As 79 of the 85 domestic Indian Cricket League (ICL) players returned to the BCCI fold on Tuesday, there was a general feeling in the cricket circles that what remains now of the ‘rebel’ league is an announcement about the end of the two-year-old venture. Though ICL officials insisted that the Season 3 would be held later this year, insiders said it would be almost impossible to fill up the vacant spots after the mass exodus of domestic players.

“Where will we get players to make eight teams after so many have left us? Most of the foreign players, too, have cut ties with the ICL. It’s highly unlikely that the league will take place,” an official told The Indian Express.

In terms of imports, the big setback for the Essel Group-supported league came because of the growing tensions between India and Pakistan, resulting in the defending champions Lahore Badshah being automatically ruled out. Several players in the other foreign team in the league, Dhaka Warriors, have also returned to the Bangladesh Cricket Board fold.

‘Still standing’

But the Head of Essel Group’s corporate communications, Roland Landers, insisted that the ICL wasn’t closing down. “We still have 40-50 players out of the original 140-odd on our roster. As and when the need arises, we will recruit fresh talent. The league is on, we’re not closing down. The next season is in October-November and it’s still early days,” Landers said.

Along with the 79 players, there were 22 others for whom the BCCI opened its doors on Tuesday. These include several high-profile coaches with the ICL teams, some umpires, and a few support-staff members. It has been learnt that some of the back-room staff connected with the ICL has been either laid off or shifted to other divisions of the Essel Group, which has diverse business interests.

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