Khan Pushes for Better IPL Contracts

Pakistan’s World Twenty20 winning captain, Younis Khan has asked his teammates to push for better Indian Premier League (IPL) contracts following their recent success. “These players are now world champions and highly marketable. There is a higher value to their performances,” Younis said.

Eleven Pakistan players including Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul, Kamran Akmal took part in the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008, fetching contracts worth around USD 100,000. However, Pakistan players were prevented from participating in IPL 2009 due to political tension between India and Pakistan following the Mumbai terror attacks.

Younis Khan said, “Now the scenario is different. These players should talk to their agents in India and ask them to go for a hike in price from the IPL franchises. I am happy if any of our players can get better packages in the IPL for next season.”

Presently, only four Pakistan players have managed to retain their IPL contracts. The list includes Misbah-ul-Haq (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal (Rajasthan Royals), Umar Gul (Kolkata Knight Riders). The contracts of Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, Shoaib Akthar and a few others were terminated by their respective franchises due to their unavailability for the second season played in South Africa.

T20 World Cup: New Zealand v Scotland

New Zealand

T20 Record: Played – 21, Won – 8, Lost – 11, Tied – 2, N/R – 0

The shorter the format, the better they perform. New Zealand has many exciting talents in their ranks and is expected to sail smoothly against minnows Scotland. Watch out for Jesse Ryder, who was out of form in Indian Premier League (IPL 2009), to come to the party.

Best Bet for New Zealand:

Ross Taylor – 8/10
Brendon McCullum – 8/10
Jesse Ryder – 7/10

Team (Likely): Jesse Ryder, Brendon McCullum (Wk), Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Jacob Oram, Scott Styris, Nathan McCullum, James Franklin, Daniel Vettori (Captain), Ian Butler, Iain O’Brien,

Scotland

T20 Record: Played – 6, Won – 2, Lost – 3, Tied – 0, N/R – 1

Beating New Zealand is almost out of question, but Scotland can derive confidence from their solid display against England in their warm-up match. Though the bulk of their squad is made up of part-time players, they do have a few experienced players like Gavin Hamilton, Craig Wright and John Blain to rely on.

Best Bet for Scotland:

Gavin Hamilton – 7/10
Kyle Coetzer – 6/10
Majid Haq – 6/10

Team (Likely): Gavin Hamilton (Captain), Fraser Watts, Kyle Coetzer, Colin Smith (Wk), Navdeep Poonia, Neil McCallum, Craig Wright, Gordon Drummond, Calum Macleod, Glenn Rogers, Majid Haq

ICC World Twenty20 Preview: New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND – Group D

The Kiwis played some competitive cricket against India in their backyard recently. Individually, the Kiwi’s performed well in the Indian Premier League as well. The Black Caps need to play as a team with controlled aggression to make it to the top four.

Watch Out For:

Brendon McCullum: Captaining Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2009, McCullum went through a horrible time both as a captain and as a batsman, although he finished on a high showing a glimpse of how devastating he can be.

Daniel Vettori: The Kiwi captain is not only a smart bowler, but also one of the most economical bowlers in Twenty20 cricket.

X-factor: A magical innings from this exciting batsman changed the fortunes of his team in the Indian Premier League. Ross Taylor can do the unthinkable if he is on song.

Dark Horse: Despite coming back after an injury, Ian Butler has been impressive with his accuracy and speed in the last season or two. New Zealand will need him to get the early breakthroughs.

Team:

Captain: Daniel Vettori

Neil Broom, Ian Butler, Brendon Diamanti, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Kyle Mills, Iain O’Brien, Jacob Oram, Jesse Ryder, Scott Styris and Ross Taylor.

Coach: Andy Moles

ICC World Twenty20 Preview: West Indies

WEST INDIES – Group C

The West Indies have failed to fulfil their potential since winning the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004 in England. If the likes of Gayle, Chandrapaul, Sarwan, Taylor, Bravo and Edwards play with commitment and aggression, the Windies are surely a competitive force in this tournament despite their recent form. However, they have made a big mistake by leaving Dwayne Smith out.

Watch Out For:

Jerome Taylor: He was sharp and quick in his bowling during the Indian Premier League and was certainly one of the most unplayable bowlers in the tournament, along with Malinga.

Dwayne Bravo: Bravo was at his potential best during IPL 2009 and contributed significantly with both bat and ball. He will be a key member in the middle-order.

X-Factor: Chris Gayle set the tone for the inaugural tournament with a blistering 117, becoming the first centurion in this format. He has openly favoured Twenty20 cricket in place of Test cricket and would love to make his bat do the talking.

Dark Horse: Wicket-keeper batsman Denesh Ramdin has come of age, and he was rightly recognised for his achievements by being appointed vice-captain of the team. He is a good finisher as well.

Team:

Captain: Chris Gayle

Denesh Ramdin, Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Xavier Marshall, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons and Jerome Taylor.

Coach: John Dyson

ICC World T20 Preview: Netherlands

NETHERLANDS – Group B

The shorter the format, the better the chance of success for lesser known teams like Netherlands. The team has always been disciplined in the bowling department, however it is their batting that needs to come good if they wish to pull off an upset win.

Watch Out For:

Dirk Nannes: The Australian’s presence is a big plus for Netherlands. Nannes was one of the most impressive bowlers during IPL 2009, where he played for Delhi Daredevils and was the team’s preferred choice ahead of veteran Glenn McGrath.

Edgar Schiferli: A dependent middle-order batsman, Schiferli can hold the innings together and enable others to play around him.

Team:

Captain: Jeron Smits

Peter Borren, Mudassar Bukhari, Tom de Grooth, Maurits Jonkman, Alexei Kervezee, Dirk Nannes, Rudd Nijman, Darron Reekers, Edger Schiferli, Pieter seelaar, Eric Szwarczynski, Ryan ten Doeschate, Daan van Bunge and Bas Zuiderent

Can India defend World T20 Title?

Indian Premier League (IPL) fever may be over, but the Twenty20 format continues to soar. With the stage set for the ICC World Twenty20 2009 in England next month, all eyes are on just one team -defending champions India. The reasons are many; some feel the team has the right balance and player ingredients for Twenty20 cricket, others are doubtful it can overcome fatigue and fitness barriers, and still others wait with intense curiosity to see how Dhoni’s men will handle the pressure of defending their crown.

A month-and-a-half long tour of New Zealand, followed by cramped IPL 2009 scheduling of IPL, saw many Indian cricketers lose their steam mid-way through the Indian Premier League. The form of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir is a huge concern, while many key players like Yuvraj Singh and captain MS Dhoni carried a niggle or two for most of IPL. Sehwag sat out for five matches due to a finger injury, while Zaheer Khan is still nursing a shoulder injury that he picked up during the tournament.

Prominent personalities from the world of cricket have reacted differently; here are some of their views:

Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian legend, said, “We come as a package. I am certain this package is the best in business at the moment. This package has everything which is necessary to make us world champions once again. India is the most balanced side in the world and there is no doubt we can defend the title. We have very good cricketers in our side and we have proved that this combination is the deadliest.”

He also tipped the pacers to come good saying that, “It is on par with the best. Zaheer,Ishant and RP Singh form a lethal combination, particularly in English conditions. Our seam attack has a lot of variety and would come handy in such conditions. On our day we can demolish any batting side.”

South African coach Mickey Arthur felt India has more game-breakers than any other team in the world. He said, “I think any team has the ability to win this competition. Every team has game-breakers and you only have to have your game-breaker coming off once to win you a game, the game is so short that one major performance wins you a game. But obviously, a team like India has more game-breakers than most teams, so they are definitely going to be one to keep an eye on.”

Dilip Vengsarkar, former Indian captain and selector feels that many Indian players will be mentally tired and might fall short of everyone’s expectations. He also thinks that it will be a huge challenge for Kirsten and his support staff to recuperate the team. “The Indian players are now in a situation where they play two high-pressure Twenty20 tournaments back-to-back and that’s never ideal,” he said.

However, the man who matters most, Indian captain MS Dhoni played it safe saying, “When you play so many matches you do get tired, after all it’s a human body. There was no time to rest for the players. But fatigue is a part of Indian cricket. Till now Indian players have done well with it.”

ICC World Twenty20 Preview: England

ENGLAND – Group B

England has never won a major tournament, and the ICC World Twenty20 gives them a good opportunity to do so in their own backyard. The problem they face is that, despite featuring big names in their squad, they fail to put forward a consistent and collective team effort. Team unity is key to their chances.

Ravi Bopara: Bopara is one of the few English players to participate in Indian Premier League matches this year where he did well opening the inning for his team Kings XI Punjab – form he carried into the Test and the One-day series against West Indies.       

Owais Shah: An excellent batsman who is capable of playing explosive innings. He didn’t get an opportunity to play in IPL 2009, though he was part of the Delhi Daredevils squad.

X-Factor: Only Kevin Pietersen will know if he is in mood to play big or not. His performance, or the absence of it, will make a big difference to the fortunes of the home team.

Dark Horse: Robert Key is a quality player and has done remarkably well for his county side Kent.

Team:

Captain: Paul Collingwood

James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, James Foster, Robert Key, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Eoin Morgan, Graham Napier, Kevin Pietersen, Adil Rashid, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann and Luke Wright

Coach: Andy Flower

ICC World Twenty20 Preview: India

INDIA – Group A

Defending champions, India will start their ICC World Twenty20 campaign as tournament favorites. The team is well balanced, with many high-class match winners amongst their ranks. Well-tuned to the shortest format of the game post Indian Premier League duty, the 15 member squad’s biggest challenge will be to overcome mental fatigue in their quest for repeat success.

Watch Out For:

Rohit Sharma: The Mumbai boy enhanced his stake with consistent and match winning performances in IPL 2009. He approached the responsibility of being Adam Gilchrist’s deputy for his IPL franchise Deccan Chargers with a serious edge and has successfully backed himself to deliver the goods. He has now spotlighted himself as one of the best finishers in world cricket and appears more than handy with the ball.

Suresh Raina: Raina has slowly but surely engrained himself as a premier and dependable batsman with his powerful stroke play. Since his return to the Indian team he has gained the trust of his captain and has been rightly rewarded with the responsibility of batting at number three. He is a livewire in the field and has brought a third dimension to his game – bowling.

X-factor: Even an out-of-form Virender Sehwag is a nightmare for any bowler as he can take the game away from the opposition in no time. As he says he is just one knock away from being in form and IPL 2009 show is no concern.

Dark Horse: Ishant Sharma was out-of-form during IPL 2009, but he has the ability to comeback stronger after a poor run. The seaming conditions in England will help his cause, and has effective slow balls under his belt.

Team:

Captain: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, Harbajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja

Coach: Gary Kirsten

Flintoff Ruled out of World T20

One of most vital members of the English cricket team, all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been ruled out of the ICC World Twenty20 to be held in England starting 5 June 2009. He will be replaced by Yorkshire leg-spinner Adil Rashid. Flintoff picked-up a tear in his right knee while playing for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings.

England’s chief medical officer Nick Peirce said, “Andrew is making excellent progress and there is no swelling or pain now in the knee. He has been putting in some extremely hard training with Lancashire and should start running and practicing this week. After discussions with his surgeon we have decided that he should continue the remainder of his rehabilitation with physio Dave Roberts, who has overseen his previous rehabilitations.”

Previously, Flintoff recovered from an injury prior to IPL 2009, but broke down again after playing just three matches. He also missed England’s Test and ODI series against West Indies at home, however he will now target the Ashes opener at Cardiff on 8 July 8 as his target for full recovery.

Commenting on his inclusion in the team for World T20, Rashid said, “When you’re coming on for two overs then coming off again, it is difficult to get the pace and rhythm right. But Twenty20 does teach you where to bowl, how to bowl and when to bowl, and if a batter gets after you, what to bowl.”

Focus shifts to T20 Champions League

After the successful conclusion of the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa, the focus is now shifts to the Champions League T20 2009. The tournament will be held in India from October 8 – 23, featuring 12 teams instead of the originally planned eight teams. Lalit Modi, the tournament chairman said that the venues will be finalised after the draw, which will be held in London on June 23, 2009.

The winners of the domestic Twenty20 tournaments from New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka, along with the third placed Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2009, will participate in addition to the finalists from India (IPL), South Africa, Australia and England. There will be a total of 23 matches, and the teams will be divided into four groups of three each to play on a league basis before the top two teams from each group move on to the second stage. The four top teams from there will play the semi-finals.

Teams who have booked their berth are the Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils from India, Victoria and New South Wales from Australia, Cape Cobras and Eagles from South Africa, Wayamba from Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago from West Indies and Otago from New Zealand. The teams from England are yet to be decided as the final of the ongoing Twenty20 Cup is scheduled for August 25. Delhi qualified on the basis of having topped the league stage of IPL 2009.

The tournament was originally scheduled to take place during December 2008 in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, but was later cancelled due to terror attacks in Mumbai. The teams which qualified in 2008 – Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Titans, Dolphins, Western Australia are not eligible this year.

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