Test matches in IPL is possible and this is how it can be

Traditional 5 day concept of test cricket format won’t work in IPL but the modified yet productive format will work. The main objective here is to make people find their enthusiasm back at test matches, players groomed to play longer format and successfully make the highest cricket form to sustain in this modern world.

This is where the future of cricket lies

I already explained the reasons for the need of test cricket in IPL and possibilities in my previous article. So, we will shoot off straight to the format i am proposing.
Total no. of days: 5
Maximum no. of overs/day: 60 (60 * 5 =300 overs/match)
No. of sessions/day: 2
No. of overs/session: 30
Allowed no. of inns/team: 2
Maximum no. of overs allowed to play per team: 150 overs
All ICC rules and laws of cricket followed by default.

Only 150 overs for a team?
Yes, a team is allowed to play maximum of 150 overs in a match. This rule is aimed at providing a definite result in the match. Actually 150 overs is distributed across two innings, though not equally. (i.e) if X team gets bowled out/declares after playing 80 overs in 1st innings, then X team can play maximum of 70 overs in their 2nd innings. Only overs are carried over, not wickets. Each team still has 10 wickets in hand at start of their new innings.

Point system:
Point system is been the much of talk nowadays in both domestic and international level of test cricket. We will inherit the English county cricket point system module for better and more exciting cricket to be played. There will be never a draw match in our format because if a match ends in draw, then we either play 6 over match or bowl out to decide the winner.
Straight forward Win = 8pts/no. of innings played by the winning team ( ex: if X team played two innings and won the match, then they will get 8/2=4pts)
Win by decider (after match is drawn) = 3pts
Lose by decider (after match is drawn) = 2pts
Bonus points for teams includes,

• (Overall run-rate of a match by a team / 2) pts added to both teams.
• An outright win (innings victory/ by 9 or more wickets win) = 3pts.
• An outright loss (innings loss/ by 9 or more wickets loss) = (-)3pts
• More than 120 runs or run-rate > 4 / session by a batting team (minimum of 12 overs) = 2pts for batting team.
• Wickets taken more than 5/session by a bowling team= 2pts for bowling team.
• For scores more than 250 and also for next every 100 runs (i.e. 350, 450,…) scored by batting team = 1pt for batting team (i.e. 250 runs = 1pt, 350 runs=2pts…).
• Wickets taken more than 5 and also for next every wicket (i.e. 6, 7,..,10)= 1pt for bowling team (i.e. 5wkts = 1pt, 6 wkts=2pts…).
• Bowling out a team = 2pts for bowling team.
• Batting team declaring after playing minimum of 50 overs and 300 runs in 1st innings = 2pts for batting team.
• Winner of the each day* of test matches = 1pt.
• A team with most number of winning day* = 2pts.
• A team with most number of sessions won in match* = 1pt.

*A day winner – A team will be declared as winner of the day depending on the points it got on that particular day.
*A session winner – A team which gets more points in a session of play.

This point system will not only encourage team to go for win but also will give the fans to shout about which team heads at the end of each day in the test match.

Rain interruption? VJD method will be used for scores projection, over deduction and etc., If necessary, the bonus point will undergo some changes in minimum overs and runs need to be scored when rain interruption are longer.

A day of test match at one T20 match time:
At present a IPL t20 match takes roughly 4 hours to completely the full quota of 40 overs/match. We can complete per day of test match in 4 hours surely.
Allotted time for each over to complete = 3mins.
60 overs * 3 mins = 180 mins.
Session break = 20-30 mins.
The remaining 30 minutes can be for innings change, batsmen dismissal and other reasons. So, all in all we can complete a day in 4 hours (or 4hrs and 30mins at maximum).  Now, the viewers or the fans at stadium can’t complain about time a test match takes per day.

if you say, “IPL t20 matches are played only after 4pm but test matches are played on morning. So, its not possible for me to watch or go to stadium by bunking my work/school.” The answer is Night test matches.

We can have a IPL test match starting from 6pm and close at 10.30 pm(time can be adjusted). Only 1 test match per day is possible. If we want two test matches, then one must be played as day (starting from 2pm) and other as night. But i think with effective scheduling, we can manage with 1 T20 and 1 test match per day or even only 1 test match per day with T20 matches taking place on non-test match days.

Number of IPL matches:
The home and away concept need to be done away like i said in previous article. We can complete the IPL in same number of days as of now (i.e. 60 days). Assuming the current number of IPL teams (9 teams),
No. of T20 matches per team = 8 (i.e. Each team will play against each other once).
No . of test matches per team = 3* (Randomly drawn fixtures).
* – No. of test matches can be increased from 3 depending on effective scheduling.
The point system for T20 matches remains the same as it now in IPL. Both T20 and test match points will be added together while listing the teams in points table. The team with most points will be crowned as IPL champions. If the number of IPL teams increases more than 10 in future, then we can have teams in two different groups and knockouts(semi’s and final) at the end to decide the champion.

Off-course this proposed format may or may not be perfect. So, I am more than welcome to debate on this proposal. With more people support, we can definitely send this proposal to BCCI. So, lets decide the future!

SLPL franchises fetch average of $4.3 million

Sri Lanka Cricket has auctioned the seven Sri Lanka Premier League teams for an average price of $4.3 million, an SLC official has said. However, the names of the successful bidders, along with their respective teams, will only be announced once they have been approved by SLC's executive committee.

The prices of the franchises represent a substantial increase over the cost of teams in the Bangladesh Premier League, where six teams were sold for $6.49 million, with none of them going for much more than the base price of $1 million. However, the figures still pale in comparison to the IPL, which had its first eight teams bring in $723 million.

One crucial difference between the SLPL and the IPL is that the teams have only been leased for an initial period of seven years and not sold outright. At the end of the period, the franchisees will need to sign a fresh agreement but will have the first right of refusal. The reserve price for the franchises had been set at $3 million.

In order to determine the teams, the franchises will take part in the player draft, to be held on July 5 and 6. A lottery will be held to determine the order in which players are picked. SLC will determine the value of the contract for each player in advance and the franchises will be made aware of the cost of the player. The players are likely to be drafted in two groups - the first consisting of players from Sri Lanka and the second all the foreign players. The draft is being seen as the best way to ensure that players are evenly distributed among the teams, making it a level playing field.

The SLPL was supposed to kick off last year. However, the Sri Lankan board was forced to postpone the tournament after the BCCI refused to allow its players to participate at the last minute, causing a delay in the naming of the final composition of the teams and affecting overall preparations for the event. In addition, SLC's interim committee that signed the deal was subsequently replaced and there was criticism of some of the clauses in the contract with Somerset Entertainment Ventures by the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE). A new contract was subsequently signed earlier this year.

The SLPL starts on August 10, with the final to be held on August 31. There will be 24 games in total, split between Colombo and Pallekele.

Gautam Gambhir takes a holiday trip to Austria

MUMBAI: After helping Kolkata Knight Riders lift the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy this season, Gautam Gambhir is enjoying a "perfect holiday", at Speilberg near Salzburg, Austria.

Gambhir, who took a trip to the headquarters of Red Bull in Salzburg, said, "After the end of the IPL season and especially after winning it, this certainly was the perfect holiday."

The Indian cricketer is on his maiden trip to Austria. And with a busy cricket season ahead, Gambhir saw the opportunity as a way to revitalize himself.

"When you visit a place after doing really well in your profession and the place is completely opposite to what you get back home, it's a great relief. I am very happy and completely relaxed after the whole IPL craziness," he said.

The left-hander took a 4X4 SUV along the off-road course at the Red Bull Ring at Speilberg, before taking off from one of the most popular tourist spots in Salzburg - Hangar 7 - in a helicopter.

The batsman from Delhi took a ride around the city of classical musical master, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's birth.

"Oh it's been an outstanding experience, being on the helicopter for the first time. There was one spin over the headquarters which was a little scary, but otherwise as I said, the first experience was fantastic. It's been a relaxing few days. Now I head back home, for some training sessions to get ready for the long season that starts in July," he said.

India is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka in July for a five-match ODI series before hosting New Zealand for a couple of Test matches in August.

The team will return to Sri Lanka for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in September and then host England for a four-match Test series in November followed by one-off T20 international and five-match ODI series against the visitors.

IPL irregularities: Sports Ministry gets reply from Enforcement Directorate

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate has informed the Sports Ministry that its probe in the alleged financial irregularities in various editions of the T20 IPL cricket was progressing and was at the adjudication level.

The Sports Ministry, on the directions of its Minister Ajay Maken, had written a letter to the ED on May 17 seeking a speedy probe in the cash-rich tournament and the status of its action in the case.

"The Ministry has got a response from the ED and they have informed that the cases of alleged violations under the forex rules have entered the adjudication stage. The penal processes will begin soon in the notices sent under FEMA laws," said sources.

The ED has also stated the number of notices executed and the amounts that it had raised in these documents sent to the Sports Ministry. Maken, a few months back, had also informed the Lok Sabha that 19 notices have been issued to IPL and BCCI for FEMA violations to the tune of Rs. 1,077 crore. These notices were issued by the ED.

The IPL had recently come under cloud with a sting operation leading to suspension of five domestic Indian cricketers on charges of alleged spot fixing in the recent edition of the tournament.

The ED, which is probing the case primarily under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), has sent the IPL cases to the competent authority, which in a number of cases, is the Special Director rank officer of the probe agency.

Finance Ministry, to get the allegations of financial irregularities in the domestic and foreign editions of the IPL thoroughly probed by the Income Tax department and the ED.

In an earlier communication to Revenue Secretary R S Gujral's office, Sports Secretary Pradeep K Deb had said his ministry had been informed that tax demands had been raised on the BCCI for Rs. 118 crore (2007-08) and Rs. 257 crore (2008-09) after the I-T department withdrew exemptions granted to it under charitable purposes clause.

The BCCI is contesting the notices before an IT Appellate Tribunal.

Tendulkar's finger injury still not healed

Sachin Tendulkar's return to the Mumbai Indians squad for today's match against Deccan Chargers looks uncertain, after he said on Twitter that the finger injury he sustained in the opening game against Chennai Super Kings did "not look good".

Tendulkar posted a photograph of the injured finger on his right hand and tweeted around noon on Monday. 

Tendulkar had to retire hurt on 16 after being struck on the glove by Doug Bollinger in the ninth over of the IPL's opening game between Mumbai Indians and Super Kings. He then missed Mumbai Indians' first home game, against Pune Warriors, and if he does not play today his next game could be against Rajasthan Royals on April 11.

Just before the start of IPL 2012, Tendulkar had handed over the leadership of the Mumbai Indians to Harbhajan Singh, because he wanted to take a "break from the responsibility of captaincy". Harbhajan had led Mumbai Indians to the Champions League T20 title last year and was an automatic choice to take over the captaincy.

Bangalore bowl, Gayle to play

Chris Gayle made his first appearance in IPL V after recovering from a groin injury that kept him out of action since the Bangladesh Premier League in January. He was named in the Royal Challengers Bangalore starting XI to play Kolkata Knight Riders. That meant there was no room for Australia's Andrew McDonald, despite a confident 30 at the top of the line-up in their first match against Delhi Daredevils, an encounter Royal Challengers won.

Gayle had to wait to make an impression after captain Daniel Vettori chose to put Kolkata in to bat. Gautam Gambhir's side lost their first two matches after poor batting performances and were forced to make changes in the hope it would turn their fortunes around.

New Zealand opening batsmen Brendon McCullum and West Indies offspinner Sunil Narine were left out to make room for Bangladesh's Shakib al Hasan and Netherlands' Ryan ten Doeschate. The wicketkeeping gloves were handed to local keeper Manvinder Bisla, who came in for Debabrata Das, and L Balaji replaced Iqbal Abdulla in the XI.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Cheteshwar Pujara , 3 Virat Kohli, 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 Saurabh Tiwary, 6 Mayank Agarwal, 7 Daniel Vettori (capt), 8 Vinay Kumar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Jacques Kallis, 2 Gautam Gambhir (capt), 3 Manoj Tiwary, 4 Shakib al Hasan 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Ryan ten Doeschate, 7 Manvinder Bisla (wk), 8 Laxmi Shukla, 9 Rajat Bhatia, 10 Brett Lee, 11 L Balaji