Even as the Indian Premier League gets underway next week, many Pakistani players are still waiting for a firm answer from the IPL regarding the status of their participation in the twenty20 event.

Pakistan cricketers like Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Salman Butt, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Gul have asked the IPL to inform them about their existing status in the league.

“We are still waiting for a firm answer from the IPL or some documentary evidence which confirms whether our contracts have been frozen or terminated by the franchises and the IPL,” Malik said.

“At the moment we don’t know what is the status of our contracts. All we know is what we read in the media. There is also the issue of money matters to be sorted out,” Malik added.

The former Pakistan skipper said either the IPL should let the players know in writing the status of their contracts or allow them to play in the second edition of the league in South Africa.

After the Pakistan government said it would not allow its players to travel to India for the IPL because of the strained relations with India, the IPL franchises either froze or terminated contracts of their Pakistani players.
Source – hindustantimes.com

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is yet to kick off in South Africa but the bills have already started piling up for the franchisees.

Teams have yet to calculate the extra expenses they might incur for shifting an event of this magnitude abroad but first off, they are unhappy with having to pay extra for transporting official and commercial kits to SA.

Airline charges are over Rs 1,000 per kg but since most of the material teams are transporting are in excess of 2000kg, the burdened franchisees might have to shell out Rs 20 to Rs 25 lakh extra just for transporting these kits.

According to sources, some team owners have already written to the IPL asking either for alternative arrangements or a waiver on customs duties. The IPL, though, is yet to reply.

‘‘It’s a small amount but they should at least give us something in writing. Earlier, the suppliers were responsible for transporting the kits but now that the event has shifted abroad, most of them are not willing to bear the costs.

‘‘Every team has a different type of contract and there are a few franchisees who are yet to close their commercial deals. So if IPL can help us in this regard, we can transport all our promotional stuff at a cheaper rate,’’ a team official told TOI on Saturday. There are some teams, though, which are not complaining.

‘‘IPL has done a great job till now. In such a short span of time, they have done enough to organise the tournament in South Africa. We couldn’t have asked for more. We will have to cover all costs and at the end of the tournament we are going to sit with IPL to sort it all out. Right now, it’s all about helping each other stage a successful tournament,’’ another team official said.

Some of the local or fringe players with individual teams have transported their kits but some national-level stars and international players are yet to reach South Africa. ‘‘Some of the players are expected to carry at least 60 to 70kg to South Africa. That is because they are expected to leave for the Twenty 20 World Cup directly from SA,’’ a team manager added.
Source – economictimes.indiatimes.com

Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals made a losing start to their South African campaign when they lost by 27 runs against the Cape Cobras in an Indian Premier League warm-up match at Newlands Saturday.

Both teams were well below strength, with the Royals fielding only four of the players who won the IPL last year and the Cobras missing most of the men who won the South African Twenty20 final earlier in the season.

“It’s disappointing to lose but it was a great opportunity for some of the guys to show what they can do,” said Warne.

“Everything we wanted to get out of this game we got although the batting was a bit disappointing.”

Opening bowler Amit Singh bowled impressively to take three for 15 as the Cape Cobras made 142 for eight.

The home side were struggling at 34 for four and 65 for five but prospered through some hard hitting by lower order batsmen Richard Levi (36), Vernon Philander (26) and Rory Kleinveldt (23).

Kleinveldt took four for 34 when the Royals batted to clinch the man of the match award.

Royals’ Australian opening batsman Bob Quiney made a hard-hit 34 off 22 balls but the rest of the batting crumbled. Warne’s 21 was the second-highest score.

Scores

Cape Cobras 142-8 in 20 overs (R. Levi 36, V. Philander 26, R. Kleinveldt 23, A. Singh 3-18); Rajasthan Royals 115 in 19 overs (R. Quiney 34, R. Kleinveldt 4-23, R. Peterson 2-17).

Cape Cobras won by 27 runs.
Source – google.com

Andrew Flintoff does not believe playing in the Indian Premier League will have a detrimental effect on his performances for England because of the amount of cricket he has missed in the last year.

The 31-year-old has had several niggling injuries, the latest of which was a hip problem that ruled him out of the final Test and first two one-day internationals in the West Indies.

It has been suggested Flintoff should be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of the Ashes this summer, but the all-rounder told Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek: “I don’t know about that. I have missed so much cricket through injury that I don’t want to miss any more.”

He added: “I’ve not played a lot of Twenty20 cricket and I’d like to play more. I’m not saying the money is not very appealing, but there’s a lot more to it.

“I spent several weeks working very hard at my fitness when I came back from the West Indies and, hopefully, that will stand me in good stead come the summer.”

Other England players, notably Kevin Pietersen, have said the rigours of a long winter away have taken their toll, and Graeme Swann even likened the events of the last few months to an episode of Eastenders.

Flintoff’s Caribbean tour may have been interrupted by injury but he was involved in the debates following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and he insists missing home is normal.

“It’s been a tough winter all round,” he said. “Going to India before Christmas with everything that happened, and coming home and going back, was testing for everyone.

“There have been lots of things going on. These are long tours. We are proud to play for England but people have got things at home as well and families who you desperately miss when you’re away. When you come to the end of a trip, of course people are looking forward to getting home and seeing people you haven’t seen for a long time.”
Source – google.com

Chennai Super Kings left for Johannesburg on Wednesday morning without their skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The Super Kings left for Johannesburg via Dubai at 9.45 this morning on the auspicious day of Lord Aiyappa’s birthday by an Emirates Airlines flight.

Apart from Dhoni, medium pacer Lakshmipathy Balaji and opening batsman Murali Vijay, who will return from New Zealand today and some overseas players, including coach-cum-player Stephen Fleming, Mathew Hayden and George Bailey will join the squad later.

From Johannesburg, the Super Kings will travel to Durban tomorrow where they will set up their training camp.

Kasi Viswanathan, Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Head of Operations of the Super Kings told PTI minutes before boarding the flight that the team is geared up to return with the trophy this time.’We are ready for the big occasion”

“We are ready for the big occasion. We want to come back with the trophy this time. We have set our preparations in place with the aim of making the semifinals as a goal and then go full throttle in the final for the trophy that we missed by hair breath last time to Rajasthan Royals,” he said.

The Super Kings would be having a six-day training camp in Durban from April 10-15, which includes a few practice matches against local teams before leaving for Cape Town to play Mumbai Indians in the second match on the opening day of the high-profile Twenty20 tournament. Vishwanathan also informed that alongwith Dhoni, star England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and Kiwi Jacob Oram will be joining the team in Cape Town on April 15.

Dhoni to join on April 15

“Dhoni will be returning to India along with the team today from New Zealand. Of course, he requires some rest. He, alongwith Flintoff and others, will join the team in Cape Town on April 15.

“The Indians as well as overseas players have been involved in international matches for their respective countries and have the experience to straight away go for the matches,” he said.

Viswanathan noted that all the eight teams have made some changes in their squads this time around after first edition’s experience.

“No team could be taken for granted and there could even be high scoring matches as some of the venues have small grounds but the Super Kings will approach every match with caution. We have depth in our bench strength.”
Source – espnstar.com