The sports organisers of Chittagong are planning big with a Twenty20 cricket tournament styled as Port City Cricket League (PCL).

Taking inspiration from two Indian mega events IPL and ICL, the organisers of Chittagong Divisional Krira Sangstha (CDKS) had recently initiated to launch a lucrative Twenty20 league in the port city.

In this regard, the PCL officials met with two Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) officials yesterday in Dhaka and the BCB officials agreed in principle to lend their hands to hold such a tournament and gave a green signal to a five-member delegation of the CDKS to ‘go-ahead’ with their initiative.

“This is a very encouraging initiatives by the regional organisers. They informed us about their planning but we requested them to give us a concrete proposal in this regard before placing it to the board’s working committee as well as the board meeting,” said Gazi Ashraf Hossain, BCB’s tournament committee chairman.

“They have a plan to offer a lucrative prize money as well as there would be also an auction like in the IPL. They are planning to launch the tournament with eight teams where two national players are available for each team. They are not too much concerned about financial support from the board rather they sought assistance for coaches, umpires etc,” Ashraf added.

The PCL organisers gave a tentative date of April 29 to May 10 for the tournament and it will be held under floodlights at the MA Aziz Stadium.

“We have to talk with our national coach Jamie Siddons before confirming the date because our national interest always comes first. And we have to consider whether this tournament conflicts with any other BCB tournament. But again we want to see this kind of tournament take place in the country,” said Ashraf.

PCL organising committee chairman AZM Nasir, also president of Chittagong Brothers Union club, led the team and the other members of the delegation were CDKS vice president Ali Abbas, Secretary of Chittagong Jela Krira Sangstha (CJKS) Cricket Committee Abdul Hannan Akbar, and CJKS members Taherul Alam Swapan and SM Nasir Khan.

AZM Nasir placed the demand for PCL at yesterday’s meeting while Sirajuddin Mohammad Alamgir, general secretary of CDKS and a BCB member, gave an outline of the proposed tournament.

“The PCL will definitely usher in a new era and enthusiasm in the sports arena of Chittagong as well as Bangladesh , and we are extremely happy that the BCB gave us the much-needed permission,” Ali Abbas told this correspondent over phone after the meeting.

He said the BCB officials however asked the CDKS delegation to feed them back with some more information about the tournament immediately. These include a complete budget, format (knock out or league), complete project profile and plans to upgrade the flood light system of Chittagong MA Aziz Stadium where the PCL would be played under lights, he added.

“As per our initial plan, a total of eight teams will play in the nine-day tournament for which national ‘pool’ players will be drawn in discussion with concerned organisations,” CDKS General Secretary Alamgir said.

He said the budget is expected in-between Tk 60 lakh to Tk 70 lakh and players will get Tk 25,000 per match.

“An auction of around 60 cricketers may take place,” Alamgir informed.

“There also will be the option for the participating teams to choose sponsors,” he said.
Source – thedailystar.net

In being chosen to host the Indian Premier League, South Africa showed that it is the new go-to guy for international sports events. When you’re in a sporting pickle, only one country has the weather and the infrastructure, not to mention a time zone that doesn’t exclude everyone but Hawaiians, to guarantee a successful event.

The ability to host multi-million dollar cricket leagues at a moment’s notice is not common, especially in countries that are affordable and sunny. Which makes me wonder, why don’t we make more of this?

Like call-centres and English language schools, hosting sports events may be an area of rich opportunity for our little corner of the global village. One might say that with a rugby World Cup, a cricket World Cup and a soccer World Cup on our resume, not to mention numerous other large events that we have taken this opportunity and run with it. But what of the time between these events?

It needn’t all be World Cups and Lions tours. A savvy marketer could surely sell a ‘plug-and-play’ sporting tournament in South Africa to British corporates looking for an alternative to office drinks on a Friday. British bankers can spend more on a lunch than it would cost for a ticket to South Africa, so why not a long weekend in Cape Town, playing a cricket tournament against your corporate rivals?

Such a package might include an organized schedule of games, the services of umpires or referees, equipment and meals – in fact, all the things a professional sports team would expect. An exhausted European businessman could climb onto a plane at the end of a long week, and climb off feeling like David Beckham.

The golf industry has long been wise to the attractiveness of golf tours to South Africa, especially in countries like Japan where, unless you’re the chairman of Sony, the game involves hitting balls around on the roof of a skyscraper. It wouldn’t be difficult to convert the idea of the organized golf tour into something a little more.

The amount of indoor soccer and cricket leagues that take place on any given night in South Africa is an indication of the popularity of corporate sporting events. Everyone needs to blow off some steam. So why not do it under the shadows of Table Mountain, with a bottle of well-priced wine waiting for you when you finish, rather than on a muddy bog in Surrey?

Source – shine2010.co.za

QUEENSLAND allrounder Ryan Harris is determined the bad luck blow that cruelled a breakthrough season will not sabotage his Indian Premier League dream.

Harris, 29, sustained a right foot fracture in attempting to slow a drive from South Australian opener Daniel Harris on Friday 13 last month in Adelaide.

Former Croweater Harris missed Queensland’s Ford Ranger Cup triumph against Victoria and the Sheffield Shield final against the champion Bushrangers.

Hopes of making Australia’s limited-overs tour of South Africa were also dashed just as he had reached the best form of his career with the ball.

“I had my first bowl on Sunday. It felt OK, there was a bit of discomfort in there but I will probably have that for the next 12 months,” said Deccan Chargers signing Harris, who took 33 wickets at 26.48 in eight first-class games last season.

Harris must convince Queensland medicos and coach Trevor Barsby that he’s fit to join Darren Lehmann’s Deccan camp from April 10 in South Africa.

The task has been made easier with the IPL season delayed by a week after being relocated to the Rainbow Nation from terror target India.

“The starting date being pushed back has definitely helped my recovery,” said Harris, who made his Australian one-day debut against the Proteas in Hobart during January.

Harris will be flanked by some of cricket’s great drawcards in a Chargers’ franchise that has been overhauled with new colours, logo and outlook by coach Lehmann.

“It is something I’ve really been looking forward to since I signed up. To be able to play with guys like Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs will be awesome,” said Harris. “The franchise forked out a lot of money last year and wasn’t really successful but I think it will be good this season.”

Harris believes Lehmann will make a similar splash in his first head coaching role as Shane Warne did with inaugural IPL champion Rajasthan Royals.

“Boof is very positive, wants to win and knows how to win so it is an exciting time for the boys,” said Harris, who will receive elite care from a Deccan support staff which includes Australian fielding coach Mike Young and fitness guru Steve Smith.

“It’s his first coaching role in the big arena, the next best thing away from international cricket. All the best international cricketers will be there with the world watching.

“He will coach the way he played, with a bit of flair. Darren’s highly regarded and reads the game well.”

Just playing cricket again is a bonus for Harris who is still hurting from being forced to watch the Sheffield Shield final from the sidelines.

“My game was getting towards where I wanted it to get so it was disappointing to have it cut short like that,” said Harris.

“Chris Swan and Ashley Noffke were also out of the attack in the final which was a bit disheartening.

“I can’t wait to get playing.”
Source – news.com.au

The two T20 internationals between the Proteas and Australia over the weekend gave a glimpse of what can be expected from this year’s IPL to be held in South Africa. And on the evidence of Cape Town and Johannesburg, it seems that the Deccan Chargers’ gain will be the Kolkata Knight Riders’ loss.

Following Andrew Symonds’ misdemeanours in the last nine months, the player who has benefited most from the vacancy for the batting allrounder in the limited overs format has been David Hussey. As such, the younger Hussey has since cemented a middle order position in the Australian ODI team, at least until Symonds is deemed to have been rehabilitated.

Last year, Hussey played out a full campaign, but this year, barring anomalous behaviour by the Australian selectors, he will miss at least the first nine matches, due to Australia’s ODI series against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

In the past year, he has become even more destructive in the abbreviated format. In the Australian T20 campaign this year, Hussey plundered 171 runs in four matches and was out only once, the highlight being an unbeaten 100 against Tasmania from only 47 overs. In five T20 internationals since then he has amassed 177 runs at 44.25, including a big-hitting 88* from 44 balls against South Africa at the Wanderers on Friday. Not only that, he counter-attacked despite the loss of two quick wickets, refusing to yield the momentum to his opponents. Hussey would have been invaluable in stabilising a Kolkata middle-order that will field Indian players who have never played outside the subcontinent.

Aside from his batting, he has also become more of a regular with his off spin, sending down at least three overs in each of his last nine matches. At international level this season, he has taken six wickets at 18.66, conceding less than seven runs per over, a performance comparable to any frontline spinner.

Were I more conspiratorially minded and cynical, I could claim that the reason for Ricky Ponting’s persistent advocacy of Symonds’ place in the Australian team would be to keep Hussey on full-time IPL duty, thereby strengthening Kolkata at the expense of the Hyderabad outfit, in order to land himself some kind of under-the-table kickbacks from Shahrukh Khan and co.

That’s wishful thinking of course, but if Kolkata are still in finals contention when Hussey returns for the latter part of the tournament, then they will surely be a threat. Having said that, with all the upheavals regarding the multiple captains, they would be lucky to still be in the hunt. Meanwhile, Symonds will be enjoying a full season in South Africa, the site of his career-defining campaign at the 2003 World Cup. Deccan will be hoping that he turns back the clock to the halcyon days.
Source – blogs.livemint.com

Injury-prone New Zealand allrounder Jacob Oram has denied suggestions he is saving himself for the lucrative Indian Premier League in South Africa at the expense of playing the current test series against India.

Oram will take no part in the three-test series after the experienced international player confirmed he had aggravated an Achilles tendon strain that plagued him during the one-day series against the Indians.

The injury forced his withdrawal from Central Districts’ current domestic four-day match against Auckland but hoped he would be fit for the State Championship final against the same opponents at Lincoln, outside Christchurch, on April 6.

Oram told The Dominion Post newspaper if he was not able to play or complete the five-day final he would not be available to fulfil his US$675,000 ($1,221,277) contract with the Chennai Super Kings.

He aggravated the injury while bowling against Canterbury in the last round of the State Championship in New Plymouth last week.

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“I can understand people thinking I’m cotton-wooling myself but I’ll definitely take myself out (of the IPL) if I don’t get through the final,” Oram said.

After the ODI series with India ended in Auckland on March 14 Oram made himself unavailable for the first two tests against India.

Following consultation with New Zealand Cricket selectors and medical staff it was decided he should build his fitness and form in the domestic competition.

Chennai are scheduled to open the second edition of the IPL against Mumbai in Cape Town on April 18.
Source – nzherald.co.nz