Ganguly and sharukh meet at Mannat

Just two days after Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan said the team would be having multiple captain in the second season of the Indian Premier League, Sourav Ganguly and team owner Shah Rukh Khan today met here for an ad-shoot for the side.

It was last season's permanent skipper Ganguly and Shah Rukh's first meeting after Buchanan expressed his desire to have four captains in the second edition of the IPL starting April 18 in South Africa.

The Australian said he decided to have four captains this season to keep up with the changing demands of the game.

The decision, however, did not go well with Ganguly, who has already made his opposition known to Buchanan's plan.

But Buchanan denied any rift in the team and said the decision to have multiple captains has nothing to do with Ganguly's performance or fitness.

"The decision has got nothing to do with Sourav's performance. Chris Gayle (West Indies), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) and Ganguly will all captain KKR. There will be a nominated captain for each game,"

Durban to host 16 ipl Matches

The second DLF Indian Premier League will be held in eight cities in South Africa, including Cape Town and Johannesburg which are to host the opening tie and the final respectively, as per the official fixtures list released today.

The schedule of the high-profile Twenty20 League, to be held in South Africa from April 18-May 24, has been released after the organizers have fine-tuned the earlier programme sent to the franchises.

Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians would clash with last years runners-up Chennai Super Kings, led by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to kick off the cash-rich tournament that traverses the length and breadth of the Rainbow Nation.

Durban, with its high population of people of South Asian origin, will host the maximum number of 16 matches, including five double headers (April 21, 29, May 5, 14 and 20) while Cape Town will have double headers on the first two days of the competition.

Ganguly's fans protest against captaincy rotation

Fans of Sourav Ganguly, who led Kolkata Knight Riders' in the 2008 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), burnt the effigy of coach John Buchanan against his decision to rotate captains during the Twenty20 league. Ganguly's fans said they would not accept anyone else in his place. "There will be only one captain in Knight Riders and he is Sourav Ganguly. He is the only successful captain in India. In any team where we have Ganguly, we need not have four or five captains. If there are four or five captains, we will also have five coaches," said Bablu Haldar, one of the fans. With at least three successful captains in its list, Kolkata Knight Riders have decided to go for a rotation of skippers. The decision came after the coach analysed the strength of the teams, which boasts of international players like Chris Gayle (West Indies), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) who have led their sides in the past to victory. This would eventually ease pressure on Ganguly. Ganguly on Wednesday said he accepted the decision, as he would be able to focus more on his batting and bowling skills. Earlier, organisers of the Twenty20 tournament announced the eight-team league would be staged in South Africa from April 18 due to security reasons and would return to India next season. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to stage the event overseas after failing to get government clearance for security cover as the tournament's dates clash with the general elections.

IPL huge logistical exercise, but will benefit S. Africa

Hosting the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2009 series in South Africa will be a huge logistical exercise but would bring economic advantages to the host country, the heads of the cricket bodies in both India and South Africa said here. 'We are starting from ground zero after working on this tournament in India for nine months,' Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the IPL, said at a press conference Tuesday evening. 'We've now got to put up probably the single largest logistic tournament in the world in any sport in a matter of 45 days at six venues. 'Teams of a few hundred people will be arriving in the next 24 hours from all over the world who will be working with us out here. We will probably have over a thousand people working on this tournament at any given point of time,' Modi said. 'We will be consuming in excess of 30,000 hotel room nights, (and) consuming over 10,000 airline tickets over the next six weeks in South Africa,' he added. Modi said these were just some of the factors that would contribute towards the South African economy getting a boost. 'The main reason for us agreeing to host the IPL 2009 was to extend a hand of friendship to India when India called us to say they had a problem and could South Africa help them, (but) we will also gain because we will be paid some money to host the game,' said Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola. Modi also expressed the hope that CSA would use the opportunity to learn for its own proposed IPL-type series. 'We know that CSA is looking at a similar concept to the IPL and perhaps this will help them build on that,' said Modi.

The decision to move the India Premier (IPL) League 2009 to South Africa was 'one of the hardest decisions that the BCCI ( Board of Control for Cricket in India) has ever had to take', Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the IPL, told a press conference here as he jointly announced the decision with Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola. 'But I am equally confident that staging it here will be a massive success for us,' Modi said Tuesday evening. 'When I came here for the ICC World Cup in 2007, I was struck by the massive passion of the fans and the great enthusiasm for the game of T20. It was actually the T20 games that took place in South Africa that led to the Indian Premiere League and its success, with India winning it at that point in time. 'This passion, combined with world class facilities and excellent administration meant that my colleagues and I at the BCCI fully believe that the 2009 IPL will be a wonderful success in South Africa,' Modi said. The series is expected to start April 18, with details of venues and other logistics, including a schedule, to be finalised within the next two days.

IPL to play in south Africa

The Indian Premier League (IPL) will cover the difference in costs that the owners of the clubs would incur for playing the series in South Africa instead of India, Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the IPL, said here. The costs of hosting the IPL 2009 series in South Africa will be much higher than what it would have been if it was played in India as originally planned. 'To actually factor in what the cost is going to be vis-a-vis playing the games in South Africa and in India is a very difficult question at the moment,' Modi said at a press conference here late Tuesday. 'I arrived this morning and we took the decision to go forward, irrespective of the cost. We know the costs are going to be much, much higher of doing them in South Africa, but we are happy to go forward and incur those costs because the game of cricket is more important than anything else for us,' he added. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to shift the Twenty20 tournament outside the country after state governments failed to assure security for the event that clashed with general elections.

Ipl bangdown to roll out of india

The Indian Premier League (IPL) was Sunday shifted to the foreign shores because of clash of dates with general elections in the country.
The move came as a shock for fans across the nation and raised the political pitch with the main opposition party holding the central government responsible for the decision.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took the decision at an emergency meeting after days of speculation about the second edition of the tournament that is set to take place April 10 to May 24.
The home ministry had put the ball in state governments' court after the IPL dates clashed with the Lok Sabha polls slated April 16 to May 13. The votes will be counted May 16.
The BCCI frantically changed the IPL schedule thrice to meet security concerns and eventually decided to move it outside India after the Maharashtra government, where a chunk of the matches were to be held, declared its inability to provide security during the elections.
As a result, BCCI president Shashank Manohar said the board was forced to shift the Twenty20 tournament outside India.
'Earlier, the governments of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh gave their consent to hold IPL matches. But later they reverted from their stance.'
'We have been forced to move IPL outside India because of the attitude of the government, especially the Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh governments,' Manohar said.
Security for the IPL became a major issue after Mumbai terror attacks that killed over 170 people in November 2008 and after terrorists audaciously attacked Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore in March.
According to the government, the police and paramilitary forces would be bogged down during the five-phase Lok Sabha polls.
There is no word on the new venue yet, but Cricket South Africa and England and Wales Cricket Board have confirmed the BCCI has approached both to explore if the tournament could be held in England or South Africa.
There would be no changes in the timings and format of the tournament irrespective of where they are played. The matches were originally to take place at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. IST.
'We are exploring various options in England, South Africa and the UAE. We will take a decision by Monday evening,' IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said.
'Unfortunately, we could not hold it in India because of the election issues. We had to take into account the need for continuity in holding the tournament. We could not have found other dates in the international calendar.' he added.
The IPL team owners backed the move.
'We will follow what the IPL and the BCCI decide. All the franchise owners have decided to stick together and see it through,' Bollywood actor Shah Rukh, who owns Kolkata Knight Riders, said after a meeting of the eight team owners with Modi Sunday.
'The elections are important for the country. It's a bigger issue than the IPL. We have tried to resolve the problem. The picture will be clear in the next five to seven days,' he said.
Mumbai Indians co-owner Nita Ambani said the IPL has assured the franchisees that they will not suffer any losses if the Twenty20 tournament is held outside the country.
'Shifting IPL out of India was the last resort for us but we did not want to stop IPL from taking place this year. IPL has assured us that there won't be any losses,' she said.
Kings XI Punjab co-owner Preity Zinta, too, welcomed the decision.
'Elections are number one priority and we had to take it into consideration. We want to have this tournament to happen too, so this is a good decision as every fan will still get to see it from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.,' she said.
'The timings will be the same so the Indian viewers will not suffer. We will follow whatever the BCCI and IPL will ask us to do,' she added.
Rajasthan Royals co-owner Shilpa Shetty, though disappointed at the news, also followed suit and backed the decision to shift the tournament.
'I am in London at the moment and the news that we received at the owners' conference is disappointing not just for the franchisees but also all the Indian cricket fans, given the huge anticipation and excitement that exists for the IPL in India,' Shetty said.
'However, if the choice is no tournament, or the tournament in another country, then we clearly prefer the latter. The locations and options presented are all viable, and we are working closely with the IPL, as they formulate a decision over the next 24 hours,' she explained.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the Indian government for its failure to provide security to the IPL.
'The government must seriously reconsider ... and adopt a more responsible stand in national interest,' said BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley.
Jaitley, who is also president of the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA), said the decision to shift the hugely popular Twenty20 tournament would put India on par with countries like Pakistan that are deemed unsafe for international sporting events.
'India is safe, that must be the stand of the government.'
'A domestic tournament has to be shifted to foreign soil? It was always said Pakistan is an unsafe country. This non-cooperation of the central government is like clubbing India (with Pakistan).'
Cricket fans felt the shift would take the sheen off the tournament, especially for the youngsters, who were looking forward to the cricketing extravaganza after their annual school and board exams.
'Today's decision has come as a shock. In all my excitement, I had even applied for my leave at work! Now of course, it will be a different story,' said Sourav Dey, a software engineer working in Delhi.
Shakshi Misra, a big IPL fan, went on to ask: 'Why keep calling it the Indian Premier League now that it will not be held in India? And the worse thing is that politicians are now making it a poll issue! Let the game be, please!'.

Ipl to be held in overseas

The Indian Premier League will be held overseas this season because of security concerns since it coincides with the country's general elections.
Some players and officials had expressed concerns about playing on the subcontinent after a terrorist attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore, Pakistan earlier this month. India was also the target of a terror attack in Mumbai in November which left 164 people dead and forced the cancelation of the first Champions League Twenty20 tournament for provincial teams from five countries.
Shashank Manohar, India's cricket chief, said Sunday that organizers were looking for a venue outside India for the IPL's second season after the government refused to approve the tournament schedule because security forces would be occupied with the elections.
The 59-match tournament is to be held April 10 to May 24, while the elections for the lower house of India's Parliament will take place across the country in five different phases between April 16 and May 13.
Indian officials said they have begun talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa about the possibility of one of them hosting the tournament.
IPL chairman Lalit Modi said he was hopeful of announcing the venue and final schedule Monday, and maintained that the tournament would be run in full with the same format and dates.
"It's going to be exorbitantly prohibitive to move the tournament out of the country," he said. "Logistically, it's a huge challenge. We'll have a home for each of the eight teams.
"We may not make any profit. We're not looking at the profits, but wanted the IPL played this year, and we'll ensure that the franchises suffer no losses. Even the match telecast will be at the same time for the Indian audience."
India's Interior Ministry had suggested the tournament be postponed until after the elections, but league officials did not want to change the dates because it would be difficult to find another slot in a crowded international calendar.
Earlier this month, gunmen ambushed the Sri Lankan cricket team as it traveled to a stadium in Pakistan. Seven players, an assistant coach and a match official were injured, and six policemen and a driver were killed.
Bangladesh canceled a cricket tour this month by Pakistan after authorities said they were unable to provide adequate security to a visiting team in the wake of a mutiny by border guards last month that cost the lives of more than 70 people in Dhaka.
Since it was formed last year, the IPL has transformed Indian cricket by introducing cheerleaders, major endorsements and some of the world's most highly paid players. The tournament uses the Twenty20 format, in which games can be finished within three hours compared with a full day for a regular 50-over limited-overs international or five days for a test match.
Mumbai Indians franchise owner Nita Ambani said the IPL had assured all teams that "the expenditure would be kept in mind and not to worry on that count."
"We're happy that the IPL is moving international, this will be a big boost to the fan base," she said.
Bollywood actors Shahrukh Khan and Priety Zinta, two other high-profile team owners, praised the organizers for finding a way to stage the event, which was a huge success last year.
"Being an attempt to resolve an issue, it was a great decision to be able to hold the IPL," said Khan, owner of the Kolkata Knightriders team. "We don't know the logistics yet, so can't talk about the expenditure until we hear from the IPL."
Zinta, among the owners of King's XI Punjab, said IPL organizers had little choice.
"It's a good decision to stage the tournament in a foreign country, otherwise it wouldn't have been held this year," she said.
Manor Badale, chairman of the Rajasthan Royals team that won the inaugural IPL last year, said shifting the tournament was a disappointment "given the huge anticipation and excitement that exists for the IPL in India."
"However, if the choice is no tournament or the tournament in another country, then we clearly prefer the latter."

Pieterson will captain the Bangalore Royal challengers

Rahul Dravid was Saturday removed as the captain of Bangalore Royal Challengers IPL Twenty20 cricket team and replaced by former England skipper Kevin Pietersen, who will lead the team in the second edition of the IPL.

The decision to replace Dravid was taken in consultation with him, Challengers owner Vijay Mallya told reporters late Saturday.

Pietersen will also not captain the side for the entire tournament, as he has other commitments at the end of April. In his absence Jacques Kallis - the Challengers' vice captain - of South Africa will lead the team, Mallya said.

Dravid is currently playing Tests in New Zealand.

'The decision was taken after consultation with Rahul Dravid. It was not an easy decision,' Mallya said.

Dravid may not also play the entire tournament as he and his wife are expecting their child, the Challengers owner said.

He said the decision to appoint a new skipper was based on 'player's availability during each phase of the tournament, flexibility in selection of playing squad during the phases, and, the fact that Dravid will not be available due to personal reasons for the entire tournament.'

Mumbai Game for ipl Matches

The Indian Premier League is definitely on in Mumbai. Maharashtra Home Minister Jayant Patil told HT that there would be no problem in holding IPL matches in the State.

"We have already discussed this issue with the IPL authorities. They have ensured that the match dates will not clash with the election dates which are April 16, 23 and 30,"he said.

Confusion prevailed on the issue of security cover for the matches with senior officer Director General, Anti Corruption Bureau S Chakravarty, who is in charge for the duration of the elections in the state, categorically ruling out any possibility of extending security to the matches or players till the election process gets over by April 30.

Patil said that Chakravarty's role was limited to the elections. "There will be no disturbance in the election process. The force meant for protection during the elections will not be used for the IPL matches. We will ensure that there would be no problem in dealing with elections security," he insisted.

"My only priority is to conduct fair and peaceful elections. That is my Constututional duty and anything other than that is not relevant to me," Chakravarty had told HT before his boss clarified the issue. "The entire force would be on deputation for the election duty and nothing else."

Then, Director General of Police (DGP) S S Virk went on record to this paper asserting that allocation of forces for IPL matches can be done if the state government issued a direction to that effect. He said talks were on with BCCI officials "at all levels" to arrive at a decision. He however, made it clear that the match dates would have to be rescheduled in order to ensure availability of police cover for the matches.

Asked if the conduct of the matches during the electioneering phase would increase the security risk, especially in view of the Mumbai attacks and the attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, Virk said: "Though there is an undercurrent of threat, that does not mean we can not provide security." The contrary views of the two top cops made it difficult to discern the precise stand of the state police till Patil had the final say.

Sony TV drags BCCI to court over IPL broadcasting rights

A fresh row broke out over the issue of telecast rights of the IPL with Sony Entertainment dragging BCCI to the Bombay High Court which restrained the Cricket Board from entering into any further agreement related to the T-20 tournament.
Sony moved the High Court against BCCI's move to enter into a contract with World Sports Group (WSG) after terminating its agreement with Sony on broadcasting rights in the country.
The court yesterday granted the injunction to Sony restraining Board for Control of Cricket in India from entering into any further agreements related to the IPL.
When the petition came up for further hearing before Justice S J Kathawala today, the BCCI lawyer sought time to take instructions and produce the relevant documents.
The court said till the matter is heard, BCCI shall not grant any approval to WSG under the newly entered contract.
According to the BCCI counsel, the agreement with Sony was terminated on the evening of March 14 and the new one t with WSG was signed on the morning of March 15 and the court's injunction came only in the afternoon on that day

Centre tells IPL to consult states for new dates

The Indian Premier League's attempts to break the deadlock over its schedule today suffered a fresh blow with the Centre rejecting the cosmetic changes in the fixture and bluntly telling the organisers to consult the state governments while finalising the dates.
With less than a month to go for the cash-rich Twenty20 event to get underway, the Home Ministry's rejection of the second proposed schedule submitted by the IPL organisers has put a question mark on the fate of the tournament beginning April 10.
A meeting between top Home Ministry and BCCI officials to resolve the imbroglio related to the dates ended without resolution with the Centre making it clear that it was not in a position to spare para-military forces because of the Lok Sabha elections.
A three-member BCCI team, led by Secretary N Srinivasan, met Special Secretary (Internal Security) Raman Srivastava in the Home Ministry where they were told not to indulge in cosmetic changes and rather hold consultations with state governments where they would like to hold the Twenty20 matches.
"The Home Ministry have expressed their concerns, they have explained it to us in details. We've also explained our difficulties and concerns and the importance of all the stakeholders," Srinivasan told reporters

Chhattisgarh offers to host IPL matches

The Chhattisgarh government has offered to host a few matches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and assured full security cover despite the schedule clashing with the general elections, an official said here Saturday.

'We are very keen to host some IPL twenty20 matches at the newly-built stadium on the outskirts of Raipur. Chief Minister Raman Singh spoke with IPL commissioner Lalit Modi Friday and formally made the offer,' Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) president Baldev Singh Bhatia told IANS.

'The chief minister has assured full security cover to the players and officials if Chhattisgarh is given a chance to host the matches,' he added.

He claimed that Raipur has better cricketing facilities than several other venues in the race to host IPL matches in April-May.

Chhattisgarh's first ever international cricket stadium, with a seating capacity of 60,000, was inaugurated in September last year.

The stadium is built at Parsada village in Naya Raipur, 20 km from here.

The CSCS claims that the stadium is the second best in the country after the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in terms of seating capacity and facilities available to the crowd and players.

The stadium complex is spread over 50 acres. It has an electronic score board, nine pitches and a car parking which can hold 6,000 four-wheelers besides 11 ticket plazas, Bhatia said.

IPL may yet return to Brabourne ground

The Cricket club of India's (CCI) Brabourne Stadium may yet get to host a large number of Indian Premier League (IPL) matches due to be played in Mumbai as the prestigious club has invited members for fresh talks to resolve a dispute over sharing stadium seats, a controversy which had threatened to take all IPL matches to distant Navi Mumbai.

A fresh notice was put up last evening at the CCI calling members for a meeting on March 18 to inform them of the proposal received on March 9 from Indiawin Sports Private Limited on behalf of the Mumbai Indians, the Mukesh Ambani-Reliance-owned team. "The members are informed that this final offer is based on several protracted discussions held between the negotiating committees so formed with the representatives of Mumbai Indians," the notice said.

According to the notice, of the 2,200 seats that the club house manages, the Mumbai Indians has asked for 700 seats exclusively for its guests. Further, the childrens' stand with 600 seats, which otherwise is used by children of club members adjoining the club house seats, will also be reserved for the Mumbai Indians. In return for these reserved seats, club members will be compensated with 1,929 seats in the West Stand, where the members' spouses will have to pay. The stadium has 35,000 seats.

The offer from the Mumbai Indians - who will pay Rs 15 lakh per match hosted - is valid for two years with an option of extending it for two years, the notice said. Mumbai Police sources said they had already begun looking at the VIP security protocol in the South Mumbai area. The area around the CCI club, its entry and exit points are being closely studied.

The first round of talks between the IPL management and the CCI executive committee had ended disastrously with members being unhappy over giving up their club house seats. The open house held on February 14 ended up being a noisy affair, resulting in the committee refusing the prestigious IPL and the club losing out on some entertaining cricket.

If the latest proposal goes through, the CCI will be available for the IPL only for the local matches with the opening ceremony and the final match remaining at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

National pride vs prejudiced IPL

IT WILL be a sad day when cricket in the sub-continent becomes a victim of terrorism. It may have already happened, with Pakistan bearing the brunt of it.
India too may not be far behind and if those who administer the game don't respond with care and sensitivity, this million-dollar industry could come to a grinding halt.

It is nobody's case that the Indian Premier League should not be held this year. But the aftermath of the horrific Lahore incident has thrown up a debate on whether it will be prudent to hold it during the period of the general elections, as the Indian state may not be able to provide proper security to the tournament.

With cricketers themselves now as targets, it is a concern which should consume all of us --- those who value cricket and human life. What is rather sad and unfortunate is that the cricket administrators and the corporate world who own the teams, seem so obsessed with the losses they will suffer --- monetary and brand promotion --- that they seem hell bent on hosting the event, even if it means pressurising the State.

One obvious reason for this adamant stand is that if the tournament is postponed, it can't be held at all as there are no other dates available for it to be hosted this year. From a cricket perspective --- Board, corporate, players and the fans --- it is an unfortunate situation. The Board not only suffers monetary loses --- which is not much given its bulging pockets --- but more importantly, it fears a loss of face and clout in international cricket and the power they derive from it.

The franchises, who in this time of meltdown have already suffered major losses, are not willing to take a double blow --- money losses as well as no brand promotion. The players for obvious reasons and the fans, for having to lose out on highly entertaining 40 evenings well spent.

So, the spoilsport here becomes the Indian state, which from the perspective of the promoters should even postpone the elections. What strikes me in all these discussions is the brazenness with which some of the Board officials are dismissing the security threat as a figment of someone's lunatic imagination. They would even go ahead and host the event with the help of private security, which their money power can afford to buy. They almost give the impression that the state is a hindrance and too weak to protect the interests of the people (Read IPL).

The whole IPL debate is being linked with National Pride and we are being told that if the event is not held, India's image will suffer. I did not know that my National identity is linked with Punjab Kings playing Rajasthan Royals and with the brands being promoted through it!

That there are enough people willing to buy this argument is a triumph for those who know how to sell, even if one day it could be your own Nation