Cricket's big jamboree comes alive with Fake IPL Player's novel

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:47 AM

Where there is excess money, there is dirt, back-stabbing, and conspiracy theories galore. By all accounts, deep inside the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), it's all happening. Controversies have followed the immense success of the Twenty20 tournament, which was launched by the BCCI in 2008 with the backing of the International Cricket Council.

With huge money at stake, the tournament, modelled on the franchise system, has had many offshoots on and off the field. One of them was a blog by a person known only as the 'Fake IPL Player'. It became a big success on the Web during the last season of the IPL because of the way it detailed the sordid goings-on inside a franchise; the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

The blog gave graphic details of the rift between Sourav Ganguly (called ? Lordie? in the blog) and the then KKR coach John Buchanan (?Bookah Naan?), and the predicament of the co-owner, Shah Rukh Khan (?Sigwald Raees Kahn?).

The KKR management took the blog seriously and is believed to have suspected a few players, including Aakash Chopra, Sanjay Bangar, Anureet Singh and Ranadeb Bose, who could possibly be either writing the blog themselves or passing on inside information to the anonymous blogger. When the team sent Chopra and Bangar back to India from South Africa, people suspected them even more, though the truth hasn't been established conclusively. Another theory pointed the needle of suspicion at TV commentator Harsha Bhogle.

After the blog's immense success, the writer got ambitious, and wrote The Gamechangers for HarperCollins India, which is part of the India Today Group. The Indian Bollywood League (IBL) in the book is clearly a take-off on the real-life IPL. Although it's supposed to be a novel, the narration seems quite close to what could be happening inside an IPL franchise camp.

Rivalries between players, the one-upmanship in the dressing room, efforts by coaches to justify their salaries (remember the drama over Buchanan's four-captain theory, which clashed with Ganguly's thoughts, and led to the sacking of the successful former Australia coach last year), and the dog-eat-dog rivalry at every level.

The book also focuses the spotlight on the brain behind the IBL, Lalu Parekh, supposedly Lalit Modi- his phenomenal reach, his obsession with the Blackberry and his eagerness to control everything.

Both cricket followers and fiction lovers will enjoy the book-it combines good writing with tantalising details that will keep speculative minds busy linking the characters in the novel with the men and women who make IPL the circus that it is.

Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.

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Umpire referral system fails as wind plays havoc with cameras in Wellington test

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:37 AM

Wellington, Mar 22(ANI): The controversial 'Umpire Decision Review System' has been again exposed after it failed dismally due to strong winds in the ongoing Test match between Australia and New Zealand in Wellington.

In an embarrassing scenario for the International Cricket Council (ICC), the technology failed to provide useful information when Australian skipper Ricky Ponting called for a review for an lbw ruling on New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum on day four of the Test.

Pakistani third umpire Aleem Dar was unable to access footage of hawk-eye, used to rule on lbw decisions, as the wild winds had interfered with the technology's ability to track the path of the ball, the Courier Mail reports.

To make matters worse, it later emerged that video referrals were only available at one end, where television cameras were protected from the wind. Rail cameras, crucial for functioning of the hawk-eye, were taken down due to the weather.

Australia was handed a failed referral, and following the technological breakdown, Ponting confronted on-field umpires Asad Rauf and Ian Gould.

He also left the field, but it is unknown if the skipper walked off to speak to match referee Javagal Srinath. (ANI)

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Pawar doesn't want Maharashtra to milk IPL cash cow

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:27 AM

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's love for cricket may cost the government of Maharashtra over Rs 300 crore. Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president Pawar is reportedly at loggerheads with chief minister Ashok Chavan over levying entertainment tax on the Indian Premier League (IPL) teams.

Sources said Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was arm-twisting the state government to forego Rs 300 crore worth of revenues in the form of entertainment taxes on the IPL. The state cabinet had on January 20 decided to levy a 20-25 per cent tax on the IPL matches held in Maharashtra. But the resolution is yet to be ratified. Sources said the NCP in the meeting had agreed to impose the tax but later did a U-turn.

When asked about whether the state too concurred with the NCP's view, Chavan said the decision had not been annulled. But the NCP sang a different tune on the issue. Finance minister Sunil Tatkare, who hails from the NCP, said the state had decided not to charge any tax on the IPL matches "in the interest of the sport".

But a Congress minister said, "It was decided in the meeting that while Test matches should not be taxed in the interest of its survival, One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 matches could be taxed as they were popular and didn't need any promotion. Accordingly, it was decided that a tax of 25 per cent would be levied on the IPL tickets for matches in Mumbai and 20 per cent in the rest of the state." "But in the subsequent meeting held on February 3, there was no mention of tax on the IPL matches," the minister added.

Tatkare defended his party's insistence to waive off the tax, saying, "Rs 20 crore annually is not so huge a sum that could dent the state exchequer." But the Opposition begged to differ. State BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, "Our estimates suggest that if the government does not levy the tax, the loss of revenue would be much more than Rs 20 crore." He added, "The minister is only counting gate money and even that is a faulty calculation. In 2008, the state lost Rs 70 crore on ticket sales alone. This year, if we calculate the ticket sales, advertising (both in-stadia and television) and telecast rights, the turnover is not going to be less than Rs 1,600 crore. If we calculate at 20 per cent, the revenue loss will total to over Rs 300 crore."

But a highly placed official in Reliance Industries Ltd, which owns the IPL team Mumbai Indians, said: "The BJP's calculations are all wrong. Our collections from the stadium are not more than Rs 40 crore. So, the loss of revenue is not more than Rs 10 crore."

Bhandari has written to the CM and Tatkare, bringing to their attention the possible loss of revenue. "If they don't relent, we will move the High Court on the issue," he said. But going by the CM's stand, they need not. A source close to Chavan on Saturday said, " Why should the IPL, which is an out-and-out commercial venture, get tax benefit? It's a money-spinning machine for all participants and the state need not lose an opportunity to earn revenue that could be used for infrastructure projects." "Why should the state lose out when franchisees are milking the event?" the source asked.

Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.

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Confident Bangalore takes on wounded Chennai tomorrow

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 07:21 AM

Joseph Hoover Bangalore, Mar 22 (PTI) On a roll with three successive wins, a Jacques Kallis-propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore juggernaut runs into a staggered but robust Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League here tomorrow. RCB have been on a wild run, notching up three consecutive wins since their defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in their tournament opener. Their batting have come alive with Kallis leading the batting brigade with a bevy of unbeaten and match-winning knocks like 65, 89, 44 and 66 in the last four ties. The supremely talented Manish Pandey has also been in rollicking form, producing cameos that have left even seasoned cricketers bewildered on the field. The 21-year-old, who has been shortlisted for the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean islands, has not only destroyed bowling attacks with impunity but has also caught the eye with his outstanding fielding. RCB have another big hitter in Robin Uthappa, who virtually butchered Sreesanth, plundering 25 runs in one eventful over off the emotive Kings XI Punjab paceman. Having been part of the triumphant T20 World Cup team in South Africa, Uthappa would be itching to win back his place in the Indian team with more blazing performances in the IPL. Besides their batting, RCB have also jelled well as a bowling unit, restricting Rajasthan Royals (92) and Mumbai Indians (151) to modest scores in the their last two outings. Speedstar Dale Steyn, hat-trick man Praveen Kumar and last match''s hero R Vinay Kumar have done their job pretty well, giving skipper Anil Kumble the liberty to tease and lure batsmen to their doom with flight and guile. All-rounder Kallis have also contributed with the ball and have chipped in whenever the team needed him most. Considering their match-winning performance over the last week, RCB should start favourites here. But they would make a mistake if they take Chennai Super Kings for granted.

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Congress to bail out former hockey Olympian

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:17 AM

Bhopal, March 22 (IANS) The opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh has decided to come to the rescue of former Hockey Olympian Aslam Sher Khan, who has been slapped with non-payment of property tax notice and his house attached by the civic authorities.

The District Congress Committee here has decided to raise Rs.4.04 lakh for Khan after the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) attached his house which was given to him in 1975 after India won the World Cup in Malaysia.

'We will raise money to pay the overdue property tax on Khan's house,' M.M. Salman of the District Congress Committee said Monday.

Criticising the Madhya Pradesh government, Khan said: 'On the one hand, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is giving money to players of the Indian hockey team, and on the other, he is treating them shabbily.'

He said the BMC could have informed him and the matter could have been settled amicably.

However, the civic body officials said the property was attached when the tax was not deposited despite several notices.

'The law is equal for everybody and everyone is required to pay government taxes as per the law,' said Bhopal Mayor Krishna Gaur.

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Button favours big decisions to make Formula One exciting

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:11 AM

London, Mar 22 (ANI): F1 champion Jenson Button insists big decisions must be made if Formula One fails to brighten up over the next few races.

Button was furious as the new regulations turned last week's Bahrain Grand Prix into a procession.

It means the pressure is on for F1 over the next three races, starting in Australia next Sunday, The Sun reports.

Button said: "I don't know how we are going to make the racing more exciting than it is. I hope it's just because of the layout in Bahrain and it was the first race."

"It's annoying because it's a sport I love and it's tough to see a procession. There's still every chance it's going to be a fantastic season. We just have to see what happens over the next few races.

"But if it's not going in the right direction, then people have to start making the decisions," he added.

Button's McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton even said his mother Linda was bored at Bahrain.

And the former world champion thinks Red Bull are the team to beat this season despite Ferrari one-two in the opening race.

He said: "You've got to assume the next race will be more exciting. The track should be more favourable as it's a street circuit. But the Red Bull is ridiculously faster than anyone lse. It's insane." (ANI)

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Adam Gilchrist opts to bat first

Published>Mon, Mar 22 10 12:37 PM

Cuttack, March 21 -- Both, the Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers make certain changes in their side as Deccan captain Adam Gilchrist opts to bat first upon winning the toss in Cuttack. Deccan Chargers team AC Gilchrist, MD Mishra, HH Gibbs, A Symonds, RG Sharma, Y Venugopal Rao, R Sharma, TL Suman, PP Ojha, WPUJC Vaas, RP Singh.

DA Warner, V Sehwag, AB de Villiers, KD Karthik, MC Henriques, M Manhas, A Mishra, DP Nannes, U Yadav, S Ladda, Y Nagar.

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