10 year IPL Theatre rights up for grabs

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has called for bidding for the theatrical rights to IPL matches for the next 10 years.

The winning bidder can broadcast IPL matches in cinema halls, in bars, restaurants, buses, hospitals and in a host of public places.

The bidder can run advertisements between overs and other breaks in the game. However, they are restrained from telecasting matches in the town or city where an IPL match is taking place.

Sources indicate that multiplexes and media companies are showing eagerness unlike last year.

12 year old scores 439

A 12-year-old has scored 439 runs in a school cricket tournament in Mumbai.

According to the Times of India, Sarfaraz Khan faced 421 balls and hit 12 sixes and 56 boundaries for his Springfield Rizvi school against a hapless Indian Education Society in a three-day Harris Shield match on Wednesday.

Keen followers of cricket will recollect that it was in this tournament in 1988 Tendulkar, made 329 during a 664-run partnership with Vinod Kambli, who also went on to play international cricket.

Ireland: Do we need another Test Cricket minnow?

Ireland which is currently an associate member with one day- international status, is pushing to join the list of countries playing Test cricket.

Undeniably, Ireland cricket has made considerable progress with their entry into the last eight of the 2007 World Cup being their most cherished success.

However, their intention to aspire for full member status brings forth questions.

Firstly, their one day International success in no way guarantees success in Test cricket. In fact there is a danger of them becoming another Bangladesh, a Test cricket playing country that has done nothing of note since getting the ICC's full member status in 2000.

Secondly, their application comes at a time when the cricketing pundits are bemoaning the lack of interest in Test cricket. Hence Ireland may be reduced to participating in the last rites.

Apart from these questions, one is inclined to wonder whether we need another minnow to make up the numbers and further dilute the quality of Test cricket.

Services claim administrative slip up

The Board of Control for Cricket in India's decision to ban the Service's team for the entire Ranji Trophy season has brought out the expected reaction.

The Indian Express reports that 

The Services team later apologised to the BCCI for the “administrative slip up” and sought new dates — it transpires that the team acted on an alert put out by the Military Intelligence after a security assessment, not corroborated by other intelligence agencies, warned of a militant plan to mingle with spectators and disrupt the match at the Sher-e-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar.

The apology confirms my long standing view that Indian cricket is in the 'right hands'.:)

 

Cricket: Scorer's up in arms

According to Times Online:

So strongly do they feel after their treatment — or lack of it — at the recent World Twenty20 in England that they are even talking about forming their own trade union.

Several months after the tournament ended, some of the 25 scorers claim they are still waiting to be paid their £93 match fee and others found that they had to queue with temporary catering staff for accreditation to get into the Brit Oval.

Their desire for recognition has resulted in a paper that will go before David Richardson, the general manager of the ICC, to consider their complaints.

Do you agree that scorers need to be recognised for their effort to enshrine a cricket match?

Cricket: Afridi sinks New Zealand

Pakistan vs.. New Zealand 1st ODI cricket match

 

Shahid Afridi's aggression gave Pakistan an easy 138 run win over New Zealand in the 1st day-night ODI Cool & Cool Cup played at Zayed Cricket Stadium at Abu Dhabi.

 

Afridi hit a 50 ball 71 and also grabbed 2 wickets and helped Pakistan overcome New Zealand.

 

Though New Zealand started the match promisingly they lost control over the match once Afridi came in to bat. Shahid Afridi partnered with Khalid Latif and then with Kamran Akmal and helped Pakistan post a imposing 287 for 9.

 

In reply, New Zealand succumbed for 149 in the 40th over.

 

Pakistan now has 1-0 lead in this 3 match ODI series. The other 2 matches will be played at the Zayed Stadium on November 7 and on November 10.

 

 

Bangladesh-Zimbabwe play a quaint ODI

Bangladesh cricket team is having a golden run. Having overcome a second string- nay a third string West Indian cricket team, they are all set to thrash Zimbabwe in an ODI series.

In fact they took an unbeaten 3-1 lead in their ODI series in a quaint match where only 93 runs were scored.

Bangladesh skittle Zimbabwe for just 44, the fifth lowest total scored by any team in an ODI and then quickly rattled off the required runs for the loss of four wickets.

Stanford stripped of knighthood.

This perhaps could hurt Stanford more than anything else.

The Telegraph quoted Jacqui Quinn-Leandro, the chairman of the Caribbean country’s National Honours Committee, as saying that the nation voted unanimously to revoke his title for "embarrassing the nation" by running the scheme out of his Antigua-based offshore bank.

Now will Antigua return the money received from him for development back to those affected by his Ponzi scheme.

Services refuses to play cricket in J & K

Image by 365bunnies via Flickr

Services refusal to go to Jammu & Kashmir to play a Ranji Trophy cricket match on security grounds is sure to cause an uproar.

Services have given a walkover to J&K in the Plate Division match, saying they have security apprehensions.

The BCCI will have a lot of explaining to do as this comes at a time when India is claiming that the security situation is normal.

One can also be sure that Pakistan will rake this up and the Pakistan Cricket Board will take the cue to add to India's discomfort.

As usual an unnamed BCCI official has promised to examine the reasons behind the Service's cricket teams refusal and take action.

Update:
The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) cricket team was today banned from this year's Ranji Trophy due to their refusal to go to Srinagar for a Plate Division match against Jammu and Kashmir.

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West Indies squad for Australia Test series

Image by David Berkowitz via Flickr

A full-strength West Indies squad will tour Australia for this summer's three-Test series.

Reinstated captain Chris Gayle along with Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and allrounder Dwayne Bravo who sat out recent matches over a contract dispute, are among many of the West Indies team's best players included in the squad.

Had the contract dispute prolonged the West Indies would have struggled to compete in the three Test matches.

The West Indies are also set to return later in the summer to Australia, for f5 one-dayers and 2 Twenty20 games.

Windies tour squad:- Chris Gayle (capt), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shiv Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor, Gavin Tonge.

Tour schedule:- Nov 18-21 v Queensland, Allan Border Field, Brisbane; Nov 26-30, 1st Test, Gabba; Dec 4-8, 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval; Dec 16-20, 3rd Test, WACA.

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TTCB:"Movement of Change "get the manadate

Image by abdallahh via Flickr

Azim Bassarath who is a part of the "Movement of Change" is the new president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB). He  ousted Deryck Murray and helped "Movement for Change"to walk away with other important posts at the 53rd edition of the Board's annual general meeting yesterday.

TTCB Election Results

Results of the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board held on Saturday 31st October 2009 at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain Couva (winners in bold)

Officers

         President: Azim Bassarath

         1st VP: Dudnath Ramkessoon

         2nd VP: Lalman Kowlessar

         General Secretary: Arjoon Ramlal

         Treasurer: Sukesh Maniam (Deryck Murray placed a casting vote for Maniam)

Six Executive Members

        *       Dr. Allen Sammy

        *       Martin LumKin

        *       Anne Browne-John

        *       Patrick Rampersad

        *       Suruj Ragoonath

        *       Don Asgarali

        *       William Wallace

        *       Ignatius Trim

        *       Baldath Bodoe

        *       Moses Thomas

        *       Tarandath Sammy

Nominated and Committee members and other appointments will named after the first executive meeting.

India eyeing a hat-trick

Image via Wikipedia

The Indian teams back-to-back wins in Nagpur and Delhi, will have all Indian cricket fans hoping that the Indian team complete a treble of triumphs to stretch their lead against Australia in the fourth cricket one-dayer at Mohali.

Normally, this would have been a pipe dream, but considering the spate of injuries and the Australian team's inability to impose themselves on the Indian's in the recent past, the Indian's have an excellent opportunity to close all possibilities of a series loss.

Though the India team has shown resilience and consistency after the series opener loss, it remains to be seen whether they can overcome complacency.

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