No post-match parties in IPL 4

prithvi.k

on off on off......
BCCI decides to do away with post-match IPL parties; hints at getting more serious with cricket in season four of IPL

Lalit Modi or Chirayu Amin. Whoever will be the boss in next year's Indian Premier League, one thing is for certain: The fourth edition of the Twenty20 extravaganza will see more emphasis on cricket

This comes in the wake of several controversies that have plagued cricket's biggest money-spinner as well as India's World Twenty20 disaster earlier this month when Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team failed to go past the Super Eight stage.

Times Now reported yesterday that it has been decided to do away with IPL parties apart from the League being reduced to a 65-match event as against 94 proposed games. This, despite the tournament having two more teams - Kochi and Pune.

It was MiD DAY who reported that there would be no more IPL parties on April 21, 2010 - even before the curtains came down on Edition Three.

Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi welcomed the move to make the tournament more cricket-centric. "The IPL is a good tournament which would be better off without all the hullabaloo. It would be great if the importance of cricket is restored. I don't want the tournament to be demolished, but presently, it's a disgrace," Bedi told MiD DAY yesterday.

The Sardar of Spin, who claimed 266 Test wickets for India wanted to see other changes too.

He said: "Players who have retired from international cricket should not be allowed to compete. Cricketers like Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden looked rusty.

"It would only be fair to giving more opportunities to current players. If you continue to have retired players in the fray you can't say the IPL is on the same lines as the English Premier League. Only the best should play the IPL."

The issues of conflict of interests should be addressed too, according to the former captain. There has been a storm over N Srinivasan owning an IPL team (Chennai Super Kings) while holding the post of BCCI secretary.

Also, the fact that suspended IPL chief Lalit Modi's relative has stakes in Rajasthan Royals has been used as a tool by Modi's detractors.

Next year's scenario?
Indian Premier League's (IPL) Season 4 will have a completely different look, only 65 matches down from 94 and curbs on and off the field for Indian players. There will be no glitzy IPL parties, which were the attraction for the earlier season when suspended Lalit Modi was the Commissioner and Chairman of IPL. These are the ten major revisions being considered by IPL.

>> Reducing the number of matches from the proposed 94.
>> Number of matches not to exceed 65, which is a nominal increase of five from season four
>> IPL parties will be stopped. <<---- :y
>> Franchise owners to be urged to keep a lid on post match celebrations for disciplinary reasons.
>> Muted inaugural and closing ceremonies--focus to be solely on the cricket that will be played.
>> Rather than all teams playing each other, the Governing Council is mulling the creation of 2 groups to keep the number of matches to around 60.
>> The number of players to be retained by existing team owners being mulled over to 3 Indians and 2 foreigners.
>> For each retained player the Governing Council to fix a cap.
>> Suggestion to reduce a player's cap drastically if his performance for India has not been up to the mark--an attempt to ensure that his commitment to the national team is the ultimate goal.
>> Mid innings strategy breaks may be done away with.
 
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