ICC won't bat for league, throws its weight behind BCCI

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday reiterated its support to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stating that it will not back the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL) until it is approved by the country’s official cricket administration.

“BCCI is the only recognised body by the ICC to run official cricket in India. We have not got any application from the ICL (for recognition) yet, but we have already set a five-step process to decide on such issues,” said Malcolm Speed, CEO, ICC.

Mr Speed said the first four steps in the process of approving a tournament by a private body were: Whether it’s run for the development of the game or for charitable purpose; who were all playing in it and whether the players were all contracted to their parent boards; when and where they are to be played and whether anti-corruption measures were put in place to run the event.

It is only after all these steps “we will find out whether it has the approval of the member board,” he added. Describing the fifth stage he said, “In the last stage, we will be asking the applicants whether the member board of the country has approved it. If the answer is no, we would not give it our recognition.”

Mr Speed talked of an instance in the past of a tournament planned last year in the USA which was shot down by the ICC for not fulfilling the criteria he had mentioned. However, ICL seemed unaffected by ICC’s stand.

An ICL spokesperson told ET, “We have never approached the ICC to recognise us, and the question of the ICC’s acceptance or non-acceptance has no meaning as they themselves have no legal status. We have always maintained that we would be a parallel body, so how can a rival club look at giving us any kind of authenticity.”

He added, “The BCCI themselves have admitted that they are a private club, who have no legal entity. So, the question of they looking at us as a recognised body doesn’t arise at all.”

The breakaway league, promoted by Subhash Chandra, plans to hold Twenty20 tournaments between city teams for the next three years. Former Test captains Brian Lara of the West Indies and Inzamam-ul-Haq of Pakistan are among the stars ICL has signed up for the series so far.

ICL last week filed a legal petition against the BCCI in the Delhi High court, saying the latter was a private body and could not have monopoly over running cricket in India.

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Karachi club offers to host ICL matches

A prestigious country club in Pakistan, which has been a favourite haunt for visiting cricketers including the Indians, has offered to host matches of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

An official offer has been made by the Arabian Country Club, located on the outskirts of Karachi with a private cricket ground and five-star accommodation, gymnasium and other facilities for its members.

“We just want to promote cricket wherever it is played. We see nothing wrong with the ICL,” said Arif Ali Abbasi, chief executive of the club. Abbasi, who has held several influential positions in Pakistan cricket, said the ICL people had been “overjoyed” at the offer but nothing was final as yet.

“If they want to come and play some matches, we will welcome them and then the mechanics of how the teams will gather in Karachi can be worked out properly,” said Abbasi.

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HC orders BCCI not to act against ICL players

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to stop intimidating cricketers who have joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL). The court also restrained public-sector undertakings from taking action against players who have aligned with the league.

While passing the interim order - hailed as 'victory for cricket' by some experts - Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul asked public-sector firms, including Air India and IOC, not to dismiss its ICL-affiliated employees.

Essel Sports, the promoter of ICL, had moved the court to restrain BCCI, headed by NCP leader Sharad Pawar, from intimidating its players.

ICL's lawyer Harish Salve said that two PSUs had served termination notices to their executives for joining the league.

"Why should players have swords hanging over their heads?" Justice Kaul said.

Justice Kaul issued notices to the Centre, which effectively owns the PSUs, and the BCCI asking them to submit replies within three weeks.

Justice Kaul also issued notice to the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for not allowing the ICL to use Bangalore's Chinnaswamy stadium.

BCCI officials said the court decision was not directed at them. "The court has directed the public-sector undertakings not to terminate the services or take disciplinary action against employees seeking to affiliate themselves with ICL," a BCCI official said. "There were no orders passed or relief granted against the KSCA or the BCCI."

In a statement, BCCI reiterated its stand that "every individual has a right to choose whether he wishes to associate himself with the BCCI or any other organisation." The statement said that if a player chose to associate himself with any other organisation, "he shall not be entitled to derive any benefits from the BCCI or be connected with any of its activities."

Kapil Dev, the chairman of the ICL's executive committee, refused to comment on the order.

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The tussle between Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Indian Cricket League (ICL) reached the courts on Friday. The Subhash Chandra-promoted breakaway cricket body has moved the Delhi High Court seeking to restrain the board from allegedly “intimidating” its players. ICL has also sought permission to use cricket stadiums across the country for its tournaments.

ICL’s lawsuit has urged the court to prevent BCCI from stopping pensions to players who have joined its fold. It also said BCCI should be restrained from using the Indian flag and the country’s name as it has accepted before the Supreme Court that it is a private body.

The newly-formed rebel body has pleaded that no player or state affiliate should be intimidated by BCCI for changing alliance. The court is expected to hear the matter on Monday. Reacting to the development, BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi told ET: “Big deal! So many people file suits against us, this is yet another one. We are yet to receive the plaint yet. Once we have a look at it, we will decide our course of action.”

ICL’s lawsuit comes in the wake of BCCI sacking Kapil Dev as chairman of the National Cricket Academy and barring players who have defected from playing domestic and international cricket representing India. The board also announced its move to hike the match fees for first-class players and increased the prize money for domestic tournaments to Rs 4.2 crore.

Formed this April by Zee Group promoter Subash Chandra in collaboration with IL&FS, ICL recently announced its first pool of 51 cricketers. This included Kapil Dev as executive board chairman and foreign cricketers like Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul-Haq. ICL is expected to start matches in the Twenty20 format by October.

BCCI, in turn, is planning to float a rival league of its own, complete with international players, high-profile sponsorships and high-voltage excitement. Tipped to be called the Professional Cricket League (PCL), it will follow the same format as the Premier Hockey League and will be headed by Sunil Gavaskar.

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BCCI's raw deal made me join ICL: Prasanna

Lambasting the BCCI for 'under-utilising' his expertise in grooming spinners, legendary offie E A S Prasanna on Sunday said that he joined the Indian Cricket League as he was assured a big role in developing slow bowlers.

"Kapil Dev (ICL chairman) told me that the league wanted me to help in fulfilling one of its prime objectives - developing good spinners. I found that my objective tallied with theirs. So, I liked the idea and joined the league," Prasanna told PTI over phone.

Prasanna, who formed a lethal spin quartet in the 1960s and 1970s along with B S Bedi, B S Chandrasekhar and S Venkatraghavan for India, has been inducted into ICL executive board.

Prasanna, who is attached to the National Cricket Academy as a bowling consultant, rued that his role in the Bangalore-based academy was mere 'token'.

"My services at the NCA were under-utilised. For instance, this year, I did not get to spend any day with the NCA cadets in Bangalore.

"My duties with the NCA this season were limited to a total of 10 days - five days in Kolkata and five in Nagpur," said the 67-year-old former Test cricketer

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‘ICL is no challenge to BCCI’

A day after Essel group chairman Subhash Chandra debunked talk of falling out with Union agriculture minister and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sharad Pawar, the latter confirmed that they shared a good relationship. That’s despite the Indian Cricket League’s (ICL’s) foray into the business. However, Pawar maintained that ICL, which has taken the board to court, is no threat to BCCI’s supremacy, nor will it ever be. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:

Subhash Chandra has said some good things about you.
Yes, I’ve seen his statement. I agree with him. It is not a personal battle or an ego clash.

So, you and Chandra continue to be friends.
Yes, we share a healthy relationship. I have known him for a long time. I remember helping him on a few occasions. Our relationship is independent of the ICL and the BCCI.

Do you see ICL as a threat to the BCCI?
No, I don’t. It is a business venture by a businessman. He has every right to do whatever he thinks is good for his business. He can promote his business the way he wants to. Personally, I think it is not my business to be worried about it.

Will Chandra’s business affect the BCCI’s?
Who says that? How can you say that? His is a different venture. His league will not affect the BCCI’s business.

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You can decide ICL team captain

The Subhash Chandra-promoted Indian Cricket League (ICL) refuses to stay out of news. Besides the ongoing spat between the rebel league and the big boy of Indian cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the ICL’s selection process and its marketing plan are heightening the curiosity around the yet-to-be launched league.

In a presentation handed out to media planners, ICL has disclosed its selection process and many marketing tactics to build the league as differently from the BCCI as possible.

So it’s going to be SMS-based polls through which team captains would be selected while it gets telecast live on TV along with having a talent search drive across cities. Every team will play minimum of six matches and a maximum of seven during the tournament, all to be telecast between 7-10:30 pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

The tournament will be span a with multiple venues. ICL is in preliminary talks with Airtel and the Future Group for team sponsorship, besides a banking and automobile brand which are likely to sign on as keypartners. Although none of deals has been closed yet, say sources close to the development. The ground rights for the ICL are being sold by Zee while the channel sales will be done by Ten Sports.

ICL marketing plan has everything to lure brands. Quite literally. There are blimps, mascots, celebrities, flash mobs, road shows, brand films, music videos, albums and contests to create the much-required buzz around the league which aims to become the Indian version of the Super Bowl. The presentation further states ICL wants to build its corporate identity through an all India reach, sponsoring the coveted award and key cricketing assets.

The league also plans to create ‘space for sports’ through community service along with offering opportunities for local marketing and activation.

Still, there are some media planners who feel that aligning with ICL, which is like a rebel league against the BCCI, is somewhat risky as they don’t want to be caught on the wrong foot of the big boss of Indian cricket.

In fact, some of the biggest media agencies, while accepting the need of such a parallel league, have sounded caution to their clients and are thinking twice before putting their money in this Kerry Packer-like league.

The sponsorship costs is Rs 3.5 crore for four slots as the key partner, Rs 2.3 crore for six slots as team partner and Rs 90 lakh for eight slots as the official partner. The partnership costs are again divided into four slots for Rs 3.5 crore as a key partner, Rs 3 crore for six slots as team partner and Rs 1.5 crore for eight slots as official partner.

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Don’t join the ICL, NZC tells Fleming

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has advised Test captain Stephen Fleming not to join the breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL) and look for better ways instead of drawing the curtains on his illustrious career.

Fleming has been offered to captain a side in the rebel ICL and the long-serving Kiwi skipper is reportedly mulling retirement from international cricket to join the cash-rich league in India.

NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan, who spoke to Fleming, was quoted by The Dominion Post as saying “I just said to him that this is not in the best interest of New Zealand Cricket,”

Apart from Fleming, the Kiwi trio of Chris Harris, Nathan Astle and Chris Cairns are on the ICL radar, while pace spearhead Shane Bond’s name also did the rounds initially

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Losing players to ICL a big blow: Vinod

The Hyderabad Cricket Association will not suggest to the State Government to deny allotment of any ground in the State for the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

“We have not been approached by anyone. Hence, there is no question of going out of the way and getting involved in this issue,” Labour Minister and HCA president G. Vinod told The Hindu. “They have only approached Principal Secretary S. N. Mohanty regarding getting on lease Lal Bahadur Stadium. We were not consulted. And, there is no question of my taking the initiative since I have to follow the BCCI guidelines in this regard. We will only abide by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s advice if the situation merits such a scenario,” Mr. Vinod said.

Asked if given the option, would he advise the Government against leasing out the stadium to ICL, he said, “I cannot comment on that right now. Let us wait and see. I am not sure how the ICL will move forward in the coming months.”

Mr. Vinod says that the unfortunate developments in the wake of ICL could have been avoided if only it had discussed with the BCCI ways and means to promote cricket and discuss issues such as avoiding clash of schedules in the domestic calendar.

“If you look at the similar case in West Indies where a private individual is promoting the sport in a big way by pumping in huge sums of money, he is doing so with the consent of the West Indies Cricket Board,” the Minister said.

He confessed that the rebellion by the Hyderabad cricketers would definitely deal a huge blow and it would be a tough task in rebuilding the State team as also demanding a critical assessment of the issues raised by them.

“I am not alone in the HCA. The committee members have to debate on these issues along with the BCCI guidelines in the wake of ICL controversy,” he remarked.

“We have to really work hard. The next three to four months will be really tough as we cannot replace these cricketers straightway,” Vinod said.

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Butcher denies ICL link, Ramprakash not on radar

Former England batsman and Surrey captain Mark Butcher dismissed media reports linking him to the Indian cricket League (ICL), even as his county also clarified that another player, Mark Ramprakash, has not received any such offer either.

Earlier, 'The Times' had claimed that the 35-year-old Butcher, who has played 71 Test matches for England, has been approached to captain one of the six sides in the breakaway league.

Former England captain Tony Greig, part of ICL's Executive Board, reportedly identified Butcher to join the rebel league.

Butcher, however, expressed surprise at the report and insisted he was just focusing on his job at Surrey.

"When I was told of the claims made in The Times, I was completely surprised and slightly disconcerted to see my name attached to something that I knew nothing about. I have not received any kind of approach from the ICL," he said.

"If I was to have received an invitation to play in the ICL, my first action would be to alert Surrey and discuss possible outcomes with them," Butcher added in a statement.

Surrey media spokesman Nathan Ross, meanwhile, told BBC Sport that the prolific Mark Ramprakash has not been approached by the ICL authorities either.

However, in case any of the players defect to the Indian league, Surrey is unlikely to object, he said.

"Anyone who wanted to play would effectively be out of contract so there wouldn't be a lot we could do about it even if we were to oppose it, which at the moment we don't, we don't have a stance. It's nothing to do with us it's more of an ICC, ECB thing," Ross said.

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ICL questions BCCI’s use of national icons

The tussle between the Indian Cricket League (ICL) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) reached the Delhi High Court on Friday. ICL moved court seeking to stop the board from using the name India or the national flag for its team in international matches.
ICL also asked for directions to ensure that BCCI would not “threaten” players who join the league or stop the pension of a former player who had joined ICL.

ICL has also sought restrain on BCCI from interfering in its affairs and preventing the league from using stadiums all over the country to organise ICL matches.

“The BCCI had earlier submitted before the Supreme Court that it was a private body and the players were also playing for the Board, so the team should not use the name of India and its flag during matches in India and abroad,” the ICL petition contended.

After the launch of ICL, BCCI had prevented state cricket associations from offering their grounds to the new league. It had also withdrawn benefits from cricketers associated with ICL.



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The tussle between the BCCI and the Indian Cricket League on Friday reached the Delhi High Court with the breakaway group seeking to restrain the Board from "intimidating" its players and interfering in its affairs.

The lawsuit filed by ICL sought a direction to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to allow ICL to use stadia across the country for its tournaments.

It said the pensions given by BCCI to former players should not be stopped in the event they join the ICL.

ICL has also sought that BCCI should be restrained from using Indian flag and name of the country as it was accepted by the Board before the Supreme Court that it was a private body.

The newly formed cricket body by Essel Group wanted that no players should be intimidated by the BCCI for playing with the ICL.

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BCCI may still be bowled by ICL fee structure

Even as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a rise of nearly 40 per cent in the match fees of domestic cricketers, it may still not be able to level its challenger-body, Subhash Chandra’s India Cricket League (ICL).

That’s despite the fact that Indian cricket’s governing body plans to allocate Rs 55 crore (a 30 per cent increase over last year) as match fees for domestic cricketers in 2007-08.

Star cricketers in the ICL will earn more than BCCI cricketers primarily because of the way the contracts are structured. That is despite the fact that their estimated fees per match day, at Rs 33,333, are lower than the BCCI’s Rs 36,000 per match day fees in 2007-08.

Yesterday the BCCI announced domestic cricketers would be paid Rs 36,000 per match day in the current financial year, from around Rs 26,000 per match day in the last fiscal.

Each senior cricketer plays up to 45 match days in domestic cricket (if his team notches up a stellar performance), taking the annual match fee earnings of local players up to Rs 16.2 lakh.

However, the ICL, according to industry estimates, has signed three-year contracts with local players that are worth between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 90 lakh, with each ICL player to be seen in action for 45 to 90 match days per year.

Assuming that a player earning an annual fee of Rs 30 lakh plays for 90 days, each player will earn Rs 33,333 per match day.

The advantage for ICL players is that the amount in the contract is a guaranteed sum, as opposed to BCCI fees, which require that players be in the team for the match in question.

Therefore, factors like being dropped from the team and injuries could impact the fees of players affiliated to the BCCI. The prize money, however, at Rs 4.2 crore is the same for both sides, though the BCCI revised it yesterday.

Despite having incurred an additional expense of Rs 26 crore under the head “player fees”, BCCI executives say the bottom line of cricket’s richest governing body will not be severely hit.

The steep increase in income from broadcasting rights has resulted in more income for the board. Overall income for the BCCI in 2006-07 was Rs 650 crore against Rs 430 crore in 2005-06. BCCI executives say 80 per cent of that income is from broadcasting rights.

“The BCCI's income has increased considerably due to the revenue earned through selling media and sponsorship rights. Therefore, we can now share more with our players,” said Ratnakar Shetty, chief administrative officer of the BCCI.

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ICL players excited about the new prospect

Rubbing shoulders with Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul-Haq would have otherwise remained a unfulfilled dream for many players in the domestic circuit, but after joining the Indian Cricket League, the likes of Kaushik Reddy are waiting for their day in the sun.

The Hyderabad Ranji players who were the first take the ICL plunge, showing the way to numerous others living their day in the domestic competition, could not suppress their excitement at joining the league.

"We are all very happy to be associated with the ICL. They have given us an opportunity to play with stars like Injamam-ul-Haq," Kaushik Reddy told reporters at the airport here after their arrival from Mumbai.

Eight Hyderabad players- Anirudh Singh, Ambati T Rayudu, Vinay Kumar, Ibrahim Khalil, I S Reddy, Kaushik Reddy, Shashank Nag and Alfred Absolam- were among the list of 44 Indian players unveiled by the ICL, promoted by Essel Group, at Mumbai on Monday.

BCCI is holding its Special General Body Meeting in Mumbai today and the players who have joined ICL are waiting on what decision the board takes on the move.

The Cricket Board is also expected to take a decision on National Cricket Academy Chairman Kapil Dev, who also heads the ICL Executive Board.

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BCCI hikes domestic match fees

The war between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the ICL is well and truly on. A day after Subhash Chandra’s breakaway group announced that 51 players had joined the league, the BCCI responded by sacking Kapil Dev as chairman of the National Cricket Academy and increasing the pay pack of domestic cricketers to prevent further exodus.

The BCCI also reiterated its stand that players who associate with ICL will not be eligible for benefits or to play for the country or their state. What this means is that the ICL players have basically been banned by the BCCI.

Along with the ban, the BCCI is likely to increase the match fee for the senior domestic tournment players from Rs 26,000 per day to Rs 36,000. The prize money for domestic tournaments is being hiked to Rs 42 million.


The payment to domestic players is expected to touch Rs 550 million for 2007-08, up from Rs 430 million in 2006-2007. This was Rs 310 million in 2005-2006.

The projected distribution for international players for 2007-2008 is expected to be Rs 550 million. This was Rs 430 million in 2006-07, while in 2005-06 it was Rs 310 million and Rs 260 million in 2004-2005.

The BCCI also today announced that surplus income for the year was Rs 2.3 billion as against Rs 330 million in 2005-2006. Overall income for 2006-2007 was Rs 6.5 billion as against Rs 4.3 billion in 2005-2006.


The BCCI will also set up a museum and will invest Rs 100 million on it. For this, it is negotiating and collecting archival materials.

The BCCI is also planning to set up a national cricket academy in Bangalore. The board will create an indoor cricket academy in Delhi and a coaching academy in
Kolkata to serve the East and North Eastern states.

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ICL may spend Rs 150 crore

With the announcement that as many as 52 players have joined Subhash Chandra’s parallel cricket league, Subhash Chandra’s ambitious Indian Cricket League seems to be finally taking shape. Most analyst still believe this is only the first success and the road ahead is still long and winding. Though Essel, along with infrastructure major IL&FS set aside a corpus of Rs 100 crore at the launch of the league, sports analysts peg the total spend by the Essel Group to kick-start the league to around Rs 150 crore.

According to most analysts, the first priority of the ICL was to get players to sign up followed by a marketing blitz and then broadcasting and setting up the infrastructure.

For signing up new players, ICL is paying around Rs 30 - 60 lakhs to all the ‘no-namers’ i.e. those players that do not have a name to themselves and are domestic players. For a requirement of around 60 to 80 players this comes to around Rs 30 crore. Add on to this the branded players that are expected to join the league.

“Lara would not be expected to join for less than Rs 2 - 3 crore,” one analyst said. Estimating a requirement of around 8 to 10 ‘branded’ players, the bill for player sign-up goes up by another Rs 30 crore.

The second most important issue for Essel is the marketing behind the league. This will be the main differentiator between the ICL and the domestic or international tournaments.

Media honchos like Manish Porwal of Starcom Mediavest believe the ICL is not looking at overthrowing the present system but bridge the gap between the international arena, which gets the highest viewership globally and the Ranji trophy, which gets hardly any eye-balls. The timing also makes a lot of sense with the tournament coming right after the 20:20 world cup thereby creating the appetite.

This makes the analyst estimate the marketing costs to around Rs 20 crore.

As for the third most important issue i.e. playing and broadcasting infrastructure, as Essel owns major broadcaster, Zee Telefilms Ltd, this should not cost them too much. "Around Rs 20 lakh a day totalling to around Rs 10 crore for the season," the analysts say.

As far as revenues go, they have plenty of options to make their margins and much more. India's cricket circus today romps in between Rs 20,00-3,000 crore. A 10% share of this would be enough to cover ICL's base costs.

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BCCI gears up to meet threat from ICL

Acutely aware of the perceived challenge to their authority by the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), which is luring young domestic cricketers into its fold, the bigwigs of the Cricket Board are girding their loins to meet it head-on.

A direct confrontation between the Essel Group-floated League, which has already roped in India's lone World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev and West Indian legend Brian Lara, and the BCCI is on the cards with the ICL set to announce later in the day names of the players who have joined it.

It would be interesting to see the manner in which BCCI decides to deal with Kapil Dev, still the head of its National Cricket Academy, as well as other current players, who have joined the rebel organisation.

The ICL and the legal ramifications of any action, including a ban, on those who have joined it would dominate the discussions at the meeting of the BCCI's Working Committee tomorrow morning.

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50 cricketers join ICL

The Indian Cricket League (ICL) announced the names of 50 cricketers, 44 Indians and six international players, as the first batch of players contracted for three years.

Kapil Dev, executive chairman of the ICL Board and Himanshu Mody, project head, informed mediapersons on Monday that these players will compete in a Twenty20 tournament to start with, featuring six city-based teams, expanded to 50 overs matches and three-day games at a future stage.

The identity of six cities, the composition of respective teams and venues will be announced later, said the organisers.

The foreign signings include Nicky Boje, Lance Kluesener (South Africa), Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammed Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Farhat (Pakistan).

South African Boje had refused to tour India in the past with the national squad to avoid police interrogation in connection with the match-fixing investigations by the Delhi Police. Asked to confirm Boje’s availability for the ICL event in view of his past refusal, Mr. Mody said: “I do not know about the matter. All I can say is that we have a signed contract with him and he should be coming to India.”

The Indian players who have signed up with the ICL comprise a mix of internationals like Dinesh Mongia (Punjab), J.P. Yadav (Uttar Pradesh), Deep Dasgupta (Bengal), Laxmi Ratan Shukla (Bengal), Reetinder Sodhi (Punjab), T. Kumaran (Tamil Nadu), talented players Dheeraj Jadhav (Maharashtra), Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (Bengal), Ambati Rayudu, Alfred Absalom (Hyderabad), V. Devendran (Tamil Nadu), Syed Abbas Ali (Madhya Pradesh) and Shalabh Srivastava (UP).


Praising the players, Kapil Dev said they have demonstrated courage and commitment by signing up for the ICL against the background of BCCI’s threat of stern action.

“This is the cream of talent in India. These players take pride in playing for the country, take pride in backing themselves. They have shown courage, all I want from them is commitment.”

Asked for details about players’ terms of contract, Mr. Mody informed that contracts would be for a duration of three years, but did not reveal the money matters.

The Indian players on the ICL list, recruited by organisations on the sports quota, may not be eligible to play in BCCI-sanctioned events for employers.

When asked about the players’ future beyond the contract period, Kapil shot back: “Can you tell me what will happen to your job after two years. As long as these players keep on playing well, they will do well. These are professional people who have to make their own lives.”

Responding to a query about the reasons for accepting the ICL offer, despite the risks involved, Deep Dasgupta, Bengal Ranji captain and ex-Test wicketkeeper, said: “As professional players, you have to grab every opportunity. I will get a chance to play with talented youngsters, along with international cricketers.”

Punjab all-rounder Dinesh Mongia, expressing readiness to play for India in future if selected, replied: “I will keep playing as long as I enjoy the game.”

Spin legend Erapalli Prasanna, one of executive board members, said, “spin bowling in India is facing a gradual decline. This is a chance to pass on my skills to youngsters, so that more spin bowlers emerge. I was associated with the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. I stay in Bangalore but my services and expertise was not utilised fully. I can do that now.”

Kiran More was the other member present, apart from coaches Sandeep Patil, Madan Lal, academies director Balwinder Sandhu, talent scout Bharat Reddy, Pranab Roy and Rajesh Chauhan.

West Indies batting legend Brian Lara is one of the famous signings, announced earlier by the ICL.

Players contracted (India):

Ambati Rayudu, Syed Abbas Ali, Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Abhishek T, Alfred Absalom, Ali Murtaza, Avinash Yadav, Deep Dasgupta, V. Devendran, Dheeraj Jadhav, Dinesh Mongia, Hemant Kumar, Indershekar Reddy, Ishan Malhotra, J. Hariesh, J.P. Yada v, Kaushik Reddy, L.R. Shukla, Manish Sharma.

Ibrahim Khaleel, Mohnish Mishra, Puskaraj Mohan Joshi, R. Satish, Rajesh Sharma, Ranjit Khirid, Raviraj Patil, Reetinder Sodhi, Robin Morris, Sachin Dholpure, Sarabjit Singh, S. Akhlakh Ahmed, Salabh Srivastava, Shashank Nag, Shiv Sagar Si ngh, Shreyas Khanolkar.

Subhojit Paul, Subhomoy Das, Sumit Kalia, D. Tamilkumaran, T. Surendra, T. Kumaran, G. Vignesh, D. Vinay Kumar, Yashpal Singh .



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Kapil promises to reveal ICL signups in a week

Former Indian captain and chairman of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) Kapil Dev has promised to reveal the names of players, who have signed up for the rebel series, in a week's time.

Kapil made it clear that the process of signing players for the league was still on and he would not reveal any names at this stage.

"It is going on and we just want to be sure that players are happy and confident to play in the new tournament and with a new commitment," he told Geo TV.

Kapil also made it clear that the league would be held as scheduled despite threats from the BCCI to impose bans on players and denying access to grounds.

"Cricket has to be held and it will be held. We want to give more opportunities to young players. We will have a clearer picture in a week's time or by the end of the month," he said.

A number of Pakistani cricketers have been linked to the ICL with unconfirmed reports stating that Inzamam-ul Haq , Mohammad Yousuf , Abdul Razzaq and Imran Farhat have already signed up for the tournament to be held in October.

Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan is reportedly working as a coordinator on behalf of the ICL organisers in Pakistan and is in touch with the potential signings. Chief selector, Salahuddin Ahmed, however, insisted that the selection committee was not worried about any mass signings.

"All those not picked for the Twenty20 tournament still have a bright future in Pakistan cricket. They should not act in haste and regret their decision later on," he added.

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Indian Cricket League now signed Brian Lara

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) better watch out. Subhash Chandra promoted Essel Group's Indian Cricket League (ICL), a parallel cricket format, continues to expand its list of star cricketers.


After roping in Kapil Dev and Tony Greig on the executive board, it has now signed in former West Indian cricketer Brian Lara as captain of one of ICL's six city teams.

ICL project head Himanshu Mody said, "We are extremely honored to welcome Brian to the ICL family. I think the youngsters we are grooming for India’s future will benefit immensely from playing alongside him in the ICL."

Fleming may quit international cricket to join ICL

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming may abruptly end his international career to join the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), according to a media report here.

Fleming has been approached by the ICL officials and the lucrative offer might prompt the Kiwi skipper to quit international cricket and join the league, according to 'The Australia' newspaper.

The report quoted unnamed sources as saying that Fleming had been offered a deal worth USD 440,000 a year to skipper any one of the six teams in the proposed league.

"Why is that awkward if you are planning retirement?" asked a source close to the ICL negotiations.

Fleming retired from one day cricket after leading the side to the semifinals of the World Cup in the West Indies and is expected to lead New Zealand in the tour of South Africa which, incidentally, coincides with the first ICL Twenty20 league.

Though ICL staged a major coup of sort by roping in West Indies batting great Brian Lara while the likes of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are also ready to jump on the bandwagon, getting a contemporary player of Fleming's stature would be a huge morale booster for the organisers.

Meanwhile, former Australian batsman Dean Jones, part of the ICL Executive Board, said that though Damien Martyn and Justin Langer had rejected similar offer, he was in touch with some other Australian players, who are all set to join the league.

Pak ban players from new ICL

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not allow current or former players still involved with the board to play in the unofficial Indian Cricket League, PCB Chairman Nasim Ashraf said on Thursday.
"The ICL is not recognised by the International Cricket Council or its member boards so there is no question of our players going to play there," Ashraf said.

Sources close to some of the players said Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik had received offers days after former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq confirmed he had been approached by the organisers.

The ICL has signed former West Indies captain Brian Lara for the Twenty20 series to be played over 45 days starting in October.

Ashraf said any player who decided to play in the league would not be selected again for Pakistan.

"We have clauses in our central contracts clearly outlining the board decides where the players can play," he said.

"Even where former players are concerned if they are not holding any position with the board we can't stop them. But those who are working for us will not be given permission to play in the Indian league."

The BCCI has also refused to endorse the league.

Join ICL 'n face life ban, warns BCCI

With the Indian Cricket League stepping up its efforts to rope in star players, the BCCI on Friday made it clear that any cricketer who aligns with the rebel body will be banned for life from playing for India.

The Board also said that players signing up for the break-away league will also be barred from taking part in all domestic tournaments.

"Our stand is very clear. Players who take part in the ICL will never be eligible to play for the country again. It is up to the players to decide what they want to do", BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah told PTI in Mumbai.

Asked whether the ban would also be applicable for young players who have not played for the country yet, Shah said "definitely. It is applicable for all players."

Shah said the Board will take a decision on Kapil Dev's fate as the Chairman of National Cricket Academy at its General Body Meeting here on August 21.

"The Board's General Body Meeting has been called where this issue will be discussed among a host of other issues," he said.

Taking a potshot at the ICL, Shah said the BCCI was not worried by the development as the league would attract veteran players only.

ICL, a brainchild of Subhash Chandra-owned Essel Group, have already signed up former West Indian captain Brian Lara for the series and are said to have approached many other former and current stars from different countries.

A host of former Indian players including Kapil Dev, Kiran More, Sandeep Patil, Madan Lal and Balwinder Singh Sandhu have joined the rebel league in various capacities.

The ICL plans to hold its inaugural Twenty20 league over a period of 45 days starting in October.


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ICL hits back at the BCCI for threatening

The Indian Cricket League on Saturday hit back at the BCCI for threatening to impose a life ban on players aligning with it, saying the BCCI was a private organisation and had no right to issue such directions.

A day after BCCI made it clear that players taking part in the breakaway league would be banned for life from playing for India, the ICL bosses reacted strongly to the “unfair” stand taken by the game’s governing body and said it would not dissuade them from going ahead.

“BCCI is nobody to give such a direction. It is a private body. The ICL will be a reality and the people will come to watch the matches,” Essel Group chairman Subhash Chandra told PTI.


Kapil Dev, chairman of the ICL’s Executive Board, launched a scathing attack on the BCCI and took a dig at president Sharad Pawar by questioning his commitment to cricket.

“He (Pawar) is a very senior politician. He is spending time looking after an important Ministry and country but does he have the time for cricket? I can also say about him what he said about me,” Kapil said. “I am disappointed. They are trying to scare players when people of the country want to play cricket. It is not fair for the BCCI secretary (Niranjan Shah) to say like that,”

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ICL nothing more than 'Micky Mouse Cricket'

Pakistan team manager Talat Ali has laughed off attempts by the Indian Cricket League to rope in Pakistani cricketers, saying ICL was nothing more than 'Micky Mouse' cricket and lacked potential to tempt quality players.

"I use this word because even if it is held it is not official or serious cricket. It is a rebel series not involving countries and it would be more befitting if it was held in Disneyland instead of in a Test playing nation," Ali said.

ICL's efforts to rope in Pakistani players would not see the light of day, he claimed.

"I don't see this league tempting our players no matter what stage of their career they are in," he said.

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Cricket League can use Railway stadiums said Lalu

In what could be good news for Zee Group-promoted Indian Cricket League (ICL), the Union Railway Minister, Mr Lalu Prasad, said on Thursday that it would allow ICL to use Railways’ stadiums.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet stated its position on whether ICL can access the stadiums. However, in a move that indicates BCCI’s reluctance to share resources, it recently stated that any person associating himself with “any other organisation” would not be entitled to derive any benefits from BCCI or “be connected with any of its activities”.

Meanwhile, Mr Prasad described the ICL as a “good initiative” and said competition was good for the game. “It is a good initiative. It will give rise to competition and good players will be encouraged. The parallel league is a good thing for those who complain that they were not selected or were ignored. This competition will be good for spotting good players,” he said here . “We will definitely allow them to play on our stadiums. The usual charges would be levied for the access,” he added. The Railways has stadium facilities across the country, including Delhi and Lucknow.

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Indian Cricket League launches official website

Indian Cricket League launches official website http://www.indiancricketleague.in/

The website will help hundreds of aspiring cricketers to apply directly to the ICL.

ICL business head Himanshu Mody said, "We have been getting thousands of mails, letters and queries from aspiring cricketers who don't know how to apply for the ICL. With the website, a single point of information and application of interest will exist for all."

The Indian Cricket League has signed on several Indian and International cricketing greats like Brian Lara, Kiran More, Tony Greig, Dean Jones and Kapil Dev who will head the executive board.

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Political clout building in ICL's favour

Subhash Chandra's dream of launching a rebel cricket league, thwarted thus far every step of the way by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has taken some crucial steps closer to becoming reality. Politicians from three different parties have now thrown their support behind the initiative.

The first and biggest political boost to the India Cricket League's proposed Twenty20 competition came after Union railway minister and Bihar Cricket Association chief Laloo Prasad Yadav voiced his support and also offered to make 30 stadia belonging to the Indian Railways available for matches.


Yadav's backing has completely changed the equation for the ICL, which till now had only one big name player to boast of in West Indian great Brian Lara and no stadia. This was because the Indian board had threatened life bans on any player associating with the ICL and also banned the rebel league from using any Indian grounds to conduct matches.

The support of Yadav, who is also the chief the RJD - a key party in the ruling UPA coalition alliance - and a possible successor to BCCI president Sharad Pawar, could well force the board to soften its stance against players signing up for the league.


"This is a good thing. There will be good competition. Many talented players will get encouragement. Those people who think they have not been recognised, or those who complain about not being selected will get a chance," said Yadav. "If there is competition between Subhash Chandra and Pawar, it's a good thing. We will get quality players," he added.

Yadav's comments were followed soon after by Congress party general secretary Digvijay Singh shooting off a letter to the BCCI asking the board to give up its confrontationist attitude.

In response, Pawar defended the board's stand saying the ICL tournament was an "out and out commercial venture" while "the board's earnings were spent on financing cricketing activities of various state associations and in augmenting infrastructural facilities."

The opposition BJP has also weighed into the matter, stating that the venture which would "help in breaking the BCCI's monopoly".

"The monopoly of BCCI is not in the interest of Indian cricket. With the coming of ICL, the bureaucratic attitude as well as the monopoly of the BCCI will break," BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told newswire PTI.

"They (BCCI) always pose like a government body whose decisions are constitutionally binding. Nowhere in the world any association monopolises a game," PTI quotes Naqvi as saying.

Source-http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k7/aug/aug151.php

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Younis Khan rejects ICL offer

Star Pakistani batsman Younis Khan has rejected a lucrative offer made by the organisers of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Younis said that he had rejected the offer because playing for the country was much more important to him than earning money.

The former Pakistan vice-captain, who turned down the opportunity to lead his country after the World Cup, said he also didn’t want to play in the league as it would clash with Pakistan’s domestic season. “And I don’t want to miss the domestic matches,” he said.

Younis is among several Pakistani players approached by the ICL organisers. While Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Shahid Afridi have turned down the chance to play in the Twenty20 tournament, others like Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Asim Kamal are still mulling over the offers made to them. Younis, however, said he would not sign the central contract offered to him by the Pakistan Cricket Board by the given deadline of August 15. “Right now I am busy with county cricket and I plan to return home on August 22 after which I will consult my lawyers and only then take a decision on signing the documents,” he said.

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Former Under-19 skipper on ICL’s shopping list

Undeterred by the BCCI’s threat of imposing bans and withdrawing financial benefits, seven Hyderabad Ranji Trophy players on Thursday announced their intention to join the Indian Cricket League, giving a further boost to the rebel series.

President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association G Vinod described the development as “very embarrassing” and said it would no doubt weaken the Hyderabad Ranji team. “Seven of our players walking out will weaken the Hyderabad team but we will try and recruit fresh talent

The 21-year-old Ambatti Rayudu, who is seen to be a promising prospect, was among the seven players who have decided to align with the Subhash Chandra-owned Essel Group’s parallel venture.

After signing several retired players in the past few weeks, this is the first time that current Ranji Trophy players have been decided to sign for the proposed Twenty20 tournament to be held in October. Apart from Rayudu, Vinay Kumar, wicket-keeper Ibrahim Khalil, IS Reddy, Anirudh Singh, Kaushik Reddy and Shashank Nag were the other players to walk out of the team.

Vinod said the association will wait for the BCCI to take a decision on the fate of the players at its Annual General Meeting in Mumbai on August 21.

President of Hyderabad Cricket Association G Vinod described the development as “very embarrassing” and said it would no doubt weaken the Hyderabad Ranji team. “Seven of our players walking out will weaken the Hyderabad team but we will try and recruit fresh talent

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Yousuf, Razzaq have signed ICL

Yousuf and Razzaq, who were dropped from the Pakistan squad for next month's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa, had not signed the central contracts offered to them by the Pakistan board, which had an August 15 deadline.

Farhat was candid in his view on the ICL offer and said, "Why should I hide anything? I am seriously having talks with the people concerned. If I sign, I will not hide anything. I will make it public."

"Every person has a right to earn good, clean money. We are no different. I am consulting my lawyers as I have already signed a central contract with the board," the Test opener said.

Kamal too said that he had to think about his future and family and since he was not a regular for Pakistan, he was giving the ICL offer a serious thought.

Both the players, however, admitted they were also keen to play for Pakistan and would like some compromise to be reached with the board which would allow them to play in the ICL and be considered for Pakistan selection.

Inzamam also confirmed that negotiations were on between some players and the ICL.

"The next few days a lot of things will be clear," said Inzamam who has not been given any new contract by the board.

The PCB yesterday reiterated its earlier stance that any player who goes to play in the ICL will not be considered for Pakistan selection again.

"We can't force anyone to sign the central contracts we have offered them. But we expect our players to behave responsibly and logically. So far we have no information about Yousuf or Razzaq having signed up for the ICL," PCB chief executive Shafqat Nagmi said earlier in the day.

However, a player who has been offered a contract, admitted that some of the players who had claimed being made offers by the ICL or rejecting them were not being entirely honest.

"Some of the amounts quoted by the players are incorrect while some even didn't get any formal offers from the ICL," he said.

Arif Ali Khan Abbasi, a former secretary of the board and a well-known cricket administrator in Pakistan, however, said the PCB set-up needed to adopt a more flexible and diplomatic stance on the ICL.

"How can one give such strong statements on an organisation about which they have no idea? I don't see anything wrong in some of our players going to play in the Indian league and earning some good money. Why should they be barred from playing for Pakistan again?" he questioned.


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ICL to get the Lal Bahadur Stadium on lease for three years

Zee Network delegation’s efforts to get the Lal Bahadur Stadium on lease for three years for its Indian Cricket League – a parallel body to the official BCCI – ended in deadlock as the State Government insisted that it be paid a minimum of Rs.1 crore per year for conducting the ICL tournament at the venue.

This was the outcome of the high level talks in the city on Friday, a day after the ICL successfully lured eight Hyderabad Ranji cricketers into its fold.

Initially, the Zee officials offered Rs 7.5 lakh for 60 days of which matches will be held only for 45 days.

A senior official of the State Government informed The Hindu that the Zee delegation was in no mood to accept the proposal of sharing the gate money and the ad revenue to be generated by the ICL matches at the floodlit venue.

“They also put forward a condition that the venue should not be given for any other activity during that 60-day phase,” he revealed. Initially, the Government was reluctant, but later relented when the Zee officials made it clear that they would give the stadium a facelift, including modernising dressing rooms and laying of two turf wickets.

The senior official is confident that the Zee will come back with an enhanced figure if not exactly what the Government put forward on Friday, as “they are aware of the significance of getting the venue”.

S.N. Mohanty, Principal Secretary to State Government (Y & AT), headed the Government delegation at the talks which had seen P.Chinnappa Reddy, Technical Advisor to State Government (Sports & Physical Education), also participate in earlier round.

Although Zee officials promised to come back, sources in the Zee said they may not be willing to pay such a huge amount and would instead prefer the Railway Grounds, especially because Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav had recently spoken in favour of the ICL.

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