Bengaluru (Bangalore) Royal Challengers

[arkay]

Well he was the CEO and also bidded for the players.

[Guest HariSampath]

Actually this has less to do with BRC's string of failures. Yesterday PCB had issued notice to Misbah for representing a team that advertises liquor which is against PCB policy. Charu Sharma had made a press statement that there was NO connection between Royal Challengers and Liquor as BRC was run by a company called Royal Challengers Sports company ( a front company for Mallaya). But the real situation is that BRC does represent Mallaya's liquor brand and obviously he doesnt like this kind of statement from Charu that specifically denies any connection , as that would be against Mallaya's original intent of buying a franchise and naming it so...he wants the association with liquor very much, albeit tacitly...and hence Charu was sacked. Some days back after BRC's last over win against Chargers, Charu Sharma was saying on TV that he "would like to quit on a high", meaning that when the team is on top , when asked if he would stay as CEO for the next season too...all these things didnt go down well with Mallaya obviously...oh these corporate games !

[Guest HariSampath]

And already there are rumblings in the BRC team, with many "senior players" unhappy with Charu's sacking...one has also said " Charu cannot bat and bowl on the field", which is true enough. If that were not enough the new man is Brijesh Patel, and he had till recently been part of the GR Vishwanath camp which was opposed by the Mallaya camp for KSCA elections...but Patel it is now, and knowing the Karnataka cricket ways, soon there will be more factionalism and trouble.

[Ram]

Actually this has less to do with BRC's string of failures. Yesterday PCB had issued notice to Misbah for representing a team that advertises liquor which is against PCB policy. Charu Sharma had made a press statement that there was NO connection between Royal Challengers and Liquor as BRC was run by a company called Royal Challengers Sports company ( a front company for Mallaya). But the real situation is that BRC does represent Mallaya's liquor brand and obviously he doesnt like this kind of statement from Charu that specifically denies any connection ' date=' as that would be against Mallaya's original intent of buying a franchise and naming it so...he wants the association with liquor very much, albeit tacitly...and hence Charu was sacked. Some days back after BRC's last over win against Chargers, Charu Sharma was saying on TV that he "would like to quit on a high", meaning that when the team is on top , when asked if he would stay as CEO for the next season too...all these things didnt go down well with Mallaya obviously...oh these corporate games ![/quote']

And already there are rumblings in the BRC team' date=' with many "senior players" unhappy with Charu's sacking...one has also said " Charu cannot bat and bowl on the field", which is true enough. If that were not enough the new man is Brijesh Patel, and he had till recently been part of the GR Vishwanath camp which was opposed by the Mallaya camp for KSCA elections...but Patel it is now, and knowing the Karnataka cricket ways, soon there will be more factionalism and trouble.[/quote'] Thanks for that info Hari! :two_thumbs_up:

[satishg]

Actually this has less to do with BRC's string of failures. Yesterday PCB had issued notice to Misbah for representing a team that advertises liquor which is against PCB policy. Charu Sharma had made a press statement that there was NO connection between Royal Challengers and Liquor as BRC was run by a company called Royal Challengers Sports company ( a front company for Mallaya). But the real situation is that BRC does represent Mallaya's liquor brand and obviously he doesnt like this kind of statement from Charu that specifically denies any connection ' date=' as that would be against Mallaya's original intent of buying a franchise and naming it so...he wants the association with liquor very much, albeit tacitly...and hence Charu was sacked. Some days back after BRC's last over win against Chargers, Charu Sharma was saying on TV that he "would like to quit on a high", meaning that when the team is on top , when asked if he would stay as CEO for the next season too...all these things didnt go down well with Mallaya obviously...oh these corporate games ![/quote'] hmm well that clears the debate..its not coz of cricket alone then..gud post hari..

[Predator_05]

Charu was drinking too much daaru

[Online]

Charu Sharma was the CEO ?!!! :hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[swami1984]

Dravid - Test Match Team? I keep hearing often that Dravid went for a test-match team approach. However, had Dravid really picked good Test match players, his team would have ended up in much better shape. If Dravid really wanted a test match team, he should have picked Test match players who are currently in amazing form - VVS, Hussey, Symonds, Hayden, Lee, Sangakkara, Murali etc...(or past greats like Warne, McGrath, Fleming, Gilly, Pollock) I find it odd that Dravid wanted a test-match approach and yet didn't pick a player from the Aus starting XI

[Temujin Khaghan]

Mallaya wants chicken korma not charu sharma Charu Sharma, who was removed as CEO by the Bangalore Royal Challengers on Tuesday, says he did not step down from the job as the IPL franchise said, but was "summarily dismissed". Cricinfo has learned the decision was a result of discontent at the highest level since the team's defeat in the first match of the tournament on April 18. "I am not a quitter, especially when the chips are down," Sharma said in a statement. "The company has every right to hire and fire personnel. For details of why I was summarily dismissed from my duties, three hours before I was to board a flight to Kolkata for the next match, please contact representatives of the company." Sharma, whose father died soon after the IPL started, said he'd taken the briefest of breaks at the time. Only the team owners can explain why he was sacked, he said, adding that he could "understand their disappointment at the team not being the fastest off the block". Bangalore, currently at the bottom of the IPL table with two wins from seven games, issued a press release on Tuesday night, which said Sharma "stepped down due to personal reasons" and had been replaced by Brijesh Patel, the former India Test player and secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which runs the game in the franchise's home city. Sources close to Sharma confirmed that he was asked to quit on Tuesday afternoon by a senior official from United Spirits Limited (USL), the liquor company that bought the team. USL is owned by Vijay Mallya, the Bangalore-based industrialist who also owns Force India, a Formula 1 team. However, sources in the franchise told Cricinfo that the decision to sack the chief executive was the result of growing discontent at the highest level ever since Bangalore suffered a humiliating defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural IPL match in front of a record television audience and a capacity home crowd, including top ICC and BCCI officials, Bollywood actors and corporate leaders. Quite a few harsh words were used that night to describe the team's performance. And ever since then, serious questions were being asked at the top level within the franchise about the team's composition and performance. Things turned nasty as the team continued to lose and there was even talk about whether the players were under-performing, and making a laughing stock of the owner," the sources said. "In such a scenario, the franchise wanted to send a strong message that it was in control of the situation and the CEO was the obvious target. Sacking the players would have generated a wave of negative publicity, considering their iconic status," the sources said. Mallya bought the franchise from the IPL council with a bid of US$ 111.6 million and then faced a barrage of criticism after the players' auction where Rahul Dravid took the lead in picking the squad - including South Africa's Jacques Kallis and India's Wasim Jaffer - that has since been tagged as a Test XI. On Monday night, after the team's fifth loss, Mallya is learnt to have been extremely upset and had a "very serious chat" with Sharma, before the franchise owner was "persuaded" to give the team "a small pep talk" during a party that followed the match against Kings XI Punjab. "The team was assembled and were told by Mallya he was still backing them. But it was clear that a major decision was around the corner," the sources said. Around 3 pm the next day, Sharma was asked to leave by the franchise. On Wednesday morning, a senior player told Cricinfo that the team was rattled by the development, which he described as "a knee-jerk reaction" to the defeats with seven matches still left in the tournament. Bangalore take on Kolkata in the eighth of their 14 league matches, at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. "My role, as I saw it, was to constantly motivate, encourage, facilitate and respect the efforts of the cricket professionals in the team. And that is what I tried to do, sincerely, day after day - win or lose - in the true spirit of sportsmanship," Sharma said. Ajay Shankar is deputy editor of Cricinfo in Bangalore © Cricinfo

[Temujin Khaghan]

lol, so much for crowe dehumanizing the opposition...

[Laaloo]

the whole team should be sacked :D

[Feed]

I've not got the team right: Crowe Martin Crowe, owns up the responsibility for his team's dismal performance, with five losses from seven games and only one win at home in five visits, reports G Krishnan. More... I’ve not got the team right: Crowe G Krishnan, Hindustan Times Kolkata, May 08, 2008 First Published: 02:30 IST(8/5/2008) Last Updated: 02:36 IST(8/5/2008) The Chief Cricket Officer of the Bangalore IPL team, Martin Crowe, owned up the responsibility for his team's dismal performance, with five losses from seven games and only one win at home in five visits. The 45-year-old told HT here on Wednesday: "I have not hit the right mark with the team combination. I take it in my chin in whatever shape and form." Excerpts: Five defeats in seven games is not an ideal position to be in as the CCO… We are definitely the underdogs now. It’s been a disappointment. We did not play well in front of our own crowd. Chinnaswamy has looked foreign to us. We are looking forward to the next three away games and take the confidence from that when we go back to Bangalore. How much has Tuesday's developments affected the team, with Charu resigning as the CEO? Nothing has changed. I can only speak for myself and say that I have obviously not hit the right mark with the combination. That’s fine, I take it on my chin in whatever shape and form. Nothing has changed from wanting throughout my life and career. So also with (captain) Rahul Dravid. Twenty20 is not about individual glory. It is about wining a game, making your fans feel great when they go home and wanting them to come back. It is cricketainment. We tried to do it. At the moment, six other sides have been able to do that. How much of a say does the team owner, Vijay Mallya have in matters cricket? We have seen Dr Mallya at matches and he pops into dressing room form time to time and at the odd parties. He is a busy man and is involved in F-1. We have to get on with the job. Team coach Venkatesh Prasad's name too is said to be on the chopping block. Is it fair on him? It is an inexplicable leak (in the media) that had no substance. We all don’t know how his name got mentioned. How can you not point a finger at the CCO first? It has been my territory and that's how I wanted. From my point of view, I am working with him. Venky has been a proven coach over the last year or so and therefore an asset to the franchise in the long term. What are the reasons for the team's poor show? It was obvious on paper that this squad was not a natural T20 team. I was brought in to try and find those combinations that worked for us. So far, we have been outplayed in five games. In bowling, we have averaged 45/2 in 6 overs (power play), we lost 4-5 wickets in the middle overs and could not hit in the end. We have averaged 160 while the top sides have averaged 175-180. In T20, you need to exploit and deny the opposition. We have not taken wickets in the middle overs. How difficult is it to bounce back from now on? Just as it was tough at the start. We will continue to try and give opportunities to players. The biggest and toughest challenge in every game is the mixture of four and seven. For example, you look at Jaipur, they have the same four foreigners — opener (Graeme Smith), number 4 (Shane Watson), number 8 (Shane Warne) and opening the bowling (Sohail Tanvir). The big one for me is to get the mixture right. I don't know the local guys. What is the ideal combination in T20 with the available players? There has not been one. We changed the combination every game. We got in Dale Steyn and so could not play Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher pick themselves. We have only another all-rounder in the squad, B Akhil, but he is injured. When Misbah-ul Haq arrived, Ross Taylor had to keep playing because he was our standout. Cameron White has not played much at all, so we decided to try something out, sending him as an opener but he got a very good first ball (against Mohali). That has been the story. Do not play Steyn? I don't think so. Not play Chanderpaul? We love a left-hander at the top. Boucher or Kallis will have to stand down on Thursday. Hasn't there been too much dependence on Kallis? You pick your best all-rounder. He hasn't fired in the right directions yet. It was not easy to bat at the Chinnaswamy as the scores say. Kallis has tried very hard. What has been your answer to Mallya? Everything that I explained above. And I said to him, sorry but we will keep going.

[flamy]

What is the ideal combination in T20 with the available players? There has not been one. We changed the combination every game. We got in Dale Steyn and so could not play Shivnarine Chanderpaul. Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher pick themselves.

:finger::finger::finger::finger::finger::finger:

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Prasad calls for 'patience and trust' in team Venkatesh Prasad, the coach of Bangalore Royal Challengers, has asked for patience and trust in those who are managing the team after the Indian Premier League's second-richest franchise sacked its chief executive following a string of poor performances in the inaugural season of the Twenty20 tournament. More... Indian Premier League Prasad calls for 'patience and trust' in team Nagraj Gollapudi May 9, 2008 Prasad: "I was angry as the fingers were pointed towards my commitment and integrity which I'd built over a period of a time" © AFP Venkatesh Prasad, the coach of Bangalore Royal Challengers, has asked for patience and trust in those who are managing the team after the Indian Premier League's second-richest franchise sacked its chief executive following a string of poor performances in the inaugural season of the Twenty20 tournament. Terming Charu Sharma's dismissal as "unfortunate", Prasad feared it could send the wrong signal. "It was the management's decision to sack him," Prasad told Cricinfo. "Having known him, he is a fantastic individual. But it was unfortunate and it could send a wrong signal to the individuals. "The hire and fire policy might work in the corporate world, probably," Prasad said. "But we are building a team which came together two days before the tournament. So what is very important is to have a lot of faith in the team and build the trust and faith factor. You need to show patience and trust the people who are managing the team." Asked about pressure from the franchise on the team, he said, "I understand the franchise has put in loads of money and for them what is important is the performance, the outcome basically. You can't do anything when performance is the key and so much is at stake." Prasad also said that though he was the designated coach of the team, he effectively "started handling the duties of the bowling coach as Martin Crowe, the Chief Cricket Officer, and Rahul (Dravid, the captain) handle the team selections and all the other duties". He revealed that he had briefly thought about resigning from the job following media reports that the franchise wanted to sack him too. On Tuesday, the Bangalore franchise replaced Sharma with Brijesh Patel, the secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), which runs the game in the team's home city. A Royal Challengers spokesperson said that the CEO had stepped down due to personal reasons, but Sharma said that he was dismissed by the franchise, which is owned by Vijay Mallya, the chairman of United Spirits Limited. Mallya later clarified that he had complete confidence in Prasad, the "bowling coach" and the team. "There was confusion in terms of my role and how to define it," Prasad, the India bowling coach, said. "But both Rahul and Martin have supported me throughout. My job was more about making sure specific strategies were being worked out during the net sessions while they took care of the overall running of the team." Prasad said that he was upset over the media reports which suggested that he was being sacked, too. "The thought (of resigning) did cross my mind when the rumours surfaced. But I didn't want to take a decision in haste. I did chat with Rahul and the support he and the team showed in me was tremendous," Prasad said. "I was angry as the fingers were pointed towards my commitment and integrity which I'd built over a period of a time. And now suddenly I was in the middle of this. As I said, there is a lot of money at stake but for me what matters more than the monetary aspect is being committed and organised. And as far as I'm concerned, I do it to the best of my ability." Prasad, a former India swing bowler, admitted that it was "extraordinary" that the Challengers have not been able to get their act together in the tournament - the team lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by five runs on Thursday and is at the bottom of the table with just two wins from eight games. "With the players we have, we don't belong to the bottom of the table," Prasad said. "In fact, we should be in the first two for sure. It's extraordinary that we are not getting our act together as a team, even if there have been a few individual performances which doesn't help much in a team game. We need to get our act together. Our bowlers have done well and we have one of the best bowling units in the IPL with five international bowlers." The Royal Challengers will take on Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Monday.

[Temujin Khaghan]

Disaster is chasing Dravid like a mad-Dog Leave the boring test team for IPL, jaffer's injury, mallaya's pressure, media's pounding, out of form cricketers, kallis's no-show, misbah's misfortune and all that. See how Kumble is playing in the tourno. I mean, literally, the Indian Test captain is getting pasted in every match I know that Kumble represents true grit and all that. But still, this man is getting thrashed in every match that he plays in this IPL. The last match that I saw him playing against Punjab, he tried to bowl too many top spinners to both the aussie southpaws and it would be an understatment to say that they 'manhandled' him. check out his record in IPL so far matches 5 overs 18.2 mdns 0 runs 162 wickets 0 average 0 economy 8.83 SR 0 We know how he struggles against lefties when the going gets tough for him. But still not being able to pick wickets is a little stupid. The other two bowlers of his league murali and warne are doing much better. I know he hasn't played much of this 20-20. But I think he should have got atleast a wicket by now.

[Chandan]

Trouble brewing in Camp Dravid Trouble brewing in Camp Dravid G. Krishnan, Hindustan Times Mohali, May 13, 2008 First Published: 02:01 IST(13/5/2008) Last Updated: 10:46 IST(13/5/2008) A day after the Bangalore team owner Vijay Mallya publicly expressed his displeasure over his team's showing, also saying he was discouraged from selecting players of his choice by captain Rahul Dravid and the axed CEO, Charu Sharma, the Bangalore camp was trying to maintain a semblance of normality, at least on the surface. Players said they were trying to concentrate on the game ahead, most went about their usual routine; some even going shopping in and around Chandigarh. But the one question that many were asking was "Why now? — why did Mallya have to publicly condemn his captain mere hours before he led his beleaguered team into another weary battle? Meanwhile, Chief Cricket Officer Martin Crowe was thinking hard about what more needed to be done to get the team back on track. And perhaps, he even picked the brains of Australian Tom Moody, coach of the Mohali team, over lunch on how to get five wins in a row. Interestingly, new CEO Brijesh Patel has already begun analysing each player, his contract details and how to go about matters in the IPL's second year, also identifying players, national and foreign, who would be ideal for T20. One thing is certain, the team has resigned itself to the fact that it cannot progress beyond the league stage simply because it does not have the players to do it. And definitely not when five other teams — Jaipur, Chennai, Mohali, Kolkata and Delhi — are already fighting it out for the top four slots and putting in a far superior effort on the field. Dravid woke up on Monday morning to news channels flashing Mallya's outburst. Crowe had read Mallya's angry quotes on a website. And Patel, well aware of what's going on, quietly carried on with his task, keeping in mind the franchise's long-term interests. What happened to us? In a long team meeting on Sunday night, each player was asked to reflect on his performance and where he went wrong. There were doubts in the franchise management apparently, over whether Crowe, a soft-spoken man who leads from the front, was the kind of CCO the team wanted. He has a three-year contract. Crowe has also asked himself if he should have been a tougher taskmaster to have gotten better results. It was all reportedly an eye-opener for the former Kiwi skipper, who has been out of competitive cricket as such for over a decade. Crowe has spent this time more involved in the corporate business part of things back home in New Zealand. Sources say he has also accepted responsibility for the team's failure to Mallya. Bird’s eye view Crowe, meanwhile, did have a chat with the think-tank before the first player auction was to begin. But as his knowledge base related only to the internationals and not local players, that part he left to Venkatesh Prasad and Dravid. He had taken leave without pay from Sky TV, for which he is a regular commentator, for the T20 assignment. He's not sure he'll get this kind of leave next year. The question of whether he wants to come back, with the kind of results Bangalore is producing, is open to speculation. One of the reasons attributed to Bangalore’s poor showing was bad practice facilities. A KSCA official told HT that efforts were on to make it better. But there are only two matches left to be played in Bangalore. A top source said that even Prasad himself was unplayable in the nets in Bangalore. “If any player is unsure at the nets, how can he gain confidence in a match?†he asked. There is definitely no problem with team bonding, said the source, contradicting Mallya's view. He said many of the players were just naturally more reserved and that was reflected in team meetings. “But there is no clash of interests, no conflict. This I can assure you,†he said. -------------------------------------------- Actually that the question I'm asking as well. Why has Mallya decided to go public about his criticisms of team and Dravid amidst the tournament? Why would he not do it after the tournament finishes? What is the point? Does he think this public outburst of his would help his players in the remaining matches? He can't be as insane, can he?

[The Outsider]

Kumble was bowling cr@p in ODIs for the last few seasons as well, so it doesn't come as a surprise.

[Gambit]

His face was such a picture when Bangar hit him for 2 consecutive 6s :cantstop:

[theguyinallblue]

i think he is saving his arse among his friend circle... He is a well connected person..known to whos who of india...and he meets them on almost daily basis... Now just to not be the butt of jokes among his peers...he tried to project the actual reasons for his team failure.... that he had no control when team was picked..that he blindly trusted a player who is among the best test batsmen in the world...and an icon in indian cricket.... IMO..he is just saving his arse...

[Feed]

Dravid not pleased with team’s approach Perched at the top of the table, Jaipur’s outstanding run have made every other team look at them with envy. G Krishnan reports. More... Dravid not pleased with team’s approach G Krishnan, Hindustan Times Bangalore, May 19, 2008 First Published: 02:05 IST(19/5/2008) Last Updated: 02:08 IST(19/5/2008) Perched at the top of the table, Jaipur’s outstanding run — they have won all their six home matches — have made every other team look at them with envy. On a scorching Saturday afternoon, they swept aside a beleaguered Bangalore team, handing them their eighth defeat in 10 games, their fourth loss on the trot. “We did not want anyone to come here (Jaipur) and win. We wanted to defend it like a fortress,” said Warne when asked about his team's domination at home. On the other hand, still struggling to find their feet in the IPL, Rahul Dravid’s team is left to do with nothing but win their remaining four matches and restore some pride. The struggling bunch would do well to pick up a few tips from all the teams that are doing well in the tournament and win back the faith of their fans and franchise. Even as he refused to comment on the Bangalore team, Warne felt Dravid’s men would bounce back. “Rahul (Dravid) will bounce back. This IPL is new to all of us and a lot of people are still learning about tactics,” Warne said. “While things have clicked for us it didn’t for Rahul’s team. Bangalore are a lot better side than they seem,” he added. Remarks like ‘Bangalore played without meaning’ and ‘they are of no use’ by experts as well as fans after Saturday’s loss are something that should spur Bangalore to do better against Delhi on Monday. Thanks to their unforgettable run in the tournament, it has given rise to speculations that Chief Cricket Officer Martin Crowe and coach Venkatesh Prasad may not be part of the team management next year. “I have a three-year contract. UB bosses may see otherwise over the next 12 months. What is meant to be will be,” Crowe told the Hindustan Times on Sunday. “Sky TV (for which Crowe is a commentator in New Zealand and also his permanent employers) may not give me leave next year, but I am hopeful." The former Kiwi opener though admitted that he is disappointed with the results. “I'm hoping things fall in place next year and we deliver the goods.” Dravid on his part said that he was unhappy with the team’s approach on the field. “I was disappointed with the effort on the field on Saturday. We have talked about intensity on the field. We have lost matches before but had shown intensity. On Saturday, that intensity was missing,” he said. “You don’t mind losing but the way we are losing is disappointing,” the former India skipper concluded.