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Zeesports presents Indian cricket league

Filed under Indian cricket

He (Subhash Chandra) said it hurts him to see such a major cricket following of India has so pathetic team at International level. Being a wealthy man that he is, his solution is - start a brand new cricket league, to be called as Indian cricket league (ICL).

2 Indian cricketers, 4 International cricketers and 8 young/future cricketers will form a squad of 14. Innitially, 6 such teams will be made to play a twentyZeesports Subhash Chandra20 tournament somewhere in India. After that - One day tournaments then more teams and so on.. Essel Group's chairman has certainly made a move that will scare the hell out of BCCI's monopoly in Indian cricket.

I generated a number of questions as I tracked this news last night. I have made a carefull list that should make you understand the minor, major & tricky aspects of this Indian cricket league. Read on, following may just be the thing Indian cricket needs..!!

More about this league
Ever seen a Premier Hockey League (PHL) on ESPN? This Indian cricket league is very much like that. I mentioned about the "hired" squad above, but even the selectors to pick that (ICL) team, former Indian cricketers to coach those teams will be hired on contract basis. Fitness regimes, skill enhancement & other facilities for a "well paid" young cricketers will be first focus.. as Chandra Puts it - the "logic is to develop that killer instinct in future cricketers who will play for Team India".

The Indian cricket league matches will be telecast live on Zeesports - a partner channel of Essel group which has been trying to win BCCI television rights for a long time (and failed twice). ICL is into their bags to be shown to Indian cricket fans.

The troubles
will be at least a million for Essel Group to make this Indian cricket league in our domestic cricket a success. But as Ajay Jadeja said yesterday "If Zee can sustain this new cricket league for 10 or so years.. they might change the face of Indian cricket". let me name a few innitial problems ICL may face :

-Grounds or stadiums to play these high class matches will be tough to find. Nearly all major cricket stadiums in India are under BCCI's regulation. An Essel mastermind said Indian cricket league have the option of imporving some of lesser known cricket grounds in Indian metros like Delhi & Mumbai, which obviously have been ignored by BCCI over the years. They will improve the looks, facilities, the pitches & floodlights to play Day/Night matches.

-Big Cricketers of India like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and others can't play in "Indian cricket league" because they sign contracts with BCCI - the Indian board. The plus point is - BCCI has been decreasing the number of cricketers they make contracts with. "Performance based contracts" was to be employed by BCCI, but if Essel Group can offer more money to renowened cricketers - they might click here.

-When and where this new Indian cricket league will be played - I don't know. Some reports said July-August whereas some said October 2007. I am sure as the days pass by - I'll be in a situation to add an update on this aspect. What I can tell you right now - is the prize money is set to be 1 million - the highest among any prize check given in any Indian domestic tournament. A total of over 100 crore rupees is what Essel Group is putting in to make this new cricket league a success.

The biggest question : Will BCCI allow it?
Some expert says no. Lots of them say yes - but if Indian cricket league can gain momentum right at the start & sustain itself for more than couple of years.. they surely have a chance. True that BCCI can not allow his contracted players and Ranji players to play in this tournament started by Zee, but if a cricketer decides for it - he can put his skills on television through to every Indian cricket fan. An England court ruled in seventies that all national cricket boards (Like BCCI or PCB) and even the ICC are selected bodies, and anyone can challenge them - if prove them wrong. What's more - we have Kerry Packer's 1977's World Cricket series.

Who was Kerry Packer
Channel 9 supremo, who bid for Australian television right in 1977 - at 8 times more than what ACB was getting from other bidders. As it turned out - Australian board decided against Packer's Channel Nine. Read this for more, but in short - I can tell you that this man dreamed big. He challenged the International cricket, hired major cricketer of that time like Tony Greig, Clive Lloyd, Greg & Ian chappel, Imram Khan and many others. Day/Night cricket and other renovations followed - making ICC & ACB fall into Kerry Packer's feet. Few court cases were faught too, which rules in favour of Kerry Packer. In the end in 1979 - ACb decided to give the broadcasting right to Packer - and we still see Channel 9 showing us the matches played in Australia.




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