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Though I have my doubts about the long-term implications of this tournament, it’s likely to be a good betting opportunity, given that we have eight new teams with ever-changing squads.
Already I’ve been impressed with Kolkata (particularly the gold helmets) but I’ve had a small amount on Delhi Daredevils at 9-2. They have barely broken sweat in winning both matches so far and though they have the obligatory fireworks from the batting line up they have in Maharoof and McGrath two canny and economical bowlers, qualities that will be worth their weight in gold pads as the tournament progresses.
Both the Deccan Chargers and Chennai are overrated, especially as the latter will lose both Hayden and Hussey in a few days. Bangalore might come good when Steyn and Kumble are available but their batting is too sedate. Mumbai rely entirely on their upper order and without Tendulkar are struggling (though I’ve backed them today to beat Chennai). Quite like the Kings XI but again, they will lose Brett Lee soon. Poor old Warney’s Rajasthan are likely to prop up the table.
I have’nt been following any of the Indian premier league so i cant really say too much, they seem to of attracted alot of world class players and im sure it makes good viewing. how serious are these games?
i see there is talk of an English version being planned with the England and Wales cricket board canvassing the views of players. how would this happen and what affect would it have?
Charles Darwin to conquer the World
The games are serious enough, even though there aren’t really any established loyalties amongst the fans – understandably given these teams were conjured out of nowhere.
The ECB’s only solution to the problem of England players wanting to play in the IPL until June next year would be to boost the domestic tournament to similar proportions. However, I can’t see where the money will come from.
Do we know how well the IPL is likely to be policed?
Many of the unscrupolous characters behind reported match fixing in both cricket and tennis reportedly emanate from India (though that’s not to say they’re alone in harbouring such people) and, whilst it may be the ultimate pessimist in me, I worry that the game is open to severe levels of corruption.
This isn’t something I’d have even considered across ‘top level’ sport five years ago, but with recent events in Italian football, the almost constant rumours of people being approached to throw games and the fact that the IPL doesn’t seem to be supremely well organised, it has to be a very real concern.
It would only take another Hanse Cronje moment to kill cricket where it stands.
That’s an interesting point. There were all sorts of rumours when the lights went out in the Kolkata game last weekend. Apparently at that moment, the Duckworth Lewis calculation would have made the game a tie, had it been abandoned.
With all of these games being essentially meaningless, vast pots of money sloshing around and the betting market in India illegal and hence completely unregulated, I would be astonished if someone wasn’t trying something. Then again, the money players are getting in these games is astronomical so any bribes would have to be enormous.
From a betting point of view, the IPL is great – no-one has got a handle on the teams, the games are extremely volatile and with so many good players around, pretty much anyone can beat anyone else. Yet the matches are priced up on the basis of the reputation particularly of the Aussie players. I’ve been backing the outsider of two pretty much automatically and it has been paying off.
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