Ganguly for pune:

The Pune Warriors management in all likelihood will have a brainstorming team meeting on the eve of their 14th round IPL clash against Royal Challengers Bangalore in order to decide Sourav Ganguly's fate during the remainder of the tournament.
The bone of contention will be whether Ganguly, who has gone through a torrid time both as a batsman as well as a skipper, will sit out of last three encounters of Warriors. Team sources said the management wants the former India captain to take a call on his future in the remaining three matches.
"If Ganguly himself offers to step down from captaincy and decides to sit out for the remaining three games, the owners will certainly be only too happy to accomodate. The general feeling is that, they have lost with Ganguly at helm and with new players, it can't get worse," a senior IPL official in the know of things told PTI today.
In case Ganguly doesn't play, there is a possibility that Aussie Michael Clarke or find-of-the-season Steve Smith will lead the side.
Having lost nine out of their 13 matches under his captaincy, which has come under scanner for some debatable team selections, Ganguly's own batting form has also deserted him in this edition.
With 261 runs from 13 games at a strike-rate of shade over 100 and fielding which is atleast a few notches below the standard set in a competition like IPL, the soon-to-be 40 Ganguly has struggled to fit himself to demands of the shortest version.
"The Warriors management may be resorting to a "wait and watch" policy as their officials are finding it difficult to go up and confront Ganguly over his team selections," the official added.
Some of the decisions made by Ganguly which have come under scanner include Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal not getting a single game despite being the top-scorer during Asia Cup with four back-to-back half centuries. Also T20 specialist Alphonso Thomas being repeatedly ignored in favour of West Indian Marlon Samuels who did precious little with the bat or ball after first three games.
India international Rahul Sharma got dumped after being clobbered for five consecutive sixes but the feeling among the doemstic players is how and why likes of Rahul and Manish Pandey are getting repeatedly ignored to favour likes of Mithun Manhas who is not known to finish off games.
Last but not the least is Ganguly's own form. Whether at the top or in the middle-order, one of India's finest captain looked totally out of sorts having played lot of dot balls in all the matches.
It all depends on whether an honourable exit route could be worked out for this ageing stalwart who in his prime has given a lot to Indian cricket

Teaching in aussie Way

Is it possible to teach cricket to Indian children in a way which blends the 'Australian style of coaching' and the 'Indian way'? That is exactly the idea with which Cricket India Academy, a network of coaching academies in the country, was started in 2009. The Cricket India Academy is directly authorised by the governing body for cricket in Australia - Cricket Australia, who are responsible for drafting the Cricket Education Program (CEP). According to Cricket Australia, the CEP has been formulated in a way to provide a streamlined and sequential approach to coaching children in a curriculum based training program. The CEP has been implemented across training centres in Mumbai and Jaipur, and the latest centre - called Inside Edge Sportainment - has been started in Chennai. An academy started by 4 youngsters, Inside Edge has received the Certificate of Partnership from Cricket Australia and has started coaching camps for the coming season.
Talking to cricbuzz.com, one of the founders of Inside Edge, Sudarshan Rangan, spoke in detail about the academy and how it started.
"The Australians thought that everyone in India knew about cricket, but they wanted a more streamlined approach to training. That's how they entered cricket in India. We were on the same page as well. We failed to make it big in cricket personally, and when we were introspecting on what went wrong, we realised the need for a more streamlined approach to coaching. In a way, this is a classroom based education; it's almost like an incorporation of sport (cricket) in daily education"
The training program, says Sudarshan, is different from a normal coaching camp at various levels. The CEP provides sequential training where the children will know what's next in their cricketing development, much like in a classroom based model.
How did Inside Edge, being an inexperienced academy, convince a body as big as Cricket Australia? Sudarshan says it was not about convincing anyone. "We didn't have to convince CA as such, we just told them the ideas - that we wanted grass-root training to be professionally done. We met Martin Gleeson and told him that there were many schools which showed interest but didn't have the facilities. If we could bring in the facilities and their expertise together, we could develop a successful model."
One of the challenges in developing such an idea could be the relative inexperience of the founding members. Srinivasan, one of the co-founders of the academy, acknowledges that, but says that it did, in a way, work in their favour as well.
"Every single day was a learning experience for us. We are absolute amateurs in this field, compared to other coaches who have played for the state or at a higher level. That way we didn't have an identity, the only identity we had was Cricket Australia. We had to spend 7-8 months on just understanding the model, because we didn't want to create "just another product". We're not even breaking even this year, but we're ready to face the initial losses. "
"There were a lot of practical problems as well. We finalised the deal towards the end of February and we wanted to kick start the summer program this year. That left us with only 1 month to market our product, and that collided with the board exams. These were some of the challenges we faced, but somehow, the Cricket Australia brand worked."
Hussey shares his philosophies
The role models for the CEP - Brett Lee and Michael Hussey - could not have been chosen better, for both are widely respected cricketers in India. Michael Hussey was present at the event conducted by the academy on Thursday, May 3rd in Chennai where he interacted with young aspirants. Hussey interacted with the kids in a jovial manner despite travelling half the globe from West Indies to Chennai for his IPL duties. He shared a few coaching tips with the kids and later patiently answered some of their queries regarding his career. When one of the aspirants asked Hussey about the sobriquet 'Mr. Cricket', he recalled the incident in England where Andrew Flintoff gave him the tag. "It started in England when I was playing a County match. It was a cold, wet and miserable day and nobody wanted to be there, except for me. I was loving it and I wanted to bat every ball. That's when Flintoff said "this guy loves cricket more than anyone, he must be Mr. Cricket". That's how it started."
Even while answering the questions, Hussey, known to be a complete team-man, made sure that he passed on his philosophies about the game and stressed on the importance of team before individual. When asked about his ability to bat at various positions, he replied "it's just whatever is the best for the team. You've got to adapt for the team. The team is the most important thing and you should always play for the team" Hussey even cited Subramaniam Badrinath as an example, something that the kids from Chennai could easily relate to. "...someone like Badrinath for example, sometimes he opens the batting, sometimes he's number 3 and in other times he is number 8.
The interdependence among different boards is increasing rapidly with time, and the Cricket India Academy is an example of how the interactions have reached the grass-root level. Hussey summed up the intentions of the academy, saying it's important to develop a strong cricketing culture.
"Australia is very proud of their cricketing culture. We know that people in India, especially kids, love cricket more than in any other place in the world. If we could help these kids and see them grow into better people and better players, it would give the people from Australia a lot of happiness. It's very important to have a strong cricketing culture around the world. We have started this program in India, and we hope to take it around the world and make cricket a well loved sport

Is it possible to teach cricket to Indian children in a way which blends the 'Australian style of coaching' and the 'Indian way'? That is exactly the idea with which Cricket India Academy, a network of coaching academies in the country, was started in 2009. The Cricket India Academy is directly authorised by the governing body for cricket in Australia - Cricket Australia, who are responsible for drafting the Cricket Education Program (CEP). According to Cricket Australia, the CEP has been formulated in a way to provide a streamlined and sequential approach to coaching children in a curriculum based training program. The CEP has been implemented across training centres in Mumbai and Jaipur, and the latest centre - called Inside Edge Sportainment - has been started in Chennai. An academy started by 4 youngsters, Inside Edge has received the Certificate of Partnership from Cricket Australia and has started coaching camps for the coming season.
Talking to cricbuzz.com, one of the founders of Inside Edge, Sudarshan Rangan, spoke in detail about the academy and how it started.
"The Australians thought that everyone in India knew about cricket, but they wanted a more streamlined approach to training. That's how they entered cricket in India. We were on the same page as well. We failed to make it big in cricket personally, and when we were introspecting on what went wrong, we realised the need for a more streamlined approach to coaching. In a way, this is a classroom based education; it's almost like an incorporation of sport (cricket) in daily education"
The training program, says Sudarshan, is different from a normal coaching camp at various levels. The CEP provides sequential training where the children will know what's next in their cricketing development, much like in a classroom based model.
How did Inside Edge, being an inexperienced academy, convince a body as big as Cricket Australia? Sudarshan says it was not about convincing anyone. "We didn't have to convince CA as such, we just told them the ideas - that we wanted grass-root training to be professionally done. We met Martin Gleeson and told him that there were many schools which showed interest but didn't have the facilities. If we could bring in the facilities and their expertise together, we could develop a successful model."
One of the challenges in developing such an idea could be the relative inexperience of the founding members. Srinivasan, one of the co-founders of the academy, acknowledges that, but says that it did, in a way, work in their favour as well.
"Every single day was a learning experience for us. We are absolute amateurs in this field, compared to other coaches who have played for the state or at a higher level. That way we didn't have an identity, the only identity we had was Cricket Australia. We had to spend 7-8 months on just understanding the model, because we didn't want to create "just another product". We're not even breaking even this year, but we're ready to face the initial losses. "
"There were a lot of practical problems as well. We finalised the deal towards the end of February and we wanted to kick start the summer program this year. That left us with only 1 month to market our product, and that collided with the board exams. These were some of the challenges we faced, but somehow, the Cricket Australia brand worked."
Hussey shares his philosophies
The role models for the CEP - Brett Lee and Michael Hussey - could not have been chosen better, for both are widely respected cricketers in India. Michael Hussey was present at the event conducted by the academy on Thursday, May 3rd in Chennai where he interacted with young aspirants. Hussey interacted with the kids in a jovial manner despite travelling half the globe from West Indies to Chennai for his IPL duties. He shared a few coaching tips with the kids and later patiently answered some of their queries regarding his career. When one of the aspirants asked Hussey about the sobriquet 'Mr. Cricket', he recalled the incident in England where Andrew Flintoff gave him the tag. "It started in England when I was playing a County match. It was a cold, wet and miserable day and nobody wanted to be there, except for me. I was loving it and I wanted to bat every ball. That's when Flintoff said "this guy loves cricket more than anyone, he must be Mr. Cricket". That's how it started."
Even while answering the questions, Hussey, known to be a complete team-man, made sure that he passed on his philosophies about the game and stressed on the importance of team before individual. When asked about his ability to bat at various positions, he replied "it's just whatever is the best for the team. You've got to adapt for the team. The team is the most important thing and you should always play for the team" Hussey even cited Subramaniam Badrinath as an example, something that the kids from Chennai could easily relate to. "...someone like Badrinath for example, sometimes he opens the batting, sometimes he's number 3 and in other times he is number 8.
The interdependence among different boards is increasing rapidly with time, and the Cricket India Academy is an example of how the interactions have reached the grass-root level. Hussey summed up the intentions of the academy, saying it's important to develop a strong cricketing culture.
"Australia is very proud of their cricketing culture. We know that people in India, especially kids, love cricket more than in any other place in the world. If we could help these kids and see them grow into better people and better players, it would give the people from Australia a lot of happiness. It's very important to have a strong cricketing culture around the world. We have started this program in India, and we hope to take it around the world and make cricket a well loved sport

Gayle pilots RCB to the fourth spot :

Gayle pilots RCB to the fourth spot

Chris Gayle has been the man for Bangalore. Without him, I wonder where they would be in the points table and he did it again for them today against Mumbai. A defeat today would surely have dented their chances of reaching the play-offs and he ensured that they faced no alarms with a trademark innings of 82 coming in just 59 balls. This is a different Gayle that we are seeing this year - he is prepared to wait, bide his time, watch out for the deadly bowlers, play safely against them and then unleash himself when well set. That's what happened today again - it all started with a full toss from Ojha which was dispatched with ease and then he just tore into the left-arm spinner as he clouted him for another couple of sixes.

That's when the game turned and eventually Bangalore cantered home on the back of clean ball striking from the Jamaican. This was Gayle's sixth fifty of the season and it shows how much they are dependent on the big man. After the game Gayle was in a jovial mood and said: 'It is in the process of being built' (when asked whether he needs a new house in Jamaica to keep his Man of the Match trophies). For his powerful innings, Gayle is the top performer of the day.

Comments

Chris Gayle has been the man for Bangalore. Without him, I wonder where they would be in the points table and he did it again for them today against Mumbai. A defeat today would surely have dented their chances of reaching the play-offs and he ensured that they faced no alarms with a trademark innings of 82 coming in just 59 balls. This is a different Gayle that we are seeing this year - he is prepared to wait, bide his time, watch out for the deadly bowlers, play safely against them and then unleash himself when well set. That's what happened today again - it all started with a full toss from Ojha which was dispatched with ease and then he just tore into the left-arm spinner as he clouted him for another couple of sixes.

That's when the game turned and eventually Bangalore cantered home on the back of clean ball striking from the Jamaican. This was Gayle's sixth fifty of the season and it shows how much they are dependent on the big man. After the game Gayle was in a jovial mood and said: 'It is in the process of being built' (when asked whether he needs a new house in Jamaica to keep his Man of the Match trophies). For his powerful innings, Gayle is the top performer of the day.

IPL 5 response

The nine franchises will earn unprecedented revenue through gate collections in this edition of the IPL which has seen a remarkable transition from pass culture to ticket culture among fans, says the league's boss Rajiv Shukla.
Shukla said that he has been surprised by the league's "roaring success" and has promised to bring in more value additions to the subsequent editions to make it more attractive.
"I never expected such kind of a response. We were very apprehensive before the event started because the Indian team was not doing too well, it lost two successive series (in England and Australia)," Shukla said on Wednesday.
"So, obviously everybody was apprehensive but it has gone off very well. Everybody is appreciating the success. For the first time, all the franchises have made huge money through gate money. For all future matches, most of the tickets have been sold out well in advance.
"Tickets are selling like hot cakes, that's the good thing about IPL. People have started purchasing tickets. There has been a pass culture in India, but now we are witnessing a transition from pass culture to ticket culture which is a good thing," he said.
Shukla said despite the absence of Pakistani players in the event, IPL has managed to grab eyeballs across the border as well.
"...we are getting huge response from the internet. It's a huge chunk of internet viewership throughout the world. Overseas viewing also has got a very good response. In a country like Pakistan, you know Pakistani players are not playing, despite that people there are watching IPL," Shukla said.
"Even in Caribbean islands, IPL is being telecast. So, in every nook and corner of the world, the IPL is being shown. The matches have also turned out to be nail-biting. That people are liking, matches are ending in the last over, last ball. The people are liking that. The spirit of cricket is being displayed in this IPL," Shukla added.
Asked if anything new is being planned for the coming IPLs, Shukla said, "We will go for value addition. This time also we went for a new concept such as the owner's league which is also being shown on TV."
"Owners are playing against each other. The Super Six is also going on. These two are the new elements and in future, we will be adding more features," he added.
Shukla, however, dismissed suggestions that the sellout crowds at the IPL are an indicator of the dwindling interest in the ODI and Test formats of the game.
"It's not about the format of the game that people are coming to IPL. It's the way the tournament is organised, efforts of the BCCI and franchises.
"The best players of the world are participating, the performance, fighting spirit. The rules are being followed. The way the show is put up, people are liking it. Moreover, there is total transparency in everything," he explained.
"...whatever complaints people had have been removed. Cricket is now sacrosanct. Off the ground whatever is necessary from the entertainment point of view that is being done. The franchises are happy, BCCI is happy and the spectators are happy. Its a win-win situation for all."
On the policy of players' retention for the next IPL, Shukla said the matter would be deliberated upon in the next Governing Council meeting.
"That has not been decided as yet. Right now, I can't say anything on it. We will take a decision at the Governing Council meeting," he said.
Shukla said the franchises are equal partners in the league and would be taken into confidence before any big move.
"I see the franchises as partners in this show. We have to give them full respect. We have to understand their issues and try to resolve their problems. That is why we have started meetings with owners.
"The franchises now feel that their voice is being heard. We are not tinkering with the rules, the rules are there and followed by everybody. Rules are being maintained, transparency is being maintained and it is a level playing field for everybody," he said.
Despite the full houses, the TAM ratings for IPL have been low but Shukla is not too concerned.
"The only thing I can say about TAM rating is that the paradigm has shifted. Now TAM has gone to towns which have more than a lakh people also. Earlier TV serials which used to get more than 8 ratings were considered to be good, now if the serials get 2 to 3 ratings, they are considered to be successful.
"Keeping that yardstick in mind, IPL is a huge success. We need to find out that when the stadiums have full houses, matches are ending in the last over, and there is a huge rise in internet viewership, how come the TAM ratings have gone down a little bit. We are analysing the matter," he said. On whether the IPL will remain a nine-team affair, Shukla said, "That is an issue which has to be deliberated upon in the Governing Council meeting."
Shukla, who took over from the flamboyant Lalit Modi, said he has tried to his best in managing the league.
"Whatever job has been given to me, I have tried to deliver to the best of my ability. It is for the BCCI members to judge me," he said.

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Dravid the power

Shane Watson was expected to breathe life into a side that has had a slight slump in fortunes when he joined the Rajasthan Royals in the business end of IPL 2012. Having just finished his national duty, the Australian has taken this responsibility head on.

Although he had a forgettable first game, he was instrumental in RR returning to their winning ways with a victory over Kings XI Punjab. He set the pace against KXIP with a quick fire 36 and later took two wickets. The all-rounder is, now, raring to go and believes that his team has the talent to make it to the final four.

In a chat with iplt20.com, Watson spoke about his team and adapting to different conditions and formats.

Excerpts from his interview:

Can you tell us about your match-winning performance against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali?

It was nice to get out in the middle. I was just very disappointed with my first performance in Jaipur, so it was nice to be able to get out here in the middle [and score runs and take wickets]. It was a very beautiful wicket out there. It reminded me of home actually [with] a bit of pace and bounce [which] helped my bowling a little bit and [got] little bit swing as well. So it was good fun.

Given that RR has had a slump after an initial high, do you feel the pressure to perform coming into the side at a crucial juncture in the tournament?

There is always pressure when you come into a side and play; there is no doubt about that. I expect to be able to perform consistently. And the team is also in need of performances from everyone, not just me, to be able to push for a place in the final four. So you always feel the pressure.

Whether it’s playing for Rajasthan or playing for Australia, you have to perform consistently. No doubt, we are in a position where we have to win most of our games, so there is pressure to perform on everyone, not just me.

Do you consider yourself a naturally attacking batsman? What is the difference between playing the longest and the shortest format of cricket?

You do have to adapt a little. But I suppose the way my natural game is, to always try and attack and put the pressure on the bowler, no matter what. You do have to adapt a little bit for Twenty20 cricket. You have to take a few more risks in Twenty20 as compared to Test cricket, for example. But my intent is to do the same; I will try and be an aggressive batsman.

You have come into the side after playing Test cricket. How do you adapt?

It can take one or two games to be able [to switch] and a little bit of practice to get going from Test cricket to Twenty20. To get your Twenty20 attacking strokes in the groove, more than anything [you need a bit of time]. While going from Twenty20 to Test cricket you just have to pull your risk [factor] back a little bit more. So it just takes a little bit of time. It normally just takes a couple of training sessions to be able to get your head around exactly what your plans are [for the format] and also making sure that the strokes that you are going to be using majority of the time; you have got them ready to go.

What kinds of adjustments are required while switching formats?

It’s mainly a mental adjustment that one has to make, but also a slightly technical one. In Twenty20 cricket, for example, you need to have attacking shots [in your repertoire], the boundary shots that you need to go to with if team needs a boundary. Whereas in Test cricket you just wait, wait until you get a loose ball. So you do have to practice a few of those shots. It normally takes a few training sessions to get on the roll.

Rajasthan Royals is a side with fewer international stars than most teams. But it has lifted the IPL trophy once. Is there a possibility of pulling it off again?

There is a possibility. We certainly have got the talent to be able to do it. It is just about bringing it all together. In the first year that we won, we won most of the matches that we got played. Unfortunately, this year, so far we have lost a few really close matches. Hopefully, we can really get on a roll now, but there is no doubt that we have the talent; we just have to bring it all together.

What is Rajasthan Royals' USP?

We were always the underdogs, so we certainly always play above ourselves [...].

What are your thoughts on your skipper, Rahul Dravid?

He is probably the nicest guy I have ever met in cricket. He is unbelievably down-to-earth. He is an extremely lovely man and just loves cricket so much that he if he could, he would play with until the day he dies. I think, he is just been a really brilliant influence on me to just to talk to him about cricket and just the way he has lived his life. He has been a great influence on me just to remain calm through every situation.

Your teammate Ajinkya Rahane, who is having a good season so far, is not a big-hitter like most. What are your thoughts on him?

He does have a lot of the powerful shots. He has got a broader range of shots and he can hit the ball all around the ground. He is an extremely talented young batsman. I saw him a couple of years ago in a tour match that we played here in Chandigarh and from then on I knew that he was always going to play for India because he is such a talented batsman as he has shown so far in the IPL and also when he played for India. He batted nicely through that period as well. He is certainly the star that is ready to go into the Indian team.

You have had rough patches and have overcome injuries. How do you motivate yourself to keep going in tough times and what is your advice to others?

I don’t have to motivate myself because I always love to play cricket and when I am not playing because I am injured or something, then I miss it. The reason why you play is for the enjoyment and love of the game. You never want to lose that passion and love of the game, because that’s the reason that you started playing; you don’t want to lose that.

Advise: Just think back to reason why you first started playing cricket and which is because of the pure enjoyment and love of playing. And that’s why when you get a little in front of yourself you can forget the reason why you started playing. So [just remind yourself of that]. I certainly haven’t forgotten, because I know how quickly it can be taken away from you.

Match 54 preview::

IPL 5 Match 54 is going to be played between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Royal Challengers Bangalore won 5 Matches and Mumbai Indians won 7 in IPL 5. So, Mumbai Indians playing at home venue, would tried to registered 8th win, while Royal Challengers Bangalore tries to defeat RCB at their home ground and registered 6th win in Points Tally of IPL 5 Points Table. Look out for the Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians.

Watch Live On : Set Max (India)

Date: 9th May, 2012

Time: 8:00 PM Onwards

Venue : Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Head to Head: Both Played 9 Matches in IPL. RCB Won 4 and MI won 5.

Teams (Squad):

Mumbai Indians
Harbhajan Singh(c), Sachin Tendulkar, Abu Nechim, Aiden Blizzard, Yuzvendra Chahal, James Franklin, Herschelle Gibbs, Davy Jacobs, Mitchell Johnson, Dinesh Karthik(w), Dhawal Kulkarni, Richard Levi, Clint McKay, Lasith Malinga, Sushant Marathe, Pragyan Ojha, Munaf Patel, Thissara Perera, Robin Peterson, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Jaydev Shah, Rohit Sharma, RP Singh, Tirumalsetti Suman, Pawan Suyal, Aditya Tare, Suryakumar Yadav, Amitoze Singh, Sujit Nayak, Rahul Shukla, Apoorv Wankhade.

Royal Challengers Bangalore
Daniel Vettori(c), Mayank Agarwal, KP Appanna, Sreenath Aravind, Arun Karthik(w), Raju Bhatkal, AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Muralidharen Gautam, Chris Gayle, Mohammad Kaif, Abrar Kazi, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Charl Langeveldt, Andrew McDonald, Abhimanyu Mithun, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dirk Nannes, Ryan Ninan, Harshal Vikram Patel, Asad Pathan, Luke Pomersbach, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rilee Rossouw, Syed Mohammad Jamaluddin, Saurabh Tiwary, Vinay Kumar

Final is driftingggg

New Delhi: Surprising reports emerged on Tuesday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was planning to shift the second qualifier and the Indian Premier League (IPL) final out of the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.The matches, scheduled to take place on May 25 and 27 respectively, are reportedly under threat owing to the fact that three of the stands at the iconic stadium are sealed, and the broadcaster, SET Max, considers it an eyesore in a league that otherwise has seen full houses at almost every venue.The G, H and I stands have a combined capacity of 12,000 spectators, and the loss in revenue is estimated to be in the range of 2 crore per match.However, sources told Mail Today that the move is just a way to arm-twist the authorities into unsealing the stands. The trouble began after last year's IPL when the Chennai Corporation sealed all the blocks on the western side of the stadium on Bells Road, adjacent to the 160-year-old Madras Cricket Club.Since then, the stands have remained deserted for matches in the Champions League Twenty20 and the India-West Indies One-Day International last December, as well as through the IPL.The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) started paying 60 per annum from February 1966 for over 18 acres of land in the precinct of the stadium, and now pays a sum of 8 lakh per year to the government as rent.The existing lease was extended in 2001 for expires on April 19, 2015.Government records show that due permission was not obtained by the TNCA for demolishing the stands in the stadium before reconstructing them ahead of last year's World Cup. The TNCA is alleged to have disregarded and violated the norms set by the government, which could even affect the lease of the land itself.Clause 8 of the lease deed says the "grantee shall not use the land except for the purpose of the construction of cricket stadium and shall not erect buildings, fences or structures of a permanent or temporary character on the land without the previous sanction of the collector."But the TNCA had built a club, rooms and a state of the art bar in 2002-03.R Ravichandran, tehsildar of Mylapore-Triplicane, under which territory the stadium is situated had, in his letter dated September 16, 2009, to the TNCA president, raised objections for the association having violated the terms and conditions of the lease grant.Ravichandran has also stated that "Under RSO No: 24-A, you have to follow the terms and conditions of the lease grant and you have violated the conditions in Clause 15 and 16 of the lease deed.""Now you are reconstructing the structure of the stadium without getting proper permission even though prior warnings issued through Revenue Inspector. The construction activity in the cognizant pavilion of eastern side gate may kindly be stopped," the tehsildar has said in his letter.Under these circumstances, the fact that the TNCA has approached the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority for permission to use the stands makes things more interesting, especially with question marks over whether the government agency is empowered to provide this.Secondly, under the regime of chief minister J Jayalalithaa, action has been taken against 'land grabbers', and in this climate, it seems virtually impossible that the required permission will be granted, even if the reason given for the request is the public's interest.Three sealed stands at the MA Chidambaram Stadium have become a bone of contention between TN govt and TNCA.