Raring to go - Alternate Reality at Cricinfo

The Chennai Superstars have a lot to live up to this year. So far we have been the most successful among the city teams: we won the first 20-over and 50-over competitions, and finished third in the Edelweiss challenge last year. I'm confident we have the side to keep the momentum going this year, and I'm keen to make my contribution. Returning from a back injury last year and being completely new to the 20-over format, I had a slow start to the season, but finished up with a hundred in the 50-over format and a couple of fifties each in both formats. The excellent ICL fitness coaches and trainers have given me a superb training regime, which is probably the best I've ever experienced, also including my days with the Indian national team. Consequently I'm raring to go this year, and looking forward to helping my side regain the 20s title.

The preparatory camp is our chance to get into the competitive groove again, and will continue with the ICL practice of giving all the players access to the best of training and expertise. The last tournament really raised the bar in terms of fielding standards and player fitness, so all the players will be keen to raise the level even higher this year, and I expect the competition to be intense.

The camp will conclude with a domestic 20s tournament before all the internationals arrive. I'll be keeping my diary up to date with all the excitement of the second ICL season, and look forward to your company on this exciting and pioneering journey that all of us have undertaken.

PS: I watched with interest the MS Dhoni-led bunch of young talent achieve what no other Indian team ever has, an ODI series win in Sri Lanka, which I've always believed to be one of the toughest assignments in world cricket. It was superb to watch, and it reminded me that it�..s precisely this kind of young talent that the ICL is giving opportunities to, giving them access the best of support staff and the wealth of experience that the internationals bring. I�..m confident that they too will get the opportunities to have long and fulfilling careers in the game.

Hemang,
In my opinion both the ICL and IPL are going to stay here for some time (mainly due to the ego issues that both sides have). Stuck in the middle are the players who are quite wrongly being denied the opportunity to earn a living abroad (for example VVS Laxman who was not allowed to play for Notts as they had some players affiliated to the ICL). Hence would it not be sensible for the admininistrators from both camps to merge the two leagues even with the ICL teams being the second division of the new-formed IPL. It would be so good to see the Chandigarh Lions play the Kings XI Punjab in Mohali. This would actually mirror Modi's vision of more of a competition based on the English Premier Football League than his current blueprint. If cricket in India and the world is to move ahead then it is imperative that this issue is resolved.

Burnout, injury, mental stress... these are terms for a player playing for India round the year, not for players playing ICL for three weeks a year. Well I am not against ICL, but the attitude of some who try and compare standard of ICL with that of international cricket or even IPL. Hemang with you having played at highest level and given opportunities as well. Do you really think ICL is even half decent as a real international match? What is the incentive to perform? Is it pride? For a group of retired players who've made their mark for their respective teams or players who have no hopes for playing for India. It's circus at best. In IPL at least world ICL players you feel could have played for India. Kapil is taking everyone for a ride to get even with BCCI. Let's give credit to BCCI for whatever it has done to uplift game in this country.

ICL is the format which brings in great cricketers back to the game and some extra-ordinary talent being left out by the Indian selectors. I have enjoyed watching all the ICL
tournament telecasted so far. The standards are very high and you really enjoy watching at the comfort of home. I remember my colleagues discussing everyday during the tournaments about the days game. I hope good recognition is given by cricket-governing body in India for these tournaments as well. Would like to see good show from stars from south - Hemang, T Kumaran, Satish, Syed and others of Chennai Superstars since I am a great fan of them. I think with Bevan as their coach they would again reach at the top once again.
I wish Hemang and their team all the very best for the upcoming tournament.

Sidd are you being paid by BCCI to post that comment. I really don't have much to write about ICL, but you cannot say the words "BCCI" and "uplift cricket" in the same breath. The only thing they have done is uplift and fill their greedy pockets. Why is it that the same BCCI has not been able to come up with a decent team to lift the world cup even after 25 years with so much talent available? All the very best for Hemang and Chennai Superstars.

Dear Hemang and Superbazman,
Further to the comment posted by Superbazman, I completely agree with him in having a second tier in the form of ICL or something on those lines. Demote the last two from IPL and promote the first two from ICL and that in a way forces competition between the teams.
Though IPL was hugely successful this season (or due to novelty factor), there is really nothing to play for once you know you don't make it to semis as the lower teams know even if they play badly they are still going to play next year. But if you take, for example, English Premier football, even the last day would be so frantic with lower teams fighting for survival!!

Having said that, the big bosses should bury their egos and let cricket community grow. Hope there is some light at the end of the tunnel.
Any Comments please?
Cheers

Hemang,
we are really proud of you and all the efforts you guys put in. People don't really see the sacrifices you guys make from a very young age. I guess that's why it is imperative for guys who actually play the game to be at the helm to run the administration and get involved in the selections right from the grassroot levels. How does a guy who doesn't know what it is like to miss out on a whole bunch of fun during his growing years ever related to the heartache you'll go through during the selections? He's just interested in his ulterior motive of everyone knows what (do i necessarily need to spell it out??). You guys have taken a bold step forward and we wish you all the best. The ICL is here to stay and let people like Sidd know that true sportsmen train all year round and are not in it for the money. (One wonders sid - have you ever played sport??)

Hemang Badani, always the nearly man of Indian cricket. Superb fielder, really good batsmen and yet consistently found himself out of the team. He was the second highest run-getter for India in the VB series of 2003-04, went to Pakistan, had a 7 NO and never got to play again, if my memory serves correct. The selectors have a lot of explaining to do about wasting such a talent. But no one is accountable in Indian cricket. Good thing that Hemang Badani left the wretched system.

Aj,
I live in London and like many Asians love cricket. I watched most of both the IPL and the ICL here in London and to be honest enjoyed both competitions equally. The point you make about the novelty factor of the IPL is a great one and more so the point about once you loose some games there is nothing much to play for. For the sake of cricket if the two leagues were to merge we would then have a competition mirrored exactly like the English football league. Within this add teams from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia and South Africa you then do have a blueprint for a hugely successful tournament. When 20/20 cricket first hit the UK almost every game was sold out and tickets would be like gold dust, however 3-4 years on 20/20's novelty and popularity is waning so administrators need to invent new innovations to the game (a bit like Stanfords $1m challenge) the fact is 20/20 is here to stay. True fans want to see both leagues merged. We want to see Badani face Brett Lee!!!

Hi Hemang,
Finally we get to see a blog by an Indian Cricketer. I used to love the columns of Bangar. Coming to ICL, well I seriously appreciate the way the quality has improved since its first edition and am sure with the kind of hype IPL has created, ICL is going to ride on it. There's going to be more excitement and media space this season onwards. Wishing you, Stuart Law and others in the Chennai outfit a great outing. Keep the tempo alive.

Hemang, Guess you would be glad and a little surprised to receive so many comments on your first blog itself. But that's the way you guys r revered in our country :-) Hopefully you'll try and answer at least some points in your next post. The only point which I want to make is the fact that ICL suffered a great deal in its first edition due to non-availability of large and quality grounds. Has any effort been made to get new grounds in this edition? All the best to uour team and ICL. I'll be viewing it as passionately as i saw IPL

Keep scoring runs Hemang!! The BCCI will have to fold if you keep performing well.

Are any of the other cricket boards outside of India putting pressure on the BCCI to lift the ban on ICL players? I would really like to hear why you think they have been so spineless. Considering the ICL and IPL have an equal effect on all cricket boards, except the BCCI, is some effort being made to unify these countries?

I would beg to differ from all the comments posted except Sidds'.. He is right in saying ICL does not provide mental stress. What would happen in three weeks for a cricketer. All are retired quality players. The infrastructure, ground everything potrayed a gully cricket and not an actual one in the last edition of ICL. Thus without BCCI's ban being lifted, the quality would never improve. ICL would just come and go and there would be no attention provided to it. Bottomline administrators should talk to BCCI and merge IPL and ICL and bring cricket to every corner of the world.

hi hemang,
i'm so glad that finally people are taking notice of all the good work you guys are doing.the more i see pro ICl people the more heartening it is.the selectors will definitely have a lot of explaining to do about your case.a typical example of different yardsticks being used for different people.even your very own Mr.More handed you some shabby treatment.you were asked to prove your fitnes every other time and asked to play some domestic cricket before being considered for selection.how come the same was not done to Kaifs and Yuvrajs??the BCCI is a classical case of a player having to have a GODFATHER to survive barring a very few.what is our country coming to?the BCCI and the selectors hope you are listening.its time for some explanation now.the ICL must make sure they get their due for their players.All the best for the coming season.you are my favourite player and i wish you all good luck.

Before starting this comment I would like to make one thing clear...I was the greatest (if I can say so myself) fan of Kapil the cricketer....i wish I could say so about him after his glory days are behind him. What he and Zee TV are doing now is just using the fringe cricketers with no realistic future of the players past their prime and taking on the BCCI /IPL . Firing the gun from some one elses shoulder does not seem becoming of a player of Kapil's status and pedigree. Its now a Ego War and will do end in a hurry and the sufferers are the desperate cricketers , mainly the young who maybe lured by the money of ICL and lose out on a chance to paly "real" cricket and hope to represent the country. The clout of BCCI on the world cricket fraternity cannot be wished away and is a reality ICL (read Kapil and subhash Chandra) will have to face and try to reach a non-confrontation position to hope for a break through for both leagues to survive . Other wise there will be no winners !!

Hi Hemang
Its always great to see a childhood friend playing the nation's most loved and supported game. I would always wish you luck wherever and with whichever league you play. I hope you would agree with me if I say that the pride for a cricketer is all about playing the game in its full spirit and not comparing the differet leagues and the differences the leagues hold with each other. Keep playing and Keep Winning Hemang. My wishes are with you forever

In my opinion ICL is doing an outstanding job for many reasons. Like OPPURTUNITIES today number of people playing cricket has increased almost 10 times in last decade or so but only 11 get the opportunity to play for the country, where will u accommodate others, we all know India has exceptional talent in cricket but where is the opportunity to prove yourself, considering the way BCCI selection procedure is, take eg of VVS LAXMAN, HEMANG BADANI ,MURALI KARTHIK to name a few, the way they r been treated when it comes to selection. This is were ICL is doing a great job by keeping there hopes alive and giving chances to players from small towns and villages and players who have been treated badly by BCCI. I don�..t see any reason why BCCI has to take any hard step against ICL players cos the motive is to get the best player playing for the country, I think it�..s the BCCI ego which is a problem cos not only in INDIA even they want a ban on ICL players playing abroad. To me country comes first no matter u play for ICL or IPL. It will be a great loss to the country if BCCI doesn�..t shed its ego.

Hemang,i must be one of the only girls to write in.to me,the ICL is a lease of life to all the guys who have been given shabby treatment by the BCCI.for the younger ones i guess its a matter of being left out.the senior players like you and Mongia did deserve a lot more in terms of what opportunities you'll got.Look at the wide gap in the test team now.Had they nurtured you they would not have a wide gaping hole like they have just now.rahul.sachin and sourav are almost done..then who??did they not think ahead??now you have youngsters who are the slam bang category who have hardly played 5 day matches.you are one player who plays elegant shots in 20/20 cricket and still has a fantastic strike rate.i only hope the BCCI is taking notice at all their follies and learns to nurture players.look at Australia.learn from them.I wish you all the very best in cricket and life.Hope you don't let your son go through what you did.he's so cute!!

So what's the matter, the ICL is of to its second season and has plucked some more of the not so lavishly paid (I mean over-hyped Indian cricketers)cricketers. And Hemang in his blog feels he never felt so good as he is feeling in the ICL camp. Only if Hemang had the chance to be in the sacred fold i.e the Indian team. Is it the case of "Grapes are sour".As for ICL I'm all for it and breaking the monopoly and hence the high-handedness of the BCCI. But for that I don't need to be told that the ICL is doing it for the good of either the cricketers or cricket. It is a business venture which now has taken the shape of a bitter corporate rivalry-a game of one-upmanship.And Hemang, sorry I can't offer you the consolation of saying that you deserved your chance in the sun like
Kaif, Yuvraj and others. Man you simply were not good enough. I don't know how much exactly you scored but never gave the impression of being at home in International cricket. Well, good luck in what you are doing now

I personally love the ICL and IPL and International and Domestic games. The fact of the matter is that it's cricket either way, and entertaining at that (especailly Twenty20). I always used to talk about your playing, Hemang, cause I found it entertaining. Plus, I found the Bangar - Badani - Balaji trio interesting, but that was just a bonus. :P I hope you do well during the season, even though I go for Kolkata. Please play a Marrilier shot at least once! And Have fun, above all.

Hi Hemang
Great to hear somebody talking about the ICL. But the sad part is we in Chennai are not able to watch ICL matches because of the Set Top Box systems, if the Zee group looks into the issue i am sure it will reach out to more people after all Chennai Super Stars were the real stars of the first edition and we would like to watch you guys to too

Coming to the cricket played i am sure young Indian players will learn a lot from the likes of Bevan, Inzy, Cairns, Atapattu and also guys from our backyard like you which will make them better both personally and professionally as some might not get a bigger stage to exhibit their talents. But one this is for sure the Indian Cricket League is here to stay nothing the BCCI does will stop the juggernaut from rolling on. The first blow was the lifting of the ban by the SLC on the SL players from playing domestic cricket. You brave hearts will get your dues my friend. Keep up the good work

Adios

apologies for deviating from the main topic, but i simply wanted to be heard. with the BCCI throwing its weight around and resorting to unfair tactics by making players and officials at the ICL to relinquish their association with ICC related events, the sooner ICL does the damage control, the better it is for all aggrieved cricketers. BCCI's stand that anybody associated with ICL should not represent at the domestic level in his own country is ridiculous. this amounts to sending the message that it owns the authority of cricket in india. if 'recognition from a national board' is all that matters, all ICL needs to do is to affiliate itself to one of the boards of other test playing nations,for eg bangladesh, who would be only too willing to do it. it is a bangaladesh cricket league hosted in india. BCCI shall have no say in the matter. further, the ICC needs to be firm and not bow to the exorbitant demands mad by the BCCI. this monopoly must come to an end.