Business Council of Cricket in India (BCCI)

[ajithfederer]

Profits thy aim, cricket the pastime

Lalit Modi loses Rajasthan election again


Website : http://bcci.tv/bcci/bccitv/

[littlemaster1982]

7.5 Saturn of Indian cricket

[Sourav]

feddy 4 this thread...

Team India is No. 1 in avoiding Tests too!
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/s...ow/5312203.cms

//
Pak players to miss IPL III after failing to obtain visas
http://cricket.rediff.com/report/200...-miss-ipl3.htm

(where is ipl thread? )

[littlemaster1982]

Team India may play more Tests, after all

Even the MS Dhonis can breathe easy. India may get to play a few more Tests than expected, after all.

For the record, the Indian Board officials are careful to cite the current FTP obligations which, approved in 2006, runs till May 2012 but according to highly-placed sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India, moves are afoot to explore possibilities if a few Test matches can be squeezed in the existing Future Tours Programme (FTP).

The BCCI seems to have taken note of the media reports -- national and international -- against its 'reticence' to play Test matches. Sources say negative press apart, the Board itself is keen to give its team the best possible chance to maintain the newly-acquired No.1 status in ICC Test rankings.

The Board is trying to figure out the feasibility of tweaking the FTP. Everything is still at a planning stage and consent of other boards is also a necessity but recent history shows that few boards oppose a BCCI proposal.

Barring a two-Test series in Bangladesh next month, India are not scheduled to play any five-day games till the November 2010 home series against New Zealand. However, the BCCI has spotted windows of opportunities in the two home ODI series -- against South Africa in February-March and Australia in October when the sides are to play five and seven ODIs, respectively.

The options being thought of are conversion of both series into a two-Test and three-ODI arrangement.

Whether the BCCI officials have touched base with their counterparts in Cricket Australia could not be ascertained but Cricket South Africa has confirmed to DNA that it has received such a proposal from India.

"We have received a proposal from the BCCI to play two Tests and three ODIs when we visit India. We are looking into it," said Gerald Majola, the CEO of the South African board. When contacted, BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said he is "aware" of the concerns but did not elaborate.

India have a packed schedule till the 2011 World Cup. Following the current Sri Lanka series, they are off to Bangladesh to play a tri-series besides the two Tests followed by a five-match ODI series against South Africa and also the IPL in March-April. Thereafter, the team is off to the West Indies for the World T20, followed by a likely tri-series in Zimbabwe and Champions League T20 in September. India then host Australia and New Zealand before going to South Africa in December for three Tests and five ODIs.

__________________________

There is some hope.

[Plum]

Good!
This is the time to play more tests with oz and SA. With the combined might of experience(SRT, VVS, RSD, VS, MSD, ZK) and ambitious youth(GG,MV,IS, SS,MSD) and...er...the usual suspects(HS, YS), we can build up a good record over them
(as in "varalaaru miga mukkiyam")

[littlemaster1982]

India’s tryst with history

Scaling the summit of Test cricket is a significant moment for India. Test cricket, the most complete and challenging form of the game, is back in the forefront of the nation’s cricketing consciousness, writes S. Dinakar.

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The Indian huddle after reaching the summit.</center>
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The wave of emotions that swept the arena after India’s epochal 2-0 series triumph over Sri Lanka overwhelmed even some of the battle-hardened senior Indian cricketers.

Sachin Tendulkar was hard-pressed to hide his joy. It almost seemed the maestro had been waiting for this moment for a long time. He would comprehend the sacrifices, the suffering his body had undergone, the mental effort that went into his cricket every day.

Rahul Dravid, the architect of several famous Indian triumphs abroad that proved so crucial in the team’s climb up the Test ladder, laughed and rejoiced.

The gentle V. V. S. Laxman, who along with Dravid orchestrated India’s revival in Tests on a magical day at the Eden Gardens in 2001, smiled from ear to ear, his teeth gleaming.

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Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan...spearheading the Indian attack.</center>
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Virender Sehwag, who once again raised the bar for attacking batsmanship with his spirit-lifting 293 at the historic Brabourne Stadium, was pleased as punch. And skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, an emerging leader of men, could not quite stop grinning.

There were high-fives and much back-slapping. The bowlers, often the neglected lot, were also in the thick of the celebrations. And the man who took five Sri Lankan wickets in the second innings, Zaheer Khan, was the toast. So was his pace partner, the rejuvenated S. Sreesanth.

Harbhajan Singh, his eyes seldom without a hint of mischief, and Pragyan Ojha joined in the merriment. Yuvraj Singh was gung-ho, while the young M. Vijay was soaking up the atmosphere.

Tendulkar invited the support staff to the arena. The huddle at the summit was a tightly bonded one.

Being No. 1 can be a heady feeling. This was a historic moment for Indian cricket. Test cricket, the most complete and challenging form of the game, was back in the forefront in the nation’s cricketing consciousness.

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Sehwag and Tendulkar’s commitment has been exemplary.</center>
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India’s place at the top in Test cricket, though, is tenuous. Considering the side is slated to play only a handful of Tests in 2010, it could be overtaken by the second and third placed teams, South Africa and Australia.

But then, Dhoni was in no mood to allow the moment to fly away. “We want to enjoy the occasion. We do not want to think too far ahead,” he said.

The Indian captain admitted that his team needed to play more Test matches to have a fair chance of maintaining its lead at the top. The Indians will stay No. 1 till the end of the year but the South Africans could regain the top spot if they overcome England 2-0 in the forthcoming Test series at home.

India’s achievement is the result of some committed work put in by the various coaches, the support staff, captains and a team that is now a fine blend of youth and experience. Significantly, India has begun winning away from home and away from the sub-continent. There has definitely been a turnaround in Indian cricket.

The period under Sourav Ganguly’s leadership put India on the path to the acme. Ganguly instilled the side with self-belief and understood the importance of building a worthy pace attack for India to compete hard and win outside the sub-continent.

Ganguly and John Wright had their differences but formed a healthy working relationship based on mutual trust. Indian cricket gathered momentum during this phase.

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In a series of dramatic swings in fortunes, India held Australia to a 1-1 draw in 2003-04. The Indian pace attack stung, while champion leg-spinner Anil Kumble picked heaps of wickets.

On pitches where the ball seamed and bounced, Dravid and Laxman conjured masterpieces. Tendulkar came into his own in the final Test at the SCG. Yet, what provided the Indian batting the psychological edge was Ganguly’s promotion of Sehwag to the opening slot.

Sehwag could demoralise attacks upfront, provide India the momentum and make batting easier for the other batsmen as well. He was a heavy-hitter who could badly bruise the new ball bowlers and carry on to make big scores. The run-rate when he was at the crease could rattle the opposition.

India, by now, had the batting might to put up match-winning totals on seaming tracks with bounce or in conditions where the ball swung. The victory over England at Headingley — Dravid batted in a masterly manner under cloud-cover on the first day at Leeds where there was appreciable movement for the seamers — is a case in point.

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India batted big in the first innings and then the combination of pace and spin ambushed England. Zaheer Khan, Kumble and Harbhajan all played their roles well. India’s world class spin combination of Kumble and Harbhajan was now backed by a telling pace pack led by Zaheer. India made significant strides in 2004. Defeating Inzamam-ul-Haq’s men 2-1 in Pakistan was a stirring achievement.

Sehwag’s astonishing triple hundred in the first Test in Multan is now a part of Indian cricketing folklore. This innings put India on course for a historic series win.

This was again a series where India struck with both pace and spin. And Dravid built an edifice, a monumental series-clinching double hundred, in the final Test at Rawalpindi.

Greg Chappell, an engaging personality, took over as India’s coach and the team continued to impress away from home. The pace pack was on the ball while Harbhajan and Kumble struck in the final Test of the 2006 series in the Caribbean to hand India a 1-0 win. On a spiteful Jamaica pitch in the decider, Dravid scripted a series-winning innings of great skill and character. Under Dravid’s captaincy — his contribution as skipper is often ignored — India won Test series in the West Indies and England.

Then India won its first Test on South African soil with Sreesanth sending down a probing spell of precise out-swing bowling at the Wanderers in 2006. These were significant steps for Indian cricket.

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M.S. Dhoni... leading from the front.</center>
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The Indian pace attack was humming with the likes of Sreesanth, Munaf Patel and R. P. Singh adding depth and quality.

Dravid abdicated his post as captain but Kumble led with dignity and cricketing nous. His leadership on the rather acrimonious tour of Australia in 2007-08 was admirable. By now, India had another young promising paceman in its ranks — the lanky Ishant Sharma.

He was sharp, extracted bounce and had a telling off-cutter. He made a distinct impression during India’s campaign down under. It was a series where India won the third Test at Perth, considered a paceman’s bastion. Ishant & Co. made life difficult for the Australian batsmen. Though India went down 2-1 in the controversial series, teams were now wary of preparing seaming tracks against India.

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When India toured New Zealand last season, the pitches were batsman-friendly. India won the series 1-0. By now, another star had emerged. The left-handed Gautam Gambhir was making both match-winning and match-saving centuries, home and away. In a crucial verdict for India, the Australians were beaten 2-0 at home. Zaheer and Ishant probed and consumed front-line Australian batsmen with conventional and reverse swing, and the Aussie bugbear, Harbhajan, was also among the wickets.

Importantly, India’s top seven were putting runs on the board. And India had serious options with the ball. When Ishant went off the boil, Sreesanth was ready to step in.

Dhoni has been a strong captain and his Test record as skipper — 10 matches with seven wins and three draws — is an impressive one. And his chemistry with coach Gary Kirsten is just right.

India’s achievement is significant since only Australia and South Africa had become No. 1 since the ICC Test ratings were introduced in 2001. India has never clinched a Test series in Australia and South Africa, and winning in these two tough cricketing terrains is its next challenge. But first, India should play enough Test cricket.

The top slot brings with it responsibility as well. There can be no let-up in the levels of intensity.

[littlemaster1982]

IN PRAISE OF TEAM INDIA

India must be very excited about the achievement which they should be extremely proud of. They have done really well over the last 12-18 months and deserve this position. Test cricket deserves a team like India to reach the top at some point of time and you cannot reach there without performing well.

— Haroon Lorgat, ICC Chief Executive.

This is a reflection of what we have been able to achieve in the last 20 months or so. It is great to be sitting on the top. We have worked hard and Gary has been very instrumental. The other support staff also deserve credit. Along with all this was the leadership of (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni and the team’s effort, so I would say that the whole team got together and worked hard.

— Sachin Tendulkar

This was not achieved through one or two individuals, but it was a long process and everyone has contributed, whoever has been a part of the side for the last 18 months. It has been a hard-earned achievement and it will be tough to maintain that at the same time.

— M. S. Dhoni, India captain.

Getting to number one is hard work. But they would have to work harder to stay there because others would try to knock them off the pedestal. They would have to be a lot more consistent but it’s not beyond them. They have got the skills and talent and it’s application which is not always 100 percent.

— Sunil Gavaskar, former India skipper and opening batsman.

Congratulations to all members of Team India for their superb performance. They have made it possible. It has taken a long time for them. Right now, it’s a proud moment to cherish and not look at the shortcomings.

— Bishan Singh Bedi, former India captain.

It is a wonderful victory. It is gratifying to witness a great effort by the team especially since it’s coming for the first time in history. There is going to be added pressure on the team now. We need to do a lot of home work now (in order) to sustain that position with the knowledge that other countries are also developing faster.

— E. A. S. Prasanna, former India off-spinner.

Dhoni and his men have realised the dream of past masters of the game like me. Each of us who has played for the country had dreamt of achieving the feat of being world number one in Test cricket. I congratulate the current bunch of Indian cricketers.

— Ajit Wadekar, former India captain.

They have grabbed the number one spot convincingly. In Kanpur they won it on a flat track. It was Sreesanth who won us the Kanpur Test and it is Zaheer Khan who has brought glory for Team India in the Mumbai Test. India has been pretty good in these last 3-4 years. I am very pleased with the effort they have put in to become the number one Test side in the world. Now, I want them to continue with their good run and maintain the ranking for the next couple of years.

— Javagal Srinath, ICC match referee and former Indian fast bowler.

Congratulations to Dhoni and his boys. Dhoni is as good as his team. The kind of team he has, it’s great. Had this team not been there, he would not have been that successful a captain that he is today.

— Ajay Jadeja, former India batsman.

It is well deserved and reflects the depth of talent of our cricketers.

— Pratibha Patil, India’s President.

[ajithfederer]

South Africa in India 2009-10
India ask South Africa to play two Tests

Ken Borland

December 11, 2009

India claimed the No. 1 Test ranking, India v Sri Lanka, 3rd Test, Mumbai, 5th day, December 6, 2009
India became the No. 1 Test side after beating Sri Lanka 2-0 and are keen to play more Tests © AFP

Related Links
Analysis : India's spell at the top not in their hands
Series/Tournaments: South Africa tour of India
Teams: India | South Africa

Widespread fears over the future of Test cricket have been partly assuaged by the news that the BCCI has asked South Africa to play two Tests in India during their tour early next year, dropping two one-day internationals from the schedule to make space for the five-day matches.

India's change of mind - the tour was just going to comprise seven ODIs before being cut to five - came about after they ascended to the ICC's No. 1 ranking in Tests for the first time. Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola confirmed the request and said they were now trying to make space for the Tests, which would lengthen the tour by a week.

"They [India] have requested we play two Tests and three ODIs and we are still considering it," Majola said. "We still have to consult with the South African Cricketers' Association, the team management, our playing regulations and fixtures committees, as well as the board. It would extend the tour by another week, but we would like to accommodate them and I don't foresee a problem with it."

The dramatic about-turn came only four days after Majola was forced to issue a statement saying the Tests in India had merely been postponed, after a storm of criticism in South Africa that the No. 1 and 2 sides in the premier version of the game would not meet in that format.

It is believed CSA is calling on the sponsors of their Twenty20 domestic competition - the Standard Bank Pro20 - to agree to a postponement of their semi-finals and final by a week in order to accommodate the Tests in India and ensure the country's top players are back for the knockout stages of the Pro20.

The first round of Standard Bank Pro20 semi-finals are due to start on February 24, with the second round beginning on March 3 and the final on March 12. Those dates would all need to be shifted back by at least a week now, meaning the last two rounds of the four-day Supersport Series would have to be moved into April.

The two teams that advance to the Standard Bank Pro20 final land themselves a lucrative place in the Champions League Twenty20, so the franchises are understandably eager for their best players to be available.

India's newly-acquired position atop the Test rankings was under threat because they were only scheduled to play two Tests in the next 11 months, which explains its sudden interest in playing more Tests. Cricket South Africa has invariably tried to ensure they don't land on the wrong side of the BCCI, so it is likely India will get its wish and Test cricket will have a stellar showdown to look forward to.


http://www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/...ry/438958.html

2 Tests is better than Nothing!! .

BCCI, Appadiyae pull the Oz's for a 4 test series .

[ajithfederer]

BCCI - Anybody with catchy or lollu abbreviations for BCCI and kusumbu poll ideas are most welcome.

[ajithfederer]

South Africa in India 2009-10
South African players in favour of new schedule

Nagraj Gollapudi

December 12, 2009
Comments: 9 | Text size: A | A
CJ de Villiers took two early wickets to undermine England, South Africa A v England XI, Bloemfontein, November 10, 2009
According to SACA, the South Africans are keen to play less one-day cricket on their tour of India © Getty Images
Related Links
News : India ask South Africa to play two Tests
Series/Tournaments: South Africa tour of India
Teams: India | South Africa

The South African players have come out in support of the new schedule for their Indian tour next year which proposes two Tests and three ODIs instead of the originally planned five-ODI series. Following Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola's admission on Friday that it was possible to accommodate the BCCI's request, the South African Players Association [SACA] said the players were open and happy to play more Tests instead of ODIs on the tour scheduled for February-March 2010.

"We as players are actually in favour of that," Tony Irish, SACA's CEO , told Cricinfo. "We would prefer to go there [India] and play two Tests and three one-dayers rather than playing five-ODI series." Irish also said SACA had been aware of the BCCI's request because the players' body was closely involved in the planning and finalising of tour schedules.

Explaining the reasons behind the players favouring the new proposal, Irish said the most important factor was that the teams would get to play more Test cricket, which would be a boost for the longer form of the game. "Firstly we played so little Test cricket this year [2009] so we are keen to play [more] Test matches. Then we also want to play because India are No. 1 and we are No. 2. It is also good for Test cricket as this shows support for the longer version."

Players have been up in arms against the existing Future Tours Programme due to the the dearth of Tests in the calendar. This year India played just six Tests and are scheduled to play seven in 2010 (not including the proposed two matches against South Africa). That figure could be trimmed to five as the two Tests against Zimbabwe are yet to be finalised. South Africa are scheduled to play five more Tests in 2010 compared to the six in 2009. "We believe that it is vital to play as much Test cricket as possible because the players believe it is the pinnacle of cricket," Irish said.

Irish admitted that the last-minute request from the Indian board was not "ideal" but felt it was necessary to "compromise" for the betterment of Test cricket. "It is not ideal but scheduling in cricket is not ideal because of the way everyone is packing more and more cricket in. But there has to be a set of compromises and we are making some now in order to play Test cricket."

Asked if there were any concerns the players had Irish said they did not want to miss out on playing the Pro20, South Africa's domestic Twenty20 competition, and hence were keen that both boards try and work out the right dates to enable the players to get back in time to play the tournament. "One of the downsides is that our national players might miss the semi-finals and the finals of the Pro20 domestic competition," said Irish. "If that can be accommodated that will be good."

The first round of Standard Bank Pro20 semi-finals are due to start on February 24, with the second round beginning on March 3 and the final on March 12, so the CSA is trying to push back those dates by at least a week to accommodate the BCCI request. "There are a couple of issues about getting the dates right: we would need to arrive earlier than what was proposed by India," said Irish. "We would also need to get our ODI specialists early because there is a very small gap between the end of the proposed Test series and the ODIs."

Nagraj Gollapudi is an assistant editor at Cricinfo
RSS Feeds: Nagraj Gollapudi

http://www.cricinfo.com/southafrica/...ry/439117.html

BCCI similarly pull the OZ's for a test series by scrapping the ODI Series next year