Cricket

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to hold a crucial meeting with its ten franchises on Wednesday to discuss several key issues, including the future of the Impact Player rule and the retention of uncapped players.Impact Player Rule:Introduced in IPL 2023, the Impact Player rule allows teams to field an additional specialist batter or bowler based on the game situation. While it has led to higher scores, especially in the powerplay, some experts and franchises believe it may hinder the development of all-rounders. The meeting will consider whether to abolish or retain the rule.Uncapped Player Retentions:Ahead of the 2022 mega auction, franchises were allowed to retain a maximum of two uncapped Indian players. However, with these players performing consistently, franchises are seeking to increase the number of uncapped retentions or create a special allowance within the main retention pool for them.Incremental Performance Pay:The IPL is considering introducing incremental performance pay for players who have improved their stature since being retained at their base price. However, franchises have raised concerns about players who sit on the bench. They suggest a discretionary incentive pot that franchises can use to reward performers.Overseas Players:Franchises have proposed removing restrictions on the number of overseas players they can retain within the retention cap. They also believe overseas players have exploited mini auctions to secure record sums of money. The IPL is considering making it mandatory for overseas players to register for mega auctions and imposing a bidding cap at mini auctions.Other Proposals:* Holding the mega auction every five years instead of three.* Reinstating the right-to-match (RTM) card option at auctions.* Addressing the availability of overseas players.* Determining the total number of retentions.The IPL will consider all these proposals at the meeting, but it is unclear whether final decisions will be announced immediately.

Lancashire County Cricket Club has secured the services of Irish all-rounder George Dockrell for the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast T20 competition. This move comes as Australian offspinner Chris Green, Lancashire's leading wicket-taker in the tournament, will be unavailable due to his commitments with the Caribbean Premier League.ECB regulations stipulate that overseas players must participate in at least one group-stage match to be eligible for the knockout rounds. This rule was implemented after Essex's controversial signing of Dwayne Bravo solely for Finals Day in 2010.The Blast's schedule has been disrupted this season due to the T20 World Cup in June and the Hundred's summer break. As a result, there is a significant gap between the group stage and the quarter-finals, leaving counties scrambling to secure overseas players available in mid-September.Lancashire has found a solution by adding Dockrell to their squad for their final two group games against Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire. The move ensures that Dockrell meets the eligibility criteria for the knockout stages."We are delighted to welcome George to our squad for the remainder of the Vitality Blast," said Lancashire coach Dale Benkenstein. "With the potential for knockout matches in September and uncertainty around player availability, George provides us with another overseas option for the latter stages."Dockrell, who has transitioned into a batting allrounder, expressed his excitement about joining Lancashire. "We are in a strong position in the North Group, with two important home games remaining as we look to secure a home quarter-final at Emirates Old Trafford in September," he said.Green, who has taken 13 wickets in the Blast this season, will depart after the group stage to play for Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the CPL. He could potentially return for Finals Day on September 14 if his schedule permits.New Zealand batter Tom Bruce has been Lancashire's other overseas player in the Blast. After a slow start, he regained form with an unbeaten 50 against Worcestershire.Lancashire's acquisition of Dockrell strengthens their squad as they aim to secure a home quarter-final and make a deep run in the Vitality Blast.

The Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) is facing a potential squeeze on overseas player availability due to the tournament's proximity to the T20 World Cup. However, the reduced length of the competition will allow for more primetime games and increased use of technology.Nominations for the overseas draft are currently open, and Cricket Australia (CA) remains confident in attracting top international talent. However, the busy schedule may deter some players from participating. England's Nat Sciver-Brunt has already ruled herself out this season.To manage player workload, the WBBL has been trimmed to a 40-game regular season with three finals. However, the schedule faces pressure at both ends, with Australia and India starting an ODI series four days after the final and England facing South Africa during the finals.Despite the challenges, CA is optimistic about securing a strong contingent of overseas players. "We are excited about the players who have signed and think over the next month or two we'll get a sense from players as to how they are preparing for the World Cup and their appetite to come quickly to Australia," said Alistair Dobson, head of the BBL.The tournament's stadium series has been expanded and brought forward to replicate the crowd growth experienced in other leagues. A standalone match will be played at the Gabba for the first time, and there will be two games each at the MCG and SCG.To enhance the broadcast experience, a third umpire will be in operation at every game for line calls. There will also be an increase in matches with the Decision Review System (DRS) available.The full WBBL 2024-25 fixture list is as follows:[Insert fixture list here]

With the T20 World Cup looming on the horizon, overseas players have begun to withdraw from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season to prioritize their national duties. England cricketers have led the exodus, leaving the league to prepare for the ICC tournament starting next month.Liam Livingstone, Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals), Will Jacks, and Reece Topley (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) have all departed the IPL to join the defending champion England squad ahead of their T20I series against Pakistan, commencing on May 22.The absence of Livingstone and Buttler was evident in Rajasthan Royals' recent defeat to Punjab Kings, while RCB will also feel the void left by Jacks and Topley in their crucial encounter with Chennai Super Kings on May 18.Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has expressed his displeasure with overseas players leaving the IPL during its crucial stages. "Either be available for the full season or don't come," Pathan stated on social media after the Royals' fourth consecutive loss.Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has also called for decisive action from the BCCI and IPL franchises against players and their respective cricket boards for withdrawing from the IPL prematurely."I am all for players choosing a country before anything else, but having assured various franchises about their availability for the full season, if they pull out now, it will be letting down the franchises," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid Day.Gavaskar advocated for measures to hold players and cricket boards accountable for breaching their commitments.Punjab's stand-in skipper Sam Curran confirmed after Wednesday's game that he and Jonny Bairstow will return home on Thursday, missing their side's final league game of the season.

The Hundred, England's premier domestic T20 competition, faces a scheduling clash with Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States, potentially depriving the tournament of several overseas stars.MLC's inaugural season concluded two days before the Hundred's launch last year, but this year, the leagues will overlap by six days in July. The Hundred's group stage commences on July 23, while MLC runs until the final on July 28, with knockout fixtures starting on July 24.Twelve of the 24 overseas players contracted in the men's Hundred have already been announced as signings or retentions in MLC, and more could follow. Most of these players will remain in the US until their respective MLC franchises are eliminated.Stephen Fleming, coach of Southern Brave in the Hundred and Texas Super Kings in MLC, is expected to prioritize the Hundred, ensuring his arrival in the UK before Brave's opening match on July 24.Depending on the MLC playoff participants, some Hundred teams could be without multiple overseas players for their opening fixtures. Southern Brave, for instance, could miss Kieron Pollard, Akeal Hosein, and Finn Allen, who are all playing in MLC.MLC's player salaries surpassed those of the Hundred last year, with the top salary reaching approximately £135,000 for a minimum of five games. In contrast, the Hundred's top salary was £125,000 for a minimum of eight games.The Hundred's opening week will likely lack star power due to the clash with the third England vs West Indies Test at Edgbaston. Availability is better in the women's Hundred, with only a brief overlap with the Asia Cup.MLC begins on July 5 and features a 21-match group stage, with each team playing seven fixtures. The knockout stage includes an Eliminator, Qualifier, Challenger, and final.MLC has attracted several Australian players this year, including Steven Smith, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, and Jake Fraser-McGurk. Two MLC franchises have ties to Australian states, while a Seattle Orcas squad recently toured Queensland.The ECB's plan to sell equity stakes in Hundred teams to private investors aims to attract top overseas players. The ECB hopes to gift a 51% share in each team to its host county and sell the remaining 49% by the end of the year, sharing the revenue across the English game.

The English Cricket Board (ECB) has granted counties until the end of May to propose revisions to the visa criteria for overseas players, following a challenging offseason for directors of cricket.Securing high-caliber overseas players has become increasingly difficult for counties due to a congested domestic schedule, overlapping franchise leagues, and the unprecedented occurrence of a T20 World Cup during the English summer. Consequently, many counties have resorted to signing relatively unknown overseas players this year.Previously, visa eligibility was solely based on international caps. However, in 2019, the ECB successfully lobbied the UK Home Office for a change, allowing players with 20 T20 appearances in a full-member country within the past three years to qualify.While this change has opened up new avenues for overseas players to obtain visas, it has also led to some peculiar situations. One player agent revealed that some clients who would have been eligible for Division One cricket in the County Championship were denied visas due to the current T20-based criteria.Chris Tremain, the leading wicket-taker in this season's Sheffield Shield, was only able to stay at Northamptonshire for a month because his sporadic appearances in the Big Bash League in recent seasons made him eligible only for a short-term "permitted paid engagement" visa.Other top Sheffield Shield bowlers, including Fergus O'Neill, Gabe Bell, and Corey Rocchiccioli, are reportedly ineligible for the "international sportsperson" visa typically used by overseas players for county seasons.Simon Cook, Kent's director of cricket, initially found South African seamer Beyers Swanepoel ineligible due to insufficient T20 appearances. However, Swanepoel eventually qualified for a longer visa after playing enough matches in the CSA T20 Challenge.The ECB has an annual consultation period where counties can propose changes to existing criteria. While the governing body has no immediate plans to alter the criteria, it will consider any proposals. These proposals would then be submitted to the ECB's board for approval and presented to the Home Office.Any changes must adhere to the Home Office's requirement that players seeking visas should "make a significant contribution to the development of their sport at the highest level in the UK."Cook emphasized the importance of balancing the need for overseas players with the development of domestic talent. "The danger with opening it up too much is that you end up blocking opportunities for academy or second-team players," he said. "You want overseas players coming over that will add value and drive your existing group forwards."Kent will briefly have four overseas seamers competing for two spots in June, reflecting the increasingly competitive overseas market for counties.

Chandrakant Pandit, a legendary figure in Indian domestic cricket, has faced criticism from some overseas players during his tenure as coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.According to David Wiese, an all-rounder who played for KKR in three matches this season, there were "certain issues going on behind the scenes" within the team. Wiese revealed that some players were unhappy with Pandit's coaching style, describing the dressing room atmosphere as "tough.""There was a new coach coming in and he liked to do things a certain way, and that didn't sit well with the players," Wiese said on the 'Hitman for Hire: A year in the life of a franchise cricketer' podcast hosted by Sam Keir.Wiese further explained that Pandit's strict disciplinary approach did not resonate with some of the overseas players who have extensive experience playing in various leagues around the world. "He's known in India as a fairly militant type of coach, a strict disciplinarian. The overseas guys who've played all over the world don't need someone coming in and telling him how to behave and what to wear and what to do," he added.Despite the challenges, Wiese remained positive about his time with KKR, acknowledging the team's fighting spirit despite missing some key players. He also praised the performance of Rinku Singh, who impressed with his power-hitting abilities."As a player, you appreciate it when guys do well. Rinku Singh smacks five sixes - you can't not appreciate that," Wiese said. "It's just that the result doesn't have much emphasis anymore. You don't sit there nervous about whether you're going to win. And you start investing in the guys' personal performances instead."Pandit's coaching style has been a topic of discussion in the past, with some players praising his attention to detail and discipline, while others have expressed concerns about his strict approach. It remains to be seen how KKR will perform under Pandit's leadership in the future, but the team's recent struggles have raised questions about the compatibility between his coaching style and the expectations of overseas players.

Cricket Australia is revolutionizing its Big Bash League (BBL) and Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) with significant changes aimed at retaining overseas talent and enhancing the overall quality of the competitions.Overseas Player Multi-Year Deals:Clubs will now be permitted to sign overseas players to multi-year contracts before the draft. These deals will require players to commit to the entire tournament, preventing them from leaving for other leagues. This move is designed to address the issue of players departing the BBL before the finals, which has weakened the competition in recent years.Impact on Draft and Player Selection:The signed overseas players will count towards the minimum of three internationals that each club must select during the draft. They will occupy either a platinum, gold, or silver-round pick based on their salary. Clubs will have the flexibility to poach overseas talent from other franchises, adding an element of strategy to the draft process.Flexibility and Timing:Players who have existing contracts elsewhere will be granted some flexibility next summer. However, from the 2025-26 season onwards, they will be locked in for the duration of their multi-year deals. The timing of the UAE-based ILT20 competition is expected to shift from January-February to November, reducing the pressure on the BBL, as ILT20 teams will no longer be able to raid BBL stocks.WBBL Changes:The WBBL is also set for a shake-up, with a likely reduction from 56 games to 40. This move is intended to create a more balanced schedule and provide greater context for matches. The timing of the Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh means the competition could begin without international talent if it maintains its longer season.State-Based T20 League:To compensate for the reduction in WBBL games, Cricket Australia is considering introducing a state-based T20 league. This could provide financial benefits for players, who currently earn match fees in state cricket but salaries in the WBBL.

The Hundred draft, scheduled for March 20, promises an exciting pool of overseas players, including David Warner, Kane Williamson, Meg Lanning, and Smriti Mandhana. Warner, previously absent from the competition, is now available for £100,000, while Williamson, who missed the first season due to injury, can be acquired for £75,000.In the women's draft, Mandhana joins Ashleigh Gardner, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma as the top-priced players at £50,000. Lanning, who has also withdrawn in the past, is available for £40,000, alongside Beth Mooney and Annabel Sutherland. India's contingent includes Richa Ghosh, Renuka Singh, and Shikha Pandey.The men's draft features seven players in the £125,000 bracket, including Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Josh Inglis, and Daryl Mitchell. Kieron Pollard, Shamar Joseph, Sikandar Raza, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Naseem Shah are all priced at £100,000.Notable England players in the draft include Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Amy Jones, and Lauren Filer. Malan, a winner with Trent Rockets in 2022, expressed his enthusiasm for the competition. Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu, the Player of the Tournament in the recent WBBL, is also eager to join the Hundred.The draft will be held at the Shard in London and broadcast live on YouTube, TikTok, and the Hundred website. Birmingham Phoenix will have the first pick in the women's draft, while Northern Superchargers will start the men's draft.