Champions League faces legal hassles

[Metropolitanjury]

The multi-millon dollar Stanford League announced earlier this week is not the only challenge being aimed at the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the IPL if the events in England in the recent past are anything to go by. Less overtly, but no less tellingly, English counties have rebuked the BCCI by allowing players who had participated in the Indian Cricket League to play in domestic cricket here.

The ICL which pioneered T-20 league cricket last year and challenged the hegemony of the BCCI, drew the ire of the Indian cricket administration which sought to ban all players participating in this league. But it is unlikely that this harsh punishment can be sustained if the developments in England are an indication. The proposed Champions League Twenty20 tournament in September this year (involving Twenty20 champions from India, Australia, South Africa and England with a prize pool of $5 million) may eventually have to take in the ICL players to avoid legal complications.

Most counties have taken strong steps to challenge the ban on ICL players in the English domestic season, and with success. Already, 15 of the 18 counties have players (minus Somerset, Essex and Middlesex) who have taken part in the ICL. Some like Stuart Law of Lancashire, are in fact, captaining the county team. There are 25 ICL players currently playing county cricket, the latest being Chris Cairns, who joined Nottinghamshire on Friday.

By Ms.Bobby Aanand, Metropolitan Jury.