IPL eyes global network of leagues

[Sachinism]

The Indian Premier League, which will wrap up its inaugural season on June 1, is just the first step of a "grand vision" that will eventually lead to the birth of a network of similar franchise-based models across the major cricket-playing nations culminating in the annual Champions League that will rival its football counterpart in terms of quality, money and glamour, a top IPL official has said. England is working on developing their Twenty20 model; South Africa is convinced by the success of IPL and is already reviewing their current franchise format; Cricket Australia may launch their IPL version as soon as next year; and even Pakistan is thinking seriously about starting their edition of IPL. "This is the grand vision," IS Bindra, an influential member of the IPL governing council, told Cricinfo. "The vision is to move cricket to the next level, and get each league in each country to resemble the English Premier League with an exciting mix of international and national players. And then you have the grand Champions League, like the UEFA model which has taken football to such heights." The immediate task is to start the Champions League as planned from this year. Officials of the BCCI-backed IPL are understood to be meeting a team from Cricket Australia in Mumbai on May 30 to explore whether the event, involving the top two domestic Twenty20 teams from five countries, can be held in England between September 28, when the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan ends, and October 9, when the India's home Test series against Australia starts. "The problem is the four-day practice match on October 2-5. We will try to work out a solution with Cricket Australia because the IPL franchises who will be part of the Champions League will want to have their best players available," Bindra said. Bindra, who recently returned from a trip to Melbourne where he briefed the directors of Cricket Australia on the mechanics of organising a franchise-based league there, said one of his focus areas after taking over as the principal advisor to ICC in July would be to "ensure that cricket moves to the next level in world sport" in this direction. The concept, Bindra said, is backed by senior officials of the major cricket boards. Giles Clarke, chairman of the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), "has expressed interest in the model" after being briefed by Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, last month; James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, has confirmed interest in staging an IPL-style competition the following season; and Nasim Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), is "very keen to launch a similar tournament there" after having deputed two representatives to participate in the planning stages of the IPL last year and "learn from the process". In fact, Cricket Australia had invited Bindra last month to brief its board of directors on the concept at a resort near Melbourne on May 7-12. "There was a formal brainstorming session and an informal briefing, and the concept generated a lot of interest among the audience which included former cricketers like Allan Border and Mark Taylor. What I had suggested was a franchise model similar to IPL. But there might have to be some local adjustments. "For instance, when we discussed the IPL within the BCCI, the question was whether the teams should be owned by the local state associations or private franchises. Some of us strongly suggested the franchise model because only then can you acquire top players for the teams and make the competition truly global. But the BCCI is a non-profit body and has to look after the state associations, too. So a compromise was arrived at, and we have IPL teams owned by franchises and run in collaboration with state associations. But Australia would have lesser problems since they have a corporate model of governance and have much fewer associations -- six, I believe, compared to 30 in India," Bindra said.

[gult]

It's very exciting to say the least

[Dhondy]

The Indian Premier League, which will wrap up its inaugural season on June 1, is just the first step of a "grand vision" that will eventually lead to the birth of a network of similar franchise-based models across the major cricket-playing nations culminating in the annual Champions League that will rival its football counterpart in terms of quality, money and glamour, a top IPL official has said.

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[The Outsider]

Yeah, keep on making one death wound after another into the soul of cricket - let it bleed and when the bleeding is done hang out the carcasses for the vultures to feed on.

[Dhondy]

So the moronic babus who now run Indian cricket dream of rivalling Champions league, do they? After one season, already with fading interest, a game played by 10 countries, now down to 9, and a tournament that's followed by the diaspora from just one nation? Boy oh boy, this must be the zenith of self delusion.

[The Outsider]

Dhondy, this is a format where Australia lost to Zimbabwe AND Bangladesh in the same tournament. This is a format where Shane Watsons and Yusuf Pathans rule supreme and are given adulation by our junta, who happen to number 1 billion in a booming economy where the middle class has more and more to spend each day on things it does not understand and appreciate. I won't be betting against the success of this nonsensical bonanza as it marches on from one season to the other leaving in it's wake dead bodies of the Dravids and Kallises.

[Dhondy]

Dhondy' date=' this is a format where Australia lost to Zimbabwe AND Bangladesh in the same tournament. This is a format where Shane Watsons and Yusuf Pathans rule supreme and are given adulation by our junta, who happen to number 1 billion in a booming economy where the middle class has more and more to spend each day on things it does not understand and appreciate. I won't be betting against the success of this nonsensical bonanza as it marches on from one season to the other leaving in it's wake dead bodies of the Dravids and Kallises.[/quote'] Shwetabh, I see it a bit like horny men heading for the whorehouse. After the thrill of the first few blowjobs are over, you start getting fond flashbacks of dear little wife waiting with a cuppa tea at home, the forget-me-nots blooming in the back garden, the basketball hoop in the front yard waiting for the pitter-patter of feet on a Saturday morning. Some idiots will of course walk away from traditional values and all that's familiar. Most won't.

[The Outsider]

Extending your analogy further what's troubling is that many a times there is no home or wife to come back to by the time people realize their follies. Already, we have seen hardly any criticism of the two test tour of England to India. There were quite a few noises which were clamouring for a 4 test series as recently as our tour to England last year. Now everyone is busy writing eulogies about how IPL has discovered "talent". Already 5 test series involving India are unheard of and now we are down to playing 2 against a top flight test nation. The whorehouse might become home by the time the effects of it's bastardization become visible to people.

[Dhondy]

Then let's not shed any tears for such deluded fans, Shwetabh. In the worst case scenario, Test cricket becomes a niche sport, followed by a dwindling few all over the world. Jolly good. I can start claiming to be an elitist again, the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Kallis can remain fit and raring for the real stuff, maybe Salil will one day buy Wisden off Cricinfo with his millions begotten from wine-reviewing, and we can all sit round the fire five years from now, and work out ways to fill the pages of the fabled mag with stuff that excites us, all the while as the plebeians party on the streets and discuss Dhoni and Yuvraj's next girlfriend or Ferrari, who gives a jot?

[The Outsider]

Touche!:two_thumbs_up:

[observer1]

Then let's not shed any tears for such deluded fans, Shwetabh. In the worst case scenario, Test cricket becomes a niche sport, followed by a dwindling few all over the world. Jolly good. I can start claiming to be an elitist again, the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Kallis can remain fit and raring for the real stuff, maybe Salil will one day buy Wisden off Cricinfo with his millions begotten from wine-reviewing, and we can all sit round the fire five years from now, and work out ways to fill the pages of the fabled mag with stuff that excites us, all the while as the plebeians party on the streets and discuss Dhoni and Yuvraj's next girlfriend or Ferrari, who gives a jot?

The highlighted parts stink of an unexpected bourgeoisie trait in you Doc. What is wrong with a bit of opium for us poor (m)asses with a limited intellect ?

[Sachinism]

They need to find a way to allow other cricket boards to get some money from the IPL. Because if 5 test nations are starting their own 4-6 week T20 leagues, we are royally screwed Its become extremelly obvious that none of the cricket boards actually care about cricket, its all about money now

[Dhondy]

The highlighted parts stink of an unexpected bourgeoisie trait in you Doc. What is wrong with a bit of opium for us poor (m)asses with a limited intellect ?

Absolutely none. To each, his own, I say. Neither can you abrogate my God-given right to look down my aristocratic toff nose at the riff raff glued to Setanta when they should be contributing to the economy (errm, Comrade Zhang, just check the proletariat is in session). No. That right (to adhere to the TV, that is) is solely reserved for the likes of traditionalists like us on our day off, with our mellifluous flatulence-making, ordinarily sat in a Lords pavilion a couple of rows behind John Major, sipping a glass of the choicest Le Avignon (don't, please don't, Thal, I just made that up), watching the rain fall on another day of an English Test summer. Couldn't you lot just save yourselves for Euro'08? It will be a heckuva lot more fun than this romp on the streets that passes for cricket these days.

[Bumper]

Shwetabh, I see it a bit like horny men heading for the whorehouse. After the thrill of the first few blowjobs are over, you start getting fond flashbacks of dear little wife waiting with a cuppa tea at home, the forget-me-nots blooming in the back garden, the basketball hoop in the front yard waiting for the pitter-patter of feet on a Saturday morning. Some idiots will of course walk away from traditional values and all that's familiar. Most won't.

:haha::haha: Wanna bet that the horny men in this case, will merely change whores & not think of their wives ? As it is, I dont see how T20 can make way. Given the money involved, it will get the backing of the players, administrators, ICC, TV owners and the fans. The only folks to whine about it will be the media and some old fashioned fans, like you. There isnt enough of a lobby to pull off a coup against this T20. We are stuck with it for eternity, until a 5-5 takes off:haha: Look at this very board. Did you see any quality posts that discuss cricket, in the IPL forum ? I only see smilies, chit chat, mutual mocking, eulogies & effigies in the IPL forum. Yet, fans are content with just that. T20 is more popular than we think. Methinks, ICC will eventually cut down the low income generating triangulars, Bangla tours to make way for this buffonery. Money will rule!

[The Outsider]

Methinks, ICC will eventually cut down the low income generating triangulars, Bangla tours to make way for this buffonery. Money will rule!

Triangulars involving a mincemeat third team are buffoonery in their own rights. Doesn't really matter which one of the two buffoonery is promoted in the end!

[The Outsider]

Look at this very board. Did you see any quality posts that discuss cricket, in the IPL forum ? I only see smilies, chit chat, mutual mocking, eulogies & effigies in the IPL forum. Yet, fans are content with just that. T20 is more popular than we think.

It's not a fault of the users, posters, and writers - the very format is just so hackneyed that no matter how many thrills and frills one tries to bring to it from words there is nothing lasting about it. In how many ways can you describe bowlers getting slaughtered and batsmen slaughtering them while half clad women gyrate their hips in front of tens of thousands of delirious spectators? Whereas just one tight session of a test match can see so many ebbs and flows of varying shades that everyone can chime in with his own opinion about the intricacies involved.