[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

I wouldnt want to get into the talent and skill debate all over again. If you think T20 is a test of talent and skill then you are horribly wrong my friend.

+1, but then extreme_torque no one will understand.

[Eddy]

I agree that T20 might not be the best judge of talent. But it does give something to start at. Looking at the IPL for example, we now know that Gony might be a future prospect. The selectors will have him in their radars.

So T20, if not the final word, is definitely a good indication.

Another point is. If we can go to small towns and get good T20 talent(which the IPL has proved), I am sure that the same can be done for ODIs and Tests
.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Oh it's over? I was just convincing myself to see one match at least.
Does it start again next year?

I guess we will wait for the day when we get to see the JBL Super Six or the JBL Man of the Match or the JBL Soundbyte of the Day before we comment on that?

You will be there. The only question is: How soon?

[iraghava]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

I guess we will wait for the day when we get to see the JBL Super Six or the JBL Man of the Match or the JBL Soundbyte of the Day before we comment on that?

I think JBL cheerleaders would be a better idea!

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by Eddy

So T20, if not the final word, is definitely a good indication.

Agree but so is Ranji if BCCI was serious about it. A Ranji team is composed mostly of youngsters but then there isnt any money, SRK or PZ wont be interested in buying a Ranji team.
A flat dead track, field restrictions, smaller boundries, how difficult it it to bat in these conditions? The less said about the bowlers the better, people come to see only sixes and fours being hit who cares about the poor guy who is getting whacked all around the park.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Agree but so is Ranji if BCCI was serious about it. A Ranji team is composed mostly of youngsters but then there isnt any money, SRK or PZ wont be interested in buying a Ranji team.
A flat dead track, field restrictions, smaller boundries, how difficult it it to bat in these conditions? The less said about the bowlers the better, people come to see only sixes and fours being hit who cares about the poor guy who is getting whacked all around the park.

Yep. I agree. And this is where IPL has been successful. It has shown the selectors and BCCI that given enough opportunity, there is talent aplenty here in our country. You just need a strong system to find and nurture it.

For T20, IPL has shown the way. Its upto the board now to wake up and give due attention to talent hunting in other forms. Not the IPL way, because it will not be commercially feasible but through Ranji and Duleep

[normally_crazy]

Ranji games are played on typical batsman friendly Indian wickets but in the IPL there are players from around the world who play for their country.

The quality of play is much higher in IPL and that would only help the local talent. Interacting with world champs and playing alongside them - it will teach them a lot of things.

That is my humble opinion.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Ranji games are played on typical batsman friendly Indian wickets but in the IPL there are players from around the world who play for their country.

The quality of play is much higher in IPL and that would only help the local talent. Interacting with world champs and playing alongside them - it will teach them a lot of things.

That is my humble opinion.

Yes indeed. T20 has shown us that there is a wealth of talent in India beyond the 12 who get to don Test and ODI colours for the country. We have Goni, Adsonkar, Trivedi, Jadeja, Badri and several others that have put up their hands to be counted when their more illustrious counterparts have not delivered.

The amount of confidence these youngsters get from just playing with and against some of the best in the world in itself is a shot in the arm for Indian cricket.

The question "After Sachin, Dravid, Dada - who?" doesnt matter anymore. There are any number out there.

Now can we get rid of the oldies, including The Illustrious One?

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Ranji games are played on typical batsman friendly Indian wickets but in the IPL there are players from around the world who play for their country.

The quality of play is much higher in IPL and that would only help the local talent. Interacting with world champs and playing alongside them - it will teach them a lot of things.

That is my humble opinion.

Exactly my points. And that is why performance here means more than a Duleep trophy. The point is: There is talent, and the board needs to find it using the right system.

[diabloo]

Well, this interview came out today: There is definitely cricket left in me: Tendulkar

But there is definitely cricket left in me. And I want to just go out and enjoy my game and not think about other things. I have a beautiful family, and you know, they all take the other pressures so that I can only focus on cricket and nothing else. So I am the privileged one and just want to be in that position.

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Now can we get rid of the oldies, including The Illustrious One?

[amtak]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Yes indeed. T20 has shown us that there is a wealth of talent in India beyond the 12 who get to don Test and ODI colours for the country. We have Goni, Adsonkar, Trivedi, Jadeja, Badri and several others that have put up their hands to be counted when their more illustrious counterparts have not delivered.

The amount of confidence these youngsters get from just playing with and against some of the best in the world in itself is a shot in the arm for Indian cricket.

The question "After Sachin, Dravid, Dada - who?" doesnt matter anymore. There are any number out there.

Now can we get rid of the oldies, including The Illustrious One?

To add to the list, Abhishek Nair, Yusuf Pathan, Dinesh Karthik etc etc. Gautam Gambhir should also be given another chance in the team.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Ranji games are played on typical batsman friendly Indian wickets but in the IPL there are players from around the world who play for their country.

The quality of play is much higher in IPL and that would only help the local talent. Interacting with world champs and playing alongside them - it will teach them a lot of things.

That is my humble opinion.

For IPL the pitches were doctered to be in favour of the batsmen. If board was serious about Ranji, the youngsters there would have got much better exposure playing in proper cricketing venues and big stadiums. But the fact remains that our national dont play in Ranji matches simply because the money isnt enough.
Again quality of play is subjective... to me cricket on a flat track with short boundaries, rules heavily in favour of the batsman is hardly quality play.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by amtak

To add to the list, Abhishek Nair, Yusuf Pathan, Dinesh Karthik etc etc. Gautam Gambhir should also be given another chance in the team.

Yusuf Pathan..... he wasnt able to touch a short pitched delivery. All he does is plant his front foot and whack it across the line. Please dont judge the quality of a player by looking at his performances in 20-20.
The premise for 20-20 cricket is pure entertainment, rest everything is purely co-incidental and hardly bothers anyone.

[carzy]

Originally Posted by diabloo

Well, this interview came out today: There is definitely cricket left in me: Tendulkar

There might be cricket left in him, but I.One "physically" can't handle all that stress with so many injuries that kept him out from 20-20 games, How can he think that his body is gonna be able to take in all the stress of One Dayers n Tests?? I feel he should listen to his body rather than his mind, and become a cricket commentator Performing in 1 out of every 6 matches is pointless.

[diabloo]

Rahul Gandhi's Rural T20 comes to an end !!!

Monday's final saw Tiloi and Sangrampur clash, with the latter walking away with the prize money of Rs 3 lakh plus trophy, given out by Tendulkar. Runner-up Tiloi won Rs 1.5 lakh and a trophy, given out by Robert Vadra. Nilesh Kumar was presented the man of the match award by R P Singh. Rahul Gandhi gave away Rs 60,000 each to the losing semi-finalists. For the record, Sangrampur smashed 126, aided by six sixes and 10 fours, and Tiloi fell short by 64 runs.

BTW, Monday's final was even telecast on DD Sports, which set off its own controversy with the Opposition quick to question how many rural events are shown live on Doordarshan.

rediff.com slide show: Rahul Gandhi's T20 is a huge hit!

Originally Posted by diabloo

First, Rahul and Priyanka to cheer for Knight Riders

Then, Rahul Gandhi lures youth through rural T20

Now Rural T20 beats IPL hollow: Cricket Next

• Total number of teams playing the IPL is eight but in the rural Twenty20, the total number of teams is 1857.
• The IPL has only 128 players but the rural Twenty20 has attracted more than 27,000 players.
• The IPL has a schedule of 59 games in two months while Rahul Gandhi's Twenty20 tournament has 150 matches played every day - total of 1,819 matches

The winning team would get a cash prize of Rs 3 lakhs, while the runners up will be rich by Rs 1 lakh.

There were 262 umpires officiating in the matches, while 3,714 cricket bats and 11,000 ba11s were used. Altogether 131 volunteers were also engaged by the organisers for scoring and other activities in the tournament.