Kings XI Punjab rope in Gillespie as bowling coach

Kings XI Punjab have roped in former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie as their bowling coach as they prepare to take on new entrants Pune Warriors in their opening Indian Premier League match on Sunday.

Gillespie's name was recommended by the new captain Adam Gilchrist and coach Michael Bevan, both former Australian cricketers, and he will join the team in Mumbai on Sunday. He left Australia for India on Saturday.

"Bevo (Bevan) and Adam Gilchrist as captain have been working hard to have someone work with their bowlers, which is nice of them," Gillespie said.

"I spoke to Bevan on Wednesday night and he was keen to have me over there. It is just a matter of having a simple yet effective game plan, go out and do a job and I am there to help.

"I have made a decision to give it a crack and see where it takes me and opportunities like this don't come along every day so I thought I had better take it," he was quoted as saying by 'The Advertiser'.

The 35-year-old arrived home a few day ago after a coaching stint with Zimbabwe Twenty20 franchise MidWest Rhinos.

Gillespie has 259 wickets to his credit from 71 Tests, besides 142 scalps from 91 ODIs.

© PTI

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

Bopara gives Punjab their first win in IPL-II

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Bopara gives Punjab their first win in IPL-II


Durban, Apr 24 (PTI) Ravi Bopara (84) led Kings XI Punjab's to their first victory in the second edition of the Indian Premier League as they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by a handsome seven-wicket margin here today.

The England batsman batted with patience initially and and turned explosive after reaching his half-century.

Bopara shared two crucial partnerships -- 52 for first wicket with Karan Goel and 66 for third wicket with Yuvraj Singh -- to give Punjab a lease of life in the tournament.

Chasing 169 to win, Punjab overhauled the target with one over to spare with Yuvraj finishing it off with a six off Jacques Kallis.

Before coming to this clash, Punjab had lost both of their matches as bad weather dented their chances on both the occasions.

Earlier, Jacques Kallis rescued the Bangalore side with a splendid 62 to help them overcome a mini top-order collapse and post a competitive 168 for nine after sent in to bat.

Yusuf Abudulla was star performer for the Punjab side with his four-wicket haul while Irfan Pathan (3/35) took three wickets. PTI

Mortaza credits IPL riches to consistent form

DHAKA: Fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza on Friday said his $6,00,000 buy by Kolkata Knight Riders in the second Indian Premier League auction was a reward for his consistent form this season.

"Obviously I am delighted because I feel this is a result of all hard work I have put in over the years and a reward for being consistent this season," an elated Mortaza said.

"I have lots of friends and fans in India and that's why I am excited. I love being there and it is a pleasure to play in India. Kolkata is just next door and I know how much people there admire Bangladeshi cricketers. My challenge is to go over there and prove my worth," said the 25-year-old Mortaza, number eight in the ICC ODI rankings for bowlers.

Mortaza's bidding started with a base price of $50000 but his figures kept climbing steadily with the Kings XI Punjab hot on the heels of the Knight Riders before the Kolkata side roped him for 12 times his starting price.

There was further good news for the Bangladeshis with Tigers skipper Mohammad Ashraful snapped by Mumbai Indians at his base price of $75,000 in the second round after most teams had exhausted their 10-player quota of foreign players.

Ashraful revealed that signing for Mumbai Indians would allow him to realise a childhood dream -- to play alongside batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar.

"Sachin Tendulkar has been an idol for me and as a youngster I dreamt of playing alongside him some day and now we are in the same team," he said.

Amid the euphoria, Mortaza and Ashraful, however, feel bad for teammate Shakib Al Hasan, number one all-rounder in ICC ODI rankings, who didn't find a taker in the auction despite his sensational run of form this year.

"I would have been a lot happier if Shakib had got a team. He has been sensational this year and he deserved to get a team," said Mortaza.

Echoing Mortaza, Ashraful said, "Shakib missing out was a bit of a shock because he is one player who has dominated in both forms of international cricket this season.

"Nevertheless I am very happy for Mash (Mortaza) as he been outstanding for us. The fact that two players from Bangladesh have been picked after an intense bidding was an encouraging sign for Bangladesh cricket also," he said.

Mortaza also revealed that Kings' XI Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh had promised him to induct in the Mohali-based outfit.

"I often had conversations with Yuvraj and he said he would take me in his side," Mortaza said.

The Kolkata and Mohali outfits were locked in a 30-minute tug-of-war over Mortaza and at the end of it, the Knight Riders had the last laugh as they agreed to cough up $600,000.

Opening batsman Tamim Iqbal, the other Bangladeshi cricketer in the auction, remained unsold.

http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/News/News/Mortaza_credits_IPL_riches_to_form/articleshow/4090046.cms

Past wins give us the edge: Chennai coach

Having beaten the same opponents twice in the league stage, Chennai Super Kings coach Kepler Wessels said his side would go with the psychological advantage when his side clash with Kings XI Punjab in the semifinal of Indian Premier League here on Saturday.

"We had beaten them early in the tournament when we had our strongest team and later on even without the overseas players we still managed to win. It's an advantage to go into the semifinals against them with this record," Wessels said.

The South African, however, said the team would still need to stick to the basics to emerge victorious on Saturday.

Wessels said both the teams will get the chance to assess the Wankhede Stadium pitch from the first semifinal on Friday.

"We will get a look at the pitch during the semifinal today (between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils) and it will give us a fair idea. It should be an advantage for both teams playing the semifinals," he said.

The coach said they had picked a replacement for New Zealander Stephen Fleming who had to leave the team due to personal reasons.

"While I don't want to disclose who the replacement is I can say that all the players chosen for the team are suited for the Twenty20 format," Wessels said, adding that all the remaining players of the team were fit for the semifinal.

The former South Africa captain was all praise for the IPL and said it reminded him of the ODI World Series in Australia organised by Kerry Packer, in which he had played.

"You have a similar vibe here and it is a tremendous tournament. I am sure it will go from strength to strength," he said.

Source: http://www.cricketnext.com/news/previous-wins-will-give-us-psychological-edge-wessels/31902-13.html

Despite win, Yuvraj not happy with bowlers' performance

IANS, Thursday, May 22, 2008 2:18:15 PM

Despite his team's one-run victory that helped his team secure a place in the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kings XI Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh was unhappy with his bowling attack that allowed Mumbai Indians to come so close to pipping them in the last over.

Obviously referring to Vikram Raj Vir Singh's nervy display in the last over, Yuvaraj said: 'We should not have allowed them to come so close in the last over.' 'There was every chance the batsmen would go after me, being a spinner rather than Vikram Raj Vir Singh, a pace bowler, who is that much more difficult to hit.' Yuvraj admitted that luck was on his team's side Wednesday, and said the dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar, when it happened, swung the pendulum of momentum in his team's favour. Yuvraj was full of praise for young leg spinner Piyush Chawla, 'who has always delivered when the team needs him.'

He was also disappointed with the Mumbai crowd's booing of Sreesanth and reiterated his view made clear during the prize giving ceremony.'Sreesanth is an India player and the crowds need to support him. This type of booing is not good against India players,' he said.

Source: http://in.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/ipl/news/news_20080522_457.html

Duckworth-Lewis in T20 leads to bizarre results

R Mohan Thursday, May 22, 2008

The two ‘rain’ games at the IPL created huge suspense before the results were out, courtesy Messrs Duckworth & Lewis. The games were a total lottery. The very nature of limited-overs cricket is in its unpredictability. But when the weather intervenes to reduce the overs further from the already severely limited 20, the results cane be quite bizarre.

While the match at the Kotla could have easily gone the other way had there been no interruption to the flow of the Sehwag innings, the Delhi Daredevils captain did not show sufficient understanding of the complex D&L laws to help his team’s cause. He was too naive tactically to give his side the best chance of sealing a semi-final slot.

While Twenty-20 cricket is relatively new, the variables that captains have to take into account in D&L situations are old. For a player who has been around the national team for more than seven years and who has led the country in ODIs and in a Test match, the Delhiite did not reveal the tactical nous needed to crack the situation. The first principle is the D&L favours the teams that lose less wickets, or ‘resources’ as the scientists call them.

When the Delhi Dardevils’ innings resumed after the rain delay, it was important that wickets be preserved in which event the D&L target would rise even further. The Delhi team threw away wickets in looking to hit the cover off the ball. The skipper alone was not guilty on this count. Sehwag kept his wicket intact but it did not appear he had shaped any strategy for his colleagues to help tackle complex D&L mathematics.

The greater tragedy was the one over he bowled at quite the wrong time in the Punjab Kings XI chase. A minimum of five overs were needed for a result, which demanded a fielding team strategy for those five overs by which the opposition would be pushed behind the target score. By bowling the fourth over, when the fielding restrictions were very much in place, that too with a hard ball, Sehwag simply gave the game away. He was profligate to the extent of helping his opponents past the target score by the end of the ‘result’ over, which meant the chasers had to keep pace with the asking rate rather than go hell for leather. It is nice to put up your hand as skipper to bowl one of the more crucial overs but somewhat foolhardy to do it when your team is on top after taking out three top order batsmen and the opponents are on the run. By pushing the new ball through flat, Sehwag simply set it up nicely for the batsmen.

Of course, had Jayawardene not hit what became the last ball of the match for six, Punjab would still have lost. Once D&L applies, there can be no tie since the total of the team batting first will be reduced to a number plus a fraction and the chasers would have to score the target score plus one run to win. The South Africans were not aware of this part of the rule, which is why they lost a match in the 2003 World Cup to Sri Lanka and stood eliminated from the knockout when Mark Boucher defended the last ball and declined a single. It seemed amazing then that an international team with a dozen or so manning the support team could goof up like that. A dot ball instead of six would have given the match to Delhi but the way they had played in the last few overs to the finish, they had given themselves every chance to lose. When arguing with the umpires, the Delhi skipper took out the large D&L sheets. He may have caught up with the mathematics there but he had had no plan to exploit the match situation to his team’s advantage.

The Chennai Super Kings were rally fortunate that they were ahead of the target score plus a few when the interruption came in the match at the Eden Gardens. Ganguly would probably be cursing his fielders for allowing the match to slip from the grasp while also affecting the team’s chances of taking one of the four slots. It was quite by chance that the Super Kings came away winners. But at least they showed some understanding of the complexities involved when Duckworth & Lewis come into the picture.

Source: http://in.sports.yahoo.com/cricket/ipl/columns/columns_20080522_6.html

Bhajji’s fate sealed, Nanavati submits report to BCCI

BCCI-appointed commissioner Sudhir Nanavati, who probed Harbhajan Singh-S Sreesanth slap-row, arrived at BCCI office and submitted his report on Tuesday

The report will be assessed by BCCI president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday and will decide on Harbhajan Singh’s fate, according to sources.

Sources also revealed that there’s a lesser chance for the ace spinner to get a life ban but he might be punished with a 5-10 ODI match ban. The on-going speculations on Bhajji-Sree slapgate row should end after the much-awaited decision will be out in a week or so.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati said. “I reiterate that viewing the footage shocked me but made my task easier”.

BCCI says disciplinary committee has to first examine the report and then give a verdict on the issue. The date of meeting of the disciplinary committee has not been decided as yet.

It’s a scandal that sent shockwaves through the cricketing community and fans alike. On Tuesday, all eyes were on one man - BCCI appointed Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati who was slated to submit his report on Bhajji-Sreesanth Slapgate controversy. Nanavati prepared a 14-page report with ten pages of annexures, which was handed over to the BCCI disciplinary committee. After Board President Sharad Pawar goes through it, the committee will then decide on the quantum of punishment to be given to the person found guilty.

Sreesanth’s outburst on April 25th in Mohali after his match against the Mumbai Indians shocked the entire cricketing world and went on to become one of the defining moments of the inaugural Indian Premier League. It was Harbhajan Singh – the bad boy of the cricketing world – who was responsible for those tears. Following the row, the IPL Governing Council slapped a 11 IPL match ban on Bhajji. But that was not all. The BCCI appointed Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati was asked to probe into the incident, which has been completed, leaving the decision of further ban upto the BCCI.

Sudhir Nanavati was slated to submit his report at the BCCI headquarters on Tuesday and the report can well end Bhajji’s smiles for sometime. However, Nanavati confirmed that the report is neatly drafted with all the details required to assist the BCCI to take a final call on the slapgate row.

Harbhjan Singh is already suspended from the IPL and his match fee confiscated after match referee Farokh Engineer found Bhajji guilty of slapping Sreesanth. With Nanavati’s report, the turbanator could be in for more trouble from the disciplinary committee - headed by Sharad Pawar, as the BCCI has been uncompromising over this breach of discipline.

Earlier, BCCI-appointed Commissioner, Sudhir Nanavati, probing the slapping row between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth, after completing his report in Ahmedabad on Monday said that he was under tension while preparing it.

“I was under tension not because of the subject, but because the issue that I was investigating was very sensitive. So many eyes were on me. I can’t afford to make any mistakes,” said Nanavati who is slated to submit the final report to BCCI on Tuesday in Mumbai.

“I was very cautious while drafting the report. I have written each and every word carefully and I can justify every sentence in the report,” said the Ahmedabad-based lawyer.

Nanavati was to submit the report on Monday, but on Saturday he had announced that he would be submitting the report on Tuesday as he had to appear for some cases in the Gujarat High Court. He had stated that the stipulated time of 15 days, to complete his inquiry report, also ends on Tuesday.

The senior advocate had on Friday (May 9) wrapped up the investigation in the slapping row after hearing Harbhajan and Sreesanth in Ahmedabad. After completing the hearing, Nanavati had said he was satisfied with the answers given by both the players and did not feel the need to question anybody else.

Source: http://premierleaguecricket.in/news/bhajji%e2%80%99s-fate-sealed-nanavati-submits-report-to-bcci/

Bhajji’s fate sealed, Nanavati submits report to BCCI

BCCI-appointed commissioner Sudhir Nanavati, who probed Harbhajan Singh-S Sreesanth slap-row, arrived at BCCI office and submitted his report on Tuesday

The report will be assessed by BCCI president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday and will decide on Harbhajan Singh’s fate, according to sources.

Sources also revealed that there’s a lesser chance for the ace spinner to get a life ban but he might be punished with a 5-10 ODI match ban. The on-going speculations on Bhajji-Sree slapgate row should end after the much-awaited decision will be out in a week or so.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati said. “I reiterate that viewing the footage shocked me but made my task easier”.

BCCI says disciplinary committee has to first examine the report and then give a verdict on the issue. The date of meeting of the disciplinary committee has not been decided as yet.

It’s a scandal that sent shockwaves through the cricketing community and fans alike. On Tuesday, all eyes were on one man - BCCI appointed Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati who was slated to submit his report on Bhajji-Sreesanth Slapgate controversy. Nanavati prepared a 14-page report with ten pages of annexures, which was handed over to the BCCI disciplinary committee. After Board President Sharad Pawar goes through it, the committee will then decide on the quantum of punishment to be given to the person found guilty.

Sreesanth’s outburst on April 25th in Mohali after his match against the Mumbai Indians shocked the entire cricketing world and went on to become one of the defining moments of the inaugural Indian Premier League. It was Harbhajan Singh – the bad boy of the cricketing world – who was responsible for those tears. Following the row, the IPL Governing Council slapped a 11 IPL match ban on Bhajji. But that was not all. The BCCI appointed Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati was asked to probe into the incident, which has been completed, leaving the decision of further ban upto the BCCI.

Sudhir Nanavati was slated to submit his report at the BCCI headquarters on Tuesday and the report can well end Bhajji’s smiles for sometime. However, Nanavati confirmed that the report is neatly drafted with all the details required to assist the BCCI to take a final call on the slapgate row.

Harbhjan Singh is already suspended from the IPL and his match fee confiscated after match referee Farokh Engineer found Bhajji guilty of slapping Sreesanth. With Nanavati’s report, the turbanator could be in for more trouble from the disciplinary committee - headed by Sharad Pawar, as the BCCI has been uncompromising over this breach of discipline.

Earlier, BCCI-appointed Commissioner, Sudhir Nanavati, probing the slapping row between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth, after completing his report in Ahmedabad on Monday said that he was under tension while preparing it.

“I was under tension not because of the subject, but because the issue that I was investigating was very sensitive. So many eyes were on me. I can’t afford to make any mistakes,” said Nanavati who is slated to submit the final report to BCCI on Tuesday in Mumbai.

“I was very cautious while drafting the report. I have written each and every word carefully and I can justify every sentence in the report,” said the Ahmedabad-based lawyer.

Nanavati was to submit the report on Monday, but on Saturday he had announced that he would be submitting the report on Tuesday as he had to appear for some cases in the Gujarat High Court. He had stated that the stipulated time of 15 days, to complete his inquiry report, also ends on Tuesday.

The senior advocate had on Friday (May 9) wrapped up the investigation in the slapping row after hearing Harbhajan and Sreesanth in Ahmedabad. After completing the hearing, Nanavati had said he was satisfied with the answers given by both the players and did not feel the need to question anybody else.

Source: http://premierleaguecricket.in/news/bhajji%e2%80%99s-fate-sealed-nanavati-submits-report-to-bcci/

ABOUT Indian Premier League (IPL) IPL 20:20

The BCCI launched the Indian Premier League (IPL) on the lines of football’s English Premier League and the National Basketball League (NBA) of the US.

The IPL is a professional Twenty20 cricket league created and promoted by the BCCI and backed by the ICC. The Twenty20 league is set to debut in April 2008, with eight teams comprising a minimum of 16 players each. The league will last for 44 days and will involve 59 matches.

The IPL works on a franchise-system based on the American style of hiring players and transfers. These franchises were put for auction, where the highest bidder won the rights to own the team, representing each city.

The auction for the same took place on January 24, 2008 and the total base price for the auction was $400 million. The auction went on to fetch $723.59 million.

The Mumbai franchise owned by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was the most expensive franchise - fetching $111.9 million closely followed by Vijay Mallya’s United Breweries which paid $111.6 million for the Bangalore franchise .

Media house Deccan Chronicle won the Hyderabad chapter of the IPL for $107 million, while India Cements’ Chennai franchise cost $91 million.

Bollywood also made its presence felt with two of its leading stars bagging the ownership of their respective teams - Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla’s Red Chillies Entertainment buying out Kolkata for $75.09, while Preity Zinta and her beau Ness Wadia bought the Mohali team for $76 million.

GMR , the infrastructure development group which who are involved in a project for revamping the Delhi airport, bagged the ownership of the Delhi team for $84 million and the Emerging Media , consisting of its CEO Fraser Castellino, Manoj Badale and Lachlan Murdoch and other investors won the rights for the Jaipur franczhise for $67 million.

IPL Teams:

1) Bangalore Royal Challengers: The Bangalore team was bought by Vijay Mallya’s UB Group for $111.6 million to own the team for 10 years. ‘Icon player’ Rahul Dravid is the captain of Bangalore Royal Challengers. Team India’s bowling coach, Venkatesh Prasad is the coach of the team.

2) Kings XI Punjab: The Mohali team was bought by Bollywood diva Preity Zinta, her industrialist beau Ness Wadia, along with renowned industrialists Karan Paul and Mohit Burman for $76 million for a period of 10 years. ‘Icon player’ Yuvraj Singh is the captain of Kings XI Punjab. Australia’s Tom Moddy is the coach of the team.

3) Chennai Super Kings: The Chennai team was bought by India Cements for $91 million to own the team for 10 years. Team India ODI and T20 skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the captain of Chennai Super Kings. Former South Africa cricket team captain Kepler Wessels is the coach of the team.

4) Kolkata Knight Riders: The Kolkata team is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta for $75.09 million for a 10-year period. ‘Icon player’ Sourav Ganguly is the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders. Australia’s John Buchanan is the coach of the team.

5) Deccan Chargers: The Hyderabad team was bought by Deccan Chronicle, a media house, for $107 million for a 10-year period. Team India’s Test player VVS Laxman is the captain of Deccan Chargers. India’s fielding coach, Robin Singh is the coach of the team.

6) Mumbai Indians: The Mumbai team is owned by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Limited for $111.9 million for a period of 10 years. ‘Icon player’ Sachin Tendulkar is the captain of Mumbai Indians. Former Team India manager, Lalchand Rajput is the coach of the team.

7) Delhi Daredevils: The Delhi team is owned by GMR Holdings for $84 million for a period of 10 years. ‘Icon player’ Virender Sehwag is the captain of Delhi Daredevils. Australia’s Greg Shipperd is the coach of the team.
Rajasthan Royals: The Jaipur team was bought by UK-based company Emerging Media for $67 million to own the team for a period of 10 years. Former Australian spin bowler Shane Warne is both the captain and coach of Rajasthan Royals.

More on IPL:

* Title Sponsorship Rights: On February 13 2008, Indian real estate developer DLF Universal secured exclusive rights to the IPL title sponsorship worth Rs 200 crore (over $50 million) for five years.

* Television Rights: On January 14 2008, it was announced that a consortium consisting of India’s Sony Television network and Singapore-based World Sports Group secured the rights of the IPL. The record deal has a duration of ten years at a cost of $1.026 billion.

* On February 20 2008 , the auction of 77 players took place in Mumbai. Team India ODI and Twenty20 skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds emerged the costliest Indian and overseas players respectively.

* Each team will play the other seven teams home and away, the top four teams at the end of the group stages will proceed through to the semi-finals. The first match is slated for April 18 between Team Bangalore and Team Kolkata.

* Team Composition: All teams must have at least four players from their respective Catchment Areas and four Under-22 players. The players from Catchment Areas could be an iconic player, a Ranji player or an U-22 player.

Each team can buy a maximum of eight overseas players but only four would be able to take the field in a match.

Source: http://premierleaguecricket.in/about/