It has now been now decided that IPL venue will be shifted to international grounds – most likely to England and South Africa. It’s not something that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bosses were expecting, but given the circumstances, they will take it.

They know that they will incur losses in revenue, but it was important for them to have the business module of the Indian Premier League (IPL) flowing.

According to a top CSK official, they had earned Rs 12.5 crore only from gate sales last season.

“We’re going to miss out on a chunk of that money,” the source said, but “there’s not much we can do about it. For us, it is important that the IPL happens, come what may.”

They are not yet sure what their ‘home ground’ will be, but they’re already looking to create a fan base wherever they’re asked to play.

“The one good thing about South Africa and England is that there’s a big Indian population there. And given the success of the last season, we’ll probably be able to form a decent enough fan base,” the official said, adding that it’s a disappointment that the fans in Chennai will miss out on the live action.

“We understand their sentiments. But at the same time, it’s also true that 98 per cent of the IPL viewership comprises TV audience.” the official said.

The production costs will shoot up substantially for hosting the matches outside India, but the CSK top-brass is hoping that those will be shared by the IPL authorities.

“We will be having discussions over the next few days. We hope to keep the expenses to manageable proportions,” he added.

It’s obvious that there won’t be more than 16-18 players with the squad. “We have to treat it like a tour, some players will have to miss out, but then again, we’ve to live with it,” the source added.

CSK is likely to host a camp wherever their home is and will decide on the composition of the team. Luckily for CSK, all their 10 foreigners won’t be available right through the tournament and they’ll be able to rotate most of them.

“Freddie Flintoff is available for three weeks, at that time, Albie Morkel and Makhaya Ntini have international commitments. Then Mike Hussey, too, will play only a few matches. So, we can rotate our foreigners quite effectively,” he added.

Meanwhile, S. Badrinath, who is one of the certainties in the CSK team, will miss the Chepauk atmosphere, but he also believes this will be a good exposure for him.

“Playing in South Africa or England will be interesting. And we really have a very balanced team that can do well anywhere,” Badrinath said, adding that he’ll be surprised that if the team doesn’t make the semifinals.
Source – .televisionpoint.com

Bangalore, March 21: Putting behind the disastrous IPL-2008 campaign, owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers, Vijay Mallya on Saturday, named former England captain Kevin Pietersen to lead his franchisee’s challenge for the 2009 season.

Addressing a press-conference in Bangalore, Mallya announced his decision.

While naming Pietersen as the captain, Mallya also announced that South African all-rounder Jacques would be taking over the reins from the Englishmen, as the latter would be available for just 2 weeks.

The liquor baron also revealed said that Rahul Dravid, who had captained his side in 2008, was aware of the change in guard.The liquor baron also revealed said that Rahul Dravid, who had captained his side in 2008, was aware of the change in guard.

Dravid, who was sarcastically referred to as Test player in the slam bang version of the game last year, will not play for the entire tournament as his wife is expecting their child.

“We have a wealth of talent and expertise in our team and have six international captains to choose from,” Mallya said.

“The decision on captaincy was taken by keeping into account three considerations. One, player`s availability during each phase of the tournament; two, flexibility in selection of playing squad during the phases; and three, the fact that Dravid will not be available due to personal reasons for the entire tournament,”

Mallya exuded confidence in his team’s ability to give a good account of themselves, unlike in the inaugural season last year when they had barely managed to avoid the wooden spoon.

Stressing that his team would not be unduly hampered by Zaheer Khan’s absence (the pace spearhead moved to Mumbai Indians), Mallya vouched for his team’s firepower to overcome his loss.

“We have Praveen Kumar, Nathan Brackan, , Kallis himself, there is Anil Kumble.” Mallya said.

“Last year we struggled in our batting department. With induction of Pietersen, Jesse (Ryder), and Robin Uthappa, I think we have taken necessary measures.”

“Now we have a decent batting and a potent bowling attack,” Mallya said.

Meanwhile, Mallya said that by inducting local youngsters into the squad, he had reiterated his commitment to promotion of local talent, which, as he said, ‘was why the IPL was conceived.’

Even as Bangalore Royal Challengers has raised its IPL war-cry, the fate of the second edition of the Twenty20 extravaganza stays in limbo in lieu of General Elections scheduled during the same period across the country.

The BCCI’s Working committee would be holding an emergency meet on Sunday after IPL commissioner Lalit Modi had refuted claims of a truncated IPL.
Source – cricket.zeenews.com

Fast bowler S Sreesanth will miss the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) season two in April-May due to a stress fracture in his lower back, his IPL team Kings XI Punjab announced on Wednesday.

Sreesanth is currently in Sydney receiving treatment from the Kings XI Punjab physio Patrick Farhart as part of his rehabilitation. The bowler will instead be associated with his team as ‘fan mentor and community face’.

“I intend to be with the team all along the IPL season. I will be their motivator and will cheer them through to the IPL Season 2 finals so that I can play the champions league with Kings XI Punjab. The new role that I will play in the interim for Kings Xi Punjab as a fan mentor and community face is going to be very exciting,” the bowler said in a statement.

“It is unfortunate that Sreesanth will not be participating in the season 2 due to his back injury. He is a performer and was a great asset to the team last season and his absence on the field will surely be felt, Kings XI Punjab coach Tom Moody said.

“Sreesanth is an integral part of Kings XI Punjab. The role that we have envisaged for him this year is exciting and vital. He will be pivotal to our playing squad and to our community through various initiatives which will promote the game and the franchise,” the Kings XI team co-owner Ness Wadia said.

Sreesanth had a run-in with Indian teammate Harbhajan Singh during a match here April last year with Singh slapping him in full public view on the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) ground here following a verbal exchange
Source:hindustantimes.com

Kevin Pietersen might pull out of the Indian Premier League on security grounds. The England cricketer is due to make his decision after talks with England and Wales Cricket Board officials and his IPL team, Bangalore Royal Challengers, after the fifth and final Test against the West Indies in Trinidad, which is due to end today.

The South Africa-born batsman was widely praised when, as England captain, he led his adopted country back to India after the Mumbai terror attacks.

But the attack on Monday last week on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore, which left eight Pakistanis dead, plus seven Sri Lankan players, an assistant coach and a Pakistani umpire, wounded, has heightened the safety fears of the world’s leading cricketers about playing in the sub-continent.

Pietersen was bought by the Royal Challengers for 1.55-million (R16.2-million), sparking a headline in the English tabloids the next day: Dumb Slog Millionaire.

“I will be consulting as many people as I can but if I don’t think it is right, then I will not be going,” Pietersen told the News of the World.

Source:thetimes.co.za

New Delhi: Bollywood actress and co-owner of IPL team Rajasthan Royals Shilpa Shetty has expressed her disappointment that her cricket squad won’t be able to play at their own stable due to the rescheduling of the Twenty20 blitzkrieg.

The Indian cricketing extravaganza is being re-planned due to security issues after the recent attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan and also because its dates clashed with the Lok Sabha election schedule.

“It’s sad that we’re not going to be able to play in Jaipur, which happens to be our home ground, but I would like our Rajasthan fans to know that it was a decision that wasn’t left to us to take,” Shilpa posted on her blog early Sunday morning from Jaipur.

“We are just complying with the decision obviously that has been taken by the IPL board, the BCCI and obviously with the advice of the home ministry and the (Rajasthan) state government,” she added.

The “celebrity Big Brother” winner, who co-owns the team with beau Raj Kundra, is currently in Jaipur shooting team anthem “Halla bol”.

The actress was also upset with the attack on Sri Lanka crickters in Lahore.

“It’s really sad whatever has happened in Pakistan and what the Sri Lankan cricketers had to go through. It was a sad day for cricket. Hope we are able to overcome all of that and things are smooth sailing, and hope people don’t bring down the spirit of the game,” she wrote.

“Cricket is a game that brings together different countries and I hope we’re able to be good hosts (for IPL) here in India and give security to our cricketers and fans,” she added.
Source:cricketnext.in.com