IPL 5 to get underway from April 4

MUMBAI: Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will take on Mumbai Indians in the inaugural match of the fifth edition of Indian Premier League at Chennai's MA Chidambaram stadium on April 4, the BCCI announced on Friday. 

The tournament is scheduled to feature nine franchisee teams and a total of 76 matches will be played across the 12 venues in the run to the finals on May 27. 

The league stage of the 54-day-long event will comprise of 72 matches with each team playing the other eight in a home-and-away format. 

The play offs would be hosted by Bangalore and Chennai, the two finalists from the previous edition. 

While Bangalore will host Qualifier 1 - the table toppers from the league stage versus the second team on that list (1 vs 2) - and the Eliminator - the contest between the third and fourth placed teams (3 vs 4) - on May 22 and 23 respectively, Chennai will be the venue for Qualifier 2 to be played on May 25. 

The city will also host the final on May 27. The new stadium in Pune, subject to the final completion, will make its debut as an IPL venue, by staging all eight 'home' games of the Pune Warriors India. Dharamsala, Cuttack and Vizag will host two games each. 

Kochi Tuskers Kerala, which made its debut in 2011, will not figure in the fifth season as the franchise was terminated by the BCCI last September for breaching its terms of agreement. 

Does India's selection policy need urgent upgrade?

Is former Australia captain Ian Chappell right in saying that "India's selectors are now getting their due"?

Chappell said: "The selection committee should be sacked first. They (the selectors) have taken a very short-sighted policy for a few years now." Does Indian cricket indeed need a revamp of the scope and powers of its national selection committee, much like Cricket Australia did recently?

The Argus report which followed Australia's 2010-11 Ashes debacle recommended a total overhaul of the selection committee and advised "immediate changes" in the structure of Australian cricket.

Citing "confusing selections" as the main reason for Australia's decline following the retirement of some once-in-a-generation players, the report argued that the captain and coach form part of a five-man committee headed by a full-time chairman. India's seventh successive away Test disaster and the obvious decline of its batting giants means the country's cricket now finds itself at a similar crossroads.

The consensus is that the problems have been festering for long but were being glossed over due to victories at home. Though India's five-member selection committee is now a professional unit and the members have credibility, did a lack of will to enforce their presence at critical times - as Chappell has suggested - play a part in the team's travails?

Is it time for the Indian board (BCCI) to widen the powers of the selectors or make them more accountable? TOI looks at possible areas where selectors may have slipped up...

1. THE TENDENCY TO PROCRASTINATE:

India's 0-4 drubbing in England should have sent alarm bells ringing in the selection committee. Yet nothing was done to prevent impending disaster in Australia and nearly the same batting unit was selected again. Did the selectors fail to read the writing on the wall? Perhaps because it was so much easier to treat the failure in England as an aberration brought on by injuries? Or did they think the return of a regular opening pair would smoothen the bumps?

The dismal show Down Under means what began as a blip became a full-blown disaster. There was no plan in place, and now Indian cricket might have to deal with all senior players departing in rapid succession. Chairman Srikkanth's recent comment - "We picked the best team. We picked players who have scored 8000-10,000 runs in Test cricket and all of a sudden the top six are failing together" - reflects this confusion. Was it really "all of a sudden"?

2. WEAK TRANSITION PLAN:

Questions about a transition plan - following the impending retirement of some great players - have been doing the rounds since 2008-09, when the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble called it quits. Yet, every time a selector or any BCCI official was asked about the issue, the quick answer was that India had its replacements ready, and there were a lot of promising youngsters just waiting to shine at the Test level. As it turned out, the opposite was true: No special care was taken to groom Test specialists. The new breed of replacement batsmen remains largely untested against quality opposition away from home. There seems to be no urgency or concern to rehabilitate the injured Cheteshwar Pujara and bring him back at the earliest. The Saurashtra batsman is the frontline replacement for Rahul Dravid at No. 3. Uncertainty looms at every corner on the pace front too, with only Umesh Yadav offering a glimmer of hope.

3. QUESTIONABLE PICKS:

Some selections for the Australia series, both Tests and ODIs, have raised debate...

(a) The pace department:

Why was swing bowler Vinay Kumar, who has 14 wickets from his last 13 ODIs at 32.78 and an economy rate of 5.47, picked over the speedier Ashok Dinda in Tests? Vinay didn't look like he was Test material in Perth. Dinda, in contrast, hits the deck hard and picked up 37 wickets from 6 Ranji Trophy matches this season, with two 10-wicket hauls. Dinda's performance even led former captain Sourav Ganguly to declare that "Dinda is the best pacer in the country". Seeing how Kumar bowled at speeds almost matched by Michael Hussey, wouldn't Dinda have been a better bet? Similarly some are inclined to feel comeback man Irfan Pathan - 21 wickets from 5 Ranji games with three 5-wicket hauls, and man of the match in India's Perth Test win in 2008 - would have been a better bet than passenger Abhimanyu Mithun.

(b) Persisting with Parthiv Patel:

Why is Parthiv, who averages 24.55 from his last 21 ODIs, in the ODI squad despite his poor batting form?

(c) No Plan B for Sehwag:

The selectors, and the team, became so reliant on Sehwag for success they couldn't get past the problem of the opener not firing. Sehwag averages 29.53 from his last 7 Tests. Since December 2010, India's opening pair has averaged just 17.79 from 24 innings. This is also a reflection of the famed middle order's waning powers: they have been unable to pick up the slack.

4. STRUCTURAL ISSUES:

Rajasthan, who have made the Ranji Trophy final twice in a row, have no representatives in the national squad. It seems domestic performances of proven but out-of-form players on the comeback trail are okay with the selectors. But they don't acknowledge fresh talent until they have seen the player themselves. Is this an acknowledgment that the gulf between India's domestic cricket and the international arena is too vast to merit new selection? If so, how do the selectors and BCCI hope to solve this problem?

5. SIDESTEPPING IPL PROBLEMS:

Why do the selectors have no say when it comes to India's injured stars representing their clubs in the IPL? Case in point: Virender Sehwag, who played 11 games for Delhi Daredevils even though he needed surgery on his shoulder immediately after the World Cup. The result? He missed the start of the England series, was brought back as emergency replacement when clearly still in recovery, and subsequently lost his form. Sehwag's was probably the worst case of injury management in international cricket in 2011. Why did the selectors, in the interests of the national team, not have the mandate to prevent Sehwag playing in the IPL?

Schedule of IPL matches

April 4 Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians 

April 5 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils 

April 6 Mumbai Indians vs Pune Warriors India, Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab 

April 7 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers vs Chennai Super Kings 

April 8 Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Pune Warriors India vs Kings XI Punjab 

April 9 Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians 

April 10 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils Chennai Super Kings 

April 11 Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals 

April 12 Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab vs Pune Warriors India 

April 13 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals 

April 14 Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers, Pune Warriors India vs Chennai Super Kings 

April 15 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals 

April 16 Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils 

April 17 Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors India 

April 18 Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders 

April 19 Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils, Chennai Super Kings vs Pune Warriors India 

April 20 Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 

April 21 Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Daredevils vs Pune Warriors India. 

April 22 Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab, Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Riders 

April 23 Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 

April 24 Pune Warriors India vs Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers 

April 25 Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings 

April 26 Pune Warriors vs India Deccan Chargers 

April 27 Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians 

April 28 Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 

April 29 Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers 

April 30 Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders 

May 1 Deccan Chargers vs Pune Warriors India, Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils 

May 2 Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab 

May 3 Pune Warriors vs India Mumbai Indians 

May 4 Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers 

May 5 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Pune Warriors India, Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals 

May 6 Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Deccan Chargers 

May 7 Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders 

May 8 Pune Warriors India vs Rajasthan Royals, Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab 

May 9 Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 

May 10 Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings 

May 11 Pune Warriors India vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 

May 12 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils 

May 13 Rajasthan Royals vs Pune Warriors India, Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers 

May 14 Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings 

May 15 Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab 

May 16 Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders 

May 17 Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 

May 18 Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals 

May 19 Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils, Pune Warriors India vs Kolkata Knight Riders 

May 20 Deccan Chargers vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians

Play offs: 

May 22 Qualifier 1: First Placed Team vs Second Placed Team 

May 23 Eliminator: Third Placed Team vs Fourth Placed Team 

May 25 Qualifier 2: Winner of Eliminator vs Loser of Qualifier1 

May 27 Final: Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2.

Waugh warns Cummins about IPL lure

MELBOURNE: Former Australian captain Steve Waugh on Wednesday warned teen pace sensation Pat Cummins against falling for the lure of IPL cash, saying playing for Australia should be his top priority.

"The priority has got to be playing for Australia, the baggy green is number one and everything else slots in underneath that," said Waugh.

"Obviously there's money to be made from the IPL, but I think as a young guy with his potential and his star quality, he's going to make a lot of money out of the game of cricket.

"And if his body is a little bit susceptible to injury at the moment his commitment has got to be playing for Australia first."

Cummins has announced that he would give his name for the IPL players' auction next season but Waugh said he should be cautioned about such a move by senior figures of the Australian team.

"The senior players, people in like Michael Clarke, Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer as the batting coach, these guys know the value and what it means to play for Australia and I'm sure they'll be in his ear," he said.

Cummins is currently nursing a heel injury which has forced him out of a large part of the upcoming four-match Test series against India starting December 26.

Bacher rejects Majola's R5m World Cup bonus allegation

JOHANNESBURG: Former South African Cricket supremo Ali Bacher has rejected claims by CSA CEO Gerald Majola that he set the precedent for huge bonuses by taking a five million rands payment after the 2003 World Cup.

Breaking his silence for the first time in nearly two years on huge bonus payments from the IPL to himself and other CSA staff, Majola was testifying at the Nicholson inquiry into the financial affairs of CSA, instituted by sports minister Fikile Mbalula.

Majola admitted not having declared the IPL bonuses in the manner prescribed by the Companies Act for corporate governance but denied that the board did not know about the bonuses.

Earlier, former CSA board members testified at the inquiry that the bonuses were not cleared by them. Majola said that the bonuses were cleared and he had merely forgotten to confirm it in writing.

Majola said after the 2003 World Cup, Bacher and others at the then United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) had shared a nine million rands bonus. Bacher was the managing director of UCBSA and the tournament director for the World Cup.

Approached for comment on Wednesday, Bacher denied that he received the lions' share of the World Cup bonus but admitted to receiving five million rands as part of a retirement fund.

"The bonus was not really related to the success of the tournament," Bacher told 'The Times'.

"It was brought up on the basis that I had served cricket professionally for two decades and it was found that my retirement fund was inadequate. The bonus was partly because of the Cricket World Cup success and partly to improve my retirement fund."

No T20 including IPL for U-21 players, says PCA

CHANDIGARH: In a significant decision aimed to encourage players to hone and perfect their skills first, Punjab Cricket Association has decided not to give NOC to any player registered with the PCA under the age of 21 years who play in T20 game for any club/team/institution including the cash-rich and glamorous IPL. 

The decision was taken at the Administrative Committee meeting of the PCA at Mohali on Sunday chaired by PCA president I S Bindra. 

The Administrative Committee of PCA had met to take stock of the performance of the Punjab's senior and junior teams in the domestic national tournaments. 

M P Pandove, secretary PCA and former member of the senior national committee of the BCCI set the ball rolling by pointing out that the shortest version of the game was distracting the players for acquiring the skills necessary for playing in the longer version of the game--five and four day matches. 

"The shortest version of the game being played by the junior players is causing this damage," Pandove felt. 

However, PCA committee felt that there can be exceptional and extraordinary talent which matures early and reaches a stage of perfection. In order not to deny opportunities to such players, exception would only be made for contracted players of the BCCI even if, they were below the age of 21. 

At the moment, there are only three contracted players from the State - Harbhajan Singh,Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Sharma, all of whom are over 21 years of age. 

Asked if this step would invite criticism from different quarters, Pandove said on Monday, "Look, we are the first Association to take this step in the interest of players, many of whom I know will not like it. We strongly felt that 17-21 years are formative years for any player and there should be no distraction. The step which we have taken is in the larger interest of players and country's cricket as a whole." 

Pandove made it clear that any player defying the latest guideline will result into PCA taking very serious view of the matter. The decision of the Administrative Committee will be put in the next Executive Committee meeting for ratification, he informed. 

He said the members discussed the matter and after various view points put forth, the Committee agreed with the observations made by him and took a decision that PCA youngsters should be groomed and trained for playing in longer version for performing creditably at the senior level. 

"It was therefore thought that the period of four years from the age of 17 to 21 is very crucial for honing the basic cricketing skills, building up stamina and endurance, so important for a first class performer. 

"It was felt that the exposure to the shortest version of the game was dangerous for the upcoming youngsters aiming to play in the longer version of the game and representing the state and country in the bilateral tours," PCA spokesman, Sushil Kapoor said on Monday. 

Kapoor informed that the members of the committee after an in-depth discussion came to the conclusion that the Punjab teams at the junior age tournaments like U-16, 19 and 22 were performing creditably over the years while the senior Ranji Trophy team had failed to deliver and achieve the optimum results. 

The performance at junior level under all age groups has been very encouraging for the last 5-6 years but the performance at the senior level has failed to enthuse, even though the talent for the senior level has been coming through the junior age groups, he said. 

PCA has decided to make it mandatory for all players registered with it and its affiliated units to adhere to the guidelines, he added.

Pietersen to turn out for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 5

NEW DELHI: England's middle-order mainstay Kevin Pietersen is set to move from Deccan Chargers to Delhi Daredevils for the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League, making it the third transfer of the 2012 trading window.

Pietersen, 31, said he was excited at the prospect of joining a team that includes the likes of skipper Virender Sehwag and David Warner.

"I am looking forward to a wonderful time with the Delhi Daredevils. It will be a great experience to be playing in the same squad as Sehwag," he said.

Pietersen was acquired by the Deccan Chargers in the 2011 IPL auction. However, he could not participate in the tournament due to a surgery. He had earlier been a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2009 and 2010 editions, and had led RCB in six games in 2009.

GMR Sports' Head (Cricket) TA Sekar said Pietersen's addition would strengthen the Delhi Daredevils squad this season.

"We are pleased to add Kevin (Pietersen) to our line-up. He brings rich experience and an explosive quality to our batting and can be a more than handy off-spinner as well. We are sure that Kevin will help us to be very competitive this season and the Delhi Daredevils fans will enjoy this addition," Sekar said.

IPL chairman, Rajeev Shukla, said: "The Delhi Daredevils squad will be bolstered by the entry of Kevin Pietersen. It is great to see the franchises in the process of strategising for the upcoming tournament. We are in for a cracker of a competition in April-May," he said.

Deccan Chargers CEO, Venkat Reddy, wished Pietersen luck. "Kevin Pietersen is a quality player, and there is no doubt that he will be one of the players to watch out for, in the coming edition of the IPL. We wish him all the best," Reddy said.