IPL 2014: Official Thread

[Mego Red]

I really like the fact there are four internationals in the side, so there is always a chance players from multiple countries are on the same team, like Chennai who had Bravo, Hussey and Albie Morkel.

The player auction is also awesome to follow live. I find it fascinating how some players fetch a million plus in a bidding war and other stars go for their base price.

It's a very good competition, hopefully we get some FTA coverage this season. Though the YouTube stream is excellent,

Id be more interested if there were no restrictions.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Id be more interested if there were no restrictions.

Are you interested in the Big Bash?

It is essentially the domestic Indian competition, not sure why they'd ever consider lifting the restrictions.

 

[Underarm]

Yeah it's the lack of player retention that makes it really tough to get invested. I can barely pick between stars and renegades.

Also, Indian cricket doesnt excite me. I much prefer the English T20's and the champions league over it.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

It is essentially the domestic Indian competition, not sure why they'd ever consider lifting the restrictions.

To raise the playing standard and increase foreign interest.

Both would go up with the world's best (more or less) 88 players.

Are Pakistanis allowed to play in it yet?

 

[Carbine Chaos]

To raise the standard and increase foreign interest. Imagine how good it'd be with more or less the world's best 88 players.

Are Pakistanis allowed to play in it yet?

It would be good for the neutral, but India (rightly so) want their fringe and young players involved and playing as much as possible.

I don't think they are at the moment, which sucks.

 

[evdo1706]

Are Pakistanis allowed to play in it yet?

I don't think they are at the moment, which sucks.

Pakistanis shot themselves in the foot in 2009. Contrary to popular belief it was them who stopped the players from playing in the IPL in 2009 after the Mumbai attack. Teams with Pakistani players suffered because of that. The situation between India and Pakistan is always volatile since then and a similar incident can never be ruled out. If I was a team owner I wouldn't risk my limited money on a Pakistani player. It's pure business. Pakistani players were put on the auction last year or the year before but no team bought them, so it's not like they are not allowed, just that no one is willing to buy them. http://www.espncricinfo.com/ipl2009/content/story/388728.html

 

[monty1104]

I thought Pakistani players were going to play this year. Could be wrong though. Just going off a comment in the BBL.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Trying to think of the Pakistani players who would get picked up. Gul hasn't been playing much from memory, though he may be fit again now? Afridi is a mental case and teams may not have picked him up anyway. Arafat is a great death bowler so probably would have gone on the cheap. Umar Akmal doesn't do enough with his talent. Misbah would be a certainty IMO. Junaid Khan too probably.

 

[Aussie_boy]

Hafeez and Malik would probably go relatively cheaply as well. Sohail Tanvir? Not sure if he is still around or not and Ajmal of course would go.

 

[The_Reaper]

To raise the playing standard and increase foreign interest.

Both would go up with the world's best (more or less) 88 players.

Are Pakistanis allowed to play in it yet?

Nope. Good news for the Scorchers if they make Champions League.

Apparently 5 Afghans will get an opportunity though.

Hafeez and Malik would probably go relatively cheaply as well. Sohail Tanvir? Not sure if he is still around or not and Ajmal of course would go.

Hafeez is a very, very good T20 player.

Junaid Khan and Mohammad Irfan would also do quite well. I expect Gul would probably get a contract.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Apparently 5 Afghans will get an opportunity though.

Without knowing anything about them, it's hard to imagine them being picked up and getting games.

 

[The_Reaper]

Without knowing anything about them, it's hard to imagine them being picked up and getting games.

Apparently the BCCI promised the ACB that 5 players would get an opportunity.

Given that Ireland can produce a few players worthy of getting games it wouldn't surprise me if the Afghans had a few. Apparently most of their front line quicks can bowl 85-90 mph consistently.
And they did almost beat Pakistan not too long ago in a T20

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Apparently the BCCI promised the ACB that 5 players would get an opportunity.

Given that Ireland can produce a few players worthy of getting games it wouldn't surprise me if the Afghans had a few. Apparently most of their front line quicks can bowl 85-90 mph consistently.
And they did almost beat Pakistan not too long ago in a T20

As far as I can recall the only Irish player getting a gig plays for England anyway in Morgan.

Maybe it would work if the BCCI let them play as locals instead of internationals.

 

[Slax]

Apparently the BCCI promised the ACB that 5 players would get an opportunity.

Given that Ireland can produce a few players worthy of getting games it wouldn't surprise me if the Afghans had a few. Apparently most of their front line quicks can bowl 85-90 mph consistently.
And they did almost beat Pakistan not too long ago in a T20

Whilst I have no doubt that Afghan cricket is improving I am still sceptical of any surprise results involving Pakistan. When you come from one of the most corrupt nations on Earth some of it definitely has to rub of on parts of the cricket team.

 

[The Speaker]

Whilst I have no doubt that Afghan cricket is improving I am still sceptical of any surprise results involving Pakistan. When you come from one of the most corrupt nations on Earth some of it definitely has to rub of on parts of the cricket team.

That is an excuse to not rate a team that is at least the 12th best cricketing nation on earth.

 

[The Speaker]

To raise the playing standard and increase foreign interest.

Both would go up with the world's best (more or less) 88 players.

Are Pakistanis allowed to play in it yet?

Bad for cricket, blurs the lines between international and domestic competitions.

What would be better is that every Test nation has the opportunity to host a T20 league during one of two or three months of the year set aside for them, each with limits on international players and with a minimum amount of associates.

 

[The_Reaper]

Whilst I have no doubt that Afghan cricket is improving I am still sceptical of any surprise results involving Pakistan. When you come from one of the most corrupt nations on Earth some of it definitely has to rub of on parts of the cricket team.

Except Pakistan didn't lose and they'd have to be brilliant to be able to manufacture such a close win on purpose

 

[Doodlesweaver]

Except Pakistan didn't lose and they'd have to be brilliant to be able to manufacture such a close win on purpose

Did you ever hear the story about that young lefties first or second ODI? Most of the team was set against winning in one of their periodic revolts against whoever was skipper. Think the skipper in this case might have been Younis Khan. But the 17/18 year old Amer didn't know and damn nearly scored the winning runs himself after having come in at 10 or 11 from a hopeless position.

It might have been against NZ?

Well that was the story a Pakistan fan told on a different forum. They are such an odd, divided and talented bunch, even if some of them want to ditch a match it can't always be counted on if they aren't all on board.

 

[ajdude]

Without knowing anything about them, it's hard to imagine them being picked up and getting games.

reckon mohammad nabi would be part of a first XI, dawlat and shapoor zadran and mohammad shehzad would also go pretty well

 

[Dont be a lemon]

Bad for cricket, blurs the lines between international and domestic competitions.

Bad for 'traditionalists', not anyone else.

 

[Mego Red]

Are you interested in the Big Bash?

It is essentially the domestic Indian competition, not sure why they'd ever consider lifting the restrictions.

I'm not expecting Indians to e interested in our domestic comp either.

If it's just a Domestic comp, why SHOULD we care? Call me when it's truly international.

 

[The Speaker]

Bad for 'traditionalists', not anyone else.

As opposed to your only interest in the game, which appears to be money.

 

[Slax]

Well that was the story a Pakistan fan told on a different forum. They are such an odd, divided and talented bunch, even if some of them want to ditch a match it can't always be counted on if they aren't all on board.

Heard the same thing. Pakistan cricket has really on been unified for an extended period (more than 12 months) by a few captains, despite having had the talent on multiple occassions to be the best in the world (Miandad, Imran Khan & Waqar Younis come to mind).

 

[Ashton Agar]

Not really sure how it's the best T20 comp in the world. It's corrupted and is all about money, always has been.

I go for Kolkata but I don't really keep track of the tournament. The year they won I didn't even realise they were doing good that's how much I care for it.

The only thing I do follow every year and watch is the auction. I love them, especially these type ones where majority of players have to go back into the auction and it goes for 2 days.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Not really sure how it's the best T20 comp in the world. It's corrupted and is all about money, always has been.

Well, the Big Bash is all about money too. Questions being asked about betting now also.