As a Saffa the IPL is awesome to watch and the old timers like Jaya and Sachin and Gillie are holding their own, its a great tournament and the ECB is just jealous because they couldnt come up with a definite gameplan to compete with the IPL and bring the beer bingers from their half day jobs to a cricket ground where their knowledge is limited. So they reinvent false flag episodes in order to downplay the great show that the IPL is for a WORLD audience. The British stole all of Indias treasures, crowns and jewels down the years, surely the least they can do is allow the IPL and its success to grow while Elizabeth wears their jewelery

I personally wouldnt want a Pakistan player playing in a team I support when they are possible match fixers. The reason why the likes of Gibbs and Warne previously were included was because the Indian bookies could still make the money through them and not the Pakistani bookies who would have knowledge of their players and how they would fix games. Although let me not elaborate too much on the Indians and English themselves that were once involved but somehow hushed it all up.

"My prediction Is based upon...blah blah blah... plus they seem to have the strongest bowling attack for a while with Bond & Vettori fit."

Bond isn't even playing. He's retired from Test cricket...

When jealousy takes over, people will start talking about rented crowds. Rented crowds in India for cricket is the funniest thing that I have ever heard in my life. Actually all these noise, pain and agony from some people about IPL, has nothing to do with cricket, but it is the issue of the Shifting of the power from one part of the world to the other. That cat was out of the bag already in this forum. Yes, money plays a big part, but that is much better than rented umpires and on field hooliganism. So keep away from IPL, nobody wants you here.

Why some people are so venomous against IPL? It is Indian League. Got it? INDIAN. If any player from outside is participating, they are paid handsomely. Much more than that they can even dream of in their own land. Nobody is held by their neck to watch it. It is your TV and remote is in your hands. Change the channel to the heroics of your own team, if any, or switch it off. There are T20 leagues for every cricketing nation. Does anybody know the name of the teams, name of the league or when these mega events are happening?

@51_all_out .. No he did not lie. Bhajji said a word in hindi which resemble the word "Monkey" and which has a meaning of the "F" word with mother as a prefix. Andrew Symonds and all the Sachin Bashers not knowing hindi does not mean that the little champ is an alleged liar. And I would definitely choose the word "monkey" rather than the other word which Bhajji originally called Symonds. It is a disgrace to call such a word in this part of the world.

go MUMBAI INDIANS GO...That's how it should be done. Sachin shouldn't be god. HE IS GOD!

ArrOz "Players from other countries were not going to be available for part of the chook raffle, but were picked up anyway. " They were picked because those players will defenitely come and atleast warm the bench or come at any point of time in the IPL who has currently an international commitment. But the relation between India and Pakistan was seriously awkward and if something happens then those pakistani players would never be coming to India . So whom would you risk picking. But I dont know whether that idiotic Lalit Modi have secretly warned the franchisees not to pick pakistan players and might have come up with some irritatingly vague consequences. He will do that .

Penny . Even it was a joke , I am pretty much conducting a Seance here !!!

Bye all ...I am off to Bangladesh to watch the mediocre Poms come a cropper against the Bangers and re-acquaint myself with some Hunters and (if feeling brave) some Bangla's...Now play nicely and dont miss me too much. LOL !

Editor..."I hope the 51_all_out with a soccer team name as a suffix is not the same as the other "Pundit..." For some reason my username occasionally puts my glorious football team in brackets, not my doing?...Sreeks - 'He is having some problem with the little champion' - not at all. As a player Sachin is one of cricket's all time greats and superb to watch. I also had no issue with him as a person until he allegedly lied to protect Singh in Monkeygate and thus blotted his copybook forever.

oK 51_ALL_OUT conceded. Tell me if are asked to pick one batsman amongst Kallis and Dravid with whom do you go?

sreeks, it was the Great Indian Chook Raffle's excuse, but it didn't fly because the Pakistanis were, in fact, available and cleared to participate. Players from other countries were not going to be available for part of the chook raffle, but were picked up anyway. We're left with petty nationalism and cheap politicial point-scoring as the reasons for the exclusion of Pakistanis.

@ Pennypacker - My prediction Is based upon NZ being due a good result In particular against Aus plus they seem to have the strongest bowling attack for a while with Bond & Vettori fit. Also the Clark circus must be affecting the Aus team. Lastly after no team standing up to Aus In the last 6 tests other than a second string windies side how will they cope with some pressure, not very well I predict. Now back to my Half Pounder Burger Mmmmm.

kallis is overrated at t20