Sunday, March 2, 2008

Here come the Lahore BADSHAHS!

Team: Lahore Badshahs (Translation: Lahore Kings)
Coach: Moin Khan
Captain: Inzamam Ul Haq

The Squad
Openers: Imran Farhat, Imran Nazir, Taufiq Umar
Middle Order: Inzamam, Naveed Latif, Hasan Raza
Allrounders: Azhar Mahmood, Abdul Razzak
Wicketkeeper: Humayun Farhat
Fast Bowlers: Mohammad Sami, Rana Naveed Ul Hasan, Shabbir Ahmed, Riaz Afridi, Shahid Nazir
Spinners: Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq, Arshad Khan

Reading those names as part of a Pakistani squad would seem that a Pakistan A side is touring for a series of matches. This is not Pakistan A, its the Lahore Badshahs team taking part in the 2nd edition of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) that gets underway in a weeks time.

Apart from the 6 teams that participated in the 1st edition of the ICL, the 2nd edition, "ICL 20s Grand Championship" will feature another 2 teams: Lahore Baadshahs and Ahmedabad Rockets.
In the last 2 days Osman Samiuddin, Ian Chappell, and Asif Iqbal have raised their concerns regarding the bans placed on the cricketers joining the ICL. I did the same a few weeks back demanding the rule of the free economy in cricket - Read here and here.

There is a clear distinction between the IPL and the ICL - the former boasts of current international stars, while the other of retired or ignored ones. Then why are these national boards depriving these cricketers of their livelihood?

Moreover, the ICL 20s Grand Championship will run from 9th March to 7th April, thus concluding over a week before the IPL gets underway. ICL has smartly scheduled its competition so it doesn't clash with the IPL and even then the BCCI seems to have a problem with it. They have left no stone unturned in trying to block it with barriers of all forms -including support from the ICC and other national boards.

As has been mentioned in the articles I linked above, the key question here is what are the ICC and the national cricket boards getting out of this? The IPL benefits only the BCCI, the franchisees, and the auctioned cricketers - the other cricket boards get nothing out of it and neither does the ICC.

This just makes the BCCI the big bully monopoly earning billions and the ICC, PCB, CA, ECB, etc its partners in crime who get what?

Intriguing I think.

Make your pitch on this post...



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5 Pitched:

  1. NAzhar said...
     

    Very intriguing indeed. I think generally if anything benefits cricket then ICC and the board should support it. I think the ICL and IPL is good for cricket and I agree the bans are ridiculous.

  2. Soulberry said...
     

    That middle order should have played more often for Pakistan. Add Younis Khan and MoYo before it and Afridi after it and you have something to shake most teams. Pakistan missed out on a longer stint from this combination. Afridi, Mahmood and Razzak were two medium-pacers and a spinner plus three destructive batsmen.

    This team is strong...very strong.

    Looking forward to see the Lahoriyas play in the ICL.

  3. Q said...
     

    SB, if u remember the 99 world cup - all 3 Afridi, Razzak, and Mahmood played all the games and Pak got to the final. Add Wasim and Moin to that list and u had 5 very destructive batsmen along with Inzi, Saeed Anwar, and Moyo.

    Wat a team that was.

    I'm hearing now that Razzak and Shabbir will not be playing for the Lahoriyas but some other teams, while the rest are part of the Lahori side..lets see.

    I wonder why the media coverage of the upcoming ICL tournament has been so minimal - has the BCCI played a role in that too?

  4. Anonymous said...
     

    Q it is all about business... they don't want anyone to take their pie which is sad.

  5. Anonymous said...
     

    yea.. veri intriguing.. the team is strong..

    please visit my blog for more on Lahore badshahs:
    http://www.youknowster.com/jokes/view/302-you-know-youre-from-lahore-when

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