'priceless' For Chennai Super Kings
Sunday 24th of February 2008Matthew Hayden, Muttiah Muralitharan and Stephen Fleming's age might be on the wrong side of 30 but their new employers India Cements are happy to include them on board the Chennai Super Kings team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).Super Kings shelled out a record $5.9 million for the 11 players they bought at the auction in Mumbai Wednesday. They bought India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a staggering $1.5 million, the highest bid amount at the auction for IPL's Twenty20 tournament starting April 18.While paying such a huge amount for India's Twenty20 World Championship winning captain maybe a good proposition, Super Kings owner N. Srinivasan, the managing director of India Cements, feels that significant amount of money on Hayden, Muralitharan, Mkhaya Ntini, Fleming and Michael Hussey was also a wise investment.Twenty20 is considered cut-out for young cricketers and the presence of other young legs like Suresh Raina, Albie Morkel and Parthiv Patel will obviously make a difference, Srinivasan said.'If you look at our side it is very balanced and I think our investment is very much justified. A good side is always a mix of youth and experience. When a team is in crisis situation it will be the experience, which will help the youth to bail out the side,' Srinivasan told IANS. Srinivasan, who is also the treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), claimed that going by current form the 30 plus cricketers are good enough to survive the newest and fastest version of the game.'They have an envious record and are performing even better than the youngsters. They are priceless and will be an asset for us,' said Srinivasan.Asked, whether the team went for Dhoni for his 'glamour quotient', Srinivasan said: 'He is a rare cricketer, genuine all rounder. He is an explosive batsman, an agile wicket keeper and if needed he can take off his gloves and can even bowl gentle medium pacers.'With 11 players bought in auction, is there any room to give enough chance to local talent?'The whole idea of IPL is to promote local talent. And we will do that 100 percent. I think the kind of players we have bought will inspire the next generation to take up the sport as a viable career option,' said Srinivasan.He was also optimistic that IPL team owners would make a handsome profit in the first year itself and fan and city loyalty will help them to build brand equity for Super Kings.'If you see the kind of hysteria the IPL has created, I am sure the owners will make profit in the first year. The teams will not only get a share of the IPL's telecast rights but also the local revenues like gate collection and a significant part of the in stadia advertisements,' he said.With some of the big names in world cricket in the team, Super Kings will be the side to watch out for. They will face Mumbai in their opening match April 22.
Sunday 24th of February 2008Matthew Hayden, Muttiah Muralitharan and Stephen Fleming's age might be on the wrong side of 30 but their new employers India Cements are happy to include them on board the Chennai Super Kings team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).Super Kings shelled out a record $5.9 million for the 11 players they bought at the auction in Mumbai Wednesday. They bought India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for a staggering $1.5 million, the highest bid amount at the auction for IPL's Twenty20 tournament starting April 18.While paying such a huge amount for India's Twenty20 World Championship winning captain maybe a good proposition, Super Kings owner N. Srinivasan, the managing director of India Cements, feels that significant amount of money on Hayden, Muralitharan, Mkhaya Ntini, Fleming and Michael Hussey was also a wise investment.Twenty20 is considered cut-out for young cricketers and the presence of other young legs like Suresh Raina, Albie Morkel and Parthiv Patel will obviously make a difference, Srinivasan said.'If you look at our side it is very balanced and I think our investment is very much justified. A good side is always a mix of youth and experience. When a team is in crisis situation it will be the experience, which will help the youth to bail out the side,' Srinivasan told IANS. Srinivasan, who is also the treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), claimed that going by current form the 30 plus cricketers are good enough to survive the newest and fastest version of the game.'They have an envious record and are performing even better than the youngsters. They are priceless and will be an asset for us,' said Srinivasan.Asked, whether the team went for Dhoni for his 'glamour quotient', Srinivasan said: 'He is a rare cricketer, genuine all rounder. He is an explosive batsman, an agile wicket keeper and if needed he can take off his gloves and can even bowl gentle medium pacers.'With 11 players bought in auction, is there any room to give enough chance to local talent?'The whole idea of IPL is to promote local talent. And we will do that 100 percent. I think the kind of players we have bought will inspire the next generation to take up the sport as a viable career option,' said Srinivasan.He was also optimistic that IPL team owners would make a handsome profit in the first year itself and fan and city loyalty will help them to build brand equity for Super Kings.'If you see the kind of hysteria the IPL has created, I am sure the owners will make profit in the first year. The teams will not only get a share of the IPL's telecast rights but also the local revenues like gate collection and a significant part of the in stadia advertisements,' he said.With some of the big names in world cricket in the team, Super Kings will be the side to watch out for. They will face Mumbai in their opening match April 22.
Srinivasan all praise for Dhoni
Special Correspondent
Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings targeted Mahendra Singh Dhoni and off-spinner Muralitharan and picked them both in the first set of auction for the DLF IPL Twenty20 competition.
Franchise owner India Cements, owner of the $91 million priced Chennai region shelled out $1.5 million to Dhoni and $600,000 to Sri Lankan off-spinner Muralitharan as salary for the first season.
“We wanted them. Dhoni is an outstanding cricketer, a match-winner and India’s captain for one-dayers and who won the ICC T20 competition. He is a three-in-one player,” Mr. Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, India Cements told the The Hindu.Agarkar happy
Ajit Agarkar is looking forward to playing under Sourav Ganguly again and making Eden Gardens his temporary home for seven home matches for the Kolkata region.
Chosen by Red Chillies Entertainment, the franchise owner of the Kolkata region for $350,000, the 30-year old Agarkar is looking forward to wear the Kolkata colours.
“It’s great for the cricketers money-wise and it’s taken the earnings of the cricketers to another level. That said, I am looking forward to play six weeks of cricket with international players. Teams have targeted specific players and it will be a great opportunity to interact with international players with whom I have played against.”No difference
Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik said he will not find it new to play with a set of international cricketers. Kartik, too has been taken by the Kolkata region for $425,000.
“It will not be a new experience for me. I have been playing county cricket for four years for Lancashire and then for Middlesex. I have played with Nathan Astle, Stuart Law, Andrew Strauss and Chaminda Vaas.
“Yet, I like the IPL concept because it will provide a chance to match your skills against teams that will have a mix of international and Indian players. It will be a challenge. If John Buchanan is going to be the coach, that will make it even more interesting.”
Special Correspondent
Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings targeted Mahendra Singh Dhoni and off-spinner Muralitharan and picked them both in the first set of auction for the DLF IPL Twenty20 competition.
Franchise owner India Cements, owner of the $91 million priced Chennai region shelled out $1.5 million to Dhoni and $600,000 to Sri Lankan off-spinner Muralitharan as salary for the first season.
“We wanted them. Dhoni is an outstanding cricketer, a match-winner and India’s captain for one-dayers and who won the ICC T20 competition. He is a three-in-one player,” Mr. Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, India Cements told the The Hindu.Agarkar happy
Ajit Agarkar is looking forward to playing under Sourav Ganguly again and making Eden Gardens his temporary home for seven home matches for the Kolkata region.
Chosen by Red Chillies Entertainment, the franchise owner of the Kolkata region for $350,000, the 30-year old Agarkar is looking forward to wear the Kolkata colours.
“It’s great for the cricketers money-wise and it’s taken the earnings of the cricketers to another level. That said, I am looking forward to play six weeks of cricket with international players. Teams have targeted specific players and it will be a great opportunity to interact with international players with whom I have played against.”No difference
Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik said he will not find it new to play with a set of international cricketers. Kartik, too has been taken by the Kolkata region for $425,000.
“It will not be a new experience for me. I have been playing county cricket for four years for Lancashire and then for Middlesex. I have played with Nathan Astle, Stuart Law, Andrew Strauss and Chaminda Vaas.
“Yet, I like the IPL concept because it will provide a chance to match your skills against teams that will have a mix of international and Indian players. It will be a challenge. If John Buchanan is going to be the coach, that will make it even more interesting.”
Dravid satisfied with Bangalore squad
Ajay S Shankar
February 22, 2008
Rahul Dravid: "We have players who have played under pressure" © AFP
Rahul Dravid is pleased with the players the Bangalore franchise had procured in the IPL auction, and believes his side has individuals who can handle pressure.
Dravid, the icon for the Bangalore Royal Challengers, played down the talk of his side not buying any big names. "This is an erroneous perception," he told Cricinfo. "The quality of Indian and international players in our team speak for themselves. They may not be glamorous in the areas people typically judge them by, but in terms of cricket they are fantastic and at the end of the day this is a cricket tournament and cricket is what is important.
"We are fortunate to have such great players in the side. With them in the squad, we will get so much more experience and ability."
Unlike the others, the Bangalore franchise preferred innings builders, like Jacques Kallis, Wasim Jaffer and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, to aggressors. "We have players who have played under pressure," Dravid said, "and therefore are confident that under similar circumstances in the Twenty20 matches, they will perform exceedingly well."
Although the franchise bought Anil Kumble, they failed in their bid to purchase Robin Uthappa, another Bangalore-based player in the Indian team. Uthappa, who was bought by the Mumbai franchise for a whopping US$800,000, would have not only provided a balance to Bangalore's batting line-up but his purchase would have also helped fill up one slot among the four catchment area players.
"As a Bangalore player, I obviously would have liked to have had Robin, who is from our catchment area, in the team," Dravid said. "However, in an auction where there are rules and restrictions, it is not always possible to get every player one wants.
"In fact, none of the teams were able to get all the players they would have liked to. However, having said that I would like to add that I am excited with the team we have got."
On the potentially match-winning bowling attack that his team has lined up - Dale Steyn, Nathan Bracken, Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble, Dravid said, "The idea was to have a good balance, which is very important for the tournament."
Dravid said Australian allrounder Cameron White, whom Bangalore bought for US$500,000 at the auction, was an "exciting" addition.
"I think people are getting a bit confused by the price aspect. It's just reflective of the current situation in cricket and what people want. White is a very exciting Twenty20 player and his domestic record [with two Twenty20 hundreds] in Australia is phenomenal. He was always on our wishlist."
Asked whether he viewed the 44-day Twenty20 tournament starting in April 18 as a platform to stage a comeback into the Indian one-day team, Dravid said: "I am not looking at this that way. To be honest, this is something new for all of us. There are so many things you want to experience as a player. Personally, I have seen and experienced a lot over the last 12 years [in international cricket]. Now, I am just so glad that at this point of my career, I will be a part of this new experience."
Dravid didn't want to divulge much about the strategies that his side were planning to adopt during the tournament, set to start on April 18. "It is still too early for me to comment on this. At the moment I am focused on getting fit after my finger injury [sustained during the Test series in Australia] and preparing for the Test matches against South Africa."
February 22, 2008
Rahul Dravid: "We have players who have played under pressure" © AFP
Rahul Dravid is pleased with the players the Bangalore franchise had procured in the IPL auction, and believes his side has individuals who can handle pressure.
Dravid, the icon for the Bangalore Royal Challengers, played down the talk of his side not buying any big names. "This is an erroneous perception," he told Cricinfo. "The quality of Indian and international players in our team speak for themselves. They may not be glamorous in the areas people typically judge them by, but in terms of cricket they are fantastic and at the end of the day this is a cricket tournament and cricket is what is important.
"We are fortunate to have such great players in the side. With them in the squad, we will get so much more experience and ability."
Unlike the others, the Bangalore franchise preferred innings builders, like Jacques Kallis, Wasim Jaffer and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, to aggressors. "We have players who have played under pressure," Dravid said, "and therefore are confident that under similar circumstances in the Twenty20 matches, they will perform exceedingly well."
Although the franchise bought Anil Kumble, they failed in their bid to purchase Robin Uthappa, another Bangalore-based player in the Indian team. Uthappa, who was bought by the Mumbai franchise for a whopping US$800,000, would have not only provided a balance to Bangalore's batting line-up but his purchase would have also helped fill up one slot among the four catchment area players.
"As a Bangalore player, I obviously would have liked to have had Robin, who is from our catchment area, in the team," Dravid said. "However, in an auction where there are rules and restrictions, it is not always possible to get every player one wants.
"In fact, none of the teams were able to get all the players they would have liked to. However, having said that I would like to add that I am excited with the team we have got."
On the potentially match-winning bowling attack that his team has lined up - Dale Steyn, Nathan Bracken, Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble, Dravid said, "The idea was to have a good balance, which is very important for the tournament."
Dravid said Australian allrounder Cameron White, whom Bangalore bought for US$500,000 at the auction, was an "exciting" addition.
"I think people are getting a bit confused by the price aspect. It's just reflective of the current situation in cricket and what people want. White is a very exciting Twenty20 player and his domestic record [with two Twenty20 hundreds] in Australia is phenomenal. He was always on our wishlist."
Asked whether he viewed the 44-day Twenty20 tournament starting in April 18 as a platform to stage a comeback into the Indian one-day team, Dravid said: "I am not looking at this that way. To be honest, this is something new for all of us. There are so many things you want to experience as a player. Personally, I have seen and experienced a lot over the last 12 years [in international cricket]. Now, I am just so glad that at this point of my career, I will be a part of this new experience."
Dravid didn't want to divulge much about the strategies that his side were planning to adopt during the tournament, set to start on April 18. "It is still too early for me to comment on this. At the moment I am focused on getting fit after my finger injury [sustained during the Test series in Australia] and preparing for the Test matches against South Africa."
IPL's first year will be crucial: Dravid
February 22, 2008 21:11 IST
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is being perceived as the beginning of a lucrative new era for cricket, but former India captain Rahul Dravid [] says its success and impact on the game will depend on how it produces top class cricket in the first year.
"IPL is something new. It is going to be quite exciting and in the first year there is going to be a lot of interest. Obviously after that, it is really going to depend on how it picks up. I think the quality of cricket is important," Dravid told PTI in an exclusive interview.
"Because, people who come to watch (the matches) are going to expect good standard of cricket. At the end of the day, this (good cricket) is what would make IPL a success or failure. It is upto the players, both domestic and international, to provide that," the captain of Royal Challengers, the Bangalore team owned by business tycoon Vijay Mallya .
Asked if the IPL was good for cricket in the long run, Dravid said "I think only time will tell." The Bangalore icon player, who would earn more than Rs 4 crore in the first season from a maximum 10 matches, refused to buy the argument that IPL was all about money and said people should look at whether it gives the fans entertainment and good quality cricket.
"It is going to be about cricket. People want to see good standard of cricket. At the end of the day, it (good cricket) is going to be the most important," he said when asked whether money or cricket was at the frorefront in the IPL.
Dravid also feels that the price of players at the auction on Wednesday was not the true reflection of the capability of a player and the "limitations and certain rules" of the auction was the reason why a big star like Ricky Ponting got less than others.
"I don't think you have to look at what one player got at the auction and compare it with other players and say it is the actual value or performance level of the player based on what he got at the auction. Because the auction had certain rules, limitations and certain combinations. So, I don't think you can judge it (the worth of a player) like that."
The great merit of the IPL, according to Dravid, was the opportunity the domestic players, other than the BCCI-contracted players, would get by rubbing shoulders with some great players in the 44-day competition to be played in Twenty20 format.
"IPL is a domestic competition and it is about giving Indian players an opportunity to play in the big stage with some great players in the world," Dravid said.
Explaining how the IPL would benefit the players of the domestic circuit, he said, "In the playing XI, there will be seven Indian players and apart from the 35-40 BCCI-contracted players (like me), there will be at least 40-50 other domestic players in the eight teams."
"I am sure out of this 40-50 domestic players, 15-20 are going to get a chance to be in the first XI and play with or against some great players. That itself should be exciting," Dravid said.
"So, it is a domestic competition with international flavour and that is what we should not forget," he added. Dravid was also happy that the domestic circuit has more money now than it had earlier.
"I think there is quite a lot of money in domestic cricket as compared to earlier days. What the boys are being paid now for playing Ranji Trophy is lot more than paid five years ago. But, we need to make domestic cricket more professional and we have to encourage cricketers playing in domestic circuit," he added.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is being perceived as the beginning of a lucrative new era for cricket, but former India captain Rahul Dravid [] says its success and impact on the game will depend on how it produces top class cricket in the first year.
"IPL is something new. It is going to be quite exciting and in the first year there is going to be a lot of interest. Obviously after that, it is really going to depend on how it picks up. I think the quality of cricket is important," Dravid told PTI in an exclusive interview.
"Because, people who come to watch (the matches) are going to expect good standard of cricket. At the end of the day, this (good cricket) is what would make IPL a success or failure. It is upto the players, both domestic and international, to provide that," the captain of Royal Challengers, the Bangalore team owned by business tycoon Vijay Mallya .
Asked if the IPL was good for cricket in the long run, Dravid said "I think only time will tell." The Bangalore icon player, who would earn more than Rs 4 crore in the first season from a maximum 10 matches, refused to buy the argument that IPL was all about money and said people should look at whether it gives the fans entertainment and good quality cricket.
"It is going to be about cricket. People want to see good standard of cricket. At the end of the day, it (good cricket) is going to be the most important," he said when asked whether money or cricket was at the frorefront in the IPL.
Dravid also feels that the price of players at the auction on Wednesday was not the true reflection of the capability of a player and the "limitations and certain rules" of the auction was the reason why a big star like Ricky Ponting got less than others.
"I don't think you have to look at what one player got at the auction and compare it with other players and say it is the actual value or performance level of the player based on what he got at the auction. Because the auction had certain rules, limitations and certain combinations. So, I don't think you can judge it (the worth of a player) like that."
The great merit of the IPL, according to Dravid, was the opportunity the domestic players, other than the BCCI-contracted players, would get by rubbing shoulders with some great players in the 44-day competition to be played in Twenty20 format.
"IPL is a domestic competition and it is about giving Indian players an opportunity to play in the big stage with some great players in the world," Dravid said.
Explaining how the IPL would benefit the players of the domestic circuit, he said, "In the playing XI, there will be seven Indian players and apart from the 35-40 BCCI-contracted players (like me), there will be at least 40-50 other domestic players in the eight teams."
"I am sure out of this 40-50 domestic players, 15-20 are going to get a chance to be in the first XI and play with or against some great players. That itself should be exciting," Dravid said.
"So, it is a domestic competition with international flavour and that is what we should not forget," he added. Dravid was also happy that the domestic circuit has more money now than it had earlier.
"I think there is quite a lot of money in domestic cricket as compared to earlier days. What the boys are being paid now for playing Ranji Trophy is lot more than paid five years ago. But, we need to make domestic cricket more professional and we have to encourage cricketers playing in domestic circuit," he added.
IPL aims to rope in Sunil Joshi
Bangalore: Left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi is prominent in the list of players that Bangalore outfit Royal Challengers is aiming to recruit from its local catchment area for the forthcoming Indian Premier League.
“Yes talks are on. I think the IPL is a great concept and it is also a great opportunity for a lot of Karnataka players. Twenty20 is not just about youth, you also need players with experience and that’s where I come in,” Joshi said.
Joshi also believes that skipper Rahul Dravid got the team he wanted. “Rahul knew the kind of players he wanted and he got them. It is all about playing well and winning all the games and the Bangalore team has a good mix. Players like Jacques Kallis are proven performers,” Joshi said.
“Yes talks are on. I think the IPL is a great concept and it is also a great opportunity for a lot of Karnataka players. Twenty20 is not just about youth, you also need players with experience and that’s where I come in,” Joshi said.
Joshi also believes that skipper Rahul Dravid got the team he wanted. “Rahul knew the kind of players he wanted and he got them. It is all about playing well and winning all the games and the Bangalore team has a good mix. Players like Jacques Kallis are proven performers,” Joshi said.
Symonds case shows dollar is changing priorities
SURELY Andrew Symonds isn't stupid enough to think he can simply pull out of the Pakistan tour. He is a contracted player. If he breaks that contract and plays in the Indian Premier League instead of touring Pakistan, then surely his days as an Australian player must be over.
Although I agree and admire his stance not to tour for safety reasons, it is laughable that he is prepared to play in a country across the border that has had its share of similar problems, yet feels more than safe enough to fill his pockets with $1.47 million.
Cricket Australia must step in and stamp its authority, and the players' association must show strong leadership, demanding that playing for your country take precedence over any other team.
Victorians David Hussey and Cameron White are two of the brightest prospects in Australian cricket and they have made the choice, rightly or wrongly, to be sold off to the highest bidder. I do not begrudge them for one minute — most of us in the same situation would have made the same decision.
Hussey is currently earning just above six figures to be a Victorian player, and then on Wednesday night, he found out when sitting in front of a computer at the SCG that his pay had just increased by 700%. If his team were to win the IPL competition, he will share in the $3.3 million prizemoney, elevating his earnings for 44 days' work to close to $1 million. Not bad for someone who had to leave his own state to get a game in Victoria and has played only one Twenty20 game for his country. If the Indian powerbrokers can see how valuable Hussey is, cricket authorities must now respond.
My big concern is the precedent this will set. It's terribly exciting but could prove massively destabilising. The absolute honour of being selected for Australia may now be superseded by the thrill of the enormous cash on offer elsewhere. I hope like crazy I am wrong but my gut feel is that the dollar will win out.
Undoubtedly, the older players of the domestic scene will be lining up for the superannuation payouts across the way — Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer, Matthew Elliott, Michael Kasprowicz, Mick Lewis and the like all had this circulating in their brains as their bodies were screaming for a rest.
Don't forget the other competition, the Indian Cricket League, a non-sanctioned tournament, also is offering good cash. Matthew Elliott is not confirmed but is believed to have signed a lucrative three-year deal with the breakaway group. This is one positive — with the older blokes moving on a bit earlier than otherwise expected, the door will open for exciting youngsters to emerge in our domestic scene.
The main concern I have is with the next in line for national call-ups — players such as Luke Pomersbach, Luke Ronchi, Adam Crosthwaite, Andrew McDonald, George Bailey, etc, not to mention Hussey and White. I'm not worried about their earning capacity — good on them — but their priorities in the future. Hussey is a star and is yet to be recognised for Australian honours — his time is now overdue. White has had a taste but has not consolidated. Neither can be blamed for their decisions to set themselves up financially, but they must ensure they still have the flame burning within to play for their country.
The money is awfully attractive. It will cause confusion with young minds and hungry managers, but is it as rewarding as carving out a successful Test and one-day career for Australia?
The honour of representing your state and country should be the most important thing for the next generation of cricketers to aspire to.
IPL warning
Cricket boss Justin Vaughan has been warned to tread carefully in his dealings with the Indian Premier League.
Vaughan is set to meet with star Caps Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram and Brendon McCullum who have signed lucrative IPL contracts this week to discuss when they will arrive in England for the side's three-test series later this year.
The England tour clashes with the inaugural Indian Twenty20 competition in April and May and there is some talk the trio will play in the IPL and meet up with their international team-mates on May 5 a prospect that will see them unavailable for the first two warm-up matches of the tour.
Last night Vaughan stopped short of a guarantee that Vettori and co would arrive with their team-mates in late April and John "Mystery" Morrison a former Black Cap and leading commentator said world cricket would be waiting anxiously on the decision.
"It could be disastrous (if the players arrive late) because obviously these guys are key players and we are also talking about the captain of the side," Morrison told Sunday News.
"We might be about to see the opening shots of this new era of cricket.
Given much of the NZC's revenue comes from the ICC, which in turn gets a large chunk of its cash from India, Morrison said he wouldn't be surprised to see Indian money talk in this case.
"The issue this scenario raises is the question of Indian cricket and its role as an economic power in the game," said Morrison.
"New Zealand Cricket look like they are in a position where they don't want to upset that apple cart because a large supply of their money comes from the ICC and a large portion of the ICC's revenue is from the Indian Cricket Board the BCCI.
"We could actually see this franchise competition growing to such a level that it's bigger than international cricket."
Morrison wouldn't criticise the message Vaughan is sending by refusing to order his stars to tour from the word go and said the situation was awkward.
"I think Justin is having to be extremely delicate in this situation with the IPL players because he doesn't want to offend the ICC but at the same time I am sure he wants his best team over in England," he said.
Vaughan is set to meet with star Caps Daniel Vettori, Jacob Oram and Brendon McCullum who have signed lucrative IPL contracts this week to discuss when they will arrive in England for the side's three-test series later this year.
The England tour clashes with the inaugural Indian Twenty20 competition in April and May and there is some talk the trio will play in the IPL and meet up with their international team-mates on May 5 a prospect that will see them unavailable for the first two warm-up matches of the tour.
Last night Vaughan stopped short of a guarantee that Vettori and co would arrive with their team-mates in late April and John "Mystery" Morrison a former Black Cap and leading commentator said world cricket would be waiting anxiously on the decision.
"It could be disastrous (if the players arrive late) because obviously these guys are key players and we are also talking about the captain of the side," Morrison told Sunday News.
"We might be about to see the opening shots of this new era of cricket.
Given much of the NZC's revenue comes from the ICC, which in turn gets a large chunk of its cash from India, Morrison said he wouldn't be surprised to see Indian money talk in this case.
"The issue this scenario raises is the question of Indian cricket and its role as an economic power in the game," said Morrison.
"New Zealand Cricket look like they are in a position where they don't want to upset that apple cart because a large supply of their money comes from the ICC and a large portion of the ICC's revenue is from the Indian Cricket Board the BCCI.
"We could actually see this franchise competition growing to such a level that it's bigger than international cricket."
Morrison wouldn't criticise the message Vaughan is sending by refusing to order his stars to tour from the word go and said the situation was awkward.
"I think Justin is having to be extremely delicate in this situation with the IPL players because he doesn't want to offend the ICC but at the same time I am sure he wants his best team over in England," he said.
Undaunted by IPL, ICL to stage its next edition next
By Qaiser Mohammad AliNew Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Refusing to be overawed or threatened by the money-splurging Indian Premier League (IPL), the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL) said Thursday it will stage an extravaganza in Delhi, Chandigarh and Hyderabad next month, possibly adding more teams. Ashish Kaul, executive vice-president of Essel Group, the promoters of ICL, said the company would this week announce the exact dates of the next Twenty20 jamboree involving stars like Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul Haq.
“The IPL will in no way threaten ICL because there is hardly anything common between the two except that both play cricket. Our vision, format, models and objectives are different from them,” Kaul told IANS.
“There will be four international [foreign] players per team, as was the case in the first edition, but this time we may have more teams than the six in the previous tournament. The details will be out by this weekend, but there will be no change in the tournament format,” he said.
Business magnate Subhash Chandra launched ICL after Zee lost the race for money spinning five-year cricket board television rights which went to Nimbus. Then, last May, Zee pulled out of its five-year contract for overseas television rights given by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following a new government law stipulating mandatory sharing of telecast of important matches with Doordarshan.
Last September the BCCI launched the lucrative IPL, carrying $3 million prize money and approved by the International Cricket Council and the other nine Test-playing countries. After the 44-day IPL tournament, beginning April 18, the BCCI will also organise a Champions Twenty20 tournament carrying $5 million and involving teams from India Australia, England, Pakistan and South Africa. The dates and venues are yet to be announced.
Last month, the BCCI auctioned the eight IPL franchises for a cumulative $718 million, with some of the best known Bollywood stars and business tycoons buying Mumbai (Mukesh Ambani, for $111.9 mn), Bangalore (Vijay Mallya, $106 mn), Kolkata (Shah Rukh Khan, $75.09 mn), Mohali (Preity Zinta, $76 mn), Jaipur (Emerging Media, $67 mn), Hyderabad (Deccan Chronicle, $107.01 mn), Chennai (India Cements, $91 mn) and Delhi (GMR Group, $84 million).
The eight franchise owners spent $36.6 million on buying 75 players at the auction in Mumbai Wednesday.
Zee, on the other hand, had signed the players for an undisclosed amount, but there was no auction.
Kaul said that the idea of launching was not to spend big money, though when the ICL was launched, the IPL concept was still under wraps.
“This is definitely their [IPL’s] moment of glory. But our objective is to give an opportunity to the unknown domestic Indian cricketer and help raise the standard of the international game through ICL. The first tournament in Panchkula in December was at par with international standards, in terms of television coverage etc.,” he said.
“The BCCI is not thinking about its domestic players. How come some of their own Ranji players are playing with torn pads and bats? IPL is a high profile tournament and it is only making Sachin Tendulkars and Sourav Gangulys of the world only richer,” he lamented.
Tendulkar and Ganguly were given the status of ‘icons’ and were not auctioned like others. Instead, they will receive 15 percent more money then the most expensive player in their teams.
By this calculation, Tendulkar assured income of $1.1 million.
“The IPL will in no way threaten ICL because there is hardly anything common between the two except that both play cricket. Our vision, format, models and objectives are different from them,” Kaul told IANS.
“There will be four international [foreign] players per team, as was the case in the first edition, but this time we may have more teams than the six in the previous tournament. The details will be out by this weekend, but there will be no change in the tournament format,” he said.
Business magnate Subhash Chandra launched ICL after Zee lost the race for money spinning five-year cricket board television rights which went to Nimbus. Then, last May, Zee pulled out of its five-year contract for overseas television rights given by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following a new government law stipulating mandatory sharing of telecast of important matches with Doordarshan.
Last September the BCCI launched the lucrative IPL, carrying $3 million prize money and approved by the International Cricket Council and the other nine Test-playing countries. After the 44-day IPL tournament, beginning April 18, the BCCI will also organise a Champions Twenty20 tournament carrying $5 million and involving teams from India Australia, England, Pakistan and South Africa. The dates and venues are yet to be announced.
Last month, the BCCI auctioned the eight IPL franchises for a cumulative $718 million, with some of the best known Bollywood stars and business tycoons buying Mumbai (Mukesh Ambani, for $111.9 mn), Bangalore (Vijay Mallya, $106 mn), Kolkata (Shah Rukh Khan, $75.09 mn), Mohali (Preity Zinta, $76 mn), Jaipur (Emerging Media, $67 mn), Hyderabad (Deccan Chronicle, $107.01 mn), Chennai (India Cements, $91 mn) and Delhi (GMR Group, $84 million).
The eight franchise owners spent $36.6 million on buying 75 players at the auction in Mumbai Wednesday.
Zee, on the other hand, had signed the players for an undisclosed amount, but there was no auction.
Kaul said that the idea of launching was not to spend big money, though when the ICL was launched, the IPL concept was still under wraps.
“This is definitely their [IPL’s] moment of glory. But our objective is to give an opportunity to the unknown domestic Indian cricketer and help raise the standard of the international game through ICL. The first tournament in Panchkula in December was at par with international standards, in terms of television coverage etc.,” he said.
“The BCCI is not thinking about its domestic players. How come some of their own Ranji players are playing with torn pads and bats? IPL is a high profile tournament and it is only making Sachin Tendulkars and Sourav Gangulys of the world only richer,” he lamented.
Tendulkar and Ganguly were given the status of ‘icons’ and were not auctioned like others. Instead, they will receive 15 percent more money then the most expensive player in their teams.
By this calculation, Tendulkar assured income of $1.1 million.
Lalit Modi is the most powerful cricket administrator in world cricket.
The brains behind money-spinning Twenty20 league
By K.R. Nayar
Dubai: Lalit Modi is one of the vice-presidents of the Board of Control in India (BCCI), but is known as a marketing wizard. It his business acumen that has helped swell the BCCI coffers.
When business tycoon Subash Chandra introduced the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which threatened to shatter the monopoly of BCCI, all of them turned towards Modi.
He emerged as their saviour, creating the Indian Premier League. So brilliant was his idea that international cricketers are now flocking around him.
Forty-five-year-old Modi was born in Delhi but his roots are from Rajasthan and he lives in Mumbai. It was Inderjit Bindra, a former president of the BCCI, who introduced Modi into cricket administration by appointing him as the vice-president of the Punjab Cricket Association.
Modi went on to become the president of Rajasthan. He hails from a business background and is the scion of Modi Enterprises.
He is also a board member of Godfrey Philips. His clout with the Rajasthan government is such that many say he is the ex-officio chief minister of the state.
Sharad Pawar, the president of the BCCI who is also a politician, used Modi's help in formulating his plans to successfully oust Jagmohan Dalmiyan.
Once Dalmiya was ousted Pawar and Bindra gifted him the BCCI vice-president's post. Modi ensured that the BCCI revenues increased seven-fold since he took office.
Today Modi is the most powerful cricket administrator in world cricket.
All you wanted to know about IPL
What is the Indian Premier League?It’s a Twenty20 tournament involving eight teams (cities), starting April 18 and ending on June 1. Launched on September 14, 2007, it’ll be organized by the BCCI and has the sanction of the ICC. The model, based on the same lines as the English Premier League (EPL) in football and the National Basketball League (NBA) in the US, is franchise-based and the eight teams will be owned by a host of businessmen and celebrities. The players will be bought through auction and will represent the teams/cities who bid for them. The matches will be played on home and away basis.
Who has the TV rights of IPL?Sony Television and Singapore-based World Sports Group, who paid a whopping $1billion to bag the rights for 10 years.
Which are the eight teams and their franchisees?1. Mumbai (Mukesh Ambani)2. Hyderabad (Deccan Chronicle)3. Kolkata (Shah Rukh’s Red Chillies Entertainment)4. Chennai (India Cements)5. Delhi (GMR Holdings)6. Bangalore (Vijay Mallya)7. Mohali (Preity Zinta & Ness Wadia)8. Jaipur (Emerging Media)
What is the money involved?Overall prize money is US$5million, with the winners getting $2m. The remaining money will be given in the form of awards like ‘man-of-the-match’ etc.
How much does the Board get?The BCCI has earned $723.59m from the ‘sale’ of the eight teams. On top of that, the Board will get around $1billion from the sale of TV rights.
Will the IPL dates clash with cricket seasons of other countries?For India, no. It’s off-season here. But it clashes with the tours of other countries. The BCCI plans to sort this out during the ICC chief executives’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
Some other salient features of the IPL are...*The franchisees will have the freedom to run the teams in their own style, bring their own sponsors and even name the team as they wish (after consulting the IPL board)* After the auction in the inaugural year, they will be free to trade their players, as is done in various leagues around the world* The players also get a share in the profits, starting from TV revenue, gate money and merchandising* The teams can be listed on the stock exchange* Top players in the teams are expected to earn a minimum of Rs 1-2 crore per season as guarantee money. They are also slated to get salaries on which there won’t be any cap* All IPL matches will be played under lights, as per ICC rules. The League will feature a total of 59 matches that would be spread over 44 days. All matches will be played on Saturdays and Sundays plus one yet-to-be-decided weekday. There will be two matches per day, the start time being 5pm* The IPL governing council will be in charge of running, operating and managing the league independently
Englishman's wealth of ideas helping India to milk its latest cash cow
Mark Souster
It began with a gentlemanly chat over a cup of tea at Wimbledon eight months ago and this week turned into the most valuable start-up event in sporting history and a tournament worth possibly $3.5billion (about £1.8 billion) over the next decade. When Andrew Wildblood, a senior vice-president and corporate director for India at IMG, sat down at the All England Club last July with Lalit Modi, the vice-president of the BCCI, both men shared a vision. They wanted to re-energise Indian domestic cricket and to tap into the apparently insatiable demand for the sport in the country.
The constraints of the domestic calendar mean that there will not be any Englishmen actively involved in the inaugural DFL Indian Premier League that starts in April, but Wildblood will be there to see the fruition of his IMG team's work.
It is a concept that has gripped the imagination of the cricketing world, one that before a ball has been bowled appears to have brought together sport, showbiz and big business, with Bollywood stars and mega-rich tycoons and conglomerates vying for the prestige of owning a team.
The financial figures are mind- boggling, akin to a modern-day gold rush, not least for the players. Mukesh Ambani, one of India's richest men, paid more for the Bombay franchise than Randy Lerner did to buy Aston Villa, who came complete with £30million of Birmingham real estate. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is, temporarily at least, earning more per week than Cristiano Ronaldo. Television rights went for more than $1billion.
So how did it come about? “Initially, we kicked around a few ideas,” Wildblood said yesterday from India, which over the past months has become a second home as he and his team work ceaselessly to overcome the hurdles inherent in establishing such a tournament from scratch. It has been a huge undertaking with an array of processes that all had to be rigorously tested.
“For some time, Lalit had had a vision of what he wanted and in order to do that we agreed it had to be based upon a city to city format rather than state to state,” Wildblood said. “It was a broad vision with no meat on the bone. We also concurred that the model should be based on US-style franchises whereby the owners of the teams would also benefit from the properties that were sold as a consequence of the creation of the product, ie, television and sponsorship.”
Within a month the concept had taken shape. Eight city teams will play home and away, with 59 matches over 44 days taking place almost exclusively during prime-time television hours, using the Twenty20 format. A commercial structure was developed to wrap around the sporting model to create an investment vehicle that would prove attractive to owners.
“I knew it would be huge,” Wildblood, 50, who is married with two children and lives in London, said. “There is nothing else that has been launched as a start-up that comes anywhere near to it in sport. We got a little lucky when India won the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup, which transformed the perception of that type of cricket into the format which 76 per cent of the population now say is their favourite.
“It has been the project of a lifetime, one of the biggest single things that IMG has ever done. From a business context, it has been life-fulfilling.”
It has comes as a result of an incredible convergence of a number of things: the advent of Twenty20, the development of the Indian economy, the desire to regenerate the stadium infrastructure before the 2011 cricket World Cup that India will co-host and the demand for more entertainment opportunities in a maturing economy.
“IMG has done a pretty amazing job,” he said. “There have been bear traps all the way down the line, but we have managed to avoid them because we have been incredibly rigorous and determined that what we constructed was totally robust.”
Modi agreed. At the culmination of the auction of the world's best players on Tuesday, he paid the ultimate compliment to the company without which Modi said the IPL would have been stillborn. When the first ball is bowled on April 18, in the match between Bangalore and Kolkata, Wildblood will be entitled to feel satisfied at a job well done.
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