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!

Indian business houses buyed all seven SLPL franchisees

COLOMBO: Indian business enterprises showed keen interest in the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka Premier League and bought all the seven contesting franchises on offer, even as the BCCI decided not to allow its players to participate in the Twenty20 league.

The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) had even last year prohibited its players from participating in the league, which forced the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to abort the opening season of the SLPL.

While Wadhawan Holdings shelled out the highest bid -- $5.02 million -- for Wayamba, Number One Sports Consulting offered a bid of $4.98 million for Kandurata.

The Uva and Ruhuna went to Success Sports and Pearl Overseas respectively for an amount of $4.6 million.

Basnahira was bought by Indian Cricket Dundee at $4.33 million, while Uthura at $3.4 million went to Rudra Sports.

Varun Beverages, meanwhile, spent $3.22 million for Nagenahira.

The debut edition of the SLPL is scheduled to commence from August 10, with the final to be held on August 31.

The matches will be played at capital city Colombo and the central province's Pallekele.

The franchises will be allowed a maximum of 18 players, including six foreign cricketers, for registration. However, a team can play only two foreigners in the playing eleven.

The value of each player will be decided by SLC in the player draft to be held on July 5 and 6.

Greig implores India to govern for the world game

The BCCI have continually refused to accept the
DRS despite more countries being in favour.

Tony Greig has appealed to the BCCI to abandon self interest and "embrace the spirit of cricket and govern in the best interests of world cricket, not just for India and its business partners." 

Greig, the South Africa-born former England captain, utilised his invitation to deliver the MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture from Lord's, to call upon India to "accept its responsibility as leader of the cricket world" and ensure that the long-term future of Test cricket and the less powerful Test nations were prioritised above short-term commercialism.

At present, Greig said, India's power was being used to undermine the credibility and worth of the ICC and self-interest was preventing beneficial advancements such as the universal adoption of the Decision Review System (DRS) and a coherent international playing schedule. Greig also criticised "India's apparent indifference towards Test cricket and… its indifference to the urgency to introduce anti-doping rules and the rumoured corruption hanging over the IPL.

"Unfortunately," Greig said, "India is pre-occupied with money and T20 cricket and sees its IPL and Champions League as more important than a proper international calendar. To compound the problems, India has not only sold part of the game to private interests but some of her administrators are seen to have a conflict of interest, which makes it more difficult for it to act in the spirit of the game.

"We can huff and puff as much as we like and have all sorts of external reports," Greig continued, "but this situation can only be resolved by India accepting that the spirit of cricket is more important than generating billions of dollars; it's more important than turning out multi-millionaire players; and it's more important than getting square with Australia and England for their bully-boy tactics towards India over the years. It's ironic that the world, including India, rightly worships at the Nelson Mandela altar because of his conciliatory attitude but then India eschews his approach by indulging in a little pay back."

The Spirit of Cricket lecture began in 2001 and was named after the late Colin Cowdrey, the former England captain and a past MCC president, who, together with another former president Ted Dexter, were instrumental in including the spirit of cricket as the preamble to the Laws of the game. Last year Kumar Sangakkara gave a widely acclaimed Cowdrey lecture where he talked about controversial issues within Sri Lanka cricket and also about the importance of the sport in his country.

Rarely if ever, however, has the Cowdrey Lecture been used to deliver such an obvious rebuke to a specific national board. But Greig, who relinquished the England captaincy in 1977 to play and recruit in Kerry Packer's rebel World Series Cricket, has never been one to shy away from a battle and pulled no punches in suggesting that India were now too powerful for the good of world cricket.

"Much of the game is controlled by the BCCI because it controls enough votes to block any proposal put forward at the ICC board meetings," Greig said. "The reason for this is some countries would not survive without the financial opportunities India provides. What is just as disturbing is through the Champions League, South Africa and Australia have a partnership with India and are unlikely to risk offending India. The current Champions League 10-year contract generates just under a billion dollars and is 50% owned by India with Australia and South African sharing the rest.

"As a result of the dependence on India the process adopted by the ICC is simply not working. The ICC cricket committee for example is made up of a group of top class current and former players and umpires. They go to great lengths to make recommendations that they consider in the best interests of the game. These recommendations are then submitted to the CEO's committee for approval, which normally happens as a formality. The recommendations are then raised at the ICC board meeting and if India doesn't like them, they are, at best, modified or thrown out. It's a sorry state of affairs and very frustrating for those who give so much time to getting things right."

Greig did find some praise for the BCCI, crediting them for their successful commercialism and the decision to utilise profits from the IPL to ensure that past players were cared for. "We must acknowledge and praise India for embracing the spirit of cricket through the financial opportunities it provides, which has enabled a number of Test playing countries to survive, and some to thrive," Greig said. "World cricket would be in a sorry state if it weren't for the money shared with other countries from India's television deals. 

"If there is proof of the leadership India can provide, it is the recent announcement of a one-time benefit payment of $13 million to former national and domestic players for their services to Indian cricket." 

But he insisted that such strength carried with it a responsibility and called for India to wield its power more judiciously. And, on the day when the ICC's executive board, chaired by BCCI chairman, declined to act on the recommendation of the ICC's cricket committee or chief executives committee and apply the DRS universally, Grieg's words on the subject were particularly timely. 

"It can't be good for the game when the media devotes so many words and so much ink to bad decisions, which ultimately undermines the integrity of some results," Greig said. "The DRS is not perfect, but it does err in favour of the umpires' decisions and according to the ICC, fewer mistakes are made with its use. And furthermore, there is less conflict on the ground. 

"India has two reasons for opposing it: One, because its superstars had such an embarrassing experience with it in the early days. Two, the BCCI argues that the DRS is too inexact. Ironically, the spirit of cricket is batting on both sides in this one. The cavalier approach says DRS is not in the spirit of cricket, but on the other hand, the Indian superstars should act in the spirit of cricket and accept the majority viewpoint."

Elsewhere in the speech, Greig called for the introduction of lie detector tests to help in the fight against corruption, reasoning that it was no greater an imposition into the private life of athletes than routine drugs tests, and called for the IPL to be expanded into "an Asian League" to include teams from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Each of those boards, he said, should be given a financial stake in the competition, which would enable them to finance their other cricketing obligations. He also called for Australia to welcome New Zealand teams into the Big Bash and for England to "set up its equivalent of the IPL and include teams from the West Indies and one team from Ireland." 

Despite his concerns, Greig, now aged 65, insisted he was optimistic for the future of the game. "Fortunately, I think most of the problems can generally be addressed if India invokes and adheres to the spirit of cricket," he said. "Mahatma Gandhi said: "A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. As cricket certainly resides in the hearts and souls of Indian people I am optimistic India will lead cricket by acting in the best interests of all countries rather than just for India."

BCCI has its way, ICC board retains current DRS arrangement

The ICC said it would continue with the current arrangement
where the two competing countries in a bi-lateral series
decide on the use of the technology.

KUALA LUMPUR: The BCCI again had its way on the contentious Decision Review System (DRS) as the ICC board failed to ratify its universal application following India's strong opposition to the technology.

The ICC said it would continue with the current arrangement where the two competing countries in a bi-lateral series decide on the use of the technology.

ICC's Chief Executives Committee had recommended mandatory use of the DRS in Tests and one-dayers on Monday but it failed to ratify its universal application following India's opposition to the innovation.

"Whilst approving the recommendations of the CEC relating to the inclusion of Hot Spot cameras as part of the minimum specifications for the Decision Review System (DRS) and the amendment of the LBW protocols regarding the "margin of uncertainty", the ICC Board agreed to continue with the present arrangement where the two competing nations in a bi-lateral series decide on the use of DRS," the ICC said in a statement today.

The issue was discussed at the ICC's Executive Board meeting here last, which was chaired by outgoing ICC president Sharad Pawar, but was not put to a vote despite perceived support from most of the full member nations.

The motion for the universal application of the DRS was put to the Executive Board by the CEC on Monday, also through a "unanimous" non-vote, with the BCCI's opposing stance being noted and the matter not being put to vote.

The ICC Board, which had met on June 26 and 27 during the ICC Annual Conference week here, also came out with some other recommendations regarding promotion of cricket, the Danish Kaneria spot-fixing case and regulation changes of the 50-over format, among others.

The meeting was attended by the Board presidents of the 10 Full Member nations and three representatives of Associate and Affiliate nations, besides ICC vice-president Alan Isaac, outgoing Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat and ICC's principal advisor IS Bindra and Pawar.

Sachin Tendulkar gains one place in ICC Test rankings

DUBAI: Sachin Tendulkar gained a spot to be at number 11 in the latest ICC rankings for Test batsmen released on Tuesday.

Tendulkar, with 749 points to his credit, is the lone Indian batsman in the top 20 list, which is headed by West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara's match-winning unbeaten knock of 199 against Pakistan in the first Test in Galle has helped him vault three places to second in the table.

In the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, India's Zaheer Khan climbed a position to be at 11th spot, while Pragyan Ojha remained static at number 20.

The bowlers' table continued to be headed by South Africa's Dale Steyn with Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan and England's James Anderson in second and third positions, respectively.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan tops the ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders chart, with Jacques Kallis of South Africa in the second spot.

Yuvraj begins training in Bangalore

Yuvraj Singh, the Indian batsman who is recovering from treatment for cancer, has begun training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore. Although he said he did not want to rush his comeback, Yuvraj was hopeful of making the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September.

"I will be in [the] NCA for a while now. I want to come back and play for India, that's my goal. It's not very easy on the body. I have gone through a lot and my body has gone through a lot of shock," Yuvraj said. "People are expecting me to come back very quickly, but I don't want to rush. I will have to take my time and come back 100% fit.

"I'm feeling good. My body will become stronger stage by stage. Twenty20 world cup is my target. Hopefully I can be ready little before that." Yuvraj hoped he could play in some domestic tournaments as part of his comeback attempt.

Yuvraj was diagnosed with a type of cancer called "mediastinal seminoma", a germ-cell tumour located between his two lungs, in February. He underwent three sessions of chemotherapy in Indianapolis, at the IU Simon Cancer Centre at the Indiana University Medical Centre. He finished the last cycle of chemotherapy in mid-March, and his response had left his medical team "fairly confident" that he would not suffer a relapse.