Only a Twenty20 international league can help salvage all forms of cricket

[sharifk]

I won’t get into such debate as to whether a Twenty20 form of cricket is a real cricket or not, but if the format isn’t managed correctly, I surely can see the threats this format poses to Tests and especially to ODI format to its existent. I believe that the true sport fans who enjoy all kind of sports always have space in their heart to accept anything sporty comes to the way, so to us true sport fans, all formats of cricket, including Twenty20, Test and ODI, can exist together only if the evil of the cricket finance isn’t allowed to milk from all cash-cows to a single format.

I am one of those who believe professional cricketers are underpaid compare to other professionals of major sports. However, over the years the ICC has created an environment for international cricket that international players of full member countries have now started to earn decently without a great deal of disparity among them. It will be a good thing to allow any growth within the same framework. If we are to get out of this framework, and support a domestic league that in turn attracts players with more money in a way that a player can make so much in a few weeks that they cannot earn in years playing international cricket, it surely can create a bad case for international cricket.

Also since a domestic league can only support a limited number of players, an overly paid such league can only create great disparity by creating unnecessary elites among the elites without considering any qualitative indifference. I am not talking against capitalism or routing for socialism or something else, but all or majority of the money going to the pockets of a few so called elites can be very harmful for sustaining and growing cricket world wide. Even if you like sweeten tea, you surely wouldn’t want too much sugar that can make it bitter. That’s exactly the case that will happen to international cricket if a domestic cricket takes precedence over an international event in cricketers mind. I am not against any domestic league, and I believe healthy domestic leagues are critical to developing good international players, and we must support domestic leagues everywhere possible. But we must not allow any domestic league to supersede international cricket.

Financial opportunities that Twenty20 can offer for its advantages due to duration need to be analyzed and taken advantage of, nonetheless. And for the solution, we must look within the framework of the international cricket. Only a superior international league can counter any ill aimed domestic league that threatens the international games of cricket. Why can’t we ask ICC to arrange a yearly Twenty20 international professional league, in which major cities of the full member countries can participate? We can set aside two months in a year for this league whereas Tests and ODI can be played the remaining 10 months. This way, we can enjoy all versions of the game. It’s a good thing that the ICC hasn’t reserved any window for any domestic league yet:

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ipl/...ry/338081.html

If the reservation was made for any domestic league, it would have been difficult to change it for an international league. Now we have the opportunity to lobby and create a case for reserving a window for Twenty20 international league.

Is an international Twenty20 league feasible? I think it is because I believe there are huge opportunities in big cities of all member countries. And of course since it’s Twenty20, anyone (international cricketer of course) can play competitively. We must take the case to the countries who are thinking the same way. For example, no English player has yet signed for that big domestic Twenty20 that everyone is talking about:

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/engl...ry/338050.html

If other nations weren’t concerned about the issue, ICC would have acted differently. There has already been a discussion about creating a league between three so called elite countries. But we must move and create a case for everyone before the so called elites win their cases and add more messes to the existing ones.

For BD, the case is very simple, but we must plan and believe that we can easily fit into a big international Twenty20 league because our players are surely good fit for Twenty20. And we have a large population base and big cricket events surely can attract big audience since cricket is very popular in BD. At a minimum, Dhaka and Chittagong can financially support two teams in such a league.

It may not be a unique idea and there may be others who have expressed the same need as well. But I am still creating a thread for this here since I know many, possibly including BCB members and members from other forums, visit this forum. Time hasn’t run out yet, but it will unless we make enough noise and demand for an international Twenty20 league. We must take the case to everyone. And if BCB can’t take a lead in this regard, we as fans must insist on BCB at a minimum to support others who may be coming up with similar ideas. Instead of drumbeating for another domestic league which may or may not have one or more of our players, BCB must plan to ensure that we participate in enough tournaments and that our players earn decent and competitive salary by playing for and representing our cities and nation.

[Tigers_eye]

If you are a true cricket fan, if you are a true Bangladeshi cricket fan, you would not want our boys to adapt jodi laigga jai strategy every time they go to middle. T20 will not only make them do that but engrave that method in their brain like Aftab did. he use have so much patience when he started at 5/6 down for BD. Then DW promoted him to take advantage of powerplay to #3. All learning went out the window. That is just one example.

With T20 being a regular thing, Imrul-sadat-nazimuddin all will be Aftab 2.0 or 2.5. Whereas, I want them to become at least Attapatu .5

[sharifk]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
If you are a true cricket fan, if you are a true Bangladeshi cricket fan, you would not want our boys to adapt jodi laigga jai strategy every time they go to middle. T20 will not only make them do that but engrave that method in their brain like Aftab did. he use have so much patience when he started at 5/6 down for BD. Then DW promoted him to take advantage of powerplay to #3. All learning went out the window. That is just one example.

With T20 being a regular thing, Imrul-sadat-nazimuddin all will be Aftab 2.0 or 2.5. Whereas, I want them to become at least Attapatu .5

You may have a good point there, T_e, but one of the problem is that whether we like it or not, T20 will survive, and players will go wherever they can earn money. In that case, won't it be better if our players can get opportunities in international league than in a domestic league of a foreign country? Won't it be better for our fans to route for a local team?

[Beamer]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
If you are a true cricket fan, if you are a true Bangladeshi cricket fan, you would not want our boys to adapt jodi laigga jai strategy every time they go to middle. T20 will not only make them do that but engrave that method in their brain like Aftab did. he use have so much patience when he started at 5/6 down for BD. Then DW promoted him to take advantage of powerplay to #3. All learning went out the window. That is just one example.

With T20 being a regular thing, Imrul-sadat-nazimuddin all will be Aftab 2.0 or 2.5. Whereas, I want them to become at least Attapatu .5

baki ra shobai fake fan naki ? amrao chillai, hoyto chokher panio o feli. Others have the right to be miserable as well.

[Raynman]

^^^ I'm pretty sure T_E bhai has not changed his viewpoint that much but keep in mind you are replying to a post that is 20 months old

[Murad]

I agree with you TE bhai.

T20 cricket will ruin our cricketers.

[auntu]

then where d ODIs n Test will go?
I cant imagine cricket without Test.
T20 should b used in a planed way

[sharifk]

Originally Posted by auntu
then where d ODIs n Test will go?
I cant imagine cricket without Test.
T20 should b used in a planed way

If you read my post again, you will see I am talking about only 2 months a year for the T20 international. And the rest 10 months are for tests and ODIs so surely more focuses are placed on tests and ODIs. But understand I am talking about international T20 league to counter against any dominant domestic league.

[Tigers_eye]

The issue is us versus them (rest of the world). Them, already have stablished teams with players down with the basic cricket knowledge (when to take risk and when not to). Players like Dhoni, Sanggakara can adapt to any situation weither it is 20 overs or five day cricket. Us on the other hand, have 10 first class matches all year long with half of them are missed for national tours. How are we going to learn the longer version of the game? (practice and learn in the test matches?) On top of it if these 20 year olds are heavily introduced to the T20 then their learning process of the longer version will hamper severely. Let other nations play as much as T20 they want to. We need to protect our youngsters and make sure they become a test player first then a T20 player.

This is only if one puts premium on test matches more than T20. If BCB thinks our future is T20 then so be it. Lets welcome Professional T20 league now and withdraw our test stasus.

[sharifk]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
This is only if one puts premium on test matches more than T20. If BCB thinks our future is T20 then so be it. Lets welcome Professional T20 league now and withdraw our test stasus.

T_e bhai, it’s a surprising statement from you.

If we are to grow and sustain in the top league, we must not just focus on one version of the game. I understand your point about the impact the shorter version of the game has on our young players, but avoiding isn’t the answer to overcome it. Nor do we need to avoid the other versions to focus on the shorter version because it has bigger commercial prospects. What I am saying is that we must understand the threat it has on the longer versions if we don’t manage it correctly. If we only allocate 2 months a year for international shorter event, and allow rest 10 months to focus on tests and ODIs, no domestic league can threaten international schedules of any of the T20, ODI and Test versions.

[sharifk]

Window could be found for IPL - Speed

Cricinfo staff

February 25, 2008

In what appears to be a softening of an earlier stance, Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief executive, says that an annual window in cricket's increasingly over-packed calendar could be found for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

A meeting of the ICC chief executives' committee had recently decided that the Future Tours Programme (FTP) was in place till 2012 and that "no window would be considered or created [for the IPL] prior to that."

But Speed admitted that if seven ICC members supported it, and could work it into the schedule, a window could then be freed up for the tournament. He warned, however, that negotiating it would not be easy and the international calendar would have to be cleared from early April to mid-May, when the tournament is on. .....


Read full:
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ipl/...ry/339799.html

Since 7 votes are needed, BCB must vote against supporting any window for such domestic league and lobby for an international T20 event instead.

[pocha]

Originally Posted by sharifk
Since 7 votes are needed, BCB must vote against supporting any window for such domestic league and lobby for an international T20 event instead.

What is an international T20 event? We already have T20 WC.

Except for BD and Eng, players from all 7 countries are participating, so that will have the automatic support of 7 countries. But I am sure Ash and Aftab would get a call to play for Kolkata soon.

[sharifk]

Originally Posted by pocha
What is an international T20 event? We already have T20 WC.

Except for BD and Eng, players from all 7 countries are participating, so that will have the automatic support of 7 countries. But I am sure Ash and Aftab would get a call to play for Kolkata soon.

if you read my first post again, i have explained of the suggested international t20 league. ..t20 wc isn't an yearly event and it's participated by qualitified countries...whereas the suggested international t20 league is for major international cities of full member countries....this way bd may have one or more teams (e.g. for chittagong, etc.) playing home and away against other international cities of other member countries....

[pocha]

Originally Posted by sharifk
if you read my first post again, i have explained of the suggested international t20 league. ..t20 wc isn't an yearly event and it's participated by qualitified countries...whereas the suggested international t20 league is for major international cities of full member countries....this way bd may have one or more teams (e.g. for chittagong, etc.) playing home and away against other international cities of other member countries....

It is impossible to have an International league like you are proposing. Ind already have 8 teams. Bd (acc to you) will have 2-3 teams. Pak will have 3-4 teams. WI will have 4 teams. So in that way we will end up will 40-50 teams and it is IMPOSSIBLE to have round robin home-away league for 50 teams. It will take a whole year to conduct a international league like that

[sharifk]

Originally Posted by pocha
It is impossible to have an International league like you are proposing. Ind already have 8 teams. Bd (acc to you) will have 2-3 teams. Pak will have 3-4 teams. WI will have 4 teams. So in that way we will end up will 40-50 teams and it is IMPOSSIBLE to have round robin home-away league for 50 teams. It will take a whole year to conduct a international league like that

i have only tried to give a "what" type of answers and to answer "how" we probably will have to analyze and discussions need to take place among all the member countries....you can't say impossible without looking at all options such as limiting total numbers of teams or allowing teams to schedule a limited number of total matches (not to mention equal for everyone)....for example, nfl in the us limits the total number each team play to 16....plus a game like t20 can be played every day in the allocated two months....even something like double tripple headers a day, etc...there can be many ways to handle the league within 2 months....and this can allow big revenues to cities and players as well instead of all the money going into a single domestic league..

[sharifk]

It's interesting that others are thinking of the same now....


-------------------------

How does the ICC remedy that inequality? How does it renew its control over cricket's calendar, to guard against a repeat of this year's absurd and meaningless congestion, and distribute revenues from the game more equitably, so that the game prospers all over the world? There is actually a solution so compellingly simple, logical and obvious that you just know it can never happen: the BCCI cedes control over the IPL and the Champions League to the ICC, which makes them into genuinely global tournaments with franchises in every Test-playing country, and in due course perhaps some non-Test playing ones too.

Presto: the traditional monopoly of the official game is restored, although the players continue to benefit from any market growth, because of the competition for their services from the new franchises, and the fans in other countries are given a stake in the excitement, rather than essentially having to look over Indian fans' shoulder. Other boards can cease their so-far fruitless and essentially pointless efforts to grow their own Twenty20 attractions; instead they share the benefits via ICC distributions from a properly constituted and multilaterally governed worldwide competition. Lalit Modi accepts the thanks of a grateful cricket world, and sheers off to star as himself in a Bollywood biopic.

The obstacles? One is the ICC's reputation, reminiscent of a jest told at the Australian newspaper giant John Fairfax after its ruin in an ill-starred leveraged buy-out led by impatient heir Warwick Fairfax: "How do you create a small business? Give a large business to Warwick Fairfax." Who would trust ICC to run a corner store after the shambles of the last World Cup, of which those final nocturnal meanderings were somehow a profoundly fitting culmination?

It's a fair question. By the same token, it's not as though the BCCI is exactly a streamlined model of commercial efficiency either, struggling with such complicated tasks as answering phone calls and delivering mail; were it issued a school report, meanwhile, the teacher would be obliged to make the comment "Does not play well with others". The greatest strength the BCCI enjoys is India - the fans, the viewers, the market - which it has done no more to deserve than by existing.

No, the chief obstacles to this proposition would be as straightforward as the proposition itself: ego, personal and national. The IPL is about India as much, if not more, than cricket; about the country's status in its own eyes and those of others; against that, even the welfare of cricket is perhaps a paltry concern.

Yet the influence and significance of India would hardly be diluted at all: the economic epicentre for an International Premier League/International Champions League would still overwhelmingly be where it is now. The only change would be that certain individuals very powerful today would be somewhat less so, even if they would in a sense be yielding their power to a countryman in the ICC's president-elect Sharad Pawar, and that the indigenous pride engendered by the IPL might in the short term be diffused, to perhaps be rekindled in due course by the prospect of Bangalore Royal Challengers v Durban Dik-Diks or Kolkata Knight Riders v Cardiff Kojaks. Whatever the case, cricket's increasingly divided house must be put in order. The ICC's crisis of relevance is, to borrow a line from Barack Obama's chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, a crisis too good to waste.

Gideon Haigh is a cricket historian and writer

© Cricinfo Source and the entire article:

http://www.cricinfo.com/decadereview...ry/440354.html

[Raynman]

As much as I have been a supporter of T20 cricket, an annual T20 international league would be overkill and kill the excitement of the format just like ICC has done for ODIs and Tests with poor scheduling.

I am, however, all for a qualification route to the T20 WC that will involve a large number of cricket nations (Full, Associates + more). An example would be to take 24 teams, split into groups of 6 where each team can play each other multiple times home and away and the top 4 from each team qualify to the T20 World cup. this will give countries like AFG, ARG, NAM etc. matches with the big teams and help boost cricket excitement around the globe.

[sharifk]

Originally Posted by Raynman
As much as I have been a supporter of T20 cricket, an annual T20 international league would be overkill and kill the excitement of the format just like ICC has done for ODIs and Tests with poor scheduling.

I am, however, all for a qualification route to the T20 WC that will involve a large number of cricket nations (Full, Associates + more). An example would be to take 24 teams, split into groups of 6 where each team can play each other multiple times home and away and the top 4 from each team qualify to the T20 World cup. this will give countries like AFG, ARG, NAM etc. matches with the big teams and help boost cricket excitement around the globe.

it's not about a T20 competition of national teams....it's of professional franchises/clubs ... something like the champions league (e.g. dhaka vs. mumbai)....this way may be IPL can be International Premier League instead of Indian Premier League ..

[bharat]

Originally Posted by sharifk
it's not about a T20 competition of national teams....it's of professional franchises/clubs ... something like the champions league (e.g. dhaka vs. mumbai)....this way may be IPL can be International Premier League instead of Indian Premier League ..

In case you missed there is a Champions league for that .BD is to have a team in that league next year .

Seeing this years response I dont think it will be successful ! The fans rather watch India vs BD rather than dhaka vs Mumbai !

IPL is a different beast , its been successful because of Indian city teams playing each other (and of course wine,women and movie starts).An Indian fan would not be interested in a match between Dhaka and Chittagong , in the same way a BD fan would not be interested in a game between Sailkot and Faislabad. Take out BD and international players out of IPL ..an avergae BD fan wouldnt care about IPL as well !

[Eshen]

Originally Posted by bharat
In case you missed there is a Champions league for that .BD is to have a team in that league next year .

Really?!

I wonder if that team will come out of DPL, NCL, or PCL (yeah, we got too many domestic T20 leagues).

[kalpurush]

Originally Posted by bharat
In case you missed there is a Champions league for that .BD is to have a team in that league next year .

Seeing this years response I dont think it will be successful ! The fans rather watch India vs BD rather than dhaka vs Mumbai !

IPL is a different beast , its been successful because of Indian city teams playing each other (and of course wine,women and movie starts).An Indian fan would not be interested in a match between Dhaka and Chittagong , in the same way a BD fan would not be interested in a game between Sailkot and Faislabad. Take out BD and international players out of IPL ..an avergae BD fan wouldnt care about IPL as well !

True. No point for another Champions League type league.

[sharifk]

Originally Posted by bharat
In case you missed there is a Champions league for that .BD is to have a team in that league next year .

Seeing this years response I dont think it will be successful ! The fans rather watch India vs BD rather than dhaka vs Mumbai !

IPL is a different beast , its been successful because of Indian city teams playing each other (and of course wine,women and movie starts).An Indian fan would not be interested in a match between Dhaka and Chittagong , in the same way a BD fan would not be interested in a game between Sailkot and Faislabad. Take out BD and international players out of IPL ..an avergae BD fan wouldnt care about IPL as well !

first of all i don't think champions league is the answer because it is of the domestic champions of major cricketing nations.....you see cricket hasn't emerged yet as a major global sport....yet it already has created so many formats of the game that it is difficult for any team or nation to manage so many tournaments...on the other hand until the shorter version has been introduced, professional cricketers have been underpaid compared to major global sport professionals.....t20 has shown commercial prospects....however, as we all know the real cricket is the test cricket.....and if test dies so will die the beauty of cricket......how can we find a balance where the game of cricket is saved while allowing cricketers to make some additional income?

this is where we must support a system which doesn't insist international cricketers to retire early to join t20 tourneys......the system must allow each major cricketing nation and its players profit from a limited shorter version of the competition....while this version is not overkilled.....for this we must not support too many domestic t20 competitions of franchise teams.....and a champions league suggests of domestic t20 leagues.......we also must not support of a system that allows all the benefits of this short versions goes to a single nation so we need to support international premier league instead of indian premier league...and for this franchise teams need to be created under icc guidelines in each test playing country....and the ftp needs to be created such that a small window is allowed each year for such competition....the remaining time for the real cricket....

[yaseer]

Originally Posted by sharifk
it's not about a T20 competition of national teams....it's of professional franchises/clubs ... something like the champions league (e.g. dhaka vs. mumbai)....this way may be IPL can be International Premier League instead of Indian Premier League ..

There is already a champions league, right? why another one? What is new in that?

Why do you think Dhaka vs Mumbai match will be more interesting than BD vs IND? Who cares about a somerset vs Trinidad match? We have seen that champions league was not 10% successful as IPL. IPL is a totally different thing as Bharat pointed out.

Why BCCI will allow ICC to take the control of IPL as "International Premier League"? BCCI will never let it happen and there will be a ICC vs BCCI competition, always BCCI going to win because they have the money. So, no "International Premier League", only "Indian Premiere league".

I also want our younger players to play longer version and want to keep them away from T20 as much as possible in their development stage. I take loosing to Ireland 10 times in a T20 match over a Test win any day. T20 is a fun game, and our young cricketers only should be allowed to have fun after they develop as a cricketer. We already have a T20 league, and that is enough for the moment. We should concentrate to NCL and make them more competitive.

[sharifk]

Originally Posted by yaseer
There is already a champions league, right? why another one? What is new in that?

okay, i said something like a champions league, but the answer isn't within the champions league....see the champions league implies that each major cricket nation has a domestic t2o league like the current ipl....where champions and/or runner ups from each domestic league plays in the champions league.....this is overkilling of this format...if at all feasible.....the answer lies within a single premier league of professional clubs from all test playing nations.....

Originally Posted by yaseer
Why do you think Dhaka vs Mumbai match will be more interesting than BD vs IND? Who cares about a somerset vs Trinidad match? We have seen that champions league was not 10% successful as IPL. IPL is a totally different thing as Bharat pointed out.

I am sure you know the difference between england vs spain and liverpool vs real madrid....but both of these types of competitions are proven successful....if a kolkata vs delhi game can have audience, so can a dhaka vs delhi....

Originally Posted by yaseer
Why BCCI will allow ICC to take the control of IPL as "International Premier League"? BCCI will never let it happen and there will be a ICC vs BCCI competition, always BCCI going to win because they have the money. So, no "International Premier League", only "Indian Premiere league".

it seems someone like many others has been brain washed......the answer lies within the question: will cricket be a global game or an indian sport?

Originally Posted by yaseer
I also want our younger players to play longer version and want to keep them away from T20 as much as possible in their development stage. I take loosing to Ireland 10 times in a T20 match over a Test win any day. T20 is a fun game, and our young cricketers only should be allowed to have fun after they develop as a cricketer. We already have a T20 league, and that is enough for the moment. We should concentrate to NCL and make them more competitive.

is it really just a fun game? if the professional cricketers were that naive, they wouldn't quit international career early to join just the fun...

i agree with you that our players need to develop their skills in the longer versions, but it's a concern at the moment as to what will be the future of the longer versions....so to survive in the international level, our players must learn how to play all formats...

[yaseer]

Originally Posted by sharifk
okay, i said something like a champions league, but the answer isn't within the champions league....see the champions league implies that each major cricket nation has a domestic t2o league like the current ipl....where champions and/or runner ups from each domestic league plays in the champions league.....this is overkilling of this format...if at all feasible.....the answer lies within a single premier league of professional clubs from all test playing nations.....

mate, are you talking about that there will be no domestic T20 competition and all domestic teams will compete in "International Premiere League"? We have 12 clubs playing in DPL and 6 FC teams in NCL? All 12 or 6 clubs/teams then participate? If not then how you select which team going to participate? Also the number of teams in domestics is not the same for each country. If all teams not going to play from each country, then there must be a domestic tournament to select. If you are saying all will particiapte then number of matches of your version of IPL can reach 100/200.

Originally Posted by sharifk
I am sure you know the difference between england vs spain and liverpool vs real madrid....but both of these types of competitions are proven successful....if a kolkata vs delhi game can have audience, so can a dhaka vs delhi....

Aren't you comparing apple with oranges?
Let first make a team like Liverpool or Real Madrid in cricket who has fan base world-wide then go to that format.
Also champions league foot-ball in Europe and same type of tournament in Cricket world-wide is totally different. Already some of the members have mentioned about the travel issues and commercial viability.

Originally Posted by sharifk
it seems someone like many others has been brain washed......the answer lies within the question: will cricket be a global game or an indian sport?

If BCCI decides, though there is a "International Premiere League", they still want to have a domestic championship that is "Indian Premiere League". Can ICC stop that? Can ICC say to us that you cannot have a DPL?

Originally Posted by sharifk
is it really just a fun game? if the professional cricketers were that naive, they wouldn't quit international career early to join just the fun...

i agree with you that our players need to develop their skills in the longer versions, but it's a concern at the moment as to what will be the future of the longer versions....so to survive in the international level, our players must learn how to play all formats...

Yes, money is there in T20 thats why its drawing attention of the international players. But the format itself is still for the fun of spectators. Still a good performance in Test/ODI is remembered or ranked more than a T20 performance.