IPL team: Kolkata Knight Riders

[veer]

Calcutta Facilities Fiasco.. Double blot on Bengal Light shed on match fiasco Calcutta, April 21: The knives are out after the Eden fiasco and a three-member government committee will carry out a probe. But an investigation by The Telegraph has revealed that the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) did not go through even the basic ground drill before throwing open Eden Gardens for the biggest spectacle Calcutta has hosted in recent times. Checklist A checklist has been followed for every match at the Eden since 1978. It contains nearly 700 items. Before every match, a random check is carried out to ensure that all the items are in place. Former president B.N. Dutt introduced this practice, which was given the go-by when the current regime took over. No dry run was conducted this time. Neither was any contingency plan in place. Lights The Kolkata Knight Riders practised under floodlights for a couple of days. The lights were also tested for at least a week before Sunday’s match. But not for one day were the lights in the entire stadium — the Club House, galleries and media boxes — tested. Neither were the several air-conditioners that were in operation yesterday switched on earlier. The power for the sound system was also not taken into account. Officials dealing with electricity said that when all outlets were switched on simultaneously, there was too much load and some cables could have tripped. Such was the eagerness to blame one another that the exact cause of the partial failure of the floodlights — which stopped play for 31 minutes last night — could not be pinpointed till Monday night. A PWD report — which said today the department had no role in it though minister Kshiti Goswami had yesterday “apologisedâ€â€” suggested a feeder (cable) tripped and the CESC recommissioned it it. But the power supply company challenged the version. “This is totally wrong. There are two high-tension feeders that supply electricity from the CESC network to the lighting towers. While one is functional, the other is kept as stand-by. Last evening, neither of the feeders showed any abnormality during the period and we supplied power in an uninterrupted manner to Eden Gardens during the entire playing period,†said Dilip Sen, the CESC executive director (commercial and main). The PWD report, submitted by superintending engineer Subhasis Biswas, said the floodlight work at the Eden had been executed by the CAB at its own expense in 1993 and that the organisation had been carrying out the maintenance work since then. “It will be wrong to hold the PWD responsible as the CAB has been maintaining the tower lights for the past 15 years. We had no role in yesterday’s incident,†said Goswami. Scoreboard The dry run used to begin at least 15 days in advance. Engineers from a firm in Chennai would visit the city to ensure its smooth operation. This time, the company was not asked to send the engineers. CAB president Prasun Mukherjee has said he was told only on the eve of the match that the scoreboard would not function on Sunday. But an official said: “The CAB wasn’t clear about its role. It was agreed that the CAB would provide the ground and stadium for the match. That means maintenance of the scoreboard falls under the CAB’s purview.†Water Every tap at the Eden used to be kept open for 12 hours before a match to test the flow. “It is a waste but what to do? The exercise ensures that we are ready to meet the requirements of a packed stadium,†an official said. The unusual test run was made mandatory after the 1996 World Cup semi-final when there was a shortage of drinking water. But the test was not carried out this time. PWD minister Goswami offered an explanation for the water shortage during the match. “A group of teenagers couldn’t bear the heat and wanted to have a bath. So, they yanked off the plastic pipes and sprayed water on themselves to get some respite. That led to wastage of water in some places, eventually causing water shortage in wash basins,†Goswami said. Settling scores State sports minister Subhas Chakraborty has put the entire blame on the CAB, saying an inquiry committee would be formed tomorrow to find out the cause of the floodlight fiasco. The committee, which will have representatives from police, the PWD and the sports department, has been told to submit its report on April 29 — the day of the next IPL match at the Eden. Chakraborty, who had once threatened to contest against current CAB president and former police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee but could not because of CPM intervention, twisted the knife with glee. “It is a shame on the CAB and people at the helm of its affairs that such an incident occurred at the Eden Gardens. “Yesterday’s power failure and the water problem have exposed the inexperience of those who are running the affairs in CAB. Calcutta hasn’t seen what happened yesterday in the past 50 years,†the sports minister said at Writers’. “Four times, our government had sought details on the water supply condition and the lighting system. That should be at least 20 days ago. But CAB authorities did not contact us,†Chakraborty added. Contacted by The Telegraph tonight, Prasun Mukherjee said: “Power supply and maintenance of cables are not the responsibility of the CAB. If the minister means maintenance of the four floodlit towers, I should say that we do that responsibly round the year — applying a fresh coat of paint, changing bulbs, etc. “Why should I resign? We’ve conducted a very good match. A full house witnessed it…. Just because there was no power for only 20-odd minutes doesn’t mean it was poorly conducted. Some are only looking at the negatives.†Moving with unusual alacrity, Calcutta police also wrote to its former boss, Mukherjee, seeking an explanation from the CAB on what steps were being taken in the future. “The concern is of security and such an incident in the future could pose law and order problems. So we would like to know why there was such a debacle. We can offer help, but our area of intervention should be specified,†said Vineet Goyal, DC (headquarters). http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080422/jsp/frontpage/story_9170884.jsp

[Desi Cartman]

The real highlights

PWD minister Goswami offered an explanation for the water shortage during the match. “A group of teenagers couldn’t bear the heat and wanted to have a bath. So, they yanked off the plastic pipes and sprayed water on themselves to get some respite. That led to wastage of water in some places, eventually causing water shortage in wash basins,” Goswami said.

“Why should I resign? We’ve conducted a very good match. A full house witnessed it…. Just because there was no power for only 20-odd minutes doesn’t mean it was poorly conducted. Some are only looking at the negatives.”

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Brendon McCullum: Star leant on to stay New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will be faced with another availability conundrum with the Indian Premier League keen to leverage the superstar status of Brendon McCullum.The blazing batsman lent instant credibility to the money-soaked... More... Cricket: Star leant on to stay 5:00AM Sunday April 27, 2008 New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will be faced with another availability conundrum with the Indian Premier League keen to leverage the superstar status of Brendon McCullum. The blazing batsman lent instant credibility to the money-soaked tournament by smashing 158 not out in the opening match for his Kolkata Knight Riders on April 18. The Herald on Sunday understands that phone calls have taken place between tournament co-founder Lalat Modi and NZC with view to keeping McCullum on for another two or three games. NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said the IPL was keen to maximise McCullum's talents but the May 1 arrival date in England had been agreed upon "and I think everybody was comfortable with that". However with Kolkata now odds-on to make the semi-finals after winning their first two matches - they played Stephen Fleming and Jacob Oram's Chennai Super Kings again late last night - an interesting scenario could take place. The semi-finals and finals are scheduled to take place in Mumbai from May 30 to June 1. New Zealand have a scheduled extended break between the second and third tests from May 27 to June 5, with only a low-key three-day match against Northamptonshire scheduled in between. That would give McCullum, whom the Knight Riders would be desperate to see back, time to fly to India and back again to join the squad in Nottingham before the final test. It would again be an unpopular move with cricket purists but one Vaughan did not dismiss out of hand. "I'd leave it up to John [bracewell] but it seems pretty unlikely," he said. "If it was between the tests and the one-day series perhaps, but I'd say it's pretty unlikely in this scenario," he said. McCullum is now a bona fide star in the subcontinent. After his opening match heroics he was apparently taken aside by captain Sourav Ganguly and warned that his life would never be the same again. New Zealand, shorn of the five IPL players, arrived in England on Friday to a lukewarm response. Cricinfo wrote: "Since time immemorial, the success of a touring side has had a direct correlation with the cohesiveness of the players... but on the face of it, this situation is as divisive as they come."

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Brad Hodge joins IPL for Knight Riders Lancashire's overseas batsman Brad Hodge has signed a five-week deal with Indian Premier League franchise the Kolkata Knight Riders. More... Lancashire's Brad Hodge joins IPL By Graham Hardcastle Last Updated: 11:12pm BST 26/04/2008 Lancashire were yesterday dealt a major blow with news that their overseas batsman Brad Hodge has signed a five-week deal with Indian Premier League franchise the Kolkata Knight Riders. The 33-year-old Australian will miss three County Championship games and at least seven Friends Provident Trophy clashes, including today's meeting with Scotland in Edinburgh. He replaces the Australia captain, Ricky Ponting, who will return home to prepare for the forthcoming tour of the West Indies. Hodge said: "I'm still in shock at the opportunity that has been presented. Having seen the impact the IPL has had, it will be a very important process for me." Hodge, who took two wickets in yesterday's Championship draw against Somerset, said he felt "uneasy" with the decision, due to its timing. But, on that basis, the deal must be too good to refuse. Lancashire cricket manager Mike Watkinson, who has no immediate plans to replace Hodge, said: "Obviously I feel a little bit cheated."

[flamy]

^^ one sucker for another :two_thumbs_up:

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We will win the trophy, says SRK "We Kolkata IPL team are positive. We know that we will win some matches and lose some. But ultimately the IPL trophy will be ours," says Shah Rukh. More... We will win the trophy, says Shah Rukh Indo-Asian News Service Kolkata, April 30, 2008 First Published: 16:58 IST(30/4/2008) Last Updated: 17:18 IST(30/4/2008) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, owner of Kolkata IPL team, says he is confident that his team will win the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 trophy. A day after Kolkata IPL team faced their second consecutive defeat losing to Mumbai IPL team on their home ground Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday, Shah Rukh on Wednesday reposed his trust in the team. "We Kolkata IPL team are positive. We know that we will win some matches and lose some. But ultimately the IPL trophy will be ours," Shah Rukh said before leaving the city. After starting their campaign on a high note winning their first two matches - against Bangalore IPL team and Deccan IPL team, the Sourav Ganguly-led Kolkata IPL team lost to Punjab IPL team and then a resurgent Mumbai IPL team on Tuesday night. Is the team not at all affected by the defeats? "The seniors like Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting know that to achieve success you have to understand and accept failure. But the youngsters in the team were feeling a bit low. So I decided to stay back with them here a little longer. We even arranged for a private get-together and danced till 4 am," said Shah Rukh. And how does he personally see this defeat at the home ground? "Kolkatans know that Kolkata IPL team will never let them down. As for me, I have been successful for the last 20 years because I know how to ride over failure. Kabhi kabhi jeetne ke liye haarna bhi parta hai aur haarkar jeetne wale ko baazigar kehte hai. And we are beyond baazigars, we are the Kolkata IPL team," Shah Rukh said recollecting his famous dialogue from the film "Baazigar". Is the team suffering from captain Sourav Ganguly's off-form? "You can't question ace players like Sourav Ganguly. He is aware of his form more than even coach John Buchanan and will sort out things himself. Will Kolkata see Shahrukh in all the Kolkata IPL team matches? "I don't know about other cities. But I have worked out my calendar in a way that I don't miss a single match in Kolkata. This city is our hub, it's like being home."

[straighttalk]

Minnows of IPL-Kolkata It's a 7 team competition right now.KKR is seriously a very very weak batting team.If they bat first they can be bundled out for 160 or less.And if the opposition bats first even if they score 170-190,they will always win. Looking at the playing eleven,their batting looks threadbare..no good players and the only star is awfully out of form and not suited for 20-20.. Ganguly Salman Butt D Das B HOdge D hussey L shukla W saha M karthik agarkar/dinda gul ishant sharma only the bengal ranji players das saha shukla and dinda are playing well....which is a big statement as almost all other teams are spearheaded by international players. unless and until ganguly conjures up something special in terms of his own batting,KKR will lose almost all matches.No good international player barring gul who is a bowler.hussey and hodge are domestic players suited for 20-20. really a very weak team.we should feel sorry for them rather than laugh at them.i call upon all fellow ICF members ..not to laugh at this team but open a sorry thread after their next loss.

[prince40]

no team as such has 4 or 5 batting stars so relax mate, its a decent batting lineup for 20-20- and didnt u miss ponting in that line up

[straighttalk]

no team as such has 4 or 5 batting stars so relax mate' date=' its a decent batting lineup for 20-20- and didnt u miss ponting in that line up[/quote'] poonting is gone man..for national duties. if you look at all the other teams..barring mumbai almost all have good batsmen in good form which is important.kolkata has its ranji players in good form.this is good but you need stars or blasters to get it going and the fringe players can provide u good support.i hope i'm proved wrong though.

[jf1gp_1]

if kolkata team is minnow then define b'lore and mumbai team

[umpire]

Kolkatta have a prolbme Gayle is injured and their foreign cupboard looks barren. Give me a break they have Salman Butt They need good hitter, can they get replacement for Gayle?

[straighttalk]

Kolkatta have a prolbme Gayle is injured and their foreign cupboard looks barren. Give me a break they have Salman Butt They need good hitter, can they get replacement for Gayle?

no they can't

[straighttalk]

if kolkata team is minnow then define b'lore and mumbai team

kolkata is a minnow in terms of player profile...brc is actually a very good team if they play misbah..they are missing a trick...dravid and kallis are pulling the team down...only one of them should play. mumbai has sachin uthappa jaisurya bravo pollock..compare that with sourav salman butt hafeez brad hodge hussey....u will get my point brc has dravid kallis misbah taylor praveen kumar boucher...better than kolkata

[Zakhmi]

if kolkata team is minnow then define b'lore and mumbai team

For all the teams mentioned in the ^ statement, onething is common about profiled players...in IPL, they are... Naam Bade aur Pradarshan ( ak ) chhote... The experienced players have not performed upto their name, fame and game!

[mhr123]

Shoaib for KKR Now KKR can have the best bowling attach if Shoaib joins them (hope he doesn't get injured after bowling 1 over) I sharma , Shoaib , Gul can be an awesome attack. Shoaib cleared to play in IPL

Cricinfo staff May 4, 2008 Shoaib Akhtar has been cleared to play in the IPL after the Appellate Tribunal decided to suspend his five-year ban for one month till reconvening on June 4. The PCB in turn, has informed Lalit Modi, the chairman and commissioner of the IPL, of the tribunal's decision. Modi confirmed that Shoaib will be free to play in the IPL. "We look forward to Shoaib playing for us," Modi told CNN-IBN. "I am going to call him immediately and invite him to come to Kolkata tonight or tomorrow morning." The tribunal's decision to grant Shoaib a temporary reprieve comes after his lawyers pressed for the suspension of his ban so that he could feature in the IPL, where he will represent the Kolkata Knight Riders (who signed him for US$425,000).

[Dirty_South]

wow ! Drama Queen to play for KKR atlast !!! Now SRK's dream to have a Threesome(SRK,Karan,Shoape) will come true :D

[swami1984]

Now KKR can have the best bowling attach if Shoaib joins them (hope he doesn't get injured after bowling 1 over) I sharma , Shoaib , Gul can be an awesome attack. Shoaib cleared to play in IPL

I don't think they'll play Gul and Shoaib at the same time. Regardless, I think that Gul can be much better T20 bowler than Shoaib (I havent seen Shoaib in T20's but Gul was amazing in T20 World Cup, and from what I've seen for KKR)

[DomainK]

I think SRK used his influences in getting Akhtar on board. The loses made him worried.

[mhr123]

Yaar KKR is not lacking in bowling department... its there batting which has to click.

[mhr123]

I think SRK used his influences in getting Akhtar on board. The loses made him worried.

who knows may be BCCI would have used its influence on PCB, they want to create more hype in IPL.. IPL is BCCI's baby to they have to take care of it.