Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

Given the strong stand of media and possibility of a blackout - IPL bosses might decide to ease the media norms earlier laid down by them.

On Friday, Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, called up Alok Gupta, president of the influential Editors’ Guild of India - which earlier in the day had condemned the restrictions - and indicated he didn’t want a media boycott. It is also believed that Modi indicated the IPL was working on amendments to the terms and conditions.

The IPL had indicated a possible softening of stand on Thursday when IS Bindra, a member of the governing council, told Cricinfo the league was ready to discuss the issue with all parties involved to reach an amicable solution.

One of the factors behind the IPL’s stringent terms is a feeling of discontent in the BCCI - which controls the IPL - over not having the rights to, or control over, photographs taken by the news agencies at earlier matches played in India. That, it is believed, prompted the inclusion of the clause giving the IPL rights to all photographs taken at all matches.

As reported earlier, the contentious clause deals with IPL’s right to use all pictures taken at its grounds for free and without restrictions; the commitment by news organisations to upload on the IPL site, within 24 hours, all images taken at the ground; and the restriction of web portals’ access to images without prior permission from the IPL.

Bindra explained that the restrictions on web portals’ access to images was a fallout of the IPL having sold web portal rights for the event to a company based in North America for US$50 million.

Along with the Editors’ Guild of India, the Sports Journalists’ Federation of India had also issued a statement expressing “alarm and concern” over the IPL’s conditions and asked that the “unfair and unethical restrictions being placed on the media be withdrawn unconditionally”.

Even if a little late better sense always prevail and hopefully we will emerge with a win win situation as one cannot do with the other.

Prospective missing stars who would miss some part of the Indian Premier League competition.

Bangalore Royal Challengers
Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, and Dale Steyn: Till April 25
Ross Taylor: May 1 onwards
Shivnarine Chanderpaul, if he chooses to play the Australia Tests: from around mid-May

Chennai Super Kings
Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey and Jacob Oram: May 1 onwards
Albie Morkel and Makhaya Ntini: till April 25

Delhi Daredevils
AB de Villiers: till April 25
Daniel Vettori: May 1 onwards

Deccan Chargers
Andrew Symonds: May 1 onwards
Herschelle Gibbs: till April 25

Mumbai Indians
Shaun Pollock, Loots Bosman, and Ashwell Prince: till April 25

Rajasthan Royals
Graeme Smith and Morne Morkel: till April 25

Kolkata Knight Riders
Ricky Ponting and Brendon McCullum: May 1 onwards
Chris Gayle, if he chooses to play the Australia Tests: from around mid-May

Kings XI Punjab
Brett Lee and Kyle Mills: May 1 onwards
Ramnaresh Sarwan, if he chooses to play the Australia Tests: from around mid-May

Would you miss them?

Kapil Dev, Chairman of ICL hinted the media indirectly to boycott IPL. This is in view of the recent autocratic norms issued by the Governing body of IPL towards right issues of all media material related to IPL.

“If they (IPL) don’t want, don’t cover it,” Kapil told reporters in Panchkula, Haryana, on Friday night on the sidelines of the first final of the Indian Cricket League’s Twenty20 tournament between Lahore Badshahs and Hyderabad Heroes.
Kapil’s comments came when mediapersons asked him about accreditation norms put forward by the IPL, though he went on to add that it was “unfair” for him to pass “judgment for somebody else”.

“As a cricketer, I wish them luck,” said Kapil, the chairman of the ICL’s Executive Board.

He hit out at the BCCI for allegedly bending rules when it “suits them”.

Kapil said many players in the Indian Test side, flouting the Board’s own rules, were busy attending various launches in connection with the IPL, which starts its first Twenty20 championship later this month.

Kiran More, another senior ICL functionary, said the Indians looked jaded in the Ahmedabad Test.

“How many turned up for the net practice session tells the story. The players were already too tired by attending the launches,” More claimed.

Meanwhile, asked if the ICL is progressing as per plans, Kapil said he would tour smaller cities this summer to hunt for talent.

“When we started the ICL, we had not thought we would face so much opposition [from cricket boards] and, at the same time, we had never imagined that we will get so much support from the public and even the media.

“Today, I am happy to note that media friends from Pakistan, too, are here to cover the event,” he said.

Asked if the ICL has plans to rope in new players, Kapil said it is an ongoing process and added that some players, who have not been performing, may not be included.

“We are learning. Teething problems are there but we are ready to face them. Our aim is to give chances to youngsters, which we are committed to,” he said.

Lamenting that cricket boards around the world banned players featuring in the ICL, Kapil said, “I want to ask a question. Are we not promoting cricket?

“Should we not feel happy that we have so many players from Pakistan playing in our League? Will it not help to further improve ties between the two nations? But when somebody says ban these players, something is definitely wrong somewhere,” he said.

Kapil said there is nothing wrong in having “differences of opinion”, which will only help to improve the game.

“But nobody should behave like a dictator or impose his will.”

We think Kapil is atleast correct on this issue. Media, particularly websites have a global reach today and contributes much in the popularity of any event. Without media and websites covering the event IPL will be turned into a domestic affair. Lalit and others should balance their ambition and diretion to come out with a win win situation for all.

Teletext reports that Kevin Pietersen believes it is “silly” that England players are unable to take part in the Indian Premier League.

The
lucrative new tournament has drawn top players from around the world
but England’s stars are unable to take advantage of the riches on offer.

Hampshire
ace Pietersen told The Times: “The schedules have to be sorted. There
are guys in our (England) team who could be earning a lot of money.”

Its better for all Cricketers to realize the potential of IPL and what they would be missing.

Andrew Flintoff has admitted to being curious about how the Indian
Premier League and says it could be an option for him in the future.

For the moment, however, the 30-year-old has only two main targets -
returning to action for Lancashire and then England following a fourth
operation on his troublesome left ankle.

“I have got no definite thoughts either way about it because I just
want to get my game in order and my cricket in order,” England
all-rounder said.

“At this moment in time it is not really an option but further down the line, who knows.

“Everybody is asking me how I see the IPL going, where it is standing in world cricket, but I don’t know.

“We will have to see what happens and how the competition pans out but my sights are firmly set on Lancashire.”

Flintoff’s county colleague Dominic Cork, meanwhile, has
acknowledged that the IPL and the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League
[ICL] will give other options to players currently based in Britain.

“Players will have difficult decisions to make, whether they be England players or just ageing players,” Cork said

“I am sure that a lot more is going to come out about both leagues and a lot more difficult decisions will have to be made.

“Obviously ICL and IPL is a topic that it is all around county
cricket. It is a competition that you can’t hide away from - it is
happening and it is now.”