Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The grand prize money shot
Never mind the escalating cost of television rights – what is also growing is the prize money for Twenty20 domestic competitions.
The CLT20 offers US$6 million prize money, not too shabby for some players who have never donned an international cap in any format of the game. Let's see how these domestic competitions match up with each other financially and whether domestic cricketers are happy to stay where there are.
CLT20 - The tournament offers teams US$6 million of prize money. The prize money, including US$3 million for the winning team, which will be shared equally between the teams and their players.
Standford Twenty20 - Total prize money US$20 million. The 11 players on the winning team each received US$1 million. The reserve players in the squad shared US$1m. A further US$1m was divided among the management team. The remaining US$7m was split equally between the West Indies Board and the ECB.
Indian Premier League - Rajasthan Royals took home just over US$1 million for winning the inaugural final in Bombay earlier this year.
2008 Twenty20 Cup final in England - Middlesex earned US$12,000 per player for beating Kent at the Rose Bowl.
2008 RBS Twenty20 cup in Pakistan - The competition had 13 teams gunning for a winners' prize money of US$32,500 which eventually went to the Sialkot Stallions.
2008 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash - Victoria Bushrangers snared up US$20,000 between them, while the runner-up received US$10,000.
Needless to say the cricketers will be as curious about how many green tracks are laid to the amount of green they could potentially pocket at the end of the tournaments. Because of the booming cricket economy (amidst the world's economic downturn) sustained by huge viewership and sponsorship deals, Twenty20 domestic cricket is the way to go forward. The cover drive induced by their drive for the prize money, the pull shot becomes the money shot.
So with potential international call ups and big cash cows in tow, we can only expect to see as many runs and wickets as dollar bills flying at the upcoming CLT20. The growth of cricket is centering around an exciting theory, fewer overs sprouts more money.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
2008 Champions League Twenty20 squads
Nashua Dolphins
Ahmed Amla (Captain), Imraan Khan, Hashim Amla, Jon Kent, Grant Rowley, Martin Bekker, Pierre de Bruyn, Daryn Smit, Johann Louw, Morne van Vuuren, Quinton Friend, Alfonso Thomas, Saidi Mlongo, Yusuf Abdullah and David Miller.
Victorian Bushrangers
Cameron White (captain), Aiden Blizzard, Adam Crosthwaite, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Clinton McKay, Dirk Nannes, Darren Pattinson, Robert Quiney, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade.
Western Australian Rambal Warriors
Marcus North (capt.), David Bandy, Arron Crawford, Liam Davis, Brett Dorey, Theo Doropoulos, Ben Edmondson, Aaron Heal, Matt Johnston, Trent Kelly, Steve Magoffin, Shaun Marsh, Luke Pomersbach, Luke Ronchi, Adam Voges.
The team leaves for India on Sat 29 November, and their first round robin encounter will be against the Rajashan Royals on Wed 3 December.
Ahmed Amla (Captain), Imraan Khan, Hashim Amla, Jon Kent, Grant Rowley, Martin Bekker, Pierre de Bruyn, Daryn Smit, Johann Louw, Morne van Vuuren, Quinton Friend, Alfonso Thomas, Saidi Mlongo, Yusuf Abdullah and David Miller.
Victorian Bushrangers
Cameron White (captain), Aiden Blizzard, Adam Crosthwaite, Aaron Finch, Shane Harwood, John Hastings, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Clinton McKay, Dirk Nannes, Darren Pattinson, Robert Quiney, Peter Siddle, Matthew Wade.
Western Australian Rambal Warriors
Marcus North (capt.), David Bandy, Arron Crawford, Liam Davis, Brett Dorey, Theo Doropoulos, Ben Edmondson, Aaron Heal, Matt Johnston, Trent Kelly, Steve Magoffin, Shaun Marsh, Luke Pomersbach, Luke Ronchi, Adam Voges.
The team leaves for India on Sat 29 November, and their first round robin encounter will be against the Rajashan Royals on Wed 3 December.
Champions League fixtures and groups
Group A
Chennai Super Kings
Victoria Bushrangers
Pretoria Titans
Middlesex Crusaders
Group B
Sialkot Stallions
Rajasthan Royals
Western Rambal Warriors
Natal Dolphins.
Middlesex Crusaders will challenge Victoria Bushrangers in the opening match of the Champions League T-20 on December 3.
Dec 3rd - Middlesex Crusaders vs Victoria Bushrangers in Mumbai
Dec 3rd - Rajasthan Royals vs Nashua Dolphins in Bangalore
Dec 4th - Sialkot Stallions vs Western Rambal Warriors in Banglore
Dec 4th - Chennai Super Kings vs Victoria Bushrangers in Mumbai
Dec 5th - Middlesex Crusaders vs Pretoria Titans in Chennai
Dec 5th - Rajasthan Royals vs Sialkot Stallions in Mumbai
Dec 6th - Western Australia vs Natal Dolphins in Banglore
Dec 6th - Victoria Bushrangers vs Pretoria Titans in Chennai
Dec 6th - Chennai Super Kings vs Middlesex Crusaders in Chennai
Dec 7th - Natal Dolphins vs Sialkot Stallions in Bangalore
Dec 7th - Rajasthan Royals vs Western Rambal Warriors in Bangalore
Dec 7th - Chennai Super Kings vs Pretoria Titans in Chennai
Dec 8th - Semifinal 1 (Group B First placed team vs Group A Second placed team)
Dec 9th - Semifinal 2 (Group A First placed team vs Group B Second placed team)
Dec 10th - Final (Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2)
Source: ESPNSTAR
Chennai Super Kings
Victoria Bushrangers
Pretoria Titans
Middlesex Crusaders
Group B
Sialkot Stallions
Rajasthan Royals
Western Rambal Warriors
Natal Dolphins.
Middlesex Crusaders will challenge Victoria Bushrangers in the opening match of the Champions League T-20 on December 3.
Dec 3rd - Middlesex Crusaders vs Victoria Bushrangers in Mumbai
Dec 3rd - Rajasthan Royals vs Nashua Dolphins in Bangalore
Dec 4th - Sialkot Stallions vs Western Rambal Warriors in Banglore
Dec 4th - Chennai Super Kings vs Victoria Bushrangers in Mumbai
Dec 5th - Middlesex Crusaders vs Pretoria Titans in Chennai
Dec 5th - Rajasthan Royals vs Sialkot Stallions in Mumbai
Dec 6th - Western Australia vs Natal Dolphins in Banglore
Dec 6th - Victoria Bushrangers vs Pretoria Titans in Chennai
Dec 6th - Chennai Super Kings vs Middlesex Crusaders in Chennai
Dec 7th - Natal Dolphins vs Sialkot Stallions in Bangalore
Dec 7th - Rajasthan Royals vs Western Rambal Warriors in Bangalore
Dec 7th - Chennai Super Kings vs Pretoria Titans in Chennai
Dec 8th - Semifinal 1 (Group B First placed team vs Group A Second placed team)
Dec 9th - Semifinal 2 (Group A First placed team vs Group B Second placed team)
Dec 10th - Final (Winner of Semifinal 1 vs Winner of Semifinal 2)
Source: ESPNSTAR
Champions League T20 Player Interviews / Promos / Ads
The Fearless
The Demoltion Men
The Superheroes
T20 Player Interview MS Dhoni 1
The Demoltion Men
The Superheroes
T20 Player Interview MS Dhoni 1
Champions League Twenty20 promo by ESPN Star sports
Check the promo video of Champions League T20 from Youtube. Hindi Version of the promo. Seems too TRANSFORMERISH! Your thoughts?
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Everything you wanted to know about the Champions League
What is the Twenty20 Champions League?
The Twenty20 Champions League is an international tournament featuring the best teams of the domestic Twenty20 tournaments in various nations. It is scheduled to be held in October 2008.
Who is behind it and is it official?
It will be run by the cricket boards of India, Australia, South Africa, and England. The league has the backing of the ICC, so it will be deemed official.
What's all the buzz about?
Simply put, it's probably the first international tournament for domestic sides. It's not too different from the similarly named football tournament in Europe. Just as football clubs from various European nations qualify through their individual leagues for the football Champions League, the top two teams from each of these cricket-playing nations will qualify through their respective Twenty20 domestic leagues for the Twenty20 Champions League. Teams in England, Australia and South Africa will qualify through existing competitions; for India, where the Twenty20 structure barely exists, a new league called the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be put in place.
Have the details been worked out? The where, when and how?
As mentioned above, it will be played next October between eight teams, two from each country, divided into two groups. There will be a total of 15 matches, including the semi-finals and the final. The venues are yet to be decided, but it shouldn't be a problem because the organisers have the support of the ICC and the national boards.
What will they be playing for?
The overall prize money for the Twenty20 Champions League will be $5 million, the winners taking home $2 million. There will be $3 million up for grabs in the IPL. By contrast, the winners of the ICC World Cup in the Caribbean took home $1 million; the team that wins the current ICC World Twenty20 will take home half of that.
Where did the idea come from?
There is a school of thought that the idea was originally put forward in 1996 by the same man who is in charge of the project now: Lalit Modi, BCCI's vice-president. But it was shot down then because it would go against the zonal system that the BCCI runs under. Modi, though, says the work seriously got underway a couple of years ago when Sharad Pawar became the BCCI president. It is believed that the project was fast-tracked when the Zee group in India announced the Indian Cricket League in April this year.
How are they different to each other?
They both use the Twenty20 format but that's about all they have in common. The ICL is not recognised by any of the national boards or the ICC; it is a one-nation tournament lacking the status, international reach, players, and the infrastructure that the Twenty20 Champions League will have by default. The players here won't be barred from representing their nations, unlike the ones who have joined the ICL. It will eliminate the concept of regional representation. For example, it is possible in theory that Glenn McGrath plays for Mumbai Maulers against New South Wales in the final of the Twenty20 Champions League.
And there's one more difference: Franchises.
Franchises? What's that?
That means the teams making up the Twenty20 league in each participating country will no longer have regional affiliation as they do now - states in Australia and India, counties in England - but will be owned by corporate houses, rather like football teams in Europe or the major sports teams in the US. And, like them, they can trade, appoint coaches and support staff, buy equipment and make best use of whatever resources they have. Apart from the prize money (more on that later) the sources of revenue will be gate money, a share of TV earnings, and sale of merchandise. It hasn't yet been decided if they will have a share in the players' endorsements.
To begin with, the franchise concept will apply to the IPL; the organisers plan to extend it to the other countries in a couple of years' time.
The overall prize money for the Twenty20 Champions League will be $5 million, the winners taking home $2 million. There will be $3 million up for grabs in the IPL. By contrast, the winners of the ICC World Cup in the Caribbean took home $1 million; the team that wins the current ICC World Twenty20 will take home half of that
Hang on - what about other countries where they play Twenty20, Pakistan, for example??
Pakistan is a notable missing name but Modi says it will be part of the inaugural Champions League. However, it's yet to be seen in what capacity Pakistan is involved; it is believed that Pakistan, like Sri Lanka, does not have the economy to sustain a full-fledged franchise concept. It's possible that the IPL includes one team from Pakistan. New Zealand have also not been directly involved in the Champions League so far but the country's cricket board is already talking of its teams joining Australia's Twenty20 competition to have a shot at the international event.
All this is pretty radical, isn't it?
It certainly has potential to change the game. Lalit Modi wasn't joking when he told Cricinfo, "We're going forward and trying to change the world order." One, the money could make Twenty20 the most lucrative form of cricket any aspiring cricketer wants to play. So what would that do to cricket skills and talent pools for longer versions of the game is anyone's guess. Two, it could change the way we look at cricket. Teams based on regional affiliations will be replaced by teams based on commerce, players playing not for local pride but for top dollar. That's how football has grown in the last 20 years - and not everyone's happy with the shape it's in today.
It is significant that the league was launched in the presence of cricket's most powerful men - the heads of the ICC and the Indian, Australian and South African boards, and the ECB's No. 2 (not to mention Messrs Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, McGrath and Fleming).
And who are the big players bidding to purchase teams?
On January 24, 2008 the IPL announced the eight city franchises and their owners, a mix of the biggest names in business and Bollywood, after an auction worth US$723.59 million, almost double the combined base price of US$400 million. Top industrialists and Bollywood stars led the bandwagon as the BCCI raked in the money - Mukesh Ambani, the Reliance Industries chairman, acquired the Mumbai franchise for $111.9 million over a 10-year period; beer and airline baron Vijay Mallya, who also owns a Formula 1 team, won the Bangalore franchise for $111.6 million; Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment won the Kolkata franchise for $75 million; the biggest surprise was the Chandigarh franchise, which went to Preity Zinta, another Bollywood star, and Ness Wadia, together with two other major industrialists, for $75 million. The IPL sure does mean big, big business.
The Twenty20 Champions League is an international tournament featuring the best teams of the domestic Twenty20 tournaments in various nations. It is scheduled to be held in October 2008.
Who is behind it and is it official?
It will be run by the cricket boards of India, Australia, South Africa, and England. The league has the backing of the ICC, so it will be deemed official.
What's all the buzz about?
Simply put, it's probably the first international tournament for domestic sides. It's not too different from the similarly named football tournament in Europe. Just as football clubs from various European nations qualify through their individual leagues for the football Champions League, the top two teams from each of these cricket-playing nations will qualify through their respective Twenty20 domestic leagues for the Twenty20 Champions League. Teams in England, Australia and South Africa will qualify through existing competitions; for India, where the Twenty20 structure barely exists, a new league called the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be put in place.
Have the details been worked out? The where, when and how?
As mentioned above, it will be played next October between eight teams, two from each country, divided into two groups. There will be a total of 15 matches, including the semi-finals and the final. The venues are yet to be decided, but it shouldn't be a problem because the organisers have the support of the ICC and the national boards.
What will they be playing for?
The overall prize money for the Twenty20 Champions League will be $5 million, the winners taking home $2 million. There will be $3 million up for grabs in the IPL. By contrast, the winners of the ICC World Cup in the Caribbean took home $1 million; the team that wins the current ICC World Twenty20 will take home half of that.
Where did the idea come from?
There is a school of thought that the idea was originally put forward in 1996 by the same man who is in charge of the project now: Lalit Modi, BCCI's vice-president. But it was shot down then because it would go against the zonal system that the BCCI runs under. Modi, though, says the work seriously got underway a couple of years ago when Sharad Pawar became the BCCI president. It is believed that the project was fast-tracked when the Zee group in India announced the Indian Cricket League in April this year.
How are they different to each other?
They both use the Twenty20 format but that's about all they have in common. The ICL is not recognised by any of the national boards or the ICC; it is a one-nation tournament lacking the status, international reach, players, and the infrastructure that the Twenty20 Champions League will have by default. The players here won't be barred from representing their nations, unlike the ones who have joined the ICL. It will eliminate the concept of regional representation. For example, it is possible in theory that Glenn McGrath plays for Mumbai Maulers against New South Wales in the final of the Twenty20 Champions League.
And there's one more difference: Franchises.
Franchises? What's that?
That means the teams making up the Twenty20 league in each participating country will no longer have regional affiliation as they do now - states in Australia and India, counties in England - but will be owned by corporate houses, rather like football teams in Europe or the major sports teams in the US. And, like them, they can trade, appoint coaches and support staff, buy equipment and make best use of whatever resources they have. Apart from the prize money (more on that later) the sources of revenue will be gate money, a share of TV earnings, and sale of merchandise. It hasn't yet been decided if they will have a share in the players' endorsements.
To begin with, the franchise concept will apply to the IPL; the organisers plan to extend it to the other countries in a couple of years' time.
The overall prize money for the Twenty20 Champions League will be $5 million, the winners taking home $2 million. There will be $3 million up for grabs in the IPL. By contrast, the winners of the ICC World Cup in the Caribbean took home $1 million; the team that wins the current ICC World Twenty20 will take home half of that
Hang on - what about other countries where they play Twenty20, Pakistan, for example??
Pakistan is a notable missing name but Modi says it will be part of the inaugural Champions League. However, it's yet to be seen in what capacity Pakistan is involved; it is believed that Pakistan, like Sri Lanka, does not have the economy to sustain a full-fledged franchise concept. It's possible that the IPL includes one team from Pakistan. New Zealand have also not been directly involved in the Champions League so far but the country's cricket board is already talking of its teams joining Australia's Twenty20 competition to have a shot at the international event.
All this is pretty radical, isn't it?
It certainly has potential to change the game. Lalit Modi wasn't joking when he told Cricinfo, "We're going forward and trying to change the world order." One, the money could make Twenty20 the most lucrative form of cricket any aspiring cricketer wants to play. So what would that do to cricket skills and talent pools for longer versions of the game is anyone's guess. Two, it could change the way we look at cricket. Teams based on regional affiliations will be replaced by teams based on commerce, players playing not for local pride but for top dollar. That's how football has grown in the last 20 years - and not everyone's happy with the shape it's in today.
It is significant that the league was launched in the presence of cricket's most powerful men - the heads of the ICC and the Indian, Australian and South African boards, and the ECB's No. 2 (not to mention Messrs Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, McGrath and Fleming).
And who are the big players bidding to purchase teams?
On January 24, 2008 the IPL announced the eight city franchises and their owners, a mix of the biggest names in business and Bollywood, after an auction worth US$723.59 million, almost double the combined base price of US$400 million. Top industrialists and Bollywood stars led the bandwagon as the BCCI raked in the money - Mukesh Ambani, the Reliance Industries chairman, acquired the Mumbai franchise for $111.9 million over a 10-year period; beer and airline baron Vijay Mallya, who also owns a Formula 1 team, won the Bangalore franchise for $111.6 million; Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's Red Chillies Entertainment won the Kolkata franchise for $75 million; the biggest surprise was the Chandigarh franchise, which went to Preity Zinta, another Bollywood star, and Ness Wadia, together with two other major industrialists, for $75 million. The IPL sure does mean big, big business.
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