IPL- The Soap Opera Continues...

­It promised to change the way cricket was played, give the brightest youngsters the chance to shine and bring together the biggest names in the game. But now, three years since the IPL was launched, the competition now lies in disarray. Lalit Modi, the man behind the competition, is facing allegations of corruption, whilst two of the established franchises have now been expelled from the tournament. So what now for India’s premier cricket competition?

The expulsion of Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab is a major blow for an already controversial tournament. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have cited the reason that the two franchises ‘broke ownership rules’, but have not given any further details. With the huge question marks surrounding the game of cricket at this time, one fears for what may have been going on behind the scenes. Tie this in with the charges that face the one-time commissioner of the league, and the whole future of the competition has to be questioned.

Despite the obvious hit to the cities where the two sides play their games, the loss of Rajasthan especially will be felt all over the world, no more so in the county of Hampshire.

It was announced in February of this year that Hampshire, along with South African side Cape Cobras, Australia’s Victoria and West Indian team Trinidad & Tobago, would be joining together with the Royals to create the “first global cricket franchise”. The deal meant that players from all five teams could switch between sides, for example both Dimitri Mascharenhas and Michael Lumb turned out in the IPL for Rajasthan, whilst the English county changed their one-day side’s name from Hampshire Hawks to Hampshire Royals to show their faith in the deal. Now though, this faith looks as if it may have been misplaced. 

As well as the impact on the different teams associated with the Royals, it will also hit the players involved. In the case of Rajasthan, both Shane Warne and Damien Martyn have come out of retirement to play in the tournament, whilst many talented young Indian stars have been able to showcase their talents to a worldwide audience. In both cases, these players will now be missing out on the different perks that the IPL offers, be it money or experience. This in turn may put off possible future stars of the tournament, as they may see their future’s as being insecure.

In 2007, the IPL was billed as being the most exciting competition in world cricket. Now, in 2010, some would argue it still is exciting, but more off the pitch than on it, as cricket fans worldwide sit and wait to find out what will happen next in what is becoming the biggest soap opera in modern-day cricket.

Is the Twenty20 gimmick getting old?

With the impending ECB announcement that the amount of Twenty20 Cup group games in England’s domestic calendar is going to be cut from 16 to ten, many commentators have asked whether the pull of the newest form of the game is beginning to drop.

Throughout the 2010 County season, the issue of Twenty20 overkill was raised many times, with counties playing 16 group games each as appose to the usual ten. Attendances were down on previous seasons, whilst certain international games also saw less than capacity crowds. Players also complained of burnout, with some becoming injured before the season had come to an end.

This season’s competition was billed as the biggest and best so far, with more overseas players than ever before. The introduction of stars such as Herschelle Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist to the competition failed to galvanise audiences as the ECB and the various counties had hoped, and with the sheer volume of games, audiences dwindled. England’s matches against Bangladesh and Pakistan were watched by less than full stadiums as cricket supporters struggled to finance watching all the cricket that was on offer.

It wasn’t only the public who couldn’t handle the amount of games, but also the players. The likes of England Twenty20 World Cup winner Michael Lumb had their season’s cut short due to injury, whilst other players were rested so as to save them from burning out. Six extra days of cricket a year may not sound a lot, but with travelling and the enhanced warm-ups and fitness training that the modern cricketer has to go through, these six days can be the difference between a player staying fit or picking up an injury.

So is Twenty20 cricket, the format that those at the top of the game said would bring in a new mass audience, now losing its appeal?

The answer is most probably not yet, especially in countries such as India and Australia, where the IPL and KFC Big Bash have the biggest stadium and television audiences. However, in the country in which Twenty20 was formed, the draw of the shortened format is at its lowest since its inception in 2003. In the event that this pattern spreads from England’s shores, then the future of “the future of cricket” could be under threat.

This article can also be found at worldcricketwatch.com

England's One-Day Side: The Openers

Now that England's one-day series against Bangladesh has been decided (despite the third match taking place this Friday), the nation's once ridiculed side is now looking like a professional outfit.

The omission of key players such as captain Andrew Strauss and premier bowler James Anderson has given opportunity to others to stake a claim ahead of the World Cup in 2011.

However, these new candidates to be on the plane to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will no doubt pose the selectors no end of new problems.

The Openers

The position of opener looks like it will be two from five, with Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook being in pole position.

After being installed as one-day skipper, it seems as if Strauss, who is also currently England's best batsman, will be the man tasked with leading the team to World Cup glory. Therefore it would be safe to presume that his place is secure.

Cook looks the most likely to join his skipper, with his one-day game now seriously improved since his early international career; his two quickfire half-centuries in Bangladesh are a fine example of this. His current one-day average of just over 33 will need some improvement, but the changes he has made to his game should land him in good stead as he presses his claim.

Craig Kieswetter is the man who is currently in occupation of the openers role, but his two failures in his maiden one-day series mean that he has a lot of work to do to prove he is up to the task of seeing off the white ball in the 50-over format as well as in Twenty20's.

Other candidates for the role include Jonathan Trott, whose Ashes winning century seems longer than just 7 months ago and Joe Denly, whose constant failures in the Three Lions shirt have finally worn thin with the selectors.

Outsiders such as Michael Lumb, who seems destined to open the batting at the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup, and Ian Bell, a former England opener who hasn't played a 50 over game for his country since November 2008 in Zimbabwe, have just over a year to impress the selectors, but both face an uphill struggle.