The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Kapil to head ICL's executive board

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Tuesday, May 15, 2007
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Kapil to head ICL's executive board

Special Correspondent

Kapil Dev.

MUMBAI: Kapil Dev will head the Executive Board of the Indian Cricket League (ICL), according to an announcement on Monday by ZEE Sports Business Head, Himanshu Mody at the Hilton hotel. The former India captain is currently associated with Indian cricket as Chairman of the Bangalore-based National Cricket Academy and recently addressed the national under-17 trainees in Kolkata.

Former England captain Tony Greig, earlier associated with Kerry Packer Series, is one of the members on the Executive Board, along with former Aussie cricketer and now commentator Dean Jones. Kiran More, the ex-chairman of selectors and current secretary of Baroda Cricket Association, is the fourth member to have signed on.

Six teams

The ICL, a private league to be launched by ZEE Sports later this year, will have six newly-created teams for the first season, growing to 16 by the third year. Four overseas cricketers will be part of each team, apart from two Indian internationals and eight youngsters.

The ICL League will embrace the Twenty20 format in the first year, then move to the one-day version later.

Kapil welcomed the entry of private entities into Indian cricket. "For players like me, more private groups coming into the game is a welcome development. More money flowing into the game will help the players," he said, during a media interaction after the launch, stressing that his position as NCA Chairman would not lead to overlapping.

More also clarified that players like him were doing honorary jobs due to their passion for the game. Kapil clarified that the ICL was not an attempt to undermine BCCI, but rather to create a talent pool of players for Indian cricket, improve domestic cricket and provide improved facilities and infrastructure for players and fans.

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