Australia in South Africa: 2nd One Day: Review

April 5, 2009 Sunday: Open-ing bowlers Dale Steyn and Wayne Parnell produced devastating performances as South Africa bounced back with a convincing seven-wicket victory in the second one-day international against Australia at Centurion Park here on Sunday. Australia were bowled out for 131 after their top order batsmen were blown away by Steyn and the teenaged Parnell. South Africa needed just 26.2 overs to level the five-match series after being beaten by 141 runs in the opening clash in Durban on Friday.



Australia crashed to 19 for five before Callum Ferguson led a partial recovery, making 50. Steyn took four for 27 and the leftarmed Parnell, 19, claimed four for 25 in his second one-day international. Steyn started the slide when he bowled Brad Haddin off an inside edge with the sixth ball of the match. Australian captain Ricky Ponting hit the first ball he faced from Steyn for six but made only two more runs before edging a drive against Parnell to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.


Man-of-the-match Parnell dismissed Michael Clarke and Mike Hussey leg before wicket with full deliveries that swung late and had figures of three for three after four overs, while Steyn had David Hussey caught behind. Ferguson and Mitchell Johnson put on 63 off 107 balls for the seventh wicket in the only substantial partnership of the innings before Johnson was deceived by a doosra from off-spinner Johan Botha.

Ferguson made 50 off 83 balls before falling to a vicious lifter from Steyn in the fast bowler’s second spell, gloving a catch to backward point.





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Kunal Janu

PS: I personally apologize to people who were looking for a more detailed post. I have no time to what so ever publish my thoughts on the game. This post is courtesy Deccan Chronicle.
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IPL2: And the Award Goes to...

The 30 day game came to an end after Mr. Lalit Modi, commissioner IPL announced South Africa as the venue to host the second edition of the world popular Indian Premier League. Elections in India forced moving the IPL out of India. South Africa edged past England to be named the host of 2009 IPL, the decision came after meeting between the IPL Committee and CSA. In a press conference hosted by the two parties in Johannesburg on Tuesday, CSA chief Gerald Majola said that he was happy that the Indian board and the organizers of IPL gave South Africa an opportunity to host the honorable tournament. The IPL also announced that the final schedule of 59 matched and the host venues will be chalked out shortly. The Tournament however will start a week later beginning from April 18 as planned against April 10 2009. More news follows...


The tournament will commence on April 18, a week later than initially scheduled, and a day after the one-day series between South Africa and Australia ends. Sources said Johannesburg, Durban, Centurion, Port Elizabeth, East London and Cape Town would be the host venues. Most news paper reports suggest Durban may play host to the opening and closing ceremonies given the presence of a larger Indian population. Logistically Jo'berg should be a great venue to start the tournament, Official news are yet to arrive and all these reports are just speculations.

Modi also thanked the ECB for lending their support in times when they needed and informed the Media that the only reason SA was chosen as the venue was because of the pleasant and predictable weather. April- May is the cold and wet season in England and if you had to go by some past history, 60 percent of the IPL matches would have been washed out if played in England, Good decision Mr. Modi.

Franchisees however presented mixed reactions, Mumbai Indians are already practicing in SA under the watchful eyes of Shaun Pollock who is more than happy for his team. "Who knows the conditions better than me?" asked pollock in a television interview when asked about what his reactions were about IPL in SA. Mumbai Indians now posses what can be call the home advantage in teh experience of Pollock. Royal Challenger owner Mr. Vijay mallaya said that he was disappointed to learn about IPL in SA,"I was hoping that we go to england than SA" said Mallay in a television interview. Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Priety Zinta are happy as long as the tournament is on. Rajasthan Royals team owners, Emerging media, are still hopeful of the IPL being hosted in India. If not the complete tournament at least the finals.

Muttiah Muralitharan, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, said it was the right decision for the league because "the game must go on, else cricket would die". Team India would be disappointed as it had already suggested moving IPL to England given that they are to play the T20 world cup following the IPL in England. The players now have build fitness for traveling as the team will now go to SA for the IPL, England for the T20 world cup in June and then back to the West Indies for a test and one-day series with no break in between.


With the decision now made, the real work begins. Security arrangements - which forced the tournament out of India - will need to be arranged, and an estimated 400 players and officials will require visas and accommodation. In all, 59 matches will be held over a five-week period ending on May 24. "It is very important for world cricket that this tournament is staged, but ultimately it is a matter for the BCCI where it is staged,"

Mr. Modi also informed the media about the 2 reasons why the delay in the start was made. One, They have to now put together the logistics for hosting a event of world class quality, the security arrangements for over 100 + players traveling to the country for the tournament, Movement of players from one location to the other in between matches, The fact that now more Indian fans will travel to SA for the tournament is itself a big security issues for the SA government. Two, "The players need to rest", By players he meant the national cricket team which is currently in NZ getting ready for the next test match, The 1 week delay will allow the team members to recharge for the tournament and the series ahead of them.

Do comeback for more News, Previews and Reviews.

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IPL 2: England Vs South Africa?

Indian Premier League is now more of a battle between England and SouthAfrica, not on the cricket field but off it. Four Indian Officials from the BCCI including Mr. Lalit Modi are already in SouthAfrica talking to the officials at ECB(England Cricket Board) and CSA (Cricket South Africa) for hosting the event in their respective countries.
As I write this post there are plans being sketched out by these officials to ensure that the matches are on schedule and live up to the expectations of the fans. Earlier, in a press conference hosted by BCCI (in India), Mr. Lalit Modi confirmed moving the IPL season 2 to either England or South Africa after 40 re-worked schedules were rejected by the Indian Home Ministry over Lok sabha elections commencing shortly.
The tournament will begin on April 10 and conclude on May 24, as scheduled earlier. Sources told TOI England was the first choice. With England Cricket Board CEO Giles Clarke saying ECB was willing to host IPL, ‘‘it’s 99.99% England,’’ a top BCCI official said. Courtesy : IPL-T20 (Official Website)
Apart from ensuring that Indian fans would still be able to watch the event on prime time TV, England would also offer the advantage of the sizable Indian population settled in England providing a ready made audience at the stadiums. Besides, it would provide perfect practice for the T20 World Cup, The Indian camp has already suggested hosting the IPL matches in London allowing the team to practice on these grounds and will getting used the conditions. India will be defending their world title with 11 other teams in the T20 world cup scheduled to be held in England starting June 6 2009.
Both venues have their plus and minus points, but England appears to be emerging as the country of choice even though IPL commissioner Lalit Modi is reportedly inclined more towards South Africa, whose cricket board chief Gerald Majola he shares a close rapport with.
For England
- Large Indian Population settled in England will fill up venues.
- No problem in getting matches to start at Indian prime time (4pm & 8pm IST)
- Perfect practice for T20 World Cup (starting June 6 in England, 2 weeks after IPL)
- Venues within driving distances, will cut costs for organizers and suit fans
- Cheap and good air connectivity from India
Against England
- Higher hotel costs
- ECB could face opposition from Sky TV as IPL will clash with England-WI series, for which Sky has exclusive telecast rights.
-Cold Weather conditions. Most Cricket matches in England are hosted in the summer which is generally called as the ‘English Summer’, The weather in England in unpredictable during the winter.
For South Africa
- Venues and hotels will cost less
- Warmer weather will suit more players
- Timings not a problem
Against South Africa
- Travel from India and between venues costly and tiring
- Filling up stadiums could be difficult. BCCI would also keep in mind that a larger Indian turnout was seen during the last years T20 World cup in SA, venues like Durban, Johannesburg have already registered record number of spectators during Indian matches.
The Franchisees
The franchises will now need to gobble up more money, about 20-25 % more for expenses but the franchisees hope of making more money out of it this time given that there will be a larger Indian Audience glued to their television sets across the country. The Franchisees each earned about rs. 27 Crore from the television right alone in the last season which is expected to double with the tournament moving out of India.
Given that the T20 World cup is just round the corner in England, The chips seem to be going towards England. A News paper Story also indicates the Tournament being Hosted in SA as r. Lalit Modi opted to fly to SA before England. Lalit Modi also shares a good raport with CSA’s CEO. Reports on Monday night suggested that Cricket South Africa was willing to walk the extra mile to make the event a success and had also assured the BCCI of government support to make that happen. “We still feel that South Africa is a better bet for the IPL when it comes to weather, TV timings and logistics,” a South African official said. Hopefully we will hear an official announcemnet soon.
IPL Season 2 promises to be a better and a bigger affair that what faired up the last time. With more international players added to the already full bag of experienced international and national players expect a tournament full of excitement and entertainment.
Join me for full coverage of the IPL 2 story soon.
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Kunal
PS: This post is a part of my personal blog @ IPL2: England vs SouthAfrica?
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IPL2: NRI-PL?

In an official statement given to the press and Media, The working committee of IPL announced moving this year tournament to a place outside India. England and SouthAfrica have been penned as the the front-runners to host the second season of the Indian Premier league (IPL) after inconclusive negotiations of the board with the Indian Home Ministry and various state governments to shift the tournament outside of India.

The venue and the new schedule will be announce on toady, the 23rd of March. Shashank Manohar, the BCCI president, said the tournament had been relocated “because of the extraordinary situation existing this year.” The 45-day tournament clashes with the forthcoming general elections in India and there had been concerns over security.
This statement came after a never ending game of ‘Yes’ ‘No’ politics played by the central and the state governments over the issue ended, Thanks to the Maharastra state government which pulled out at the last minute asking for fresh dates post the polls. The IPL committee in the last meeting with the Home Ministry had submitted over about 40 possible schedules only to be rejected. With only about 15 days to go for the tournament the organizers will now need to work day and night to get things better than the last season.

Gerald Majola, Cricket South Africa’s chief executive, said South Africa was ready to host the tournament if needed. He expected to have “positive discussions” with Indian officials in this regard over phone on Monday. CSA has sidelined five venues to host the event and is now waiting for the official call from the IPL working committee with exact requirements. CSA also confirmed availability of all the necessary infrastructure and promised a larger turnout of people to watch the matches as the timezones were not much different.

Mr Lalit Modi, who was also present at the press conference confirmed that the matches will be played at 4PM IST (Indian Standard Time - 10.30 AM GMT) and 8PM IST so that the Indian Public will not miss out on the action. He also ridiculed all doubts about whether the semi-finals and the finals will be played in India. “The semis and the finals cannot and will not be hosted in India as this would add more stress amongst the players who will be preparing for the ICC world twenty20.” ICC world Twenty20 begins June 6 2009 in England.

The ECB said it had received a request from the Indian board and the IPL and was examining the possibility of hosting the tournament. The board however showed lesser interest than the counter-part (CSA) issuing a statement that said that the temperature now in England is not suitable for playing cricket. “It’s very cold to play Cricket” said CEO of ECB. The boars however said that they were in discussions with the IPL committee and will not back out to help BCCI as they have had a very healthy relationship in the past.

What’s the loss? The franchisees stand a bigger loss after the tournament was moved out of India. The first major setback is the ticketing sales, Each franchisee will lose Rs.5 crore per match just for the ticket sales at their respective venues. Adding to further financial burden will be the newly incurred travel expenses. But they should be thanking all their luck as if at this point, if the tournament stood canceled, The franchisees could have been in a bigger hole. Sony however should gain from this, increased television viewership and more ad’s. I hope the BCCI instructs Sony or reccomends some rules for airing ad’s.We don’t want a 5 ball over or an interuption in the screen at a crucial point in the match.

Explaining the decision to move out, N Srinivasan, the BCCI general secretary, said the Indian board was not in a position to either play a truncated IPL or to cancel the tournament’s second edition. “It is a matter of great regret that, in the prevailing atmosphere, where the government is expressing concern for providing security to the IPL matches, the BCCI is left with no other option but to conduct the IPL in another country,” he said. It just did not happen, The government kept complaining about security and the board kept trying. Sooner than Later, the BCCI had to decide an alternate venue given the money around the tournament. People who watched the matches on TV should not be complaining, It’s just people like me who went into the stadiums and cheered the teams who will lose our on some fast-paced Cricket action. Given the specuations that were going around, I’m still thankful that the tournament is taking place. Hopefully the tournament will live up to the expectations specially after the controversies surrounding the start of the season.
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Official Statements, Coutesy: CricInfo

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PS: This post is a part of my personal blog located @ IPL2: NRI-PL?

wef 1st April 09: all Sports posts will be a part of this blog exclusively. Keep visiting for full coverage of all IPL matches including reviews and Previews.

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IPL2:MODI-fied

I will probably be sued for stealing the title, the credits for the title goes to the creative team at NDTV 24X7 who had a special named ‘IPL: Modi-fied, an exclusive interview with Mr. Lalit Modi the chairman of the IPL committee after announcing a go ahead received from the Indian government.

“We are not Pakistan, We are a Safe Country” said Lalit Modi when asked about hovering doubts over security issues with the players traveling to India to be a part of the highly rich season two of the Indian Premier league. “Centralized security will be provided to all the players”, ” The organizers will be completely responsible for player security” pointed out Modi. The IPL will go about as decided.. i.e. Starting April 10 thro May 24 2009… The EPL(English premier league) does not stop or gets rescheduled when there is an election in England.. We leave it to the people to choose what they want to watch.. The only changes will probably be with the dates and the venues, which is expected to be out by the end of the week..

Modi clarified the use of centralized security forces which include a combination of private and state government security agencies for monitoring teams, players, officials, venues and grounds. This statement came after discussions with team owners and the state government representatives who were called in to voice their concerns. Modi also confirmed the use of new venues, of which 3 have been confirmed as Ahmedabad, Dharmashala and Vishakapatnam for use during the election days. Modi also said that Mumbai will play host to both the opening and closing ceremonies of this season. Rajasthan Royals team owners, Emerging Media, showed disappointment regarding the change in plans as they were prepared to play host to the opening ceremony, match. “All preparations have been made and now we will have reschedule everything.. we are disappointed.. It’s how cricket works..” said co-Owner of Rajasthan Royals. Modi clarified that it was more to do with the infrastructure of the stadium at Jaipur than any other personal problems with RCA (Rajasthan Cricket Association) where he was politically removed as the member of the working committee.

After attacks in Pakistan, Many players had voiced concerns over playing in the IPL, Modi stated that it was the players personal choice.. however he is constant communication with these players and assuring them of full security when in India. Modi was sure that all players including the Srilankans who were shaken up by the attacks will attend the IPL. “I have personally spoken to all the members of the srilankan team, they are all set and geared for the tournament.. Obviously they have been shaken up but they are coming.” said Modi.

Modi also said that the security arrangements will be similar to the one after the Mumbai Attacks when the England team returned to India for the test series. Modi also said that the security budget has increased to up to 10 times, and the fact about having a centralized security during the IPL was decided way back in October even before the Mumbai Attacks ever took place. Earlier, The team franchisee’s were responsible for the security and movement of players from one city to another, by making it a centralized system, the security will be enhanced and this will also help monitor it better.

About the venues, He informed that he is in constant communication with the other venue boards confirmation of which is to be received by the end of the week. He confirmed Ahmedabad, Vizag and Dharmashala as the confirmed venues for hosting the matches, the number is still a question. Jaipur and Chennai will host less matches than what they were scheduled to be after both state governments voiced the problem of availability of the security personnel. Chennai will play host to only 5 games, which includes the 2 semi finals and 3 host matches said Modi. Wonder why the Chennai government backed out.. Disappointing :(

The only day when there will no matches is the Counting day (May 10) of the elections. Matches earlier scheduled on the voting day will move out of the state or rescheduled to another day pointed out Modi also stating that people watching at home will be no short of entertainment. Overall, it’s going to be good for the game of cricket, more so for the Indian subcontinent. By not postponing the IPL, Indian board has given good signs to world cricket, and even positive signs averting any disasters when hosting the Cricket World Cup in 2011.

A revised schedule is reported to be arriving at the end of the week.. I will post it as soon as it comes.. For now, fingers crossed, I hope there are no attacks what-so-ever.. coming from external terrorist organizations or internal organizations (the parties contesting the elections). All we hope is for a good game of cricket and a closely contested election :P

Kunal

PS: The Original to this post is posted on my personal blog a month back @ IPL-MODI-fied
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