IPL cannot be run out of cricket’s future

June 21, 2012

KKR__cricket

The recent comment by Haroon Lorgat, Chief Executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), that it would not incorporate the Indian Premier League (IPL) into the Future Tours Programme as this would open the door to similar demands by cricket leagues in other countries is perplexing.


The advent of T20 is changing the structure of cricket worldwide. The T20 game, earlier dismissed as a format that could never become popular, has changed the way the game is perceived, and given birth to a new format of club/franchisee games.


Format’s popularity

As evident even from Mr. Lorgat’s statement, leagues are springing up around the world in Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies, England and South Africa among others. The very reason these leagues are functioning commercially testifies to the popularity of the format.


The ICC’s original structure is that of national teams playing each other in bi-lateral or tri-lateral tours where the domestic boards (the hosting board, in particular) have the right to the revenue generated during the tour, minus the expenses.


The club/franchisee system is striving to change a system in which players only represented their national or state or employer’s team to that of a structure where the choice is available to a player to choose a team he wants to represent besides his national duty. It propagates a system where players play for their domestic clubs on a regular basis and are called upon periodically to represent the country.


Is Mr. Lorgat’s statement indicative of an ICC strategy to retain control of the game that seems to be fast slipping out of its hand, with certain boards attaining power and the club system becoming popular?


It may be a good idea to have longer domestic tournament gaps, when all club games can take place and the players can decide which team they want to represent. This, while generating employment for a large number of cricketers and support staff, will also help create larger interest in bilateral/trilateral tours. The number of bilateral/trilateral tours could be limited to between three to five a year. Fewer tours in which the best cricketers of one country play against the best of another would bring the crowds back to the stadium for this type of cricket, for which audiences have been thinning due to the overkill prevalent now.


Domestic tournaments

In the light of the opposition from member boards, the ICC should consider cutting the long tour format for national sides in order to make space for domestic tournaments. They need to consider the fact that the long tours were devised in a different era to factor in longer travel time between countries. The world has moved on. In spite of its shortcomings, the IPL has come as a boon to the player community of world cricket. It generates financial security for international stars and domestic players. The IPL also provides a valuable platform to talented Indian youngsters who aspire to don national colours and display their skills on the international stage. Confidence to face tougher opponents is gathered by rubbing shoulders with the legends of cricket and learning from their vast experience. A young talent who fares well against a famous player would be better equipped to overcome the jitters which a debutant faces on the international scene. Mr. Lorgat would serve cricket better if he strives to accommodate the IPL rather than squeeze it out of the cricketing calendar.



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Agencies
July 20,2020

Vitoria, Jul 20: Lionel Messi won a record seventh top scoring title in the Spanish league after netting twice in Barcelona's 5-0 rout of Alav s in the final round.

Messi ended with 25 goals, four more than Karim Benzema, who did not score in Real Madrid's 2-2 draw at Legan s.

Messi is the first player to finish as the league's top scorer in seven different seasons. He reached the milestone despite missing games because of an injury early in the season. The Argentine's 25 goals came in 33 matches.

Messi was tied with Telmo Zarra with six scoring titles. He has also now equaled Hugo Sanchez's feat of four straight top-scorer trophies.

"Individual achievements are always secondary," Messi said on Sunday.

"I wished it could have come along with the league title."

This is also the third successive season that Messi finished with the most assists 21 in the league.

Ansu Fati, Luis Su rez and Nelson Semedo also scored Sunday for Barcelona, which had already secured second place behind Madrid.

Fati opened the scoring in the 24th minute, Messi added to the lead 10 minutes later and Su rez closed the first-half scoring in the 44th. Semedo got on the board in the 57th and Messi in the 75th to help Barcelona rebound from a 2-1 home loss to Osasuna.

"Today things were different," Messi said.

"The team showed better attitude and commitment. It was an important step forward for us ahead of what's left in the season."

Barcelona now turns its focus to its Aug. 8 home game against Napoli in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The first leg, played before the break, ended 1-1.

Barcelona coach Quique Seti n finished under pressure after the team relinquished a two-point lead over Madrid when the league resumed following the pandemic break. It was four points back before Madrid's match at Legan s.

Barcelona defender Cl ment Lenglet had to be substituted early in the second half because of an apparent muscle injury.

Alav s, sitting in 15th, had already done enough to stay up.

BAR A "B" TEAM

American winger Konrad de la Fuente scored twice as Barcelona's "B" team beat Valladolid B to keep alive its hopes of reaching the second division next season. The victory put Barcelona in the second round of the promotion playoffs.

The 19-year-old De la Fuente, who recently had his contract with Barcelona extended through the 2021-22 season, scored in each half.

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News Network
January 29,2020

Hamilton, Jan 29: India defeated New Zealand in the third T20 International via Super Over to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series here on Wednesday.

India posted a competitive 179 for five at Seddon Park after being sent into bat. Opener Rohit Sharma top scored for India with a 65-run knock while skipper Virat Kohli contributed 38 runs in team's total.

Later, skipper Kane Williamson smashed a 48-ball 95 but New Zealand faltered in the final over to take the match into the Super Over.

Needing nine runs of the last over, New Zealand lost Williamson and Ross Taylor to finish at 179 for six and tie the match.

In the Super Over, New Zealand scored 17, a target which India overwhelmed in the final ball with Rohit smashing Tim Southee for two consecutive sixes.

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News Network
January 15,2020

Jan 15: Australia openers David Warner and Aaron Finch both struck superb centuries to complement their bowlers’ inspired display as the touring side handed out a 10-wicket thrashing to India in the opening one-day international in Mumbai.

India, world-ranked No 2 in ODIs, suffered a middle-order collapse on their way to being bundled out for 255 in the final over of their innings after Australia captain Finch won the toss and opted to field in the first of the three-match series.

Warner and Finch then smashed the Indian bowlers to all corners of the ground, picking up boundaries seemingly at will to chase down the target with 74 balls to spare at the Wankhede Stadium.

Left-handed Warner successfully used the decision review system twice to overturn the umpire’s decision on his way to his 18th ODI century, hitting three sixes and 17 fours in his unbeaten knock of 128, from 112 balls. Finch completed his 16th century in the format, his unbeaten innings 110 from 114 features two sixes and 13 fours.

Earlier, Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc, who made his ODI debut in India 10 years ago, picked up three wickets to set up Australia’s victory. He struck the first blow with the new ball when he sent back Rohit Sharma for 10.

India managed to recover from that early loss through a second-wicket stand of 121 between opener Shikhar Dhawan, who top-scored for the hosts with 74, and KL Rahul. However left-arm spinner Ashton Agar broke the stand by dismissing Rahul for 47 before Agar caught Dhawan off Pat Cummins in the next over.

The hosts were hoping for a solid innings from captain Virat Kohli, who batted a position lower than his usual No 3 spot to accommodate Rahul, to get them out of trouble. However, he lasted only 14 balls, hitting leg-spinner Adam Zampa for a six before offering a return catch to the bowler on the very next delivery to be out for 16.

Starc then returned to the attack, removing Shreyas Iyer cheaply as India lost four wickets for 30 runs to be reduced to 164 for five. Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja then fell just short of a half-century partnership, before the remaining four wickets falling for 42 runs, with Cummins and fast bowler Kane Richardson picking up two wickets apiece for Australia.

To compound India’s woes, wicketkeeper Pant suffered a concussion after being hit on his helmet by a short-pitched delivery from Cummins. The Indian cricket board said Pant, who did not come out to keep wicket and was replaced behind the stumps by Rahul, was under observation. The two sides will meet in Rajkot for the second ODI on Friday.

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