BCCI to reveal Twenty20 league plans soon - Pawar

Indian board president Sharad Pawar has said that plans for an international Twenty20 tournament would be unveiled within the next "10 to 15 days" as the BCCI stepped up its response to the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

"We don't see any threat from the ICL," Pawar told AFP. "The BCCI has been working for the past two years [on a tournament] that will involve current players, newcomers, retired players and foreign players. We will be announcing our plans in the next 10-15 days."

It had been reported that the BCCI was on the verge of forming a two-tier cricket league - the Professional Cricket Leagues - that would involve domestic leagues in four countries and an international league. It was believed to be along the lines of professional football, with clubs being able to hire players from wherever they like to play in a Twenty20 format. Cricket Australia (CA) was believed to be involved in the process and the International Management Group (IMG), the event manager, was putting it all together.

Echoing warnings from other administrators, Pawar said Indian players who joined the ICL risked being excluded from official cricket. "The ICL is a purely commercial proposition. It doesn't do what the BCCI does for cricket at all levels in India. The players associated with the BCCI have to choose in which direction they want to go."

The ICL, bankrolled by Subhash Chandra, who owns Indian media company Zee Telefilms, planned to hold Twenty20 tournaments between six teams for the next three years. ICL officials said they had signed up several international stars and 44 Indian first-class cricketers, adding that more top players from around the world were expected to join.

Former Test captains Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul Haq lead the ICL roster that also included Pakistan players Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Farhat, and South Africans Lance Klusener and Nicky Boje. South African allrounder Andrew Hall and former Australian batsman Damien Martyn have also been linked to the ICL.