APL’s fun has no bounds
The advent of the T20 format and the corresponding boom of franchise-based leagues across the world has kept fans entertained, but no other tournament has provided what country's Alternate Premier League (APL) brought to the table.
While consistent high-scoring games and glamour of the franchises are what mainly attract the followers of T20 leagues, the APL takes a divergent route that focuses solely on the unpredictability factor which, according to its organisers, is what fans crave the most.
From having the ADRS (Alternate Decision Review System) that uses alternate cricket rules, like ruling the batter out even when the ball pitches outside the leg stump, entertainment-hungry audiences are kept on the edge of their seats in a myriad of ways.
"Look, however bizarre the rules may appear, in APL we use the alternate cricket ball, which is not a solid sphere but a slimy blob," said the APL chief Olpo Sholpo Bikolpo.
"When the non-alternate cricket ball is used, it makes sense to declare a leg-before decision when 50 percent of it pitches in line with the leg stump considering how a spherical object comes in contact with the pitch. A blob, however, acts differently as it lands flat. Consult with a physicist if you don't believe me," Bikolpo explained.
"Look, however bizarre the rules may appear, in APL we use the alternate cricket ball, which is not a solid sphere but a slimy blob," said the APL chief Olpo Sholpo Bikolpo.
Alternate rules aside, there has been plenty on offer this season in accordance with APL's tradition. Teams came up with new names yet again, for instance, London-of-the-East added Hikers to its ever-changing list of last names after being previously known as Blunder, Hipsters, Dwarf Stars, and Elites, while Capital Dominatrix -- from being known as Sinister, Cartoon, POW, Anarchists, in that order – chipped in with alternate grammar lessons as their motto "Lets Dominates" was seen printed on the back of their training kits.
Moreover, The Waterbenders franchise added more to APL's cauldron of fun and confusion by having different captains in every game.
Asked what's more in store in APL, Bikolpo said, "If I tell you, it wouldn't be fun, would it? Nobody likes spoilers, or do they?"