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Friday, Nov 30, 2007
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Action time at ICL; Chandigarh Lions takes on Delhi Jets

Vijay Lokapally

‘It will be professional and serious cricket’
A platform for some to show their talent

— Photo: Akhilesh Kumar

CHARTING A NEW COURSE: Delhi Jets captain Marvan Atapattu and Chandigarh Lions skipper Chris Cairns at a photo session in Chandigarh on Thursday.

CHANDIGARH: A cricket war broke out 30 years ago, led by Kerry Packer, and supported by some legendary names of the game. It was named the World Series Cricket. Ian Chappell and Clive Lloyd had walked out for the toss with Garfield Sobers tossing the coin in the inaugural match. Cricket had seen nothing like this.

Packer’s venture, considered rebellious by the authorities, ran into stiff resistance from the establishment. Grounds were difficult to get. Even the crowd response was niggardly. The start was heartbreaking but the idea took off, and in the span of a few months WSC changed the face of the game.

Quite similar in nature the Indian Cricket League is set to make history. Led by the legendary Kapil Dev, the ICL has also been termed a ‘rebel’ movement. But then Kapil has gone ahead with typical enthusiasm, while being supported by equally legendary cricketers like Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul-Haq.

“All for money,” the authorities have asserted. “Only for cricket,” Kapil and his team have responded. The ICL, after months of bumpy navigation, has finally arrived. “I am excited,” gushes Kapil, as if preparing to make a debut.

Enthusiasm

The enthusiasm is understandable. Sandeep Patil, Madan Lal, Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Moin Khan, Darryl Cullinan and Michael Bevan are the six coaches entrusted with the responsibility to inculcate a professional approach to their respective teams. “It will be absolutely professional and serious cricket,” promises Kapil.

Ask Sandhu. “Even our practice matches have been contested bitterly,” he claimed proudly. The entire exercise, however, has evoked a bitter response from most cricket boards. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has blacklisted anyone associated with the ICL with the result some of the players would not receive their monthly pension.

“It hurts” was how Kapil reacted but he was hopeful that the first edition of the ICL, limited to a Twenty20 contest among six teams, would go a long way in what he claims “an opportunity for many to make a career in cricket.”

The ICL, as Patil noted, was a platform for some to “show their talent” in a forthright manner.

The ICL would feature teams representing Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. There are a few past stars and some budding youngsters from home and to add to the glamour there would be some retired international cricketers, too.

Result-oriented

The T20 format would ensure the competition would be lively and in tune with the modern demands of the spectators. They want cricket to be fast and result-oriented.

For Madan Lal, the ICL is a “welcome effort. I hope it blossoms into a quality competition. I back the event to be a regular feature on the circuit.”

The eventual comparison will be with the Indian Premier League (IPL) that the Board has launched with an array of international stars already signed up and a huge prize fund announced. And that will be the ‘official competition.’

Sandhu was not unduly perturbed that the statistics in this competition would mean little. “We back ourselves. We can’t help if ‘they’ don’t support us. Ultimately it is cricket and only players would benefit from it. In the near future, such events could find place in other countries too,” he said.

Apprehensions

The matches are to be played at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula. The stadium is being spruced up with hectic last minute activities. On surface everything looks fine but there are apprehensions regarding the outfield — bumpy and dusty. A slow outfield will mean poor advertisement for the game indeed and there is little time left for the staff to attend to this glaring shortcoming.

“I hate to lose,” former New Zealand star Chris Cairns declared at the first team meeting. “I expect fierce competition and we got to work hard,” he told his colleagues. “Everyone is keen,” added Sandhu.

Entertainment now comes in a new form — unofficial and yet compelling. Zee Network will show the matches live on all its channels except movie channels, for some time every day even as cricket fans look forward to something different. The full matches will be available on Zee Sports.

Action begins on Friday evening, well after the day’s play at the Eden Gardens ends. The opening day will feature Chandigarh Lions, led by Chris Cairns, against Delhi Jets, captained by Marvan Atapattu.

“There is no confrontation. It will be a success. Wait and see,” Kapil asserts.

The fans wait; so does the Board. Indian cricket has seen nothing like this.

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