IPL runs into turbulence

The Indian Premier League Twenty20 that has caught on like wildfire among the cricketers figuring in it, because of the money bags it brings, went through twice without a hitch.

It was a big hit first in the cities in India and the second edition had to be shifted to South Africa because the hosts could not get the best available security owing to the Indian Elections last year.

There was a bit of apprehension when the tournament was handed over to South Africa. But to the credit of the South Africans it must be said they were an example and in conducting it and had tremendous spectator support.

Cricketing juggernauts

But while the first two Twenty20 cricketing juggernauts moved on smoothly without any hitch, the third edition seems to be running into some turbulence, if what we hear is to be believed.

First it was the right-wing Hindu group styling itself the Shiv Sena Group that threatened to scuttle the tourney because the Indians studying in Australia were being bashed and killed.

They threatened not to allow 'kangaroo cricketers' to play in Mumbai and Maharastra until the attacks stopped. But Shiv Sena supreme Bal Thackeray has said that they have had a change of heart and dropped their opposition as 'Indian brothers living in Australia asked us to lift the ban as it would aggravate their problems'.

Sigh of relief

When the IPL organizers were heaving a sigh of relief now that, that obstacle had been safely hurdled comes the threat from Al-Qaeda linked militant Illyas Kashmiri about attacking sports events in India.

This threat has worried former Australian leg spinning champion Shane Warne who has said that threats of terrorists attacks have him 'thinking twice' about playing in this year's IPL. Warne getting cold feet is nothing new. It must be recalled that Warne and company got cold feet and chickened out and did not play their 1995/96 World Cup match against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka when there were LTTE threats.

Terror threats

Not only has Warne got scared, he has also asked the organizers to shift the tournament if threats of a terror attack are proven to be credible. Warne is captain- cum coach of Rajasthan Royals. But the good news is that India has vowed to 'protect every player' in upcoming major sports events in the country after a bombing and alleged threats."We will provide full protection to every player, every coach, every official who participates in the forthcoming - field - hockey, cricket and Commonwealth Games', Home Minister P. Chidambaram said.

Security concerns

Lalit Modi, the power behind the Indian Premier League, hit hard at the critics of the tourney and security concerns by saying in no uncertain terms that the IPL will, under no circumstance be shifted elsewhere

This is a sequel to security concerns raised in an independent report commissioned by the players' union in England, Australia and South Africa that led to talk of the tourney being shifted elsewhere. "We are going to have the tournament in India. I can't see any reason why we should move it at this point of time .The media is reacting to every fringe group saying security is a problem', Modi told BBC sport in reaction to the concerns.

Safety paramount

"Nobody in the world can safeguard the safety of the players in any tournament. All we have to do is ensure we are putting on the best security. Safety is paramount to us and we are working with the national and state governments to ensure that we have good security in place.

'At the end of the day we have to ensure the safety plans we put in place and the way we conduct them are absolutely top-notch. The heavens aren't going to fall if that happens. This is an Indian tournament; we have the key Indian players and only a few international players.

'We have no worries at all. You have to understand that the market for us is India. The tournament is a huge success - we have huge credibility, we have the top 200 players in the world. It's not only dependent on foreign players, although they are part of it', Modi said.

Modi as he always does has spoken tough and it would be interesting to see how the foreign players will react. While foreign players seem to express security concerns, the Sri Lankan players involved with the IPL have not been heard.

Aussies on a roll

Australia once the powerhouse of world cricket and who went through a slump losing their dominance, if how the present team is performing is an indication, then their game is on the up and up once again.

At one time the Aussies when they had super stars such as Shane Warne, Glen McGrath, Damien Martyn, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Justin Langer sported the unbeatable tag for several years.

But once these stars faded away one by one, their cricket got on the skids and it was a sorry sight to see the kangaroos get beaten by ordinary sides., which would certainly have been galling and anathema to them.

But it is amazing to watch their revival once again. Their selectors did not rush to panic stations, but while accepting that defeat is also part of the game began an admirable building process.

Promising youngsters

The selectors blooded some promising youngsters under Ricky Ponting in the Test scene and did similarly plonking in new players with the correct temperament and talent for the instant game under Michael Clarke.

And their excellent showing against Pakistan and the West Indies where they simply stuffed both opponents without raising a sweat shows that they are well on the way to regaining their former glory.Skippers Ponting and Clarke are clever thinking captains and the youngsters are fortunate to come under their influence. They know how to put the youngsters at ease and get the best out of them

The Aussies just ended a glorious summer and if they give the present form continuity, then they will once again be worth watching and regain their drawing power. They hammered the cricket out of the Pakistanis and the West Indies.