IPL blamed for India Test defeat

Miraz · #1 April 6, 2008, 06:55 AM

I am not really very happy to see India's defeat in Ahmedabad, but had a good laugh after reading this article.

IPL blamed for India Test defeat

The IPL has injected plenty of glitz and glamour into the Indian game

Sections of the Indian media have blamed the distraction of the upcoming Indian Premier League for the national team's worst home Test loss since 1959.
India lost by an innings and 90 runs to South Africa and are now 1-0 down.
The Hindustan Times claimed: "The Indian cricket board does not seem to care that the players have to focus on the Test series now, not on the IPL."
The IPL Twenty20 league begins on 18 April, three days after the third and final Test in Kanpur is due to end.
Ex-India Test wicketkeeper Kiran More claimed the players looked jaded during the match in Ahmedabad.
"How many turned up for the net practice session before the match tells the story," said More. "The players were already too tired by attending various IPL functions."
The Hindustan Times also claimed India's players had not devoted enough attention to their pre-match preparations.
"After the drawn first Test in Chennai, which was played in energy-sapping conditions, the players needed rest so that their minds remained focused.
"Instead, we found that players spent the short rest period before the second Test advertising for their IPL teams.
"In contrast, the South Africans - who are going to play in the IPL circus as well - said no to these shoots. For them, winning the Test series was clearly more important," the paper concluded.
The Times of India said: "Teams have been bought for millions of dollars and TV rights for a billion too. But it is impossible to predict if it will all be worth it.
"The matches will be played every evening for 44 days. Can a tournament of this nature keep the excitement alive for so long?"

From BBC

cricket_pagol · #2 April 6, 2008, 07:07 AM

I think we would have been mad of your players, if they were attending photo ops instead of practicing and taking rest during short break between the tests.

Sovik · #3 April 6, 2008, 09:57 AM

they had to blame somebody

**Tehsin** · #4 April 6, 2008, 03:01 PM

Are they saying that the Indian players are not professionals ?

One thing for sure tho, Indian media HAS BEEN and continues to be the biggest distraction for the Indian cricket players.

P.S. The timing of this report coincides with some strict rules that BCCI errr IPL had set for the media recently. This was probably their way of getting back at IPL. We see too nasty organizations (Indian media and BCCI) going at each other, no reason to get the players (except for Harbi, Kumble, and Sree) involved in this mess.

**Tehsin** · #5 April 6, 2008, 03:02 PM

PS> That picture IS distracting.

Miraz · #6 April 6, 2008, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tehsin
PS> That picture IS distracting.

... for everyone including Indian players.

**Tehsin** · #7 April 6, 2008, 03:13 PM

My shashur was saying how he was DISGUSTED at watching ALL the Bangladeshi cricketers chatting away (balcony r shirir gorai boshe) with their wives and girl friends at ZIA, right before departure. Maybe that's why our players are so distracted on the field. No more Biye-shadi for any of our cricketers until we win a test match.

zainab · #8 April 7, 2008, 06:56 AM

I thought that only Shariar, Aftab and Mash were married. Who are the others who are married? In any case Aftab and Mash's wives were travelling with them.

Kabir · #9 April 7, 2008, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tehsin
PS> That picture IS distracting.

Ahem. The only thing I read was the caption for the pic

She's my fave

PS. My wife hates her

RazabQ · #10 April 8, 2008, 12:56 AM

who is she? I don't watch Hindi movies ... Also I'm glad that the IPL is distracting players and making them lose. Anything that puts the BCCI in bad light is alright in my books ...