It was just like ‘Deepavali’ arrived early for the Hyderabad on 10 October at LBS Stadium. The gala opening of ICL Season 2 with a perfect mixture of entertainment and sports was an amazing treat to the big crowd here, Cricket360 observes. One hour of heart throbbing entertainment was based on the theme ‘Cricket Hai Meri Life’. Marvelous laser show started the cocktail followed by drum beating to the tune of spectator’s heart beats. Shaimak Davar’s group performed like lightening waves and the entire feat was ‘breaking the rules’ literally.

One of the goals of the ICL is global acceptance of cricket and the opening ceremony of its Season 2 was identical to its views. Performers from all over the world, Trampoline artists from Ukraine, Aerialists from US, Shaolin artists from China, cute children with energetic feet movements and the march past of the participating teams in their team attire all made the show a historic one. The hot surprise was Rakhi Sawant and she along with a dazzling Queen Cheer Leaders set the stands on fire.

The inaugural match was played between last time finalists ‘Lahore Badshas’ and ‘Hyderabad Heroes’. Rayudu and Maher served the fans with some marvelous cricketing shots to end up ‘Heroes’ innings with a reasonable 165 runs. On 11 October ‘Dhaka Warriors’ will pad up for their debutant match against ‘Chennai Super Stars’.

Subhash Chandra , the owner of ICL along with Former Chief Minister of AP Chandrababu Naidu and ICL Executive committee chairman Kapil Dev announced the ICL Season 2 open by lighting the torch. One hour of high octane cricketainment was surely an indication of the exploding cricket days in the offering. Cricket 360 recalls, the ICL was said to have short lives only when it started way back in 2007. Now the forecasters have to swallow their predictions when it is ready to take off to international Season 2 after successful completion of its domestic and international versions earlier.

 

ICL stretched its hands globally now by adding one more foreign team in the form of ‘Dhaka Warriors’ in to this Season. It has been facing lots of hindrances and apartheids from the so called cricket mandarins. Power and money stood in the way of ICL and Cricket360 learns that the sponsors of ICL were said to have been threatened not to tie up with the popular cricket extravaganza. Its hands were curtailed by banning players taking part in it. All these for sure not to promote cricket but to keep the vested interests of varnished office bearers. But the way the crowd, turned out to be in good numbers here in LBS Stadium shows that cricket is in their blood and it can not be erased out on the basis of these prejudices. The bursting exposure of fire works here unraveled the unlimited heights cricket can grow up to.

ICL was instrumental in providing a vast platform to the young cricket players from the inception itself. Players were benefited in two ways; they were given the fabulous opportunity to rub their shoulders with the world’s best cricketing lot. Further, they were rewarded in a higher way that they couldn’t even dream off. Kapil Dev mentioned in his early analysis that thousands in the world play cricket but only a 10 or 20 who get selected in to the national squad take home all the privileges both economical and opportunity based. He wants to extend the opportunity to the vast majority who has not been provided with a bright spot in the cricket arena.

All the players, both foreign and Indian origin, have the same say; ICL has given them a great parallel platform to show up their talents which would have gone unnoticed otherwise. Secondly, even international players like Bangladeshi’s are paid like peanuts from the main stream of cricket. Further, the day they say it quits, they are thrown out like wreckage in to the peripheral of cricket arena. So the help provided by the ICL is a blessing on their lives, Cricket360 observes. Domestic players like Kunal Lal, son of former Indian player Madan Lal, considers the ICL, a better stage than Ranji Trophy as it provided him more media coverage, more remuneration, more competition, the service of foreign coaches and a ocean of experience of international players to share with.

Cricket360 recalls Kapil’s remarks that it is just like the apartheid days of cricket to ban the players who participate in ICL. All are playing cricket and why should some be banned for keeping vested interests? BCCI has an agenda to promote cricket and the way they deal with ICL is surely a deviation from the said policy. Ultimately cricketers are benefited along with cricket fans with the excellence of cricket.

The standard of cricket in ICL is arguably the best in the world and the fact that ‘Chennai Super Stars’ of ICL stands above ‘Chennai Super Kings’ of IPL in the world wide rankings of T20 teams. So, if cricket is to be promoted ICC and BCCI should have second thoughts on ICL. Cricket360 hopes that things would turn around favorably for ICL and its players as ICC Chief David Morgan assured Subhash Chandra of resolving out the conflicts regarding the ICL very soon.

Cricket360 wishes the best of luck to ICL Season 2 and its participants and looks forward to some heart throbbing cricketing days to come.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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