Stanford arrested

[guju24]

Money is never an obstacle for Allen Stanford and with the second instalment of his 20/20 tournament beginning later this month his ground in Antigua has undergone some extensive work. Facilities for players and spectators alike have been upgraded including new practice areas and new catering services for the public. The practice pitches at the south-eastern corner of the field have been removed, and an entirely new facility, complete with lights and a player's pavilion has been built to the south western end of the ground. "The original grounds were built for club cricket and only a few hundred spectators," said project executive Scott Glendinning. "But after the success of the 20/20 competition in 2006 and Sir Allen's decision to make it an annual event, we set about to build permanent facilities focussing on improving the quality of the Stanford 20/20 experience for everyone involved. "The players, the fans, the event staff and the television crew will all benefit from the upgrades worth over US$5 million, providing permanent world-class facilities for everyone." During the 2006 tournament after heavy rainfall the outfield dried quickly but there were two areas which caused some concern to Andy Roberts, the ground and pitch advisor, and Steve Watt, the landscape architect. These two areas have been modified to ensure that the outfield is completely drained as quickly as possible and play can resume. Making life easier for the players, new pavilions have been built on the boundary for each team. This allowed the renovation team to demolish old locker rooms under the main grandstand and double the public toilets to help reduce queues. Spectators on the northern grass banks will no longer have to walk all the way to the grandstand on the opposite side of the ground to find facilities. They will have their own Party Plaza, a set of trailers which provide an uninterrupted view of the action and catering facilities, a few steps down behind the grass bank. "The food and beverage trailer is of the highest standard in the industry and will transform the Party Plaza into a fun place" said Glendinning. "In addition to meeting all the sanitation requirements of top restaurants, it has a complete stainless steel finish throughout, a walk-in cooler, four draught beer taps, two soda fountains, warming ovens and will provide top of the line full food and beverage service." Just to add to the glitzy feeling a clock, worth US$50,000, has been placed on the top of the pavilion and the first batsman to hit it will pocket US$100,000. Money pours out of this event. © Cricinfo

[Sachinism]

its a shame BCCI dont use their money for something like this improve all the grounds in India

[Guest Hiten.]

its a shame BCCI dont use their money for something like this improve all the grounds in India

Many of our grounds have overhauled after Sharad Pawar took over. Ground facilities have not improved drastically but they are trying to make it better.

[Desi Cartman]

Ground facilities have not improved drastically but

Bank balances of BCCI officials have. :giggle:

[Guest Hiten.]

Stanford offers $20 million to a team for a T20 match !!!! MELBOURNE, February 25: Apparently trying to compete with the lucrative IPL, maverick Texan billionaire Allen Stanford has offered the Australian, English and Indian cricketers $ 20 million from a single Twenty20 match next year in the West Indies. He is wooing Australian and English cricketers to play against an all-star team from around the West Indies for a winner-takes-all prize of $ 20 million. "If enough players in Australia or England or India know they have a chance to come down here to the Caribbean and walk away, each one of them, with millions of dollars in their pocket, I think it will probably happen," Stanford said. "All this junk I had to go through in the beginning ... well, the project is too big now. So I think next year it is absolutely certain to happen," he was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald. The Indian Cricket Board had snubbed a similar invitation after its cricketers won the Twenty20 World Cup in September last year and has since trumped Stanford by launching the IPL. The Texan had suggested that the IPL tapped into the mercenary instincts of the modern sportsman. By contrast, he is adamant that in Stanford Twenty20, the domestic competition involving 21 Caribbean nations, cricketers will represent only their own islands. "I invited the winner (of the Twenty20 world championship) to come over here (the West Indies) and play first for $ 5 million and then I said, 'I'll give you $ 10 million'. The (Indian board) said, 'No, we don't want to do that, because it would be endorsing a privately funded programme, and look what they've done. "What I eventually want to have is what I call 'the OK Corral'. Anytime, any place, you come to our field and play one game, Twenty20, for $ 20 million. The best of our players against your team," said the man whose previous proposal of an international quadrangular Twenty20 tournament was shot down by the ICC. He is yet to hold formal talks with the boards of Australia or England about either country's availability, but expecting their cricketers making a flying visit for just a four-hour match around the time of the Ashes Down Under in June 2009. http://cricket.indiatimes.com/Standford_offers__20_million_to_a_team_for_a_T20_match/articleshow/2812086.cms

[Sachinism]

MELBOURNE, February 25: Apparently trying to compete with the lucrative IPL, maverick Texan billionaire Allen Stanford has offered the Australian, English and Indian cricketers $ 20 million from a single Twenty20 match next year in the West Indies. He is wooing Australian and English cricketers to play against an all-star team from around the West Indies for a winner-takes-all prize of $ 20 million. "If enough players in Australia or England or India know they have a chance to come down here to the Caribbean and walk away, each one of them, with millions of dollars in their pocket, I think it will probably happen," Stanford said. "All this junk I had to go through in the beginning ... well, the project is too big now. So I think next year it is absolutely certain to happen," he was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald. The Indian Cricket Board had snubbed a similar invitation after its cricketers won the Twenty20 World Cup in September last year and has since trumped Stanford by launching the IPL. The Texan had suggested that the IPL tapped into the mercenary instincts of the modern sportsman. By contrast, he is adamant that in Stanford Twenty20, the domestic competition involving 21 Caribbean nations, cricketers will represent only their own islands. "I invited the winner (of the Twenty20 world championship) to come over here (the West Indies) and play first for $ 5 million and then I said, 'I'll give you $ 10 million'. The (Indian board) said, 'No, we don't want to do that, because it would be endorsing a privately funded programme, and look what they've done. "What I eventually want to have is what I call 'the OK Corral'. Anytime, any place, you come to our field and play one game, Twenty20, for $ 20 million. The best of our players against your team," said the man whose previous proposal of an international quadrangular Twenty20 tournament was shot down by the ICC. He is yet to hold formal talks with the boards of Australia or England about either country's availability, but expecting their cricketers making a flying visit for just a four-hour match around the time of the Ashes Down Under in June 2009. http://cricket.indiatimes.com/Standford_offers__20_million_to_a_team_for_a_T20_match/articleshow/2812086.cms

i was looking forward to India mauling T&T

[mister]

Haha,thats a sick deal man...T&T gna get merked!!!

[King]

BCCI did not want the team/players to get $20 million but they wanted $200 million for themselves.

[Don]

Stanford announces 150 Million Dollar Twenty20 Bonanza How the **** is that financially sustainable? Each match is worth 30 Million Dollars. Leave profit aside, How the **** can u recuperate that in 3 hours of television time, in which surely there is only half an hour of ad time even if it stretched to the max. As For Tv rights revenue is concerned I cant forsee anyone paying more then 2 million dollars for single match. Sponsorship for shirt is impossible for England since they are already sponsored, its possible for the Stanford superstars but I highly doubt any company will pay more then Half a million for 3 hours of exposure and advertizement. Gate revenue is minimal as well as its only for a match and even its packed to brim and average ticket price is 50 dollars and capacity is 40000. Thats still, even after stretching it only 2 million dollars. That all adds up to about 6, 7 million dollars even if you double it. You are faced with 50 % loss. With all due respect to West Indies and England, In terms on sheer star quality we are only looking at Pietersen, Flintoff and maybe Bravo as genuine Twenty20 Superstars. Where is the quality of cricket coming from for the amount that its worth 30 million dollars. Wtf is stanford smoking?

[Temujin Khaghan]

imagine the situation in the dressing room if a eng/wi player drops a catch of the other team player and that player goes on to win the match for his team. i think everyone will kick Mr.butter fingers for missing the catch and costing them 20million dollars. There is going to be a lot of blame game that is going to be played in the losing side's dressing room. that will effect the unity in the team. if england lose their first match, then you can expect mass migrations into IPL where their(player's) million dollars is guaranteed as player's price rather than asm winners price money.

[flamy]

basically someone's gonna get PWNED again :isalute:

[Guest Hiten.]

I too don't understand the exact motive behind this deal. I think Stanford wants to globalize the brand 'Stanford 20/20' against IPL.

[Temujin Khaghan]

I too don't understand the exact motive behind this deal. I think Stanford wants to globalize the brand 'Stanford 20/20' against IPL.

more than millions of bucks he will need a billion fans... modi is secretly smiling within himself at the moment. he knows indian cricket fans will not let him down.

[retterimp]

the english would even start playing zimbabwe if a zimbabwean offered millions of dollars. such is their aukat. they just cant take the fact that india ran away with the 2020 concept. HAHA. bloody pigs with superiority complex.

[Rohip]

He cant even match ICL popularity, forget IPL

[theguyinallblue]

the english would even start playing zimbabwe if a zimbabwean offered millions of dollars. such is their aukat. they just cant take the fact that india ran away with the 2020 concept. HAHA. bloody pigs with superiority complex.

:hysterical::hysterical:... Its Time to invite The English for a 20-20 series... and the winner team's National Flag will get hoisted at the cricket Head Quarter of the losing side.. will be fun to see Indian Tri-Colour at Lords...

[Lurker]

Wtf is stanford smoking?

He is not smoking anything. The man is a businessman and he has clearly mentioned he is in to make money and not doing this for the love of the game. So I will give him the benefit of doubt and see where this goes. Regardless the Pandora's box has been opened and cricket as we know it is well and truly f**d. Domestic cricket world over would start getting hit one way or the other and players who have almost always accused of "busy schedule" and hence gotten away with not playing domestic cricket will make a beeline to make mullah.

[Don]

Sorry Lurker hes smoking some of the carribean's finest. No way in world can you recoup 100 million dollars for 5 matches in 5 years. It makes zero, zilch, nada business sense.

[DomainK]

Stanford hasa lot of morny. He just wants to make it big without thinking about money right now. He probably assumes that he will find of the old popularity of the game in west Indies and hence there will be money in long run.

[The Outsider]

Got to agree with Don. There might be some genius way in which Stanford is earning a profit, but from what meets the eye it doesn't seem to be the case.