Sri Lanka lifts domestic ban on ICL players

Sri Lanka lifted the domestic ban Friday on cricketers who have signed up with the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League.

Shane Fernando, the media manager for Sri Lanka Cricket said administrators discussed an appeal by former national players who are part of the ICL and decided to lift the ban, allowing them to play for local clubs.

Former national captain Marvan Atapattu, batsmen Russel Arnold and Avishka Gunawardena plus leg spin bowler Upul Chandana are the Sri Lankan players in the ICL.

However they will not be able to play for the national team unless the International Cricket Council recognizes the league. The ICC as yet has not approved the ICL, a Twenty20 tournament that runs in competition with the officially approved Indian Premier League.

The announcement came just two days after the Bangladesh Cricket Board slapped a 10-year ban from all forms of cricket on 13 players including former national captain Habibul Bashar for signing with the ICL.

‘Rebel league’ hits cricket where it hurts most

The latest signings by the Indian Cricket League have inflicted more damage on the cricket world than it might seem at first glance. Bangladesh, a team that is forever fighting to justify its Test status and which also seems to have lost the art of shocking top teams in One Day Internationals on those occasional good days, suddenly finds a player pool that has shrunk considerably.

Habibul Bashar, Aftab Ahmed and Dhiman Ghosh represent the spectrum of Bangladesh’s resources - the old hand, the fulcrum and the future. By losing them in a lot of over a dozen, BCB has been shown in poor light because the players have reportedly spoken of being treated badly by officials as a prime reason for their moving out.

Bashar has been an accomplished player, their most consistent batsman in many seasons, and a successful captain by Bangladesh standards. He might have been out of the side in recent months but was definitely an option for Tests.

Aftab Ahmed has been an integral part of recent squads, while Dhiman Ghosh was one of their best from a new crop, who had just edged out Mushfiqur Rahim as the main wicketkeeper.

Alok Kapali, who slammed a century against India in the Asia Cup not very long ago, Shahriar Nafees, Tapash Baisya and Manjural Islam are all players with considerable experience and their going out of the system is an irreparable loss because so much has been invested in them. That they could not be consistent enough over the years was a disappointment, but what will be of concern now is that such players will not be around to pass on their experience.

As for the ICL, it has hurt the ICC where it hurts most. World cricket is struggling with dilution of the game and things won’t get any better on that front the way things have been going.

One is also hearing of a Sri Lankan XI in the ICL, which though could be more a benefit for the Zee backed competitions than a loss for the former world champions. The ICL may very soon be able to put up teams representing countries and the threat of the parallel league looks so much more a possibility if it is not already so.

Pakistan and New Zealand have already suffered because of the ICL and with the health of teams like Zimbabwe and even the West Indies anywhere near the ideal, cricket faces a challenge that is fast taking dangerous proportions.

In fact, the ICL’s latest signings have not been as much a gain for the rebel league as a loss for Bangladesh, and therein lays a perspective on the standard of international cricket.

Bashar leads Bangladesh exodus to ICL

Six Bangladesh cricketers, including former captain Habibul Bashar have applied for retirement.

Shahriar Nafees and Aftab Ahmed, all-rounder Farhad Reza, wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh and left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain along with Bashar did not give any reason for early retirement.

But a local media report on Sunday said at least 14 leading Bangladesh cricketers, including Bashar, were about to join the rebel Indian Cricket League.

The 36-year-old Bashar confirmed to Reuters he had been in discussions with the ICL but had not signed a contract yet.

"I can say only about myself that I have got the proposal from the ICL and am talking with them. But nothing has yet been finalised," he said.

Gazi Ashraf Hossain, chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board's cricket operations committee said: "We have summoned all the six players to appear before the board on Tuesday to explain the reasons for retirement."

Ashraf said the players should not quit on a whim. They should understand that the board had played a big role in their development as cricketers.

The players dropped the letters by courier at the BCB before the office opened on Sunday.

Bashar is Bangladesh's most successful captain, having led them to their maiden test win and to 29 one-day international victories.

He is also the country's leading test run scorer with 3,026.

Besides the six, the Dhaka-based Bengali national daily Prothom Alo also identified Mohammad Rafique, Alok Kapali, Nazim Uddin, Manjurul Islam, Tapash Baishya, Mohammad Sharif, Mahbubul Karim and Golam Mabud as planning to join ICL.

The newspaper said the Bangladeshi players would all be in the same team, named the Dhaka Warriors.