In a dispute over sanctioning rights, an Antiguan court has ruled in favour of Digicel the West Indies Team sponsor. This effectively seals the fate of the $20m match between England and Sir Allen Stanford's Caribbean team.
The dispute though between Digicel and WICB, escalated due to Stanford’s refusal to affect a compromise with Digicel.
This could put paid to at least a couple of English cricketers dreams of becoming a $ millionaire.
Image via WikipediaWhile the Indian-Australian cricket series justifiably hogs the sports pages, ICL is going about its ‘Season 2’ slated for October 10, 2008 with quiet efficiency. 
Two complementary news reports made me question the vigour of Test Cricket in India.
In one report, Boria Majumdar emphatically says India cannot call itself the nerve centre of cricket unless and until cricket lovers throng the stadium to watch Test cricket. In contrast, this morning ‘THE HINDU’ carries a report that the tickets for the Terrace Stand priced at Rs. 1000 per day was sold out within hours.
While the premise that the number of heads in a stadium is an indicator of the games health is debatable, it is also intriguing to hear that the costliest seats – apart from the corporate box has been sold out first.
I believe that both the reports indicate that demographics have changed. People who can take the time out to spend 5 days watch test cricket in India like in other countries. Typically, it is the retired well to do or the nostalgic pensioners who make up the numbers.
Both, Boria Majumdar article and “’THE HINDU’ news report reinforces it.
What do you think about the state of Test cricket in India?
Image by Mikerard
"We should move on from this junior vs senior debate. Instead of focusing on individuals who are picked to play for India, we need to focus on the team and get on with the Test series," Kirsten said here on Friday. "It is all about team effort because a big effort from just one or two players won't be adequate. We need a lot of guys to give some big performances."
Image via WikipediaHayden comments on the aura of invincibility or the lack of it which surrounds the Australian team.
"I believe it would be a mistake for England to go out there next month with the aim of scrapping their way to a draw. This Indian team are in flux. They can be beaten if you go hard at them. And this is as good a time as any to try,"What, An England team beating India! Let them learn how to beat the Australian's first.
Our Chief Selector Srikkanth on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli "I think we have very good youngsters, which means we have a very good bench strength.”
Agree our bench strength is strong and there is nothing wrong going weak-kneed about it, but what about all those rickety knees in the Test match squad?
The very thought of them facing the fiery Australians is giving us a queasy stomach.
The second season of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) international tournament starts with an opening ceremony on October 10, 2008 at Hyderabad. This edition, officially called the Season 2 will see 41 matches played at four locations, Hyderabad, Panchkula, Gurgaon and Ahmedabad.
The format is such that the nine teams including the debutant Dhaka Warriors play against each other once in every city. Officially, Hyderabad Heroes, Dhaka Warriors, Lahore Badshahs and the Ahmedabad Rockets are the teams to beat. 
As the first week of the tournament will witness the high-octane games featuring the Hyderabad Heroes and Lahore Badshahs, the tournament looks slightly lop-sided. The organizers will find it a challenge to maintain interest until the best of three finals. (13 th to 16 th, November.)
Click ICL Season 2 for the Match Fixtures
Image via Wikipedia
Image via Wikipedia
Image by Getty Images via DaylifeThe ICC has signaled the start of the festivities, nay the start of the Border-Gavaskar Cup by naming the umpires.
Image via Wikipedia
Well the Australian press has latched on to an unknown
One expects that they, the Australian press, will very soon carry a statement from an unnamed Australian player, that he fears for his life and follow it with another statement from the Players Association that they are closely watching the developments and will await their government's tour advisory and decide on whether to continue the tour.
The report that Cricket Australia has ruled out pushing for a relocation of the third Test has been lost in the midst of this cacophony. This blogger has resigned to the repeat of these reports until the end of the tour.
The BCCI board members are an irritated lot. They have decided that henceforth they will not entertain post-dated fitness certificate.
This new and tough regimen is ostensibly to prevent the selection of 'unfit' players and to prevent the recurrence of the Tendulkar melodrama.
Interestingly, they have threatened to take the physiotherapist and the trainer to task if they certify unfit players.
All in all some tough postures emanating out of the new board, but keen observers know that this is too good to last.
Shane Watson said that he is looking forward to a contest like the Sydney Test minus the scandal.
I disagree with Shane Watson. I want all the Test matches in the series to be like the Sydney Test albeit with a caveat –
Just imagine a series with villainous Australian cricketers - a boob for an umpire – racist allegations - a partisan media and conspiracy theories like the reported suppression of video replays by Channel 9 would just be what the doctor ordered.
I surmise that if the series were able to generate even 50 % of the emotional turmoil of the Sydney Test, it would be a cracker.
Sadly it may not happen as three key ingredients that provided the frisson are missing, i.e., Symonds, Bucknor and Peter Laylor.
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On paper the Australians are an inexperienced lot with most of the players new to Indian conditions. However, their inexperience is now offset by the inclusion of Greg Chappell as the Assistant coach.
Greg Chappell not only has vast experience as an cricketer, but having been the coach as recently as 2007, he has in-depth knowledge about the Indian cricketers and the conditions in India. His current stint with the Jaipur academy will have only enhanced his understanding about the psyche of the Indian cricketers.
This is a worrying development for India. Surely, his knowledge about their strengths and weaknesses gives the Australian's an unfair advantage and may well skew the balance in Australia's favor.
The BCCI should also think on how to stop these instances happening again. A coach role is so invasive that he will not only know a players game but also can delve deep into his psyche. In Chappell's case as he is now an full time employee of CA, there is nothing ethically wrong, but lets say for example John Wright taking up a short term role and helping New Zealand when they either tour India or vice versa. What is to stop Gary Kirsten doing the same for his country?
Our cricketing cousins in
For ICL this must be heartening development as this is sure to garner them a couple of million viewers interested in the progress of the Dhaka Warriors. Irrespective of the merits or the demerits ICL has made a sound business acquisition.
Another self-important statement from an BCCI official.
Batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar will be available for India's upcoming Test series against Australia despite racing against time to be fit, an official said Monday.
Imagine an injured Tendulkar stretching to breast the tape. Or imagine the injury doing an Usman Bolt, mocking Tendulkar 20 yards before the tape.
Damn, I wish the injury wins.
(Image by kdawnfrancis)
Comparing those techniques with that of India, he said, “You can say India is at least 10 years behind when it comes to the bio-mechanics of training. I can’t say about the national team but at the domestic level a lot needs to be done.”
Citing an example, he said, “We use bio-mechanics for avoiding injuries.
“Bowlers use a specially built foot-supporting device to prevent shin injuries during practice. We also study every ball the bowler bowls, every stroke a batsman plays and analyse them.”
(Quoted from Hindustan Times)
In comparison, it is doubtful whether such analysis and training are given to a Ranji Trophy player. However, once he is identified as an prospect,the National Cricket Academy may offer him the same level of training and analysis as and when they conduct camps for the probables.
Surely, these occasional stints are not enough. If we are to surpass Australia or even match them then our cricketers must have the benefit of these scientific training methods right from the district level.
Do you agree?
It is widely rumoured that the English Football League and the American Rules football League inspired Lalit Modi to form IPL.
A close look at the IPL will confirm Modi was not only inspired but he brazenly stole the franchisee model, cheerleaders et al from these two sources.
Inexplicably, Modi left out one important aspect, i.e., the Lingerie Bowl. For the uninitiated the lingerie bowl started of as a fun game played during the half-time 
of the Super Bowl. (Those unconvinced by the explanation can take a look at the accompanying photograph). It became so popular that a lingerie bowl league is in the offing next year.
Judging by the 'looks' of the game and its ahem.. popularity, Modi should think of creating cricket's own version of Lingerie bowl.
Lingerie cricket anyone?
Andre 'Gunther' Nel who had a one-year contract with the Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians has reportedly switched to ICL.
Mark Ramprakash, Darren Gough and even Marcus Trescothick are the others who are expected to make their allegiance to ICL official.
Cricket Australia and their Captain Ricky Ponting appear to be getting ahead of themselves.
Security concerns in the wake of a series of bomb attacks could still scupper the Australian cricket team's upcoming tour of India, captain Ricky Ponting indicated Wednesday.
What security concerns is he talking about. It would be good if they remember that only last week India played host to the Australian Foreign Minister and if the conditions were stable enough for a person holding a high office, then it is good enough for mere cricketers.
BTW, visiting cricket teams are given as much if not more security than say the Prime Minister of India.
The Australian's are hard put to defend their decision to tour India They are unable to come up with anything significant other than repeating that the situation in India and Pakistan are dissimilar.
PCB has also quivered the pitch by accusing the Australian's for exhibiting double standards which is something difficult to digest for a macho Australian.
The result is that the officials as well as the players are being questioned about the logic behind the decision to tour India.
The English Cricket fan has an infinite capacity for punishment.
This is borne out by the fact that the “Cricket fans snapped up tickets for next year's Ashes series yesterday, with the first three days of the third Test at Edgbaston sold out within hours."
I doubt whether Indian cricket fans would have shown similar enthusiasm to watch another 5-0 drubbing.
Yesterday the cricket blogosphere was agog with the news that the Pakistan Cricket Board was planning to sue Cricket Australia.
After letting those reports fester for a day, the PCB has denied making legal threats. These flip-flops only serve to undermine Pakistan Cricket. If the legal threats were just unsubstantiated rumours the PCB should have denied it at once.
