Modi hints at two IPL tournaments per year

Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman and commissioner, has hinted that the T20 tournament could be held twice a year, once in India and a shorter version overseas.

"The IPL will be based in India, but the second season (of a year) we are planning gives us the chance to see if a market exists and we are seriously looking at what we can do with it," he told the Daily Telegraph.

He said he had been encouraged by the response from fans in South Africa, where the IPL was shifted for the 2009 season due to concerns over security as the competition clashed with general elections in India.

"We have turned the challenges and adversities in moving to South Africa into an opportunity," he said. "It is the fans who determine if you are successful or not and they have come out in force here. It has shown that the tournament can be in any region, in any country. This opens up many different opportunities for us."

The USA, where the ICC has advised cricket officials to install an IPL-style Twenty20 league, is one of the countries Modi considers a potential host. "America throws up challenges but the format we have developed works," he said. "Apart from watching great cricket they have an enjoyable evening out. That will work anywhere."

"Before this tournament we did not know if we could do it. But we do know now. We have to satisfy an appetite across the world and build a fan base across the world. "

There have already been several demands for a window in the official calendar to accommodate the IPL, and the rise of Twenty20 is set to continue with the launch of tournaments in England, and another tournament involving players from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

© Cricbuzz

Nadal poised to claim French Open history

PARIS: Rafael Nadal believes his game is almost perfect as he targets an historic fifth successive French Open title.


The 22-year-old world number one, whose incredible Roland Garros record stands at 28 wins from 28 matches, has already written off losing his 33-match claycourt streak to old rival Roger Federer in Madrid last week.

He believes a combination of a draining four-hour semi-final victory over Novak Djokovic and the high altitude of the Spanish capital conspired against him.

"I am very happy with my claycourt season. I won in Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and made the final in Madrid. It's almost perfect," said Nadal, the top seed.

"Madrid was a different tournament. The court was fast, the balls were flying and I didn't play that well."

Adding to his confidence is the knowledge that he has beaten Federer in the last three finals at Roland Garros.

Federer, who is one title short of matching Pete Sampras's all-time mark of 14 majors, needs a French Open to become only the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam.

But he's travelled this road before. Two years ago, Federer ended Nadal's 81-match winning streak on clay at Hamburg to instill fresh confidence of finally cracking the French code, but he was to be denied once the duo resumed hostilities in Paris.

On the evidence of the 2008 tournament, where Nadal didn't drop a set in seven matches and Federer won just four games in a brutally one-sided final, the Swiss star again looks doomed.

But Federer refuses to concede defeat, believing that his win in Madrid, which was his 58th title, but first of 2009, could represent another launchpad.

"He has never lost in Paris so obviously his confidence is very high, but I think we have seen that if you play Rafa the right way there are chances," said the 27-year-old, world number two.

"In Madrid it was important that I played well when I had to which I wasn't doing before because there was something lacking in my game, just a lack of practice maybe."

Sunday's meeting in Madrid was the pair's 20th career clash with Nadal holding the upper hand 13-7 overall, and 9-2 on clay.

Their rivalry is one of sports' most compelling with Nadal having dethroned Federer as Wimbledon champion in an epic final in 2008 before the Spaniard reduced the Swiss to a tearful wreck after victory in Australia this year in another five-set thriller.

In the unlikely event of the June 7 final not being a repeat of the last three, Djokovic, who had three match points against Nadal in his Madrid semi-final, would be the most likely beneficiary.

But the big-hearted Serbian, who turned 22 on Friday, has lost all nine claycourt meetings with Nadal, including four in 2009 - in Davis Cup, Monte-Carlo, Rome and then in Spain.

Djokovic has reached the semi-finals in Paris for the last two years, losing to Nadal on each occasion without claiming a set.

"It's not that easy. I probably played one of the best matches of my life against him (in Madrid), but he made some unbelievable shots to win those points which he did - again," sighed the Serbian.

Britain's Andy Murray has lost both his claycourt meetings with Nadal and despite holding a 6-2 advantage over Federer, the two have never met on clay.

In two visits to the French Open, Murray has yet to get beyond the third round.

But he is confident he can make a deep run into the event.

"Against the real clay-courters that play a lot of top spin, you can almost try and make it a hardcourt match by playing a little bit flatter and coming to the net and bit an shortening the points," said Murray.

Nadal faces a qualifier in his first match before a possible third round clash with Australian former world number one Lleyton Hewitt.

Federer opens against Spain's Alberto Montanes with old American rival Andy Roddick seeded to face him in the last eight.

Third seeded Murray renews his fierce rivalry with Argentinians when he meets Juan Ignacio Chela, while fourth seed Djokovic faces experienced Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador.

If the seeding works to plan, then Nadal would face Murray in the semi-finals while Djokovic would take on Federer.

Source:TOI

Bangalore plot Hayden's downfall for 2nd semi-final

JOHANNESBURG: There can be few sights more intimidating in cricket than Matthew Hayden walking in to face the new ball. If the left-hander is on a song, there might as well be a blast.


That thought alone will keep Royal Challengers on their toes when the second semi-final of the IPL begins at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday. Hayden, wearing his Orange Cap and carrying the willow that looks like a toy in a truck-puller’s hand, will keep playing on the opposition’s mind.


Royal Challengers called for an emergency meeting on Friday that had all players in a huddle in a small conference room at hotel Sandton Sun for close to an hour. Whatever their personal work, the players had been asked to keep it aside until the all-important meeting was over. Captain Anil Kumble, coach Ray Jennings, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis walked in first, followed by the rest who were still celebrating Manish Pandey’s ton on Thursday.

There was an important issue to be discussed and it remained no secret once the meeting ended. All the players walked out of the conference room except for Praveen Kumar, B Akhil, Roelof van der Merwve, Kumble and Kallis. They had an extended half an hour discussion amongst themselves.

Kumble knows that stopping Hayden alone will be the key to Royal Challengers making their way to the final. If they can get the belligerent left-hander early, the option of applying pressure on the rest of the line-up will be better than having him out there in the middle. Of course, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been in equally good form, S Badrinath has been impressive and is fit after a slight niggle, Jacob Oram is still waiting to explode and Albie Morkel’s return from injury can make things tougher. But Hayden still remains the key.

"He is dangerous and we all know what he’s capable of doing. He’s the tournament’s highest scorer. If we can get him early, fine,’’ says Jennings.

In seven out of 11 innings, Hayden has given Team Chennai the right kind of start. His strike rate has been consistent at around 140. He has accumulated five fifties and an individual best of 89, so far, adding to the team’s top-order muscle. If Chennai can once again afford to flex that, Royal Challengers will have a lot of work. Dhoni’s best bet to follow-up on the start given by Hayden is Raina, the tournament’s second best batsman after the giant Aussie. At 414 runs, Raina has been the mainstay in Chennai’s middle-order and should be no less a worry for the Challengers.

However, it was interesting to hear Jennings bring Hayden’s name into the discussion whenever the topic of Chennai’s batting came up. Be it mind games or simply a lurking fear, Challengers do know that he’s a bigger threat than anyone else.

Source:TOI