The importance of IPL....

[Sanz]

I disagree - Except that there are too many meaningless ODI series - National representation should be more important no matter what, and it's absurd to have the scenario in which players sit out because they don't want to burn out for the IPL

Care to mention one such scenario where a player has chosen IPL over his country and BCCI has allowed that to happen ?

 

[Sanz]

And I think most people will agree with that, but GS makes a valid point in saying cricket could potentially lose out if boards don't feel as though they're getting a good enough return on their investments. Why should they be expected to fork out millions developing the game in their country and providing players for the future only to have them take off and ply their trade elsewhere for another business?

The maximum no. of games any players is going to play in an IPL tournament is 17. Which means a maximum of 68 overs of Bowling for a bowler and a max. of 340 overs of batting in 8 week period.

 

[amyswan]

IPL is just a way to entertain people for a couple of hours otherwise i don't consider it cricket. It's full of talented players and it has got enough sponsors to make money but in my opinion IPL is increasing lust in players for money. Some of them prefer to play in IPL rather than playing for their own country. That's just a selfish act IPL is playing. Moreover, it seems to be an attempt hijack all the cricket in the world. Indians have hijacked all the superstars. Some starts are dating with Indian actresses and some are busy in TV commercials so ultimately it's helping indian economy to grow.

 

[Borges]

Care to mention one such scenario where a player has chosen IPL over his country and BCCI has allowed that to happen ?

Tendulkar - opted out of ODIs and T20Is, too many times to recall.

Dhoni - opted out of test crickets, for god's sake!

Neither have voluntarily opted out of even one IPL game.

 

[Sanz]

Tendulkar - opted out of ODIs and T20Is, too many times to recall.

Dhoni - opted out of test crickets, for god's sake!

Neither have voluntarily opted out of even one IPL game.

Dhoni opted out of Test Cricket for IPL ? When was that ?

Tendulkar wasn't playing T20 way before IPL, T20 WC remember ?

 

[vcs]

Dhoni opted out of Test Cricket for IPL ? When was that ?

Tendulkar wasn't playing T20 way before IPL, T20 WC remember ?

2008 tour to SL IIRC. I think he made a request to be rested for the Tests. There was some tut-tutting over it at the time. No chance of it happening anymore now that he's captain obviously.

 

[Sanz]

I remember that series, that was not because of IPL though, was it ?

 

[vcs]

One could argue that it played a factor in it. Moreover, if he can play for his IPL team, he should suck it up and make himself available for his country etc.

 

[Sanz]

I am not sure how because the SL tour started almost 2 months after the IPL. And it was not Dhoni alone who had requested for him to be rested. Coach Kirsten had made the same request weeks before the team selection.

 

[Jono]

You're being pedantic. The guy wanted a rest because of fatigue. He played IPL only a few months earlier, but not a test series.

The point is obvious. He could have rested during the IPL season but (understandably) wanted to earn some huge amounts of money and play in the first season.

He should have played that SL series though. It was a really bad move by Dhoni. He's obviously done very little wrong since then, but having Karthik **** up as a keeper in place of Dhoni was extremely frustrating.

 

[vcs]

Agree with Jono. Not something to crucify him over, and maybe you could even make a special exemption for that particular case considering Kirsten's recommendation and all, but it sets a bad precedent.

 

[Sanz]

You're being pedantic. The guy wanted a rest because of fatigue. He played IPL only a few months earlier, but not a test series.

The point is obvious. He could have rested during the IPL season but (understandably) wanted to earn some huge amounts of money and play in the first season.

He should have played that SL series though. It was a really bad move by Dhoni. He's obviously done very little wrong since then, but having Karthik **** up as a keeper in place of Dhoni was extremely frustrating.

Yes let's conveniently ignore the fact that Immediately after the IPL Dhoni went on to play in the Kitply cup in Bangladesh and then to Pakistan to play in the Asia Cup. That's two useless away series between the IPL & the Sri Lanka Test series.

Also The point about IPL to note is that 2008 being the first season of IPL (and with ICL around) , I am not sure if skipping the IPL was an option that year for a Indian star Cricketer.

In last 3-4 years, Dhoni is perhaps the only cricketer who represent his country in every format of the game.

 

[Jono]

He had only recently become ODI captain then. Of course he wouldn't miss those series.

So you're saying it was good that he played those ODI series and the IPL and missed the test series?

And no one is arguing and saying he shouldn't have played the IPL. It was the first season and he was the most paid player. Of course he'll play it. We're just calling it as it is. He played IPL, he didn't play an important test series.

 

[Sanz]

No, I am disputing the statement that "Dhoni - opted out of test cricket because of IPL". When he missed that test series, IPL was over almost 2 months ago and he had the time to rest but BCCI scheduled 2 stupid ODI series in between the IPL & SL tour.

I guess the only series that Dhoni could skip was the test series in SL. And playing 3 ODI series and a 3 test series in the peak summer in the subcontinent is just stupid.

 

[Furball]

No, I am disputing the statement that "Dhoni - opted out of test cricket because of IPL". When he missed that test series, IPL was over almost 2 months ago and he had the time to rest but BCCI scheduled 2 stupid ODI series in between the IPL & SL tour.

I guess the only series that Dhoni could skip was the test series in SL. And playing 3 ODI series and a 3 test series in the peak summer in the subcontinent is just stupid.

Or he could have had a 6 week rest and recharged his batteries by skipping IPL.

 

[vcs]

I wouldn't call the Asia Cup useless now that we've finally won it again.

 

[Sanz]

Or he could have had a 6 week rest and recharged his batteries by skipping IPL.

Yes, Kitply cup was more important than the Inaugural Indian Premier League which was setup in order to stop ICL from poaching International Cricketers from all countries.

Seriously though, Firstly skipping the IPL was most probably not an option for Indian Stars in 2008 and secondly the Kitply cup and [probably the Asia Cup schedule too were decided after the IPL and lastly why would anyone in his right mind refuse the opportunity of a lifetime by refusing such a lucrative offer.

 

[Jono]

This is a great example of you looking for an argument that isn't there Sanz.

Your last point is valid. No one is seriously criticising Dhoni that much here. We are just saying, he played the IPL, and not a test series. Not that he is the devil for doing it. Very hard to turn down such serious money, particularly in the first season.

You can't argue against that. I am not sure why you are doing so.

 

[Turbinator]

One way IPL salaries can be matched and beaten comprehensively is if US and Canada form a league of their own, such as the NBA, MLB, and NHL, and it gains similar levels of popularity in this market.

As for the question of the importance of IPL and Indian influence on the game of cricket, it is certainly positive and of great importance. India winning the WC was one of the best things that could happen for cricket imo, the amount of awareness it has generated in Canada and around the world is unbelievable.

In fact, it is to the point that one of the prime sports channels here in Canada (Sportsnet) obtained rights to showcase IPL to the Canadian market, and regularly provides news and highlights/recaps of each game. This is something that was unseen and unheard of in the past. With a large Indian immigrant population around the world, the IPL and India's WC victory are the best ways to spread awareness of the game of cricket.

I have several friends who attend different Universities across the US and Canada, and their campuses and mine, each showed India's WC games on projector screens due to popular demand. And the best feeling of all is having Canadians from different backgrounds, watching cricket for the first time, come up to me and express their love for the way India had played their cricket during the WC knockout matches. My family, friends, and I have all had people from different backgrounds, who had never heard of cricket in the past, come up to us and congratulate us on the victory. All sorts of people joined in celebrations, with Indians all over Toronto, to celebrate the WC win. And I felt this did a world of good for the game of cricket, and the IPL just works to provide more exposure after such an event.

 

[GIMH]

Care to mention one such scenario where a player has chosen IPL over his country and BCCI has allowed that to happen ?

Collingwood missed the Bangladesh series last year but played IPL right before

The ECB rested him, so it's not an exact scenario to answer your question, just felt it relevant, like the Dhoni example