IPL launches new mobile lottery.. Its not betting says Modi

The Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday launched a controversial SMS game asking fans to predict the scores of a live match. The winners will get cash awards.

According to the rules of the game, the entrant will have to send the runs that will be scored off every ball of the next over (for example 3 2 4 2 6 6, like in a lottery ticket) and the people guessing six, five or four numbers in the sequence correctly will get a percentage of the kitty generated by the total number of people playing at that time. The minimum prize money for every over is Rs 10,000 and will increase after that, depending on the entries received, at Rs 5 per SMS.

While the early reaction from experts is that this is a form of online cricket betting, which is illegal in India, IPL commissioner Lalit Modi denied it. Its only about texting. Anyway, there is a lot of texting going back and forth, discussing the game. This is very similar to that, discussing the game amongst friends, he said.

The person in the stadium has no idea what the people are predicting. Its very difficult to fix the outcome of an over. I think, maybe one in a million. We have checked it out and looked at it very carefully. If that was to happen, we would shut it out absolutely, without doubt.

When contacted on Tuesday evening, an International Cricket Council (ICC) media officer said that the governing body had not heard about the game, but would anyway have no say in the matter because the ICC has no direct involvement in the IPL. The BCCI had, prior to the start of the tournament, refused to pay the $1.2m fees asked by the anti-corruption unit of the ICC, and the second edition of the IPL is not under the surveillance of the games governing body.

The game, 6UP, will be available only to Indian mobile subscribers starting from Wednesdays matches.

[the article was originally published at http://cricket.expressindia.com/news/IPL-launches-new-mobile-lottery--it-s-not-betting--Modi/455083]

IPL cannot afford to be complacent on corruption threat: ICC

Indian Premier League's refusal to take the ICC's help in dealing with the threat of match fixing is not much of a concern for the governing body but it has warned that the cash-rich Twenty20 event remains very vulnerable to corruption.

"The board has consistently said it cannot afford to be complacent (about the risk of corruption in Twenty20 cricket)," ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat told 'Cricinfo'.

"We are mindful that with Twenty20 cricket there is great excitement and money. Put those ingredients into a pot and there is a higher concern," he added.

The IPL has hired private staff to deal with possible wrongdoings at the event underway in South Africa and Lorgat said the ICC doesn't have any issues with it as the home board, the BCCI, is fully responsible for ensuring that the event remains corruption-free.

"It is not dissimilar to county cricket, in that it is a domestic tournament, and the onus for matters such as anti-corruption and doping lie with the home board," he said.

[the article was originally published at http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200904241240.htm]

Moles looking forward to Bond's return

New Zealand cricket team coach Andy Moles says that he is looking forward to strike bowler Shane Bond’s return to international cricket after he quits the unsanctioned ICL Twenty20 competition.

Bond has indicated that he plans to play a full season for Canterbury in 2009-10, not simply the limited overs competitions. And if the cash-strapped ICL folds he would again be available for international selection a year after cutting his ties with New Zealand Cricket.

Bond was barred from playing for New Zealand when he chose the `rebel' ICL over the International Cricket Council (ICC) endorsed Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 33-year-old played the last of his 67 One-Day internationals at the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

The ICL cancelled its most recent tournament while there have been reports of players being offered a release from their contracts.

Marquee players like Bond have not been paid for more than a year.

Should the ICL continue there is a possibility it may be sanctioned by the ICC board at its meeting in Dubai on April 21, removing another obstacle to a Bond comeback.

"If he was available I'm sure the selectors would look favourably because he gives us that extra pace," the NZPA quoted Moles, as saying on Wednesday.

Another ICL-aligned former international, Daryl Tuffey, who took 23 first-class wickets at an average of 18.91 for Auckland this season ahead of the State Championship final, also interested Moles.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan welcomed the prospect of ICL players eventually being welcomed back to the fold.

"You want your national team to include the very best players and I think it's quite clear we haven''t been able to do that in recent times," he said.

Bond played the last of his 17 tests against South Africa in Johannesburg in November 2007.

[credit : http://cricketnext.in.com/news/moles-looking-forward-to-bonds-return/39788-13.html]

Strauss left out of Twenty 20 squad

Test captain Andrew Strauss has been omitted from England's ICC World Twenty20 squad.

England national selector Geoff Miller defended the decision to drop the opener, who was the top scorer in the one-day international series in the Caribbean.

"Andrew Strauss had an outstanding tour of the West Indies during a difficult winter," Miller said.

“Andrew and the selectors believe his game is better suited to Test and ODI cricket and it is for that reason he has not been selected in the preliminary 30-man squad for the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20.

“Andrew is focused on the Test and ODI format of the game despite not being included in the 30-man Twenty20 squad.

“The selectors have decided against naming a captain for the ICC World Twenty20 at this stage because we feel it is important to comprehensively review the recent tour of the Caribbean and seek input from all relevant parties including the incoming England team director who is yet to be appointed."

The 30-man squad contains the uncapped Joe Denly (Kent), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Graham Napier (Essex) and Adil Rashid (Yorkshire).

The panel will be cut to 15 on May 1.

England 30-man ICC World Twenty20 squad:

Kabir Ali (Worcestershire)
James Anderson (Lancashire)
Gareth Batty (Worcestershire)
Ian Bell (Warwickshire)
Ravi Bopara (Essex)
Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire)
Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire)
Paul Collingwood (Durham)
Steve Davies (Worcestershire)
Joe Denly (Kent)
James Foster (Essex)
Andrew Flintoff (Lancashire)
Steve Harmison (Durham)
Robert Key (Kent)
Sajid Mahmood (Lancashire)
Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire)
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex)
Graham Napier (Essex)
Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire)
Kevin Pietersen (Hampshire)
Liam Plunkett (Durham)
Matt Prior (Sussex)
Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)
Owais Shah (Middlesex)
Ryan Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire)
Graeme Swann (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Tremlett (Hampshire)
Shaun Udal (Middlesex)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)
Luke Wright (Sussex)

[credit : http://www.setanta.com/uk/Articles/other-sports/2009/04/06/Cricket-Strauss-left-out-of-Twenty20-squad/gnid-47434/]