“IPL is now a well established product on TV.”
– Kunal Das Gupta, head of Sony TV India, as reported by Business Standard, 20.4.08.
The IPL: Welcome to Sub Prime Cricket
As I write, Delhi are 48 for 1 after six overs against the Deccan Chronicles Chargers, and presumably cruising to victory in Game Seven of the Indian Premier League. There’s a lot to observe and a lot to talk about. Continue reading “The IPL: Welcome to Sub Prime Cricket”
Cricket journalism will never be different again
Pardon me while my brain explodes…
“What Kapil and the watching millions witnessed was a day that changed cricket forever”
– Jamie Jackson, The Observer, 24.2.08
Continue reading “Cricket journalism will never be different again”
Not so ridiculous quote-du-jour
“This is the second most important day in world cricket, according to me. The first was in 1994 when the monopoly of Doordarshan came to an end when we won the court case.”
– Inderjit Singh Bindra, member of the IPL Governing Committee, discussing the IPL player auction, OutlookIndia.com, 20.2.08
Call me a cynic, but Bindra is not too far off the mark with this self-serving observation.
Hello, my name is Ashwell Prince. I got passed in at auction.
It’s barely two years since I waxed lyrical on these pages about Ashwell Prince following his attractive 119 in the Sydney Test of 2006. He now has seven Test centuries under his belt, but his Twenty20 stats are almost non-existent.
Prince, otherwise known as Lot 54, failed to attract a bid at his reserve price of $175000. He finished Wednesday’s IPL Mumbai Meat Market as the only one of 77 lots (I mean, players) unsold at auction (not including the Yousuf Formerly Known as Youhana who is having contractual difficulties with the ICL). Continue reading “Hello, my name is Ashwell Prince. I got passed in at auction.”
Why Cameron White is worth more than Ricky Ponting
“Lack of professional expertise in managing a sporting franchise of this magnitude seems to be a glaring gap, especially as a lot of these teams are led by what we call ‘casual but rich fans’ who are assuming their team will be in the top three.”
– Anirban Das Blah, VP Globosport India, from the 3.3.08 edition of Outlook magazine
Continue reading “Why Cameron White is worth more than Ricky Ponting”
For rural India, life goes on
“I’m more IPL savvy. And I’m reading the sports sections more now. My interest in cricket will take time.”
– Preity Zinta, co-owner of the Mohali IPL franchise, in an interview with Times of India, 22.2.08
News from the markets
Buyers came away the big winners at the supreme bull sale in Brunswick, WA last Thursday. Continue reading “News from the markets”
The IPL: Less action, more money
I’ve been following cricket now for almost four decades, and seen plenty of changes in that time. Some changes have lasted (the World Cup, helmets, the third umpire), some haven’t (limited-over cricketers wearing shorts, day-night Sheffield Shield matches, Super Max Eights). I’m not sure which category the Indian Premier League will fall into. Continue reading “The IPL: Less action, more money”