Cricket boards of several states in India are currently busy welcoming back some of their prodigal players whom they had lost to the ICL when they contracted to play with the rebel league and were thus banned from playing domestic cricket. Last month the BCCI announced that they would permit ICL players back into their fold and permit them to play official cricket if they would sever all ties with the ICL before the end of May.

It was a gesture that was on the face of it magnanimous, but was in reality only one more attempt by the BCCI to grind the ICL into the dirt. The ICL being in dire financial straits has not been able to hold their T20 tournaments as per schedule and have also been unable to pay their players so that the ICL players have been forced to look around in desperation. The BCCI timed its offer perfectly just when the banned players felt that they were running out of options and were quick to grab the supposed olive branch proffered by the BCCI.

The ICL was quick to say at this would not affect them negatively, since they were confident of being able to retain the players that they want. However now it seems that the exodus from the ICL is so widespread that it cannot but impact the ICL negatively.

Players associated with the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) have reportedly terminated their contract with the ICL and the HCA has announced that they will be able to play in the HCA league straightaway once they terminate their ICL contract, but that their selection to the various state teams would be purely on the basis of performances in the domestic league.

Similarly reports in the cricket news have indicated that Assam players Syed Zakaria Zuffri, Abu Naschim Ahmed, Parvez Aziz, Sujoy Tarafdar and Pritam Das have either applied for their no objection from the ICL or are in the process of doing so. The Assam cricket association is keen to welcome back these cricketers whose loss was keenly being felt.

And it is not just the cricket players who are exiting the ICL in a hurry; it is also coaches and other support staff, who have realised that for reasons of their respective careers it in their best interests to take what the BCCI offers. Reportedly former Indian spin legend EAS Prasanna has resigned from the Indian Cricket League and has informed the BCCI about his decision. He added that the ICL authorities left it to them to decide on their exit and there were no legal hassles.

Given these circumstances one has to wonder how long it will be before the ICL becomes the ECL (Extinct Cricket League)!

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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