BPL (Bangla Premier League) and Ranji Trophy

Every one will try to replicate Success whether Success will eventuate is destiny !  Immediately after crowning in Beauty Pageants,  lot of locally staged events would sure follow !!

After the roaring success in terms of money for all those involved in Indian Premier League, our neighbours are trying to have their version.  The first edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)  is to  kick off on February 9, 2012 with the final to be played on February 29. The 20-day tournament will feature six teams that will play each other twice each in a round-robin format over 33 matches to be held in Chittagong and Dhaka. Teams will be allowed to field five foreign players in their XIs, as opposed to four in the IPL. Adam Gilchrist, Mathew Hayden, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Kamran Akmal and James Anderson are among at least 25 foreign players who have made themselves available for the tournament.

Former Indian opener Arunlal is a consultant and is one of the tournament organisers according to news.  Similar to IPL, each team is to have an icon player.   This time all their own country men - Tamim Iqbal will be the icon player for Chittagong, Mohammad Ashraful for Dhaka, Alok Kapali for Sylhet, Shahriar Nafees for Barisal, Mushfiqur Rahim for Rajshahi and Shakib Al Hasan for Khulna. The players will be paid 5% more than the amount received by the highest paid player of each franchise.

Yet another time the players will be under the hammer around 15^th of Jan 12-  before that the bids of the Companies owning the team is  planned to be held on Jan 5 either at Dhaka or at Cox’s Bazaar.  Each  Franchisee will have to spend a minimum of US $2 million and can spend up to a maximum of $5 million. 

The Organisers hope to cash by television relay in a new sports channel in Bangladesh and also are hoping that the winner of the BPL will be given a place in the Champions League Twenty20 next year.

On Umpiring and DRS, Mustafa Kamal, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president, said that weaker teams get the short end of the stick when it comes to umpiring decisions. – which cannot be brushed aside.  Bangla team rightly believes that it has been at the receiving end in some tours and even at home. 

At the time of drubbing at Melbourne, not much would be read on Ranji Trophy but the Quarter Finals of the Country’s premier tournament is to be held from Jan 2^nd to 5^th 2012 and the line up is :   

•  Hyderabad vs Rajasthan at Hyderabad

•  Karnataka vs Haryana at Bangalore

•  Tamil Nadu vs Maharashtra at Chennai

•  Madhya Pradesh vs Mumbai at Indore

The Semis would take place between Jan 10-13.  Rajasthan the defending champion are planning to have another go after their outright victory against Saurashtra. 

It is a pointer to the intent and money that is flowing in all forms of the game – Rajasthan now has Meyrick Pringle,  as their  short-term bowling coach.  He is said to be creating waves.  He had earlier come to Jaipur to coach at a private academy but Rajasthan Cricket Association offered him the post.  In the 1992 World Cup match at Lancaster Park, Christchurch on 5^th Mar 1992, Pringle had a great match against West Indies.

Defending 201 against the likes of Des Haynes, Lara, Richardson, Hooper, Arthurton, Logie – Pringle had figures of 8-4-11-4 bowling out the Windies for a lowly 136.

Pringle, later coached Netherlands and Namibia.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.