Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

We all know the issues standing between the IPL and Media agencies.
The stand-off between the Indian Premier League (IPL) and leading news agencies over contentious accreditation clauses for the Twenty20 tournament starting on April 18 has been termed as a matter of concern by franchises, with some of them planning to discuss the issue with IPL officials if media coverage of the event is affected.

“If the issue escalates to a point where media or sections of the media will choose to ignore the IPL, we will have to step in, meet with IPL and seek clarifications. We need to find an amicable solution,” Charu Sharma, the chief executive of the Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Fraser Castellino, the CEO of Jaipur’s Rajasthan Royals, said they had invested heavily in the venture and would like the entire media on board to ensure that the event “reaches every heart”. J Krishnan, of Hyderabad’s Deccan Chargers, said he was sure the IPL officials would sort out the issue.

Sharma is a well-known television professional while the Jaipur franchise is backed by the UK-based Investors in Cricket, a media group with significant interests in television. The Hyderabad franchise is owned by Deccan Chronicle, the newspaper group.

The Press Trust of India (PTI), the country’s leading news agency, on Friday joined leading international agencies in calling for modifications in IPL’s coverage norms, failing which they have decided to ignore the event. The News Media Coalition (NMC), the umbrella body that covers global news and photograph agencies Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Getty Images, had earlier expressed deep concerns about IPL’s media norms, including curbs on selling photographs to websites and a press-box bar on websites.

The Editors Guild of India has expressed reservations on the IPL’s media clauses and the Indian Newspaper Society (INS), a representative body of newspaper publishers, said it was disappointed about the accreditation terms, even after the IPL revised them following discussions with media representatives on Monday.

“As far as we are concerned, this issue involves the IPL’s IPR, and has to be sorted out by the IPL. However, if the situation [on media accreditation] escalates we will have to have a say in the matter and will want to discuss the issue with IPL,” said Sharma. “If push comes to shove, we will want to get involved as a franchise on this matter. Generally, we believe that nobody can go forward on an event of this magnitude without getting the media on board and addressing all their concerns.”

Castellino offered help to resolve the issue because the franchises needed “the entire media” on their side. “Definitely, the possibility of the media ignoring the event is not a great development from the franchise point of view. We are concerned and may need to discuss with the IPL if the situation is not resolved,” he said. “We have invested heavily in this venture, and we need the event to touch every heart. For that, we need the entire media on our side. We hope the two parties, like two sensible people, will sit across the table and resolve the issue. We really have no time but we, as a franchise, are willing to step in and help resolve this situation.”

Krishnan said Hyderabad will leave the issue to the “capable” IPL officials. “We really don’t want to comment on this matter, except to state that we are sure the IPL will find a solution to this issue.”

The inaugural IPL tournament starts in Bangalore with the Royal Challengers, the home team, taking on the Kolkata Knight Riders. A Knight Riders spokesman declined to comment on the issue.

Let’s hope this is resolved peacefully and right of media be preferred over money!

Deccan Chargers on Thursday announced that the sale of tickets for the Twenty20 matches in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, Vijayawada, Vishakapatnam and Bhubaneswar from April 12.

The general public would now be able to buy tickets to witness the league matches at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket stadium. The first match in Hyderabad is on April 22 when Deccan Chargers will face Delhi Daredevils.

Tickets are priced between a range of Rs 250 and Rs 2,500 per match and would available online also, a release said here on Thursday.

Deccan Chargers have also announced a novel lucky draw scheme. Each ticket will be eligible for a lucky draw coupon and has a chance to win fabulous prizes - one Mercedes Benz (C Class), seven Maruti Swifts, 35 Yamaha motorbikes and 35 colour TVs.

Now IPL will bring some fun and cheer for the cricket fans also.

All the fans of Bangalore Royal Challengers are in for a visual treat this summer.

The Washington Redskins Cheerleaders will travel to India April 10, under the aegis of Kingfisher moghul Vijay Mallya, to create the first ever professional cheerleading squad in India.

The squad will do duty in support of the Royal Challengers, Bangalore — Mallya’s team in the upcoming Indian Premier League.

A media note on the cheerleaders’ website says 12 Redskins Cheerleaders and two choreographers will spend 18 days touring the country and performing at major events, including cheering the Royal Challengers during their first four games.

Traveling with the group will be Redskins Entertainment and Cheerleading Director Donald Wells. On April 13, the Redskins Cheerleaders will hold the first ever Pro Cheerleader audition in India.

“I have been working for weeks creating the new uniforms and working on the smaller details that it takes to create a squad from scratch,” Wells is quoted as saying in the media statement.

The routines will incorporate the cheerleaders’ own form of dance — at which their mastery has led them to be labelled the First Ladies of Football, while their physical attributes have contributed to appearances in Playboy magazine among others — and will bring in Indian experts to teach Bollywood-style dancing. “This fusion of dance backgrounds has created a new amazing style,” Wells said in the statement. “I am really looking forward to the reaction of India towards the Redskins Cheerleaders. I’ve known what we are doing is cutting edge, and it’s great to see.
While the 12 cheerleaders will return end April, Wells and two-year veteran Sharica will stay behind for three more weeks.
On May 14, Wells will hand over the new, fully handpicked, cheerleading squad to Stephanie Jojokian, director and choreographer of the Redskins Cheerleaders, who will then spend 10 days working with the Bangalore-based cheer squad.

Can inclusion of IPL in the International Cricket calender help cricket?
Calling for the inclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the international calendar, Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) boss Tim May has warned that world cricket could lose some of its best players unless the lucrative Twenty20 tournament is accommodated.

”Cricket needs to go down a path to . . . create a window for the IPL. That will act as a reasonable safeguard from early retirements, but it won’t stop all,” May said in Sydney.

”It’s common sense, otherwise international cricket runs the real danger of losing international players before their time is out.”

Pointing out the vast sums players are being offered in the cash-rich IPL, he said the staggering riches on offer in India are life-changing, specially for cricketers in the poorer nations.

”If you look at it logically, the Australians are probably one of the better paid (teams). There isn’t a great differential to what they (CA) are doing and the IPL,” he remarked. ”It’s far different for players from New Zealand, Zimbabwe, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.”

A survey commissioned by the ACA has found 47 per cent of Cricket Australia’s (CA) 25 contracted players and 49 per cent of state- contracted players would consider early retirement to play in the Twenty20 tournaments in India - either the BCCI-backed IPL or the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The survey also revealed 93 per cent of Australian players and 78 per cent of state players intended to play in other competitions after retiring from international cricket.

The Deccan Charger, Scott Styris recently commented on IPL and his team.
New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris is confident his star-studded Deccan Chargers team can win the Indian Premier League.

The 32-year-old has recently retired from the Test arena and is now keen to impress in the 20-over version of the game in the IPL, which begins on April 18.

He told the Asian Age: “We’ve got fantastic players in Andrew Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs, Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi, Chaminda Vaas and Laxman. With those guys in, I don’t see any reason why we can’t win the competition.”

He added: “It’s an exciting time for the game and I just can’t wait to get into action.”

But Styris knows getting a game will not be easy since only four overseas players can feature in the team.

“We have about eight overseas players, and so everyone will be striving to make it to the four in the playing XI,” he said.

“I didn’t come here to sit down and watch, I will do everything I can to get into the final XI.

“I enjoy being involved in the game and when you can bat and bowl as well, you always have the chance to help win the game. I look forward to the Twenty20 games as an all-rounder.”

Deccan Chargers, who will be led by Laxman, play their first game against the Kolkata Knight Riders on April 20.