Is the exclusion of Mashrafee & Ashraful from IPL a deliberate Indian ploy?

[xunta]

While I am not one for conspiracy theories, and I apologize if this appears as a ploy to stoke Indo-Bangla resentment (it is not) I feel the time is right for the following questions to be asked:

KKR is already out of contention as of their 10th game. Why would they still leave Mashrafee out when they have failed miserably? Cost saving and more likely Indian national interest come to my mind as possible reasons:

Indian national interest - As Bangladesh and Ireland are the only teams in India's group at the ICC 20/20 World Cup, qualification for India to the next round is mostly a given. However should they lose to Bangladesh this will make their quarterfinal grouping a lot trickier. Remember that India went so far as to cut down the number of associates in the 2011 cricket world cup from 6 to 4 so that we can have two groups of 7 teams each in the world cup (14 total in 2011 compared to 16 in 2007) ensuring that India does not exit the competition with an unexpected loss. Looking at the football world cup where the number of participants increased from 13 in 1930 t0 32 in 2010, the trend in any world cup for any sport is to increase the number of participants, not the reverse which India has shortsightedly forced upon the ICC.

The ICC World Cup is the only avenue for associates starving for exposure and had we stuck to 6 teams for 2011 we would have had the joy of seeing the the fairytale story that is the Afghan cricket team making the way from refugee camps to the world cup as they finished 5th in the qualifiers. Howevers India's insecurity and lack of belief in its own capability and its overwhelming desire to qualify for the final stages of the world cup has denied Afghanistan and Scotland a place at the world cup. The ICC, a business venture heavily reliant on revenues from the Indian market and India's sucess in the international scene, willingly obliged.

While the IPL Chairman's claim that only 4 foreign players are allowed in any game as it is an "Indian league" sounds facetious in light of the fact that the IPL is probably the first national league in nay sport to be played entirely on foreign soil, it is nonethless financed by Indian business interests and administered by the Indian's national cricket authroity. I beleive it is not entirely implausible to wonder then whether the KKR highups have received insructions from above to not allow Mashrafee any valuable match practice given that he is our key bowler in the upcoming Twenty20 WorldCup. The same can also be said for KKR's fellow basement dwellers Mumbai who have denied Ashraful a single game despite their dismal performance. And whatever happened to Abdul Razzaq? He was cleared by the ICC for his bowling action before the IPL started. Why have we not heard anything about his return to the Bangalore squad? While some may argue that intentionally sitting out players like Ashraful and Mashrafee and causing them to vegetate can only stoke their desire to play harder against India, I think in reality, it destroys their self-confidence and certainly denies them invaluable training they could have had with the national team in Dhaka.

Another factor that must be kept in mind are the ICL players. As we have clearly seen, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the biggest losers from the ICL ban as half or more of our probable national teams' players are on the ICL roster. The same cannot be said for Indian players in the ICL as none are yet of national team quality. India refuses to even host Bangladesh for a series despite the fact that we've had test status for 9 years now. When Pakistan's 14 world cup games were stripped away, Bangladesh only got 3 of the reallocated games and couldnt even manage a semi-final. India must have the semi-final and final and the lions share of the matches. Is Bangladesh not a rightful co-host of the world cup as a sovereign nation? Yet, worse still, we have to listen to Indian dictates and ban ICL stars like Alok Kapali and Shahriar Nafees - who have well proved their worth in the 20/20 format - from our national team at the Twenty20 World Cup due to India's dictates? What does this serve if not Indian national interest?

Cost saving - I remember reading in the Daily Star shortly after the IPL started and Mashrafee was already in South Africa that he was still yet to sign his contract. I find that absurb given that Indians are the masters of affirming legal documents well in advance for every single aspect of the sport to ensure maximum financial returns. Just look at all the wranglings between IPL and ICL - the real reason the ICL is banned is because its a purely private venture and the BCCI can't make any profit out of it - simple as that. Legal wranglings over TV rights when it comes to broadcasting matches is always an issue. Yet Mashrafee can be the star of the IPL auction drama and the organizers don't give him a contract even when the tournament's begun and he's been in the KKR camp for weeks? This is purely deliberate and I have serious doubts that Mashrafee will see anything close to the $600,000 he signed up for. As someone pointed out, apparently he forgoes 20% of his pay if he doesnt play a game? I think he'd be lucky to still come away with 80% of $600,000 as opposed to totally getting screwed over. Indians know that the concept of sports management and professonal sports agents are either non-existant or rudimentary in Bangladesh and theyre taking our players for a ride. This is my take on the whole IPL business.

The only saving grace is that sports fans by nature are not immediately forgiving. If and when the KKR return to India next season and they hope to cash in on the "Bengali affinity" factor across the border in Bangaldesh, the reception they receive will be far more lukewarm when Bangladeshis recall the shabby treatment given out to their IPL recruits.

This is my sense on the matter. What do you guys think?

[Tigers_eye]

I think it is a Coach's decision + Cost saving from KKR - for Mash.
For Ash: He can't make it in the star studded Mumbai team. You can't leave Malinga out. Nor Duminy. Sanath is a must. So is Bravo.

No Indian ploy.

[akabir77]

I hope it is. then this will bite them in there ***...

[skhondoker]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
I think it is a Coach's decision + Cost saving from KKR - for Mash.
For Ash: He can't make it in the star studded Mumbai team. You can't leave Malinga out. Nor Duminy. Sanath is a must. So is Bravo.

No Indian ploy.

I think, all the teams except KKR is fighting for the semis and there seems to be no room for experiment with Ash for the MI as they have a winning combination
As for Mash, KKR is making this decision based on business point of view. I think it started as a Boka Nan's decision but ending with SRK decision to save the 20% of 600K

Sometimes I think that both should be back and practice at home for WT20, but then they should not give up the money (which is basically coming for free)...

[bdchamp20]

India's grouping won't change if they lose to Bangladesh. If they can be the Top 2 in Group A they will retain their A1 standing even if BD win both matches.

[Rabz]

I was actually thinking of it the whole day, well, since i found out Mash is not playing today.
Thanks to Xunta, you saved from writing a big post here mate.

But seriously, this is just not another conspiracy theory that i'm trying to cook up, but I'm finding reasons to believe that these all well be a ploy to undermine Bangladesh in the upcoming World Cup.

Remember 17th March 2007? We all do.

What was a glory for us, was a doomsday for the indians. It put them in shame and brought them hard down to earth from their self-acclaimed heavenly position. Even with their billion hopes and billion bucks, they lost to the baby of test cricket and got their butt kicked out of the world cup.
They were so confident that even their then captain Dravid complained about the inadequate rest between the finals of the WC and Bangladesh tour.

So, come this time and being grouped against Bangladesh again, they want to avenge that lucklustre lost during the last world cup and name & shame us on the next available opportunity.

So, what do they do?
They take two of our biggest stars ( Captain and Vice Captain) and keep them out of games, denying them of some valuable match practise before the world cup. Keep their morale low.

Also, Sakib was not picked despite being the top ranked all rounded at the time of the auction.

Its not that they are afraid of losing to us.
Its their ego that was dented and they want to take revenge. Much like the Italians did after the '90 WC with Maradona after his team beat them in the semi finals and denied them of a chance to be the world champs in their home soil.

Let them do whatever they do.
We will answer them on 6th June.
Mark that date on your calender bcci.

[bdchamp20]

It was Kumble who complained about the lack of space between the two dates.

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
I think it is a Coach's decision + Cost saving from KKR - for Mash.
For Ash: He can't make it in the star studded Mumbai team. You can't leave Malinga out. Nor Duminy. Sanath is a must. So is Bravo.

No Indian ploy.

well stated. there are many indian/BCCI ploys against us, but this ain't one of em.

mash getting 80% of his 600K is more than fair, plus the insult of not playing might be a difference maker come T20 WC. ash should be happy to just be on the squad, and should focus on how he can bring his averages up without playing a JO-like unbeaten knock.

i would much rather spend time exposing the dangerous trend of not offering BD tours by India, England, and now seemingly Australia. And we really need to start making our home tests count that much more.

much work remains to be done, finger pointing might serve to put the BCCI that we notice their bakwas, but when push comes to shove, we need to get our house in order. BCCI has nothing to do with that.

[LateCut]

Originally Posted by skhondoker
I I think it started as a Boka Nan's decision but ending with SRK decision to save the 20% of 600K

Is this true? If Mash does not play a single match he will only be paid $480K! I think it is worse than that. I wonder if his contract is publicly avaialble. I would surely like to take look at that. KKR are done for the season and thus have no incentive to win another match. If you want to advance a conspiracy theory then look at the bribing angle for those who are spilling dolly catches.

[HereWeGo]

If anyone is to blame than it might be buchanan. I do not see how BCCI is to blame here. I mean there is no other country that would pay so much for the services (or may be lack of) of our players. Last time I checked, the best thing that happened to the Bangladeshi players was some weekend cricket in England. I mean I would rather have ashraful practise against the quality of Sachin, Jaya, bravo etc than play with/against some Tom, Dick and Harry.

Conspiracy threory is all good, but may be its time to burn buchanan's effigy.

Lastly one good thing came from this KKR team. Atleast Buchanan would never be considered one of the best coaches. His name might be still on the record book for the most consecutive wins, however he was the coach of a team that never needed a coach.

[jahidus200]

this is make me really mad . i cant beleve he didnt even plays a single match . we shouldnt come to play india next season in ipl . and i will love to see bangladesh beating india in 2020 wc . i hope masraffie tamim asharful will do it beat the hell out of f india

[bharat]

My reaction to this thread

[BANFAN]

Definitely not a deliberate act.

We all know the attitude of the rest of the cric world about our cric. Some preconceived idea has definitely come into play. Gotto prove in the 20-20 world cup, to reverse the situation.

[AsifTheManRahman]

World War IV

[Tiger444]

Like anybody cares about your reaction bharat

[Tigers_eye]

Originally Posted by Rabz
... Even with their billion hopes and billion bucks, they lost to the baby of test cricket and got their butt kicked out of the world cup....

Ar koto conspiricy korba????

They got their butt kicked by us that part is right. But losing to us wasn't the reason they were out of the WC. They still could have easily qualified. Losing to SL was the reason they were out of the WC. Had they won that match, they wouldn't had to worry for qualifying for the second round (Courtesy to as$ whooping they gave to Bermuda, and the miserable show we put up against SL).

[al Furqaan]

Originally Posted by Tigers_eye
Ar koto conspiricy korba????

They got their butt kicked by us that part is right. But losing to us wasn't the reason they were out of the WC. They still could have easily qualified. Losing to SL was the reason they were out of the WC. Had they won that match, they wouldn't had to worry for qualifying for the second round (Courtesy to as$ whooping they gave to Bermuda, and the miserable show we put up against SL).

well according to komble bhai the BD match wasn't even an issue as a semi final spot had been booked and the time between those games and Mirpur Test was quite thin.

the SL game was always 50-50, you can never pencil in a win for that one. BD game was one which 9 times of 10 they are gonna take. superman clocked nearly 90 mph all spell, and tamim was wonder boy.

bottom line is that you have to assume that you can lose the SL game, you cannot assume you will win that one. because you also assume you will make the 2nd round, and since they did lose the SL game, it necessarily follows that under the exact circumstances that happened, we did knock them out of the WC.

if we hadn't, there would have been 2 more minnows in the next world cup.

[Zeeshan]

Originally Posted by Rabz
Let them do whatever they do.
We will answer them on 6th June.
Mark that date on your calender bcci.

If on June 6th India gets a special spanking that'd be a double whammy for me given the fact that date used to be my ex's birthday.

[nycpro96]

Its also my sisters birthday. I just noticed its on the 6th lol.

[xunta]

Originally Posted by bdchamp20
India's grouping won't change if they lose to Bangladesh. If they can be the Top 2 in Group A they will retain their A1 standing even if BD win both matches.

BDChamp20 - If India win Group A, they play the second placed team in group B and D and the first placed team in Group C. If they come 2nd in Group A (lose to Bangladesh and Bangladesh also beats Ireland) then their job is that much harder as they play the first placed teams in Group B and D and and the second placed team in Group C. I find it impossible to understand how you can say its impossible for India to come second even if they lose to BD unless they start the World Cup with some handicap points

[smashyboy]

Nice imagination. Even Indian players are struggling to play for KKR team..

[Sohel]

Conspiracies are hardly necessary when certain attitudes and biases prevail throughout (their) national cricket psyche spontaneously designed by their media.

[Sovik]

mumbai can't leave out jaya, bravo, duminy or malinga. so tough luck ash

and for mash, its the tough economy. KKR is trying to save that 20%

[wiseshah]

mash should have played for rajhsthan or punjab Xi, then he could have played more matches.

ash might replace jaysuriya sometimes soon or malinga. Mumbai indians rotate their players, so he might have option.

KKR case is something, there is some issue. i am sure next match they will try charles langevelt, most probably they are saving their 20%

[cricman]

According to The Telegraph’s sources, the other day, Mortaza told a confidant: “Cheerleader howa hi bhalo hoto... That way, I would have been doing something... Boshe ki hoye?”