Recently an International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting held at Dubai has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the ‘owner’ of the Indian Premier League (IPL), to introduce an anti-doping code for the tournament.

The IPL has also given shape for a dope code based on the World Anti Doping (WADA) Code. It is expected that Board of Cricket Control Board of India would start a new model for players for random testing.

But it is not yet clear that how can the dope test, if implemented, be effective in the IPL tournament. There are still doubts over the move of the ICC for a dope test.  Many people have questioned the relevance of testing in the IPL.

There are also apprehensions that an international player competing in the IPL be sanctioned as per the WADA Code in case there is a ‘positive’ test and an anti-doping violation charge is proved. The BCCI does not have an anti-doping code and thus it cannot conduct tests or sanction a player.

But the IPL machinery has no teeth for taking disciplinary action against players on ground of positive dope test. They have only power to suspend players from ongoing matches. There is no hint that how BCCI could deal with the issue if an anti-doping rule violation charge was proved. The IPL code has the standard two-year suspension for a first violation and life-time ineligibility for a second offence.

Mercurial Pak pacer Shoaib Akhtar’s ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board has hit Kolkata Knight Riders badly but the Kolkata team is relying on yet another pacer from Pakistan, Umar Gul, to click for them when they take on Bangalore Royal Challegers on April 18, 2008.

Quizzed how Akhtar’s absence will hit his team Skipper Sourav Ganguly said Umar Gul is in his team, indicating the strong expectations Shah Rukh Khan’s team has put on the lanky Pak speedster.  India’s latest teen sensation Ishant Sharma is also a key bowler in the Kolkata Team. Ishant Sharma was the bowling hero of India’s tour Down Under recently.

Sourav Ganguly, who has been unceremoniously kept away from India’s Twenty20 and ODI team despite taking more than 10,000 runs in the latter version of the game also said adjusting to the Twenty20 format would not be much of an issue.

The Kolkata southpaw also said leading a team which has arch foes like Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting would not be a disadvantage. It seems Dada has buried the ghosts of the past for King Khan.

The major problem with the tribunal is that chairman of the appellate tribunal Aftab Farrukh is extremely busy with other engagements. It is unlikely that the case will be decided in a hurry. Aftab is a retired judge of Lahore High Court and now a practicing barrister.

Shoaib Akhtar wants an early disposal of the case so that he could play for the cash rich IPL starting from April 18, 2008.

The controversial fast bowler had been selected for playing for Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan-owned Kolkata Knight Riders. Shah Rukh wanted the Rawalpindi Express to play for his team from the beginning itself. He has also mounted pressure Board of Cricket Control of India to allow the Pak pacer to play for IPL matches.

Earlier, BCCI vice president and Chairman of Indian Premier League Lalit Modi had remarked that Shoaib Akhthar could not play IPL until Pakistan Cricket Board removes the ban imposed on him on disciplinary grounds. The tribunal, which has former Test player Haseeb Ahsan and former Minister Salman Taseer as other members, has a minimum of seven and maximum of 30 days to reach a decision on Akhtar’s appeal. It is unlikely that there would be an immediate decision taking move. Shoaib Akhtar was extended punishment for breaching players Code of Conduct. He had earlier publicly criticised various board policies after he was overlooked for a central contract in January.

Meanwhile there are reports that Kolkata Knight Riders captain Sourav Ganguly has zeroed in another Pakistani pacer, Umar Gul, to replace Shoaib Akthar for their first match. “Umar Gul is in our team. He will serve us well,” said Sourav Ganguly to the media when quizzed about the Shoaib ban.

Unless the Pakistan Tribunal takes a fast decision, the fate of Shib Akthar playing the cash rich Twenty20 matches looks unlikely – at least in the beginning.

Shah Rukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, is much worried because the ticket sales are not going as well as expected.

Now Shah Rukh Khan doubts the decision he has taken to enter business world of Indian Premier League (IPL). Today, he is a bit upset according to media reports. However, the Indian media being what they are, don’t take them at face value. If they say that SRK was angry, for all you know, he might just have been in an introspective mood.

Ticket sales on the opening day – only 237 at the counter – is one issue that worried SRK. PCB banning Shoaib Akhtar, and IPL following suit, is another major issue.

“I never thought so many problems would crop up when I bought Knight Riders. I was not prepared for these circumstances. I do not want to blame any organisation or association. But, a rosy picture, removed from reality, was painted to me,” said Shah Rukh Khan, according to a reported that appeared in the DNA newspaper.

“I’m quite disappointed with ticket sales of the first day. I was really surprised that only 237 tickets had been sold at the counter. I am truly finding it difficult to accept this. I have never, till date, requested my fans to go and see my films. I am a bit surprised as to why, despite keeping the ticket prices low, people are not showing any interest,” a disappointed Shah Rukh Khan said.

The Bollywod superstar is finally aware of the fact that the cricket is a completely different game.

King Khan admits that his IPL entry is giving him sleepless nights.

SRK had planned a small entertainment programme at the stadium before the matches would start. The West Bengal Government has not given him any entertainment tax exemption. Shahrukh Khan is not pleased with this. “Tax has been exempted at all other centres except in Kolkata. I am very worried about that. How can I do it unless the entertainment tax is waived? Others get 120 per cent exemption whereas I come under the tax net.

The entertainment program, which again would have given a lot of media attention, to the matches and Kolkata Knight Rides , is now not possible. Shah Rukh said that if he went ahead with it, he would stand to lose Rs 1 crore – and he would not be able to cope with it.

Note: 237 tickets on the first day of sales at the counter? That is shocking, considering the amount of hype around IPL and the Kolkata Knight Riders. The amount of publicity garnered by the team, just because Shah Rukh Khan is the owner of the team, could perhaps be valued in crores. Add to the the Kolkata Prince Sourav Ganguly. And 237 after all that? Time to worry?

Modi said, “His contract is still valid and has not been cancelled. He is still contracted to the IPL and through it to the Kolkata Knight Riders”. According to the rules of the BCCI, a player who has been suspended by his country’s cricket board would not be allowed to play in the IPL tournament, Modi said.

On Thursday, BCCI officials had said that Shoaib Akhtar, who has been banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on charges of indiscipline for five years, would not be allowed to play in the IPL.

“We cannot have the situation where a player banned for any reason is harboured by the IPL. Currently his contract stands since he is in the appeal process… We hope it will be resolved at the earliest. His contract is not being cancelled presently,” Modi said.

Kolkata Kinght Riders team, the Kolkata IPL team owned by Shah Rukh Khan, had bought the Pakistani speedster during the player auction. Yesterday, Khan openly came out in support of Akhtar saying he was an important member of his team. Khan had also said that he would speak to Modi on this issue.

Shoaib Akhtar, who virtually faces the end of his cricketing career with a five year ban, is expected to appeal this week before an Pakistan Appellate Tribunal.

This would be the most highly anticipated match being the inaugural one. Red Chillies is actually fronted by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan – just by being the owner, he has ensured millions of rupees worth of publicity for the Kolkata Knight Riders. The Knight Riders team is being captained by the Prince of Kolkata Sourav Ganguly.

Here is the Kolkata team players list. Remember that only four foreign players can be part of the playing eleven – so we do not know who will actually feature in the match.

Batsmen

David Hussey
Ricky Ponting
Salman Butt
Akash Chopra
Cheteshwar Pujara
Rohan Banerjee
Yashpal Singh
Debabrata Das

All rounders
Sourav Ganguly (Captain)
Tatenda Taibu
Wriddhiman Saha
Brendon McCullum
Chris Gayle
Ajit Agarkar
Mohammad Hafeez
Iqbal Abdulla
Laxmi Ratan Shukla

Bowlers

Ishant Sharma
Shoaib Akhtar
Murali Kartik
Umar Gul
Siddarth Kaul
Ranadeb Bose
Sourashish Lahiri

The Bangalore Royal Challengers is owned by liquor baron, airline owner and Formula One team owner Vijay mallya. The team is captained by former India captain Rahul Dravid.

Rahul Dravid (Captain)
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Wasim Jaffer
Misbah-ul-Haq
Ross Taylor
Arun Kumar J.
Appanna K. P.
Bharat Chipli

Mark Boucher
Shreevats Goswami
Devraj Patil
Jacques Kallis
Cameron White
Sunil Joshi
Akhil B.
Virat Kohli

Anil Kumble
Zaheer Khan
Nathan Bracken
Dale Steyn
Praveen Kumar
Abdur Razzak
Vinay Kumar R.

There has been criticism that the Bangalore Royal Challengers team looks more like a test team rather than an aggressive Twenty20 side. Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble (the current Indian test captain) have both rubbished the cirticism, and emphasized that the team can take on any of the other contendors.

We shall see at the inaugural match between Knight Riders and Royal Challengers in just a couple of weeks from now.

IPL boss Lalit Modi has said till the PCB ban is lifted Shoaib cannot play in IPL. Shah Rukh Khan has said he will ask the BCCI to permit Shoaib Akhtar to play in IPL. Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders had bagged Shoaib Akhtar for Rs 1.8 crore.Shah Rukh Khan’s contention is that IPL matches does not have international status.But IPL is not likely to budge as it doesnt want to antagonise cricket boards. IPL may give Kolkata Knight Riders
an option to replace Shoaib Akhtar with another player.

Shoaib Akhtarwas banned by PCB’s disciplinary panel for repeated violation of discipline.But the issue is spiralling out of control, with Shoaib Akhtar accusing the PCB chief, Nasim Ashraf tried to “extract money” from him.

Shoaib Akhtar also said he was offered money to throw away matches. An angry PCB has now demanded Rs 20 crore as damages.The ICC anti-corruption wing will now summon Shoaib Akhtar to investigate his charges.

The IPL’s Governing Council Chairman Lalit Modi told reporters that Akhtar cannot take part in the high-profile Twenty20 competition till the Pakistan Cricket Board lifts the ban on him.

Meanwhile, Shoaib Akhtar ifnds some support from Shah Rukh Khan:

“We believe Shoaib should play. It is a sad incident that Shoaib has been banned from IPL as well. We will talk to IPL authorities.

The Shah Rukh Khan-owned IPL Team Kolkata Knight Riders can now relax. Though the Pakistan Cricket Board has imposed a five-year ban on the Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar from playing international cricket, he has been cleared for the multi-million dollar Twenty20 IPL League.

The Board of Cricket Control of India Vice President and Chairman of Indian Premier League Lalit Modi on Wednesday said the Pakistan fast bowler could participate in the Twenty20 IPL match despite the PCB ban. Signalling what could be the end of Shoib Akhtar’s international career, the Pakistan Cricket Board had on Thursday served a five-year ban for his repeated indiscipline.

The PCB imposed the ban on Shoaib Akhtar as it felt that his presence in the team would damage the image of the Pakistan cricket team. The ban prohibits him from playing in his home land for five years. The board was compelled to take the extreme step following repeated violation of the players’ code of conduct by Akhtar. The latest violation came when he openly criticized the PCB after he lost a place in the national team. The PCB has said they lost confidence in Akhtar. The player was on two-year probation for attacking team-mate Mohammad Asif with a bat in 2007.

The Saurav Ganguly-led Kolkata Knight Riders has signed a contract with Shoaib Akhtar for a sum of US$4.25 lakh for playing in the coming IPL Twenty20 matches. The IPL player policy says that the players participating in the tournament has to submit a No Objection Certificate from the Cricket Board of the respective country for joining the team. The home country could either give permission or deny it. IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi said the PCB has not denied the NOC to Shoaib Akhtar. Akhtar, though, is now planning to file an appeal against the PCB ban.

After announcing the ban, the PCB disciplinary committee said the Akthar could not play for Pakistan or in Pakistan for next five years. They said he could play for IPL as it is not under their jurisdiction.