A couple of weeks back, it was reported that preparations for the 2011 World Cup are 10 months behind schedule.

Now, that in itself is a bit unsettling, especially since this needs to be coordinated between four countries. But it gets more interesting.

Let's add into the mix the fact that only Asian teams have been willing to play in Pakistan, and this trend is unlikely to change (or sadly, get even worse). If Pakistan's involvement as a 2011 host is questioned, expect Pakistan not to send a team to participate, and cause havoc with the organizing.

And then throw in the whole ICL situation. With Miandad and Ranatunga showing some flexibility with regards to ICL players, I can only imagine that the BCCI will be none too thrilled. Beware a BCCI scorned! And isn't Miandad banned from going to India anyway?

Finally, how about the fact that the last two World Cups have been pretty lackluster. You've had a few good matches for sure, but they have generally failed to live up to their billing by miles.

So what does that mean for 2011? Does anyone even care about the ODI World Cup anymore? I certainly have lost respect for it since they pointlessly continue to include so many teams. And then the format for 2011 is horrific - as I have previously ranted about on another blog.

Honestly, if the World Cup was to be canceled, or shifted to Australia (which really should have been the original bid), or moved to India alone (I'm not a fan of joint bids at in any sport), I think it would make little difference to me. The tournament has lost its original glory. Like with any cricket, I will get involved when it comes around. But till then I will probably be mostly indifferent.

I'm looking more forward to the Twenty20 World Cup, not because I am abandoning ODI cricket for T20I, but mainly because they are so much more sensible about the format. Not sure why the ICC can't use its lessons from T20I into ODI, but nothing about the ICC shocks me anymore.

2011 is a long way away, but the path to there seems to be pretty rocky. Let's hope they smooth out.

Homer reports that the BCCI has asked the ICC to remove Clive Lloyd from his post as the Chairman of the ICC Cricket's Committee.

This request has been made after Lloyd made a statement saying that the ICL and the IPL can coexist and that there was need for communication between the two leagues amongs other things.

This is not the first time that the BCCI has requested for the removal of an official due to the ongoing war between the two 20-20 leagues.

They did the same when they threatened to sever all ties with Sri Lanka Cricket if Arjuna Ranatunga was not removed as the Chairman of SLC.

The BCCI conveyed that threat because Ranatunga had been in an IPL-bashing mode for quite some time.

He first called the IPL names such as "instant noodles". Then he lifted the bans imposed on Sri Lanka's ICL players. He tried to get the Sri Lankan cricketers to play a test series in England instead of the IPL. And then finall he blamed the IPL for SLC's financial losses.

Ranattunga's claims may not be all that accurate but is the BCCI right in requesting for these removals?

Isn't that trying to wield that baton of their power a bit too much?

I then wonder how the BCCI will react to Javed Miandad's recent statement.

The recently appointed Director General of the PCB spoke of the need to allow Pakistan's ICL players to play international cricket.

That was all fine, but Miandad went on to call the BCCI a bully and that all boards needed to think for themselves and not tow the line of the BCCI.

Surely Lalit Modi & Co. will not take that lying down.

I foresee a request to removed Miandad from the PCB.

The BCCI could also threaten to cancel the upcoming tour.

How long will this go on for?

Seriously the BCCI should just look to find a solution to this whole mess. Let the ICL exist. After all, competition is only healthy.

Now will the BCCI request me to stop blogging?

Arjuna Ranatunga has blamed 20-20 cricket for India's huge defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the 1st test of the ongoing series.

Which 20-20 cricket he's talking about, he doesn't say.

Either its the IPL or its the T20 internationals.

If he's talking about the latter, then his claim makes no sense.

Firstly because the number of T20Is on each tour is restricted by the ICC so definitely there isn't any overdose.

And secondly, India's big 4 - Sachin, Dravid, Laxman, and Ganguly - do not play T20Is.

So its the IPL he's talking about I guess.

But then even that makes no sense.

Apart from Sehwag and Gambhir, who were the IPL's best opening pair, none of the other batsmen of the test XI played a major role in the 20-20 league.

Not only that but none of those players is even considered a 20-20 player.

Sachin Tendulkar sat out more than half the IPL due to injury and in the matches he played, he played one good knock of 50+ if my memory serves right. So he's definitely not suffering from a 20-20 hangover.

VVS Laxman also missed out more than half of the IPL matches due to injury. Even though he played several cameos in a few matches, Laxman was mostly found wanting in the 20-20 game. So no hangover there either.

Rahul Dravid played all the matches in the IPL and by the end of it seemed to have gotten the hang of the game. However, its no secret that Dravid didn't enjoy it and that he would rather be playing test cricket any day. Even though he adapted well to the IPL, that in no way could have affected his natural instinct of being a test player. No 20-20 hangover here either.

Saurav Ganguly had a fairly successful IPL with some good knocks and is probably more suited to the 20-20 game than the above 3. But then Ganguly has been a natural ODI and 20-20 player throughout his career who has always adapted to test cricket. During the last 2 years, his test performance has been brilliant and since his comeback he has been one of India's mainstays in the middle order. He's always adapted well so no 20-20 hangover here either.

Coming back to Sehwag and Gambhir. Following the IPL, the 2 openers translated their 20-20 form in ODIs, and there's no reason why they can't do it at the test level.

Sehwag has always played the way he did in the Colombo test, which according to Ranatunga is like 20-20 cricket. Well, in the past Sehwag' 20-20 approach got him 2 triples in test cricket and a number of 150+ scores. He can fail once in a while.

As for Gambhir, he looked better than most of India's batsmen in this test and yet he was the best Indian batsman of the IPL. Gambhir is making a comeback to the test side and with his talent he will definitely do better going forward.

So why excactly is 20-20 cricket being blamed?

Ranatunga can probably answer that better because I certainly don't see it.

My message to Ranatunga as well as all my fellow Indian bloggers is that there really is no reason to be pointing fingers at the failure of the Indian batsmen in the Colombo test.

They were up against quality spin bowling to which they had no answers to. Even King Sanga thinks so!

Maybe its time that the focus is shifted from blaming 20-20 cricket and the failure of India's powerful batting line up to Praising the Magic of the Spinning M&Ms.