Thaindian News

Sydney, Feb 20 (IANS) Indian Cricket League’s (ICL) international stars are confident that the tournament will not collapse.
The ICL has postponed its next tournament and still not paid players’ wages due last December.

Players in the ICL, which includes Australians Jason Gillespie, Damien Martyn, Michael Kasprowicz, Jimmy Maher, Ian Harvey and Stuart Law, receive quarterly payments of up to $105,000.

They are confident the rebel league will not collapse.

“We have never been paid on time, so it’s no different except there’s an even longer delay this time,” one international player was quoted as saying in the Herald Sun.

“So far, they are behind one payment. You never know. It’s India. If it happens, it happens. Everyone has been hit by the economic crisis, even the Indian Premier League. They said they are just working through a few things, so we will just have to wait and see. I think it will go on.”

Players received a letter from the owner of the ICL, Subhash Chandra, promising all wages would be paid but asking for patience.

“The tournaments have been run really well, but everyone is hurting at the moment,” said another player, who also did not believe the future of the ICL was in doubt.

“We have been given the word we will be looked after and we are confident they will honour that.”

The future of the ICL will be discussed at an ICC meeting this week and there is a strong tip it will be transformed into a veteran’s competition, so that only international players over 35 years can be signed to compete against talented young Indians.

CA spokesman Peter Young said: “We have always been very cautious of unofficial cricket, as the ICC calls it. Cricket should be based on a model that returns funds to the game, rather than the pockets of private entrepreneurs.”