Sri Lankan Cricket Fans

Nigel Long gave a dumb decision, not the fault of DRS.

Lehman supports scrapping toss and 4-day tests

Australia's coach Darren Lehmann has thrown his support behind the idea of scrapping the toss, while he is also open-minded about the concept of four-day Test cricket. While Australia and New Zealand pioneered day-night Test cricket in Adelaide last week, other suggestions have also been made in the debate around making Test cricket more competitive and more attractive to spectators.

One idea is to abolish the coin toss before matches and instead allow the visiting team the choice of whether to bat or bowl, which proponents argue would encourage the host country to produce a fair pitch. Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Michael Holding have all expressed support for the idea, while the ECB will next year trial a similar concept in county cricket.

Under the ECB's trial, the visiting county will automatically be given the option of fielding first and only if they decline will the coin toss go ahead as usual.

"That is one that should definitely come in to cricket, where the opposition gets the right to choose what they want to do," Lehmann told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday. "I reckon it will stop all the wickets suiting the home team.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/947805.html

Bad weather will have a big effect on 4-day Tests. It becomes a 3-day match when one day gets washed out. It may not work in some countries.

So BCCI's new man Manohar has also closed the door on DRS...........his main or only contention being DRS been used on lbw decisions.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/954635.html

The Lodha committee appointed by the Supreme Court has recommended a complete overhaul of Indian cricket, from the very top down to the grassroots level and affecting every stakeholder. Its report, presented to the court and made public today, covers every aspect of the game with special focus on the BCCI's administrative and governance structures and the issue of transparency.

Other recommendations by the panel

• No more zonal nomination for president's post
  Restrict total tenure of office-bearers in any capacity to two terms, not exceeding six years. Tenure of president will not be longer than three years
  Only ex-cricketers in state associations and implementation of proper stadium rotation policy
  Legislature must consider bringing BCCI under purview of Right to Information Act
  Each selection committee to comprise only three members. Senior selection committee to be made up of former international Test cricketers, with the most capped former player among the three chairing the committee
  Protection of players' interests by registering agents under prescribed norms of BCCI and players' association
  BCCI to share details of rules and regulations, norms, meetings, expenditures, balance sheets, reports and orders of authorities on its website
  An independent auditor to verify how the full members have expended the grants given to them by the BCCI
  

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/957707.html

One of the more radical recommendations of the Lodha panel report is one that would resonate most with cricket fans: restricting advertisement breaks during broadcast of Tests and ODIs in India to only the drinks, lunch and tea intervals. This effectively would mean no ad breaks at the end of overs, which could turn the Indian cricket economy on its head and, according to those in the TV business, ultimately send subscription rates sky high.

The Lodha report is fairly clear: "It is recommended that all existing contracts for international Test & One-Day matches be revised and new ones ensure that only breaks taken by both teams for drinks, lunch and tea will permit the broadcast to be interrupted with advertisements, as is the practice internationally. Also, the entire space of the screen during the broadcast will be dedicated to the display of the game, save for a small sponsor logo or sign."

Taking note of how commerce has "overtaken" the enjoyment of cricket, the Lodha panel pointed to how "regardless of the wicket that has fallen, century having been hit or other momentous event, full liberty is granted to maximise the broadcaster's income by cutting away to a commercial, thereby robbing sport of its most attractive attribute - emotion."

The recommendation stems from the committee's belief that fans' viewing experience is interrupted in international games. To offset the commercial impact of this recommendation, the committee exempted the IPL, from which the BCCI makes the bulk of its revenues. The recommendation would ensure the viewers would have uninterrupted views of the game, the changes, and the emotions even at change of ends.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/story/958725.html



While very noble I think this will never happen in Asia.

I think ads between overs is fine but they need to be context specific, if something important happens at the end of the over then stay with the broadcast. If its just an end to an over then go to ads. Usually a change over 30 to 120 seconds tops. Broadcast should be back by the time the bowler is at the top of his run up.

Yeah, won't happen in India. I love the Sky Sports broadcast. Not many ads

lol e had even those big strip ads when the match was live on CSN.coundt see the scorecard even

'No caution taken to protect the sport from the orgy of excess'
SIDHARTH MONGA

The Lodha committee's report has sent the BCCI into a room full of mirrors. ESPNcricinfo lists out some of its most damning bits

What the supreme court had found about the BCCI left it no choice but to intervene through the Lodha committee

"These include serious inaction regarding betting and match-fixing, frequent amendments to the rules to enable persons in power to perpetuate their control and promote their financial interests, permitting or enabling its office bearers, employees and players to do acts which clearly give rise to conflicts of interest which have no resolution mechanism, lack of transparency and accountability, failure to provide effective grievance redressal mechanisms and a general apathy towards wrongdoing."

Political protection and government functionaries haven't helped matters

"It became clear that many ills had become endemic due to the apathy or involvement of those who were at the helm of the board's administration; that many of these were high functionaries in the central and state governments further compounded the problem, as did the fact that several incumbents had remained in charge of state associations for several decades. Many officials of the various state associations hold power without adhering to the basic principles of accountability and transparency by converting them into regional fiefdoms."

Those in power have found ways - not always noble - to remain in power

"Policies have been formulated and altered to suit the needs of a few powerful individuals, and coteries have formed around them, which has polarised and compromised independent leadership."

"The IPL has obviously been the most visible, remunerative and glamourised component of cricket in India over the last eight years, but with big money and attention, there has not been the necessary caution to protect the sport and its players from the orgy of excess that quickly began to envelope the event. As events unfolded over the last few years, it was clear that unsavoury interferences had reached the highest echelons of cricket and overlapping and conflicting interests were not only condoned, but those in governance of the Board had made ex-post facto amendments to facilitate the same."

It was widely suspected that the BCCI's recent attempts at reform were not quite voluntary. This report confirms it, with these responses from the BCCI to the questionnaire sent to them by the Lodha committee

"The then President Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya and Secretary Mr Anurag Thakur even sent identical responses to it. We are glad to note that having obtained a broad picture from the questionnaire about how the Committee intended to proceed, BCCI started taking some action, or at least made some announcements touching upon the contents of the questions…

Fans and women's cricket have for long been last on conventional priority lists. Not for this committee

"While massive funds flow into the coffers of the BCCI and the IPL through the sale of television and media rights and sponsorship deals, little commensurate advantage finds its way to the members of public who stand in snaking long queues, often unable to obtain tickets, and if lucky, to stumble into stadia without access to basic amenities."

"A most unfortunate fact that was made known to the committee was that the Indian women's cricket team had last played a Test match eight years ago. Coupled with general chauvinism, the women players receive paltry earnings and have only a one-month long domestic season."

Those who helm the game come from mixed milieu - some are patrons seeking to promote the sport, while others seek to promote themselves, with no particular attention being paid to cricket itself
State associations constitute the BCCI. The associations themselves and the BCCI's dealings with them have both come in for severe criticism

"Rajasthan tells a different tale, with the election of an apparently unpalatable figure making the entire association, and thus the State, persona non grata."

On how the cricketers of Rajasthan are paying for the BCCI's dislike of Lalit Modi

"The priority often seems to be to have an exclusive venue with bar and dining facilities with other recreational avenues for the members, and not the promotion of cricket"

"No detailed accounts are maintained, no oversight or audit is carried out, and on the rare occasion where a particular Association has been found wanting, there is no follow-up action…"

The power of the powerful in the BCCI has been supreme and unquestionable. The report comes down hard on them

"Those who helm the game come from mixed milieu - some are patrons seeking to promote the sport, while others seek to promote themselves, with no particular attention being paid to cricket itself…"

The all-powerful working committee is not just the judge, jury and executioner. It is the legislature too

"As far as the BCCI is concerned, the working committee not only lays down the relevant rules, regulations and bye-laws that govern the BCCI, but also oversees their implementation and takes final decisions when a member or third party challenges either the rule or the manner of its implementation…"

The BCCI has been reluctant to recognise a players' body fearing unionism, but didn't shy away from imposing an Indian, L Sivaramakisnan, as the players' representative in the ICC. The irony didn't escape the committee

"As every other Test-playing nation has a players' association, and even the players' representative at the ICC is an Indian, it is only fitting that an independent players' association is established."


"While massive funds flow into the coffers of the BCCI and the IPL, little commensurate advantage finds its way to the members of public who stand in snaking long queues to stumble into stadia without access to basic amenities" © AFP
The failure to acknowledge and understand the concept of conflict of interest has been a source of major frustration for everybody outside the Indian cricket set-up. The Lodha committee now shares the feeling

"During the course of the last few months, the committee has come to learn of several instances of obvious conflict where contracts have been entered into by the BCCI, where the contractor or vendor includes family members of an office bearer. The fact that there was no voluntary disclosure makes matters worse, raising a presumption of wrongdoing and subterfuge against the individuals in question.

"Before the IPL, it could well have been argued that the BCCI felt no cause to take steps in this regard, but with its advent, the conduct of the BCCI has been to accommodate the conflict rather than to prevent it. Unfortunately, matters needed to reach the highest court of the land before the BCCI decided to take tentative steps towards setting its house in order."

That the BCCI has sought to control the message by making the messengers reliant on it for their livelihood has not escaped the committee's sharp eyes

"Many stakeholders, in the course of interactions with the committee, stated that very little of the functioning of the BCCI is done in a fair and transparent manner and that those who seek greater information are either rebuffed by the board or won over by enticements. Those whose professional livelihoods depend on cricket acknowledge the BCCI's total sway over the sport, and choose to remain silent rather than upset the apple cart…

"Even in regard to cricket commentary, games organised by the BCCI have a contractual condition that there can be no criticism of the BCCI or its selection process, thereby curtailing an exercise of free speech."

Former England Cricket team captain David Gower today suggested reducing the test matches to four days, limiting the first innings to certain time and keep the pace of the game up to make test cricket more interesting.

"Probably we need to do something to reinvent test cricket to make it more appealing," said Gower, who delivered oration lecture on the occasion of Jolly Rovers Cricket Club, an affiliate of the TNCA, which celebrated its 50 years of existence today.

"One of the things that you need first of all is to use Dhoni or Virat Kholi, who are playing the game presently for India to say to the country that test cricket is important. If Dhoni says it is important, then the country will agreed to board," he said.

"The attraction is that you are getting the T-20 matches telecast from Australia and South Africa. If a 10-year-old who is watching says that that is what I want to do, then you need to set it higher. My generation of players say that test cricket is important. Sunil Gavaskar was a brilliant player and he says it is important. But all these were 30 or 40 years ago," he said.

Gower explained in detail that there are possibilities to make test cricket more interesting.

"There are chances to bring people to watch test cricket when they might feel that they could do something else, you put in rules that suggest to reduce the test matches to four days instead of five, limiting the first innings to certain time, keep the pace of the game up," he said.

In an interaction with Aakash Chopra, Gower talked about finding parity to help encourage everybody to play test cricket by the respective countries.

Gower said, "There are politics in dropping players from the one day team. It is extraordinary act of hampering one's ability to win games. The money element is involved in the game. For example, Lasith Malinga plays lot of one dayers than test cricket because of strain on the body. An enormous load of work is done by these people. Therefore, I suppose they equalise remuneration. There has been a lot of talks during the last two years about the heist. It is about re-bouncing the finance of cricket."

On unity amongst the players and the need for the change, he said, "It is actually the West Indies is expensive to play cricket and the cost of hosting test cricket in the West Indies is ridiculous. There is no unity amongst the players but Clive Lloyds was able to manage keeping them together.

"So, West Indies needs money and South Africa is in the danger of getting to be a poor country. Therefore the finances are to be rebounced. ICC is in a dangerous territory. It is a club in a cloud. It does not have influence enough to necessarily effect change."

He said, "It is a financial reality. A player would always think as to how he could maximise his earnings. So, he plays 6 weeks in IPL, 4 weeks in Caribbean league and in Big Bash and then he is getting these.
Asked whether there is a decline in the skills and abilities and the modern day cricket is not equipped to handle different conditions as South Africa lost when they toured India and India has not been performing well in Australia, Gower said, "part of that come from the crowded schedule, which is reflecting in their performances."

"No tour by any country is no more than one or two games as preparation but in the past it used to be three four games before you start a four months tour to a country. Every series now is basically making your fingers crossed. In the past we gained confidence to take pressure as we played four games.

"I think now there is little time to gain the confidence as they play one dayers followed by T-20 and then test matches. The main thing is that I am not quite sure whether I am in form or not," he said.

He summed up saying, "I think the schedules are lot to answer. The fact that the sides go to a, b, c, very quickly means that you always do not have time to worry about result whether you win or lose because there is another series any moment now. Then you go to home conditions and win matches."

On DRS to be implemented in the upcoming IPL tournament, he said, "I think DRS is a good thing because ICC suggests that there is improvement in correct decisions coming in now across international cricket as a whole. Crucial decisions make difference to a game. It is fascinating as to how good umpires are in general terms anyway. DRS is not 100 per cent but they are working on it."

"Also, in the history of 138 years of cricket the umpires have never been wrong. If the umpire thinking the other way, he goes little far away to the third umpire sitting over 150 yards away before a computer and he says that the computer says you are wrong. So, you need umpires on the field."

On the spot fixing issues and educating the younger generation of players, Gower said, "Let us be truthful. Even with the highest standards of behaviour around the world, every society has crime. We all think we know the rights and wrongs and we bring up children to understand right and wrong. But, temptations most often come from circumstances which are unique.

"Every case is potentially different. From school team to international team, someone needs to tell you what not to do. In UK County, players are given a talk every year on this aspect telling them to report back if anyone comes to you or anything suspicious. Therefore, the penalties have got to be severe on those who are caught."

He referred to similar problems in tennis which was exposed before the Australian Open and said, "there are great personalities in tennis like (Novak) Djokovic and Roger Federer, who have set highest standards of performances and great spokesmen of tennis. To me if Roger is ever accused of doing something illicit the world will step on facts