IPL deserves an exclusive window

IPL, 20/20 whatever, it's so exciting that it's dull. Could do worse than pioneer a rule change though. If some freakish athlete has the presence of mind to take a catch and chuck it back in the field of play before stepping over the boundary then the batsman should be out.

It's not anymore worthy but it has the biggest audience and the most money in it by some way and far more opportunities for foreign players to earn very good money than any of the other tournaments. The BCCI are very cleverly not allowing their players to go to tournaments like the Big Bash so the audience for these other tournaments is not going to include much of the dominant Indian market.

You might be able to watch it on youtube through one of the indian newspapers' sites. I can't remember which one but the live stream they do is excellent.

I'm pretty confident that the only WI players in the IPL that would've been picked in the test side is Gayle and Narine (and Narine was probably no certainty). Dwayne Bravo hasn't been fit for years for 5 day cricket and let's be honest he isn't that good at it either - in 40 tests he averages 30 with the bat and 39 with the ball - neither good enough to hold his spot in either discipline. Marlon Samuels is no good either averaging 29 with the bat since debuting with a half century against the aussies in 2000. The big one is obviously Gayle but let's remember that he averages only 41 in tests. In era where the top players are averaging over 50 this isn't outstanding - but obviously he would be picked for WI in a first choice side. Interesting to compare Chanderpaul's test average of over 50 to Gayle's. Probably the biggest the concern is the young bloke Narime who could've played but chose to take the cash. This is the worry of cricket supporters as you want the best available players playing against the best. IPL for all its claims is only a domestic competition and just because some Bollywood stars stump up cash to buy teams doesn't make it any more worthy than the BBL or the Bangladesh league or South Africa and so on... So let's not overstate the impact of the IPL on this series but this might change in the coming seasons if more young players chose the IPL circus over the Frank Worrell Trophy.

The Champions League already has a window, and the IPL practically does - only the West Indies tourists and whoever England mugs on early season pitches. It is a window carved out by market power and the inability of other boards to match wages though, which is the worst possible method of creating it. The IPL is not even well scheduled, it is too late in the year and the weather is oppressive in many parts of India by its conclusion Creating a window - in fact, several - is a good idea though. Test cricket shouldn't have to compete with T20 domestic cricket for players. FIFA doesn't let make World Cup teams compete for players with domestic competitions. The fact that many players earn almost nothing for playing internationals is also irrelevant. But the window ought to be for all domestic T20 competitions, fixed at two points in the year - the northern competition and the southern. Because obviously other nations will be (and have been) opposed to an IPL specific window, without one of their own. And yet, a window for T20 competition to ensure international players are available is a no-brainer, if it is driving profits.

The windies proved to be tough opposition on the just completed tour, with the addition of the four IPL players they may have won

Nate, You're clearly unaware of just how little money the WICB have, and therefore how little power they have over their players, and just how much money first clas competitions lose. Dwayne Bravo and so on refused to sign a WICB central contract last year, and doesnt have one this year. They can still make a decent living, so there is no need to play Test cricket. And while the scum - the BCCI, the ACB, the ECB and SACB - prefer to tour each other and not share the TV money with the rest, this problem will continue.

I don't really support the idea of a window for the IPL, mainly because it has limited appeal outside of India. I do think a window should be given for the Champions League, which features the top T20 sides from the major domestic comps around the world.

Shouldn't the WICB get their act together, perhaps that would ensure their players are playing in the Frank Worrell trophy and other test cricket as opposed to the IPL if they signed their players to agreeable contracts. The other guy from the Windies not mentioned is young spinner Sunil Narine. He is also not contracted to the WICB and chose to play in the IPL. On those bunsen burner pitches, he would have been a serious handful, I doubt the series is a 2-0 canter for us if he plays.

It would be logical. More so if in exchange for a long IPL exclusive window the BCCI would give up some scheduling power over the rest of the year so all boards could give more control to the ICC. Fantasyland stuff though when your talking about the BCCI, ECB and CA etc

Agreed.

No, I don't think an Ashes series is lkely to be dropped - but there are other tours in world cricket; and many of those are subject to the whim of various boards. You could have an IPL window, I just don't think its a good idea - and nothing can be judged from the FTP unless the ICC is granted the power to actually enforce it, a notion none of the rich nations will ever support.

So you think Australia are going to drop an Ashes series or England? Fact is, you are not going to be able to have an ipl window.

Good morning David, My head says I should agree with you, but oh dear, there are a few problems here for me. 1. I don't care for T20 cricket. 2. I certainly don't care about the IPL. So there, I've drawn my line in the sand & call me "dinosaur" but I'll ignore any ridicule that comes my way from Gen X & Gen Y. 'They' say you can't stop progress, but I also like to think progress should have some reasoned wisdom behind it other than another tasteless opportunity to make a bucketload of cash.

No nation has ever stuck to the future tours program sice it was first introduced. Australia, India, England all drop their series with Zimbabwe and Bangladesh on a whim with regularity and other series get moved, added (especially pointless limited overs tours involving India), etc all the time. The FTP is a guideline that's usually well out of date before its announced.

If the IPL gets this, will the BCCI split the money ?

Being on a digital channel wasn't nessicarily being shoved down our throats.. I'm actually disappointed that I dont get the option to watch our Aussies in action... Not even on foxtel.

Garfield's question is mine as well. Its a domestic tournament which draws international players. Should the same be done for the T20 leagues in every Test nation? Why should money be enough to make the IPL more important to the international calendar than every other league? Why should the ICC give special concessions to a league that doesn't invite all players (Pakistanis)? There is a case due to players, particularly of the poorer nations who don't pay their player big wages, being forced to choose - and then the money talks; but so van the money from the South African, Australian and English leagues. Should roughly 20 weeks a year set aside for T20 windows? The IPL is the largest paying, and therefore the most problematic in terms of conflicting with internationals, of the leagues but its not the only one. The case for any league being given a window and not other leagues would be much stronger if a large slice of that league's money was going to help fund the financially weaker Test nations and to assist the Associates and Affiliates. As things stand, nations themselves can decide not to play internationals over that period if they suspect thy will lose a large slice of their teams. That the West Indies chose to play a series over that time is a concern, given they do not have the money to retain their own players. (I confess to ignorance, as to whether the West Indies available months for home series are limited by seasonal factos such as hurricanes, etc.)

Well, the ICC has already released its future tours program. I am looking at it right now. All cricket fixtures have been listed up until 2020. We play an Ashes series in 2013 (England), 2013/14 (Australia), 2015 (England), 2017/18 (Australia), 2019 (England). So we basically have an extra Ashes series then we would have if the fixturing at stayed as it normally was. England would have toured Australia in 2014/15 and then we would have toured England in 2017. The IPL window is impossible - the fixturing list is already decided. People have to remember that outside of England and Australia, and possibly South Africa. Cricket players are relatively poorly paid. Indian players get a lot of money from endorsements. Players from the smaller nations, like the West Indies and Sri Lanka, will always lean towards playing in the IPL rather than playing for their country. The money is better. I'd do the same.

That's never going to happen because only India can generate the type of money the IPL pays out.