By IANS
Chennai : The selection process of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) will be televised live to ensure transparency, the league’s executive director Kapil Dev said here Wednesday.
Kapil Dev said that he would unveil a major surprise within a month, which would “take the cricketing world by surprise.”
He said ICL already had enlisted 84 players (including the latest addition Rohan Gavaskar), all of whom were “good enough to play for India”.
Downplaying the confrontationist attitude of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Kapil Dev said: “I have no quarrel or tiff with them. I hope they will also support us in the endeavour of giving the first set of totally professional cricketers, a good life and a better future.”
Praising the Twenty20 format, he said: “After the first game in the Twenty20 World Cup everyone knows this is the future of the game. Getting more than 200 runs in 20 overs is what people will love. The audience loves sixes and fours. But what should be remembered is that cricket has been a batsman’s for the past 200 years”.
Reacting to Australian skipper Ricky Ponting’s comments that the ICL was an “old boys’ club” Kapil Dev said, “He is talking about us from a long distance while his deputy Adam Gilchrist thinks otherwise.”
He also had a word of praise for former teammate Sunil Gavaskar. “I admire him. I love him and we don’t have any fight.”
Zee Group chairman Subhash Chandra revealed that his company had already spent 20 percent of the Rs. one billion earmarked to pitchfork ICL into a major globally noticed event.
“Cricket is not the only game we are concentrating on. We have acquired a football club in Mumbai. If needed, we will work for hockey also,” Chandra said.
Former Indian selector Kiran More said that ICL had tied up with at least five existing cricketing venues.
“We are in the process of setting up the floodlights,” he said.