No KKR without Dada: Shah Rukh , Kolkata Knight Riders

MUMBAI, March 31 (PTI): “There is no Kolkata Knight Riders without Dada”, asserted team owner Shah Rukh Khan while rubbishing speculation that Sourav Ganguly was being sidelined by coach John Buchanan’s idea to have multiple captains for the Indian Premier League second season.

Shah Rukh said the team’s decision to have multiple captains was in no way meant to sideline the team’s icon player Ganguly, who has hardly minced words in ridiculing the concept.

According to the idea put forth by Buchanan, Ganguly will have to share the captaincy with three others — New Zealand Brendon McCullum, West Indies’ Chris Gayle and Laxmi Ratan Shukla.

The Bollywood star said it was just an experiment and KKR would not exist without Ganguly.

“Let me tell you, there is no Kolkata Knight Riders without Dada. We love him,” he said on the sidelines of a fashion show.

“We are a team and no decision is taken by one person. Twenty20 is a new format and new things are being tried. Too much has been said, we are not having four captains in one match. It’s going to be one captain in one match,” he said.

HOTELS, ACCOMODATION, HOLIDAYS COTTAGE, BUNGLOWS ON RENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

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HOTELS, ACCOMODATION, HOLIDAYS COTTAGE, BUNGLOWS ON RENT IN SOUTH AFRICA


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Information for Tourists & Visitors to South Africa

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Information for Tourists & Visitors to South Africa



ARE U PLAN TO VISIT SOUTH AFRICA FOR IPL-2

SO GET THIS CURBY INFORMATION ALONG WITH U:

CLICK FOR THE INFORMATION REGARDING CLIMATE, EXCHANGE, HOTELS, ROADS, TRANSPORT, BANKING HOURS, POST OFFICE, DESTINATION INFORMATION, MAPS, ROADS, CABS, TR, VISA, ASSURANCE

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IPL 2: Travel companies eye South African safari

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IPL 2: Travel companies eye South African safari

MUMBAI: The IPL bandwagon is on its way to South Africa but the Indian spectator is unlikely to undertake the African Safari. Travel companies TOI spoke to said the economic uncertainty has dampened the spirits of die-hard Indian fans.

Travel agencies are in the process of formulating special packages. They, however, hope to cash in on the World Twenty20 Championship to be held in England right after the IPL. The reason: Club commitment is no match for national fervour.

India's loss is certainly South Africa's gain. According to estimates, inbound tourism and hotel revenues were expected to surge by nearly 15% had the IPL stayed on in India. No doubt, the Proteas are pleasant hosts — everyone saw that during the World T20 championship in 2007 — but service comes with a price. Many firms are reluctant to formulate strategies but some are going ahead because ‘‘cricket sells''.

Kashmira Commissariat, head, outbound division, Kuoni India, talks from experience. ‘‘SOTC Sport Abroad was the official travel agent for World Cup in 2007 and the inaugural ICC T20, which India won in 2007. Our packages received a marvellous response. South Africa has been lucky for the Indian team. With packages starting from Rs 60,000 onwards for 3-4 days, we will offer various schemes during the IPL.''

Abhijeet Patil, CEO, Raja Rani Travels, begs to differ. ‘‘Running after cricket in these times is as good as chasing wild geese. We are not giving it a serious thought.'' A top executive with another travel company, who didn't want to be named, echoed Patil's views. ‘‘Where is the ‘national spirit' factor? In these tough times, why would an Indian fan go to watch an IPL match with teams made up of players from different countries. It’s not worth it,'' he says.

England may have lost out on hosting the IPL, but fans are looking forward to the ICC World T20 which begins a few days after the IPL ends. Deepak Melwani of Prime Flyers is not offering any deals for the IPL. ‘‘Well, I'm going to England and I'm sure more people will come to me for flight tickets as they identify more with India than an IPL team. And it'll make sense as we are the defending champs.''

Melwani is a member of the Cricket Club of India (CCI) and thanks to a partnership between the CCI and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), he'll get tickets to games at Lord's. Not everyone's as lucky but the odds favour an India-Pakistan match to a Mumbai Indians-Kolkata Knight Riders encounter — given that both are being played abroad.

Shaikh Abdulla, manager, revenue generation, Akbar Travels, has got into action right away. Abdulla has decided to play the waiting card for the time being. ‘‘ Right now, people are more concerned about the elections, and their children's exams. If the IPL gains steam, fans will be ready to spend. Therefore, we are looking to formulate a package for the business end of the tournament.'' That will certainly make sense as the semifinals and final will be better crowd-pullers than mundane league games. ‘‘We received a superb response for the T20 World Cup in 2007.

The package was around Rs 70,000 for five days. This time the price of the package may be slightly low. Nothing has been finalised as the fixtures aren't out as yet,'' he says.

Source: TOI

Pak players may play in IPL

The beleaguered Pakistan players got a much needed boost when it was speculated that they may get a chance to feature in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season as at least one of the franchises is keen to have them playing.

Sources close to the players say at least four Pakistani players including Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Misbah-ul-Haq and Kamran Akmal could be in line to play for their old franchises in the IPL.

"Since the IPL is now not being held in India the franchises are thinking about asking for permission from the organisers to bring back their Pakistani players on board for the tournament," one source said.

The source said Kolkatta Knight Riders was one team that had already indicated it wanted pace bowler Umar Gul back while Rajasthan Royals were also eyeing all-rounder Sohail.

But with the IPL being shifted abroad, even the Pakistan cricket Board has said it would speak to the government and Indian board to find out if Pakistani players can take part in the lucrative competition now.

PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt has said he would find out whether their players are still required to play in the IPL after its relocation from India.

"I will be talking to the Indian board president and also our government," "I am sure some of the players would now like to play in the IPL if possible. If some players are interested in playing in the IPL and if their commitments don't clash with our national team commitments I will talk to the relevant authorities.

"If we get a chance to play why not after all it is a big tournament and there is good money involved. And since it is now not being held in India, I don't see any reason why we should not be allowed to play in the IPL," one senior player said.

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also told a cricket website in an interview that he was hopeful the Pakistanis could get a last minute call up despite the franchises having full players roosters and the commitment of the Pakistan team against Australia from April 22.

"For me, it is not over till it's over. I haven't given up. It's up to the franchises. If they call upon my services, I will provide them," he told the website.

"We do not have great circumstances with India at the moment. The situation between us is not crictical anymore, and hopefully it will get better in the coming months. It is a shame for the Indian fans that the tournament will not be played in India, but I think it is a good thing that it is still happening. London is like a second home to us. We would be very comfortable playing there. It would be great if that happened, but for now I am preparing to play against Australia in the ODIs next month and take wickets for my country."

Meanwhile it is rumoured that Akhtar might be recalled to the Pakistan team for the ODI series against Australia after chief selector Abdul Qadir said the selectors had been keeping an eye on Akhtar's performance to decide whether he could be brought back into the team.

"He has been playing and in the last match bowled his full quota of overs and conceded just 37 runs," Qadir said.

"There is no doubt he is an experienced bowler and a match winner on his day. We have always said if he is match fit he can be an asset for the national team," he added.



© Cricbuzz

BCCI to compensate franchises

The BCCI will compensate the eight franchises for any extra expenditure incurred in moving from India to South Africa.

The BCCI has a "definite idea" of expenses incurred by the franchises last year along with an estimate of how much the cost would have been had the event been staged in India this year, the official said.

"Any expenditure that occur above these estimates due to the relocation to South Africa will be borne by the BCCI and IPL," a senior BCCI official said. "Of course, this does not mean a blank cheque for the franchises, but a satisfactory resolution will be arrived at."

The IPL made a profit of Rs 51 crore in the inaugural season, but this year the scenario might be different because a "suo motu decision" has been taken at the "highest level" to compensate the franchises.

"The IPL is a long-term vision and the thinking at the highest level is to nurture the brand at all costs," the official said. "Not holding the IPL this year just because of the costs involved would have been disastrous for the brand. We envisage that the IPL will one day become - some say it has already become - the single biggest cricket tournament in the world."

The Indian board's compensation package, which would run into millions of dollars, is expected to include extra expenditure incurred by the franchises on travel, accommodation, and team costs, including practice facilities and fees for the host provinces in South Africa, which is likely to be paid as a bulk amount to Cricket South Africa (CSA) for distribution to various host provinces.

"For instance, each of the franchises paid an amount of Rs 5 milion last year for each of the seven home games to the local state association in India," the official, who is also a member of the IPL governing council, said. "We will keep that total of Rs 35 million as a benchmark this time and chip in with the extra money."

However, the official refused to say how much the IPL would cost this year, including the payment to CSA, saying that the "calculators were still at work". "You should understand that an event of this magnitude usually takes about two to three years to organize and we are squeezing everything into two to three weeks," he said.

Also the official told that the Indian board, or the IPL, will even step in to help with team sponsorships, in case sponsors decide to pull out of any arrangement due to the relocation, "We can either help in getting fresh sponsorship for the teams for equivalent and higher amounts or in a worst-case scenario, compensate the amount," the official said. "But I would hope that no sponsor adopts a short-sighted policy just because of this year's relocation because they should know that there's a lot of money coming their way in the long run."

© Cricbuzz

Sony to telecast IPL matches

Sony Television will have the exclusive rights to beam the IPL matches this year after Multi Screen Media and World Sport Group have signed on as the official broadcast partners for the IPL.

The nine-year deal, that runs through till 2017, is worth Rs 8,200 crore. The new agreement, which is more than double the earlier deal signed last year for 10 years with the same two parties, gives Multi Screen Media the exclusive audio visual rights (in India) to all the 59 matches of the second edition of the IPL.

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, was "absolutely delighted" with the new deal. "We have what we believe to be the best deal for the DLF Indian Premier League and Indian cricket fans alike," Modi said.

"I am certain that Multi Screen Media will pull out all the stops in ensuring that the best technology is utilized to deliver excellent content that is creative, innovative and enriching for the cricket fans in India and indeed across the globe."

Manjit Singh, the MSM CEO, said the deal helped reaffirm the broadcaster's commitment to the Indian sub-continent and the global cricket fan alike.

"We are absolutely delighted to bring the exciting IPL line-up of Indian and international cricketers to the millions of cricket fans globally," he said.

"At Multi Screen Media & World Sport Group we have done some pioneering work in showcasing cricket in an entertaining and informative way and we will continue to innovate and extend the excitement of cricket through the IPL. We look forward to a long and successful association with the IPL as the leagues global media rights partner."

Venu Nair, CEO, World Sports Group said the objective was to place Indian cricket on the global sports calendar. "It's a task, that we have managed with great distinction," Nair said.

"Today, fans across the world are looking forward to the start of season 2 of the IPL and we are happy to partner with Multi Screen Media to bring the league to a global audience."

This latest happening comes just after the Bombay High Court had cleared the way for the BCCI to seek a new broadcast deal by rejecting a plea from Sony TV, which had challenged the Indian cricket board's decision to terminate its five-year deal to televise the IPL.

Talks had failed because Multi Screen Media, which holds the IPL contract under the Sony umbrella, wanted a non-terminable contract, which the BCCI/IPL refused to provide.

© Cricbuzz

IPL announces its schedule to IPL-2 hosted at SA

Cape Town will host the opening ceremony and the first match of the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 18 while the Wanderers Stadium will host the final on May 24.

The semi-finals are to be held on May 22 and 23 in Pretoria and Johannesburg respectively, as per the full schedule of the Twenty20 league.

In a double header on the first day, champions Rajasthan Royals will take on Bangalore Royal Challengers while the evening game will be contested between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Superkings.

Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Pretoria, East London, Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth will be the 8 hosts for the 59 games.

Durban, which has a large South Asian community has been allotted the most games - 16 while Centurion in Pretoria will play host to 12 games.

The Wanderers in Johannesburg and Newlands in Cape Town come next best with eight matches each, with the latter playing host to four of these on the first two days of the tournament.

Seven matches are to be held in St George's Park in Port Elizabeth while Buffalo Park in East London has been allotted four matches.

Two matches each have been allocated to Outsurance Oval in Bloemfontein and De Beers Oval in Kimberley. Matches will start at 4 pm IST (12.30 pm local time) and 8 pm IST (4.30pm local time). There are a total of 10 double headers (two matches back-to-back at the same venue) with Durban hosting half of these.

Schedule: All times IST (GMT + 0530)

April 18: Rajasthan Royals (RR) v Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) (4 pm) at Cape Town; Mumbai Indians (MI) v Chennai Super Kings (CSK) (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) v Deccan Chargers (DC) (4 pm) at Cape Town; Delhi Daredevils (DD) v Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 20: RCB V CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

April 21: RR v MI (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v KXIP (8 pm) at Durban

April 22: DD v CSK (4 pm) at Durban; RCB v DC (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 23: KKR v RR (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

April 24: KXIP v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg

April 25: KKR v CSK (4 pm) at Cape Town; DC v MI (8 pm) at Durban

April 26: RR v KXIP (4 pm) at Cape Town; RCB v DD (8 pm) Port Elizabeth

April 27: KKR v MI (4 pm) at Cape Town; CSK v DC (8 pm) at Durban

April 28: DD v RR (4 pm) at Pretoria

April 29: MI v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v RCB (8 pm) at Durban

April 30: DD v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria; RR v CSK (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 1: RCB v KXIP (4 pm) at East London; MI v KKR (8 pm) at Durban

May 2: RR v DC (4 pm) at Johannesburg; CSK v DD (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 3: MI v RCB (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v KKR (8 pm) at East London

May 4: DC v CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 5: DD v KKR (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v RR (8 pm) at Durban

May 6: MI v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria

May 7: KXIP v CSK (4 pm) at Pretoria; RCB v RR (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 8: DD v MI (4 pm) at East London

May 9: DC v KXIP (4 pm) at Bloemfontein; CSK v RR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 10: KKR v DD (4 pm) at East London; RCB v MI (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 11: DC v RR (4 pm) at Bloemfontein

May 12: RCB v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria; KXIP v MI (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 13: DC v DD (4 pm) at Durban

May 14: MI v RR (4 pm) at Durban; CSK v RCB (8 pm) at Durban

May 15: KXIP v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley

May 16: CSK v MI (4 pm) at Johannesburg; DC v KKR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 17: RR v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley; KXIP v DC (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 18: CSK v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria

May 19: DD v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg

May 20: CSK v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; RR v KKR (8 pm) at Durban

May 21: DC v RCB (4 pm) at Pretoria; MI v DD (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 22: Semi Final 1 at Pretoria

May 23: Semi Final 2 at Johannesburg

May 24: Final at Johannesburg.

© Cricbuzz

SA fans will connect with IPL due to its global appeal: Smith

Johannesburg, Mar 25 (PTI) South Africa skipper Graeme Smith says global appeal of the Indian Premier League will help cricket fans from his country to connect with the city-based teams.

"I was in India last year and I saw how the tournament captured the people's imagination. They loved watching players who were traditional rivals play alongside each other.

"What also amazed me was when I returned, how many South Africans had watched the tournament on television and the associations they had made with the respective teams," he said.

"The tournament will also bring along its unique Indian sub-culture which will be a great experience for our fans," the South African skipper added.

Smith, a part of the first edition champions Rajasthan Royals, also said that the conduct of the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament in South Africa will prove beneficial for the game in his country.

"It's another opportunity for our country to showcase its beauty. A way for more feet to move through our doors. It will also be a huge financial boost to the provincial unions who keep the game going.

"I'm sure it will be huge success. It is fantastic for the game in our country, and I'm sure it will be huge success," Smith told the Cape Times. PTI

South Africa to host second edition of IPL

Johannesburg, Mar 24 (PTI) Ending three weeks of suspense and uncertainty, the IPL today chose South Africa for hosting the second edition of the highly popular Twenty20 cricket tournament that will start from April 18.

The 59 matches will be played in six stadiums across the country at prime time of 4 pm and 8 pm IST and will be telecast live by SuperSport of South Africa where the tournament was shifted in view of security concerns in the wake of Lahore terror attack and IPL dates coinciding with general elections.

The decision to host the tournament in South Africa in preference to England was taken primarily on account favourable weather conditions here, IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi told a joint press conference with Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola after hectic discussions that clinched the issue.

"The major and overwhelming reason for hosting the tournament in South Africa is primarily the favourable weather conditions in April-May in South Africa than they would have been in England," Modi said.

He said it was difficult to answer now the question of the cost of hosting the tournament in South Africa but it is going to be "much much higher" than it would have been in India.

But he promised the franchisees that the IPL would bear the differential cost on account of the tournament being held abroad. PTI

IPL could have been held in India, say pvt security providers

New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) Even as the high profile Indian Premier League (IPL) has been shifted out of the country, private security providers claim the tournament could have been held if the organisers had utilised the vast pool of their trained personnel.

The central organisation of such firms had written to IPL Chairman Lalit Modi in this regard, offering several additional services including assistance in internal and external intelligence gathering.

"In such events, at least 80 per cent of the security arrangement is already being provided by private security agencies. And for IPL, we could have played a larger role as the government cannot spare much resources due to elections," Kr Vikram Singh, Chairman Central Association of Private Security Industry, told PTI.

There are over 50 lakh trained private security personnel available in the country. This pool also include armed security guards, who are basically ex-servicemen and well-versed in handling different weapons, he said.

These agencies also offer a large pool of private intelligence personnel, who, they claim, can assist in gathering internal and external intelligence to abort any kind of threat in time.

"Intelligence is the key of security and we have a huge pool of officers trained for gathering and analysis of intelligence inputs," Singh said. PTI

HC refuses interim relief to Sony on IPL broadcasting rights

Mumbai, Mar 23 (PTI) The Bombay High Court today refused to grant any interim relief to Sony in connection with the row over the broadcasting rights of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Sony had moved the Court last week after BCCI terminated the contract with it and entered into a new contract with World Sports Group (WSG) for the coming season of the T-20 cricket tournament.

Sony had argued that termination of the contract was illegal. PTI

Team India disheartened with IPL's shift abroad

Auckland, Mar 23 (PTI) The Indian Premier League "won't be the same" when played outside India, Sachin Tendulkar said today voicing his disappointment at the BCCI's decision to shift the Twenty20 event abroad.

Echoing the master batsman, his teammates Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir and L Balaji also expressed disappointment with the BCCI's decision as it will deny them a chance to play in front of home crowd.

"It is disappointing that the IPL has been moved out of India. We will certainly miss playing in front of our supporters. It won't be the same," Tendulkar said.

"Obviously the Indian public would have liked to have the IPL played in India. Due to certain circumstances it is difficult. I'm sure the authorities must have tried, but it is not workable. That is the reason it is not in India. I guess we have no choice at this moment," said the champion batsman.

"It is obviously going to be different. In India it is about home games and away games. Right now, looking at the itinerary, either in England or South Africa, everything is going to be an away game. It really doesn't matter where you play everything is going to be an away game," he said.

The BCCI took the surprise decision yesterday after the government told the organisers that it may not be possible to provide adequate security during the 45-day event due to general election in the country. PTI

PCB to contact BCCI regarding Pak players participation in IPL

Karachi, Mar 23 (PTI) The Pakistan Cricket Board has said it would contact its Indian counterparts and seek advice from its government on the status of the national players' chances of playing in the Indian Premier League which will now be staged in South Africa or England.

PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt said there were lot of issues to be cleared up regarding the participation of Pakistani players in the IPL which was shifted from India yesterday as it clashed with the Indian general elections.

"I will be talking to the Indian board President and also our government. I am sure some of the players would now like to play in the IPL if possible," Butt said.

The Pakistan government had stopped its players from going to India for the IPL due to security issues and also because of diplomatic relations taking a nosedive after the Mumbai attacks in November.

Butt said he was not in a position to say if the government would reconsider its stance on allowing players to appear in the IPL now.

"But if some players are interested in playing in the IPL and if their commitments don't clash with our national team commitments I will talk to the relevant authorities," Butt said. PTI

India government dismisses IPL criticism

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) The Centre today dismissed as "unwarranted" the remarks of the BCCI president Shashank Manohar, who had held the government attitude responsible for moving the Indian Premier League out of the country.

"I have read a number of statements of the IPL decision which obliquely criticise the central government. These statements require an answer. Some unwarranted comments also deserve a re-joinder," Union Home Minister P Chidambaram told a press conference.

Manohar, after the BCCI working committee yesterday, had said that they were forced to take the tournament out of the country because of the government's attitude.

"If he (Manohar) was referring to the central government. The remark is entirely unwarranted. It is contrary to the letter of March 4, 2009, wherein N Srinivasan, Secretary BCCI, said 'we shall not ask for central para-military forces to provide security for matches'," Chidambaram said. More PTI SMI ACB AT AY MRM 03231400 DELHI

SAfrica just a sthttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifandby option for IPL: CSA

London, Mar 23 (PTI) Cricket South Africa believes England is the "preferred choice" for hosting the Indian Premier League while the rainbow nation is merely a "standby" option.

"All we know so far is that we're just one of the options. I must say from my side, I'm not that optimistic. The real reason I say so is the timing. I've worked with the Indians for eight years now," CSA chief Gerald Majola told Talk Radio 702 today.

"A decision has to be taken shortly. So I suspect they would be speaking to maybe their preferred choice and I think South Africa is just a standby to whoever their choice is.

"All that's happened so far is that we've received an invitation, an approach in fact, from the BCCI to be a possible option. From my gathering so far, nothing has happened since then. ... They are supposed to come back to us today ... Hopefully they will get back at some point," Majola said.

Meanwhile, England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier was flying from the West Indies, where England are playing, to London to hold talks with IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi and other Indian officials. PTI

Sachin disheartened with IPL shift

Auckland, Mar 23 (PTI) Sachin Tendulkar was disappointed with the BCCI's decision to shift the cash-rich Indian Premier League out of the country as it will deny him a chance to play in front of the home crowd.

"It is disappointing that the IPL has been moved out of India. We will certainly miss playing in front of our supporters. It won't be the same," said Tendulkar, who is the captain of Mumbai Indians team.

The BCCI took the surprise decision yesterday after the government told the organisers that it may not be possible to provide adequate security during the 45-day event due to general election in the country.

Tendulkar said it was a great feeling to play the matches in home and away basis in the inaugural edition of the event.

"It was a good concept to play home and away matches. This is something that the teams will miss this time around," he said. PTI

Modi leaves for Johannesburg tonight

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi will leave for Johannesburg tonight and a decision on the host nation for the second edition of the Twenty20 league may be expected tomorrow.

Modi, who will be travelling to England from Johannesburg tomorrow evening, refused to concede South Africa as favourite to host the lucrative tournament saying it was logistically easier for him to travel to the rainbow nation first.

"We will have to evaluate clearly and carefully before coming to a decision about the venue. We also need to take the weather pattern into consideration as well," Modi said.

Modi, is supposed to be accompanied by IPL CEO Sundar Raman and Tournament Director Dhiraj Malhotra, said both countries have their pros and cons.

He said there are a number of factors working in favour of England.

"England has easy connectivity with a number of flights operating from India. The country is also well prepared since it will host the Twenty20 World Championship and the county championship too is going to start," said Modi.

However, he conceded that weather could pose a problem.

"Weather could be a problem and moreover due to the London Marathon, there could be a problem finding hotel rooms for some days. There's also the Test series between West Indies and England we have to take into account," he told CNN-IBN. PTI

IPL shops for bullet-proof buses

South Africa's Nicholls Steyn and Associates, hired by the Indian Premier League (IPL) to provide security solutions for the event, have approached a Jalandhar-based company, Laggar Industry Limited (LIL), for supplying 16 bullet-proof buses and 64 bullet-proof SUVs for the players and officials.

However, LIL may not accept the contract because they say it's not possible to get so many vehicles ready at such a short notice.

They also pointed out that given the upcoming general elections, they have other commitments to honour.

"Nicholls Steyn contacted us a week ago for making 16 buses and 64 SUVs. But we are yet to sign a contract with them.

Our problem is that we need at least two to three months to make so many vehicles. Then, we have other commitments and contracts with government agencies, which we can't ignore," Sunchit Sobti, LIL's director told TOI on Thursday.

When IPL was staged last year, the team owners hired non bullet-proof buses and some teams like Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders even branded them with team logos.

But these are different times and IPL does not want to take chances. If the South African firm fails to strike a deal with Laggar, the franchisees may be forced to hire buses which will be unmarked.

"The South African agency has also asked us if we could provide them vehicles on hire and even on that front, we have made no promises. Let's see if we can do something... we can surely make 10 to 15 cars ready before the IPL matches start," Sobti said.

The cost for bullet-proofing a bus comes to around Rs 40 to 50 lakh while for a car it's between Rs 10 to 12 lakh. Each bus has a capacity of 40 while a car can accommodate seven security personnel.

The Sobtis have been armouring cars of the politicians in their workshop for years. "We are armouring more cars this time than the last elections.

"Some cars have already been delivered whereas some are still under the process of getting armoured in the workshop," Sobti added.

Source: toi

IPL should be held after polls: Maharashtra police

NEW DELHI: With barely 20 days left for the Indian Premier League (IPL), Mumbai police on Friday gave their green signal to host the Twenty20 matches, after initial concerned were posed by Maharashtra Director General (elections). ( Watch )

Hassan Gafoor, Commissioner of Police, Mumbai said, "IPL is not colliding with polls in the city, so we have given a go ahead to host the matches. We have also asked the BCCI to accommodate players in Cricket Club of India (CCI)."

Earlier on Friday, Maharashtra police called for IPL's postponement, saying that providing security for both matches and the elections will put extra strain on the forces.

S Chakravarty, Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra and also the in-charge of elections in the state had said, "IPL matches should be postponed and kept after polls. We are unable to provide sufficient security for the IPL matches. The Election Commission must provide us permission to provide security."

He went on to add, "Just because some rich people are enjoying cricket in the evening, we cannot put extra strain on our policemen. These men will be doing round-the-clock duty for the upcoming elections, right from morning to midnight. This cannot be avoided because providing adequate police force for the elections is a 'constitutional obligation'."

"So, in my personal view, it will be better that the IPL matches be held later after the state polls are over, which is after April 30. But let me be clear that no paramilitary force will be available for IPL matches and this has been confirmed by the government of India,' added the DG.

However, IPL chief Lalit Modi continued to express hope, even as the chances to host the tournament seems to be growing bleaker. He said, "I will have to look at the Addition DGP's statements."

He added, "We don't want to pre-empt anything, but IPL will go on. We have multiple venue options to host the tournament. We are hoping of MHA issuing a clearance in time."

Mumbai is slated to host 14 IPL matches, inclusive of the inaugural game and the final.

Source: TOI

Telecast rights: Sony TV takes IPL to court

NEW DELHI: The problems for Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi seems no end these days, TV broadcaster Sony is adding to his woes by
taking the organisers of IPL to court.

Sony has got an injunction to stop the IPL from discussing telecast rights with other channels. The injunction order was given to IPL on Saturday night and the Bombay High Court will hear the case on Monday.

The IPL schedule has been in jeopardy and the cumbersome process of re-working the dates in a bid to salvage the high profile Twenty20 cricket event have been on for over a month.

The tournament, coinciding with the Lok Sabha elections, has run into rough weather after the Home Ministry asked the organisers to redraw the schedule as it was not feasible to hold the matches under the existing fixture for security reasons.

The Ministry’s directive came on Friday after eight states, where matches are to be held, said they might not be able to provide security in view of the LS polls.

The premier league's associate sponsors are Pepsico India, Hyundai and Nokia, as Sony Entertainment Television aims to rake in Rs 1.7 billion from the deal, media reports said.

The last edition of IPL had generated nearly Rs 300 crore of advertising revenue.

http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4268743.cms

IPL hits yet another roadblock

NEW DELHI: The meeting at the North Block between home ministry mandarins and BCCI officials, represented by board’s secretary N Srinivasan, on Monday failed to lift the cloud of uncertainty over the Indian Premier League (IPL). In fact, it added a new twist, raising more question marks.

The IPL organizers, who are trying hard to ensure that the league gets rolling on April 10, were told that the Centre and the states will now first have to take care of the Election Commission, which has hinted at the requirement of more forces than what the government had allocated for the polls.

Thus, the BCCI was told that it cannot hold matches before the polls end in the states which are supposed to hold IPL games. Thus, it needs to come up with a fresh schedule which may even see a change in dates of the opening (April 10) and closing (May 24) ceremonies because in most concerned states, the elections are only getting over in May.

In what could be a last-ditch effort to salvage the league’s second edition, the BCCI is likely to submit the re-revised schedule to the Centre on Tuesday, knowing fully well that mere cosmetic changes in the fixtures won’t be acceptable to the government.

Srinivasan and the two other officials - Kasivishwanathan of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Sunder Raman, COO, IPL - who met special secretary (internal security) Raman Srivastava, were told that they would have to get the consent of the states as the Centre was not in a position to spare paramilitary forces in the light of fresh Election Commission requirement.

The ministry also said that security was the prime concern and states will have to take responsibility - particularly when there are intelligence reports indicating terror threats during the IPL matches. Sources in the ministry said that the IPL representatives have promised to return with a schedule which would be acceptable to all the states.

At the meeting, issues like change of venues and squeezing more matches in a single day were discussed. The organisers suggested changing the venue from Visakhapatnam to Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh as Andhra Pradesh had categorically refused to provide security there for four matches between April 19 to 29.

They were, however, informed about a similar stand taken by other states and were asked by Srivastava - who had earlier discussed the issue with state DGPs - to work out a new schedule in consultation with the state governments as some of them may not be in a position to stick to what they had agreed to last week.

"The home ministry has expressed its concerns and explained the position to us in detail. We’ve also explained our problems and the worries of the stakeholders," Srinivasan told reporters after the meeting. He refused to answer when asked how the IPL would come out with a fresh schedule when most of the states have insisted on holding matches only after the polls.

IPL whirlpool

March 2: Dates for general elections announced
March 3: SL cricketers attacked in Lahore
March 4: Home minister P Chidambaram says providing paramilitary forces for IPL matches during general elections will be difficult
March 5: Government-IPL decide to review dates to save the event
March 6: Modi says IPL to roll on schedule, Mumbai not Jaipur to host inaugural match, 5 ties rejigged
March 7: IPL submits fresh schedule to home ministry
March 9: Ministry asks states to respond to whether they can provide security for IPL games as per the revised schedule
March 10: Modi announces IPL will be responsible for security. Home ministry sends reminders to states
March 12: Deadlock continues as states demand central forces for IPL
March 13: Govt seeks new dates again, security remains an issue at all venues except Chennai
March 14: IPL body begins working on yet another schedule
March 15: Govt asks IPL to consult states on revised dates
March 16: BCCI, ministry officials meet to break deadlock but fail to find solution.

http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/IPL_hits_yet_another_roadblock/articleshow/4273726.cms

Terror attack adds new dimension to captain's role: Sangakkara

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Colombo, Mar 13 (PTI) Newly appointed captain Kumar Sangakkara has said his role as a leader got a special dimension to work on Sri Lankan players' mental framework following the recent terror attack on them in Lahore.

The 31-year-old said every one had to fire up before the Twenty20 World Cup in England and the focus was not just on cricketing skills but "group mentality".

"With what the team has undergone in the last two weeks there is a special significance and dimension to that (captain's) responsibility," he said after taking over as the captain from Mahela Jayawardene.

"It is not just about our cricketing skill now, but our group mentality and the need to ensure everyone is firing for the World Twenty20 in England," he said.

"We really have to sit down and have a very honest and open discussion about whether what has happened will change the players in any way, to talk about their families and whether we can take something good from what has happened in Lahore," he told 'Al Jazeera'.

The veteran of 80 Tests and 246 one-day internationals was among the six players injured in the Lahore attack and was hospitalised after the 25-member team was flown home last Wednesday. PTI

Ponting fears for Test cricket's future

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London, Mar 13 (PTI) Australia skipper Ricky Ponting says the future of Tests is at stake under the onslaught of Twenty20 cricket, fearing the huge cash offered by tournaments like the Indian Premier League could draw players away from the traditional five-day format.

"There's a really dangerous thing going on at the moment," Ponting said.

"I gave the Bradman Oration last year and I stated that what I want for the next generation of Australians is to do what I've done: play 150 Tests and represent their country for a long time.

"But something in the back of my head says that their focus could switch from that to being attracted by the glitz and glamour of Twenty20 and the money that might be around," he told 'The Wisden Cricketer' magazine.

Ponting's fears escalated when a survey conducted by the Australian Cricketers' Association among the 25 contracted players revealed that only a minority feels Test cricket as the ultimate achievement.

Almost half the players felt "balancing playing for your country and competing in the new Twenty20 competitions" as the most important issue facing world cricket, while a third thought Test cricket, in its current form, would become obsolete in 20 years' time, the magazine reported. PTI

Home Ministry seeks fresh schedule for IPL

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New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI) The high-profile Indian Premier League ran into rough weather today with the Home Ministry saying that it may not be feasible to hold matches as per the existing schedule and asked the organisers to re-work the dates.

The organisers have been advised to accommodate the concerns of various state governments and draw a revised schedule and submit it to the Home Ministry.

After weeks of suspense on the fate of the cash-rich Twenty20 event, the latest directive from the Home Ministry has put a question mark on the tournament although IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi said that it was willing to submit a new schedule.

Following a video conference between senior officials of the seven states holding IPL matches and Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta, the Home Ministry came out with a statement saying that it may not be feasible to hold matches as per the revised schedule submitted by the IPL on March 7.

"IPL organisers have been advised to accommodate the concerns of various state governments and draw up a revised schedule and submit the same to the MHA," the statement said. PTI

263 players for IPL 2; KKR to have a jumbo squad

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Mumbai, Mar 13 (PTI) The 45-day second season of the IPL, to be held from April 10-May 24, would see a total of 263 players, including 80 foreigners, in action, the organisers said today while releasing the players' list today.

Barring players from Pakistan, who have not been allowed to take part in the cash-rich Twenty20 league by their government, the other eight Test playing nations as well as ICC's full member Zimbabwe would be represented in the event, a media release said here.

Apart from the centrally contracted international players from the country, a host of additional Indian first class cricketers as well as under-22 and 19 players have been drafted into the different teams as per the statutory guidelines drawn up by the IPL.

King's XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians will have only 14 and 15 Indian players, respectively, on their roster, while Kolkata Knight Riders have as many as 46 which makes theirs a jumbo squad of 56, including 10 overseas players, it said.

Royal Challengers of Bangalore have 32 Indians in their ranks (squad strength 42), while last year's champions Rajasthan Royals and runners-up Chennai Super Kings have 25 and 19 Indian players in their respective rosters.

Commending the franchisees for investing in young Indian talent, IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi said all the eight teams "seem to have struck a fine balance". PTI

Mumbai Indians close to signing up record sponsorship deal

Mumbai (PTI): Indian Premier League franchise team Mumbai Indians is close to finalising a record sponsorship deal with Idea Cellular worth between USD 2 and 3 million.

"We have almost finalised the deal. It's the biggest in IPL (so far)," a spokesperson for Mumbai Indians told PTI.

The MI spokesperson said that the deal, if and when signed, would be worth USD two million for preliminary matches played by the team and would rise to USD three million for the semi finals and final in case the team progresses that far.

However, a spokesperson for Idea said it was too early to give details about the proposed deal with Mumbai Indians.

"We are still at the negotiation stage and it's premature to talk about figures", he said.

Meanwhile, the Reliance Industries-owned IPL team is continuing its negotiations with the Cricket Club of India to play all its home matches at the Brabourne Stadium, the MI spokesperson explained.

"We are still in talks with the CCI authorities and the response has been quite positive. We don't want to say anything more at this juncture", he said.

If the talks are successful, MI would play all their seven home matches at the Brabourne Stadium in South Mumbai.

In 2008 their home matches were split between the Wankhede Stadium and D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

IPL only motivation for Deodhar participants

Cuttack (PTI): When the country's top players are going great guns with no place to fill in the Team India line-up, the season-ender Zonal One-Day tournament for Deodhar Trophy is reduced to a routine affair.

The second edition of the Indian Premier League beginning in about a month's time, will be the only motivation for the fringe players to do well in this zonal meet as they would like to take the momentum into the Twenty20 extravaganza.

The Board has added some foreign flavour to the meet by inviting Zimbabwe President's XI to help in their revival in cricket.

Over the next six days beginning tomorrow, the five zonal teams -- North, Central, East, West and South -- and the Zimbabwe President's XI will lock horns in Group A and B on a round-robin basis in two venues of Barabati Stadium and Ravenshaw University Ground.

The chance to clash with the top Indian fringe players will give Prosper Utseya-led Zimbabwe President's side a huge boost in their redevelopment of cricket.

Having come up with some much-improved performances in Bangladesh where they lost 1-2 before whitewashing Kenya 5-0 in Nairobi, the President's side of Zimbabwe will surely add the surprise element.

Chargers determined to put up good show: R.P. Singh

Hyderabad (PTI): The Deccan Chargers might have finished at the bottom of the table in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League last year, but pace spearhead RP Singh on Thursday said the outfit was determined to rectify their mistakes and put up an improved show this season.

Although the team was boasted with some big names of international cricket like Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Scot Styris, the Deccan Chargers had a start to the Twenty20 extravaganza last year and finished at the bottom in the eight-team event.

However, with some new signings, the team seemed determined to prove their mettle this year and RP Singh said he has set a plan for himself.

"We have good expectations for this season. We will rectify the problems of last year and hope to do better this time," the India discard bowler told reporters here today.

"Personally, I have set a plan for myself. I also hope the recent matches I played would help me. But whatever the team management and support staff decides, we will follow that," he added.

He also hoped that the new players roped in by the management would prove useful for the team.

The Chargers had signed up three foreign players -- Ryan Harris, Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Smith -- and five Indians -- Abhinav Kumar, T Suman, SM Shoiab, Jaskarandeep Singh and HS Bansal -– for the new season of the tournament starting April 10.

The left-armer, however, opted to take a safe path when asked about his preference for the captaincy post.

VVS Laxman led the Chargers in the initial stages of the league last season and thereafter Gilchrist took up the responsibility from the stylish Hyderabadi who missed the later part of the event due to injury.

"Who should be the captain is the decision of the management. For us, generally we have a set plan. Gilchrist is one 0of the best players in the world and playing alongside him is a good experience," RP Singh said.

He also described the present Indian outfit under Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the best team on current form.

"It is the best team on present form, but it could could get better in future. At the moment the players are in great form," the Uttar Pradesh bowler said.

Asked whether security would be an issue during the IPL in the aftermath of the Lahore terror attack, RP Singh said India was safe to play cricket and the crowd behavior here is also good compared to other countries.

New Lanka captain Sangakkara eyes Twenty20 World Cup

Colombo (IANS): Sri Lanka's newly appointed cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara said his immediate focus would be on the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup that begins in June in England.

The wicket-keeper batsman had been a vice-captain since 2006 and was officially named Sri Lanka's new captain Thursday afternoon. Muttiah Muralitharan has been appointed the vice-captain. Their first assignment will be the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 in England.

"It is a huge honour and great privilege to be given the captaincy of the Sri Lanka cricket team. I had no hesitation is accepting the responsibility when the chairman of selectors offered me the job. I am very excited by the challenge ahead," Sangakkara said.

Sangakkara takes over from Mahela Jayawardene, his close friend and team-mate. Jayawardene, who had been the captain for a decade, stepped down immediately after the aborted two-Test tour to Pakistan early this month saying his successor needs at least 18 months to prepare the team for the 2011 world cup.

"Taking over from such a great player and a successful captain like Mahela is a great feeling. My immediate focus is on the Twenty20 World Cup and build a strong team for it," Sangakkara told IANS Thursday.

"As we prepare for this and the year ahead, I will be stressing to the players the individual responsibility they must take on to improve and develop their games," he said.

Claiming that he and the outgoing captain "saw eye-to-eye on many things" on and off the field, Sangakkara, from the Central Kandy district said he would "now continue on the same road trying to help bring Sri Lanka consistent success in all forms of the game".

The 31-year-old stylish left-hander is one of the world's finest wicket-keeper batsmen, having scored over 6,000 runs in both versions of the game.

Holding averages of 54.99 in Tests and 36.31 in One-day internationals, Sangakkara has taken over 380 catches and effected 80 stumpings in both versions of the game.

Aussies vow to play in IPL despite Lahore attack

SYDNEY: Leading Australian cricketers have vowed to play in the Indian Premier League next month, saying they will not give in to terrorism after this week's attack on the Sri Lankan team in Pakistan.

The brazen attack as the team headed to a Lahore stadium for the third day of the second Test against Pakistan left six police and two civilians dead, while seven Sri Lankan cricketers and a coach were among 19 people wounded.

Former England coach Duncan Fletcher has warned English cricketers heading to the IPL that, based on his experience, some types of terror attacks are easier to carry out in India than in Pakistan.

But Australia's top cricketers led by high-profile paceman Brett Lee say they still want to play in the IPL.

"We can't let this stop us going about what we do with our lives," Lee told The Daily Telegraph.

Lee was joined by Nathan Bracken, Dave Hussey, Shane Watson, Brad Hodge and Dave Warner, who said they would not be persuaded to skip the IPL competition.

"It's concerning that terrorism is impacting the sport," Bracken said. "But I'll still be going."

On Wednesday, India's home minister said he wanted the IPL tournament postponed because it clashed with general elections and security forces would be stretched to provide protection for both events.

With many of the world's leading players set to arrive in India next month, the Federation of International Cricketers (FICA) has written to IPL organisers seeking increased security.

"We owe to it the game and all of its stakeholders to ensure that at all times cricket has not only access to, but implements 'best practice' security," FICA chief executive Tim May said.

"We should leave no stone unturned in the search and implementation of such advice and procedures."

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, who plays under Shane Warne for the Rajasthan Royals, said he would be happy to go to India if FICA were able to meet the required security standards.

"You're never safe anywhere, to be fair," Watson said. "It's part and parcel of the world environment at the moment, more than just a certain region.

"I love playing cricket and if the opportunity is there to go to India, I will be there with bells on."

West Australian and Mohali coach Tom Moody, who also coached many of the Sri Lankan players injured in Lahore, said that terrorists could not be allowed to be seen to win.

"We can't step away and seem that we're beaten because of these individual acts," Moody said.

"I'm sure security will be lifted to maximum level and players and officials should be able to be safe going forward, whether it's the IPL or other tours in parts of the sub-continent."

http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4226396.cms

I am worried about my security in IPL: Kevin Pietersen

LONDON: Indian Premier League's most expensive player Kevin Pietersen has joined the ever growing list of overseas players, who are considering pulling out of the lucrative Twenty20 league on grounds of security.

"I will be consulting as many people as I can but if I don't think it is right, then I will not be going," the former England captain was quoted as saying by the News of the World on Sunday.

Pietersen was bought by liquor baron Vijay Mallya's Bangalore Royal Challengers for a whopping $1.55 million. Pietersen said that after the Mumbai terror attacks and the Lahore incident, where gunmen sprayed bullets on the Sri Lankan team's bus, players will be more mindful of their own security when they travel to the subcontinent.

"After this final Test against the West Indies, I will be speaking to Bangalore, to the ECB, to my agent and to security advisors. Then I will be a lot clearer in my thoughts than I am now. Since the terror attacks in Mumbai we are all now more mindful of our own security arrangements," he said.

The England team under Pietersen was touring India when the Mumbai terror attack took place and left the tour mid-way. But in a remarkable gesture they came back to play in the Test series.

"Hopefully, the security will come right for India, but if everybody pulls out of the IPL then it would be a disaster, a catastrophe and world cricket would really be on a down. India is the force behind most of world cricket but there are things we have to go through before we go," he said.

On the situation in Pakistan, Pietersen said: "I think, at the moment, it is unlikely people will be comfortable travelling there. It is very, very sad - I feel sorry for the Pakistan cricketers."

"I feel sorry for everybody in Pakistan but everybody thought sportsmen were safe, they thought cricketers were safe but obviously they are not. I am shocked, it is a tragedy and a catastrophe - not just in sport but in the world. I don't think anyone would want to travel to Pakistan at the moment," he said.

Flintoff assures Team Chennai of availability

CHENNAI: Kevin Pietersen may have gone on record saying that he is not sure about turning out in the Indian Premier League, but Andrew Flintoff has assured the Team Chennai bosses that he'll be available for the tournament.

"We had got in touch with Andrew even on Sunday and he has told us he'll be available for the tournament," a Team
Chennai source told the TOI.

The burly all-rounder reportedly said he isn't too concerned with the security either and reposed full faith in the measures that the team management will take for the tournament.

Flintoff, of course, was a part of the England team that played in Chennai during the two-Test series that took place right after the Lahore attack.

Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, has said that they'll follow the Chennai model of security for the tournament and that is bound to make Flintoff more confident.

The source also pointed out that Flintoff is steadily recuperating from the injury that he sustained during the Test series against the West Indies.

"He will go back to the West Indies very soon for the One-dayers. Freddie told us he will be fit for the IPL as well," the source added.

According to the source, none of team's foreign recruits - which also include Jacob Oram, Albie Morkel and Michael Hussey - have expressed any reservations about playing the tournament.

Source: toi

Home Ministry receives revised IPL schedule

NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry on Monday received the revised schedule of the second edition of the Indian Premier League.

Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal confirmed getting the revised schedule. "We have received the schedule and we have also received the request for sending the revised schedule to the state DGPs for their comments. We are waiting for their comments and the final decision will be taken after that," he said.

Six new venues - Vadodara, Vishakhapatnam, Nagpur, Cuttack, Ahmedabad and Indore - have been added in the revised schedule.

The Home Ministry has forwarded the revised schedule to the DGPs of the respective states for their view on holding the matches on the revised dates.

The IPL organisers are keeping the revised schedule to their chest and will make it public only after getting the clearances from the respective authorities.

The sources said that the IPL would get the securities nod soon and will make the schedule public on Tuesday.

Team owners, expectedly, are finally heaving a sigh of relief.

“Relieved to hear that new dates will be announced on Tuesday”, said Shilpa Shetty.

Kings IX Punjab owner Ness Wadia said that he was looking forward to the second season of the IPL.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi had suggested the names of new venues in the wake of security concerns after the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government has requested IPL to bring back the inaugural ceremony to the Pink City and assured every co-operation including adequate security arrangement for the matches scheduled in Jaipur. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Sunday called a top level meeting to review the security situation in this context.

Gehlot has even written a letter to ICC vice president Sharad Pawar and cricket board (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar to pave the way for holding all seven matches of defending champions Rajasthan Royals team in the state.

Source: ipl.toi

Bichel is KKR's bowling coach

AGARTALA: Former Australian fast bowler Andy Bichel will be Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling coach for the second edition of IPL.

Bichel, a member of the 2003 World Cup-winning Australian squad, will be accompanying coach John Buchanan as one of the 16 members of the support staff.

His first assignment comes up when the KKR camp commences at the Eden Gardens on March 16.

Source: http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/News/News/Bichel_is_KKRs_bowling_coach/articleshow/4247758.cms

IPL security budget has gone up 10 times: Modi

NEW DELHI: The opening ceremony of the second season of IPL will be held at the DY Patil stadium in Mumbai said IPL commissioner Lalit Modi while addressing a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Fire dancers will perform in opening ceremony which will be 30 minutes long, the IPL chief said.

Modi, while unveiling the new logo for IPL second edition said, Ahemdabad and Vishakhapatnam are the two new cities that will host the IPL matches, while confirmation is still awaited from Dharamshala and Nagpur.

Modi said IPL has the highest concentration of world class players.

Modi added that despite recession, IPL has contracted revenue of Rs 10,790 cr this year and $15 million spent on second IPL auction.

Modi informed that 7 Mumbai Indian matches will be played at Cricket Club of India.

"Players security last year was the responsibilty of the team. This time security will be managed centrally", Modi said adding that IPL is working closely with the state governments on the security aspect and security budget has gone up 10 times from the last season, which will take foolproof measures.

Source: http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/IPL_security_budget_has_gone_up_10_times/articleshow/4249055.cms

Pressure will be more on New Zealand in third ODI

Christchurch, March 7: A confident India will look to continue their domination when they clash against New Zealand in the third cricket one-dayer here tomorrow, fully aware that the pressure will be more on the hosts who face a do-or-die battle.
Leading 1-0, a win tomorrow will ensure that India will not lose the series and they can push for the series-victory in the last two matches with a more relaxed approach.

But the two rain-marred matches at Napier and Wellington has not only upset the rhythm of the players to some extent, but has also put New Zealand in a tricky situation.

If the Blackcaps lose tomorrow’s crucial day-nighter at the AMI park, the door to a possible series victory would be shut on their face.

New Zealand have more at stake than India, who have gathered steam since their 0-2 rout in the Twenty20s.

Sehwag is in red-hot form and has already logged two half centuries (77 and 54) in the series and India will loom to him for yet another explosive start.
The Delhi master blaster has psyched Kiwi bowlers so much that except for Ian Butler and Danile Vettori, others are not sure where to put the ball. If it is pitched short, Sehwag disdainfully pulls, hooks and cuts.
If the ball is pitched up, he effortlessly heaves it over the in-field or bisects the fielders with crunchy drives. Their game plans have all been put in awry. The Kiwi’s biggest challenge, and admittedly their foremost goal, is to get rid of Sehwag early from the square, which they have not been successful in the last two ODIs.

However, the Blackcaps mistakenly believe that if they could get Sehwag early, they could rein in the rest of the Indian batters.

But Vettori does not seem to realise that it is not Sehwag who produces most of India’s win. But he does set it up. Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan and Dhoni who have contributed when it matters most.
The Kiwis would be at peril if they underestimate Sachin Tendulkar, who has prudently switched to the role of a moderator.

The Mumbaikar may be 36 years old, but he still has the fire to take the attack to the rivals, as he did in the abandoned ODI at the Westpac stadium.

It was the fear of their batting being decimated by the destructive combo of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma that New Zealand, who had blatantly prepared green tops on India’s last tour here, opted for flat, hard and brown tracks.

Though Ishant has not played a match since hurting his right shoulder, Zaheer and Praveen Kumar have combined to rock the inexperienced Kiwi batting line-up. Instead of spending sleepless nights over Sehwag, the Blackcaps would do well to play to pep up their confidence, which has been at a low since losing the rain-truncated first one-dayer at Napier by 53 runs.

Unlike India, theirs is an inexperienced side, with a good crop of batsmen and bowlers. They need to train their eye on the future, rather than worry about immediate goals. Perhaps, this spirit would help to exorcise their fear for Sehwag, their nemesis. (PTI)

The speculations about IPL are untrue

Harish Kotian in Mumbai
The upcoming general elections, coupled with the bleak security situation following the attack on Sri Lankan players in Pakistan, had led to various speculations as regards the second edition of the Indian Premier League .

There were even talks that the IPL, which were scheduled during the same time as the elections, might as well be moved abroad to avoid security concerns.

However, IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi , on Friday, refuted all the statements that are probably still making the rounds.

"IPL is on not moving abroad," said Modi. "These are just speculations which are completely untrue.

"We are in discussing the various issues involved and will come out with a new schedule by next week." Modi also expressed his gratitude to home minister P Chidambaram .

"I am thankful to him for his clarifications," he said.

"The IPL dates won't be shifted but there won't be be any matches held held on days when counting of votes takes place." The commissioner also refuted claims that some state governments have expressed their inability to provide the required security cover.

"The new schedule will be worked out in consultation with the various teams and state governments," he said. "We have 14 cities available and of them, eight will be shortlisted.

"The number of days remain the same." Scoure: rediff.com

BCCI video analyst

GUWAHATI, March 5 – The Indian cricket board (BCCI) has recognized former cricketer Utpal Das as a panel video analyst of first class matches. Das already got assignment of the BCCI in the last Assam-Bengal Ranji Trophy match played at Maligan.

He is an employee of the NF Railway and assistant secretary of the NF Railway Sports Association.

BCCI reschedules IPL, sets new dates

New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has finally blinked and sent a new schedule for the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 championship to the Union Home Ministry.

Sources say that the BCCI sent the new schedule on Thursday in wake of security concerns after Tuesday’s attack on Sri Lankan players in Lahore and the upcoming General Elections, which is being held over five phases from April 16 to May 13.

The new schedule starts from April 10 and ends on May 24.

The new schedule was finalised after both the Centre and state governments said that they would not be able to provide adequate security cover to the players and match venues during Lok Sabha elections.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has been uncomfortable with the IPL dates clashing with Lok Sabha election schedule.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had on Tuesday made it clear that central security forces would be busy with the elections and hence could not be spared for the IPL.

Sources say the Home Ministry has already asked the states if they can provide security during IPL matches. The government has made it clear that private security won't be adequate for the cricket tournament as earlier claimed by some BCCI officials.

The ministry had, earlier, asked the Director General of Police of all host states if they would be able to provide additional security because private security is not expected to be a fool-proof arrangement as intelligence reports already says that IPL matches could be an easy target.

At the same time, MHA officials also maintain that they can possibly send some extra forces if IPL matches are to go ahead.

The final decision on the revised IPL schedule would be taken after the Centre discusses the matter with the host states and the Election Commission.

"Ministry of Home Affairs passed on the new schedule to the states yesterday itself and is waiting for their response as to whether they need para-military forces for matches or not," Special Secretary (Internal Security) Raman Srivastava was quoted as saying by PTI in New Delhi on Thursday.

Sources says West Bengal Police and Delhi Police want IPL match dates changed as then only they would be able to provide security.

West Bengal Police want all matches in Kolkata to be over before April 30.

Elections in West Bengal are on April 30, May 7 and 13 while the IPL matches in Kolkata are on May 2, 6, 8 and 13.

Delhi goes to the polls on May 7 and IPL matches in the city are scheduled for May 5, 11, 14 and 16.

Maharashtra votes on April 16, 23 and 30 while the IPL matches will be played on April 12, 17, 19, 24, 28 and May 2.

Voting in Karnataka is on April 23 and 30 while IPL matches are on April 14, 19, 23 and May 3.

Similar views have been echoed by the Punjab government and Hyderabad Police Commissioner.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal said that the Punjab is ready to provide security to IPL if they can make a few changes in their schedule so that the dates don't clash with the elections.

Meanwhile, in another twist some politicians have expressed apprehensions that IPL matches would be hindrance during the election campaign and people may not come out to vote.

Source http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bcci-reschedules-ipl-sets-new-dates/86877-5.html?from=mailer

GCCC, Air India win in T-20 cricket

By our Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI, March 4: Guwahati Cricket Coching Centre (GCCC) and Air India won their respective matches in the 2nd All India Airtel Santosh Roy T-20 Cricket tournament held at the Nehru Stadium today. In the first match of the day, Gauhati Cricket Coaching Centre defeated Cricket Associaiton of Bengal (CAB) by three runs. In the other game, Air India beat Gauhati Town Club by five wickets.

The first game was a close encounter. In reply to Guwahati Cricket Coaching Centre’s total of 156 runs for the loss of six wickets, Cricket Associaiton of Bengal were bolwed out for 153 runs. Mrigen Taliukdar (34) was the highest score for the local outfit. On the other hand, Sudip Chaterjee (53) of Cricket Associaiton of Bengal scored the only half century in the match. Bikash Chetri picked up four wickets to turn the match in favour of Guwahati Cricket Coaching Centre.
In the second match, Gauhati Town Club batting first, set a target of 121 runs. Air India reached the target in 19.2 overs losing five wickets.

Brief scores: Guwahati Cricket Coaching Centre 156-6 (20 overs); Mrigen Talukdar (34), Parag Das (33), Avijit Singha Roy 32, Janan Boro 24 not out; Suvadip Sinha 2-26, Manash Mondal 2-24, Cricket Associaiton of Bengal 153 (20 overs); Sudeep Chatterjee 53, Sandip Das 30, Avirup Gupta 25.

Gauhati Town Club 120-8 (20 overs); Ranjit Mali 27, Swarupam Purakayastha 17; Vinit Jain 3-19. Air India 121-5 (19.2 overs); Sachin Rana 51 not out, Rohit Prakash 35. Today’s match: RS Academy vs Food Corporation of India, Gauhati Town Club vs Cricket Associaiton of Bengal. THE SENTINEL

GCCC, Air India win T20 matches

Sports reporter
GUWAHATI, March 4 – In a thrilling match of the Airtel All India T20 Cricket tournament, organized by the Sports Club of Assam at the Nehru Stadium here this morning Guwahati Cricket Coaching Centre (GCCC) edged out Cricket Association of Bengal by three runs while in the other match of the day Delhi outfit Air India defeated Gauhati Town Club by five wickets.

Batting first GCCC set a target of 157 for the Bengal team, which they failed to attain and were all out for 153 exactly in 20 overs despite a fighting 53 off 38 balls from Sudeep Chatterjee. Mrigen Talukdar top scored for the city team with 34 off 18 deliveries while Parag Das and Abhijit Singha Roy contributed 33 and 32 respectively.

In the second match Gauhati Town Club scored a moderate 120 in 20 overs and in reply the Delhi team hit the winning run in the 19.2 overs. The highlight of the Delhi innings was unbeaten 51 by Sachin Rana.

Brief scores: GCCC 156/6 (Mrigen Talukdar 34, Parag Das 32, Abhijit Singha Roy 32, Jnan Boro 24, Subhadip Kr Sinha 2/26, Manash Mandal 2/24). CAB 153 (Sudeep Chatterjee 53, Sandipan Das 30, Avirup Gupta 25, Bikash Chetri 4/31, Abhijit Singha Roy 2/28).

GTC 120/8 (Ranjit Mali 27, Vinit Jain 3/19, Sanu Sarma 2/19, Ajit Chandela 2/34). Air India 121/5 (Sachin Rana 51, Rohit Prakash 35).

Today’s matches: RS Academy vs FCI Delhi; GTC vs CAB.
Assam Tribune

Terror hits cricket

The terror attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan has put the ‘epicentre of terrorism’ into great shame and it is unlikely that cricket will be played there for a very, very long time. The attack has also put the 2011 World Cup in great jeopardy and it now looks impossible given the instability prevailing in that country as also the incapacity of the government to tackle terrorism. The attack has completely exposed the security situation there and it amply vindicated India’s decision not to tour the nation in the aftermath of the Mumbai attack. This is the first instance in which cricket has been directly targeted by terrorists, and while it has finally removed the game’s immunity from terror, it has also shattered the hollow claims made by Pakistani administrators and former cricketers, who pulled all stops to show that everything is fair and safe in their country. Political wannabes like Imran Khan, who is a perfect package of bombast and hypocrisy, had been repeatedly saying that terrorists would never target cricketers. Although the Lankan players, six of whom were wounded, escaped with non-serious injuries, the unthinkable could have occurred if the team did not have an element of luck. The likes of Imran probably assume terrorists to be great cricket fans, but now they have no option but to eat up their own words. Pakistan has failed to provide security to even an international cricket team. Worse, its police could not even kill any of the attackers, who escaped easily despite launching the assault in the heart of the country.

The incident reminds us of the 26/11 Mumbai attack and the modus operandi of the terrorists also points to the involvement of Lashker-e-Toiba. Since the Sri Lankan team was at the receiving end, a needle of suspicion also points towards LTTE. A couple of Pakistani ministers, meanwhile, have tried to shift the blame on India citing flimsy ‘evidences’. Such attempts are hardly surprising for a country that is desperate to cover its own helplessness in the face of the rampaging Taliban and its incapability to eliminate the terror infrastructure. It is increasingly becoming evident that Pakistan has failed as a State, as a democracy and as a neighbour other nations can trust. The Pakistani attempt to draw a parallel between the situations in India and Pakistan is based on a false premise. The situations are entirely different, and India has proved that time and again in spite of the terror attacks it has suffered. Tuesday’s incident also showed that India’s decision not to tour Pakistan was not merely a pressure tactic but a farsighted move, something Sri Lanka failed to notice. Sri Lanka dared to visit a place what others feared to tread, and learnt the lesson the hard way. It has called off the tour and that’s what other nations should do as well – suspend sporting ties with the volatile nation until lasting peace returns to Pakistan, though that seems highly unlikely right now. Assam Tribune

Two oustation teams make good start in Santosh Cricket

By our Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI, March 3: The third day of the second Santosh Roy All India T-20 Cricket Tournament belonged to outstation teams as both FCI and RS Academy registered wins against their opponents in the quarter final league match held at the Nehru Stadium here today. In the first match of the day, FCI defeated Radial Club of Nagaon by five wickets while in the second game, RS Academy won against Bud Cricket Club by seven runs. Invited to bat first, Radial Club piled up 130 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. Captain Dhiraj Goswami was the top scorer for the team who scored 33 runs with the help of two boundaries and two sixes.

In reply, riding on a fine knock from Rajinder Bisht (51) who scored the only half century in the match, FCI reached the target losing five wickets. Bichitra Baruah picked up four wickets for 23 runs. The second match of the day was well-contested and Bud Cricket Club was very much in the game till the 15th over but lost too many wickets thereafter. Electing to bat first, RS Academy scored 134 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. Amit Yadav scored 40 in the innings which was the individual best for the visiting team. Krishna Das (4-19) tried his best but he didn’t get too much support from the other side. Bud Cricket Club fell short for seven runs as they managed to score 127 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. Amandeep Sonkar claimed four wickets for 13 runs.

Brief scores: Radial Club 130-8 (20 overs); Dhiraj Goswami 33, Amit Sinha 22, Diptesh Saha 20, Rana Sharma 19, Tauhid Ali Talukdar 19; Pankaj Thakur 2-15, Rohit Saini 2-25. FCI 132-5; Rajinder Bisht 51; Bichitra Baruah 4-23. RS Academy 134-9 (20 overs); Amit Yadav 40, Rohit Jhalani 21; Krishna Das 4-19. Bud Cricket Club 127-9 (20 overs); Rishav Das 27, Subhadep Ghosh 21; Amandeep Sonkar 4-13. Assam Tribune

Pawar backs home ministry on rescheduling IPL matches

NEW DELHI: Ex-BCCI chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday backed home ministry regarding rescheduling the IPL tournament in view of security concerns, TV
reports said.

“Whatever happened in Pakistan is unlikely to happen in India. Security forces in India are competent,” Pawar told Times Now.

Home ministry is holding a threat assessment meeting amid security issues due to general elections and IPL tournament, Times Now says.

Home minister P Chidambaram had on Tuesday said the IPL should consider postponing the second edition of its T20 cricket tournament, as the terror attack on Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan cast a shadow on the popular event due to begin on April 10.

"Dates have already been announced for the general elections that would require security personnel to be positioned and repositioned for nearly a month. Since the IPL timetable also clashes with dates for the election we might ask the IPL organisers to postpone it," said a highly placed home ministry functionary.

The government's move came after six Sri Lankan cricketers — captain Mahela Jayawaredene, his deputy Kumar Sangakkara, Ajantha Mendis, Thilan Samaraweera, Tharanga Paranavitana and Chaminda Vaas — were injured when the team bus came under heavy attack from gunmen en route to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the ongoing second Test match. Six escorting policemen were killed in the attack that took place near the Liberty Market crossing.

In an interview to a television channel, P Chidambaram said that he had instructed his secretary Madhukar Gupta to touch base with the IPL organisers to find out if the schedule could be rejigged.

"I have asked the home secretary who is meeting with the organisers tomorrow. Let me however assure everyone that cricket in India will be safe," Chidambaram told in a TV interview.

Chidambaram indicated that holding the 45-day tournament could be a high security risk due to non-availability of paara-military forces who would be also deployed for poll duties.

The tournament will be staged in eight cities across the country and will conclude on May 24. The five-phased general elections are scheduled to be held between April 16 and May 13.

"It will be difficult to provide adequate para-military forces for election purposes as well as provide security" for the cricket matches," Chidambaram said.

However, Chidambaram said there is no "inability" in providing the security but since it "coincides with elections, I don't want to be stretched. I don't want my forces to be strained" and added that re-scheduling would be a "better proposition."

IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi said that he will leave no stone unturned to provide security to the players.

"The IPL is fully cognizant of the importance of general elections in a country such as ours. We will go a step further to ensure that there will be no games 24 to 48 hours prior to the polling dates across all the nine match venues in the country.

"As indicated earlier, IPL will work with the State and the local authorities to ensure the smooth and successful conduct of the tournament. We will announce the new reworked schedule in the next 24 hours," he said.

The security agencies have expressed apprehensions that such attacks could be aimed at IPL because of the congregation of all the global cricket stars, famous personalities and presence of Bollywood stars during the tournament.

More than 21 lakh security personnel will be pressed into service during the upcoming General Elections.
The second edition of 20-over cricket matches will take place in Jaipur, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Delhi and two other venues which are yet to be decided.

All these venues have repeatedly appeared on the terror radar.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Home-ministry-holds-security-meeting/articleshow/4222046.cms

IPL 2009 security after attack on srilanka cricket team

Lalit Modi , the Chairman of IPL 2009 twenty 20 series has confirmed that there will be no impact of attack on sri lanka cricket team in Pakistan on the upcoming IPL 2009 series to be organised in india in April May 2009.

Lalid modi the chairman of IPL said that India is a much safer country and security of cricketers will be the prime concern for IPL organising commitee hence cricket players should not have any fear in coming to india to play IPL 2009 twenty 20 series.

The Cricket world as well as all the public of world is shocked by the terrorist attack on Sri lanka cricket team in Lahore city of Pakistan. Earlier Team India was to travel Pakistan , but BCCI decided to not to send Indian cricketers to pakistan for the security reasons. Indian cricket team could have been the victim of this terrorist attack in lahore if it has gone to pakistan to play the tournament.

Reschedule matches, Chidambaram tells IPL

Reschedule matches, Chidambaram tells IPL

New Delhi: The Indian Premier League (IPL) should consider postponing the second edition of its Twenty20 cricket tournament, due to begin on April 10, Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram suggested on Tuesday.

Mr. Chidambaram told reporters that he had asked Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta to contact the organisers and discuss re-scheduling of the dates.

Security agencies had written to his Ministry suggesting postponement of the matches as it was not possible to provide the required security cover.

Security for polls


The Minister said holding the 45-day tournament could be a high security risk due to non-availability of paramilitary forces, which would be also deployed for election duties.

The tournament, to be staged in eight cities, will conclude on May 24 and the five-phase general elections are to be held between April 16 and May 13.

“It will be difficult to provide adequate paramilitary forces for election and security for the cricket matches,” Mr. Chidambaram said.

A meeting had been convened in North Block to review the security situation during the tournament and discuss possible dates, informed sources said. — PTI

IPL chief Modi loses RCA elections

Jaipur, March 1: Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi suffered a jolt in his re-election as the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) president here on Sunday losing by five votes to Sanjay Dixit.

Modi, who is also the vice-president of the Indian cricket board, lost 13-18 to the government’s nominee Dixit, a senior bureaucrat in the Rajasthan government, in the elections held here on Sunday.

Modi, who was close to the previous Vasundhara Raje government, was facing resistance from the local authorities after the change in the state government last year.

“I accept the defeat. It seems that I paid the price for being close to Vasundhara Raje. The state government did whatever it could to defeat me. There will be no affect on IPL matches. They will be held in Jaipur,” Modi told reporter after the verdict.

Dixit, while thanking the public for the support, said that it was a “tough challenge”.
“My first aim is to undo all the corrupt practices prevalent during Modi’s tenure. I thank not only the association members but also the public of Rajasthan for their love and affection,” Dixit said.

The election was originally scheduled for Feb 22 but was pushed back to March 1 by the Supreme Court after Modi sought its intervention to ensure a free and fair election.

Around a fortnight back a Jaipur based voluntary organisation filed a first information report (FIR) in a Jaipur police station alleging misappropriation of funds, which were meant for disbursement among Jaipur serial blast victims.

The money was pledged by the IPL sponsors and franchises, but after the match only two sponsors did not send the pledged amount, Modi clarified recently. In a statement, he termed the charges as false and baseless, and said that it is nothing but vindictiveness on the part of the police. (IANS)

Junior cricketers should avoid T20 cricket: Kartik

Former test cricketer Murali Kartik today advised the junior cricketers to stay away from T-20 cricket until they become mature in the longer version of the game. According to Kartik, the pattern of T20 cricket is such that it can shatter the confidence of budding cricketers which can have an negative impact on their careers.

Kartik was in the city in connection with the inaugural function of the All India T-20 Santosh Roy Cricket Tournament which got under way at the Nehru Stadium on Sunday. Talking to the mediapersons, Kartik, who is the member of Kolkata Knight Riders, strongly recommended that young cricketers concentrate on the longer version of the game rather than play in T20 cricket. Replying to a query the spinner said, “ T20 cricket is all about pressure. In every match, bowlers are always at the receiving end. On the other hand, batsmen hardly get any chances to settle down at the pitch. So I feel a young cricketer should play the longer version of the game atleast four to five years during his initial playing days before he makes an entry in T-20s.”

It may be mentioned here that Murali, who played eight test for India and 37 one-day international matches, is now a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Though he had performed consistently in the domestic tournament but his seat never got cemented in Team India. Murali admitted that this frustrates him. My job is to play and I have left the rest of the things on the selectors.”

Meanwhile, the left-arm orthodox spinner on Sunday said that he will promote talented players in the State team. Replying to a query Kartik said, “Any State, including Asom, should encourage the budding talent and players be given a chance to play for the State side.” He also felt that there is no advantage in playing outstation players who are in their fag end of their career. It would be much better for the State team if the State association allow budding talents to play for the State side. THE SENTINEL