IPL ban could open shield door to Hodge

MANY questions have arisen from the increasingly uncertain sporting environment on the sub-continent, including one from left-field with a local slant: if Brad Hodge isn't playing for Kolkata in next month's Indian Premier League, could he be batting at three for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield final?
Hodge chuckled at the suggestion yesterday, seeing it as a bridge he would cross if and when needed. He reaffirmed that he is no longer a first-class cricketer, and is well aware how his coming out of retirement in pursuit of one last title might be viewed - not least by the unfortunate Bushranger he would edge out of the team.
Yet if the IPL does not proceed due to the threat of terrorism, and cannot be relocated at short notice, Victoria could confront the absurd situation of playing for back-to-back shields with its games record-holder and highest runscorer watching from the stands.
''I guess I retired for a reason - because of commitments like the IPL and the commitment I've got to play Twenty20 in England, and those were taking me away from my family,'' Hodge said yesterday.
''If I wasn't away from my family for seven weeks then I would consider it, but I wouldn't want to put anyone out of place. The travelling's the reason I gave four-day cricket away. I'd only do it if Victoria asked me to, put it that way.''
The Vics were understandably coy about flying kites yesterday, cricket operations manager Shaun Graf saying there was no point dealing in hypotheticals until the IPL was definitely in jeopardy. He admitted it would present ''a unique situation'' for team management to digest.
''At this point in time he's retired, just like (Dirk) Nannes is retired from four-day cricket, and that's how we've got to view it,'' Graf said. ''But in cricket these days, it's changing so rapidly, anything can happen.''
Hodge cannot be in Sydney this morning for the meeting with Australian Cricketer's Association chief executive Paul Marsh, at which IPL-contracted players will learn the contents of a report from security consultant Reg Dickason. But like all of the 22 Australians who have signed for the Twenty20 tournament, Hodge is eagerly awaiting advice on what happens next.
The freelance nature of the IPL presents cricketers with the conundrum of having to tackle decisions that would normally be made for them. Many would doubtless be relieved to see the tournament moved elsewhere - such as South Africa, which hosted it last year in the wake of bombings in Mumbai.
But with IPL boss Lalit Modi and the international players association at loggerheads, and only 16 days left before Hodge's Kolkata Knight Riders are due to open the tournament against Adam Gilchrist's Deccan Chargers, a protracted game of ''who blinks first'' could be disastrous.
Meanwhile, Victoria rolls on towards another final. Yesterday, as the Bushrangers' top order contended with Queensland's seam bowlers and a typically tricky first-day Gabba wicket, Hodge was picking up son Jesse from kindergarten, then strolling home to join wife Megan and daughter Sophie for lunch.
That the star Victorian batsman of his era could yet be there should his beloved state, as expected, reach the first-class decider from March 17-21 is a long-shot.
But, in cricket, nothing is impossible.

Can the domestic players do it?

Successful Ranji Trophy season could very well be the foundation on which many domestic stars build their international career.

A number of domestic Ranji players have found a place in the final squads of the IPL franchises for the 2010 season. And rather fortuitously for players, several spots are up for grabs in the Indian national team, what with its ranks being depleted owing to injuries to senior players.


Zaheer Khan, the fulcrum of the Indian pace attack, has been performing well, but there is an opening for a supporting role. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Karnataka pacer A Mithun was recently picked for the Test squad.

There is another candidate who hopes to make it to the national squad on the back of a strong Ranji season - Love Ablish. The son of a shoe merchant, he plays for Punjab in the domestic circuit and was the third highest wicket-taker in Ranji Super League this year. The medium-pacer took 36 wickets at an average of 23.88. He would be hoping that sharing the nets for Kings XI Punjab with Australian pacer Brett Lee, Indian swing expert Irfan Pathan and South African Yusuf Abdulla would help improve his bowling and attract the Indian selectors to pick him for the T20 World Cup.

The Saurashtra opener Chirag Pathak, who hit a brisk century in the Duleep final, has been drafted in by Kolkata Knight Riders. Chirag had a great Ranji season having scored 601 runs from six matches. This southpaw would be rubbing his hands with excitement at the prospect of learning from two of this generation’s greatest left-handed openers, Sourav Ganguly and Chris Gayle.

Also named in the KKR squad were reliable middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and Tamil Nadu’s hard-hitting opener Ganapathi Vignesh.

Royal Challengers’ S Sriram, who has turned out in Indian colours, would also be hoping to make enough of an impression during IPL 2010 to be back in the national squad.

Chennai Super Kings have signed up C Ganapathy, who was one of the Ranji Trophy's leading all-rounders this season. The Tamil Nadu seamer caught the eye of selectors when he took a five-wicket haul in the Duleep Trophy final. His batting prowess was on display during the Ranji Trophy Super League – he scored 543 runs at an average of 77.57. This all-round ability should stand him in good stead and increase his chances of making the playing XI.

The domestic cricketers in IPL’s ranks would be hoping to make the most of the chance to play with, and learn from, the international stars. We now have to wait and watch if IPL 2010 would be the year they graduate from the domestic level and make a mark on the big stage.