Cricket league

That’s been the daily call sheet for each of the Kannada film actors who will be playing for team Karnataka at the much-hyped Celebrity Cricket League which kick-starts on June 4 in Bangalore.

“An hour and a half of physical training, followed by an intense practise session on the field for another hour is rounded off with more exercise,” says actor Dharma, one of the team members.
The preparation does not end here. A healthy diet plan and a couple of mandatory rules put forth by the team’s captain, actor-director Sudeep, has resulted in a team of film actors that could actually beat a team of professional cricket players recently.

“We played against a team of players, many of whom have been part of the Under 21 and Under 19 teams for Karnataka, and were shocked when we tied with them. They had scored 192 runs and when we took to batting, we did not expect to get even half way there. While that was a good match, we are waiting to see what will unfold during the main matches in June,” says actor Mahesh.

News of these intense practise sessions have travelled to the
other participating film industries too, and a source says, “One of the actors from the Tamil film industry called to ask if Sudeep has started Karnataka’s own Chak De team. It does seem like that, for the team’s players are not allowed to partytoo late into the night. They are also off alcohol and smoking to ensure good stamina. Now, after a good month or two of daily practise, the team is looking good on the field.”

Also on call, on the field is doctor and physiotherapist Ramakanth, who has been a consultant to the Indian cricket team. During practise, a lot of the players tend to suffer minor sprains and injuries, which need immediate attention. In fact, Sudeep seems to have dislocated a small bone on his finger. “It happened last week, and the doctor says it requires a surgery. But I can’t risk a surgery just days before the matches begin. It will just have to wait. Until then, Ramakanth is helping out every morning with physiotherapy,” says Sudeep.

With so much preparation underway for the upcoming matches, the players seem to be doing their bit. The team owner, Ashok Kheny, has done his bit too — what with the number of crores he has invested on the team as well as on the film artiste’s association. Since the matches begin in Bangalore, the rest of the film industry is expected to be heading to the grounds on June 4 as well, to cheer for the Karnataka Bulldozers. Film stars playing for Hindi, Tamil and Telugu film industries are going to battle it out on the field. So the question is… are you gonna be there too?

Stars, biz houses for OPL innings

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has spawned off its first clone in the country. The championship,which revolutionized the business of cricket, has inspired film stars and corporate houses in the state to launch their own version of the IPL — the Orissa Premier League (OPL). The state-level league is taking a leaf right out of the IPL and is all set to become a starstudded affair. The IPL,which has movie stars like Shahrukh Khan, Priety Zinta, Shilpa Shetty and business biggies like Mukesh Ambani and Vijay Mallya bidding for players, purchasing them and rooting for their teams all through the tournament, gained huge popularity due to its high glamour quotient. The OPL, on the same lines, has many Oriya actors, corporate houses, Page 3 celebrities and educational institutions queuing up to buy teams. The inaugural season of the tournament will be held between May 22 and June 5.

Ollywood stars Anubhav Mohanty, Sritam Das and many corporate houses in the state are padding up to bid for their own teams. Anubhav revealed that he is in talks with Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) officials regarding the modalities of buying a team. "I have been a cricketer myself and, like most other Indians, I just love the game. The OPL is a brilliant idea as it will provide a good platform to many budding cricketers in the state. I am keenly considering the proposal of buying a team," said Anubhav. The Olly star, however, did not divulge which team he would bid for. "I am a true-blue Oriya and every place in the state holds equal importance for me," he added. Orissa Cricket Association secretary Asirbad Behera, meanwhile, stated that many corporate houses and actors have expressed their interest in purchasing teams in the OPL, but he declined to divulge any details. "Many Ollywood stars and business firms have already started approaching us to buy teams. They are inquiring about the terms and conditions of owning a team in the OPL. The response towards the OPL has been overwhelming," said Behera.

The tournament will be played between eight teams, which will be shortlisted from 13 teams fixed by the OCA.The earmarked 13 teams are: Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Berhampur, Sambalpur,Augul, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Puri, Kendrapara, Dhenkanal, Jajpur and Balasore. Submission of bids by aspiring franchise owners will start on May 3 and close on May 9. Bids will be opened on May 9. The players will be auctioned on May 13 and the entire auction will be telecast live on a television channel. The OCA has fixed a base price of Rs 4 lakh for any franchise to own a team. It has prepared a gradation list of the top 100 cricketers of Orissa.

The base price for a grade A player has been fixed at Rs 50,000,while for a grade B player, it stands at Rs 30,000. A grade C player's base price is Rs 20,000; Rs 10,000 for a grade D player; for a grade E player, the price is fixed at Rs 5,000. The OPL will kick off on May 22nd and will continue till June 5. A total of 27 matches will be played in the tournament including the final.The winning team will get a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh,while the runners-up will be awarded Rs 2 lakh.

Sports stars denies AV in battle of level playing fields

FORMER Yorkshire and England bowler Darren Gough is among a string of sporting celebrities who have given their backing to the “No” campaign.

Ex-Olympic rower Alex Story, who stood for the Conservatives in Wakefield in last year’s general election, was another of the 13 sportsmen and women urging people to vote No, along with former England cricket captain David Gower, double Olympic champion rower James Cracknell, Formula One team boss Sir Frank Williams, former England cricket captain David Gower and this year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winning jockey Sam Waley-Cohen.

Tory-supporting Gough said: “I talk sport every single day, four till seven, so I know a level playing field when I see it. In cricket, you’re either in or out.

“So when I played cricket for England, when I was given out, I had to walk, I had to go. You didn’t get a second chance, so why should it be any different in politics? In cricket, we have what they call the corridor of uncertainty, and if you vote yes to AV, that’s exactly what you’re getting, but in politics.”

Mr Story said: “I, like most people, want clarity. In politics, the more opaque the system, the more the politicians win, and the more the people lose. I went to the Olympic Games and I lost, but my time as an athlete was not wasted. I took part, I’m still very proud of it, and our political system must reflect the same thing: there has to be a winner, there has to be a loser.”

Yesterday Billy Bragg was among campaigners backing the “Yes” campaign at the launch of a national advertising campaign seizing on British National Party leader Nick Griffin’s support for the current first-past-the-post system.

Cricket stars blanched on their plates

 

" Pathan Ka Chaap Shot" (lamb chops) kept a lot of fans going when the tension was thick and the suspense growing. You wouldn't think that with an India-Pak match on you could eat a morsel, specially something heavy like chicken sheekh rolled in egg tawa paratha except when it comes in the disguise of "Gauti Ka Purana Pyaar".

Restaurants and bars came up with innovative ways to celebrate the match as cheering fans sipped drinks named after signature moves of their favourite cricket stars. One of the hottest-selling drinks at a pub, Blues, in Connaught Place was "Dhoni's Helicopter". Another favourite was "Square Cut".

Tabula Rasa in Saket handed out complimentary blue and green cocktails (with vodka as main ingredient apparently) to go with the colours of the two warring teams. But with the crowd bulging, those soon ran out.

Blanco in Khan Market created a special menu specially for the match. "Best Bouncer" — a potent mix of gin, vodka and tequila — emerged a clear favourite. Names of drinks were drawn from cricketing vocabulary. There was "Caught and bowled" (fancy name for the classic 'gin and tonic') and there was "Third Umpire" (frozen margaritas in three flavours).

"People were having shots of 'Mesmerizing Sixer' which has Kahlua, Baileys and Triple Sec. But most drank beer as the constant cheering made them thirsty," says Mahesh Katial of Blanco. For food, they had the "Indian Spin Googly" — a food combo, including chicken, paratha and lentils. For vegetarians, chicken was substituted with cottage cheese. There was also the 'Irish Sweep" which is Irish-style country-roast chicken served with potatoes. The World Cup Special Combo was an assortment of vegetarian and non-vegetarian snacks and six pints of beer.

Blues also had the curious, non-cricket-related "Firangi Pasand Hindustani Style" — essentially a vegetarian cheese burger.

Stars decide for Emirates Airline Twenty20

 

Dubai cricket fans are being promised a feast of runs and thrilling entertainment when the Emirates Airline Twenty20 gets underway at The Sevens cricket ground on Friday. This year’s tournament is likely to serve up plenty of spectacular action with the likes of Indian legend Sourav Ganguly, England spinner Monty Panesar and Kiwi batsman Lou Vincent all in the mix.

County champions Nottinghamshire will be taking on Durham, Sussex and defending champions Fly Emirates XI as well as a specially assembled MCC side captained by Ganguly. “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Durham, Sussex, Nottinghamshire and the MCC to Dubai for what promises to be an entertaining spectacle of sport,” said Richard Vaughan, Emirates’ DSVP Commercial Operations Worldwide.

“We are also looking forward to watching our very own Fly Emirates XI side get the tournament under way in the opening match here at 7he Sevens, Emirates’ dedicated sports and events facility. The cricket pitches have been in operation for a year now and are in top condition, so the stage is set for a great day of sport. “Fly Emirates XI are the defending champions after beating Sussex in the final last year and our players - talented employees from the Emirates Group who juggle their love for cricket with busy work schedules - are excited about once again being able to test themselves against top professionals,” added Vaughan.

Ganguly, who last played for the MCC against Pakistan, said: "It is an honour and a pleasure to represent MCC, and I am absolutely delighted to have been invited to play for the club in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 competition.”.  “I thoroughly enjoyed captaining the MCC side that took on the Pakistanis at Lord's last summer, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to play in another talented MCC team.”

Also looking forward to the challenge is Sussex’s Monty Panesar, who was part of England’s Ashes winning squad last season. “All the squad at Sussex are very much looking forward to the pre-season trip to Dubai and in particular the Emirates Airline Twenty20 tournament, as it will be great to get into some competitive action before the new season in England,” said Panesar. “We did well to get to the final of the tournament last year and we’ll be looking to go one better this time around,” he added.

The Durham team, which features the likes of Steve Harmison, Ian Blackwell and Phil Mustard, are equally fired up for the tournament and will be tough to beat. “The lads always go in to every competition wanting to win and this competition is no different. Winning is a habit and one we want to get in to straight away. We’re going to be up against tough opposition but we’ll be putting in every effort to bring the trophy back to the north east,” said Harmison.

Meanwhile, county champions Nottinghamshire will be looking to continue their fine form from last season when they step out onto the pitch at The Sevens. “We take Twenty20 cricket very seriously and one of our objectives for this season is to reach finals day in our domestic competition. The quality of the opposition in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 is very high and it goes without saying that we’re keen to win the competition,” said Notts captain Chris Read.

Matches begin at The Sevens at 10.30am on Friday. Another highlight for fans heading to the tournament will be the presence of former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who has been selected to captain the Kings XI Punjab in this year’s IPL. Gilchrist is lending his support to the Emirates Airline Twenty20 and will be at The Sevens to take in some of the action at the April 1 event as well as meeting fans and signing autographs. He will be joined by Kings XI Punjab teammates Dinesh Karthik, who has represented India in 52 ODIs and 23 Tests, and Shaun Marsh of Australia.

Also running alongside the Emirates Airline Twenty20 will be an Under-11s Kwik Cricket tournament. Friends and families of the school children participating in this fun tournament are expected to come and cheer them on, adding to the festive atmosphere. “There is plenty to look forward to at this year’s Emirates Airline Twenty20 with a great line-up of players who are certain to provide some excellent entertainment,” said Tournament Director Matthew Jackson. “With the kids tournament running alongside the main event as well, this certainly promises to be a true carnival of cricket,” he added.

Tickets to the Emirates Airline Twenty20 on Friday are Dh25 with children under 12 gaining free admission provided they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Seating is on grass banks and fans are being encouraged to bring along their own garden chairs and sun umbrellas. Tickets are available from the Promoseven Sports Marketing offices in the Emarat Atrium Building, Sheikh Zayed Road and will also be on sale at the gate at The Sevens ground, which is located on the Dubai - Al Ain Road just beyond Exit 29/30, on the day of the tournament. For any enquiries regarding the event, call the Promoseven Sports Marketing offices on +971 4 321 0008.

World Cup India Pakistan match

 

Virender Sehwag had once come up with this highly entertaining tale about his sledging with Shoaib Akhtar during an India-Pakistan match: “Shoaib was repeatedly bowling bouncers and I kept ducking. He’d walk up to me and taunt `show me your hook shot’.  After a lot of this sort of talk, I told him pointing out at Sachin, `that’s your father at the non-striker’s end. Ask him to show you the shot.’ Next over Shoaib bounced at Sachin and he hooked him for a six. I walked by Shoaib and remarked, “Beta beta hota hai, baap baap hota hai”.

Sehwag’s inimitable wry humour is legendary in cricket circles. He has his own way of seeing the funny side even during tense moments and it is this extraordinary gift which helps him make light of any pressure. Pakistanis, in fact, bring out the best in him as he can banter with them in Hindi.  It is no wonder that while other players on either side of the border succumb to nerves in these needle matches, he has a triple ton and a double ton to show, among other sterling performances.

Pakistani all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who grew up in a one room house in Lahore with eight others and learnt his initial cricket on the streets, hit the nail on the head when he explained pressure associated with India-Pakistan matches.  “All my countrymen want to see only a win against India. They do not care for anything else. They put tremendous pressure on us all the time to win against India. We don’t enjoy it at all. The tension is too much.”

He could well have been echoing the feelings of the Indian cricketers, except, in this case, these are a billion people who’d settle for nothing other than an Indian victory.  While the India-Pakistan rivalry has existed right from the time of partition, it was the series of matches in Sharjah that really gave a fillip to the needle. Sharjah, now denounced as the epicentre of betting and match-fixing, was supposedly a neutral venue and the television rights from these games were used by the organisers to keep both the Boards and others happy. It was at Sharjah that the pressure of India vs Pakistan matches took a new dimension.

The matches would be staged on Fridays, which was a holiday for the Indian subcontinent’s expatriates working in UAE. The cheap seats, which stretched through most of the stadium, were filled with noisy, abusive Pakistani spectators.  Indian film stars, board officials and VIPs were wooed by the organisers and seated in the exclusive VIP section (along with the likes of Dawood Ibrahim). Indian spectators were outnumbered in the stands (many Indians claimed they could not get their hands on these tickets, which were almost exclusively made available to Pakistanis). The Indian cricketers were booed, berated and maligned by the spectators till it unnerved them. The umpiring too sucked at times.

But what took the cake was in the shopping malls and other entertainment areas in Dubai and Sharjah. The Indian expats would harangue the players and demand they first defeat Pakistan before venturing out to relax or shop. “We will give away these items free to you,” they’d mock. “Go and win first.” It was, without doubt, traumatic for the Indian cricketers. They were harassed and picked on, on the ground and off it too. And this was pressure — of the most intense kind that they had to endure it series after series in Sharjah. Those who could withstand it, like Sachin Tendulkar, for instance, became mega stars. But there were some who packed up while others were accused of colluding with fixers and other undesirable elements.

The dozen-odd years of Sharjah tournaments almost destroyed the credibility of Indian cricket till the ICC and BCCI were goaded into action by a series of media exposes. The venue was banned for international cricket. So too were a few players and officials. But the pressure and the hype that visited the two teams those days remained. The wide reach of satellite television ensured that the rivalry grew more passionate and the pressure more extreme for the players of the two nations.

It is perhaps ironic that the eagerly awaited semifinal clash on Wednesday is to be staged at Mohali in Punjab rather than any other Indian venue. Mohali is not very far from the Wagah border and whichever team wins will encourage extra pep that evening to its soldiers and citizens during the ‘beating the retreat’ ceremony. As it is, the lowering of the flag each evening is a jingoistic exercise at the border. The result of the cricket match in the neighbourhood of this location would certainly send tempers and passions soaring at the ceremony next evening.

Certainly an India-Pakistan match is not just a game. And its result does not impact only the main protagonists. The match and its intensity would suck into its vortex so many others, in so many different walks of life throughout the world. This is why so many Indians who interact with Pakistanis in the US, Middle East, Europe and elsewhere would want their team to emerge triumphant. Nothing else would matter. For them, and for the billion strong Indians, a win against Pakistan is not everything. It is the only thing!

Indian cricket star steps up to bend for children’s charity

 

It’s becoming fashionable for sports stars to offer personal memorabilia for auction on eBay for a good cause, and the latest to join in the trend is the current Indian cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Dhoni, one of the world’s top batsmen, has offered one of his collection of bats to the highest bidder  to raise funds for CRY India, an organisation which campaigns for the rights of the country’s large numbers of underprivileged children.

Bidding started at just one rupee, and at the time of writing was up to Rs11,300 – just under £155. An extra Rs500 is being charged for express delivery anywhere in India, but if the buyer came from elsewhere, they would have to make their own arrangements using a world courier.

However, there is plenty of time left to secure this unique item, as the sale will run until 11am BST next Thursday, March 31.

Bay senior manager, pop culture, Deepa Thomas said: “We are positive that the auction for the bat autographed by M S Dhoni will prove popular with cricket fans around the world.”

Dhoni will be back in action on Thursday, and again he could have a busy time in his joint captain/wicketkeeper role, as him team takes on Australia for a place in the tournament’s semi-finals.