Club vs Country conflict : who is to blame for this?

[Karan114]

Well' date=' GG was probably forced by KKR/BCCI to play. He was the highest paid player...no way KKR would let go of him.[/quote'] Exactly, and its the same case for all the franchisees - they've paid hundred of millions of dollars to buy IPL teams, they are going to make sure their prized assets, the senior Indian players, play all through the IPL come hell or high water. This is the path BCCI and Indian cricket chose three years ago, so not much we can do now. Don't blame the senior players who have actually made India a successful Test and ODI team.

[ganeshran]

The World cup is the pinnacle of ODI cricket. There is not any other more prestigious tournament in the world winning which would give more joy to a country. Even after playing a huge role in making sure India won the tournament, people are still questioning his commitment for the national cricket. If anything, his IPL performance suffered because of his national commitments.

[Sir_Afridi]

The World cup is the pinnacle of ODI cricket. There is not any other more prestigious tournament in the world winning which would give more joy to a country. .

20/20 World Cup victory gives as much joy to fans.

[Cricket Tragic]

20/20 World Cup victory gives as much joy to fans.

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[ganeshran]

20/20 World Cup victory gives as much joy to fans.

T20 only gives joy to those fans who have one lesser world cup :giggle::giggle:

[Sachin=GOD]

20/20 World Cup victory gives as much joy to fans.

Obviously it would give joy to Sir_Afridi as this is the only format where he and most of the Pakistani players can perform well - for other countries this format is nothing as compared to ODIs or Tests.

[Stuge]

Two words again : FU IPL

[ViruRulez]

Indian Media is crap as hell and nothing surprising and Times Now is one of the leaders in foxing the nation and passing off crap TRP seeking controversies as "real news" :D

[King Tendulkar]

Two words again : FU IPL

Agree

[Karan114]

Gambhir: Ridiculous to say I chose club over India Ridiculous to say I chose club over India Dinesh Chopra New Delhi, May 26, 2011 After the well fought out elimination match against the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir emerged a satisfied but broken man. His shoulder, a problem since the World Cup final against Sri Lanka, acted up again that evening and now the stand-in captain’s chances of leading India in West Indies is under serious doubt. The following interview contains some of the answers to the questions that have been doing the rounds since Thursday. There is speculation as to when did the injury occur. Your take... I felt some discomfort during the Word Cup final, while running between the wickets. It didn’t seem major as it wasn’t very painful at that time. Any professional cricketer, playing all three formats, will tell you that these niggles are part of his system. But would you say that it could have aggravated during the IPL? Maybe. There was an instance during Sunday's clash against the Mumbai Indians when I threw the ball from deep point and felt pain in my right shoulder. Even then it didn't feel it was major. I thought it would be fine with a bit of icing or at the most I'll get a scan done in Mumbai. So, you didn't carry any injury into the IPL? Absolutely not. Any modern cricketer understands that by feigning or risking an injury he is only jeopardising his career. For example, if I continue to play with an injury, I know I will abort my career. It is imaginative to say that I was covering my injury to play in the IPL. There were also suggestions that because of my dodgy shoulder I even fielded inside the 30-yard circle. Anybody who understands cricket would know that a captain has to constantly speak to his bowlers and needs to be around. After coming to Mumbai, you had scans done. Yeah, I had a MRI in Mumbai and physio Andrew Leipus got the report. We didn't discuss it as I was preparing for Wednesday's game, which was a knockout. It will be misleading to blame the BCCI, Andrew or the KKR management for this. I don't think anybody intended to cover up things here. In any competitive sport, you will be found out if you have a major physical challenge. Don’t you think that the message that comes out is you played for your franchise despite the injury? I played with discomfort without realising the gravity of my injury. As a leader, my team needed me but to say I preferred club over country is ridiculous. I know how hard I have worked for my India cap and what it means to me. Not many people know that in 2008, I played the Ranji Trophy final against Uttar Pradesh with a swollen left hand. It was so bad that I could barely hold the bat but by God’s grace I got a hundred and we won. Earlier this year, I played the last Test of the series against South Africa in Cape Town with an injured left hand. The swelling was so bad that I could barely wear a glove. I am proud of the 93 and 64 that I got on one of the most difficult pitches. It is embarrassing to publicise my commitment, but I have no choice. Even the stroke that you got out to against MI isn't quite you (Gambhir tried to slog-sweep Harbhajan but missed the line)? It had nothing to do with my shoulder. I wanted to get on with things as we had lost Jacques Kallis and I thought I was the best person to take on the spinners. It is absurd to connect the choice of stroke to my injury. How big a setback could missing out on a tour be, where you'd lead your country? Oh it’s a big setback, something that can never be compensated with. I am so keen to lead the side that even during the breaks between IPL matches I'd discuss with (KKR and India teammate) Yusuf Pathan our strategy for conditions in the West Indies. Now let us see how it goes. I hear there would be a fitness test and only post that things will be decided. Do you think the controversy puts to shade the good deeds by KKR? This controversy was about an individual - Gautam Gambhir, whereas the good deeds are about a team — the Kolkata Knight Riders. I don't think an individual, whether it is me or anybody else, can tower over a team performance. KKR finishing in the top-4 is a step forward and I am proud of the team and support staff. (Dinesh Chopra works for ESPN SportsCenter) http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ridiculous-to-say-I-chose-club-over-India/Article1-702397.aspx

[CSK Fan]

I am as big a Hater of Indian media as anyone else. I would put a bounty on Goaswami if it was possible. BUT I think there are some pertinent question that this issue brings to the fore. 1) Gambhir sustained the injury in WC and was carrying a serious shouler injury knowing that it can get aggravated and he can lose India matches. 2)Gambhir has been in first class cricket for about 10 years or more. If he says he cannot pick up the ball and throw or had difficulties in the previous matches, then the question is does he need the physio's report. It seems like a cop out. He is simply passing the buck. An international cricketer knows his physical status and knows the risks he is playing with. And if a physion has to be consulted it has to be the India one, not KKR one. Obviously his interest is in getting you fit. Ofcourse as I said I dont buy this paplu excuse. Gambhir knew exactly the chances he was taking. 3)It is IPL over India. I am not sure what people are arguing about. If players are playing IPL through injuries, knowing fully well that they can miss India matches, is there any other way to read it. Money can blur the lines for the most patriotic of players. I can remember some wrist sliiters defending their right to play. Well media is definitely right in question their priorities. This issue will be taken up seriously once India lose ODIs in WI and get hammered in England. With the way things are going, I fancy snobbish English side to be No.1 team in test in next year or so, rest assured

I have a point to make. Isnt IPL all about India? Hasnt it brought fans by the thousands to the game? Hasnt it helped to give BCCI and indian cricket power and money over other countries? Today Australians defer to us and IPL is a contributor. So what makes you say that IPL is only club cricket? Its goes much beyond that. IPL is contributing to Indian cricket much more than 100 series to WI or NZ will ever do So does only wearing a white dress and having the name 'India' on the scoreboard mean that you are respresenting India? Only to the retarted. IPL is one of the biggest thing to happen to Indian cricket and is the way the future is Trust me, I hate IPL and I love test cricket to bits. But I can see which way the wind is blowing. in the context of cricket overall and BCCI, a WI tour is simply an excercise in magnamity while IPL is truly more Indian than the former. To state that a player picking or being forced to pick IPL over a WI tour, just because the later carries the tag of 'representing your country' is being selfish is actually ignoring the ground realties. An international player contributes 100 times more to Indian fans and Indian cricket by playing an IPL match than by playing an inconsequential series against WI or NZ. Thats one of the reason why players of the stature of Sachin and Warne take part in IPL. Its not just about the money, its a paradigm shift taking place in this game, which the smart veterans are quick to realise. The 'club over country' phrase is a cliche' which is not based on reality, particularly since, the country benifits more when the player choses to play for his club than for some series with a third tier team

[urbestfriend]

I never put club before country - Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir has rubbished claims he covered up a shoulder injury to play in the IPL, saying he did play with discomfort in his right shoulder but was never aware of the extent of the problem. Gambhir said he had felt the discomfort during the World Cup final but as it wasn't too painful he didn't think it was a major injury, and hence played the IPL, in which he captained Kolkata Knight Riders. Gambhir could now miss India's tour of the West Indies, where he was to captain the side during the limited-overs leg, but insists he never put his franchise before playing for India and would not have risked worsening his injury had he known its nature. "Any modern cricketer knows that by feigning or risking injury he is only jeopardising his own career," Gambhir told the Hindustan Times. "It is imaginative to say I was covering my injury to play in the IPL. I played with discomfort without realising the gravity of my injury. As a leader, my team needed me, but to say I preferred club over country is ridiculous." On Wednesday, Kolkata's team trainer Andrew Leipus wrote a letter to the BCCI saying Gambhir had complained of a sore shoulder when he arrived in Kolkata for the IPL and subsequent scans had shown a serious injury that would require four to six weeks to heal. The letter said Gambhir recalled landing on his arm during the World Cup final and feeling acute pain. Gambhir said he did not think it was a major injury at the time. "I felt some discomfort during the World Cup final, while running between the wickets. It didn't seem major as it wasn't very painful at the time. Any professional cricketer, playing all three formats, will tell you that niggles are all part of the system." Gambhir admitted he might have aggravated the injury during Kolkata's group-stage match against Mumbai on May 22 in Kolkata but he still didn't think it would be a problem. Asked why he played Kolkata's next game, a knockout match in Mumbai on Wednesday, despite Leipus having already written to the BCCI, he said he had not spoken to Leipus about the injury before the game. "There was an instance during Sunday's clash against Mumbai Indians when I threw the ball from deep point and felt pain in my right shoulder. I thought it would be fine with a bit of icing or at most I thought I'd get a scan in Mumbai. "I had an MRI in Mumbai and Leipus got the report. We didn't discuss it as I was preparing for Sunday's game, which was a knockout. It will be misleading to blame the BCCI, Andrew or the Kolkata management for this. I don't think anybody intended to cover up things here." Gambhir defended his commitment to the national team saying that he had actually played through injuries when his country had needed it. "I know how hard I have worked for my national cap and what it means to me. Not many people know that in 2008 I played the Ranji Trophy final against Uttar Pradesh with a swollen left hand. Earlier this year, I played the last Test of the South Africa series with an injured left hand. The swelling was so bad I could barely wear a glove. I am proud of the 93 and 64 I got on one of the most difficult pitches. It is embarrassing to publicise my commitment but I have no choice." He also said missing out on leading India in the West Indies would be a huge setback. "I am so keen to lead the side that even during the breaks between IPL matches I'd discuss with Yusuf Pathan our strategy for conditions in the West Indies. Now let us see how it goes. I hear there will be a fitness test and only post that things will get decided." Gambhir's opening partner Virender Sehwag also aggravated a pre-existing injury during the IPL and is likely to miss the Tests in the West Indies. The injuries have sparked a debate over the importance given to the IPL by the BCCI, players and franchises and whether players' involvement in the IPL puts them at risk of missing international fixtures.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/current/story/516820.html What a man, always gives his full on the field , yet there are doubters :facepalm:

[DomainK]

IPL is fun. International cricket is serious business. I don't know about everyone, but most people going mad in the IPL section over their teams are not serious about the rivalry. To be honest, it does not make sense to be sentimental over teams because they represent one's city because of the mix of players from different states. CSK fans should know that Dhoni comes from Ranchi. Mumbai fans should know that Bhajji is a Punjabi. Supporting a team makes it fun. That's it. I don't think it should matter anymore than that.

[Sachin=GOD]

I have a point to make. Isnt IPL all about India? Hasnt it brought fans by the thousands to the game? Hasnt it helped to give BCCI and indian cricket power and money over other countries? Today Australians defer to us and IPL is a contributor. So what makes you say that IPL is only club cricket? Its goes much beyond that. IPL is contributing to Indian cricket much more than 100 series to WI or NZ will ever do So does only wearing a white dress and having the name 'India' on the scoreboard mean that you are respresenting India? Only to the retarted. IPL is one of the biggest thing to happen to Indian cricket and is the way the future is Trust me, I hate IPL and I love test cricket to bits. But I can see which way the wind is blowing. in the context of cricket overall and BCCI, a WI tour is simply an excercise in magnamity while IPL is truly more Indian than the former. To state that a player picking or being forced to pick IPL over a WI tour, just because the later carries the tag of 'representing your country' is being selfish is actually ignoring the ground realties. An international player contributes 100 times more to Indian fans and Indian cricket by playing an IPL match than by playing an inconsequential series against WI or NZ. Thats one of the reason why players of the stature of Sachin and Warne take part in IPL. Its not just about the money, its a paradigm shift taking place in this game, which the smart veterans are quick to realise. The 'club over country' phrase is a cliche' which is not based on reality, particularly since, the country benifits more when the player choses to play for his club than for some series with a third tier team

Wow!!! so now IPL has become greater and more important than International tours :clap: :clap:

[bangladeshifan]

are nah..ipl is like ek poshla bristi in our boring life. just time pass u know. int. cricket is the real deal and my team bangladesh rocks there :cough:

[Sachinism]

Decision to play is player's call - IPL chief The decision to play is a player's call and no player is forced to represent his club or country, particularly when it's a case of injury, the IPL chief Sundar Raman has said. "I think it has always been up to the player to decide," he told ESPNcricinfo. "Firstly, he has to see whether he is fit or not. And the BCCI physio will take a look at the player and subject to a satisfactory report, he plays. "The player knows his body better than anyone else does and I don't think I want to sit in judgement on that. If the physio believes that the player is not fit to play a game, he would report that and the player would not play the game. "Nobody is forced to play. Nobody is forced to play for the country. Nobody is forced to play for their club." Concerns over players playing despite injuries have come to the fore following Gautam Gambhir's shoulder injury sustained during the World Cup and aggravated during the IPL. Gambhir, who captains Kolkata Knight Riders, played in his team's eliminator play-off on Wednesday hours after the team physio Andrew Leipus wrote to the BCCI that Gambhir needed four to six weeks' rest to recover. Gambhir, however, claimed he had not been aware of the seriousness of the injury and had not discussed the matter with Leipus prior to the game. Raman refused to comment on the Gambhir issue. "I am honestly not in a position to comment on the Gambhir situation because the Indian physio has to see Gambhir, submit his report, take a view on whether he was fit not fit so it is too premature for me to say right now." However, he added: "I don't think any player would want to carry or feign an injury and continue to go and play. A player knows his body. I believe they are professionals and if the player is injured, if there are any practices or processes that have not been put in place, that is for the administrative part of it to ensure that all of that is taken care of. "The player takes the view of somebody who is an expert in that field and I think that's the way it is. I am looking at it as what would I have done? I would have listened to my body." http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-premier-league-2011/content/story/516833.html :hmmm:

[yoda]

Yea, yea, but is it really really really true? I need players to say it and that too to me in person before I will believe that it is really their choice.

[Stuge]

Its a combination of all,BCCI ,franchise and players .

[Sir_Afridi]

IPL chief is lying. No player wants to play with an injury and make it worse. Young players trying to break into team might do that but senior pros like Gambhir & Sehwag would never do that. They were obviously forced to play by BCCI

[ravishingravi]

I completely back the board on this issue. I can't but that Dhoni, Tendulkar, Yuvraj etc can be forced to play IPL. Money talks.