DUBAI/ISLAMABAD: Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif, held in Dubai on drug possession charges on his way home after playing in the Indian Premier League, will get to know whether he can leave for Pakistan only after the results of the laboratory tests on the substance found on him come in.

“We are awaiting the results of the laboratory tests on the substance found on him,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Ahsan Ullah Khan said.
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KOLKATA: After witnessing a near 4% dip in sales in the first quarter (January-March) of 2008, TV sales have yet again gained momentum during April-May.

The industry saw TV sales growing by 35% during the period, courtesy the unbridled cricket mania.

The surge in demand comes at a time when TV sales normally remain flat. What’s more, manufacturers have seen robust demand from not just the metros but also rural markets. The industry feels the IPL-led TV sales will form a large chunk to meet the industry’s sales target of 12.5 million this year.
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For a man who has over 1,000 international wickets in his kitty, a mediocre IPL is hardly something to be worried about. Muttiah Muralitharan’s wicket-taking spree might have diminished in the tournament, but what really defines the man is his competitive outlook towards each game and, of course, the smile at the end of every delivery.

His eight wickets in the competition have come at an unusual 43.92, but something the stats won’t reveal is that his bowling, especially in the post-powerplay, has been difficult to get away with.
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From reigning queens to poor country cousins and back again. This appears to be the fate of the saas-bahu soaps, thanks to IPL. With the cricket fever now coming down, the mainstay of television viewers is back in action.

Polls suggest that popular serials that attracted above average TRPs had to bite the dust for the past 44 days. But with the IPL over, viewer loyalty is back.

For instance, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi , that had a TRP of 4.4 during IPL, bounced back to 5.4 on Monday, a day after the cricket final.
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The inaugural Indian Premier League has been a nation-wide hit and there is no second opinion about that. A lot has been said about how it has given a platform to youngsters to showcase their talent and how rivals have turned friends on the field and vice-versa.

Now with the culmination of the first season, it’s time to see what are the side effects and after-effects of this cricket carnival. Positives are there for everyone to see. But what lies ahead for cricket as a game?
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The inaugural IPL season is over, but for the eight franchisee owners the hard work has just begun.

Riding on the hype, franchisee owners are exploring avenues such as maximising sponsorship revenues by hiking fees for new sponsors, extensive brand building on localised platforms and marketing the event to other countries from where they have player representation, among others.

Almost all the team owners have begun drawing up plans on how best to monetise the second IPL season, barely 48 hours after the first season drew to a close. ET has learnt that most franchisee owners are now considering appointing dedicated teams only to market and manage their cricket teams.
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If you were glued to your television set on Sunday, you were not the only one.

Groans or cheers (depending on which team you were supporting) filled the air in numerous pubs, coffee shops, homes and offices with the Indian Premier League reaching its crescendo and millions of viewers logging on to the final between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

Snap polls suggest that over 24 million watched the nail-biting final, though industry experts say that this is a conservative estimate and the numbers could be much higher.
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NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League (IPL) season is over, but the fun and games have just begun. In order to leverage the T20 craze and create new revenue streams, event managers and IPL franchisee teams are planning to play independent matches that will be outside the purview of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL.

Shane Warne is reported to have said that his Rajasthan Royals will play Victoria (his former Australian state team). Other teams such as Mumbai Indians and Kings X1 Punjab may also consider these options. The idea is to create property on the lines of the Manchester United programme whereby Man United plays matches in Asia and the US.
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Dubai: Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif was reportedly arrested on Sunday at the Dubai airport for possessing hashish.

According to a report on cricinfo.com, “Asif, the Pakistan fast bowler, has been arrested in Dubai on suspicion of possessing drugs.”

“The fast bowler, who tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone, nearly two years ago, was arrested the day before yesterday”, the report said and added “The Pakistan Cricket Board is due to make an announcement on the situation this afternoon”.
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Indian Premier League title-winning Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne might have offered his services to mentor the country’s spin bowlers but the Cricket Board feels it’s too early to give a thought to the leg spin legend’s proposal.

“It’s too early to even think about this when we are yet to come out of the hangover of IPL,” said BCCI sources when approached for their reaction to Warne’s line of thinking.

On Saturday, the day after brushing aside the challenge of Delhi Daredevils, Warne told mediapersons here that he would like to return to India to guide the emerging and young slow bowlers.
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