cricket with balls

And my left leg makes bubble gum.

Come on Haroon, we’ve all seen the IPL, whether on youtube’s 5 minute delay or live on TV, we know it isn’t domestic.

The name is about the only thing domestic about it.

The first two IPLs were won by Australian Coaches and Captains.

There seems to be more International commentators than Indian commentators.

It is beamed around the world.

American cheerleaders are shipped in.

IMG have played a massive part in the tournament.

It has even been played outside of India.

It isn’t international, that I grant you.

The Plunkett Shield in New Zealand is domestic, The National Cricket League in Bangladesh is domestic, the IPL is more like a dog with turbo jets and laser eyes.

In the future the Australian and English T20 competitions might even be dogs with roller skates on, but at the moment, the IPL is the Super Breed.

Call it an International Club Cricket tournament; call it a Domestic World tournament. Or call it ipizzle cricket.

But, domestic, lets not be silly.

The ICC might not make money from it, but that doesn’t make it domestic.

The problem here for Haroon is that there is no proper description of the series, so he runs away from it with his fingers in the ears shouting Domestic cricket doesn’t get a International window.

In the next few years, if the IPL is as profitable as it wants to be, one or more of these sides could be owned outside of India, the limit of 4 internationals might change, the BCCi might even ship in a new commissioner when Lalit becomes supreme world chancellor.

Will it still be domestic then, and could it ever really be international either?

Probably not, it is something else.

Club Cricket, Franchise Cricket, League Cricket. Although I am quite partial to Ipizzle.

So why not give it a 6-week window, even just as a test, see how that grabs people. Call it the League cricket window. The IPL does not interject on any countries summer. Precious little cricket is being played now anyway. It just makes it cleaner and easier.

Only 4 test matches were scheduled during the IPL anyway, surely they could be accommodated in other places. Then no one has to choose, and there will also be a break in the schedule for all those players who used to complain about the amount of cricket being played.

It should also help the IPL standard and marketing, as the best players will be available for the entirety of the tournament. No players need to retire from test cricket to make sure they maximise their playing time in the IPL. No cricketers need to complain about their team scheduling a test series during the IPL.

Now the window may not work, something I haven’t thought of might fuck it all up. But trying the window, domestic or international title notwithstanding, might be better that just pretending cricket hasn’t changed.

ITV have the former flag dress wearing Mandira Bedi as their anchor.

Many people don’t like her, I do.  Her 2 minute long questions that end up as statements that you can’t really relate to are great because you end up with 2 minutes of the camera on her and then a shot of Ronnie Irani looking confused to end it.

Plus, as noted by King Cricket, 10 per cent of Mandira Bedi’s face is eyes. That is some skill.

But Mandira’s best contribution to cricket is as a poet on twitter.

cricket is lovely, dark and deep/ No ITV for me today, lots of sleep/ T20′s fun a total run fest../ But nothing beats a 5day test!

we luv d IPL in all its glory/d games each of em tell a story/its not just about fresh legs young guns/its kallis & sachin getting the runs

haydos and his li’l half bat/& then shaun tait who’s looking fat/a trick or 2 from the kumars/the ipl 3: is full of new stars!

But symmo and gilly, their batting is sweet,/All those big hits, are an absolute treat..!/When the DC’s bat, I’m on the edge of my seat!

Munaaf has struggld some, to deny those runs/But Trivedi came along & bowld some good ones/& fizzy fazal tops the list, of the young guns!

Voges for RR has bin a gr8 buy/Yusy on his day can make the ball fly/but Gilly & co. aren’t small fry/& Symmo: well he can make batsmen cry!

For those of u, who dislike my rhyme/Stop following me, its not a crime!/One can’t please everyone, all the time!

Unfortunately Mandira is going home for a short time,  so the ITV coverage will have to carried by Graeme Hick perfecting the art of sleep talking, Ronnie Irani bagging every single cricketer he never liked and some football presenter who commentates like a puppy on a jumping castle.