Caught Symonds, bowled Bhajji? Get ready, Mumbai!
TNN / Vinay Nayudu
ADELAIDE, February 17: How’s this for a volatile combination: Post Monkeygate and the Sydney furore, can you imagine a scorecard saying, ‘caught Symonds bowled Harbhajan’? If Sachin Tendulkar has his way, the new Indian Premier League could soon make this possible, and cricket-crazy Mumbaikars might find themselves cheering for both the Aussie all-rounder and the Indian off-spinner.
According to sources, Tendulkar, who will lead the Reliance Industries-owned Mumbai team, is keen to rope in both players on his side. Even Harbhajan, it is learnt, has given his consent. Tendulkar is believed to have communicated his intention back home, and the IPL players’ auction on Wednesday will now provide.
Player-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri, who is also an IPL governing council member, refused to confirm the development outright, but dropped enough hints: ‘‘It would be exciting to see the two play in the same team. It will spice up things.’’
IPL distracting Aussie cricketers
The chorus here seems to be growing by the day about how the cash-rich IPL has been a huge distraction for Australia’s key batsmen in the tri-series. The common perception is that the likes of Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds are all so focused on the IPL contract negotiations that they aren’t scoring runs on the field. There are reports too which suggest that the Australian players are keen that the tour to Pakistan be called off for ‘security reasons’ so they can play in the IPL.
Andrew Symonds, in fact, made no secret of it when he dealt with the issue in his column for the Sun Herald . He wrote that ‘‘international cricket has reached a flashpoint because of the massive financial carrot being dangled by the IPL’’.
Symonds believes that the loyalty of Australia players is going to be tested. ‘‘Loyalty versus money always makes for an interesting debate. Who wouldn’t be tempted to take a job offering more money for less work? Loyalty is going to become a major issue," he wrote.
Caught Symonds, bowled Bhajji? Get ready, Mumbai!*-*News*-*News*-*Indiatimes Cricket
TNN / Vinay Nayudu
ADELAIDE, February 17: How’s this for a volatile combination: Post Monkeygate and the Sydney furore, can you imagine a scorecard saying, ‘caught Symonds bowled Harbhajan’? If Sachin Tendulkar has his way, the new Indian Premier League could soon make this possible, and cricket-crazy Mumbaikars might find themselves cheering for both the Aussie all-rounder and the Indian off-spinner.
According to sources, Tendulkar, who will lead the Reliance Industries-owned Mumbai team, is keen to rope in both players on his side. Even Harbhajan, it is learnt, has given his consent. Tendulkar is believed to have communicated his intention back home, and the IPL players’ auction on Wednesday will now provide.
Player-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri, who is also an IPL governing council member, refused to confirm the development outright, but dropped enough hints: ‘‘It would be exciting to see the two play in the same team. It will spice up things.’’
IPL distracting Aussie cricketers
The chorus here seems to be growing by the day about how the cash-rich IPL has been a huge distraction for Australia’s key batsmen in the tri-series. The common perception is that the likes of Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds are all so focused on the IPL contract negotiations that they aren’t scoring runs on the field. There are reports too which suggest that the Australian players are keen that the tour to Pakistan be called off for ‘security reasons’ so they can play in the IPL.
Andrew Symonds, in fact, made no secret of it when he dealt with the issue in his column for the Sun Herald . He wrote that ‘‘international cricket has reached a flashpoint because of the massive financial carrot being dangled by the IPL’’.
Symonds believes that the loyalty of Australia players is going to be tested. ‘‘Loyalty versus money always makes for an interesting debate. Who wouldn’t be tempted to take a job offering more money for less work? Loyalty is going to become a major issue," he wrote.
Caught Symonds, bowled Bhajji? Get ready, Mumbai!*-*News*-*News*-*Indiatimes Cricket