FOR THE LOVE OF CRICKET

Finally it’s official-the IPL 2009 will not be played in India this year. The flip-flop by the various state governments over providing security cover went too far to the extent that the IPL organising committee, headed by Lalit Modi, was fed up. The last of the flip-flop games was played about two days ago when the Maharashtra government went on record expressing satisfaction over the revised schedule only to reverse it later. A similar thing happened in Andhra Pradesh when the government assured security cover but later the chief minister, Rajasekhara Reddy, went on record saying that elections were important.

The consolation for IPL fans is that the game will be played after all, albeit in a different country. This is good for the primary reason that cricket is not going to bow to terrorism. This gives an opportunity for the franchisees to build fan bases abroad. There are speculations that the spectator count may not touch high levels owing to the recession in the UK. But if football league games run to full houses, there’s some hope that the IPL will not be party to empty stands. Brickbats are being heaped on both the BCCI and the central government. In case of the former, the one word that is doing the rounds among critics is “money”. It’s hardly surprising for me given that similar cash bundles are being thrown about in inter-team swaps and transfers of football league players and noone complains. And much of this is happening in the United Kingdom, the country believed to be greatly affected by recession. Maybe Lalit Modi is right in his view about cricket being recession free.

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The T20 Champions League has kindled the interests of cricket fans, urging them to follow domestic cricket. The KFC T20 competition in Australia ended on Jan 24 with New South Wales emerging champions, thus ending Victoria’s hat-trick of T20 wins for three consecutive seasons ever since the competition’s inception in 2005-2006. The runner-up was Victoria this time. The two teams will go through to the T20 Champions League 2009, to be played in September.

New South Wales sprang a surprise when they signed up Brendon McCullum. This was done keeping in mind that he would be an important cog in the Speedblitz Blues’ wheel during the Champions League. Now comes the most interesting part. Lalit Modi has already announced that the 2009 edition of the CL would be a twelve team affair with New Zealand as one of the probable two additional countries. Matters have become tricky for McCullum since his home side, Otago Volts, have emerged winners of the NZ T20 competition. Now if Kolkata Knightriders make it to the CL, McCullum will find himself in a soup, being left to decide on priorities among three teams.

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Cameron White may not be the best batsman for Australia or the best leg spinner but he is definitely a great captain when it comes to his home side, Victoria Bushrangers. They emerged runners up in the domestic T20 cup and in the domestic one-day competition (Ford Ranger Cup). They ended the Australian domestic season on a high by winning the prestigious Sheffield Shield test competition. The final match of the competition was a special one for the leading Victorians, White, David Hussey and Brad Hodge, all of whom got centuries in Victoria’s massive innings of 862 runs. After ODIs and T20Is, David Hussey is keen to join his brother in the Australian Test team and this performance, he believes, will make the selectors consider him for the Ashes. Brad Hodge, who expressed frustration after being overlooked for the role of Matthew Hayden’s successor, had a point to prove and he still believes he can overtake his Victorian peers in the race for the Ashes squad.

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Ricky Ponting would have definitely banged his head on the wall in the lunch break of Day 3 of the Cape Town test. The previous day Bryce McGain was taken to the cleaners with his 10 overs accounting for 93 runs ! When one expected Ponting to turn to his reliable part-time spin duo of Simon Katich and Michael Clarke, with the former having three wickets from the 2nd test, he threw a surprise by persisting with McGain. The Proteas were ruthless on him and his 18 overs accounted for 149 runs and no wickets. Thus the question of Shane Warne’s successor still remains open.