ICL Information

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 Khan 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

Brian Lara on Tuesday said that Indian Cricket League is an excellent platform for upcoming players and BCCI closing the door of national team for ICL players was unfortunate.

“I feel this (restraining players) is unfortunate. Individuals must be given options and doors should not be closed on them. For any cricketer the ultimate dream is to represent ones country,” Lara said.

“Many of those playing in ICL have been on national squads earlier. However, I am optimistic that this is just an aberration and the Boards will allow players the option to play for their country,” he said.

Lara, captain of Mumbai Champs, one of the six teams featuring in ICL’s Twenty20 tournament, said youngsters have learnt a lot in the company of former international players.

“The confidence and motivation of some of the Indian players playing in this tournament is something to watch for. It is great to see these players learn valuable things here and I am sure four or five years from now they will be playing international cricket,” 37-year-old Lara told reporters.

Besides Lara, former international stars like Marvan Atapattu, Chris Cairns, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Stuart Law and Craig Macmillan are captaining other teams taking part in the 17-day long tournament, finals of which will be played on Sunday.

Lara’s Mumbai Champs were ousted as they lost four consecutive matches and the West Indian himself in poor touch.

“I feel I am still adapting to the Twenty20 cricket. It has been the first tournament and I hope things will not be the same next time,” he said.

news source : http://www.hindustantimes.com/

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.

news source : http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtvcricket/

What made you join the ICL ?
It was a big challenge and an opportunity for me. I have never played enough T20 cricket. So, I just thought of challenging myself and my cricketing abilities. I want to continue playing cricket for another 2-3 years and maximize my talent. I also thought that the ICL would be an ideal opportunity to give back to the game.

What are your views on the various cricket boards’ stand on the ICL ?
I don’t think ICL should be blocked. It’s provides a great opportunity to cricketers, young and old to improve on their abilities. If we call cricket a career, one should not be denied a chance to earn. Imposing sanctions on the ICL would be unfortunate, as you tend to stop income/revenue, exposure and the experience of playing with the top cricketers.

What made you retire all of a sudden ?
It was not a sudden decision I made. I always had a fair idea of when I should retire. I did not want to hang around in a system I didn’t believe in and also, give opportunities to newer talent in Sri Lanka. And, half-way through my innings at Hobart, I knew that it was coming.

Did you retire out of frustration?
No. If I was frustrated, I would have left half-way through the World Cup.

What are your post-retirement plans ?
As I said, I want to continue playing cricket for the next 2-3 years, wherever it be. I will finish this tournament and then leave for Australia to play club cricket and also in the English summer, where I am scheduled to turn out for Lashings XI. Apart from that, I am in initial talks with Channel Nine over a commentary stint during the Triangular ODI Series in Feb 2008. I want to be involved with cricket for as long as I could.

MUMBAI, India (CMC):

FORMER WEST Indies captain and batting superstar Brian Lara touched down on Sunday and his first stroke was to make a clarion call for recognition of the controversial Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Lara ended much speculation when he arrived in India as the most high-profile recruit of the ICL which has failed to receive official sanction from the Indian board which has threatened players with lengthy bans.

“The reaction from the established cricket bodies was along the expected lines but I was still disappointed,” he said.

“The problems faced by the ICL are similar to those faced by Sir Allen Stanford when he came up with his idea in the West Indies which has now been accepted by the West Indies board.

“The intentions are quite honourable and I hope down the line people (official cricket bodies) will understand what this league is about and accept it,” he said. Lara, Test cricket’s highest runscorer and holder of records for the highest Test and first-class innings, is looking forward to the start of the ICL in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh on Friday.

Committed to the ICL

“I could not come earlier because of some personal things which needed to be sorted out, but I have always been committed to play in the ICL after signing up in June,” Lara said at a news conference staged at the Western Railway stadium.

“I am looking forward to playing in the league with the Mumbai Champs team (which he will be leading). I would love to play alongside the young players from India who may not have had the opportunity to play with me and other international players.

“Twenty20 is a very exciting game and is fun. It has given the authorities a chance to take the game to places not familiar with cricket.”

Lara will join England’s Chris Read, Paul Nixon, Darren Maddy and Vikram Solanki, Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul Haq, Sri Lanka’s Maravan Atapattu and New Zealand’s Chris Cairns in playing in the six-team rebel league.

The league is fronted by India legend Kapil Dev and bankrolled by Zee Telefilms media organisation, but the International Cricket Council, cricket’s world governing body, has also refused to acknowledge the competition.