Manoj Badale who is co-owner of Rajasthan Royals said Rajastan Royals were treated in an unfair manner as they had provided the BCCI and the government with all the required information and was not even given the opportunity to prove its innocence and defend itself.
"That seems to us at least unfair," he told the news channel Times Now. "It seems surprising to us that these issues, all of which were communicated, all of which were documented for the past three years, are suddenly brought up when there is regime change as opposed to being brought up in time."
Badale also said that he had a meeting with BCCI president Shashank Manohar, but did not reveal any details of the meeting except that he was told the team would be treated fairly.
Badale told another news channel, NDTV, that these things will get resolved around a table, and it is only if negotiations fail that legal action will be considered. He also defended his franchise's record of transparency.
"We voluntarily chose to submit an enormous document with the Foreign Investment Promotion Board back in July 2009, which went into extraordinary detail about our ownership structure."
Friday, October 15, 2010
Watson shocked on Royals' exit from IPL
Shane Watson had no idea that his IPL team Rajasthan Royals has been shown the exit door until Adam Gilchrist walked into the Australian dressing room during the second Test and informed him. BCCI has scrapped Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab for breach of agreement and also warned Kochi to sort out their ownership issue.
"When Rajasthan got booted out it was actually during the game, Adam Gilchrist passed on the information, and I didn't know until then," said Watson.
"It's very sad, because being a part of something, being able to build a brand over the first three years was one of the most special moments of my career. For that to be taken away because of legalities is very sad." Watson said he was under impression that things were being sorted out with the Indian Cricket Board.
"I actually had meetings with the CEO of Rajasthan a day or two before the Test match, he was very positive that they had covered everything the BCCI had asked of them in regards to the ownership side of things and it was all okay. Even on the day, I read in the paper that it was looking like Rajasthan were going to be in the clear, obviously that wasn't the case," Watson said.
Watson said they were planning of his stay with the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the auction for IPL-IV but that will not remain the case now. "I would have loved to have stayed at Rajasthan, hopefully it means they're able to sort it legally and Rajasthan are still able to be part of the fourth IPL," said Watson.
"I know that's hopeful thinking but no doubt the conversations I've had with the Royals over the last couple of months, with what the retention and auction was going to be, we were both really keen to continue to develop the Rajasthan Royal brand. But it might not be the case now," he said.
Another disappointing thing for Watson is that he longer will avail the services Rajasthan physios John Gloster and Votor Popov, who he says had helped him stay in shape.
"Johnny's been brilliant, especially in India. He knows my body very well. But Victor has been the main man to get me onto the pathway that I have been. I'll always find a way to make sure I get the people to look after me" he said.
"When Rajasthan got booted out it was actually during the game, Adam Gilchrist passed on the information, and I didn't know until then," said Watson.
"It's very sad, because being a part of something, being able to build a brand over the first three years was one of the most special moments of my career. For that to be taken away because of legalities is very sad." Watson said he was under impression that things were being sorted out with the Indian Cricket Board.
"I actually had meetings with the CEO of Rajasthan a day or two before the Test match, he was very positive that they had covered everything the BCCI had asked of them in regards to the ownership side of things and it was all okay. Even on the day, I read in the paper that it was looking like Rajasthan were going to be in the clear, obviously that wasn't the case," Watson said.
Watson said they were planning of his stay with the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the auction for IPL-IV but that will not remain the case now. "I would have loved to have stayed at Rajasthan, hopefully it means they're able to sort it legally and Rajasthan are still able to be part of the fourth IPL," said Watson.
"I know that's hopeful thinking but no doubt the conversations I've had with the Royals over the last couple of months, with what the retention and auction was going to be, we were both really keen to continue to develop the Rajasthan Royal brand. But it might not be the case now," he said.
Another disappointing thing for Watson is that he longer will avail the services Rajasthan physios John Gloster and Votor Popov, who he says had helped him stay in shape.
"Johnny's been brilliant, especially in India. He knows my body very well. But Victor has been the main man to get me onto the pathway that I have been. I'll always find a way to make sure I get the people to look after me" he said.
BCCI lodges police complaint against Modi
BCCI Secretary, N Sreenivasan lodged a police complaint against suspended IPL chief, Lalit Modi alleging criminal misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 470 crore. Talking to reporters, City Police Commissioner T Rajendran said Sreenivasan had "preferred a police complaint" against Modi for criminal misappropriation of BCCI funds totalling Rs 470 crore, mainly on allotting media rights and free commercial rights.
"There are three main charges. It is a detailed complaint that they have given. So we will go through the complaint. It will be investigated by us as BCCI is registered in Chennai," Rajendran said.
Sreenivasan, who is the President-elect of BCCI, alleged there were a lot of charges against Modi which have attracted cases under the Indian Penal Code.
He said the BCCI general body had decided that a comprehensive police complaint must be lodged against Modi. Police have assured him that "they will look into it," he said.
"There are three main charges. It is a detailed complaint that they have given. So we will go through the complaint. It will be investigated by us as BCCI is registered in Chennai," Rajendran said.
Sreenivasan, who is the President-elect of BCCI, alleged there were a lot of charges against Modi which have attracted cases under the Indian Penal Code.
He said the BCCI general body had decided that a comprehensive police complaint must be lodged against Modi. Police have assured him that "they will look into it," he said.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
'The crowd was our 12th man in Bangalore' - Dhoni
MS Dhoni has asked for Tests to be played at venues that have a history of supporting the format with big attendances, and has appreciated the support received from the Bangalore crowd during the course of India's victory against Australia. Of India's 10 Test venues - Hyderabad being the newest - Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Mohali and to an extent Delhi are known for their lukewarm response to Test cricket.
"Maybe some of these centres where people come up to see Test matches can be given preference over some other centres where people don't come in large numbers to watch Test matches," Dhoni said. "After all, if taken in the right sense, we are the performers in the circus, but you need the circus to be full. It [this comment] should be taken in the right sense."
Dhoni and his men liked what they saw in Bangalore. Three of the days - the weekend and the final day - were almost sold out. "It really helps the players who are on the field," Dhoni said. "Frankly speaking, in the 45th or 50th over, when the fast bowler comes for his second or third spell, it's the crowd that gets him going, apart from the fact that he is supposed to do well for the team and the country. You need some kind of a motivation, and especially because we're used to playing IPL and ODIs in front of 30000 or 40000 or 50000 people, you want that kind of a crowd."
Throughout the last five days, the spectators have been India's 12th man. They cheered every special effort by the Indians, appealed when the bowler appealed, got off their seats when Sachin Tendulkar and other batsmen played good strokes, and appreciated every good effort by the fielders. Some of them booed the Australians, but many were appreciative.
"It was a remarkable crowd," Dhoni said. "Throughout the five days there were good crowds, and on the final day it was literally house full. You could see as many people in the stands as in a Twenty20 or ODI match. They supported good cricket more than anything else."
They did get their money's worth. Not only did they watch their home side complete a clean sweep against Australia, they saw Tendulkar go level with Virender Sehwag as the Indian with the most double-centuries; they saw Cheteshwar Pujara, the debutant, play an innings he wouldn't mind as his epitaph; they saw M Vijay, a stylish batsman, add substance to his game at Test level; they saw Ricky Ponting bat beautifully but fall disappointingly short; they saw Zaheer Khan and Ben Hilfenhaus create wickets on flat pitches. The Indian team thanked the crowd with a deserved lap of the ground.
Pujara sets up seven-wicket triumph for India
Cheteshwar Pujara has not been part of India's rise to the No. 1 Test ranking but he could help determine how long they stay there, after his outstanding 72 on debut set up a seven-wicket win. Guided in the end by Sachin Tendulkar, the hosts cruised to their target of 207 to confirm the 2-0 series triumph, while Australia slid to fifth of the ICC rankings for the first time, courtesy of another toothless bowling display.
When Virender Sehwag fell early in the chase, the match seemed to be heading for similar drama to the final day in Mohali, where the wounded 114-Test veteran VVS Laxman dragged his side over the line. That there was no similarly tense finish was due to the work of Pujara, who was in his first Test but showed the kind of confidence expected from an old hand.
Unexpectedly promoted to No. 3 following a first-innings effort that lasted three balls, Pujara betrayed no nerves and drove his third delivery handsomely to the cover boundary off Mitchell Johnson. The introduction of Nathan Hauritz brought out the best in Pujara, who used his feet brilliantly to the spinner and drove him through the gaps in a field that an apoplectic Shane Warne felt the need to tweet about from the opposite hemisphere.
There were some strange decisions from Ricky Ponting, not the least of which was the early elimination of all slips fielders for the fast men when Australia needed to put the pressure on India by taking wickets. And after Ben Hilfenhaus had Sehwag caught behind in the third over with a terrific ball that bounced sharply and jagged away, Pujara and M Vijay settled in for a lengthy partnership.
Their 72-run stand ended when Vijay was trapped lbw by Shane Watson for 37, the victim of a good delivery that angled in and seamed away. All that did was bring the first-innings double-centurion Tendulkar to the crease, and by the time Hauritz had his revenge on Pujara with a delivery that drifted past the edge and took off stump, India were only 61 runs from their goal.
Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, who was demoted to No. 5 to accommodate Pujara, had little trouble completing the task and Tendulkar's 53 not out - which included the winning runs paddle-swept fine against Hauritz - was a fitting finale to his magical series. The challenge for India's selectors now is to work out how to reward Pujara, who won his opportunity only because of Laxman's back injury.
It's a happy problem to have; Australia's issues are not so pleasant. Apart from losing all the Tests in a series for the first time in nearly 30 years, they will now enter the Ashes on the back of three consecutive defeats, a run that no Australian side has endured since West Indies were at their peak in 1988-89.
They have also dropped below England in the Test rankings, which is an abstract concept but one that will frustrate Ponting's men as they aim to regain the urn. A more concrete measure of the side's current state could be seen in the disappointing form of several key players.
Australia must also be concerned by the performances of several key players. It has been a difficult tour for Hauritz and that continued on the final day, when he was caressed out of the attack by Pujara before wincing at consecutive sixes slog-swept over long-on by Tendulkar. The Ashes will be a different challenge, but England's batsmen will certainly have taken note of his lack of penetration.
Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey have had a tour they'd rather forget, while Marcus North's ongoing pattern suggests he'll be due for a century by about the third Ashes Test in Perth. And then there was Johnson, who worked hard at times on the trip but by the last day was sending Tim Paine diving on both sides of the wicket.
That Johnson and his fast-bowling colleagues did not trouble the Indians with swing was not exactly surprising, but Zaheer Khan and Sreesanth had proven earlier in the morning that movement was available. They mastered reverse-swing to collect the final three Australian wickets while limiting the tailenders to 21 runs in the morning.
Johnson lost his off stump leaving a Zaheer ball that jagged sharply back in, Hilfenhaus was mesmerised by the swing and was bowled for a duck, and Peter George fended a catch behind to end Australia's innings on 223. The total was always going to be tough to defend, and so it proved.
So, India have confirmed their status as No. 1 - not that they were in danger of losing it. Now for Pujara to lock in his place at No. 3.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Rajasthan, Kings XI's expulsion to hit brand IPL
The BCCI's decision to terminate the franchise agreements of Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) will affect the brand equity of the T20 cricket league, according to industry observers.
The latest development has not only diluted the brand image of the league, but also has put a question mark over the future of the mega cricketing event, they said.
"The (IPL) brand equity will definitely take a hit. If the two teams go to courts against the BCCI's decision and if the battles goes on, then the bigger question is, will IPL 4 ever happen?" Mindshare Managing Partner (Entertainment Sports Partnerships) Hiren Pandit said.
He, however, said the actual impact on viewership and the subsequent impact on advertisers' interest can be judged only in the long term, when there would be more clarity.
Future Brands CEO and Managing Director, Santosh Desai said the move by the BCCI to expel Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab from the IPL over violation of ownership norms did little to clear the air over the controversial league.
In a drastic step, the BCCI had also issued notice to the Kochi franchisee, asking its stakeholders to resolve their dispute within ten days.
"Neither is it aimed at bringing transparency to the IPL system overall, nor does it communicate the BCCI's vision for the game of cricket. Rather than a clean up, it continues to stink," Desai said.
Advertisers and sponsors will be a little cautious and they will evaluate their future course of action based on the impact on the viewership. "But, yes the advance bookings are likely to get affected," Desai added.
IPL broadcaster, MSM's President (Network Sales), Rohit Gupta, however insisted that it will be "business as usual". "It is very early to comment on the development. But in terms of number of matches it will remain the same, so that is good for us," Gupta said.
However, according to analysts, had there been ten teams playing in IPL's next season, MSM, that telecasts matches live on Set Max, would have raked in more money from advertisements and sponsorships as compared to the earlier seasons as the number of matches would have gone up.
"IPL is an entertaining format and we will continue to invest in the game as an advertiser if the economics work out well for us," Godrej Appliances, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Kamal Nandi said.
Similarly, Havells India Vice-President Marketing Vijay Narayanan said the company will continue to invest in IPL as it had in the earlier seasons.
"We had started discussions with MSM for the next season. But with the number of matches coming back to 60, they (MSM) will have to come back to us with a revised offer," Narayanan said.
Most of sponsors of the two teams, including Gitanjali Lifestyle, PepsiCo, ACC Cement, Ultratech Cement and Whirpool, declined to comment saying more clarity was required before making any comment regarding their future course of action.
The latest development has not only diluted the brand image of the league, but also has put a question mark over the future of the mega cricketing event, they said.
"The (IPL) brand equity will definitely take a hit. If the two teams go to courts against the BCCI's decision and if the battles goes on, then the bigger question is, will IPL 4 ever happen?" Mindshare Managing Partner (Entertainment Sports Partnerships) Hiren Pandit said.
He, however, said the actual impact on viewership and the subsequent impact on advertisers' interest can be judged only in the long term, when there would be more clarity.
Future Brands CEO and Managing Director, Santosh Desai said the move by the BCCI to expel Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab from the IPL over violation of ownership norms did little to clear the air over the controversial league.
In a drastic step, the BCCI had also issued notice to the Kochi franchisee, asking its stakeholders to resolve their dispute within ten days.
"Neither is it aimed at bringing transparency to the IPL system overall, nor does it communicate the BCCI's vision for the game of cricket. Rather than a clean up, it continues to stink," Desai said.
Advertisers and sponsors will be a little cautious and they will evaluate their future course of action based on the impact on the viewership. "But, yes the advance bookings are likely to get affected," Desai added.
IPL broadcaster, MSM's President (Network Sales), Rohit Gupta, however insisted that it will be "business as usual". "It is very early to comment on the development. But in terms of number of matches it will remain the same, so that is good for us," Gupta said.
However, according to analysts, had there been ten teams playing in IPL's next season, MSM, that telecasts matches live on Set Max, would have raked in more money from advertisements and sponsorships as compared to the earlier seasons as the number of matches would have gone up.
"IPL is an entertaining format and we will continue to invest in the game as an advertiser if the economics work out well for us," Godrej Appliances, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Kamal Nandi said.
Similarly, Havells India Vice-President Marketing Vijay Narayanan said the company will continue to invest in IPL as it had in the earlier seasons.
"We had started discussions with MSM for the next season. But with the number of matches coming back to 60, they (MSM) will have to come back to us with a revised offer," Narayanan said.
Most of sponsors of the two teams, including Gitanjali Lifestyle, PepsiCo, ACC Cement, Ultratech Cement and Whirpool, declined to comment saying more clarity was required before making any comment regarding their future course of action.
BCCI denies sending SMS to IPL franchises
The BCCI dismissed reports that its secretary N Srinivasan had sent messages to Indian Premier League franchises, allegedly asking them to align with the board.
In the wake of media reports that Srinivasan purportedly sent text messages to IPL owners, asking them to align with the Board or be prepared to face the "taste of its medicine", the BCCI issued a statement saying, "The Board would like to clarify that no such messages have been sent from his (Srinivasan's) mobile."
"The BCCI has just received information that some messages, allegedly sent from Mr N Srinivasan's cellphone to the IPL franchisees, are being circulated and talked about by the media.
"This is clearly a case of foul play, and complaints to that effect are being lodged with the concerned mobile phone service, and the police, for immediate action," BCCI chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty said through the statement.
The purported text message from Srinivasan's phone had said, "As we have been saying, please align yourself with us. Or else everyone will get the same taste of the medicine we have given today to Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. Owners should not think they are above the BCCI.
"You should be happy we allow you to participate. We know how to clip your wings and we will run the IPL the way we want to. After all, it is our property. You can either be a part of it or we can find a way for you to get out. We will throw Lalit Modi and anyone attached with him. So best avoid talking to him."
Meanwhile, Srinivasan himself dismissed the reports and said he feared it could be a case of cyber crime.
"You see, I am complaining to cyber crime department of the police. Somebody has hacked my service provider or whatever. I haven't sent any message, 100%. Somebody you all may know is attacking me," he said.
"Just now I got to know about this, so I am complaining to the police. Obviously you know I have some credibility, I am a reputed industrialist, would I send some stupid messages?" he asked.
BCCI had yesterday terminated first edition's champions Rajasthan team and the Punjab side from the IPL on alleged breach of franchise agreement by them.
The Board had also issued notice to the newly-inducted Kochi team asking them to resolve all their internal disputes within 10 days.
In the wake of media reports that Srinivasan purportedly sent text messages to IPL owners, asking them to align with the Board or be prepared to face the "taste of its medicine", the BCCI issued a statement saying, "The Board would like to clarify that no such messages have been sent from his (Srinivasan's) mobile."
"The BCCI has just received information that some messages, allegedly sent from Mr N Srinivasan's cellphone to the IPL franchisees, are being circulated and talked about by the media.
"This is clearly a case of foul play, and complaints to that effect are being lodged with the concerned mobile phone service, and the police, for immediate action," BCCI chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty said through the statement.
The purported text message from Srinivasan's phone had said, "As we have been saying, please align yourself with us. Or else everyone will get the same taste of the medicine we have given today to Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. Owners should not think they are above the BCCI.
"You should be happy we allow you to participate. We know how to clip your wings and we will run the IPL the way we want to. After all, it is our property. You can either be a part of it or we can find a way for you to get out. We will throw Lalit Modi and anyone attached with him. So best avoid talking to him."
Meanwhile, Srinivasan himself dismissed the reports and said he feared it could be a case of cyber crime.
"You see, I am complaining to cyber crime department of the police. Somebody has hacked my service provider or whatever. I haven't sent any message, 100%. Somebody you all may know is attacking me," he said.
"Just now I got to know about this, so I am complaining to the police. Obviously you know I have some credibility, I am a reputed industrialist, would I send some stupid messages?" he asked.
BCCI had yesterday terminated first edition's champions Rajasthan team and the Punjab side from the IPL on alleged breach of franchise agreement by them.
The Board had also issued notice to the newly-inducted Kochi team asking them to resolve all their internal disputes within 10 days.
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