Gilchrist hints at future ICL interest

Adam Gilchrist has indicated he might be interested in joining the Indian Cricket League when he eventually retires from international cricket. Gilchrist is still planning to play for Australia "for a while yet", but this week he was forthright in his support for the ICL concept.

"It's quite a good thing for guys like me who are at the back end of their careers," he said at the Captains' Breakfast on the eve of the ICC World Twenty20. "I'm ten years older than guys like Graeme [Smith], and about eight years older than Daniel [Vettori], so it's a great opportunity."

He also felt there was nothing wrong with giving players more options outside the traditional ICC-sanctioned events. "I think the ICC does have a monopoly on the game, and it's nice for the players to have more opportunities and to have more control of their futures," he told the South Africa-based Independent Online.

Brian Lara, who has already signed up for the ICL, echoed Gilchrist's views on the league. "I think there's room for a lot of players in the market and I'll be there to support them," he said at the ICC Awards function in Johannesburg. "The most important thing is that their [ICL] motives are very clean and clear - they want to improve cricket and the standards of professional cricket in India, and that's good enough for me."