For those who do not already know, the new ICL ads are out, and to my jaded eye, they were refreshing. None of the crass Bollywood nonsense and the superstar hype that characterised the IPL ads, and the ICL marketing of previous years. Here's a sample:
Are they trying to be the Thinking Man's (okay, let me rephrase: The Non-Vegetable's) domestic 20-20 competition?
In other news, the ICL has poached some Bangla heavyweights (this is not an Inzamam joke) of yesteryear, as well as a few promising youngsters.
The ICL is not giving up yet. Let's hope they can carry on until they break the BCCI monopoly on domestic cricket.
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6 comments:
That is not funny at all.
Very disappointing.
Looks like a travel ad.
john - icl also had a full page, long copy ad on similar lines. sure got an idea gng here - for starters they're not trying to be the poor man's ipl.
Jrod, they weren't aiming for funny. Clearly.
Gaurav, the ICL's scrap to hang on to visibility is almost Dravidesque.
for any monopoly to break competitors have to be strong...
though ads are refreshing...but i am afraid friend...are not catching the frenzy of masses...
they will have to draw crowds and then the level of cricket will take care of rest...
this season is going to be crucial for ICL...and for the sake of competition...hope they do good...
I have a different view of ICL and its future imapct in a possible collaboration with Stanford. (yeah...no need to be surprised...it is possible...both are businessmen with the same grouse and Stanford got himself "officialized" with a specific purpose which doesn't prevent the businessman in him jumping out of all understandings of the rest of the wrorld)
There is an entire post on that line but maybe this comment can summarize it.
Sneering at ICL can prove to be at a great cost - ICL has already changed the face of cricket - it fathered the IPL, it definitely grandfathered the EPL and perhaps surrogated the Champion's league.
Wait till they have the world teams sewn up...and invite Stanford...the businessman and official face of WICB (WICB = Stanford and vice versa...the rest are merely to make up the numbers and act as mouthpieces)...I certainly foresee a rival WC with perhaps participation of Stanford XI (which wil actually be the young WI team) and a squirming ECB on the sidelines.
See, with what's happened, Stanford has already got it made...he is able to play "official" (or officialized in case of ECB) games with all boards and ECB in particular, or he can always send up a Stanford XI for unofficial games as part of his quite independent Stanford 20/20 organization.
IPL is too caught up with the official sh*te, and to keep the official ICC sh*te going, to ever have that same flexibility, acceptance and respect as Stanford has. It's almost like Pepsi and Coke.
If the unofficial but official sounding-official but unofficial sounding...whatever....Stanford can be strategically roped into a partnership (he'll be most eager), the synergies between Zee and his companies will be astounding....not just in cricket but in other business partnerships as well. And Stanford Financial gains entry to the multi-billions Indian markets...it is not unthinkable as it may sound now.
ICL, Subhash Gupta, andt Stanford aren't to be sneered at....IPL recognized that challenge and came into being to stem the tide against the "official" cricket boards and "official" ICC...it cannot do it alone forever....especially if "original" boards like ECB also choose to participate and encourage billion-dollar one-off circus acts (and lend official recognition for them because it is old brands #FFFFFF and #000000 participating) rather than participate in shoring up the bunds or levees for the official cricket boards and ICC. That's why...acts like pulling out of CT and getting rid of CT and stuff like that will ultimately prove to be playing right into the hands of private entreprenuers.
Engalnd is playing ducks and drakes with official cricket because it sees itself out of the power structure and hence will not be averse to lend its olde worlde charm to an unofficial enterprise and strive to burnish it with officialdom...just so it can feel like it has the power again. This will open up avenues for other players....it's all chess...its all mahabharata...an enemy's enemy is a friend indeed...ICL-Stanford-ECB could change plenty of equations. ECB can't even squeal now if that happens...they've accepted and swallowed some suitably doctored moolah from the hand.
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