Shane Bond joins rebel Indian Cricket League

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

Six more Pak players may join ICL

Six more Pak players may join ICL

Reports have suggested that at least six more Pakistan cricketers may join the ICL, and they are mainly players who don’t have permanent places in the national team.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already banned six of its Indian Cricket League (ICL) players from playing domestic cricket.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, Abdul Razzaq, Shabbir Ahmed, Taufiq Umar, Imran Farhat and Azhar mahmood have been told that they cannot represent their parent department in any PCB-recognised tournament after participating in the recently held ICL.

Farhat, Umar and Ahmed have said that they will move the courts over the ban.

Meanwhile, the PCB’s Media Director, Ahsan Hameed Malik, has confirmed the player ban.

“Yes, the PCB has written a letter to all the affiliated units on December 6, instructing them not to allow (to play) any such players, who are involved with any league cricket, not recognized by the board,” the Dawn quoted Malik, as saying.

“The PCB is only punishing the players to please its Indian counterpart, otherwise there is nothing wrong in the entire matter,” Imran countered.

Resource: www.indiancricketleaguenews.wordpress.com

Success of ICL tournament justified participation: Hall

Johannesburg : Despite his side, Chandigarh Lions, losing to the Chennai Superstars in the final of the Indian Cricket League Twenty20 tournament, South African cricketer Andrew Hall has said the success of the inaugural event justified the participation of international players, most of whom have been branded rebels.Writing in his weekly column “Report from a Rebel” in the Afrikaans weekly Rapport here, Hall said the tournament was “a gigantic success” and the players were very happy with the way it had turned out.

“This success has vindicated my decision - and that of all the other South African players - to come and play here (in Chandigarh ). Sometimes one has to take a chance, especially with something which is initially a gamble.”

Hall’s side lost to the Chennai Superstars Sunday in the finals of the inaugural Indian Cricket League (ICL) Twenty20 championship.

Hall and several other South African players have been considered rebels by Cricket South Africa , the national body for the sport here. Some are in litigation with the body after it decided to exclude them from even local squads.

“It’s incredible how the players from the different countries came together to make the ICL such a showpiece. Besides all the excitement on the field, the tournament also gave us as players an outcome - a guaranteed future and (job) security.

“Everyone knew exactly when they would be playing, how you would be used and that you are appreciated as a player, something every (player) wants in his career,” Hall added.

Hall said it did not matter that his side lost the game.

“I had the opportunity to teach a few young Indian players something which hopefully will make a difference in their careers. That is in the long run why every one of the so-called international players was here.

Resource: www.aboutindiancricketleague.com