What's going to happen to the domestic competitions that currently take place?

would have been nice if the team names had some connection to the cities they were representing. tigers make sence causeof "bengal tigers" and all that. what about the other ones? delhi jets? huh?

once your a jatt your a jatt....[to the tune of west side story]

(Oh, and I forgot to mention: they have scantily-clad cheerleaders; more smart marketing, or a bit sleazy? Perhaps both at once…)

why are all the cheerleaders whyte chyx? thats a little confusing. i wanted to see scantily clad brown grls...

I dont think ICL has a chance because IPL will eat them alive. BCCI wants to have the monopoly and is telling that if they sign with ICL, they wont be able to ever play for ICC again. Plus, BCCI is not letting this new league play in any of their stadiums. Its tough times ahead. But its good for the game...esp with Halftime shows ;)

what about the other ones?

Chandigarh's team name makes sense in the context of Sikhism...

Chandigarh's team name makes sense in the context of Sikhism...

i get it...like singh...ahh...

**if players ever sign with ICL, they wont be able to ever play for ICC again**

how about the chennai "iyer kutti" just for good measure....

the mumbai "slightly scary mob of mall going grls that are h*t but slightly sleazy for some undefinable reason". i agree. not catchy, but intimidating nonetheless.

the crowd for the match was surprisingly decent, considering there had been talk of sponsors pulling out beforehand. will be interesting to see what the tv viewership was, because the second india-pakistan test also started on friday (albeit it finished before the icl match started), with some sublime strokeplay by wasim jaffer on display. t20 is fast and furious and a nice easy way to catch a cricket match, but nothing beats test cricket. but t20 is a good way to ease other countries into cricket (and cricinfo's beyond the test world blog shows that cricket is being played around the world in some completely unexpected places).

the bcci and other boards have done their utmost to crush the ICL, which is a bit churlish because many of these guys - the indian ones - will likely never play for india again or in the first place. some of the internationals didn't really spark today, but they are a draw. especially brian lara of the mumbai champs, who, along with inzamam ul haq, is the biggest star. it didn't have anywhere near the excitement in the air of a match involving india, but it was not bad. the quality of the cricket wasn't the greatest but wasn't totally hopeless either. but the real test will be when the ipl starts and the "real" stars compete. however, the ipl will be at a different time of the year. depends on the crowd's stomach for too much T20. this is a good move - the bcci needs some competition. but they need to ditch the cheerleaders or improve their quality. it looks a bit silly after awhile. for some reason the crowds in india haven't really taken to the cheerleaders that much, even when they do dance to bollywood songs (but not that well at all). they were a bigger hit at the t20 world championship in south africa.

Puliogre in da USA on November 30, 2007 01:32 PM · Direct link

(Oh, and I forgot to mention: they have scantily-clad cheerleaders; more smart marketing, or a bit sleazy? Perhaps both at once…)

why are all the cheerleaders whyte chyx? thats a little confusing. i wanted to see scantily clad brown grls...

The photograph is from the recent T20 (Twenty-20) world cup held in South Africa. For the uninitiated, the finals was between India and Pakistan that India won.
A side note, all this ICl / IPL tussle started with that "World Cup" win. I can only hope that it helps domestic cricket players get the required exposure of playing with top cricketers (even if they have retired from the International level).

thast dissapointing. you would expact that link to link to desi grls in cheerleader outfits. i think thats an excellent idea. sleazy, yes. but good for me. i might be willing to shell out for a sattelite channel just for that.

Do cricket fans think the ICL has a chance? Are you excited about this?

I am skeptical. I have always been so, because with the likes of Kapil Paaji on board, there was the risk that this was going to be an exercise of the "all talk, no substance" kind.

The parallels with the Packer circus are hard to miss. They don't seem to have access to the bigger grounds and the colored clothing? Ugghhh! Pink for the dark, manly, mustachioed machis from Chennai? WTF! Though I think the free swinging West Indians wore pink during the inaugural Packer tournaments, so I guess its a good trend to follow.

Okie, I digress. To me, the parallels with Packer stop right there. Packergate was a hush hush affair to recruit the then current superstars. And it succeeded because the whole thing was sprung on the establishment without warning. Here they were talking even before they had the pieces in place, giving the Old Boys Club in the BCCI enough time to clamp down on any dissent. So now, the ICL is full of "has beens" and "would have beens".

As for the IPL, that is a bigger case of bluster. With all the ODI and Test cricket happening in the world (plus the T20 internationals) how are they going to get the current players to play? Seriously, do they expect them to take the field without a protest just because they are throwing money? I don't know.

Actually, let me play Devil's Advocate now. Before today, it was a case of "let's see who blinks first and backs down". But the ICL just took off and going by first accounts, it was a decent game. Now the onus is on the BCCI to get the IPL going with the star power that they promised. But to be honest, I want the IPL to fail. Maybe this new competition will make the BCCI accountable to the stakeholders, i.e. the players and the fans.

12 · Puliogre in da USA on November 30, 2007 01:57 PM · Direct link

thast dissapointing. you would expact that link to link to desi grls in cheerleader outfits. i think thats an excellent idea. sleazy, yes. but good for me. i might be willing to shell out for a sattelite channel just for that.

Well look around and you'll find sorta like it ...

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070925/sp.jpg

Since we're on the topic of cheerleaders I fail to understand the need for cheerleaders in a relatively docile sport like cricket. In games like (American) football and basketball, where ball possessions change frequently cheerleaders serve the purpose of firing up the crowd when the team they support is on defense. In cricket where a side bats for 20 overs, 50 overs or 3 days, I don't understand how a cheerleader can keep the crowd fired up for that long. That being said, as a red blooded desi man, I welcome this new innovation to the game of cricket.

Well look around and you'll find sorta like it ...

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070925/sp.jpg

you just made my day. maybe my week. i love you all.

A side note, all this ICl / IPL tussle started with that "World Cup" win. I can only hope that it helps domestic cricket players get the required exposure of playing with top cricketers (even if they have retired from the International level).

Srinivas, the ICL is at least 6 months old now. It was announced in April. First the BCCI/ICC was silent and then threatened to ban the players who signed up and then jumped to start its own league.

change frequently cheerleaders serve the purpose of firing up the crowd when the team they support is on defense.

err..i guess during slow moments guys can always watch young nubile grls in short skirts jump around and yell "rah,rah,rah!". i think golf needs cheerleaders too.

Am I the only one who noticed that the Chennai ad is the only one in English?

In cricket where a side bats for 20 overs, 50 overs or 3 days, I don't understand how a cheerleader can keep the crowd fired up for that long. That being said, as a red blooded desi man, I welcome this new innovation to the game of cricket.

Santosh: Actually considering that a normal over rate in a cricket game is about 12 or 13, a T20 game gets over in 3 hrs at the max, which is VERY comparable to a NFL game, no? And the crowd participation in a cricket game, particularly in the shorter versions has always been good, even in the otherwise staid UK and NZ. So I think cheerleading will work in T20.

Am I the only one who noticed that the Chennai ad is the only one in English?

Yes, though I thought there were at least a couple of words in Tamil? (After the player/hero says, "Tails"...)

Though I did notice that the Chennai Superstars are the only ones with an English slogan ("Anything is possible"). I guess they're trying to balance local appeal (which means, no Hindi) with a desire to maintain a national/international viewing audience on ZeeTV (which means, Tamil/Tamizh might be too provincial).

Am I the only one who noticed that the Chennai ad is the only one in English?

Paruthiveeran: Of course not. I saw this ad about a week ago and I noticed it too. But I immediately understood why. Everyone knows that "Engleesh is a phunny laanguayage" :D

Needless to say that a lot of people have told me that this IS the funniest (and universally understood too) of the lot.

"Staaaap! Wheare you vaant it? Release! Jujubeeee!" :D

from what i could tell, most, if not all, the cheerleaders for the lions-jets match were non-indian. same with the ones for the india-australia t20 match in mumbai several weeks ago. and one of those groups looked like the bcci had plucked some tourists off the street, given them an hour of instruction and asked them to dance. they were that bad (but i think i read they had been specially flown in). i think despite bollywood and all the dances they do for the screen and for stage shows, there seems to be some hesitation to dance in front of/quite close to potentially rowdy sports fans in a stadium. may be wrong, perhaps we'll see more indian cheerleaders as t20 takes off.

"Am I the only one who noticed that the Chennai ad is the only one in English?"

i wondered about that too. i think it's for the benefit of the those in the north. however, since none of the other ads are dubbed, it seems they assume that everyone understands punjabi, bengali, marathi but not tamil. i wonder if the ads were dubbed for the south?

Am I the only one who noticed that the Chennai ad is the only one in English?

Yes, though I thought there were at least a couple of words in Tamil? (After the player/hero says, "Tails"...)

No, he actually only says "Batting" though with a heavy Tam accent :)
It's true, the only non-English word (sort of) is "jujube" which in Madras Tamil means insignificant, or something like that. See here for the full definition.

"Pink for the dark, manly, mustachioed machis from Chennai? "

i think that's just for the ad, given that it's a spoof of movies. the chennai superstars uniform appears to resemble the windies uniform, some sort of maroon and yellow combo.

as for the cheerleaders, in the t20 game they only get up and dance after a four or six is hit, for the most part. they were exhausted in south africa when yuvraj hit six sixes in a row:) but i think cheerleaders should be confined to t20 only, where they at least make some sense.

"how are they going to get the current players to play? Seriously, do they expect them to take the field without a protest just because they are throwing money? I don't know."

well the never-shy-to-express-an-opinion ricky ponting, who complained after losing in south africa that there shouldn't be too many t20s added to the schedule, has apparently signed on for the ipl as have other aussies and major indian stars. money talks:)

well the never-shy-to-express-an-opinion ricky ponting, who complained after losing in south africa that there shouldn't be too many t20s added to the schedule, has apparently signed on for the ipl as have other aussies and major indian stars. money talks:)

Whose God is it anyways: Well, I thought of that. But what can the IPL do if the player decides to stay away later citing family business or say, injury? I mean, I have a faint idea that boards like Cricket Australia will publicly make sounds supporting the BCCI now and when push comes to shove, will collude with their players and inform the BCCI of the said player's inability to play because of reason X or reason Y.

IMHO, the BCCI has no grounds to sue, unless the players backs off from the IPL and goes ahead and plays for his local team. So, Ponting takes the money now and signs on and when time comes to board the flight to the erstwhile Final Frontier, he can conveniently miss the flight and rest at home. If I were Ponting, I'd look to do that ;)

And btw, I don't expect the IPL to succeed because player burnout is a huge thing that cricket's governing boards (apart from the ad hoc organizations like the BCCI) take seriously. I doubt whether they'd force their own players to dance to the BCCI's tune.

Am I the only one who noticed that the Chennai ad is the only one in English?

Well that and the ad's for the other teams were, well... blah. This one was funny.

Well that and the ad's for the other teams were, well... blah. This one was funny.

I loved the way he says "jujube".. is it just me, or does he look a leetle bit like Prabhu Deva?

anantha, let him who underestimates the bcci do so at their own peril:) the ipl, though primarily a bcci project, has the full backing of Cricket Australia. look at the stars who have signed on so far:Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Brett Lee, Mathew Hayden, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Jason Gillespie and Cameron White. Also: Shane Warne, Justin Langer and Glenn McGrath of Australia, New Zealand's Stephen Fleming and Daniel Vettori, Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya and Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs of South Africa. completely outshines the icl in terms of star power. the prize money for the team that wins is 2.5 million pounds. that's a lot for cricket - equivalent, i think, to the 5 million that american millionaire stanford put up for the windies t20 championship. eight franchises (including possibly two sri lankan ones), possible interest from russel crowe in buying a team, and the bcci's advantage in already having several grounds at their disposal. also given that india is the money in world cricket, many of these cricketers will look to the t20 as a lucrative source of income as they either wind down their careers or after they've retired from international cricket. also, it exposes them to the indian public and allows them to make more money in india doing tv ads etc.

plus this being the bcci, i don't think they'll allow any of the players to renege from their contract without serious consequences. mohammed yousuf is facing a hearing for reneging on the icl to go back to playing for pakistan. i don't think the bcci will be less stringent in that regard. the one board that fears the ipl most is not cricket australia, which is a willing partner, but the english county system, which could lose several potential overseas players to the ipl, which will cut into english country cricket season. the negativity (and probably a little jealousy) in some of the english press over india's t20 expansion plans has been a bit funny given that england sort of pioneered the popularity of the t20 format.

mohammed yousuf is facing a hearing for reneging on the icl to go back to playing for pakistan.

Exactly. But what if he had begged off saying he had a family committment or say "jaundice" and backed it up with a doctor's certificate. Could the BCCI do anything about that? You can bring the horse to the water, but can you make it drink? Or something like that :)

Regardless of what you say about CA being a willing ally to the BCCI, I think most of the other boards are wary about the Asian Bloc and I think will go to great lengths to sabotage any BCCI attempt to monetize the game any more than it is. But they can't obviously do it upfront. So all the wheeling dealing will be in the back end. Besides, we haven't seen anything yet.

I think it's in the best interest of every international player to agree up front to sign the BCCI contract and worry about things later. My bet is on some or most of these players begging off later with the tacit support of their boards.

Love it..Love it..The Chennai Ad captures the chennai humour so well.."The Madness is Soooper I Say" I just cant digest the color of the jersey..Pink..Whatever..Next time you see a desi guy wearing a pink chennai jersey in philly..make sure to stop me and say Suppah Machi!!

G

I love the way he picks after the toss. "Biting". But the voice in the ad doesn't sound like that of a Chennaiite. Possibly someone from AP (Hyderabad) or Mumbai/Delhi dude.

I love the way he picks after the toss. "Biting".

I particularly love the guy on the non-strikers end, who is wearing dark glasses and grinning away to glory as the ball "staaaps" in mid air. :D

Since I don't anything about cricket, maybe someone can help me out. So before this ICL, India did not have cricket league like the NFL or NBA which had a team every major city. So how did India team find it players.

"I think it's in the best interest of every international player to agree up front to sign the BCCI contract and worry about things later. My bet is on some or most of these players begging off later with the tacit support of their boards."

but you make it sound as if the bcci is arm-twisting or forcing people/boards to accept the IPL. the ipl has the official backing of the ICC. major stars will make 150,000 pounds for six weeks. i don't think you have to arm-twist anyone into that. the reason mohammed yousuf reneged was because by playing in the icl he was risking his future as a player for pakistan's national team. those who play in the ipl face so such threat. why wouldn't they want to play and make such easy money in a sport where you can be dropped from your national team at any minute due to injury, poor form? and i'm sure this league will benefit the coffers of the icc and the other boards as well, otherwise they wouldn't back it.

i think it's a bit unfair when people talk about the "asian bloc" as if it's this sinister, philistine, money-hungry, corrupt group that's going to ruin the "beautiful" game, unlike the western bloc or non-asian bloc, whose leaders england, australia safeguarded all the cherished/noble traditions without a dollar-sign/prejudice in their eyes. i don't think india can teach anything about greed to officials/players/fans in england, a country that produced the east india company:) to think that when they had more power, before the increasing influence of the asian bloc, they were not venal at times, greedy, corrupt, inefficient, is naive. the bcci has many, many faults (and its vendetta against the icl is a major one), but it has managed to make cricket hugely popular via odi cricket (dismissed initially as pajama cricket), has managed to infuse huge amounts of cash into world cricket, cash which those who sniff about "vulgar money" and "ruining cricket" seem to have no problem taking the minute it's waved under their noses. most boards know a series against india will more than likely enrich them.

the english cricket board, a few years ago, didn't want its team to tour zimbabwe because it felt the zimbabwe cricket board was corrupt and reprsented mugabe. so zimbabwe lost money. but the same ecb had no problem allowing the same zimbabwe team, which still represented mugabe, to come to england and play, so that the ecb wouldn't lose out financially. i wouldn't be surprised to see some of the commentators who have criticized the bcci and the ipl for being greedy and for potentially ruining world cricket turn up in india next year to do commentary on the league for a handsome fee:)

"So how did India team find it players."

primarily from domestic tournaments like ranji trophy and duleep trophy, where they represent their city, states and zones. school cricket too.

Just in case someone hasn't said this already: THE CHENNAI SUPERSTARS AD IS THE BEST!

i'm kinda late on this, and whose god has covered all the important points (great bits of analysis, by the way); one possible way of resolving the ICL-IPL dispute is to turn them both into "official" leagues and have a "world series" pitting the winners of each league against the other; but as whose god perceptively noted, this is unlikely to hapen since the BCCI holds all the cards (and has overwhelming bargaining power).

typo, "happen" should have been spelled with two "e"s

drat and double drat, i meant two "p"s

by the way, the mumbai champs ad is in marathi, not hindi

BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world and has all the charming qualities of Steinbrenner, Comiskey and Tony Soprano. I hope ICL shakes things up. If they make money, BCCI will have to play ball.
Also, meet Manish Arora, the man behind clown outfits.

BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world and has all the charming qualities of Steinbrenner, Comiskey and Tony Soprano.

But thankfully, none of the Gotham-style charm of Jimmy Dolan.

I encourage everyone to browse the 'player profile' pages on the ICL website. The int'ls and more well known domestic players did not want to play, but some of them are classics.

On a more serious note, it was really heartening to see high-schoolers, long-suffering brothers of internationals and well-known international players all playing on the same field. The BCCI just doesn't have the wherewithal to provide proper trainers, facilities, nutrition and coaching to the innumerable domestic players who plug away in the hopes of being selected.

BTW I'm such a noob that none of my links were separated, but pass the cursor over, "them are classics" and there's a unique link in each word.

also, is "Lavania" just a translation of "Lasagna" or is it it's own dish?

"Also, meet Manish Arora, the man behind clown outfits."

egads! the chennai one really is pink in this photo. but in the current ads on zee, the players are wearing maroon/green. wonder which one will make an appearance? at least in this department the bcci can only go one up... one hopes!

Was I the only one to notice they flipped a THAI ten baht coin at the start of that chennai ad?

Since I don't anything about cricket, maybe someone can help me out. So before this ICL, India did not have cricket league like the NFL or NBA which had a team every major city. So how did India team find it players.

clueless,
there was one orgnaization BCCI which used to select a "single national team" from various states based on some how players perform in inter-regional matches. Regional teams were based on geographical zones of the country.

Was I the only one to notice they flipped a THAI ten baht coin at the start of that chennai ad?

thaidesi,though i don't recognize thai currency, if you are right..too good. you have a pretty observant eye !

Was I the only one to notice they flipped a THAI ten baht coin at the start of that chennai ad?

That wasn't an Indian coin, plus it did look like the thai king, don't know the denomination.

ICL is a novelty. It is going to be an uphill task for them to sustain it without approval from the ICC.

I'm surprised that there's no team from B'lore... What kind of a national league is that?

On a more serious note, it was really heartening to see high-schoolers, long-suffering brothers of internationals and well-known international players all playing on the same field.

muralimannered, where did you see the game?

Sport in India might just be looking up. For the first time ever, India is to have a professional football league.

Has the sleeping giant that is India begun to stir at last?

Small but telling changes are happening on India’s traditional sporting landscape. Some of the cricketers playing on ubiquitous urban maidans (open grasslands) these days are wearing Manchester United shirts. Occasionally a boy will even meander past with a football rather than a bat tucked under his arm. In a country of cricket junkies, where every piece of scrubland and every slum corridor is an opportunity for a wicket, it is enough to prompt a double-take.

As India is transformed by unprecedented economic growth, the leisure habits of the burgeoning middle classes and the fabulously wealthy elite are evolving – and football is a beneficiary. At some, as yet intangible level, the sport is starting to take hold in the world’s last, stubbornly resistant mega-market. The adjustments are peripheral, but in a country the size of India, with its 1.1 billion population, they demand attention.

"Staaaap! Wheare you vaant it? Release! Jujubeeee!" :D

What I loved about the ad was they used a local accent to make the guy seem cool. They didn't try to westernize the guy. Pretty fun ad.

On the flip side. Pink uniforms????

I always felt that if they want to promote the superstars, then they should not try to ape the longer limited overs format for 20/20. Let two bowlers bowl at least 6-8 overs each. You do not want to see a superstar bowler just bowl 4 overs. They have to make adjustments unique to 20/20.

On a more serious note, it was really heartening to see high-schoolers, long-suffering brothers of internationals and well-known international players all playing on the same field.

muralimannered, where did you see the game?

I phrased that poorly--I just saw promotional photos on the ICL's website. Isn't Zee TV picking up all the games?

are we lacking a sports culture?

is it because ,in india,mass sports participation is related to income levels?

Yes,we have had too much about cricket.At one time we were undisputed kings of hockey,but today we don't even qualify for certain tournaments.anyone bothered about that?But when it comes to world cup cricket,one loss and all hell breaks loose.And if it's against a minnow country like Bangladesh,it becomes a crime.Failure to enter the Super-8 is of course a national crime,which cannot be pardoned.

if anyone is interested in watching, zee sports america is carrying the icl and other cricket. (also indian golf, football).

In India cricket cuts across differences of language, region, and, to some extent, class. I am certainly grateful that I and a group of friends played the game in our childhood and youth, first with worn-out tennis balls and whatever was available to serve as a bat in whatever cramped space we could appropriate temporarily, and then graduating to a proper ball and bat (I remember seasoning one with linseed? oil) on grounds surrounding the spacious house of a Justice or other exalted personage, lent to us for a few months at a time. (Herewith my thanks.) Cricket can claim to be one of India's common languages. I am not familiar enough with current cricketing arrangements to discuss the pros and cons of the proposed League.
Nearly half a century ago in Philadelphia some West Indian construction asked me to join them for a game of cricket but their pace bowling proved more than I could handle.

there is a charming audio-visual slideshow based on gable's sketches that captures the ability of canadian football to lever friendly regional rivalries into nationbuilding. this crcket league could evolve to the same, as some posters have pointed out above. thought itmight be of broader interest

oops. looks like anantha's comments were very prescient :)

IPL signings anger Cricket Australia

looks like Cricket Australia hadn't anticipated so many of their current players signing on for the IPL in April or possibly for the Champions Twenty20 League in October. which is very strange given that James Sutherland of CA was seen to be a prime mover of the new Champions Twenty20 League, along with Lalit Modi.

Whose God..: Thanks... I was just coming here to post that link. I hadn't realized that CA had been in the dark. So its not all rosy with the IPL after all. But what's funny is that money definitely seems to be the carrot that's been dangled in front of the asses (aka the international players :P)

Actually, there was nothing prescient about it. Anybody who follows cricket (regardless of the teams playing) would tell you that players have been moaning about the extraordinary work load these days. Cricket's governing bodies, most specifically the Indian board, are very adept in squeezing in one day games where there is space for none. International teams routinely play best of seven games (up from the best of five games series a few years ago). Also dead rubbers (i.e playing meaningless game 5, game 6 and game 7 when the series has been decided) are fairly common. The number of five day test matches that teams play has come down from 5 (or 6) games per series a few years ago to just 2 or 3 games (occasionally 4). Now since one day games are typically harder on the players than the five day games and because the concept of player rotation is more or less absent, players have been complaining, particularly since they are away from home for the most part of each year.

So the IPL, whose signings were predominantly (if not completely) current internationals, was always in danger. What I did not anticipate was the disconnect between boards like CA and its contracted players. I anticipated a problem between the BCCI and the other boards, not between the other boards and their players.

Whose God...: Just read your comment # 35. I stand by my comments about the Asian bloc and most specifically the Indian board. The Indian board is run by a bunch of jokers who are mainly old money, number crunchers. Most of the cricket related appointments are actually political. The other boards however are not far behind, but they at least have a framework and don't work on a ad hoc basis. So with the framework, there is a chance that a sound cricket mind may come on board to run the organization if not today, sometime tomorrow. But with boards such as the BCCI, the PCB or the ZCU, unless there is a radical overhaul, money and politics will take precedence over the sport.

I am not saying the BCCI is evil, but only that the BCCI is stupid. The old golden goose analogy is very pertinent, except that in this case, the killing is not instant. It is slow. Already stadium audiences have thinned, even in cricket mad India. And some countries (Australia for example) already have local TV blackouts for international games. And most of this is because of the overkill of games, a lot of which is meaningless. And the overkill is usually to satisfy subcontinental TV audiences, who typically watch only those games that involve one or more of their teams.

So in my eyes, cricket's downfall is originating not from the old boy's club in London, but from the dark dusty offices at the Wankhede, the Eden Gardens and the Kotla.

This ad is as good as any of the ESPN ads. I am addicted to that ad like crack. So many funny parts in the video. The way the other batter gazes on in bliss as the batter on strike is pausing the ball. The crowd going crazy at the end, dancing so hilariously and so hyper. Also I like the way he gestures his hand at the ball like he is manipulating its movement.

Comment#58"Cricket can claim to be one of India's common languages"

Now it is the transformation of a gentleman's game to a money grubbing opportunity.Cricket was a gentleman's game played for the fun of it and watched for the joy of it.Many young indians who seem to imagine that winning or losing is a matter of life and death.The extent of this frenzied involvement in cricket was once again brought home by the report that a young man in Hyderabad watching one of these matches died of heart seizure when his favourite team lost the match.

The Chennai ad is awesome, do they sell jerseys? I want one immediately. Who cares if it's pink? Anything less than pink would detract from its awesomeness.

I like the way he gestures his hand at the ball like he is manipulating its movement.

he's actually imitating the turning of a volume knob (his other hand is at his ear), telling them to get louder

also, sadly, google tells me their uniform is actually mostly reddish with green

i take it back, it's actually pink, i love chennai.

Am I the only one who thinks that the whole cheerleader endeavour is sexist and retrograde. Am disgusted that such a foul experience has been brought into cricket. A Tendulkar ondrive or a Shane Warne googly is a bigger turnoff than any cheer leader. If I want to see some skin, I ll go to a strip club. Rant over.

And some countries (Australia for example) already have local TV blackouts for international games.

A Tendulkar ondrive or a Shane Warne googly is a bigger turnoff than any cheer leader.

If I want to see some skin, I ll go to a strip club. Rant over.

yes, my aussie friend. cheerleaders are sexist...strippers on the other hand are a progressive feminist ideal.

yes, my aussie friend. cheerleaders are sexist...strippers on the other hand are a progressive feminist ideal.

well strip clubs are up front. they're meant to be sexual. trying to get people's attention for something that isn't supposed to be sexual through sexual means sleazy and sad, in my view. e.g. you might take your kids to a cricket match, but i doubt you'd ever take your kids to a strip club.

yes, my aussie friend. cheerleaders are sexist...strippers on the other hand are a progressive feminist ideal.

The sole purpose of strippers is to excite various body parts.

Well, not just strippers. Anyone with a party bod can excite a body part.

But then, this sentence:

the carrot that's been dangled in front of the asses

caused a part of my body to rise on its own. I refer of course to my eyebrow.

I dont think that these so called cricket leagues can make Indian cricket work. There is no hope of India winning a cricket world cup during the next 50 years.

We Indians are plauged with an inefficient government that will do its best to see to it that none of our teams can ever become world class. BCICI could easily be the worlds worst managed cricket body.

Even Kenya and Zimwabwe are more efficient in managing their cricket organizations.

Even Kenya and Zimwabwe are more efficient in managing their cricket organizations.

Oh man. Is this really true? Even Zimbabwe??

I am all for Strippers - in the appropriate arena.

im all for str!ppers in inappropriate arenas.

Oh man. Is this really true? Even Zimbabwe??

hail mugabo?

CONGRATULATIONS MURALI!

Blithe (Comment # 65): the transformation you describe is cause for worry.

Blithe (Comment # 65): the transformation you describe is cause for worry

No it's not a cause for worry, it's a cause for celebration. If Indian sport can begin to come out of its genteel 'gentlemans' mentality then Indian athletes might begin to win something. Aggression and competitiveness and yes (metaphorical) do-or-die spirit is exactly what is needed. Bring it on, more more more please.

What I find puzzzling about Indian test cricket is that while it is understandable that they are physically weaker and not as fit as some other nations, what is the excuse for playing without any strategy? Here is something that I always found puzzling about cricketers. When they want to give themselves enough time to get the other side out twice when they have a good score, why do they bother declaring with 4 or 5 wickets down? Instead why don't they try to declare earlier by taking advantage of the wickets in hand and give it a good slog at 8 -12 runs an over for the next hour or so instead of declaring 2 hours later? That will save them an hour. Who cares if one declares at 600 all out or 600 for 5 wickets down? I would rather be 600 all out if that means I can declare an hour or two earlier. I find that cricketers seem to put their personal goals above team strategy. There seems to be very little thinking among cricketers. India can brag about their mind power, but they don't seem to apply in when it comes to sports strategy. There is very little scouting of the opposing team done by Indian cricketers compared to baseball teams and NFL teams.

And if I am a fielder, I would make sure I hustle for even the easy singles because that means that batter will have to run fast even for routine singles. A tired batter is more likely to be out to a careless stroke later on.

It's true, the only non-English word (sort of) is "jujube" which in Madras Tamil means insignificant, or something like that. See here for the full definition.

I heard a "Sooooper Machiii!" right at the end. So I guess, two tamil words. The guy does a great Rajini impression, with the toothpick instead of the ciggarette and the"Jujubi" in the end.

Thakida thom,
Super Machi.

I'm ignorant of cricket rules. can someone explain the hyderbadi ad to me? Seems like it has to do with the player being a good sportman but

What does Super Machi mean? Super match? Whatever it means, itsounds so cool.

The other ads suck big time. I was surprised that the Calcutta, eh, I mean Kolkata ad wasnt in Bengali. All other ads were in Hindi and not very interesting.

Best damn Indian ad I have ever seen.

what is the excuse for playing without any strategy? Here is something that I always found puzzling about cricketers. When they want to give themselves enough time to get the other side out twice when they have a good score, why do they bother declaring with 4 or 5 wickets down? Instead why don't they try to declare earlier by taking advantage of the wickets in hand and give it a good slog at 8 -12 runs an over for the next hour or so instead of declaring 2 hours later? That will save them an hour. Who cares if one declares at 600 all out or 600 for 5 wickets down? I would rather be 600 all out if that means I can declare an hour or two earlier.

short answer: they are not dumb like you take them to be. one day and 20/20 games are rigged in favor of batsmen---fielding restrictions, bowling restrictions (on bouncers, what can be called wides, leg side bowling is practically disallowed, etc.). which is why you see slogging, scoring at high rates, and the like. try scoring at 8-12 runs an hour in a test match like you say: you will unintentionally save several hours, not one, and the score won't be 600.

between 4 and 4.5 an hour is extremely good in a test match unless you are playing against a substandard team. scoring at higher rates implies there is somebody is playing extraordinarily well. not something you assume will happen when deciding strategy.

and this again?

while it is understandable that they are physically weaker and not as fit as some other
nations,

No one is faulting over the overall run rate strategy. It is the final two hour strategy in both innings that is puzzling. Let's take the current India test match with Pakistan. Let me look up the stats. India had a good run rate. However, what I was referring to was the run rate in the final sesssion before declaring. In the first innings, the Indian run rate actually decreased. They had to know they were going to declare after tea time on the second day. When Ganguly was out, it was 538 for 5 after 130 overs. They finished at 616-5 after 152.5 overs. That is nearly 80 runs off of nearly 23 overs. Why not slog and try to get 120 runs or so off of the same overs even if means risking getting all out. You dont think they could have hit those runs faster if they decided to go for it more aggressively once they hit 500? They could have been all out for 600 or 650. who knows. Then the second innings, they score 184 for 4 off of 42.4 overs. It would make more sense to score 150-200 all out if it means they could knock it off faster once they hit the 90 or 100 mark. If their target was to declare at a score of 184, why not try to slog it out once you hit 100? if wickets fall too fast, you can always slow it down a tad. I am assuming they declared at the end of the day. Now , it looks like India could have used a couple of extra hours to get Pakistan all out.

When Ganguly was out, it was 538 for 5 after 130 overs. They finished at 616-5 after 152.5 overs. That is nearly 80 runs off of nearly 23 overs. Why not slog and try to get 120 runs or so off of the same overs even if means risking getting all out. You dont think they could have hit those runs faster if they decided to go for it more aggressively once they hit 500? They could have been all out for 600 or 650. who knows. Then the second innings, they score 184 for 4 off of 42.4 overs. It would make more sense to score 150-200 all out if it means they could knock it off faster once they hit the 90 or 100 mark.

i suspect you see this as a batsman's game---you are, of course, right in the case of 20/20 or one days where batsmen set the pace of scoring almost at will, the bowlers can only stymie them by taking wickets if the pitch permits and when the batsmen make mistakes.

not so with tests. test bowlers can cut off scoring pretty much by the way they bowl---something not possible in one day matches because such deliveries would invariably be off limits. bowlers tend to use deliveries batsmen can potentially score on only because they are also the ones they are likely take wickets with---there is a contest here, not mechanical hitting.

that is the reason a team cannot expect to take 100 or so quick runs in a short span, definitely not with tail batsmen, unless they got lucky. if you know the opposition is out to go for quick scoring, you can frustrate them indefinitely---and pick up wickets if they try getting the runs anyway.

teams don't slack at batting in tests, it is genuinely hard to score significantly faster than what india did---and it is genuinely hard to score much at all when your tail is playing both ends. if you don't believe shorter version slogging does not work---all you have to do is to look at how badly many one day specialists do in tests with that approach. those who are succesful at both use different approaches, for good reason.

that said, i don't particularly follow (or even like to follow, to be fair) cricket mainly because currently my interest is elsewhere.

i just don't think it is fair to say that people who follow/play it do so out because they are unfit or are clueless when they play the game---many people you just dissed on the indian team are very smart, fit and articulate. not just smart---they have their hearts in the right place too---many work quite a bit with charities (not just giving money, i mean work), some have an education level and competence in that field that would be unimaginable for any basketball or baseball player (of course, i mean on a general level, there has to be some competent professional among the b*ball players as well). and as for unfit---at least one of them (not known to be the fittest) is quite capable of running 6min miles based on "non-professional observations" of him running in blore. which would put him as fit as the professional athlete (but not including specialist runners of course) population of US---most others are just as fit with some notable (and big) exceptions.

some have an education level and competence in that field that would be unimaginable for

... competence in a non-sports, technical field.. in the previous comment. sorry abt that.

ahahaha!!!! i have to give to the tamils for this one!!! their ad was the best!! they must have good marketing skills! the pink uniforms r kinda sadd though.

hmmm, i think cheerleaders would be regarded as sexual anyways in india, because they wear tiny clothes and also cuz, its "hot girls" giving a morality boost for men. My mom is one of those who doesnt consider cheerleading a proper sport.

Bytewords, like I said, I am not questioning the overall run rate, just the rate in the final hours of both innings. When you declare both innings with 5 to 6 wickets left, let's say you had wickets to spare to be able to take more risks towards the end to quicken the scoring rate. And slogging is possible because Dhoni hit 16 out of his 50 runs in the last 5 balls he faced when he was told there wsa only one over left before declaring. Until then, they were plodding along at 3-4 an over in the final couple of hours. Until the 500 mark, they had an excellent run rate for tests. But they lost the plot after that. I doubt the bowler just happened to bowl badly for that one over only. I have seen it enough times where Indian batters seem to play for milestones when they should be slogging it out in the final hour before declaring. Granted, it is not the same field placement as one dayers, but as long as you got wickets, there are runs to be made unless you have a tail that cannot score fast. Indians do not have a consistent tail, but people like Harbajhan can score fast. Even if he is out for a zero, there is nothing to lose.

pravin, it's not just about scoring at a decent run-rate. it's also about eating up some time in test cricket. slogging and getting forty or so more runs has to be balanced against how much time you are giving pakistan to score those measly extra forty or whatever runs. pakistan managed to score 214-4 on the final day, with wickets in hand. if india had slogged more on the fourth day and declared earlier, they would have given themselves more time to get pakistan out, but that lead wasn't enough to be confident of that on the kolkata wicket, which got tougher for the bowlers to bowl on as time progressed, and they would have risked giving pakistan more time to score those runs. pakistan only took 9 wickets in the two innings and india 14. india possibly could have gotten to 600 all out in the first innings at a quicker rate (but then wickets could also have fallen slogging to reach that target) but then that would have given pakistan more time to possibly build a lead and put pressure on india in the second innings - and given misbah's and kamran's resistance, it could have gone that way if a couple of the others had stayed as well.

What kind of person in their right mind would PAY to go watch an ALL DAY EVENT where people are leasurely walking or jogging around and that ONE DAY is just 1/5th of the whole MATCH, which may or may not have a result ??? !!!!
Amazing!!!

"What kind of person in their right mind would PAY to go watch an ALL DAY EVENT where people are leasurely walking or jogging around and that ONE DAY is just 1/5th of the whole MATCH, which may or may not have a result ??? !!!!
Amazing!!!"

:) people with more hardy attention spans who don't equate instant gratification with excitement/success, who value patience, stamina (physical and mental), nuance, strategy, plotting, scheming, negotiation skills, delicacy (and brute strength when needed, not as an end in itself), art, style, grace.

and judging by the crowds at delhi and kolkata, this includes many young people, especially teenaged and younger boys and girls (who showed excitement one normally associates with odis or twenty20 matches). also, many women in the crowd- younger and older (and dare i say many attractive women?) clearly test cricket is still cool to some people:)

WGIIA, my point is when you got a score as big as 600, there is really no downside in going for it, even if Pak has more time to score because then India could always have slowed it down for the second innings. I personally believe they would have scored at least as much as 616 anyway with slogging for the same amount of time and would have been all out. This is the thing. Forget my initial proposed strategy of pacing in the last 2 hours. If you know you are going to declare in 10 overs, and you got 5 wickets, what harm is there in trying to hit as many runs as you can in those 10 overs? They definitely score more than 616 if they are not all out. And even if they are, it wouldnt have been much less than 616. Same with the second innings, if you are going to give Pak a whole day to score 300 plus and you have 6 wickets in hand, they should have socred more and scored faster in the post tea session to give Indian bowlers a bigger target to defend AND probably an extra hour to bowl Pakistan out. You got the luxury of 6 wickets to take chances. It turns out Pakistan would have drawn anyway. But you gotta try. I just dont think cricketers with the exception of the Australians and a couple of other countries really do much strategy preparation in their game plans.

They definitely score more than 616 if they are not all out. And even if they are, it wouldn't have been much less than 616.

Pravin, you have a point, but there's also the psychological aspect (for both your team and the opponent's) that comes into play - 616 all out (or even 636 a.o.) vs. 616/5 - which can affect the sessions that follow. That's it. Interesting conversation, carry on, Pravin and WGIIA.

Chandigargh ad is bo-RING!

let us watch the war between ICL vs IPl and see who wins .. That is more interesting than the match anyways !!!