ICL- cricket

Inzamam-led Hyderabad Heroes out of ICL

2008-04-04T10:02:00.000+05:30

The Hyderabad Heroes led by former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq faltered in a do-or-die match here Wednesday evening, crashing out of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) Twenty20 championship after losing to the Kolkata Tigers by 53 runs.

The Kolkata Tigers, who became the last team to make it to the semi-final round of the breakaway championship, finished on top of the points table.

With the Brian Lara-led Mumbai Champs already out of the semi-final slots, the Heroes became the second star-studded team to be knocked out of ICL at the Tau Devi Lal cricket stadium.

The Heroes, who opted to field first after winning the toss, could not put up a solid batting performance as Tigers’ bowlers S Tarafdar, who was declared the player of the match, and Lance Klusener picked up three wickets each.

Chasing a target of 169 runs, the Heroes were bundled out for 115 runs in 16.2 overs.

Earlier, the Tigers scored 168 runs for five wickets in their 20 overs with skipper Craig Macmillan leading from the front with a 35-ball 50 runs, including four sixes.

resource:indiancricketleaguenews.wordpress.com

Shane Bond joins rebel Indian Cricket League

2008-03-15T11:15:00.000+05:30

Fast bowler Shane Bond left New Zealand to play in the rebel Indian Cricket League, clinging to hope the ICL will eventually be officially recognised and that his international career may resume.

"I'm sure the restraint of trade things will eventually be tested and who knows what will open up. The landscape is changing all the time," Bond said.

New Zealand has joined all Test-playing nations in refusing to sanction the ICL, while allowing its players to join the Indian Premier League which will operate under the auspices of the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

Bond, 32, will receive a reported USD 800,000 a year for playing in the ICL. In doing so, he has had to give up his international career because New Zealand Cricket has instructed its national selectors not to consider players with ICL connections.

Bond is shortly to join the English county Hampshire on a short-term contract but that involvement might also suffer because of his ICL involvement. The England and Wales Cricket Board has warned that players with an ICL affiliation may not receive the necessary clearances to be registered for county play.

"The ECB board (is) determined to disassociate and distance itself from any promoter, agent or individual involved in such events," it said in a statement yesterday.

"It was further noted that unqualified cricketers requiring a 'no objection certificate' to be registered for cricket in England and Wales are unlikely to receive such certificates from their home boards if they participate in unauthorised events.

"In order to protect the genuine interests in the development of grassroots and county cricket and protecting anti-doping and anti-corruption measures, the ECB policy to condemn unauthorised events will be taken into consideration when evaluating any application to register players for county cricket.

resource: www.expressindia.com

ICL vs IPL, leagues apart

2008-03-13T10:30:00.000+05:30

Six more Pak players may join ICL

Ever since the launch of IPL last week by BCCI one wonders if the latter was just a knee jerk reaction to ICL or was conceived for the benefit of the game. Indian Cricket League's (ICL) goal is create enthusiasm amongst the budding cricketers, carry that enthusiasm and momentum in the Sachins’ of tomorrow and give the domestic cricketers a chance to showcase their talent. On the other hand IPL's launch last seemed to be a "me too" by bureaucrats who have dominated the game more than the game itself.

Apparently the BCCI league had been conceptualized about 10 years ago but had recently been finalized. I think I can assume with reasonable comfort that ICL's announcement early part of this year expedited IPL by good couple of years.

BCCI top honcho believed just a couple of months ago that a Twenty20 league format (referring to ICL) would serve no good to the game of cricket. And it is rather ironic that a league was launched by the same governing body just a few months later in the same format.

Ever since the launch of the Indian Cricket League (ICL) BCCI mocked at the league commenting from time to time that who would watch a bunch of retired cricketers. On IPL launch in Delhi last week, all I saw was great cricketers who were either retired or on the verge of retiring from the game.

ICC refuses to recognize Indian Cricket League, we all know why. It's interest is to promote its own agenda in the world rather than promoting the game it represents. ICC would never disappoint the richest cricketing board in the world; rather going forward when BCCI current head Mr. Pawar becomes its chief will turn into Indian Cricket Council. It is rather appalling that an incompetent man will represent the council. A man who is on a mission, a mission to progress his personal agenda and solidify BCCI’s monopoly over the game in India.

I see Indian Cricket League emerging as a successful business organization, not ridiculed with bureaucracy and corruption like its counterpart, operating as a autonomous organization, investing in building the cricketing infrastructure and take advantage of its media arm to reach out to all cricket loving fans in India and abroad.

Resource: /www.indiancricketleague.com

ICL - Taking Cricket to a Higher League

2008-03-05T10:29:00.000+05:30

The goal of Indian Cricket League (ICL) is to promote and foster the best of the talent in the country. ICL will work to create a highly competitive domestic environment, giving the talented an equal opportunity and ensure that cricket provides superior entertainment, value and service against its sporting peers. And in the process creating a fun and friendly atmosphere for our player and fans.

Indian Cricket League 2008 season

The inaugural season for the Indian Cricket League will begin in October 2008 with 6 teams. The first tournament will be organized on a double round-robin basis in which each team will be playing the opposite team on home and away basis. The top four teams will reach the semi-finals and the final be played between the top teams. There will be a total of 20 matches for the entire season.

Resource: www.indiancricketleague.com

The big squeeze

2008-02-12T14:57:00.000+05:30

In the battle between the ICL and the ICC-BCCI, New Zealand cricket is becoming a helpless casualty, and the loss of Shane Bond is a prime example.

Shane Bond's signing with the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League (ICL) makes him the first New Zealand player to be, for all intents and purposes, stolen from the team. Bond had unfinished business as a New Zealand player. The New Zealand public, while frustrated with his spasmodic appearances, were not ready to let go of him either.

Craig McMillan's health reasons for his retirement were plausible until he turned up in the inaugural ICL teams' photo, but the public thought, "Hey, we've loved him, hated him, and - though his stocks had risen recently - we can cope if he's not going to be around any longer." The stars of Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Darryl Tuffey and Hamish Marshall had had their supernovas and were distant memories. But when negotiations between New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and Bond broke down, leading to a severance of ties, the festering little sunspot called the ICL quickly became a growing cancer on the surface of New Zealand cricket.

Surprisingly, though, the hostility that usually surrounds unpatriotic back-turnings of this sort was in this case not directed at Bond, but rather more towards the NZC. The people felt they could not blame Bond. However it is the rationale behind this reaction that is most concerning.

How can you blame Bond for accepting a deal that pretty much immediately provides financial security for him and his family? The deal he signed is rumoured to be in the vicinity of US$2.3 million over three years. With NZC, he would be somewhere around the top of the contracted players' pecking order, and hence would draw an annual retainer of around $100,000. With match fees of about $4700 per Test and $2000 per ODI, his immediate earning potential, before adding on bonuses such as prize money and sponsorship (the equivalent of his base ICL signing fee), would amount to approximately $200,000 per year. This is a best-case scenario, of course: when you take into account Bond's medical history, he would likely miss a good chunk of match fees each year. The disparity of pay is just too large for him to turn down the ICL.

Okay, so the ICL has robbed New Zealand of a match-winner, which is one thing to be despondent about, but what really scares New Zealanders is what will happen when the ICL scouts come sniffing round for emerging talent. Sure, the deals they hand out then may be considerably smaller, but they will be plenty big in a country that just cannot afford to match the Zee TV dollar. New Zealand simply does not have a talent bank of players and thus cannot afford to lose a few, however small that number may be. Right now they'd actually quite like to borrow a few.

The New Zealand public feel their cricket is at the frontline of the ICL v ICC/BCCI battle, with no weapons to defend itself. On the other side is the Indian Premier League (IPL), which has its eyes on the rest of New Zealand's top players: Stephen Fleming, Brendan McCullum, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori and Scott Styris. But here again, the IPL has probably taken Styris from Test cricket, and when the power-mongers who have paid megabucks for an IPL franchise decide they want their pound of flesh from the players, we can expect a lot more premature Test cricket retirements.

If my sources are correct, in fact, this ICC/BCCI-concocted saviour, the IPL, may in fact prove to be a bigger cancer on New Zealand cricket than the presumed evil ICL. "Evil" is how the establishment would have you view the ICL. It's a competing league trying to take the best players away. Well, is it really?

To the best of my knowledge, written into the ICL contract is a clause that stipulates contracted players will be available to play for their countries when required. Therefore the ICL is, in fact, not trying to steal players from world cricket, but just providing an extra forum for them to participate in and earn from. So why all the hoopla? Simply because the ICC, BCCI and ESPN Star don't want to share the goodies. So up pops a ruling that stipulates that the ICC's full-member countries cannot allow players to play in unsanctioned cricket events, and thus Bond is released from his New Zealand contract and deemed to be unavailable for New Zealand selection.

The New Zealand public has rightly read the current situation as NZC buckling under the pressure of financial heavyweight and world cricket bully boys, the BCCI. In reality, it is the only way New Zealand's dependent cricket economy can lean, and the public do concede this point, but they don't like being treated as fools either. They have been told that Bond didn't want to play for New Zealand, which is incorrect. They have been told NZC risks an Indian backlash if it doesn't do what it's told, and that India may not tour, leaving NZC out of pocket to the tune of about $23 million. That's incorrect too, because India will have to reimburse NZC's loss. More accurately, NZC may miss out on an extra tour from India, offered as a sweetener for them to side with the BCCI on ICL matters.

Simply, the New Zealand public understands Bond had to take the money, but what they don't understand is how greed and selfishness have spiralled a situation so far out of control that the national team is being unnecessarily decimated.

Saqlain on ICL’s radar

2008-02-09T16:34:00.000+05:30

The Indian Cricket League (ICL) has zeroed in on seven Pakistan players, including former spinners — Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq — for its next edition.

Sources said apart from these two, the ICL has also sounded out Naved Latif, Hasan Raza, Mohammad Hafeez, Humayun Farhat and Imran Nazir.

Neither Mushtaq and Saqlain have played for Pakistan since 2003/2004 and are currently busy with the county championship in England.

Saqlain will also qualify as a British national to play for England in April.

Sources said the players were contacted by former Pakistan captain Moin Khan, who is the ICL representative here and also coaches one of the ICL teams. When contacted, ICL official Kiran More declined to comment.

The ICL already has six players including former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Shabbir Ahmed and Azhar Mahmood on its payroll. — PTI

Source : http://www.hindu.com/

More Aussie players for ICL

2008-02-09T16:30:00.000+05:30

More Australian players are set to join the rebel Indian Cricket League for the next edition of its Twenty20 series, ICL executive board Director Dean Jones said.

The ICL currently has the trio of Stuart Law, Michael Bevan and Ian Harvey as its Australian recruits and Jones said the number is set to increase for this year’s edition.

“There will be a couple of Australian players in there, yes,” Jones was quoted as saying in The Sydney Morning Herald. — PTI

Source : http://www.hindu.com

New Zealand's Bond joins rebel Indian league

2008-02-04T17:52:00.000+05:30

New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond has joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) in a move that could jeopardise his international career.

"Shane Bond has signed up," said senior ICL official Ashish Kaul on Friday. "It's a three-year contract that he has with the Indian Cricket League," the executive vice-president of ICL promoters Essel Group added.

Bond is widely regarded as New Zealand's best fast bowler after Richard Hadlee and his departure would be a huge blow to the national team.

The 32-year-old has taken 79 wickets in 17 tests at an average of 22.39 but is unlikely to play for his country again after New Zealand Cricket instructed selectors to consider other players over those who have joined the unofficial league.

Bond becomes the seventh New Zealand international to join the ICL, which is not sanctioned by the International Cricket Council.

All-rounders Chris Cairns, Nathan Astle, Chris Harris and Craig McMillan, batsman Hamish Marshall and bowler Daryl Tuffey took part in the recent breakaway Twenty20 league.

Bond, presently injured, is the biggest draw among current international players to have signed up for lucrative ICL, a body bankrolled by the controllers of India's largest listed media firm.

Media reports speculated that Bond's three-year contract was worth $800,000. Kaul did not confirm the amount.

Financed by Essel Group, which controls media firm Zee Telefilms, ICL are seen to be challenging the national board's monopoly of the game in cricket-obsessed India.

After successfully organising their inaugural tournament late last year, the ICL announced a series of events in 2008.

The cash-rich Indian board meanwhile roll out their multi-million dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) in April which has nearly 50 top international players in its line-up.

The ICL, meanwhile, has recruited retired batting greats Brian Lara of West Indies and Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq.

They also have on board ex-internationals from South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and England players such as Vikram Solanki, Chris Read and Paul Nixon.

Source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/

ICL 50:50 schedule

2008-01-28T16:43:00.000+05:30

27 Jan, Chandigarh Lions vs Chennai Superstars

28 Jan, Chennai Superstars vs Hyderabad Heroes

29 Jan, Delhi Jets vs Mumbai Champs

30 Jan, Kolkata Tigers vs Hyderabad Heroes

31 Jan, Chandigarh Lions vs Mumbai Champs

01 Feb, Delhi Jets vs Kolkata Tigers

02 Feb, Chennai Superstars vs Delhi Jets

03 Feb, Kolkata Tigers vs Mumbai Champs

Chandigarh Lions vs Hyderabad Heroes

04 Feb, Chennai Superstars vs Mumbai Champs

05 Feb, Chandigarh Lions vs Delhi Jets

06 Feb, Chennai Superstars vs Kolkata Tigers
Mumbai Champs vs Hyderabad Heroes

08 Feb, Chandigarh Lions vs Kolkata Tigers
Delhi Jets vs Hyderabad Heroes

10 Feb, Final

All Match begins at 0900 IST

Don't risk your career by joining ICL: Modi tells Kiwis

2008-01-22T16:36:00.000+05:30

BCCI vice president Lalit Modi has advised New Zealand players not to jeopardise their careers by joining the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) is in a crisis with a number of Kiwi players already aligning with ICL and the fresh jolt came with their spearhead Shane Bond too deciding to take the plunge.

Modi urged the Kiwi cricketers not to succumb to the lure of the rebel league which, he felt, was not sustainable.

"To have a credible tournament one must not just look at the money but, more importantly, whether the competition is sanctioned, whether it's going to have the (necessary) infrastructure, whether it's going to be around for a while, and whether it's investing in the growth of the game - or just profiting from it," Modi was quoted as saying by a local daily.

"Do they have enough safeguards to protect against match-fixing? Do they have the right officials - such as match referees and umpires - and do they have the appropriate rules involving anti-doping policies and playing guidelines?" asked Modi, also the chairman of the BCCI-backed Indian Premier League (IPL).

New Zealand have already lost six players -- Daryl Tuffey, Hamish Marshall, Craig McMillan, Nathan Astle, Chris Cairns and Chris Harris -- to the rebel league, even though some of them have already quit international cricket.

NZC has already instructed the selectors to overlook these players.

Modi confirmed the Test playing nations had agreed to a gentleman's agreement to ban the rebel cricketers.

"We have all decided that in the interests of development ... we will try as far as legally possible to discourage our players from joining any rebel league that is organised just for self-profit," he said.

"The BCCI and the other Test-playing nations are non-profit organisations. They invest 100 per cent of their earnings back into the game. This is essential to ensure we build the best infrastructure for the players and fans alike," the BCCI official said.

He also sought to dispel fears that the IPL might affect international commitments of a number of players.

"The IPL will be played in a window which does not clash with the FTP," he said.

Punjab couldn’t survive the ICL hurricane

2008-01-15T16:32:00.000+05:30

The writing was on the wall for Punjab even before a ball had been bowled this Ranji season. They had lost their skipper Dinesh Mongia, and 11 more players to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), and with all the BCCI-proposed bans in place, Punjab knew their first and realistic target was to try and stay afloat in the Elite division this year.

As the season began unfolding itself, there were a few moments of joy. Moments where the Punjab Cricket Association could see promise for future but most of the time, the state team was fighting against all odds. They failed to qualify for the semifinal, which was natural anyway, that they survived relegation was in itself a big relief for the state cricket mandarins.

It began almost unexpectedly. Punjab gave the maximum number of players to the ICL, and considering how professional the state cricket was being run, the resentment of the players shocked each and one. Other than Mongia, those leaving the state team were seasoned players like Reetinder Sodhi, Munish Sharma, Rajesh Sharma, Amit Uniyal, Bipul Sharma, Ishan Malhotra and others. The void was big and almost too difficult to fill but in Pankaj Dharmani, the veteran of many a battle, lay the responsibility to show the youngsters the way.

Some of the youngsters who were drafted into the state team were thrown in at the deep end without much experience. Some came from the Under-19s, some from the Inter-Districts. Uday Kaul, Ravi Inder Rajji, Manpreet Gony and Karan Goel fought hard and well but with the bowling too weak and inexperienced Punjab struggled to bowl out rival teams. Their inability to pick up wickets meant Punjab couldn't force outright wins or gather important points, even when playing in matches at home. It was too late for the side when VRV Singh became fit and came back with brilliant bowling against Orrisa, and the state selectors have a job at hand to identify bowlers who could bail out the state in the coming years.

In fact, the performance of Punjab had been dipping since they last played in the Ranji Trophy final in 2004. They haven't even been making it to the semifinals for the past two years. Caretaker coach Daljit Singh had laid out his plans for the season quite early with camps starting in summers and when former India player and skipper of the Punjab team that won their only Ranji title in 1992-93 Gursharan Singh joined in as the new coach, it looked the team would try and regain the lost glory.

Source : http://www.expressindia.com/

ICL planning to add all-star Pak team

2008-01-12T16:43:00.000+05:30

The rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) is planning to add an all-star Pakistani side to its list of competitors for the second edition scheduled in March-April.

After hosting its inaugural twenty20 tournament last year, the breakaway league is considering adding two more teams with one of them being an all stars side from Pakistan.

"There has been discussion on having either a Karachi or Lahore team from Pakistan take part in the next event along with an all stars ICL eleven," Former Pakistan skipper Moin Khan, who is ICL's main representative in Pakistan and also on their coaching panel, said.

The former wicketkeeper said a clearer picture would emerge in next two weeks and did not rule out the possibility of an ICL official coming to Pakistan to sign up more players.

Pakistan had six representatives in the ICL's inaugural edition with pacer Shabbir Ahmed getting man of the match award in the final.

Moin said he was disappointed by the vindictive measures taken by Pakistan and other cricket boards against players and coaches contracted to the ICL, which is not recognised by either the ICC or its member boards.

He said the decision to ban ICL players in Pakistan from playing domestic cricket was unjustified.

But asked whether the ICL would help its players and coaches, Moin said the the league was already backing its recruits financially.

"That is the best it can do. It has given financial benefits to its players and coaches which is their best compensation for what they are facing. The kind of money we are earning now from ICL is very good," he said.

Source : http://cricket.expressindia.com/

Cricket South Africa object to ICL involvement

2008-01-11T15:42:00.000+05:30

Cricket South Africa (CSA) has withdrawn Daryll Cullinan’s accreditation as a television commentator for SuperSport for the ongoing series between South Africa and West Indies because of his involvement in the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Cullinan, a former South African middle-order batsman, was coach of the Kolkata Tigers in the ICL, a league not recognised by cricket boards across the world. The board had complained to SuperSport about Cullinan’s involvement as a commentator about a week ago, after the first Test at Port Elizabeth where Cullinan was part of the panel.

The board had already made its intentions clear by earlier banning all six South African players who participated in the tournament and board chairman Norman Arendse said similar action would be taken against even those involved in a coaching capacity.

“We accredit media representatives to report on official cricket,” Arendse told the Times. “As a member of the International Cricket Council we felt it was entirely hypocritical to have a commentator who was effectively participating in rebel cricket.”

Tex Texeira, the head of production with SuperSport, said a meeting would be arranged with the board to try and settle the issue. Texeira said that Cullinan had informed them of his decision to join the league - which ran from November 30 to December 16 - and Cullinan was made aware that there could be repercussions.

“We would like to be able to resolve the issue because Daryll is a top-class commentator,” he said. “Daryll approached us and told us that he planned to go to India. We felt it wasn’t the right thing to do. We have a strong relationship with CSA and the International Cricket Council, who are both opposed to the ICL.

“We therefore drew up a document stating that we were happy to let Daryll go to India but that should there be repercussions we had the right to terminate his contract with SuperSport.”

Cullinan admitted that he would be up against the board though he was willing to wait and watch further developments. “I was aware that my going to India was a concern to SuperSport,” Cullinan said. “I will wait and see what happens at the meeting between the two parties.”

Source : http://www.cricket247.in/

Bond Joins Indian Cricket League

2008-01-05T17:32:00.000+05:30

New Zealand’s ace speedster Shane Bond will be joining the Indian Cricket League. ICL’s official Ashish Kaul confirmed today that the Kiwi pacer is all set to sign a three-year contract worth $800,000 with the Rebel League. Bond’s switch to the ICL will be a major boost for the League which had a successful inaugural T20 tournament last year. He will become the seventh and the most high profile New Zealand player to join ICL after he signs the contract.

Bond is regarded as the best New Zealand pace bowler after Sir Richard Hadlee and his departure has left a big hole in the Kiwi pace attack to be filled. Bond who is recovering from an abdominal injury has kept his mum on the issue. Although, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Justin Vaughan has admitted that Bond has made a move to ICL.

The right-arm pacer has 79 wickets in 17 tests to his name at an average of 22.39. Bond’s move to ICL will be a good opportunity for the young players in the League as they will be able to gain some experience from the fiery speedster.

Chris Cairns, Nathan Astle, Chris Harris and Craig McMillan, Hamish Marshall and Daryl Tuffey are the Kiwi players who have already taken part in the recent ICL Twenty20 league. The other big names in ICL are Brian Lara of West Indies and Pakistan's Inzamam-ul-Haq.

The cash-rich ICL has announced a series of events in 2008 in which we can see Shane Bond playing. It will be interesting to see which team the 32-year-old represents in ICL and whether he can deliver a similar impact like his New Zealand team-mates did in the inaugural tournament.

Source : http://www.indiancricketleague.in/

Indian rebel league to gut Test teams

2008-01-02T09:32:00.000+05:30

AUSTRALIA may end up playing a New Zealand second XI in November's Test series, with star fast bowler Shane Bond in line to become the latest Kiwi to abandon the national side and join India's rebel Twenty20 league.

New Zealand and other countries with modestly paid players are in danger of being gutted by the breakaway International Cricket League , further damaging the standard of international cricket.

As the well-paid Australians continue their complete domination by attempting to equal their own amazing record of 16 successive Test victories, in the second Test against India beginning at the SCG tomorrow, the soft underbelly of the game is being exposed by India's big-money brawling over Twenty20 and television rights.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has set up the rival Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition, to begin in April, and is paying big money for international stars, including Australians, to be part of it, but players overlooked by the official IPL are joining the ICL.

It is not only international cricket that is under threat, but domestic first-class cricket, with falling standards not adequately preparing players for Test cricket.

The cricketing countries at greatest risk of being damaged are those that can least afford it and New Zealand is at the top of the list. Some players can earn more in a month playing with the ICL than for a full year playing for their country.

New Zealand Cricket is under enormous pressure from the BCCI to ban the six Kiwi players who took part in the inaugural ICL championship in India last month and is in a bind about what to do with Bond, who has signed to be part of an expanded ICL competition this year.

If NZC bans Bond, the best Kiwi paceman since Richard Hadlee, he can sue for restraint of trade. If he is allowed to play in the ICL, the billion-dollar wrath of the BCCI will reign down on the Kiwis, further damaging cricket in a country where it has been a marginal sport.

Bond may be only one of many ICL players from around the globe who may be able to take court action if they are banned by their home boards in what shapes as a messy and expensive fight that can only harm the game.

International players association chief executive Tim May made it clear FICA would protect the rights of players to earn a professional living, regardless of which competition they join.

"With New Zealand and these other poorly paid countries, it's incredibly enticing at the end of their career, or even in the middle of their career, to look after themselves," May said. "It's their job and they're trying to do the best for their families.

"You may well see more ICL contracted players signed up. So what are we going to do, have a New Zealand second XI out there? Is it in New Zealand's national interest to put out a half-baked team?

"Is it in world cricket's interest? These are the questions people really need to sit down and think about.

"And there is also the rights of the players to ply their trade.

"We want to encourage people to play cricket professionally, don't we? It's not necessarily a bad thing, this ICL.

"We will protect the players' rights to ply their trade, and the more people who can play international and domestic cricket and earn a living, isn't that in the interests of the game with competition from more and more sports out there professionally?"

New Zealand's dreadful lack of depth was exposed in last month's lopsided Chappell-Hadlee series, with one-day dasher Craig McMillan among those who retired to join the ICL.

Hamish Marshall and Daryl Tuffey might never again represent New Zealand after appearing in the ICL. NZC has told selectors to consider others ahead of the pair, while the other four players, Chris Cairns, McMillan, Nathan Astle and Chris Harris, have retired.

Pakistan has effectively banned three players including former captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq, but none of the Test countries will put in writing that players joining the ICL will be banned, for fear of being sued for restraint of trade.

"Of concern to us and what should be of concern to all players is that boards have not communicated formally their position despite requests from player associations in some of those countries," May said.

"It's important for players thinking of entering this competition that they understand the risks involved in playing in this so-called rebel league. If boards do not want to put their positions in writing, then the boards should not expect to restrict players from coming back and playing in their country's competitions."

Source : http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/

Yousuf still with us: Indian Cricket League

2007-12-28T16:18:00.000+05:30

The breakaway Indian Cricket League (ICL) said on Friday that Pakistan star batsman Mohammad Yousuf will turn out for them despite agreeing to play for his country.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Thursday Yousuf, 33, had broken his contract with the ICL and signed up to represent the national team in the Test series against South Africa starting on Monday.

But an official of Zee Telefilms, which is bankrolling the multi-million-dollar rebel league, billed to start later this year, said Yousuf was still with them.

"All I can say is that Yousuf can always play for Pakistan whenever he is needed there, we have always maintained that," Zee executive vice-president Ashish Kaul told local media.

"The ICL will never stop him from playing for Pakistan. But that does not mean that he has broken his contract with us."

"Right now, I can tell you that the contract is still on. He will play for the ICL as per the contract. If there is anything else to this, then we have not been told about it yet."

The Indian and Pakistani cricket boards have said that any player who turns out for the ICL will be ineligible to represent the country in official cricket.

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, opener Imran Farhat and all-rounder Abdul Razzaq also signed up to the rebel league.

Yousuf scored a world record 1,788 runs in 2006 and was voted the best Test player of the year at the recent International Cricket Council awards ceremony in Johannesburg.

He said on Thursday he had signed a central contract with the Pakistan board after a lengthy meeting with its chairman Nasim Ashraf in Lahore.

"I have always wanted to play for my country and I can sacrifice my life for my country," he told a press conference.

"I did not know about the clause in the Indian league contract that if both the league and Pakistan team matches are held at the same time I had to give preference to the league. I cannot agree to that," Yousuf added.

The ICL, which plans to hold Twenty20 tournaments between city teams for the next three years, has been unable to fix a date for the first event, which was originally supposed to take place in October.

The Indian board, apparently in a bid to counter the ICL, has announced its own international Twenty20 league to be held in April-May next year.

Source : http://cricket.indiatimes.com/

Malik poor captain, give it to Yousuf: Shabbir

2007-12-24T17:34:00.000+05:30

Shoaib Malik is just an average Test player and instead of him, Pakistan should have handed over the captaincy to Mohammad Yousuf, feels pace discard Shabbir Ahmed.

On his return from India after playing in the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) there, Shabbir lashed out at Malik and questioned his acceptability to the senior members in the side.

"Malik was never a good Test player and to make him captain in the presence of more senior players is a decision beyond me," Shabbir said.

He also blamed Malik for the both Test and ODI series defeat in India.

"If the board wants to save the team from more defeats, it should make Mohammad Yousuf the captain," Shabbir said.

Shabbir last played for Pakistan early this year in South Africa before being injured but made a lasting impression in the ICL Twenty20 tournament, taking four wickets in the final.

The lanky pacer, who appeared in 10 Tests during which he was thrice reported for a suspect bowling action, claimed he had been stopped from playing domestic cricket by the board.

"I came back confident of repeating my form from the ICL in our domestic cricket but I have learnt I can't play. This is not fair and the PCB appears to be just towing the line of the Indian board to make them happy," alleged the pacer, who was served a 12-month ban by the ICC last year for his suspect action.

However, Zakir Khan, PCB Director Cricket Operations, told PTI that the ICL-contracted players were not barred from appearing in domestic cricket.

"They are not eligible for Pakistan selection but a ban on them from playing domestic cricket is yet to be discussed in the board," Zakir said.

Besides Shabbir, former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Farhat, Taufiq Umar, Azhar Mahmood also took part in the recently concluded ICL.

Still keen to play for Pakistan, Shabbir said Pakistan lost the series in India because it lacked a match winning bowler.

Source : http://www.hindu.com/

Cricket a common ground for immigrants

2007-12-21T17:17:00.000+05:30

On Sundays, Jamaica native Errol Eccles goes to church, comes home to change into his spiffy whites, and heads off to play a cricket match for the next seven hours. It is this 46-year-old's true passion.

Cricket, that is.

"What the West Indian teams are working on here is more than just cricket — we're trying to leave a legacy of who we are in Houston," said a philosophical Eccles, a senior gas and oil refinery consultant and a Houston West Indies Cricket player on his days off. "We're making our voices heard with our play."

Unless there is rain, more than 300 men who hail from Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa and the West Indies battle it out on any given weekend in Tom Bass Regional Park, flexing their national pride.

The men — virtually all immigrants — sport the obligatory white pants and shirts, blast dizzying pitches called googlies and top spinners to a batsman who runs between just two bases. To the untrained eye, it makes no sense at all. Yet in the last 20 years, this gentlemen's sport with very deep British colonial roots has blossomed in Houston just as Indians, Jamaicans and Pakistanis have settled here, laying down stakes, not to mention their wickets.

"The point is, there is a common culture among all these players and that is cricket," said Itty Abraham, professor of government and Asian studies at the University of Texas at Austin. "It doesn't matter where you come from."

The men make up the Houston Cricket League and its birth, rapid growth and success is intrinsically linked to H-1B visas and the influx of immigrants to this city.

"We had an influx of pretty skilled cricketers from South Africa, the West Indies, India and Pakistan," said Michael Greathead, a pioneering league member who moved to Houston in the 1980s when he opened up a copper-based alloy manufacturing business. He is from Zimbabwe. "The league is singularly due to immigration."

The numbers say it all. Census 2000 data show there were more than 15,500 West Indians in the Houston area, but in 2006 the Caribbean population grew to about 22,000. The jump was even more pronounced among Indians and Pakistanis. About 52,000 Indians and 11,000 Pakistanis were present in Houston in 2000. In 2006, there were 74,000 Indians and 16,000 Pakistanis, according to census data.

Building traditions

"Cricket for me is my childhood passion, it is like a religion in India," said Yogesh Patel, 59, who is the league's current president and who arrived in Houston in the 1970s. "Back home, I would never have gotten the flavor of the Caribbean culture, I would never have gotten a chance to play with South Africans. Here, this is all possible."

The league started back in 1986 among a group of British expats who worked for Chevron Corp., Greathead said. They played a friendly game of cricket behind St. Agnes Academy on Bellaire, he said.

In those days, there were about nine teams. Now, there are 20 clubs with various divisions that together field more than 30 teams. Everyone pays membership fees for uniforms. Each team must play 16 games, Patel said.

Legacy in jeopardy?

They outgrew St. Agnes and convinced the city to allow them to have five cricket fields in Tom Bass Regional Park in south Houston. The fields are maintained by the players, however a hot topic. The pitch, or the running strip between the two wickets, is usually patted down with a special clay for high-level international cricket matches, said Faisal Zaman, 34, of the Houston Cougars. But the players here have had to improvise they use Astro turf.

Most of the Houston Cricket League's teams are formed along ethnic and nationalistic lines. Bhakta India Cricket Club, for example, primarily consists of men with the last name "Bhakta" and they all hail from a region in India called Gujarat, said engineer Faisal Zaman, 34, who plays for the Cougars and hails from Karachi, Pakistan.

There are the Texas Olden Goldies: "We range in age from 50 to 70 years old," said M.J. Khan, 58, the Houston city councilman. "I'm one of the young guys on the team."

Age is not the only variance. The players also range in skill. Two members on the Memorial team, for example, play on the professional level for the U.S. national cricket team. They are engineer Sushil Nadkarni, 31, and accountant Niraj Shah, 25.

Locals who are following the sport fear for the league's future. Team members complain their children aren't playing the sport as much.

"All these 300 men are probably first generation and it's not going to be taken up by the next generation, it's not going to be adopted by the children," said Sharmila Rudrappa, a University of Texas sociology professor who specializes in South Asian immigration. "This cricket popularity is going to be quite dependent on new arrivals coming here all the time."

Source : http://www.chron.com/

ICL proves a point with T20 championship

2007-12-18T16:50:00.000+05:30

Born just this April, the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) has been able to crawl, walk and even run pretty fast as far as Indian cricket is concerned.

The successful conduct of its inaugural Twenty20 cricket championship - keeping the first-time organizing aberrations aside - at the Tau Devi Lal cricket stadium here has bolstered the $25 million ICL to be a viable alternative to the ever-dominating Board of control for cricket in India (BCCI).

If the stampede and the big traffic jam outside the stadium in Sector 3 here Sunday evening was a parameter for the success of the maiden ICL cricket tournament, the organizers clearly have reason to pat themselves on their backs. That the stampede and the traffic jam were more the result of mismanagement by both the ICL organizers and the local administration and police is another matter.

But the chaos proved one thing, BCCI or ICL - people just love the game and will do anything to see it.

Inside the floodlit stadium - with a capacity of 7,000 - there were close to 10,000 spectators for the final game played between eventual winners Chennai Superstars and local favourites Chandigarh Lions. Even during other match days, most enclosures of the small stadium - virtually put into shape in just five weeks from being just another cricket ground - were full of spectators.

The light and sound show - right from Bollywood stars like Kareena Kapoor, Yana Gupta, Malaika Arora, Dia Mirza, Tanushree Dutta, Ajay Devgan, Irrfan Khan, Ayesha Takia and others, singers, music directors, politicians like Railway Minister Lalu Prasad - and the fireworks that lit up the Panchkula skies every time a four or six was hit or a wicket fell or a match or innings ended had everyone enthralled.

And not to forget the Russian cheerleaders who made every effort to keep people on their toes even in the early winter chill of this town located at the foothills of the Himalayas.

'You can see from your own eyes what we are trying to do, what we did and what we created in the last 15 days. Yes, there were a lot of teething problems but you don't have to tell me. We are trying to make them (teams, officials) all comfortable. But if I try to compare this with somebody (BCCI) who has 50 years organization (ability), this is just the first tournament we ever did,' an elated Kapil Dev said as the championship drew to a close.

Everything at this stadium - right from the grass to pitches, stands to floodlights, dressing rooms to the media box housed in a container - was put up in five weeks.

'We had a good time playing here. Some of the younger Indian players showed a lot of promise,' Chandigarh Lions captain Chris Cairns said as his team lost the final played here Sunday.

Essel (Zee) group - the parent organization of ICL - chairman Subhash Chandra was equally happy with the way that ICL went.

'We were overwhelmed by the response that ICL has evoked. I can assure you, the ICL has worked as per the business model planned,' Chandra said as he announced five tournaments in the ICL calendar for next year here Sunday.

The ICL championship offered the highest prize money for any Indian cricket tournament - Rs.150 million. Winners Chennai Superstars took away the prize of Rs.39 million ($1 million) while runners-up Chandigarh Lions took Rs.19 million. Brian Lara's Mumbai Champs - a much fancied team in the event - which finished sixth and last in the championship took home Rs.8.5 million.

For every match won, teams took home another Rs.2.5 million. Every player of the match was richer by Rs.375,000.

'My entire team worked very hard for this. Sometimes we wonder that so many things look so easy but if it really turns out to be as good as that (the ICL championship), you feel happy and satisfied. We want to tell you and promise you that we will do our very best (in future),' Kapil Dev said.

And Kapil is not letting up without giving a fight to the BCCI - which sacked him as National Cricket Academy's chairman when he joined ICL - to provide a viable alternative for cricket in India.

'We will not let you down, we will work for everything - our life is dependent on that. In a few years, these boys will play for the country. If that does not happen, I think the best players will not be playing for the country. I will be disappointed,' he said in his parting shot at the BCCI.

Source : http://www.indiaenews.com/

Let players sign in India - May

2007-12-18T16:35:00.000+05:30

International players should be allowed to retire and take up lucrative contracts with Twenty20 leagues in India, according to Tim May, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations. May said any move by national boards to stop such retirements, or to ban players who join Twenty20 leagues, could be a restraint of trade and might result in court action.

"If a player wants to retire from international cricket because he's had enough and wants to spend more time with his family and he can seek employment elsewhere, to allow him to spend more time with his family, then, like any other employee, he should be allowed to," May told the Australian.

"We will resist that [banning players] with everything we have. That is an unreasonable restraint of trade, which will be up to the players and the courts to test."

But while May said there was the potential for competitions like the Indian Premier League and the Indian Cricket League to lure players away from their international contracts, national boards also have another potential problem. The IPL's franchising system has raised questions over possible sponsorship clashes.

It is feasible that a Cricket Australia-contracted player could sign with a team owned by a company that provides services in competition with Cricket Australia's major sponsors, the Commonwealth Bank and Travelex. "That's a hypothetical question," James Sutherland, Cricket Australia's chief executive said.

"The facts are that we deal with these situations day after day, with players playing county cricket or in other situations. Players will need to work around these situations to be released."

Justin Vaughan, the New Zealand Cricket chief executive, said his board would have to revisit its payment structure to ensure non-IPL players are not easily enticed to a rebel Twenty20 outfit.

"We'll talk to the players' association because they are very mindful of that situation and we certainly don't want these players being lost to international cricket," Vaughan told the New Zealand Herald. "But it's great our players can make a lot of money playing cricket. That's fantastic."

The initial IPL sign-on fees were announced last week, with Shane Warne receiving a US$400,000 deal, Glenn McGrath attracting US$350,000 and Justin Langer signing up for US$175,000. However, those figures are base fees for being part of the player pool and do not include the salaries they will be paid by whichever franchise they join.

Source : http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/

Semi-Final 1: The Trump Cards

2007-12-14T17:14:00.000+05:30

The Superstars and Tigers will give it their all, in an attempt to clinch a final berth in the inaugural season of the ICL Indian 20:20 Championship. Taking into account the recent turn of events, there are a few players who are expected to create the biggest impact.

Ian Harvey (Chennai Superstars)
| Matches: 5 | Runs: 207 | Average: 51.75 | SR: 126 |

The multitalented Aussie will hope to set the pace for his team when the essential rematch against the Kolkata Tigers gets under. He is expected to play a crucial role, may it be with bat or ball.

* Has emerged as the highest run-scorer of the tournament.
* Versatile all-rounder – Opens the bowling and batting for Superstars.
* Has smashed 8 sixes at the event.

Craig McMillan (Kolkata Tigers)
| Matches: 5 | Runs: 182 | Average: 45.5 | SR: 141 |

The captain of the Kolkata Tigers has led from the front to steer his team to victories from tricky situations. He is an impact player and can give the Superstars the knock out punch when the teams collide.

* Second highest run-scorer of the tournament.
* 11 massive sixes to entertain the crowds – more than anyone so far.
* Always amongst the wickets too, leading from the front.

Abishek Jhunjhunwala (Kolkata Tigers)
| Matches: 5 | Runs: 126 | Average: 25 | SR: 135 |

The promising young player has been a steady number three batsman, chipping away with crucial knocks in four of the five matches. He is the pin up boy of the league and will hope to continue prop up McMillan and co.

* Has hit his straps with good quality knocks in the last two matches.
* Eighth highest run-scorer, second highest for Tigers.
* Lively player – great fielder, runner between the wickets.

Thiru Kumaran (Chennai Superstars)
| Matches: 4 | Wickets: 10 | Average: 10.5 | BB: 6/21 |

In a format that was initially touted as a batsman friendly setup, Thiru Kumaran has emerged as one of the most effective bowlers in the tournament. The veteran Chenani bowler has bowled sensibly, using plenty of variations.

* Highest wicket-taker of the tournament – 10 wickets.
* Experienced veteran, bowling leg-cutters and slower deliveries.
* Didn’t play in game 1 against Tigers, could prove to be surprise element.

Lance Klusener (Kolkata Tigers)
| Matches: 5 | Wickets: 9 | Average: 11.5 | BB: 3/16 |

Started unhurriedly but has picked up the momentum with the course of the tourney. ‘Zulu’ has played a few match-winning knocks already and has been the perfect first change bowler for the Kolkata Tigers. Is a power player and is capable of influencing match single-handedly.

* Has maintained an impressive economy rate of 6.10
* A perfect finisher, courtesy of his lusty hitting.
* Vast experience of playing in previous semi-finals.

Source : http://www.indiancricketleague.in/

'ICL has created a good infrastructure'

2007-12-12T16:48:00.000+05:30

Craig McMillan was an integral of the New Zealand team when he suddenly announced his retirement in October 2007. After leaving the international stage, McMillan came to India and joined the Indian Cricket League where he is leading the Kolkata Tigers.

The New Zealander is very excited for the ICL and said that the league is a good platform for the young Indian players to hone their skills.

"One is the exposure given to the young Indian players. They now have foreign trainers, world class fitness programme and coaching skills. The ICL has got men like Jock Campbell who was with the Australia team for a long time," McMillan replied when asked what advantages will the Indian players get from playing in the ICL.

He also pointed out that the Indian domestic circuit cannot provide such kind of exposure.

"They have been exposed to a lot of things that they never came across in domestic cricket. Hopefully they will learn a lot from all this and become better players. The ICL has created a good infrastructure for them. If the ICL had not come along they would have never experienced such a thing. Some one like Jock Campbell (coach of Chandigarh Lions) is one of the trainers and he has been with the Australian team for a long time. So his inputs will be of great help," he said.

With players like Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul Haq playing in the ICL, McMillan hoped that the Indian players would learn a lot from them.

"Playing alongside so many international players also has its advantage and the skills are passed on very quickly. I am sure the Indian players would learn a lot from some one like Brian Lara or Inzamam-ul Haq," he added.

Coming to the tournament, McMillan was disappointed on not winning the match against Mumbai Champs on Monday and securing a place in the semis.

"We are not worried about the run rate. We are worried about winning the next match and getting the two points so that we can reach the semi-finals. We were hoping for a win against Mumbai champs but that did not happen so let’s wait for the next match on Wednesday," he concluded.

Source : http://www.cricketnext.com/

Harvey powers Superstars to third consecutive victory

2007-12-11T16:57:00.000+05:30

The Chennai Superstars have overcome a fierce challenge from the Chandigarh Lions by achieving a breathtaking 4wicket victory to virtually confirm a berth in the semi-final stage of the tournament. Aussie all-rounder Ian Harvey (48) sustained his excellent form with a flurry of strikes to complete a successful run-chase and stamp his authority on the match.

The Lions' captain Chris Cairns won the toss and elected to bat first in Game 8 of the ICL Indian 20:20 Championship. Teams have found it a little easier to chase in the day matches here at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium and it certainly appeared that way when Ian Harvey and V Devendran went out to open the batting for the Superstars and began the run-chase of 148.

The match was all but won when Harvey was going along great guns but it eventually went down to the wire following a few bizarre dismissals, especially the run out of R Satish. Captain Stuart Law (13 not out) was there at the end to ensure his team achieved the significant third uninterrupted triumph. His partner, Vasanth Sarvanan (11 not out) was the man who struck the decisive blow in the last over off Daryl Tuffey (1/40) had a forgettable day, going for ten runs per over and overstepping the popping crease on more than a few occasions. The Chennai Superstars won the match with a ball to spare. Ian Harvey was adjudged the player of the match for his overall efforts with both bat and ball.

Left-handers Hemang Badani and Russell Arnold chipped in with seventeen each in the middle order to partner Harvey through the middle overs. Chris Cairns was the pick of the Lions bowlers – ending with staggering figures of 3/17. Both veterans Arnold and B added 34 runs each with Harvey for the third and fourth wicket respectively.

Debutant V Devendran smashed three boundaries in the space of four deliveries before playing an overambitious stroke against Daryl Tuffey and losing his middle stump in the process. The dismissal brought pinch hitter and wicket-keeper batsman Chris Read (18) to the crease who added 36 runs for the second wicket with Harvey.

Chris Cairns, who rolled his arm over for a change, struck with the crucial wicket of Read, when the Englishman tried to heave the Lions' captain for a six. Harvey continued to remain aggressive and ensured the flow of runs was not hampered.

The Chandigarh Lions received two early shocks when Imran Farhat (2) and Hamish Marshall (2) walked back to the pavilion within the first three overs. The dangerous Farhat was dismissed courtesy of a brilliant piece of fielding from Tamil Kumaran.

The early breakthroughs brought Tejinder Pal Singh (47) and Manish Sharma (36) to the crease and both played breezy knocks in order to restore control in the Lions innings. The duo added 70 runs for the third wicket and scored an invigorating rate. Sharma smashed three sixes in his innings and TP Singh struck one biggie.

A late flourish from Chetan Sharma (27) took the Lions to a middling total of 143 at the end. Tamil Kumaran (2/32) and Thiru Kumaran (2/31) continued to bowl in good rhythm and produced wickets at decisive stages for the Stuart Law-led team.

New-ball bowlers Ian Harvey (1/22) and Shabbir Ahmed (1/20) were as steady as ever and kept the run-rate under check all through the innings.

The Chandigarh Lions clash against the Mumbai Champs tomorrow and will try and confirm a semi-final berth. The Chennai Superstars, on the other hand will collide against the Hyderabad Heroes to complete the Sunday double-header.

Source : http://www.indiancricketleague.in/

Lions win run-feast against Champs by 38 runs

2007-12-11T16:53:00.000+05:30

Chandigarh Lions registered a 38-run victory over the Mumbai Champs to legitimately send Lara's team crashing out of the tournament and almost definitely, booking themselves a place in the semi-final stages of the ICL Indian 20:20 Championship.

It was a night of monstrous hitting – 14 sixes were struck in the match to send shivers down the spines of the cheerful fans. Player of the match Chris Cairns walloped seven of those sensational blows. Lara (9) looked in sublime form before being dismissed courtesy of the ‘catch of the tournament' by Hamish Marshall. The Kiwi leaped and grabbed the ball in thin air – the prince was ordained to leave the ground on a spectacular note.

A courageous run-chase was brought to life by Dheeraj Jadhav (58 from 39 balls), Kiran Powar (54 from 30 balls) and some other usable offerings but the propelling knock from Chris Cairns almost overshadowed and trounced the Champs' efforts. The captain of the Chandigarh Lions, clean shaved and all was clearly the star of the night.

Lara and Astle initiated the charge against the Lions bowlers by opening the batting. Both players looked at their fluent best before falling for 9 and 13 respectively. Astle was trapped in front by debutant Love Ablish and the Chandigarh Lions had started to roar.

It was the perfect setting for a feast of a match for the chock-a-block spectators that had gathered here at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, Chandigarh on a shimmering Sunday evening. It was a virtual do-or-die encounter between the Chandigarh Lions and the Mumbai Champs. Both teams had to win in order to stay afloat at the event.

The Chandigarh Lions captain struck a 17-ball half-century give the knockout blow to Lara and his boys. Cairns brought up his half century in just 17 balls. Cairns influenced his team to set a daunting target of 220 for the struggling Champs. Remember, Lara and his band had to win this to stay afloat in the competition.

Manish Sharma (37 not out from 22 balls) gave great support to his captain and the duo added 75 runs for fourth-wicket. Tejinder Pal Singh had scored 27 fluent runs before holding out to the third man boundary to Rakesh Patel, off Avinash Yadav's bowling.

The records tumbled on this night – 1) highest total of the tournament (219/4), 2) second highest total (181/5), 3) quickest fifty (Cairns – 17 balls), maximum sixes (Cairns – 7) and plenty more! There were more interesting statistics – the bowlers gave away 39 extras (23 by Champs and 16 by Lions).

Chris Cairns, the captain of the Chandigarh Lions, won the toss and elected to bat first. His openers, Hamish Marshall and Imran Farhat did not disappoint the crowd's desires and gave them what they wanted – a full flurry of strokes and plenty of boundaries to kick things off!

Farhat, who has emerged as one of the leading run-scorers of the tournament, continued his good run of form. The duo brought up the fifty in just five overs and scripted what was to follow. The left-hander scored a brisk 34 before being bowled by Nathan Astle.

It didn't help the Champs' cause when Avinash Yadav dropped a sitter when TP Singh hoisted one down the ground. The ball popped out of his hand and went away to the long on boundary to make matters worse for a worried Brian Lara.

The Champs conceded as many as 16 extras in less than 6 overs! A score in excess of 170 for the home team was clearly on the cards, unless Lara's boys could have triggered a late collapse. The situation worsened for the Champs when Chris Cairns walked out to the middle and took the game by the scruff off the neck.

There was a clear distinction between the two teams, when referring to the pace of scoring. The Champs took 12 overs to bring up their hundred, when compared to the 10.4 overs taken by the Lions. Lara's team managed 5 sixes in their innings whereas Cairns alone struck seven and his team totaled for a whooping nine.

What next for the Champs? The Lara-led team is officially out of the tournament's semi-final stages. They will play for pride when the clash against the Kolkata Tigers tomorrow night. The Lions, on the other hand will have to sit back, relax and hope that their net run-rate is better than the other teams to make the cut to the semi-final stage.

Source : http://www.indiancricketleague.in/news/news-35.html

Lara and his champs face do-or-die encounter

2007-12-07T16:15:00.000+05:30

It is Day 8 of the Indian Cricket League’s introductory season and the dreadful ticket of elimination is lynching over Brian Lara like a straight razor – the Trinidadian and his boys have to get their act together and pull off a win or they will be unsuccessful in making the cut to the final four and dishearten heaps of fans in the process.

Lara managed a golden ball duck in his 20:20 debut against the Hyderabad Heroes and followed up with a lackluster knock of four runs against the Chennai Superstars. Detractors believe that he hasn’t looked comfy at the crease and conceivably his delayed arrival and zero participation in the warmup games may be a significant explanation.

The Champs will certainly look forward to insistent players like Solanki, Astle, Jadhav and van der Wath striking fine form. They will have to bat around the Prince in his times of difficulty. They most definitely have the potency in their batting lineup to give them the much needed impetus.

"We cannot depend on individual performances alone. We will have to fire as a team," said Lara after the back-to-back defeats his team suffered. Lara can take heart from the Chandigarh Lions’ successful run-chase against the Hyderabad Heroes a couple of nights ago. After the first five matches, it was a widespread claim that teams could not chase under lights but the Lions chased 134 with more than three overs to spare.

Tonight, the Champs square off against the Delhi Jets, who are high on energy after handing a heavy defeat to the Hyderabad Heroes. The Jets have an in-form batting lineup with the likes of Taufeeq Umar, Abbas Ali and veterans Marvan Atapattu, Dale Benkenstein and JP Yadav.

Millions of Lara fans around the world have tuned into the Indian Cricket League to get a glimpse of their hero once again. They will implore that his band can pull of a victory to stay afloat in the tournament.

Source : http://www.indiancricketleague.in/

No tune in Lara's ICL theme

2007-12-06T17:33:00.000+05:30

The organisers of the Indian Cricket League might have succeeded in bringing Brian Lara to play in India.

But five days into the tournament it seems that the former West Indian captain is a total failure, not just in terms of his run scoring but also his total disinterest in the event.

Perhaps that stems from the fact that he reportedly wanted to pull out even before the event got underway.

The Indian Cricket League has plenty of razzmatazz on offer for the fans. However, at a cricket event you want the real stars to be the cricketers.

Brian Lara should have been that star but the world record holder for the highest Test score looked like he would have preferred to have been anywhere but in Panckula.

The Mumbai Champs captain batted himself at No 5 in the game against Chennai Superstars even though the run rate had climbed high. Not surprisingly, Lara's team lost a second game on the trot - his scores so far a first ball duck and 4 off 5 balls.

It wasn't just on the field. Lara has refused to have much interaction with the fans even as other players gladly obliged autograph hunters.

Source : http://www.ndtv.com/

ICL a stage to showcase talent

2007-12-05T14:32:00.000+05:30

Looking at the youngsters, trying to make a mark in the ICL, former Test captain Ajit Wadekar was compelled to take a trip to the past when playing cricket was joy and nothing else.

Here for the Indian Cricket League as a Match Referee, along with off-spin great Erapalli Prasanna, the affable Wadekar recalled how some players just could not make it to the top despite the potential and faded away without a trace.

The forgotten ones

Vijay Bhosle, Sudhakar Adhikari, Prem Bhatia were names that came to his mind readily. “They were good and deserved to wear the National cap. But then they didn’t have the luck. Wish they had something like ICL then. Many cricketers, who were needy, would have benefited immensely,” said Wadekar.

More than financial security at the ICL, it is the platform to showcase their abilities that seems to have been the reason for many to join this venture. “What a pity the Board has decided to ban them from domestic cricket,” he added.

As Wadekar pointed out, many of today’s youngsters, unable to make it to the big league, would not be lost to the cricket world unsung. “If they have come for money, what is wrong with it? At least their future would be secure,” he stressed.

The ICL, as Wadekar emphasised, is not a rival to the BCCI. “We are making an effort to offer some cricket and some money to young cricketers. We need the seniors to guide them and what better than some of the greats of the game. I have been associated with cricket all my life and I am so happy to share my experience,” he said.

Wadekar concluded by appealing for the authorities to support the ICL. “The BCCI has been in existence for 75 years now. You think we can challenge them. It is wrong to say that the ICL is a confrontation. It is a platform for many to perform and attract attention.”

Source : http://www.hindu.com/

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Twenty20 power-packed, electrifying: Whitney

2007-12-04T09:33:00.000+05:30

Michael Whitney was a left-arm fast bowler of repute, playing alongside some of the famous Aussie bowlers, like Craig McDermott, Bruce Reid and Merv Hughes. But since his retirement from international cricket in 1993, Whitney has shown his penchant for adventure sports, besides cricket. He also hosts the famous television show, ‘Who Dares Wins’, so it was quite natural for his former teammate Dean Jones to invite him to the Indian Cricket League ‘Commentators box’.

You have been doing cricket commentary for a while now, mostly in the 50 overs cricket. How does it feel to commentate in the ICL 20-20 Indian Championship?

Michael Whitney: Yeah, am enjoying every bit of it. Twenty20 is really exciting and interesting. We have seen so much action in the ICL games that have been played so far. Although it is a shorter version, it has generated more interest. This is because Twenty20 games are action-packed and with fours and sixes galore during the match, commentating becomes more exciting. And it becomes more electrifying when spectators get involved with you.

Do you think ICL will be a success?

Michael Whitney: Definitely, it will be a success. Although, it is for the first time the ICL championship is being conducted, but the way it has been put forth is very healthy for the promotion of cricket, especially for the youngsters, who can rub shoulders with internationally-acclaimed cricketers. It was Dean Jones who told me about ICL and it was he who asked me to be part of the commentary team. Naturally, I was inclined to this new concept.

Talking about the upcoming India-Australian series, how do you think India will perform on the bouncier tracks of Australia?

Michael Whitney: India has some great players in Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan. The Australian bowling department would miss the services of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Stuart McGill. So, young players like Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Hogg need to bowl with a certain plan to the Indians who have a strong batting line-up. I feel it will Brett Lee who will make a difference this time.

How would you rate India as a team before going to Australia?

Michael Whitney: India is a very balanced side. They showed their mettle by winning the One-Day series and the first Test at Kotla against Pakistan. But the conditions and pitches would be entirely different in Australia. Unlike the Eden Garden track, which happens to be a batsman's paradise, the pitches in Australia will be bouncy. The Indians will have problem dealing with the bouncy wickets especially in Perth. And the fact that India will just play one three-day match before the Test will not work in their favour. I think they should have had more practice games before the real Test starts.

Source : http://www.expressindia.com/

Australians dismiss split over Indian Premier League

2007-12-03T15:17:00.000+05:30

Cricket Australia's chief executive, James Sutherland, has dampened speculation about a major row with its leading players over next year's Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

At least 11 of Australia's top players, including the captain, Ricky Ponting, and vice-captain, Adam Gilchrist, have signed a memorandum of understanding to play in the tournament in April and May, when Australia will be in Pakistan. The players could earn up to $1m (£486,000) each.

Sutherland said he had written to the players saying he would not grant them consent to play unless his organisation was involved in negotiations. He dismissed suggestions, in an Australian newspaper, that a major split was looming.

Cricket Australia's chief executive, James Sutherland, has dampened speculation about a major row with its leading players over next year's Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

At least 11 of Australia's top players, including the captain, Ricky Ponting, and vice-captain, Adam Gilchrist, have signed a memorandum of understanding to play in the tournament in April and May, when Australia will be in Pakistan. The players could earn up to $1m (£486,000) each.

Sutherland said he had written to the players saying he would not grant them consent to play unless his organisation was involved in negotiations. He dismissed suggestions, in an Australian newspaper, that a major split was looming.

"There's no issue between Cricket Australia and the players," Sutherland said. "The letter is really just of procedural nature, just reminding players of responsibilities as this issue continues to develop with opportunities into the Indian Premier League."

CA's manager of public affairs, Peter Young, dismissed comparisons between the current issue and Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket breakaway 30 years ago. "I think it is over-egging the pudding a little bit," he said. "It is more an issue of saying it is a bit rude to sign up without talking to your employer. It would be a breach of contract to play without our permission."

Gilchrist agreed, saying: "I think it's pretty dramatic to draw comparisons between the Twenty20 revolution and World Series Cricket all those years ago. World Series Cricket was quite dramatic and there was a lot of bad blood around at that time, from what I've learned, but it's far from that at the moment. No one will play [in the IPL] without consent.

"We're not trying to be rebels here. We're not looking for a moment to bend the rules or our contracts with Cricket Australia. They are our employer, as simple as that."

Source : http://sport.guardian.co.uk

Lions begin campaign on triumphant note

2007-12-01T09:41:00.000+05:30

The Chandigarh Lions started their campaign in the ICL 20:20 Indian Championship on a captivating note, defeating the Delhi Jets by a nerve-racking 9-run margin. The Lions received tremendous support from the crowd - with cheerleaders dancing away to glory at every run-out attempt, dismissal or LBW appeal. The loud music and the enchanting crowds confirmed that the foundational day of the Indian Cricket League is one to remember.

A potent new ball attack comprising of Darrell Tuffey (3/16) and Andrew Hall (2/26) ripped through the top order of the Delhi Jets and ensured the momentum was firmly with the Chandigarh, despite defending a middling total of 135.

Delhi needed 34 runs from the last three overs after a late flourish from Jai Prakash Yadav and Abbas Ali but it was a crucial over from experienced death overs bowler Andrew Hall that swung the match back in the Lions' favour. It went down to the wire with Jets needing 16 off the last over all hopes rested on veteran batsman Abbas Ali, but the thrust was clearly with the Lions.

There were numerous run-out attempts right throughout the innings, which bears out that the Jets were skeptical in their running between the wickets and felt the heat against the 'technical host team' of the ICL. Jets hit the first six of their innings in the 15th over - a statistic that is rarely encountered with in a 20:20 action-packed match.

Jets' captain Marvan Atapattu (29) stroked four crisp boundaries and looked in complete command before top edging a Tuffey delivery to Reetinder Singh Sodhi at mid-off.

Andrew Hall got rid of the dangerous Taufiq Umar in the very first over with an almost unplayable late swinging delivery for a duck. Mishra and Atapattu partnered for 28 runs before Darrell Tuffey got into the act. The first of the Kiwi's three wickets came in the sixth over when Mishra was out caught behind by wicket-keeper Sarabjit Singh.

Earlier, the Chandigarh Lions were bundled out for just 134 after they were cruising on 88-2 at one stage but a late resurgence from the Atapttu-led Jets triggered the Lions' collapse.

Ali Murtaza (3/16) and Abishek Sharma (3/16) were the pick of the bowlers for Jets - claiming five wickets within the space of 15 deliveries. JP Yadav (2/26) provided the initial breakthroughs for the Delhi Jets - snapping the two New Zealanders in the Lions outfit - Hamish Marshall (23) and Darrell Tuffey (0).

At one stage, the Jets looked good to accumulate a total in excess of 180 - especially with the start given to the hosts by Pakistan opener Imran Farhat, who struck the first six of the tournament when he smashed Abid Nabi over long on, giving the crowd a lot to cheer about.

Atapattu was running out of bowling options as Nabi, Srivatsava and Yadav all proved to be very expensive. Murtaza and Sharma were primarily responsible for the Jets' position of ascendancy in the match during the half-time stage.

The crowds erupted every time a boundary was struck - the musicians on the stage rejoiced and started banging their drum sets - making it loud and clear that they love the 20:20 format of the sport.

Lara's Mumbai Champs will collide against Inzamam's Hyderabad Heroes on Day 2 of the tournament. The other match of the day will feature the Chennai Superstars going up against the Kolkata Tigers.

Counties warned off Indian Cricket League

2007-11-30T09:39:00.000+05:30

The England and Wales Cricket Board have threatened counties with exclusion from cricket's new equivalent of football's Champions League if they allow their players to join the rebel Indian Cricket League.

The ECB are supporting the Indian Board of Control, who have outlawed the ICL, which is due to start this month, and established their own Twenty20 competition, the Indian Premier League, which is scheduled to get underway next spring.

The ECB have already warned English players that they could jeopardise their chances of playing for England if they sign up to play in the ICL.

Now the ECB have also put pressure on the counties by warning them that their participation in the Champions League, which is due to be staged in India next October with a prize fund of £2.3 million, could be threatened if they have players contracted to the ICL.

Ian Smith, the Professional Cricketers' Association lawyer, said: "The ECB seem to be going further in supporting the Indian Board over the ICL than any other board and it is not clear to us why. We would like some clarification as to why."

England, along with South Africa, Australia and India, will provide two qualifiers for the Champions League from the domestic Twenty20 competition. The prize money on offer far outweighs anything available in county cricket, where the top prize is £100,000 for the winners of the County Championship.

So far only two English players, Leicestershire's Paul Nixon and Darren Maddy, of Warwickshire, have signed to play in the ICL. But two Ireland internationals, Warwickshire's Boyd Rankin and Niall O'Brien, of Northamptonshire, have also been recruited.

An International Cricket Council delegation, in Pakistan to look at the organisation of next year's Champions Trophy, cut short their trip yesterday because of the imposition of a state of emergency.

Having visited Lahore and Sheikhupura, the delegation was due to go to Rawalpindi and Karachi, the other venues which will host the Champions Trophy practice and main matches.

President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency, suspending the constitution and restricting media activity.

Source : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

ICL has it all: Money, stars. And cricket

2007-11-30T09:22:00.000+05:30

Indian cricket has witnessed a disputed opinion on the Indian Cricket League (ICL) Twenty20 for quite some time now. There has been intense speculation on whether the ICL would turn into reality, with the BCCI opposing it and getting other cricket boards to oppose it too.

But despite everything, ICL kicks off on Friday, November 30, at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium here.

If cricket is all about cheering for the underdog, there hasn’t been an underdog like the ICL. From overseas stars to domestic recruits, from stars of yesteryears to some of the biggest names in Indian cricket history, people have braved bans to be here.

The first match pits the local team — Chandigarh Lions — against Delhi Jets. The prize money in the 17-day tournament is a whopping Rs 15 crore, and the team that finishes last also takes home Rs 85 lakh. The man of the match gets Rs 3.75 lakh per match.

Apart from the Chandigarh Lions and Delhi Jets, the teams participating are Kolkata Tigers, Chennai Superstars, Mumbai Champs and Hyderabad Heroes.

India’s captain of the 1983 World Cup winning team Kapil Dev, presently the Chairman of the ICL Board says: “The ICL is in a stage where one feels like that Test-match player who has butterflies in the stomach. But we have tried our best to get here. There have been several obstacles on the way, but we fought our way.”

This means there will be a lot at stake for the likes of Kapil Dev and other former India players like Ajit Wadekar, Erapalli Prasanna, Madan Lal, Sandeep Patil, Ashok Malhotra, Balwinder Sandhu, Rajesh Chauhan, who are associated with and support the ICL in some form or the other.

The focus of attention will be the legendary West Indian player Brian Lara who has landed here after much speculation, along with Inzamam ul-Haq, Craig McMillan, Chris Chairns, Nathan Astle, Stuart Law, Marvan Atapattu and the likes.

All the players promise to make this a cricket carnival. The opening ceremony on Friday evening is expected to have performances by Bollywood biggies like Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Aamir Khan.

A big screen has been installed for a more colourful ambience and it is reason enough that hardly any of the 7000 tickets are available for the opening day’s ceremony and match.

Pitted along with the India-Pakistan Test series, the organisers feel people will definitely watch the matches on TV as the ICL matches start at 6 pm, much after the day’s play in the Test would have ended.

The next couple of weeks will tell if the ICL can bring a new start?

Source : http://www.expressindia.com/

The Launch of the Jerseys

2007-11-29T14:21:00.001+05:30

It was a fashionable evening at ‘Poison’ in Bandra when the ICL crew decided to unveil the jerseys and the teams who were slated to participate in the inaugural 20-20 Indian Championship. We were there, and witnessed first hand the colourful attires the players were going to sport at the event.

We were anxiously waiting to know which cities would represent the league in the introductory season, and I was happy to know that Mumbai was one of them. Slogans of the Mumbai Champs, Kolkata Tigers, Delhi Jets, Hyderabad Heroes, Chennai Superstars and Chandigarh Lions were uncovered and it prompted a huge cheer in the assembled spirited ones.

The sizzling models made their way out to walk the ramp wearing the teams’ jerseys. The designer of which is the celebrated Indian fashion guru Manish Arora. He cuddled around all the models and offered an unruffled snap – one that summed up the night. Rohan Gavaskar and Robin Morris were sipping their drinks and conversing with the likes of Kapil Dev, Kiran More, Ayaz Memon (senior journalist) and Himanshu Mody (Business Head, ICL).

Well we had a blast myself watching these colourful people on their starry night.

Indian Cricket League to try new rules in Twenty20 championship

2007-11-29T12:14:00.000+05:30

The rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) will try a few new rules in the Twenty20 cricket matches to be played in its inaugural championship to be held at the Tau Dev Lal sports complex, 15 km from Chandigarh, starting Friday.
"We are going to experiment with a few new rules in this championship. Let us see how these turn out to be," ICL chairman and cricket legend Kapil Dev said. One of the new rules to be used in ICL's T-20 championship will be not to allow overthrow runs to the batsmen if the ball hits the stumps when a fielder is trying to run out a batsman. In case the ball hits the stumps in the run out attempt and the batsman has reached the crease, no overthrow runs can be taken.
However, if the ball does not hit the stumps, overthrow runs will be allowed, as per International Cricket Council (ICC) rules.

ICL camp upbeat ahead of launch

2007-11-29T12:12:00.000+05:30

Walk into the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula and you’d think a rock concert is about to hit town. Volunteers go about their work in a relaxed atmosphere - light towers being set up, temporary stands erected, lawn-mowers puffing away - and it’s tough to miss a big dais mounted at the end of the ground. Listen carefully and names of Bollywood actresses like Kareena Kapoor and Yana Gupta, and pop groups like Band of Boys float in the air.

However, cricket tournaments, especially massively-hyped, apparently path-breaking, ones like the Indian Cricket League, deserve better. The stadium is too small - almost like one used for college games - and the outfield dangerously patchy. The organisers prefer to take refuge in the “weather hampering our plans” line but that couldn’t have been true for seven months.

The vibes, though, are all gung-ho. Sandeep Patil, the former Indian middle-order batsman currently coaching the Mumbai Champs, says it’s a “miracle” that the stadium has been ready in 28 days and adds, “its the same outfield for all teams”. Himanshu Modi, the ICL business head, is also upbeat. “We kept in mind many things while building the stadium. We needed to make allowance for scaling it up later. It’s an architecturally well-designed stadium.”

Late in the afternoon, Brian Lara, clothed in a garish orange Mumbai Champs suit, walked onto the outfield, one which was being treated with urea and other fertilisers. There was some doubt over Lara’s participation in the tournament, with the talk of him shifting to the BCCI’s Indian Premier League. Modi, however, laughed off these suggestions. “The reason I kept quiet was that I know our friends [BCCI] were trying to reach him out. I was having a daily laugh with him on the phone. And they tried whatever they could but a contract is a contract. And people want to honour it.”

This isn’t Modi’s first run-in with the Indian board. In fact what irks some in the ICL camp is the board’s interference with every step. “How will you feel if someone was constantly stopping you from doing something interesting?” says Erapalli Prasanna, the former Indian offspinner who’s currently a match referee at this tournament.

Modi says the BCCI’s actions only endorse the good work that the ICL is doing. “It’s almost like they’re saying, ‘What they do, we will also follow’. We did ICL, they did IPL. They are endorsing our own format. We keep getting these individual comments in the press - from Rajeev Shukla, Lalit Modi, IS Bindra, Niranjan Shah - but officially from the BCCI has ICL got a letter till date? Not one. Have I written letters to them? Yes, three. I’ve not got a single official reply signed from their secretary. We’re just asking them to take an official stance. Officially our members have heard only from their state associations. Like the Cricket Association of Bengal not allowing entry into their stadium etc. But nothing from the BCCI.”

A few fans mill about near the impressive practice area, most waiting to get a glimpse of Lara. He has a few knocks against throw-downs from Rajesh Chauhan, the former Indian offspinner. “We’ve had a positive response to ticket sales,” said Modi, hoping that the presence of international stars will attract an audience. “I’m sure the response will only get better because people who come for the first game will see the Bollywood entertainment that is planned.

“We’ve invited filmstars, politicians and other VIPs. The Haryana chief minister is the chief guest on the opening day. He will be addressing the audience. Kareena Kapoor will be dancing too. Yana Gupta is scheduled to perform on one of the days. We’ll have our Sa Re Ga Ma Pa stars (winners of the television reality show) too. The Band of Boys will play almost every day.”

There promises to be some entertaining cricket shows as well. One of the members of the commentary team, former Australian left-arm bowler Mike Whitney, said he might be moving around in the crowd and “having a bit of fun chatting to the spectators”.

Modi makes no qualms about entertainment being their USP. “It’s like our singing contests. We make money out if it but provide singers with a platform to showcase their talents. We hope the cricketers take the chance.” At the end of it all Modi and team will hope they can turn around to the spectators and repeat what Lara asked on the day he retired: “Did I entertain you?” In the answer may lie the success or failure of this tournament.

Source : http://www.cricket247.in/

ICL: The future of Indian cricket is here

2007-11-28T16:47:00.000+05:30

The Mumbai Champs team bus started on its first promotional drive to roll out the Indian Cricket League (ICL) bandwagon. One thing stood out. The slogan read: "ICL, the future of Indian cricket".

"I got the ICL offer from Kiran (More), who wanted me to begin first as a talent scout," says Rajesh Chauhan, former India off-spinner. He is now the assistant coach to Sandeep Patil with the Champs. The 40-year-old Chauhan still looks in great shape and is eager to share the knowledge he accrued playing the game at the highest level.

"Nine years after I left cricket this is the first time someone approached me" is Chauhan's prime reason for having joined ICL. He is anything but happy with the way he has been treated by the board. Chauhan, who now lives in Bhilai, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, has an academy there.

Robin Morris, a key all-rounder for the Champs, played his last first-class game three years ago. "I took eight wickets in the match, but while fielding I suffered an injury to my right shoulder. Even though I was in pain I bowled 46 overs," reminisces Morris as he takes his lunch in the makeshift dressing room in a corner of the Western Railway ground.

Just few months into the ICL fold, and Morris is already at home. "If ICL had been around three years ago, I would've joined without any hesitation. ICL is a very well-organised system" says Morris, who is very impressed with the training sessions held by the ICL. "Here everybody gets fair opportunity," said Morris.

Kiran Powar, a talented left-handed batsman is happy to be on board. "The amount of information we get from the backroom staff is such an eye-opener that now we think if we had had access to the same five years ago, we could've even played for the country."

Morris points out another vital difference. "There are international stars [at the practice] like [Nathan] Astle and [Johan] van der Wath who point out where we are good and where we might be going wrong." The international stars, even if they are retired, are a big attraction to the domestic players in the ICL. Dheeraj Jadhav, part of the India Test squad two years ago, believes the level of competition he'll face from the "well-balanced sides" in the ICL will stand him in good stead. "The competitive cricket I'll get to play at the ICL will help me boost my performance."

"As a professional cricketer I did take into account the money factor and it definitely counted a lot in my deciding in favour of the ICL," said Jadhav.

Says Jadhav: "If I perfom well, the ICL people have assured me of their full backing." Jadhav doesn't want to discuss the fine print, but is confident that ICL will deliver. Morris and Powar say that it's the exposure and the feeling of walking out with the likes of Brian Lara and Inzmam-ul-Haq is irresistible. "Previously no-one would know that I was playing out there. With ICL I know that people will recognise me," says Morris with a smile.

About ICL

2007-11-28T16:38:00.000+05:30

India is now a global economic power with analysts predicting an excellent future for the country. Research suggests that by 2050, India would be among the top four global economies. The liberalisation policy has ignited entrepreneurial passions and catapulted India as a giant in sectors like IT and biotechnology.

Although India has emerged as an economic powerhouse, to be a true global power multifaceted excellence is the norm. Sport is an area where consistent performance and domination creates a global giant. India has to achieve it to be a true world power. The Essel group has taken an initiative in this frontier and the ICL is a step in this direction.

Cricket in India is a national obsession and a religion. It is a game which governs national pride and has fantastic following. Cricket is also the game where we are the closest to becoming a champion side. BCCI, the governing body of cricket in India provides contracts to just about 20 players which does not produce high quality large bench strength. Reserve bench strength can be produced by lifting the level of domestic cricket. This will help the youngsters acclimatize to the rigors of International cricket.

ICL's mission is to create a pool of high quality ideal cricketers with killer instinct needed to be champions. This group of players should be able to perform under the pressures of international cricket and make India a champion side.

The ICL has planned a 3D strategy to achieve this target.

'Discovery' the first stage involves the best talent scouts traveling across the country to identify and unearth the finest of talents on offer.

The second stage 'Diligence' would be carried out at specially built state of the art ICL residential academies across the country. The selected talent would undergo a strict training process at these academies. Their training would include skill based - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual modules. This training would be provided by seasoned professionals and would involve cutting edge sport science practices and traditional Indian sciences like Yoga.

The third stage 'Display' is a professional cricket competition in a league format enabling the youngsters to display their prowess along and against the giants of world cricket.

The ICL would be run by a set of professionals with policies benchmarked against the best sports organizations globally. The executive board and other officials in ICL have a proven track record of managing sport especially cricket. Processes have been set in place to ensure transparency and high effectiveness.

Sport globally is a multi million dollar business. In the USA Sports related activities are the 11th largest contributor to the GDP. Sport has proven to be a very successful vehicle for corporates to associate with in furthering their commercial interests.

The ICL is keen to invite partners to move ahead in its goal. This document provides a description of the ICL and the various commercial opportunities and benefits associated with it. We look forward to your partnership in propelling India as a global cricketing and sporting power.