BCCI announces Twenty20 league

The Board of Control for Cricket in India launched it's own Twenty20 league on Thursday with the support from other countries to counter an unofficial league due to start in October.

The league will be called 'Indian Premier League' and will feature eight domestic teams from four nations -- India, Australia, England and South Africa. It is speculated that the administrators have borrowed the idea from football and this would be cricket's version of the UEFA Champions League.

Making the league even more lucrative than the Zee venture Indian Cricket League (ICL), the champion team will receive a prize money of USD five million, highest ever for a cricket event.

BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi, the mastermind behind the project, has been working on it for quite a while but the project was under wraps. But after the emergence of ICL, and its aftermath that saw Ranji teams like Hyderabad, Punjab and Bengal severely depleted, the Board expedited the process.

Cricket Australia chief executive officer James Sutherland is learnt to have played a vital role in giving a final shape to the event.

The move is also seen as the cash-rich body's attempt to attract fresh endorsements in the game's commercial hub.

The ICL is going ahead with plans to launch its competition despite the Indian board refusing permission and barring players from joining it.

It has appointed former skipper Kapil Dev the head of its executive board and recruited players such as the recently retired Brian Lara, former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and batsman Mohammad Yousuf besides many domestic players.

Which teams do they mean? How do you select them?

doremi wrote:Which teams do they mean? How do you select them?

Dice, odds-and-evens and willy sizes.

doremi wrote:Which teams do they mean? How do you select them?

I'm guessing from domestic 20-20 finalists.

It would have been Kent and Gloucestershire this year from England. Will overseas players be allowed - English counties would be farked if they're not. Kent had McLaren, van Jaarsveld, Malinga and Yasir Arafat.

Or using Batfink's ingenious method it would be Yorkshire and Definitely Not lancashire competing every year.

Gary 111 wrote:Or using Batfink's ingenious method it would be Yorkshire and Definitely Not lancashire competing every year.

What, the team nicknamed 'the needled!cks' are perennial competitors? Pull the other one. No. Not mine.

That would be a good Pro 40 nickname actually, better alliteration if it was an N team though:

"And welcome to Trent Bridge where the Nottinghamshire Needledicks host the Essex Slappers..."

Typical BCCI, reactive as ever never leading with fresh thought. As it turns out the players that were paraded were the T 20 Indian discards & retirees from different countries.

Again BCCI is losing the plot just names will not take any team very far. On the contrary ICL has signed up many of the up and coming talent that will shape Indian Cricket's future.

Bottomline, as expected Competition to BCCI's monopoly is starting to shape Indian cricket (and hopefully all sport in future) in the right direction.

Up and coming talent who will shape India's future? Who exactly? Dinesh Mongia?

Seems quite good actually. An Indian Premier League with 8 cities, (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai for sure + another 4) backed by corporates. Top two to compete with aussie, saffie, and pommy teams for the top prize.

The only thing ICL have going for them is the first shot at the Indian audience. Everything else is stacked heavily in favour of BCCI and the other boards.

Josh Carney wrote:Typical BCCI, reactive as ever never leading with fresh thought. As it turns out the players that were paraded were the T 20 Indian discards & retirees from different countries.

Again BCCI is losing the plot just names will not take any team very far. On the contrary ICL has signed up many of the up and coming talent that will shape Indian Cricket's future.

Bottomline, as expected Competition to BCCI's monopoly is starting to shape Indian cricket (and hopefully all sport in future) in the right direction.

Apparently this has been in the works for about two years now. So someone leaked the BCCI plans to Zee.

doremi wrote:Up and coming talent who will shape India's future? Who exactly? Dinesh Mongia?

Seems quite good actually. An Indian Premier League with 8 cities, (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai for sure + another 4) backed by corporates. Top two to compete with aussie, saffie, and pommy teams for the top prize.

The only thing ICL have going for them is the first shot at the Indian audience. Everything else is stacked heavily in favour of BCCI and the other boards.

Oh Yeah Ganguly on the stage. Everything looks rosy indeed!!

Haven't the ICL been trying to bag McGrath and Warne? That'll out B the CCI!

filosofee wrote:Haven't the ICL been trying to bag McGrath and Warne? That'll out B the CCI!

Warne joins player pool for Indian Twenty20 league

Dello wrote:

filosofee wrote:Haven't the ICL been trying to bag McGrath and Warne? That'll out B the CCI!

Warne joins player pool for Indian Twenty20 league

Ah, okay, thanks.