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Former Indian seamer Balwinder Singh Sandhu, who has joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL) as the Director of Coaching, said the players would be financially stable during their stint with league.

“The ICL will help the players in every way to develop their game and hone their skills and learn a lot from other international players. They are also given good three-year contracts so that they are financially stable even after their contracts expire,” Sandhu said.

Even though the ICL bosses refused to divulge the amount involved or the signing amount of each player, it is reliably learnt that a player of Ambati Rayudu’s stature stands to gain Rs 1.3 crore for his three-year contract while Dinesh Mongia’s contract is over Rs 2 crore.

Sandhu also stressed that ICL would develop the game in a big way by having cricket academies all over the country.

“We will start imparting coaching to budding cricketers from fifteen year age group in our own cricket academies, which will be equipped with state of the art facilities headed by international and domestic coaches under the supervision of a national director of academies,” he said.

“I have personally followed some of these youngsters’ careers and I know they are really good. If they get a chance to play along side international players like Brian Lara and Lance Klusener they can learn a lot and become even better cricketers. It is like the BCCI giving exposure to junior players as we will be conducting even three-day tournaments and 50 overs-a-side tournaments in the near future,” he added.

“The most important thing one should understand is that we are not in a collision course with the Indian cricket board. All we are interested in is to dish out some good cricket to the paying public and also see that the players get their due as well,” Sandhu explained.

When reminded of the BCCI’s threat to players joining ICL, Sandhu shrugging his shoulders and said, “what can I say about it. They are the parent body in the country and they should realise that we are just trying to promote the game and the players and are not a threat to them in any way.”

“Probably they have to do what they think is right and we will have to do what we think is good for cricket and let us hope that both of us can co-exist so that the game of cricket wins in the end,” Sandhu added.

Source:Cricket News