State of SA

[zimbos_05]

CSA are competing with BBL and this new UAE league. Not to mention that BCCI refuses to let their players play in any other league, so as much as they try to invigorate their T20 comp, they are probably always going to fall short.

I think someone already said it, but isn't this their 4th attempt at starting a T20 comp. I know a few SA guys have registered for the BBL draft, including Faf, so there is already a problem with CSA probably going to ask for them back.

[Kallum]

I think those SA guys who have registered for the bbl have done so with express permission to leave in order to take part in the SA comp once that begins, but I could be wrong.

The whole thing is disgusting imo, CSA have tried to alpha Australia for what happened for the test series and now with the new ipl TV rights deal csa have decided they want some more rands to spend on hotels and flights for themselves.

[zimbos_05]

I think those SA guys who have registered for the bbl have done so with express permission to leave in order to take part in the SA comp once that begins, but I could be wrong.

The whole thing is disgusting imo, CSA have tried to alpha Australia for what happened for the test series and now with the new ipl TV rights deal csa have decided they want some more rands to spend on hotels and flights for themselves.

Oh, Im pretty sure they are only in the draft for the first half and then will leave after.

This is the problem though. Players want to play in all of these leagues and just cant. Personally i'd always choose BBL over these UAE leagues and such because even on a domestic level, Aus produces quality players. The coaching, the fields, the learning would be way better.

[eugene]

Cricket is going the way of most other sports, a couple of smallish international windows each year with most of the season taken up with T20 Leagues. It's not something that I like at all, but it is clear this is what's happening. CSA going bankrupt would mean the national side could potentially disappear anyway so they don't really have a choice. You have to do what keeps you in business ultimately - and that means hosting India, or a T20 League.

I imagine the sheer number of T20 Leagues will decrease in time, particularly the middle eastern ones, but I could also see the IPL become a six-month long tournament - which still isn't that long given football leagues last 9-10 months.

[zimbos_05]

Cricket is going the way of most other sports, a couple of smallish international windows each year with most of the season taken up with T20 Leagues. It's not something that I like at all, but it is clear this is what's happening. CSA going bankrupt would mean the national side could potentially disappear anyway so they don't really have a choice. You have to do what keeps you in business ultimately - and that means hosting India, or a T20 League.

I imagine the sheer number of T20 Leagues will decrease in time, particularly the middle eastern ones, but I could also see the IPL become a six-month long tournament - which still isn't that long given football leagues last 9-10 months.

Football is different. People have affinity to football clubs and football clubs have been around for centuries. There is history in football. Many get born into supporting that club regardless of where they live. There is also story and drama in football. Certain players will never join a certain club and and the it's not just the season you look at. It's the off season as well. There were 75k last night at the MCG to watch Man Utd play Melbourne Victory, not taking into account the the tv viewers, the attendees at the opening training session, the Away kit release launch in FED square today. You wouldn't get any of that if Pune came out here to play Delhi in an exhibition game.

Cricket on a domestic level is not really followed by people outside of those countries to the same level. IPL gets traction within India and from Indian expats, but other than that, no one really gives a shit. Cricket was built on nation against nation. No one outside of India is having an affinity to support Chennai or Mumbai.

[Googly]

I wonder how many overseas players will be allowed to play per team? It's usually 2. It would make a difference because which offshore TV stations are going to pay to watch 9 South Africans in their own backyard? They also lack depth, there are some very average players that make up a fair portion of their domestic sides. That Brevis youngster is set to become a multi millionaire before the age of 25, he's going to be dancing for joy. Watch someone start complaining that's racist. They will also be empowering their players financially to not have to honour international and domestic commitments. We've seen that already with Faf and AB, now there will be a bunch of them that will join the growing band of mercenaries.

The good English/Irish/Scottish and Dutch T20 players will all be available of this period. I wonder if any of our blokes would be under consideration? You'd have to think Raza and Williams have an outside chance.

BCCI not allowing their players to play other T20 leagues puts a lid on other leagues' earning capacity. Does this make IPL stronger? What's the reason for this?
With 5 major T20 leagues you may one day find a couple of Indian players opting to be well paid in 4 of them, skipping the IPL and risking the wrath of BCCI.

Not every good player is necessarily a 50 over and a T20 player, what is stopping CSA sending a second string side to Australia? They probably won't win a game, but some good players will get some great exposure.

The all important year is surely the first one? Surely the bulk of the revenues is from TV? Not having a positive bank balance after the first year implies big set up costs, but what would those be? If the first year is a flop I don't see how they would turn it around. They have obviously thought this out and think they can pull it off and it's a bit of a watershed moment in world cricket.

Also when exactly did SA international cricket suddenly drop off the radar? They used to have a full schedule of tests and now you rarely see them.

[CrimsonAvenger]

Football is different. People have affinity to football clubs and football clubs have been around for centuries. There is history in football. Many get born into supporting that club regardless of where they live. There is also story and drama in football. Certain players will never join a certain club and and the it's not just the season you look at. It's the off season as well. There were 75k last night at the MCG to watch Man Utd play Melbourne Victory, not taking into account the the tv viewers, the attendees at the opening training session, the Away kit release launch in FED square today. You wouldn't get any of that if Pune came out here to play Delhi in an exhibition game.

Cricket on a domestic level is not really followed by people outside of those countries to the same level. IPL gets traction within India and from Indian expats, but other than that, no one really gives a shit. Cricket was built on nation against nation. No one outside of India is having an affinity to support Chennai or Mumbai.

While I hate the mushrooming of IPL, BBL, PSL, CPL and whatnot, I feel the above argument is slightly self-contradictory. If the football has all the history, that history must have begun somewhere. Cricket boards, in the form of these domestic T20 leagues, are creating those initial steps that they hope will become history in a few years time, Isn't it?

[ZIMDOGGY]

Cricket is going the way of most other sports, a couple of smallish international windows each year with most of the season taken up with T20 Leagues. It's not something that I like at all, but it is clear this is what's happening. CSA going bankrupt would mean the national side could potentially disappear anyway so they don't really have a choice. You have to do what keeps you in business ultimately - and that means hosting India, or a T20 League.

I imagine the sheer number of T20 Leagues will decrease in time, particularly the middle eastern ones, but I could also see the IPL become a six-month long tournament - which still isn't that long given football leagues last 9-10 months.

Football is different. People have affinity to football clubs and football clubs have been around for centuries. There is history in football. Many get born into supporting that club regardless of where they live. There is also story and drama in football. Certain players will never join a certain club and and the it's not just the season you look at. It's the off season as well. There were 75k last night at the MCG to watch Man Utd play Melbourne Victory, not taking into account the the tv viewers, the attendees at the opening training session, the Away kit release launch in FED square today. You wouldn't get any of that if Pune came out here to play Delhi in an exhibition game.

Cricket on a domestic level is not really followed by people outside of those countries to the same level. IPL gets traction within India and from Indian expats, but other than that, no one really gives a shit. Cricket was built on nation against nation. No one outside of India is having an affinity to support Chennai or Mumbai.

and Chennai v Mumbai wouldn’t necessarily have players homegrown from Chennai and Mumbai. There needs to be an origin link to really draw passion.

[zimbos_05]

While I hate the mushrooming of IPL, BBL, PSL, CPL and whatnot, I feel the above argument is slightly self-contradictory. If the football has all the history, that history must have begun somewhere. Cricket boards, in the form of these domestic T20 leagues, are creating those initial steps that they hope will become history in a few years time, Isn't it?

Granted that history has to start from somewhere, but in the 14 years of the IPL what significant events can we talk about as something big. Ask anybody outside of India and they will probably not have a clue. True, football also had to start somewhere, but it's story grew quickly. Strong rivalries existed before clubs were formed.

IPL teams change every year, especially with the international players. Aaron Finch has played for 8 IPL teams. Yes, transfers happen in football, but not the way they do in cricket. Even in the BBL, some players have played for 3 or 4 teams.

[Kallum]

I think comparing the IPL to football is probably unfair its much more similar to american sports with its franchise system. Take baseball for example. They operate on an almost identical model to the IPL in regards to franchises and still attract passionate fans for the team despite the regular transfers of players including key players which is why i think its a better sport to compare too.

Unfortunately, if you where the BCCI would you ever let your players play in the overseas T20s? No chance, the only country that had a chance of forcing them to play that hand was England who according to reports where trying very hard to let the bcci allow indians to participate.

The long term future of cricket is not even domestic leagues i dont think, i think it is the IPL alone. Pretty much as as soon as the BCCI decide that they are above the ICC it would go bankrupt and the rest of the world's cricket economy would crash besides maybe England and Australia.