Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

Leg-spin great Shane Warne on Friday said the International
Cricket Council should ensure that the world’s top players who got
signed up with the Indian Premier League play in the “revolutionary”
Twenty20 venture.

Talking to newspersons after the official launch of
the Jaipur franchisee team Rajasthan Royals, Warne rubbished the notion
that IPL would have negative influence in international cricket.

“It is a new and revolutionary concept and if ICC
uses a little common sense it can co-exist with international cricket,”
he said.

“ICC should accommodate IPL in the international
calendar and ensure that best players of the cricketing world play in
it. It would make the IPL more colourful and competitive,” Warne, who
would be the captain-cum-coach of the team said.

The Australian, who has 708 Test wickets in his
kitty, felt IPL would do a lot of good to the young cricketers instead
of having negative effect on them.

“They are getting the money and also chance to
play along with great players of the world.” Warne would not also agree
that spinners have little role to play in the shortest version of
cricket.

“Though Twenty20 is called batsman’s game, bowlers
can turn it around. Yes, spinners will be hit but often we saw good
performance by them too. They have evolved and I feel they certainly
have a big role in this format of cricket too,” said Warne.

The chief executive of the cricketers’ union believes the ECB should allow England players to play in the Indian Premier League.

Huge
sums of money have been offered to attract the biggest names in the
sport to play in the 20-over competition, which begins next month.

The International Cricket Council is supporting the tournament but
the ECB will not allow centrally-contracted players to sign up.

Kevin Pietersen has admitted hearing about lucrative offers but insists he will not jeopardise his England career.

Sean
Morris, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association,
believes the ECB could be forced to let England players join.

He
said: “I think if you are trying to prevent people from migrating for
the money, that is not going to work because ultimately money talks and
there is an awful lot of it in the IPL.”

International
stars Shane Warne, Jacques Kallis and Muttiah Muralitharan have all
signed up for the competition and the standard of play is likely to be
high.

Morris
added: “The players are very excited by it and I think if you’re going
to restrict players contractually, the issue comes up because the
opportunity is so great.

“Players
will begin to look at their contracts and feel that they would want
more flexibility. If you restrict employees anywhere you will create
friction in the relationship and ultimately that will break it down.

“There
is a wealth of talent out there and quite understandably the value of
the cricketer has increased significantly through what is happening the
IPL.

“It
is perfectly natural for any cricketer and for the PCA to want our
members to take advantage of that - it is a truly unique opportunity.”

Hampshire
captain Dimitri Mascarenhas is the only English player signed to play
in the IPL as he does not have a central contract.

Morris
said: “We want to create a proactive solution where there is a
flexibility which allows players to take advantage of the IPL.

“There
is much more opportunity to have successful and happy performing
England players if we can create a window to let players perform in the
IPL.

“The
ECB need to find a solution and come to a point where they can take
advantage of the increase in income in the game because you are a long
time retired.”

The eight Indian Premier League franchise
owners will have to pay any entertainment tax the government may levy
on the cash-rich Twenty20 cricket tournament starting next month. The
working committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India took a
decision to this effect at a meeting in Chennai on Tuesday, according
to an official who attended it.
The official said that it had been decided to inform the franchise
owners that they would have to apply for an entertainment tax
exemption. But if the government declines their request, they - and not
the BCCI, which owns the IPL - will have to bear the burden. The
franchise owners, comprising mostly business tycoons and Mumbai
filmstars, spent millions of dollars to buy the teams and players for
the world’s richest cricket tournament starting April 18. In all, 59
Twenty20 matches will be played this year. Three of the eight franchise
owners spent over $100 million to buy the teams.
They were business tycoon Mr Mukesh Ambani (Mumbai, for $111.9
million), owners of the Deccan Chronicle newspaper (Hyderabad, for
$107.01 million) and Mr Vijay Mallya’s UB Group (Bangalore, for $106
million).
The other owners are India Cements (Chennai, for $91 million), GMR
Holdings (Delhi, for $84 million), a Preity Zinta-led consortium
(Mohali, for $76 million), Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies (Kolkata, for
$75.09 million) and Emerging Media (Jaipur, for $67 million). Usually,
the government levies an entertainment tax on Test matches and One-Day
Internationals played in India. But the tax is often waived following
requests from the BCCI or state associations. It remains to be seen how
the franchise owners will react to the BCCI decision and whether the
government will insist on the entertainment tax.

Chennai Super Kings, after appointing ‘super hero’ Vijay and glam
doll Nayantara, as their brand ambassadors, the team is planning to
shoot an anthem featuring the two in a bid to promote the team among
the common-man.

To be assisted by cinematographer – director Rajeev
Menon, the anthem would have musical score by Mani Sharma, who had
rendered several chartbusters in Vijay films before.

To be shot soon, the anthem would also feature some
players playing the team which includes the likes of M S Dhoni, Muthiah
Muralitharan and Mathew Hayden among others.

India Cements Limited has given the Chepauk grounds, the venue of
the first cricket Test between India and South Africa, a festive look
with a number of banners, hoardings and signboards all decorated in
bright yellow — the colour of Chennai Super Kings, the IPL Chennai team.

On Wednesday, all roads leading to the Stadium, walls and parts of
the Stadium will be painted with the logo of the Chennai Super Kings
team. Promotions during the Test match include prizes for all those who
come dressed in yellow and also surprise gifts.

Additionally, T-shirts, caps and many more items will be sold over the next five days.