Is IPL money taking over world cricket? You can bet on it
And how did the BCB punish Shakib for his latest indiscretion?
![Party time begins for the IPL's new champions: Gujarat Titans, Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2022, final, Ahmedabad, May 29, 2022](https://img1.hscicdn.com/image/upload/f_auto,t_ds_w_1280,q_70/lsci/db/PICTURES/CMS/340100/340172.3.jpg)
Cash me if you can: the IPL, coming soon to every country near you • BCCI
Like jet-setting one-percenters who have love children in various parts of the world, IPL franchise owners have bought up teams in South Africa's T20 league. Last month they set about completely IPL-ifying the tournament. There's going to be an IPL-style auction, and the now-standard IPL-style rules where four members of the XI can be foreign players. Come schedule time, it seems likely the match times will try to serve the India market as much as possible.
If you had to serve a one-year ACU-imposed ban for failing to report corrupt approaches, perhaps you would keep your distance from potential gambling companies for a while. But sadly, you are a boring, visionless idiot. You are not Shakib Al Hasan. Last month he had to be told by the BCB to end his association with a company called Betwinner News.
More and more cricketers are making the choice to step away from internationals, or to walk out of their national contracts. The international schedule is too gruelling, they say. There's too much going on, a lot of pressure being applied, not enough time to recover. It makes total sense. Players get to a certain age and realise that while they have spent so much time away on national duty, they've neglected the loved ones most dearest to their hearts - the franchise owners that pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars for a fraction of the work.
Cricket has some dumb rivalries, but this is truly stupid. If you want to read up on the history (and you shouldn't), you can read this preview. The naagin probably should have been retired after the 2018 Nidahas trophy, but in Sri Lanka's knockout against Bangladesh at the Asia Cup it made an appearance again, with both the teams and spectators in the stands busting it out. Hold on to your brain cells. This may be the flavour of Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh matches for years to come.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is ESPNcricinfo's Sri Lanka correspondent. @afidelf