May 30 2008
Controversies clouds of IPL!
IPL Twenty-20 is the latest cricket fashion which is rocking in the cricket world nowadays. After 56 matches, the semis of the league are going to start today with the battle between Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals. It is getting popularity among the cricket fans but the same is surrounded with lots of controversies and gossips since its start.
Before the start of the IPL, the issue of boycotting the coverage by the media gave a major jolt to this league. The IPL was reported to have sold the new media rights to the Twenty20 tournament to an unnamed US web company in a $50m deal. BCCI had said that all photographers covering IPL matches were mandatory required to upload photographs on IPL’s official website at their own cost which was later rejected to soften media norms for IPL.
After a lot of pressure mounted by the issue, the matter is resolved but it was just a starting. Eligibility of Shoiab Akhtar for IPL made the headlines after this issue. PCB has banned Shoiab Akhtar for 5 years to represent Pakistan but as a professional player he was likely to be eligible to play for Kolkata Knight Riders. BCCI didn’t want to create any problem so asked him to get permission from PCB failing which he was not allowed to play for KolKata Knight Riders. Only a week after PCB has stayed the order by a month and new enquiry will take place after that. Due to this he is now available to Knight Riders for selection.
Anyhow, these gossips were just trailers only. The big picture came into light with a new controversy. Harbhajan-Sreeshanth slap row was a biggest jolt to the IPL as well as to the cricket history. It was a shocking incident of slapping by Harbhajan after the Kings XI Vs. Mumbai Indians clash in Mohali on April 25 which left the cricketers embarrassed. The incident flamed up when the BCCI asked the short tempered Harbhajan to explain the action. Frustrated with his lose, Bhajji slapped Sreesanth and the incident is caught by cameras of media. The issue was bounced high by the media thereafter. Finally the issue came to an end on May 14 when Bhajji was banned for 5 ODIs and was warned by the Cricket Board of a life ban for any further misconduct on his part. That was one of the very toughest times for the career of the 27-year-old off spinner Harbhajan.
Later BCCI also banned an umpire to stand in a match on this topic. The umpire has made any comment on the Sreesanth’s behavior and he got the reward.
Sehwag was no more left away from controversies. The match between Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers was stopped at a very crucial point in the 19th over when Shewag complained to the umpires that the crowd is throwing stones at him. Sehwag was very upset with the incident which wiped off the happiness of his victory in the match.
Shahrukh-Ganguly tashan was one more sensational gossip of IPL. A reported rift between Kolkata Knight Rider’s owner Shahrukh Khan and skipper Sourav Ganguly came in light after the team’s poor performance against the Rajasthan Royals which cost them their chance to feature in the top four teams. The two have also conflicts over various issues like team selection, team combination and player selection. Shahrukh Khan and Captain Sourav Ganguly had different opinions about team composition and players to buy during the auction. The other major reason for the rift is Shahrukh’s faith in coach John Buchanan that saw him giving more powers to the Australian in team issues surpassing Ganguly. The King Khan further upset Ganguly by announcing that Buchanan would be taking control of the team next season. Bid for the players in the auction was another issue between them. The two however now says that there are no differences between them and all issues are resolved now.
Shahrukh was also warned by the BCCI to follow Code of Conduct in cricket. The Anti Corruption Unit officials had cautioned the actor about going into the dressing room and the team dug out during the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings. BCCI supported the law against Srk also. King Khan was highly disappointed by this issue and the warning. He even said that he would keep him away from IPL now. But later he was permitted to cheer the team from dug out.
Now come to the colorful part of IPL. Cheerleaders, which are new in Indian cricket, gave a new color to the game but on the same side it gave rise to a hot debate among the politicians and the officials. Vijay Mallya, the owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers, started the trend of keeping the cheer-leaders with the team and others followed. There was a lot of hue and cry about the dressing of these cheer leaders. They were finally made to wear so called decent looking clothes by the moral brigade of Mumbai. Political leaders also gave their comments in the matter. Some protested it while others found nothing insane in the dancing of cheerleaders. But still the cheerleaders are cheering the viewers and fans of cricket in the play.
Another issue which rose on cheerleaders was the racial abuse directed towards two dark skinned cheerleaders hired by the Kings XI Punjab team. They have alleged that they were asked to sit out just before the April 19 match of the IPL played in Mohali because they were not white. Cheerleaders Ellesha Newton and Sherinne Anderson were banned from performing at a major cricket match in India.
Shane Warne and Ganguly’s views on field leaded a new controversy in IPL. Rajasthan Royals’ skipper Shane Warne lodged a complaint against his Kolkata Knight Riders counterpart Sourav Ganguly for resorting to time-wasting tactics during their IPL match and refusing to accept the fielder’s word on a “clean catch”. Ganguly dismissed the Australian’s claim that he had violated the spirit of the game by indulging in delaying tactics and refusing to accept the fielder’s words on a ‘clean catch’. Later Shane Warne and Sourav Ganguly fined 10 per cent of match fees. Shane Warne fined for his comments in press conference. Ganguly fined for his on-field behavior.
Recently a complaint has been filed against Kings XI Punjab co-owner Ness Wadia for allegedly publicly insulting and using derogatory language against Mohali police chief Ranbir Singh Khatra during Friday’s IPL match between the Punjab team and Deccan Chargers at PCA stadium, Mohali.
The police officer lodged a complaint with Mohali deputy commissioner that Wadia had used “insulting” language on him. The complaint also encircled IPL commissioner Lalit Modi for smoking in the Long Room of the PCA stadium in an earlier IPL match.
One more issue is in the air. Despite loosing the semi final berth Mumbai Indians are hosting the semi finals and final in Mumbai, since the owner of Mumbai Indians has bid the highest value for the team. So this issue has created some sort of flame. Skipper of Rajasthan Royals Shane Warne is not happy with this. He was looking for hosting the semi finals in the top two teams place.
So these are a few colorful events from the cricketing world of India, but I am not sure where the cricket in between these issues is?
