Shukla hints at ICL pull-out

The first signs of a rethink among players who joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) were visible on Thursday with the Kolkata-based Anandabazar Patrika reporting that Bengal allrounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla is on the verge of returning to the BCCI fold. Shukla, the paper says, has indicated to the ICL that he will not be signing his contract.

ICL officials have reportedly given JP Yadav, who joined from Railways and is believed to be close to Shukla, the task of convincing him to stay back. The paper says players close to Shukla have told him his backing out now would undermine his credibility.

The paper cites several reasons for Shukla's change of heart. One is financial; the day after Shukla and 40-odd others were unveiled by the ICL, the BCCI announced substantial hikes in domestic pay packets. He is also believed to have told Prasun Mukherjee, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president - through a telephone call facilitated by an association official, Snehasish Ganguly (Sourav's brother) - that he had issues with the way he was treated as a player.

Despite solid performances, his case, he said, had never been pushed by the East Zone selector; also, he had often been demoted in the batting order. What upset him the most, the paper said, was how, though being the official vice-captain, others had stood in on two occasions that captain Deep Dasgupta was absent.

Earlier, the CAB had indicated to NDTV, an Indian news channel, that Shukla had pulled out of his ICL contract as his parents wanted him to continue playing for Bengal.