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First posted Oct 11, 2009. Deja vu all over again.
Showing posts with label Champions League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Champions League. Show all posts
Gautam Gambhir's Blockbuster!
First posted Oct 11, 2009. Deja vu all over again.
Saving Ryan Sidebottom’s Privates.
After Kallis and Steyn were lost to injury in the Champions League, the paranoid Pauls from Cricket South Africa rushed in for a quickie with the BCCI. On their wish list was how to arrest future injuries to their injury prone cricketers.
The verdict: during IPL and CLT20 games, tough catches and run outs will not be attempted. The rest of the discussions centered around defining a ‘tough catch and run-out’. The South Africans argued that what could be an easy catch for their players could well be a tough one for the Indians. Finally it was decided that a player will have to decide for himself, and if and when he drops or does not attempt a ‘tough catch’, the captain will not glare or abuse him. Special note was made to communicate this to Kumble. Also, the commentators will be directed not to make any mention of the dropped catch; no replays of the drop will be telecast, and an immediate ad break will be taken. In this break, ads of players dropping or taking catches will not be telecast.
Making the Champions League India Ready
The surprise entry of the Banglaore Royal Challengers into the CLT20 semi-finals has stalled some of the BCCI’s earlier plans. With a strong possibility of no IPL team making the semis again, the BCCI was seriously considering fielding six of the ten IPL teams next year – from the winners right down to the fifth and sixth placed teams. It’s learnt there was also talk of playing eight teams, but as one board member stated, “we must be subtle in our intentions, six teams is subtle, nobody will notice”. Now with the possibility of two IPL teams making the semis, there is talk of reducing the number of IPL teams for next years’ CLT20 down to two from three. This is flexible, depending on whether CSK makes the semis tomorrow. There is also talk of somehow accommodating the Mumbai Indians in next years’ semis. As one board member said, “this will help keep the core commentary team in high spirits”. Both Ravi and Sunny concurred.
If I had purchased Pollard for the Delhi Daredevils.
Pad up Pollard, you are going to open the batting.
Pollard OUT! No problem. Batsman will feign injury, Pollard with his giant strides will be the runner.
Batsman feigning injury OUT! No problem, Pollard will be the change in gloves-man, the drinks’ boy, the messenger, the message, the conversationalist in the dugout.
During breaks, Pollard will go on an autograph signing spree, shake hands, shake his booty.
Change of innings
Pollard will speak animatedly to his mates in the huddle.
Right arm over, Pollard will open the bowling. He will bowl his full quota of overs unchanged.
He will converse with the captain, if he is captain, he will converse with himself.
These conversations will be telecast. Shastri will intervene, with “Make no mistake, that is Pollard & Pollard”
Pollard & Pollard, the all-round product will be released – it will belong to Delhi Daredevils. It will also be an accounting firm.
After the game, Pollard will be part of the big, fat Indian prize giving committee – he will stand in the centre. On occasions when he has to receive the prize, it will serve as yet another Pollard & Pollard plug. He will gift himself the gift cheque.
Any bikes, cars, tractors gifted, will be steered by Pollard. It will be announced that when Pollard drives he doesn’t reverse – because Pollard doesn’t belive in a backword step.
I will make Pollard do all this and more. Why? Probably because I don’t belong to the Mumbai Indians Underutilization of Utilities Department C/O some careless conservative thinkers. Oh, that’s a contradiction, but then so is MI.
Also read: Mumbai Indians in a fix
Mumbai Indians Camp - The Night Before
Bhajji gathers Sachin’s flock in his hotel room. It’s a small room, and MI is a big team, what with the support staff, Reliance flunkeys, the room is, as Ravi says walking past..."packed to the rafters"
Bhajji: OK guys, you know after Sachin Paaji, I’m the Boss here.
Whispers around, where one such whisper whispers –
Whisper: Haan, how else he would’ve hugged Ambani Mam…
Bhajji: Oye, kisko hugna hai…was that you, chal, yahaan baith..
(hugna means to take a crap, and Bhajji has identified the whisper boy and made him sit on the commode, it’s Rayudu)
Bhajji: Anyway, Rayudu you g**du your career is also down the toilet…haha
Silence in the room which is when Yuvi barges in laughing..
Yuvi: Oye! Hahaha good one Bhajji!
They do an impromptu Bhangra gig, nobody stirs in the room
Bhajji (to Yuvi): What you're doing here yaar?
Yuvi: Fashion show yaar
Bhajji continues with his speech…
Bhajji: OK guys, now we gotta settle it – before match..you all youngsters…if you speak to press…you gotta say one thing…Thank You Sachin! It’s great to be playing with such a great player..and how Sachin has guided you…in the middle..helped with your best innings
MI Player: Bhajji sir, I’ve not done…batted…with er…Sachin sir..in middle
Bhajji: Haan, good point, in that case, who you all…have not batted..you all say..Sachin guided you in the nets…and now you are ready for the middle..
Everyone claps, Bhajji is pleased. He excused Rayudu from the loo
Bhajji: Oye kaka, get up, I need to take the piss…
Laughter
Bhajji (continues all serious again): And after game, if we win then you say same thing, OK? And if we lose, and Sachin Paaji scores less..you say whoever you are..who takes runs or scores wickets…you say yeah, if Sachin had batted longer we would’ve won the match… And if Sachin scores then you say, we should have done car rally…no, rallied around Sachin more and we would have won…
Ambani Mam walks into the room, hushed silence – she is beaming as always, but it’s hard to tell if she’s happy or not.
Bhajji: Hello Nita Mam, I was telling what you were telling to me..about Sachin and Thank You Sachin..
Ambani Mam: Very good, very good…Best of luck
She hugs Bhajji, who is overcome, sheds a tear
Boys: Thank you MAM! Thank you MAM!
Bhajji: and yeah, if you have a facebook account, then you go join this cool group called Thank You Sachin!
After Lalit Modi, what have the post match parties come to
It’s a massive dormitory, bunkers strewn all over the place. The players enter in single file, wearing team coloured pajamas, holding on to a pillow each.
There are also some Indian industrialists in their kurta pajamas, dressing gowns, boxers, looking on as they sip on their hot beverages.
An obscure nursery rhyme in Afrikaans starts to play as the players start to wrestle it out with their pillows.
MSD: This is clean fun!
As he says this, he gets whacked by Parthiv Patel
Parthiv: Better watch out, skipper
MSD: Oh, I was on my Aircel
Cut to Sachin making an appearance in his MI blue coloured PJs
Sachin: Parties like this even I can attend
Bhajji: Paaji, if you attend then it will be a great party
Rhodes: Great, we can all have a field day
Kumble walks in with Dravid, both are wearing RC PJs
Kumble: Very smooth, no hangover
Dravid: Yeah, I can easily have another one
Pandey: And age no bar, party bar bar
Mallaya rolls in on a barrel of beer, but promptly stops
Mallya: Oh sorry, wrong party – even I know when to stop without Modi's bad influence
Mallya Jr: Sports and partying go together, if it’s a clean party!
Padukone: You mean it’s safe for me to be here
Suddenly a motley crew of cricketers appear, singing in chorus
Chorus: It’s safe for you! It is!
Announcer (Bhogle): This After Match CLT Party was brought to you by Nescafe and Surf. Because the competition is clean....and it's hotting up.
No more India Sri Lanka games?
Which explains why the BCCI and SLC bosses have worked out a fresh plan for more cricket between the two teams. The Champions League (September 10-26th) is the perfect time, it doesn’t clash with the ICC Calendar yet provides a window for a 7 match one-day series between India and Sri Lanka.
While players from Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Bangalore Royal Challenegers, and Wayamba will not be available for the initial part of the one-day series, if and when their teams are eliminated, they will join their teammates on national duty.
Retard.
February 25, 2010
Ijaz Butt, the chairman of PCB, has said no Pakistani team will participate in the Champions League Twenty20 this year.
"I have already spoken to Lalit Modi about this and there is no chance of any team from Pakistan playing in the Champions League this year," Butt was quoted as saying by PTI. "After the way our players were treated [in the IPL auction] I don't see our players or teams taking part in the Champions League this year."
The Champions League features the best domestic Twenty20 teams from across the world. The first edition of the tournament was held in India last year. Pakistan was originally included as one of the participating countries, but they were omitted due to the political fallout of the Mumbai terror attacks. The venue for the 2010 tournament is yet to be announced.
Despite the exclusion, and the subsequent IPL cold-shoulder, Lalit Modi had expressed confidence that Pakistan would return to future editions of the leagues. Butt, however, said that this was still undecided.
"Our future participation in the IPL and Champions League remains undecided but this year atleast we are not taking part in either event."
--
May 25, 2010
After the IPL snub, Pakistan suffered fresh humiliation when their domestic T20 champions, Sialkot Stallions, were not picked for the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20), to be held in South Africa in September.
The CLT20 governing council on Monday announced the names of the ten teams that will participate in the tournament's second edition.
Despite being eligible, Pakistan were not invited to participate. Teams from India, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies will compete in the $2.5 million event from September 10-26.
“We were hoping to get an invitation for the Champions League this year, but that is not to be it seems. The Stallions were ready to participate and we were looking forward to it,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Ijaz Butt, told HT on Monday.
The Stallions had qualified for the inaugural CLT20 in 2008, but it got deferred due to the Mumbai terror attacks. The following year, the event was held in India and no team from Pakistan was invited due to troubled ties between the two countries.
Things were looking up this year when Pakistan cricketers were given visa clearance to play in IPL III (though they couldn’t play) and their hockey team participated in the World Cup in India.
The PCB chairman had confirmed to the Hindustan Times that, if invited, the Stallions were ready to participate. Though the Champions League dates clashed with Pakistan’s tour of England, he had assured it wouldn’t stop the Stallions from fielding a full side.
On Monday, Butt called the snub “scandalous” and found no reason to be left out, especially when the event was not being held in India.
“I am constantly surprised by this treatment meted out to our cricketers. IPL did the same thing to us, we ran from pillar to post to get the paper work done, the Indian sports minister so willingly helped us, but finally no one got picked in the auction. This is absolutely scandalous. There is no reason for them to ignore us like that,” said Butt.
“Even last year we didn’t get an invite for the Champions League. We tried to enquire about the situation but there was no response. How can one judge us without sending an invite?” he wondered.
The PCB chairman hoped these were not signs of Pakistan being isolated and vowed to take up the issue in the next ICC meeting.
“We will definitely take up this issue with the ICC. This is unfair treatment to one of the senior members of the ICC.”
The CLT20 is an initiative of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA).
Better to Fall Divided than to Stand United
At least that's the way cricket is run in the 21st century. In an age where American politicians are calling for a more sensible method of determining the national champions (It can be argued that they have bigger issues to worry about) the cricketing world is determined to widen the gap between the haves and the have nots. From 2012 we will get to see a lot more of the top sides playing each other while the rest have to make-do with scrapping among each other. It's not too different from the two-tier system a lot of experts have proposed, but since boards can't afford to antagonise each other without losing votes at the ICC table they've decided to do what was the norm until the 90s. FICA has had a role to play in these matters too - Tim May and his lawyers can't stop talking about how hectic the international schedule is but they have no problem with their clients lending their services to multiple Twenty20 teams.
One might argue that test cricket at its best is a contest between two even teams, but the definition of even has blurred over the years. It seems the parity is decided on balance sheets and not on the cricket field. And since the ICC is as powerless as the United Nations, it can do nothing to bring some sanity to the sport. Can you imagine the English FA ratifying a Premiership schedule in which Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United play each other four times a season and every other club just once? Of course not, but India can play Pakistan four years in a row and not play New Zealand even once during that period. The same can be said about Australia, England and South Africa playing each other more often than they play Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand and West Indies. Can you imagine Cristiano Ronaldo play for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United and Real Madrid? And yet, players like Herschelle Gibbs, Farvez Maharoof, Andrew McDonald were eligible to play for more than one team in the Champions League.
I proposed a Future Tours Programme at BCC! about a month ago. While I don't consider it to be perfect by any stretch of imagination, I certainly believe it is the template to a systematic and balanced cricketing schedule. Here's why:
1.The best teams play each other often enough over a reasonable period of time (Twice in four years is good enough, as such the Ashes and most other marquee series have a four-year cycle.).
2.For the most part, each country plays at home during its cricketing season. South Africa tour Australia during their season but they're doing it even now in return for monetary compensation from Cricket Australia.
3.Cricketers need not worry about choosing between club and country as there are separate windows for the Indian Premier League and the Champions League, and they only need to be available for three-fourths of their international commitments. This should go a long way in minimising player burnout.
I'd love to have the bored brains here pick holes in this arrangement and help fine-tune it, and if someone has connections in the ICC they can do the right thing and arrange for a meeting between me and Mr. Lorgat.
Future Tours Programme
Alright, so after much deliberation and research I've come up with what I think is a pretty good Future Tours Programme from 2015 to 2019. The FTP has been drawn up with the following factors in mind:
1.9 test-playing nations play each other in home and away series (T20, ODI, Test) over a period of 4 years.
2.There are separate windows for IPL and Champions League so that players don't have to choose between their national side and their club. However, players have to be available for selection for atleast 75 percent of the bilateral matches their national side is part of.
3.There will be two Twenty20 World Cups (2016 and 2018) and one Champions Trophy (2017).
4.Every country apart from Bangladesh gets to host a major tournament.
5.The FTP will culminate with the Final Four of the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. The Final Four will be decided based on the points per test (Total points earned divided by number of tests played).
6.Every board contributes a percentage of its total revenue into a pool. The total money is then equally distributed among the national boards. The revenue from IPL and Champions League need not be shared.
Satyameva Jayate
You know the argument, the one which says that the Champions League is not quite the Champions League because the Pakistanis are not in it.
But but, I say, what about the ban on the Pakistan players imposed by the Government of Pakistan?
Bogus, you say, it is all Modi's fault.. He made some bogus claims about cut off dates and Pakistani government clearances to shut the door on Pakistan.And hey, the poor Pakistanis were not even aware of their exclusion.
But but, I say, there is nothing forthcoming from either the PCB or the Pakistan Foreign Ministry on cricketers being allowed to travel to India. So the status quo has not changed.
Hogwash, you say, the ban was in place only until the IPL. And didnt Yasir Arafat travel to India for the Champions League? And dont mention the fact that he got his passport stamped in the UK, because, as a Pakistani national and cricket player, he traveled to India and that's that. A pox on Modi's house!
Enter left, Ijaz Butt, Chairman of the PCB
LAHORE: Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board, Ijaz Butt said on Saturday that revival of cricket ties and playing cricket matches of 2011 World Cup in India solely depend on Pakistan Government's decision. "We will be following Government advice as far revival of bilateral cricket ties with India and playing matches of World Cup in India are concerned and PCB cannot take decision on its own to permit its team to visit India," he said at a news conference here Saturday. Also present on the occasion were Chief Operating Officer, Wasim Bari, newly appointed General Managers Media,Tariq Hakeem and Media Nadim Sarwar. Ijaz Butt said PCB is up-dating Government on cricket issues on regular basis and seeks its advice whenever it is needed and similar practice will be followed regarding Pak teams visit to India.
Cosmic connection with Brett Lee.
Yesterday was a waste of a final. Not so much because T&T lost, but because Lee and Bored frequent the same fortune telling parrot. While we waited our turn, parrot squawked to Lee how the finals would unfold.
So in way, we saw it coming. Every NSW wicket brought us closer to the inevitable Binga innings.
BoredCricket On twitter: two more wickets and we can watch Lee bat. #clt20 about 17 hours ago from TweetDeck
And then again: One more wicket, Lee is in #clt20
Asked for it, got it. Knock them off. Bring on Lee #clt20
Even if NSW get 120, could be down to Lee.'s bowling #clt20
Lee's gonna be a hand full bowling #clt20
Clearly Brett Lee wants to open the innings with Mitchell Johnson #clt20
Early Bored Call: On Lee, match result before Lee's innings and outing #clt20
Now there are two ways to go about it: Follow Lee or follow BoredCricket.
For Love of the Game.
Most of us grew up playing cricket because it was fun. Depending on what you were good at, you used to dream of scoring the winning runs for the gully team or taking a hat-trick in the final over. Some of us thought we were good enough to do both. It didn’t matter how hot it was or if we had an exam the following day, all we wanted to do was play.
I’m not going to go into being proud of playing for the country because that comes a lot later than the joy of hitting the ball over the boundary or watching the stumps go flying. Cricket, like any other sport, is supposed to be fun. It is something you play to get away from that annoying school teacher who gives you so much homework. I assume anyone who takes up cricket as a career would have gone through these emotions when they started playing. Yet, somewhere along the line most of them seem to lose that zeal for cricket. It’s easy to pin the blame on too much cricket, but there are a lot of players who don’t seem into it even when they’re coming off from a long break.
So why am I talking about this? Well, it’s because of a couple of games from the recent Champions League. The first one was between Bangalore Royal Challengers and Delhi Daredevils. The Cape Cobras had just defeated the Victoria Bushrangers, a result that had knocked out Bangalore. That didn’t stop Anil Kumble from leading his side against the Daredevils who needed to win in order to stay in the competition. Staying true to his reputation of a fighter, Kumble strangled the Daredevils middle order before Ross Taylor blitzed Delhi out of the tournament. What was heartening to see was Kumble’s intensity throughout the contest. He looked like he was going to explode every time there was a misfield. The result rendered the Daredevils-Cobras game inconsequential as far as Delhi was concerned. As a result, we saw a Daredevils side sans Sehwag, who had been the one constant in Delhi’s performance throughout the tournament. He was coming off from a long injury layoff but looked like he hadn’t been away from the game at all. So why exactly did he sit out? Sure they won the game without him, but that’s beside the point. Was it too much trouble for him to come out for a game that meant little? What about the sellout crowd that had come to see him bat? These are the people who are responsible for the lifestyle he enjoys, through a career he chose because he loved playing cricket!
The intent of this post is not to slight Sehwag or praise Kumble. I would still like Sehwag to open for India in all forms of the game, and for Kumble to stay retired. But I would like to see cricketers play like they enjoy the game and want to be out there every time they have a chance to play. Let’s put the fun back into cricket!
by Mahek
You can read more of Mahek at his blog Confessions of a Forced Spectator
Our blues, yer blues, whose blues are you?
A devious ploy by the Champions League organisers no doubt, though one wonders, what took them so long. The only viable explanation, they decided to wait for the big finals.
Until now, Trinidad & Tobago has been nigh unstoppable, winning all their games so far. Who you’re going to call – The Blues! Word has gotten around that the men in blue will be taking on the T&T team.
While it is correct that the New South Wales Blues play T&T in the finals, locals have been made to believe that our men in blue, the India XI will be playing T&T in Hyderabad.
Tickets have been moving faster than Hyderabadi biryani, even the presence of Brett Lee has not convinced people otherwise; one gullible young girl argued, only the other day Lee was spotted in a Sherwani, everyone knows he is now part of our Blues. Or Yer Blues, right John?
Go Trinidad & Tobago!
Go Trinidad and Tobago!
Even though you have no bowling
You love the free hits
Even though you have no bowling
You’re a team born from a nation
Not from some random trains arriving at the railway station
In this club cricket motorcade
Of brand name teams
And star power buys
Of little faith
You bring a little hope
For the unification of cricket
In your tiny nation by the sea
What will be, what will be
Go Trinidad & Tobago
You will be, you will be
You are the young
You are the Twenty20 haircut
You are the gymnastic catch
On the boundary line
That was hurled and swirled up
In the sky
That was caught again
But it was called a lie
But it was the truth
As we could see
Go Trinidad & Tobago
You are the Twenty20 haircut
The laughter, the old men high five
The IPL contract is on its way
Go Pollard
Go Trinidad & Tobago
Somethings are meant to be
Even if they don't turn out to be
Go!
Go T&T part 1: written ten days back that they would not lose the Cape.
It’s not easy being Henry Davids.
Earlier today, Davids dropped two catches. Never before has a man looked so bald and exposed. Davids was plugged in to speak with the vultures.
But the vultures let him be. Had they swooped upon him, this island of a man would’ve evaporated. As it is I doubt he’ll play another game of cricket. My guess is he’ll just drop it all.
All this prompted me to check Davids’ cricinfo profile, not much there, but he does have some hair. He does bowl medium pace, wonder why he didn’t bowl today – a few beamers wouldn’t have gone amiss.
First Champions League semi finals shifted from the Kotla.
It’s not as if Arun Jaitley and his DDCA mates are falling over each other to give me a corporate box pass. But if they did, I’d refuse. Yes, there will be free food and drink, a bird’s eye view, but since when did birds watch cricket? In Adelaide yes, but Delhi?
More than that, it’s odd watching only firangs play at the Kotla. Frankly with the expected turnout they should shove the firangs into the smaller Ambedkar stadium behind. It will look packed up with a few hundred, and the boundaries won’t hassle.
Then again, if the match heats up, and freeloaders threaten to storm the Bastille, the Ambedkar can hold up to 20,000. We all know at least 15,000 free passes are doled out for Delhi games. What, only 15k?? What is Delhi coming too?
If only Jatman knew, he could threaten the DDCA with another move - to Jharkand this time. Jatman from Jharkand, some things are meant to be. Soon to be united with his old Daredevils’ teammate, Tejaswi Yadav, son of Lalu Prasad Yadav.
Now use your imagination: picture Lalu & Jatman in a talk show. Priceless. For everything else there is the Kotla.
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