"Sticky Something' could be KKR Captain for IPL-3

The Fake IPL blog or FIP has an interesting quote in reference to the captainship of the team. The blog reads,” News from our camp is that Sticky Something has verbally confirmed his availability to Dildo for next season depending on certain conditions. The idea is to declare him captain in a few months, and then let him build his team and support staff.

Here, ‘Sticky Something’ is an indication towards the Australian Captain Ricky Ponting, who chose to stay away from the IPL this time, in order to give himself rest for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup and the Ashes in England.

Coach John Buchanan’s future in the Kolkata Knight Riders team also seems bleak. The FIP further says, “Director of Operations and Coach, who till 3 weeks ago were the most important designations in our squad, will now be part of the support staff. Sticky will also oversee a local talent scout after their tour of England later this year. Nobody knows Lordie's role next year.
Apart from the captaincy, the blog also puts an end on all the talk to SRK disinvesting his stake in the team. The mystery blogger tersely writes, “The team's not getting sold in a hurry, I can tell you this much.”

The Fake IPL Player blog’s popularity has soared to dizzying heights and the blog conducted an exclusive poll, wherein the readers were asked whether they wanted to have the identity of the anonymous blogger revealed. A large number of voters wanted the FIP to reveal his identity.

[the article was originally published at http://sports.in.msn.com/ipl/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3011020]

Shah Rukh dreams of victory lap with IPL trophy in Kolkata

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan admitted his team Kolkata Knight Riders is under a lot of pressure to perform due to the multiple-captaincy controversy in the second edition in Indian Premier League (IPL).

Shah Rukh said a fan following in a city like Kolkata also adds to the pressure. He hopes to win the IPL trophy this time around for Kolkata and take out a victory march in the city.

"I know the team is under a lot of pressure after the multiple captains, the choice of captain and all that. At the moment the team is under a bit of disarray, but we will stick together. We have started doing it," Shah Rukh said after KKR logged their first points, beating Kings XI Punjab by 11 runs via D/L method.

"My team is under more pressure because it is owned by a film star and then you have such fan following, the backing of a city that supports you one night and gets angry the next night."

"But I know they understand and they love the team. I am waiting for the day when I will go around Kolkata with the IPL trophy. I am sure the day will come," he said.

KKR coach John Buchanan's multiple-captain theory has brewed up a heated debate as Ganguly was replaced by Brendon McCullum as the new captain.

Shah Rukh hailed Ganguly as the most important member of his side.

"He has been a great player for the country. I hope he emerges as the player of the tournament."

Asked about the difference between cricket and acting, Shah Rukh said there are no 're-takes' on the field.

"The decisions have to be taken in split seconds so lot of time we are hoping that it is right. It is very difficult in the middle."

[the article was originally published at http://www.hindustantimes.com/highpl/storypage.aspx?id=eff01fce-3385-465a-a8c5-6c10120516f1&category=Chunk-HT-UI-IPLSectionPage-TopStories]

Rajasthan Royals look to strike form against a rejuvenated KKR

Defending champions Rajasthan Royals will look for a quick turnaround in their fortunes, while a rejuvenated Kolkata Knight Riders would aim to carry on the winning momentum when the two sides clash in an Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.

Without big stars in their ranks, the Royals have a tough task at hand after the thrashing in their campaign opener and second game against Mumbai Indians being washed out.

Shane Warne's side started its campaign by restricting Bangalore Royal Challengers to just 133 with the legendary spinner leading from the front but that total proved to be a mountain for the Royals as they were bundled out for just 58, the second lowest IPL total.

The Rajasthan youngsters failed to get the measure of another legendary figure in Anil Kumble who throttled them with a five-wicket haul.

In that match, the highest score by any Rajasthan batsman was 11 and they would be itching to leave behind that nightmare by coming good against Knight Riders who have also not done anything exceptional as yet.

Knight Riders, on the other hand, got over their first match disappointment, with a nine-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab on Tuesday.

West Indian Chris Gayle exhibited his awesome batting prowess while Sourav Ganguly rolled his golden arm to great effect to compensate for his batting failure in the first match.

Warne would expect a better show from his batsmen as their opponents have a strong batting line-up.

"It is pretty disappointing. As champions we wanted to impose ourselves. We were exceptional in bowling and fielding but batsmen could not do well," Warne has said.

"Shot selection was really bad. I think the top 3-4 batsmen could have shown sensibility and played sensible shots. But I promise to come back strong," Warne had said after their first match defeat.

Knight Riders' captain Brendon McCullum, on the other hand, insisted that all was well in KKR camp after the captaincy row.

"It was a nice result after the first match defeat and we bounced back at the right time to gain some momentum. Sourav bowled exceptionally well. In Twenty20 one has to think quickly and I am happy that my decision to bowl him paid rich dividends," he had said.

More than the outcome of the match, it will be an intriguing contest between Warne and Gayle. Warne would also came face to face with old foe Ganguly and the fans could be in for a treat.

[the article was originally published at http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1249713]

Stability will be the key in IPL

John Buchanan and Sourav Ganguly’s distinctive personalities have collectively courted controversy with the multiple-captains theory and its subsequent evolution into the concept of a single captain and multiple strategists. And then there’s team owner Shah Rukh Khan.

As Kolkata Knight Riders struggles with individuals, the team will look to better its run from last year when the early promise shown wasn’t fulfilled.

Brendon McCullum’s pyrotechnics last year got the IPL off to a dream start. The New Zealander has looked in great touch in the just-concluded series against India. The explosive Chris Gayle will be available for part of the league, and should do the bulk of the scoring with McCullum and Ganguly.

Ishant Sharma, a supporter of Buchanan’s multiple-captains idea, is expected to be the side’s bowling mainstay. Ajantha Mendis’ impact in this format on South African wickets remains to be seen. “He’s only got four overs, so batsmen are going to have to take risks against him, which is an advantage bowlers like to have, especially slow bowlers if they are not reading them that well. Mendis is one of our lead bowlers and we’ll be relying on him through the tournament. It will be pretty exciting,” said Buchanan.

Knight Riders’ most effective weapon could be South African swing bowler Charl Langeveldt. Langeveldt’s knowledge of the conditions would help his team, especially in venues like Durban which aid swing bowling. “I was always impressed with him as an opening bowler for South Africa for a number of years. We were looking for a lead bowler and he knows South African conditions and has performed well domestically over here,” said Buchanan.

The side’s biggest challenge lies in stability. Conflicts over captaincy and strategies could prove disruptive. Twenty20 is a limited format with respect to time, and when quick decisions are called for, the side will require a single captain’s decisiveness.

[credit : http://www.sportstaronnet.com/stories/20090418501801300.htm]

Ishant supports Buchanan's multiple captaincy idea

New Delhi: Giving a thumbs up to John Buchanan's multiple captaincy idea, Kolkata Knight Riders pace spearhead Ishant Sharma said the innovative theory could actually help his Indian Premier League side do well in the second season.
Ishant supports Buchanan's multiple captaincy idea
Sourav Ganguly was not amused with the idea but Ishant said there was no harm in having four captains as their different ideas could help the team overcome last year's failure.

"Sourav Ganguly is a good captain but sometimes you need new ideas which Buchanan theory can generate," he said.

"Buchanan is a very good coach and bit of support from other players can turn the things around for KKR," he said.

The lanky fast bowler said his IPL side will miss the services of experience Australia captain Ricky Ponting and Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar.

[credit : http://sports.in.msn.com/cricket/stories/article.aspx?cp-documentid=2929100]

Captain Warne arrives in South Africa

New Delhi: Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne arrived in South Africa on Thursday for the second season of the Indian Premier League.

Warne hasn't played any cricket since leading his team to victory last year but appears to be fit and ready for the challenge this season.

The Royals play a warm up game against the South African domestic Twenty20 champions Nashua Cape Cobras this Saturday and their first match is against the Bangalore Royal Challengers on the April 18 at Cape Town.

[credit : http://cricketnext.in.com/news/skipper-warne-arrives-to-defend-title/39828-27.html]

Buchanan's captaincy theory absurd - Wadekar

Bangalore: Hitting out at Kolkata Knight Riders coach John Buchanan’s multiple captains’ theory as ‘another case of over-experimentation’, former India captain and coach Ajit Wadekar said that this theory will never work in cricket.

The southpaw also lambasted Buchanan for his comments on Indian senior batsmen like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and V V S Laxman, questioning their fitness to play in the forthcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa.

"Buchanan is just making a mockery of Twenty20 in particular and cricket in general. I don’t think this theory will work even in football, where a captain’s role on the field is limited as all the moves are done by the coach or the manager of the team sitting in the players’ box.

"It really sounds very funny to me as a single captain takes all the decisions on the field in cricket for a full season. I can understand if the captain fails to deliver for a long time, then there is a need for the change otherwise it will only add to more confusion," Wadekar told Cricketnext.com on Sunday.

"I was shocked to read somewhere that Sri Lankan skipper Kumara Sangakkara, who is definitely one of the most intelligent cricketers of modern times, saying he welcomed this theory. My question to him is will he be able to deliver the goods as captain if there are constant interferences from others during a tour? Leave alone in cricket, this theory may not work in any sport," he added.

"if Bachanan gets his way and implements this theory in South Africa, it will be a real disaster for the team. Because the players will be so confused with four different theories from four different captains, that they will be caught in two minds while attempting even basic things and in cricket if you are in two minds nothing will work for sure," Wadekar observed.

"You can take the present England team as an example, they have a very decent team but the players are totally confused to do even simple things on the field because the captaincy has changed hands as many as five times in the past one year or so. You just can’t have too many cooks as it is bound spoil the broth," he added.

"The best thing for Kolkata team is to allow Sourav Ganguly to continue as captain for the first ten or twelve matches and if he fails to deliver, then think about a change for the rest of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

"I also don’t agree with Buchanan’s observation that Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman are too old to play in the IPL as age has got nothing to do with playing any form of cricket as long as they are fit mentally and physically," Wadekar pointed out.

"Moreover, when you are playing any form of domestic cricket, the pressure is less and I don’t see any harm in the three seniors playing as they still have lot of cricket left in them and are quite fit," he added.

[credit: http://cricketnext.in.com/news/buchanans-captaincy-theory-is-absurd-wadekar/39524-13.html]

Multiple Captians for KKR in IPL

Kolkata, Mar 25,2009 (PTI) : Sourav Ganguly will no longer be the "fixed" skipper of the Kolkata Knight Riders as the team has decided to rotate captaincy in the second season of the Indian Premier League starting April 18 in South Africa.
KKR coach John Buchanan said the decision to have multiple captains has nothing to do with Ganguly's performance or fitness and denied any rift in the team.

"The decision has got nothing to do with Sourav's performance. Chris Gayle (West Indies), Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) and Ganguly will all captain KKR. There will be a nominated captain for each game," he said.

Ganguly, on his part, said his focus was to perform on the field.

"He is the coach, he has views. My goal is to score runs and take wickets," responded the former Indian captain when asked whether he was disappointed with the KKR's move.

Even before Ganguly could finish his response, Buchanan intervened to say "He is the King of Kolkata." "If you (the media) is going to make a big deal about it, go ahead, we are not going to do it. The concept of multiple captains is new and we will have to see how it goes," he said.

Asked how the team would cope with the conditions in South Africa, where the IPL was shifted after failing to get security assurance from the Indian government, Ganguly said, "It will be different to play there. Wickets will have bounce but let's see."

[credit : http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/16F2E32F123F44B1652575840036EC08?OpenDocument ]