Marsh brothers catch the eye in IPL

Shaun Marsh hit 43 and Bhargav Bhatt bagged four wickets as bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab stunned table-toppers Mumbai Indians by 76 runs in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

In another match, Shaun's younger brother, Mitchell, took four wickets and Sourav Ganguly hit an unbeaten 32 on his comeback as Pune Warriors beat Deccan Chargers by six wickets.

Mumbai could never recover after losing three wickets for 27 runs and were bowled out for 87 in 12.5 overs chasing a 164-run target, with West Indies' Kieron Pollard top-scoring with 17 in a dismal batting show.

Seamer Praveen Kumar did the early damage when he took two of the first three wickets, including that of skipper Sachin Tendulkar (six). Left-arm spinner Bhatt finished with 4-22, including three wickets in one over.

Australians Shaun Marsh and Adam Gilchrist (28), and Dinesh Karthik (31) helped Punjab post a competitive total despite a five-wicket haul by seamer Munaf Patel (5-21).

Marsh, who put on 70 for the second wicket with skipper Gilchrist, hit five fours in his 34-ball knock before falling to a superb diving catch by Pollard in the deep off Patel.

Mumbai, who had already made sure of a place in the semi-finals, still lead with 16 points.

They are followed by Chennai (14), Kolkata (14), Bangalore (13), Rajasthan (11), Kochi (10), Pune (eight), Delhi (eight), Punjab (eight) and Deccan (six).

Paceman Mitchell Marsh, 19, earlier finished with 4-25 as Pune restricted Deccan to 136-8 before achieving the target with 10 balls to spare.

Former India captain Ganguly, who went unsold at the player auction before being signed up by Pune as a replacement for injured seamer Ashish Nehra, looked impressive during his 32-ball knock, hitting one six and three fours.

Opener Manish Pandey top-scored for Pune with 49, while New Zealander Jesse Ryder smashed a 20-ball 35 with the help of two sixes and five fours.

Marsh, son of former Australian opener Geoff Marsh, and left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh (2-17) were instrumental in restricting Deccan.

Deccan made a strong start after electing to bat when Ravi Teja (30) and Shikhar Dhawan (24) put on 51 for the opening wicket.

Marsh got a wicket in his opening over when he bowled Teja before dismissing South African JP Duminy (30), Sunny Sohal and Amit Mishra in his last over.

Brief scores:

Deccan Chargers 136-8 in 20 overs (JP Duminy 30, R. Teja 30, S. Dhawan 24; M. Marsh 4-25, Yuvraj Singh 2-17) lost to Pune Warriors 137-4 in 18.2 overs (M. Pandey 49, J. Ryder 35, S. Ganguly 32 not out; D. Christian 2-21) by six wickets.

Kings XI Punjab 163-8 in 20 overs (S. Marsh 43, D. Karthik 31, A. Gilchrist 28; M. Patel 5-21, L. Malinga 2-24) beat Mumbai Indians 87 in 12.5 overs (B. Bhatt 4-22, P. Kumar 2-19) by 76 runs.

© AFP

IPL is all about momentum: Vettori

The nine-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians still fresh in their minds, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori today said his side would be eyeing to gain momentum in the ongoing IPL with a win over struggling Deccan Chargers here tomorrow.

After their comprehensive six-wicket win over Kochi Tuskers Kerala in the opening match, RCB was mauled by Mumbai on Tuesday and Vettori realises the importance of tomorrow's match against Deccan.

"It's (tomorrow's match against Deccan) an important game for us. After a good start against Kochi, we lost comprehensively to Mumbai last night," the Kiwi left-arm spinner said on the eve of the match.

"I think this competition is about momentum. In such a short period of time between games, if you can get on that (winning momentum), it's going to make things a lot easier," Vettori stressed.

2009 champions Deccan, on the other hand, too would be desperate to return to winning ways after losing their opening two fixtures in IPL IV.

Vettori admitted that the home team would come hard on them tomorrow, but he said his side was up for the challenge.

"Deccan is going to come harder against us but it's a pretty important game for us too. We will make sure that we come on top against them in tomorrow," he told reporters.

Asked about the injury concern of left-arm pacer Dirk Nannes, the RCB skipper said, "He (Nannes) had a scan this afternoon and the results have been sent to appropriate places. We hope to hear about it (injury) tomorrow morning.

"He hasn't travelled with us and he may definitely be out of the next two games."

Talking about the loss at the hands of Mumbai Indians, Vettori praised Sachin Tendulkar and Ambati Rayadu for their brilliant batting.

"We certainly know we could have played better than that. I just don't think we bowled as well as we could have after losing Nannes," he said.

Vettori expressed confidence that Zaheer Khan would make a strong comeback in the tournament after the not-so-impressive performance in the first two matches.

"He (Zaheer) has had great World Cup and there's no doubt that he would comeback strongly. I still believe that (Abhimanyu) Mithun is a very good bowler and he can be a huge asset."

Asked about Sri Lanka Cricket's (SLC) decision to call their players back by May 4 for a preparatory camp ahead of England tour, Vettori admitted that it would be tough to get a replacement for dashing opener Tillakaratne Dilshan.

"He (Dilshan) is a very important player for us in all three departments, batting, bowling and fielding," he said.

© PTI

IPL gets cheer queens now, in Indian dresses

April 8 brings with it a different kind of cricketing thrill - the faster game and the bigger entertainment quotient of IPL. And, while till now the cheerleaders wore glamorous western dresses and wielded pom-poms, this time, one of the teams has a slightly different kind of cheering happening. These girls, called 'cheer queens', will be dressed in ethnic Indian costumes and will be cheering for players of the Pune team in IPL season 4.

Conceptualized by Subrata Roy Sahara, the cheer queens, dressed in seven different ethnic Indian outfits, will perform seven classical dance forms during the match. The costumes have been designed by Neeta Lulla and the choreography is by leading choreographers Tanusree Shankar and Ganesh Hegde.

Subrata Roy Sahara, the owner of the team, elaborates, "Cricket is a religion in our country and is passionately followed in many other countries. In the recent past, it has gained popularity across various countries in the world. Cricket matches are watched by millions in India and by billions worldwide. With the cheer queens, we intend to showcase and bring recognition to the rich and diverse culture of India on an international platform. We want all the franchisees to avail the opportunity collectively, so that the rich cultural heritage of India is presented in an innovative way to the world."

Abhijit Sarkar, who also handles the team, adds, "The concept was to spread and promote India's cultural diversity and richness amongst the vast audience. Cheer queens is his (Roy's) idea and as he intended, we have taken it to a level matching the entertainment quotient and the class of an international platform. Whether it is the selection of models, costumes, intricacies of various dances of India, or the presentation of the concept, we hope that our efforts will add to the glamour of the tournament and will see other franchisees joining us in this cause."

Says designer Neeta Lulla, "It's an innovative idea for this season. This is a first-of-its-kind experience for me. The style is more traditional and Indianized and the outfits are all about elegance and grace. We have used a lot of whites and colours in the costumes. Saharashri has personally given his inputs in this regard too."

Tanushree Shankar, a leading proponent of contemporary dance in India, has lent her expertise in training the cheer queens in contemporary dancing styles.

Yuvraj's wicket turned it around: Kumble

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Yuvraj's wicket turned it around: Kumble

Durban: Yuvraj Singh had almost single-handedly won the match and if he would have stayed there five overs more, the game would have been all but over, feels Royal Challenger Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble.


"The ball was stopping and coming and Yuvraj of course likes pace on the ball and I wanted to take the pace off and that worked. Yuvi was going great guns and if he had been five overs more, probably the game was over and there on we really tightened screw," Kumble said after the match.


Yuvraj Singh notched up the first hat-trict of second Premier League and also scored a blistering 33-ball 50 but still could not avoid Kings XI Punjab's narrow 9-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore here today.

Kumble gave credit to Roelof van der Merwe for posting such a competitive target even after losing three wickets in three balls.

"It was a great game. After losing three wickets in three balls, I thought Re (van der Merwe) batted fantastically to get us to 145 and everybody rallied around him and when we got to the score we really backed ourself. It is a great show by the bowlers," he said.

Merwe score a quickfire 35 off 19 balls studded with three fours and three sixes to post a target of 146 to win against the Kings XI Punjab.

Kumble also lavished praise on Praveen Kumar for his crucial over in the end. "It was tough to grip the ball because of the dew. We didn't expect dews and Praveen is a quicker baller and has experience and he bowled brilliantly," he said.

Kumble, who succeeded Kevin Pietersen as skipper, said they are improving with each game and hoped the winning streak will continue.

"We certainly have got better from the last game and in this game the intensity was brilliant, it showed in our batting and bowling, we are improving in every game and we hope the winning streak continues," he said.

Disappointed at the loss, Yuvraj Singh said the opponent were a better side on the given day.

"We played good cricket but at the end they were better. We bowled well, we had a good score to chase but we could not do that, hopefully we can do it next time," he said.

http://cricketnext.in.com/news/yuvrajs-wicket-turned-it-around-kumble/40481-27.html

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Malhotra appointed IPL tournament director

Mumbai, Feb 25 (PTI) Ex-army officer Dhiraj Malhotra has been appointed as the tournament director for the second season of the Indian Premier League starting April 10 and concluding on May 24.

Catherine Simpson, of International Management Group, was appointed the joint tournament director of the T20 League and, along with Malhotra, would be in overall charge of cricket operations, programming and logistics during the 45-day event, a media release from IPL said.

Malhotra has been with the International Cricket Council for the last three years and has the experience of handling the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007 as well as the World Cup in the West Indies held in March-April that year behind him.

In addition, he has worked on various Champions Trophies and Under-19 World Cups.

Catherine Simpson has been working with IMG to promote cricket in the sub-continent and the Caribbean since 1994. She has also worked with the company on Wimbledon, Rugby World Cups and Miss World beauty pageants. PTI

Ponting won't play in IPL II, to focus on national duty

MELBOURNE: Australia skipper Ricky Ponting on Thursday revealed that he will skip this year's Indian Premier League to concentrate on national commitments.

"My country comes first and there was no way I could give my all for Australia if I used the only two-week break we have to go and play in India," Ponting, who is contracted with the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, wrote in his column in 'The Australian'.

"I have been talking with my team, the Kolkata Knight Riders for a month or two now and in the end my only choice was to withdraw from the 2009 competition, but I will most certainly be back for 2010 when I hope to be able to make a much greater contribution," he said.

Ponting, who is currently in South Africa with the Australian squad for a Test and ODI series, thanked Knight Riders for letting him go this time around.

"The franchise has been fantastic about the whole thing and I want to thank them for their understanding," he wrote.

The Australian skipper said he could have played in the IPL for two weeks but said it would have been unfair on both Knight Riders and the national team.

"And then there was the issue of giving up the chance to be with my family for a fortnight. It is always hard to leave Rianna (wife) and I cherish every second I spend with my daughter Emmy."

Ponting said part of his decision not to play in IPL this year was that Twenty20 cricket was physically demanding and he wanted to preserve himself for the World Cup of the shorter format in England in June.

"Part of the reason I decided to withdraw from the IPL is that Twenty20 is such a physically demanding game and you have to be at your best to play the game and I want to be at my best for the (Twenty20) World Cup. I am really in good physical shape at the moment but have to admit that there is a bit of tiredness after the summer.

"It (not playing in IPL) is not an indication of any intention to ease myself out of Twenty20 cricket. I am really looking forward to the (Twenty20) World Cup. It's one trophy we do not have on the shelf and have never had," Ponting said.

"I have given no thought to not playing any form of the game or retiring from any form of the game. I love captaining my country and will not let go while I have a contribution to make," he added.

The Australian skipper said he would catch up Knight Riders' progress in the second edition of the IPL on television.

"It will be painful not to be with the Knight Riders and I am going to be sneaking out in the night to catch as many of their matches as I can on the television," Ponting said.

http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ponting-to-miss-IPL-to-focus-on-national-duty/articleshow/4156951.cms

Pietersen may captain Royal Challengers: Coach

London: Bangalore Royal Challengers coach Ray Jennings has said that Kevin Pietersen could lead the team in the IPL.

Jennings got in touch with Pietersen via mail and sounded him out as a possible candidate to lead the side for the three weeks that he will be plying his trade in India.

"Kevin may work really well as captain for a short period," Jennings said.

"A small amount of time means a limited amount of time for things to go wrong. Captains often have that honeymoon period anyway. Rahul is an idol in Bangalore, a legend and a gentleman - a very different type of leader to Kevin. In IPL, you have to arrive fired up and play flat out for three hours. You need a leader who is going to go out and lead instantly," he was quoted as saying by 'The Times'.

'No clash of interest with KP'

Jennings also ruled out any clash of interests working along side Pietersen, whose outbursts against Peter Moores cost both of them their jobs.

"Kevin's relationship with Moores is no concern of mine. Some people see Kevin as disruptive and think he has to do things his way. I have known him since he was 18 and I have no gripes with somebody who puts his heart into being successful," he said.

"We bought Kevin to improve our whole profile, which goes beyond cricket. Kevin has great, eye-catching cricketing skills. He is also a very marketable guy. Whatever people think of him, those are facts. He is a product who can go across India and he might be an ideal captain over four weeks or so," he added.


http://cricketnext.in.com/news/pietersen-may-captain-royal-challengers-coach/38165-13.html

IPL Auction Results Part-III

IPL Season 2 has created history, as it has managed to sell a player from Bangladesh. It is recognition of the status that Bangladesh is slowly acquiring in the international cricket. This one single step could go a long way in the cause of cricket in Bangladesh. Kolkata Knight Riders made bid for him, as the hammer for the first round was to go down at the price of $50,000.

Soon Kings XI Punjab joined into the fray, and the price for Mortaza went up to $410,000, after Preity Zinta agreed to bid for him. The bid started going back and forth between Kolkata and Chandigarh Kolkata bidding $500,000, Punjab following it up with $550,000, then Kolkata raised the bid to $600,000. Punjab did not enhance the bid so Mortaza has become the new acquisition for the Kolkata Night Riders. This bid has been the longest so far, in the current season of auctioning.

The drama involved in this bid is reminiscent of the bidding involved with the bidding of Ishant Sharma as Kolkata Knight Riders had bought Ishant Sharma at the price of $950,000 last year after a series of protracted bids between Delhi and Kolkata. In terms of the percentile increase from the base price, Mortaza's bid has created history, as his appreciation is 1110% as compared to 575% for Ishant Sharma from last year.

A streak of celebrations is going to follow in the hometown of Mortaza, Narail, in Bangladesh. The news would take long time to sink as a history has been created, and the first person who is accorded a status continues to be the reference point for all times to come for his followers feels Cricket360.

Cricket360 also wonders, whether selection of Mortaza as a representative of Kolkata Knight Riders would eventually lead to exploration of possibilities for conducting the matches in Bangladesh as well, as Kolkata has now a local boy in the team. The other players whose fate has been decided in the auction include George Bailey, a Tasmanian batsman, for $50,000 who went to Chennai Super Kings, as there was no bidder for him and Kings XI Punjab bid for Jerome Taylor and got him at his base price of $150,000.

Among the noticeable left outs include Shakib from Bangladesh who did not find a bidder though he had a fantastic year with bat and bowl, England all rounder Samit Patel and Michael Hill, who was the U-19 captain for Australia in the last World Cup.
source: http://www.cricket360.com/

Pak Players Upset at missing IPL

Pak players are demanding that their contracts with the PCB (Pakistani Cricket Board) be suitably amended. The players would have been expecting a certain amount of remuneration factoring in the IPL earnings, failing which their financial circumstances now stand considerably altered. Players such as Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul will be considerably affected due to their inability to attend the IPL this year and will miss the opportunity for making quite a lot of money, so perhaps this should be a consideration when drafting their contracts with PCB.

If you have been following the cricket news coverage at Cricket360.com you will be aware that the IPL this year will be sans the Pakistani cricket players. The Pakistani players can’t have been very pleased at having been deprived on a very lucrative and prestigious forum in which to display their cricketing talents and to gain valuable international cricket experience and exposure at the same time. Now the Pak players are demanding that their contracts with the PCB (Pakistani Cricket Board) be suitably amended. The players would have been expecting a certain amount of remuneration factoring in the IPL earnings, failing which their financial circumstances now stand considerably altered. The players are keen to discuss this with PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt. One source was quoted in the cricket news as saying “Among the leading players, Shoaib Akhtar and Shoaib Malik have signed their contracts, the rest are juniors or not regular members of the national side. But 13 of them are reluctant to sign the contracts now,” one source said. Players such as Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shahid Afridi and Umar Gul will be considerably affected due to their inability to attend the IPL this year and will miss the opportunity for making quite a lot of money, so perhaps this should be a consideration when drafting their contracts with PCB.Former Pak player Wasim Akram has also implied that it is the fault of the PCB that the players would not be able to attend the IPL this year; that it was the PCB’s call and not that of the Foreign ministry. So if the PCB is indeed responsible for having prevented its players from attending the IPL, then it should also reimburse them in some or other way for the same. source: http://www.cricket360.com

Pietersen could be Bangalore RC captain

Vijay Mallya, Chairman of UB Group, believes that he has got Kevin Pietersen for reasonable price. "There were some players who went for 12 times their reserve price. Kevin’s reserve price was USD 1.3 million and so USD 1.55 million was a bargain as compared to anybody else."
According to him, Kevin Pietersen would be a contender for captain's job.

Here is a verbatim transcript of the exclusive interview with Vijay Mallya on CNBC-TV18. Also watch the accompanying video.

Q: Congratulations on getting Kevin Pietersen but do you think he is the man for you to turn things around this season?

A: I know Kevin personally and a few of our very accomplished Indian cricketers came up and congratulated me. They said that Kevin was perhaps the best batsman in the world. There has been a lot of speculation about the composition of my team last year. I know I have a great bowling attack and we were lacking in the batting department and the addition of Kevin Pietersen is a huge boost for all of us.

Q: Do you think that USD 1.55 million price tag is richly deserved?

A: Let us look at it in the context of auction itself. There were some players who went for 12 times their reserve price. Kevin’s reserve price was USD 1.3 million and so USD 1.55 million was a bargain as compared to anybody else. Even Flintoff who went for the same amount, his reserve price was USD 900,000 and so a lot of team owners decided to build bid way over the reserve price and I think I got Kevin at a very reasonable price.

Q: Did you have to do a toss between Flintoff and Kevin because there was USD 2 million cap? Did you internally take a call that you would go for Kevin rather than Flintoff?
A: To be honest last night I had a meeting with my entire team management and we had identified five players. Number one on the list was Kevin Pietersen. Number two was Jesse Ryder – the explosive New Zealand opener. We already have Ross Taylor his partner in opening the New Zealand innings and we are fortunate we got both.

Q: It is a rich price to pay as well. Do you have any plans of unlocking any value from your team like a couple of other teams – like Rajasthan have done – just to ascribe a value to your team or to just lighten the capital load a bit?

A: The team is obviously increased in value with the addition of these two very fine players but let me be very explicit, during 2008 the Royal Challengers broken even and in fact made a small marginal profit and in 2009 that’s our endeavour, so quite apart from the financial aspect, the branding aspect and branding opportunity, the benefits that accrues to USL are huge. Overall, I am very pleased.

Q: Is there going to be a bit of toss up in who is the captain of the team as well? Are you still going with Rahul Dravid?

A: I’ve been asked question before and I’ve said that the team management will discuss this amongst themselves together with the players and will take a call.

Q: But would you look at Kevin Pietersen as taking on the role of Capitan of this team?

A: He certainly could be a serious contender. Our current Captain Rahul Dravid, I believe his wife is expecting a baby and so I would expect that he needs a bit of time off because the baby is obviously more important. So we will take a call. It is too early for me to comment or indulge in any speculation but the composition of the team is far better and far more potent than last year. We are looking forward to a good season.

Q: A word on Jesse Ryder and why you went for him?

A: We lacked explosive hitting and even though we are delighted that we have Robin Uthappa now, we have Ross Taylor, Kevin Pietersen of course but in the opening pair we wanted someone to compliment Ross Taylor and who better than Jesse Ryder.

Q: Any fructification of your talks with Diageo? Are they on track and by when do you think you can arrive at some kind of conclusion there on the deal talk?

A: Let me repeat once again that talks with Diageo are going very well. There are other interested parties as well. With these transactions, it is impossible to say that what is happening week-to-week. This is a large transaction potentially – it takes time.

Q: But by the end of this quarter will have a conclusion?
A: There is so much I can say and so much I cannot say but suffice to say that things are going well.

Q: By March 31 will we know?

A: I have made a public commitment that I will deleverage USL in six-months time and I stand by my commitment. source: http://www.moneycontrol.com/

It's off to India for Ryder, Mills

Jesse Ryder's topsy turvy life took another twist last night when he was snapped up by Bangalore on a two-year Indian Premier League contract worth more than $300,000 a year for the next two years.

The richly talented but wayward Wellington cricketer had a reserve price of US$100,000 but bidding between Bangalore and Chennai resulted in him securing US$160,000 for the April 10 to May 29 Twenty20 tournament in India.

Ryder watched the IPL auction with his agent Aaron Klee and was the 10th player to be sold. New Zealand teammate Kyle Mills was bought moments later for his reserve of US$150,000 by Mumbai but the remaining Kiwi James Franklin was passed in without securing a bid at his asking price of US$50,000.

Klee described the outcome for Ryder as "a great result".

"It was nerve racking. There were nine players bought before him so there were only seven or eight to go so we were sweating a fair bit and rubbing our foreheads.

"We are really happy because Bangalore is the franchise I've been working with since Christmas. They had expressed an interest and I'd talked to Ray Jennings [South Africa] their coach and he is a real tough taskmaster and I think he will be good for Jesse."

Ryder will know at least one familiar face at Bangalore, his great schoolfriend and New Zealand teammate Ross Taylor. Ryder's was Bangalore's second buy last night, the first being Englishman Kevin Pietersen, who was sold for US$1.55 million.

Klee indicated Ryder would be encouraged to buy a house with his money.

"I look after all the finances so we'll look after it carefully." Klee said.

"We won't be buying anything extravagant, we will probably buy a house and get some of those aspects of life locked away."

Ryder was not available for comment last night but Klee said there was no wild celebration involving alcohol.

"He's been clean since that incident last month. He's keeping to the plan."

Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff set an IPL auction record when they both went for US$1.55 million, though neither player will get that sum because they are only available for three weeks and payment is on a pro-rata basis.

Flintoff was snapped up by the Stephen Fleming coached Chennai Super Kings, which last year set the previous record of US$1.5m for Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

South African JP Duminy, who starred in his nation's recent successful tour of Australia, was the night's big winner being sold for US$950,000 to Mumbai, more than three times his reserve price.

The surprise package was South African cricketer Tyron Henderson, who was sold to Rajasthan for US$650,000, more than six times his base price, while England allrounder Ravi Bopara went for US$450,000 to King's XI Punjab.

IN THE MONEY

IPL Auction list (all US dollars):

Shaun Tait (Australia) $375,000 to Rajasthan

Andrew Flintoff (England) $1.55m to Chennai

JP Duminy (South Africa) $950,000 to Mumbai

Kevin Pietersen (England) $1.55m to Bangalore

Paul Collingwood (England) $275,000 to Delhi

Owais Shah (England) $275,000 to Delhi

Fidel Edwards (West Indies) $150,000 to Deccan

Ravi Bopara (England) $450,000 to Punjab

Tyron Henderson (South Africa) $650,000 to Rajasthan

Jesse Ryder (New Zealand $160,000 to Bangalore

Kyle Mills (New Zealand) $150,000 to Mumbai

Thilan Thushara (Sri Lanka) $140,000 to Chennai

Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh) $600,000 to Kolkata

Dwayne Smith (West Indies) $100,000 to Deccan

Jerome Taylor (West Indies) $150,000 to Punjab

Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh) $75,000 to Mumbai

George Bailey (Australia) $50,000 to Chennai.
source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/4840036a6033.html