Badani signs up for ICL

Hemang Badani, the former India player, has signed up with the Indian Cricket League (ICL), the latest in a list of recruits largely from the fringes of top-level Indian cricket. This goes against the assumption, following recent reports of the Indian board announcing its own league, that players would be scared off joining the ICL.

Badani has been in and out of the Tamil Nadu team of late and last represented India in 2004. Badani is the eighth Tamil Nadu player - V Devendran, J Hariesh, R Sathish, D Tamilkumaran, Thirunavukarasu Kumaran, Hemanth Kumar and G Vignesh are the previous recruits - to join the ICL.

"The chances of my playing for India are remote," Badani told the Hindu. "I'm not happy just playing the Ranji Trophy. Having played at a higher level, it's tough to find the motivation when there are no guarantees with playing for the state [Tamil Nadu]."

In related ICL news, IS Bindra, the president of the Punjab Cricket Association, today urged the BCCI to announce a period of amnesty for players who have joined the ICL and want to return to the board's fold.

"They [the players] have been misguided by being shown greener pastures. Now, if some players like Laxmi Ratan Shukla decide they want to come back, the doors should be kept open for them for at least a few weeks. I understand there has been so much hype, which is why I am suggesting some amnesty period as it will take the players some time to come to know the implications of what step they have taken. However, it is up to the board to take a final decision."

Bindra, a former board president, also said sports could be promoted only by organisations which did not exist solely for profit.

"The ICL is like a fly-by-night group. It is like any other company which is there to make profit. Obviously, their objectives are clear - they will continue only as long as they make a profit," said Bindra. "When any organisation exists for the distribution of profit, that by its very nature cannot be a promotional organisation," he said at a joint press conference with MP Pandove, the joint secretary of the BCCI.