Back in the rat race

A large chunk of the ICLs domestic players have gone,the foreign-star count is decreasing with each passing day,and since these much-publicised ego battles between the ICL and BCCI are riddled with complex moves,these final stages are like the end-game on a chess board. But in the background of issues relating to court cases,the BCCIs pending decision on former ICL players in the IPL,and officials not known to forgive and forget,the 79 domestic players who returned to the BCCI fold wait on the sidelines. They speak about the future just as cautiously as they speak about the past. They show gratitude to their former employers for the many zeroes on the pay cheques that theyd never dreamt of getting. They talk about the world-class training facilities,internationally renowned coaches and support staff.

But there are also stories of broken promises. Or worse,as former India player Dinesh Mongia banned by the ICL last season for under-performing calls his move to join the rebel league a big mistake.

Irrespective of its future,the ICL should eventually be remembered for changing the face of world cricket. It forced the BCCI to launch its own city-based T20 format that changed the priorities of the cricketers and the profile of the suits who ran the game. But look away from the big picture,towards the bunch of Indian rebels who went against the BCCI,and youll realise that the ICL changed their lives forever.

Changed fortunes

Avinash Yadavs family lived on the frugal earnings of his father,who grazed cattle and sold milk for a living. But with an ICL cheque of about Rs 70 lakh,the Yadavs now have their own house in Benaras and a gleaming SX4 to give company to the cows and buffaloes in the courtyard. Im from a lower-middle class family. They dont know what the BCCI is or what the ICL means. All they know is that because of cricket our lives have become more comfortable, says the left-arm spinner,who didnt go beyond playing a few Ranji Trophy games because of Murali Kartiks presence in the Central Zone side.

I wanted exposure,so I thought that if people saw my game on television,they would change their minds. I spoke to some of my team mates and then decided to take the step, he says about joining the ICL.

Yadavs story is similar to that of Bhilai boy Bhima Rao,whose father is a steel plant worker. As a 19-year-old two years ago,Rao hadnt even played first-class cricket. A stunning diving catch at an ICL trial caught the eye of Kapil Dev,and within days,Rao was signing a contract with a Rs 30 lakh figure on it. There were lots of debts on our family. All that was taken care of by the money I got from the ICL. Besides,now I am a known name in my locality as they have seen me on television. Without the ICL,I would have been just another struggling cricketer, Rao says.

But when the ICL tempo slowed down early this year,both players saw an uncertain future for themselves. The BCCIs offer of amnesty saw a crowd move towards the exit door and Yadav and Rao simply followed. Now,they suddenly find themselves alone again. I have to start from scratch and really dont know how far I will go, says Rao. Yadav adds: I really dont know whether I will get a chance to play the Ranji Trophy for UP this year. The only thing I know is that Im back in the race, he says.

Considering the abundance of talent around the country and the tough contest for every spot in the state sides,chances are that for Rao and Yadav,the two-year ICL high might remain the only hour of glory in their careers.

Wont be easy

Old-hand JP Yadav,one among the few India internationals in the ICL ranks,agrees that the re-entry to the BCCI fold will not be smooth for all. There were a few players who left their home associations quite rudely. For them,things will be difficult, says the man whose employers,Railways,were easy on the rebels.

But Yadav appreciates the ICL for what it brought. I learnt a lot from the international players with whom I shared the dressing room. Besides,the facilities were world-class. We were put in five-star hotels and the best physios and trainers took care of us, he says. But it was the quantity of cricket that had Yadav frustrated. For 14 years I have played non-stop cricket. Suddenly,I was playing just about 45 days in a year and that too only T20. For how long can one sit at home? Aadmi kitna TV dekhega? he asks. There were days when his friends called him for local games and the once-upon-a-time star of the team would sit on the sidelines and clap. I have to start with a clean slate now and I will play all the pre-season tournaments to make it to the Railways Ranji team, he says.

For Indian crickets famous child-star-turned-rebel Reetinder Singh Sodhi,the post-ICL game-plan is similar. He received a call from his employers Air India about the teams summer schedule. It will be a comeback of sorts for Sodhi,who says he missed the high of playing for India,even that of fighting for a spot in the national side. Things were good,but somewhere deep down one always regretted not having a chance to play for the country, he says. Though the IPL decision is pending,its not likely that Kings XI Punjab will miss out on a chance to sign the all-rounder with a knack of hitting big sixes.

Another player on the same radar could be the man who figured in the ICC World Cup final and made a name for himself on the T20 county circuit. Punjab all-rounder Dinesh Mongia would like to forget the ICL experience as a bad dream. The ICL made a lot of promises but did not keep them. There have been payment hassles. We were shown carrots,but we never got them, he says.

Dreaming big

But for someone like Deep Dasgupta,the ICL brought about a big realisation. I think the most important thing that I learned was professionalism and also the fact that I could play T20 cricket,which not too many people thought I could, says the former Test wicketkeeper.

Among the 79 Indian players who have distanced themselves from the ICL,it is the young bunch that is dreaming big. Ambati Rayudu (23),Ali Murtuza (19) and Abu Nacheem (20) have time on their hands and talent at their disposal to have a realistic chance of making it to the national team. I have no regrets but I know that the rebel tag wont go easily. With time,hopefully,everything will be forgotten,and after that,performance will be the only thing that will matter, says Murtuza.

Former India under-19 captain Rayudu doesnt regret the decision he took but he wants to move on. Im happy BCCI is ready to take us back. Whatever happened is in the past now. I learnt a lot during these two seasons, he says,adding that it wasnt just cricket he was talking about.

Nacheem,another star of the India U-19 team from the 2006 junior World Cup,candidly confesses that it was the high of watching himself on television and the big signing amounts that made him join the ICL. And the 20-year-old speaks about the IPL with a child-like enthusiasm. I really want to be a part of the IPL. Lets see how things go, says the youngster,a Rs 66-lakh ICL signing who drives a lambi gaadi these days.

Inputs from Shalini Gupta

BCCIs offer was the best gift ever

Dinesh Mongia (32,Punjab)

I was standing on a road which led nowhere. The BCCIs offer was the best gift I could get. There was no ICC or BCCI recognition and to be called a rebel was quite demeaning. Sometimes I thought I am the same Dinesh Mongia who played for India for so many years. I know it will be very difficult for me to prove myself again. But my sole aim is to perform well in the upcoming Punjab inter-district matches. It would be very tough to outshine the present but I am a fighter and will keep fighting for a place in the state side.

Rebel or whatever,ICL helped me a lot

Avinash Yadav (22,UP)

People can call me a rebel or whatever,I dont care. ICL gave me the money for our family to move from a one-room house to a bigger place. It used to be so tough that I had to go and sleep at my cousins place since the room wasnt big enough. The money also helped me get my sister married. People might say anything about the ICL and might still treat us as rebels but it made life stable for many players like me.

I have a car and house now

Ali Murtuza (19,UP)

It was not a tough decision to leave the ICL as there had been no cricket for the last six to seven months. But I learnt a lot playing in the ICL and my reputation has gone up. I cant complain as I have become financially secure. I now have a car and a house in Allahabad.

Learnt a lot with ICL

JP Yadav (34,Railways)

I learnt a lot being in the company of reputed international players. Michael Bevan told me about batting in pressure situations. It was really good to hear from Marvan Atapattu on how he came back after scoring those several ducks early in his career. Being with Shane Bond and learning from him about bowling in the right areas was just great.

i Missed playing for India

Reetinder Singh Sodhi

(28,Punjab)

You miss playing for your country. Deep down it always pinches you. But I learnt a lot from my coach John Embury.

I thought we will be taken back

Abu Nacheem (20,Assam)

I never thought the BCCI would ban us,otherwise I would have thought twice before joining the ICL. I had a feeling we would be taken back soon and I would get a chance with India A. I thought ICL was a a shortcut for success. But honestly,it was a learning experience for several youngsters.