Seven IPL-contracted stars, including crowd-pleasers, Brett Lee, 2008 IPL player of the tournament Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds, will be playing for Australia in the one-day series against Pakistan, starting in Dubai next week.

Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting and senior batsman Mike Hussey also won’t be backing up for a second IPL season in an effort to freshen up after an arduous season ahead of the Ashes series in England later this year.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson and team vice-captain Michael Clarke did not nominate for the 2009 IPL auction, instead placing a priority on their international commitments.

Last year’s leading run-scorer Shaun Marsh, Nathan Bracken, James Hopes and David Hussey will all be playing for Australia in Dubai.

Lee and Symonds will be the big losers financially.

Symonds will lose around $1.6 million for missing the bulk of the Deccan Chargers campaign, while Lee could forgo around $1.3.

Lee’s manager, Neil Maxwell, said his client’s focus was solely on breaking back into the Australia side and the paceman was prepared to miss the IPL to follow the wishes of national medical staff after ankle and foot surgery.

“It is a matter of the Australian medical team having a look at him while he is in front of them,” Maxwell said.

“The plan for him is to come back and be 100 percent for the Ashes (starting in July).”

Retired Australian cricket greats Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Matt Hayden and Glenn McGrath, will be back for the IPL along with batsmen Brad Hodge and David Warner.

Warne led the Rajasthan Royals to the inaugural title and the 39-year-old leg-spin great is hoping to win over the South African fans with Proteas captain Graeme Smith playing under him.

“The (South African) public have booed me most of the time, but hopefully playing with the Rajasthan Royals they’ll get behind me,” Warne said.

“Hopefully when I come on to bowl I’ll get a clap, or a cheer or whistle. They’re pretty vocal. They love their cricket. Having Graeme Smith and Morne Morkel in the side will help.”

McGrath, who retired from Test cricket at the same time as Warne in 2007, says the IPL had changed the nature of world cricket.

“I think it probably has, hopefully for the better,” he said. “As a player, it’s good to go over there.

“Twenty20 is quite a fast, exciting game and also I think the big selling point for me as well was that I get to play with guys that I don’t (normally) get to play with.

“And you get to see how they play, how they prepare.

“We become pretty good friends when we play against each other, but then we play with each other, it’s different again and that’s what I like about the IPL.”
Source – foxsports.com.au

The world of cricket was given a major shake-up when many players become mega-rich overnight after the Indian Premier League tournament was introduced for the first time last year.

The IPL is now heading into its second series with the 2009 tournament starting in South Africa on Saturday.

BANGALORE

Royal Challengers

Team Salary: US$111 million

Marquee player: Kevin Pietersen

Other key players: Nathan Bracken, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis

Kiwis: Ross Taylor, Jesse RyderCoach: Ray Jennings (South Africa)

Last year: 7th

TAB odds: $6

The lowdown: The Royal Challengers finished a disappointing second last during the 2008 tournament but don’t expect a similar result this year. Any team with the world’s best limited-overs bowler Nathan Bracken should be respected.

But added to that they have a solid batting unit headlined by English star Kevin Pietersen.

For New Zealand cricket followers there is also the added interest of watching two of our premier batsmen in Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder trying to shine on the world stage.

Predicted finish: 2009 IPL winners

Kolkata Knight Riders

Team salary: US$75.09m

Marque player: Sourav Ganguly

Other key players: Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, Ishant Sharma

Kiwis: Brendon McCullum

Coach: John Buchanan (Australia)

Last year: 6th

TAB odds: $6

The lowdown: This team will be worth watching for its dynamic opening batting partnership alone. What McCullum and West Indies captain Chris Gayle could do to opposition bowling attacks is likely to be mindblowing.

If the Knight Riders are to better their sixth-place effort last year they will need good performances from those two players.

McCullum set the competition alight last year when he scored an unbeaten 158 from 73 balls against the Bangalore side.

Predicted finish: 2009 IPL runners-up

Chennai Super Kings

Team salary: US$91m Marquee player: MS Dhoni

Other key players: Albie Morkel, Muttiah Muralitharan, Andrew Flintoff

Kiwis: Stephen Fleming, Jacob Oram

Coach: Stephen Fleming (New Zealand)

Last year: 3rd

TAB odds: $6.50

The lowdown: The Super Kings have two of the best all-rounders in the world in Albie Morkel and Andrew Flintoff and expect Morkel to dominate in his home country.

On top of that they have the world’s premier spinner Muttiah Muralitharan so bowling shouldn’t be a problem for the Chennai side.

Mike Hussey, Matthew Hayden, MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming will need to step up with the bat if the Super Kings are to get up.

Predicted finish: 3rd

Mumbai Indians

Team Salary: $111m

Marquee player: Sachin Tendulkar

Other key players: JP Duminy, Sanath Jayasuriya, Harbhajan Singh

Kiwis: Kyle Mills.Coach: Shaun Pollock (South Africa)

Last year: 5thTAB odds: $7

The lowdown: Sachin Tendulkar is Mumbai’s marquee player but if the Indians are to impress in the 2009 tournament it might come from a startling display or two from JP Duminy.

Duminy was South Africa’s find of the summer when they toured Australia recently.

Spinner Harbhajan Singh will headline Mumbai’s bowling attack.

New Zealanders will monitor the progress of paceman Kyle Mills as well as Graham Napier.

Napier is an Englishman but played for Wellington during the 2008-09 domestic season.

Predicted finish: 4th

Delhi Daredevils

Team salary: $84m

Marque player: Virender Sehwag

Other key players: David Warner, AB de Villers, Gaitim Gambir.

Kiwis: Daniel Vettori

Coach: Greg Shipperd (Australia)

Last year: 4th

TAB odds: $6The lowdown: Any team that possesses one of the world’s best in Virender Sehwag has the ability to tip over anyone.

If the hard-hitting Indian batsman has a good tournament the Daredevils would have to rate themselves a chance.

In the bowling department a lot will centre around New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori.

If veteran Glenn McGrath still has what it takes to foot it with the best the Australian legend also will be a useful asset with the ball.

Predicted finish: 5th

Deccan Chargers

Team salary: $107m

Marquee player: Andrew Symonds

Other key players: Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs, Chamina Vaas

Kiwis: Scott Styris

Coach: Darren Lehman (Australia)

Last year: last

TAB odds: $9

The lowdown: The Chargers last year picked up the wooden spoon and while its hard to see the Darren Lehman-coached side reversing it and winning the tournament they could still push teams in 2009.

A lot will depend on if Australian great Adam Gilchrist can still dominate and what headspace marquee player Andrew Symonds is in.

A strong IPL tournament could be the ideal way for Scott Styris to wave his name in front of the New Zealand selectors heading into the twenty20 World Cup in June.

Predicted finish: 6th

Kings 11 Punjab

Team salary: $76m

Marquee player: Yuvraj SinghOther key players: Kumar Sangakkara, Brett Lee, Ramnaresh Sarwan

Kiwis: None

Coach: Tom Moody (Australia)

Last year: IPL runners-up

TAB odds: $7

The lowdown: Kings 11 Punjab have a touch of batting power in the form of Yuvraj Singh, Kumar Sangakkara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Mehela Jayawardene and Shaun Marsh. They haven’t, however, got the same firepower with the ball. A lot will depend on Brett Lee getting it right if they are to restrict teams.

Predicted finish: 7th

Rajasthan Royals

Team salary: US$61m

Marquee player: Mohammad Kaif

Other key players: Shane Warne, Graeme Smith, Dimitri Mascarenas

Kiwis: NoneCoach: Shane Warne (Australia)

Last year: IPL winners

TAB odds: $8

The lowdown: Predicting a team to go from competition winners to wooden spooners is a bold one but on paper the Royals shouldn’t foot it with some of the other teams.

At $61m they have spent the least on recruiting players although they did carry that same tag when they won the tournament last year.

Graeme Smith will need to prosper with the bat and player-coach Shane Warne needs to spin some magic with the ball for the Royals to have any chance of defending their title.

While no New Zealand players have been picked up by the Rajasthan organisation there will be interest in how Englishman Dimitri Mascarenas performs.

Mascarenas played for Otago this year in its State Shield limited-overs campaign.

IPL FACTS

The tournament starts on Saturday and will run through to May 24. Sky TV will carry live coverage of the tournament for New Zealanders. The IPL is being held in South Africa because security cannot be guaranteed in India during that country’s general elections. Eight New Zealanders will take part in the 2009 IPL tournament, with Jesse Ryder picking up a contract for the first time. IPL team owners range from infrastructure and private equity firms to film stars. IPL has contracted the world’s top 77 cricketers, according to ICC rankings. MS Dhoni and Andrew Symonds fetched the highest prices in IPL bidding with $1.5 million and $1.35 million respectively.
Source – stuff.co.nz

When veteran Australian coach John Buchanan recently floated the idea of having multiple captains in Twenty20, it became a burning issue, literally.

His effigies were burnt in Kolkata by fans of former India captain Sourav Ganguly who believed the concept was meant to dilute the powers of their popular ‘Prince of Kolkata’.

The 56-year-old Buchanan, who had a successful eight-year stint as Australia’s coach, said the new concept would be an advantage in the fast-moving shortest version of the game.

‘There will always be a nominated captain, who goes for the toss. He could look after the bowling, make the changes, take care of the strategy aspect,’ he told the Kolkata-based Telegraph newspaper.

‘We could also have a fielding captain, who sets the field keeping in mind the planning done for that particular match. The fielding captain complements the nominated/bowling captain.

‘Both will be supported by the coach, who’ll be the captain off the field. When the team is batting, the coach will be the captain.’

Buchanan, cricket manager of the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, sparked a worldwide debate with his concept and led to the pro-Ganguly protests.

The controversy did not die down and it eventually required Knight Riders owner, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, to broker a truce.

‘I am not doing it for the sake of grabbing headlines,’ said Buchanan. ‘I am doing it for reasons that’ll benefit the game.

‘Having one captain to run the show in the traditional form is okay. In Twenty20, though, I don’t believe we need a single captain to be responsible for all the decisions.’

Ganguly said they would ‘wait and see’ how the idea works when the IPL opens on Saturday.

‘It’s completely new. It has never happened in sports,’ he said. ‘There are no gaurantees.’

Teams like Australia and India have had different Test and one-day captains, but not more than one skipper in a match in any form of the game.

South African coach Mickey Arthur promptly shot down the idea.

‘It has to be one leader always,’ he said. ‘I favour the one-captain situation because everybody in the team is clear about who is in charge at all times.

‘If you have more than one guy as leader, you don’t know whom to turn to. I really don’t know what he (Buchanan) is aiming at.’

Australian captain Ricky Ponting saw no problems with the concept.

‘I know Tassie (Tasmania) actually experimented with that a few years ago. One was doing the field placings and one was doing the bowling changes,’ said Ponting.

‘So it just sort of lightened the load up on the actual captain and gave him a bit more opportunity to think about different things. I don’t see there’s a lot of problems with it.’
Source – khaleejtimes.com

After suffering the ignominy of becoming the first ever doping offender of the Indian Premier League (IPL) last summer, Mohammad Asif will make a comeback to the cash-rich Twenty20 league in Johannesburg early next month – but as a spectator.

The Pakistani fast bowler is on a rehabilitation mission which takes him to London on Wednesday (today) for a couple of weeks before he leaves for South Africa to witness some of the IPL matches there next month.

Asif, 26, is hoping to make a successful return to international cricket during this year’s ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa soon after his one-year ban ends in September.

The pacer was banned by the IPL after he tested positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone last summer while featuring in the inaugural season of the Twenty20 spectacle for Delhi Daredevils.

Asif left for London on Tuesday for a two-week stay during which he would be working on his fitness. Later on he will fly out for Johannesburg to watch a series of IPL games. He would then return to London to resume his fitness regime and will eventually end up playing league cricket in England this summer once his work permit is ready.

His agent says that the fitness plan has been devised in a way that can help Asif ease his way back into international cricket with the eight-nation Champions Trophy.

“All the setbacks that have hit him in the last year or so have left Asif really exhausted,” said Salman Ahmed, an official of the company managing Asif. “We have prepared a fitness regime for him that will help him recover both mentally and physically,” he told ‘The News’ on Tuesday.

The plan is to make Asif work under expert trainers in England for at least four weeks and then start playing league cricket there.

“We have applied for a work permit which should be ready in about a month’s time,” said Salman. “Once it’s ready, we will work out a contract for him with some club in England.”

Several clubs based either in Cambridge and greater Manchester have shown a lot of interest in hiring Asif for this season.

“He will need a series of matches to regain full fitness,” said Salman.

After playing in England for a couple of months, Asif is supposed to return home in August for a final phase of training for the Champions Trophy.

“We are targetting the Champions Trophy as his (Asif’s) comeback event,” said his agent.

Asif, who was regarded as one of the most exciting fast bowlers in world cricket before getting entangled in a series of scandals, missed the previous edition of the Champions Trophy in India in 2006 because of a dope-related episode. Asif and fellow pacer Shoaib Akhtar failed a dope test for nandrolone and were sent back home from India.

Asif is also facing possible sanctions from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over another scandal. The Board is currently probing Asif’s misadventure in Dubai last summer when he was caught at the airport, allegedly carrying a small quantity of opium.

There are indications that the player will be let off with a fine as the PCB is seeking documents from the Dubai authorities, confirming that they have decided against pursuing the case against Asif. The Board has already received such a document but that was compiled by a law firm instead of the UAE government.
Source – thenews.com

The Indian Premier League will be missing one spicy ingredient from its heady mix in 2009 after Pakistan’s exhilarating players were exiled from the money-spinning tournament.

The Pakistan government banned its players from participating in the IPL after political relations with India deteriorated in the wake of November’s terror attacks in Mumbai, which New Delhi blamed on militants based across the border.

By the time the IPL was relocated to South Africa, following the Indian government’s refusal to provide adequate security, as the event overlapped with parliamentary elections, Pakistani players’ contracts had already been either terminated or suspended.

The IPL refused to include Pakistan players even after the relocation, claiming new stars had been bought by franchises as replacements.

Pakistani players were outraged and claimed the IPL had not bothered to inform them about the contract cancellations. They even staged a protest under the banner ‘Include us or pay us’ in Lahore last week.

They have also threatened legal action.

Former international captain Ramiz Raja believes a consequence will be plummeting interest in the IPL in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s two world class umpires, Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf, were left out in the cold.

Pakistan’s limited overs series against Australia from April 22-May 7 in the United Arab Emirates, which clashes with the first half of the IPL, will also divert the attention of television viewers away from events in South Africa.

But Raja feels there will be a change in attitudes for the second half of the competition which stretches over five weeks and ends on May 24.

“With hardly any international cricket in mid-May the fans will turn towards the IPL and the GEO super sports channel showing the matches is also drumming up the event,” said Raja.

Pakistan captain Younus Khan said the IPL will suffer due to the absence of players from his country.

“Pakistani players are hugely popular in India, so even after the shift, the fans will miss them,” said Younus who withdrew from IPL champions Rajasthan Royals squad this year even before the government’s banning order.

All-rounder Sohail Tanveer played a leading role in Royals’ title triumph, taking 22 wickets to finish as player of the tournament.

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who despite playing only four games for Kolkata Knight Riders was a huge attraction, still hopes for a return.

“Without Pakistani players the event has lost its charm. I still hope if the franchises want us we would be included,” said Akhtar.
Source – geosuper.tv