ICL Willing To Release International Players From ICL Contracts

 

The Indian Cricket League’s organisers have confirmed that they are willing to scrap contracts should players wish to return to international action.

 

Players involved with the ICL have been barred from plying their trade at international level because the Twenty20 tournament is not officially sanctioned.

 However with the ICL facing an uncertain future due to the economic slowdown, some players are keen to return to national teams while the Pakistani outfit, the Lahore Badshahs, have spoken about the idea of playing in America.

 ICL director Kapil Dev has said the league would not hinder the players’ efforts.

 “We are proud to give these players an opportunity to play for their countries,” Kapil told the Hindustan Times.

 “Unlike some other boards, we are against the idea of denying players the chance to represent their country.”

 The Board of Control for Cricket in India effectively banned the ICL because it rivals its own twenty20 competition the Indian Premier League (IPL).

 ICL official Roland Landers confirmed some players had terminated their contracts.

 “If players want to take this route to play for their countries, we will not restrict them,” he said.”We have never restricted them from playing anywhere anyway.”

 The Pakistan Cricket Board is keen to include ICL players in their national team, but are awaiting clearance from the International Cricket Council.

PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said he had written to the ICC asking for clarity on whether players who have snapped ties with the ICL could return immediately to international duty.

The ICL hit the headlines last weekend after New Zealand’s Sunday News reported that New Zealand players involved in the ICL have received an e-mail from the league stating that they will be released from their contracts if they request for a termination. Justin Vaughan, the chief executive of New Zealand Cricket (NZC), told the paper if these players end their association with the unofficial league, they will be immediately available for selection to the New Zealand national side.

Earlier, there were also reports from Pakistan that a few of their ICL players, including Mohammad Yousuf, were planning to end their association with the unauthorised Twenty20 league and return to international cricket. The Pakistan board has also indicated it would welcome their ICL players back to the national fold if they cut all ties with the unauthorised league.