New Zealand ban players from ICL

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The Indian Cricket League's plans to sign current New Zealand players have been ruined after the country's board decided it would not release its stars. More... Contracted stars can't appear in unofficial Twenty20 contest New Zealand ban players from ICL Cricinfo staff August 30, 2007 The Indian Cricket League's (ICL) plans to sign current New Zealand players have been ruined after the country's board decided it would not release its stars. Stephen Fleming and Shane Bond were linked to the unofficial Twenty20 tournament, but Justin Vaughan, the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive, said the contest could erode the value of official series. "We depend upon the value of the media rights associated with official international events to provide a majority of our income," Vaughan said. "It is therefore in the best interests of New Zealand Cricket not to support unofficial events such as the ICL." He also has concerns over the proposed Stanford Twenty20 in the West Indies. Four Pakistani players, including Mohammad Yousuf, have signed for the Indian league, but it has struggled to attract the host of promised big names. Chris Harris and the retired Nathan Astle and Chris Cairns have also been linked to the competition in September, which has not been sanctioned by the ICC or the BCCI. Vaughan said no contracted player had asked to appear in the tournament, but the issue was considered carefully and the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association supported the position in principle. "The proposed rebel league is scheduled to directly conflict with New Zealand's tour to South Africa as well as the start of our domestic season," Vaughan said. "We have entered into these contracts in good faith and stand by our players through their contract period. We expect players to treat us the same way." The Indian board is reportedly planning a sanctioned Twenty20 contest and Vaughan said it could lead to New Zealand players taking part. "It is too early to discuss details of this," he said. "Like the ICL, we also need to be careful when considering this proposed competition to ensure participation is in the best interests of NZC. We expect more information to become public in the coming weeks."