Jadhav, 29, ended the 2006 season with a sad realisation that the India cap might just be out of his reach.
The year 2007 could be different for him. Jadhav faces an option, but along with it comes a dilemma. The option is the upcoming Indian Cricket League (ICL), a brainchild of Zee Telefilms, whose USP is to give an opportunity to the likes of Jadhav — who despite being talented failed to graduate.

The dilemma is that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) hasn’t approved ICL. Not just that, the board has decided to slam the door on whoever associates himself with the ICL in whatever capacity.

But despite the dilemma, the ICL has created an air of excitement. It is time for players to decide where their loyalties lie. While Jadhav contemplates, former players like Kapil Dev, Kiran More and Sandeep Patil have already joined the ICL. As More says: “It isn’t a confrontation, it is something as normal as changing a job.”

For the former stars it has been easier since they had to choose between the honorary status that they had in the BCCI fold and the mega bucks that ICL has promised. Though the figures on ICL contracts is classified information, but there is talk that Zee Telefilms has promised up to Rs 12 crore for the big stars. Suddenly, the BCCI’s pension has become an insignificant emolument.

DURING the World Cup, when Greg Chappell was busy analysing his batsmen’s footwork, or rather the lack of it on his laptop, Zee Telefilms was fast switching on its own machine, busy thinking how to take advantage of the recession in the Indian cricket industry. Their thoughts reeled back to what initially had been a mere one-line mention in their powerpoint presentation when they first bid for BCCI’s telecast rights in 2004. In passing, they had mentioned their plans to improve domestic cricket.

“It was there in our minds and it is no coincidence that we decided to announce our plans right after India’s World Cup ouster. The timing was right,” says ICL CEO Himanshu Mody, in retrospect.
But there were a couple of minor problems. For all their grand plans, where will ICL play the matches and who will play for them?

If their extravagant plans are to be believed, twenty-four foreign stars — Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Chris Cairns, Darren Gough, Nathan Astle and Daniel Vettori, to name some — are on the verge of signing multi-million dollar contracts. Batches of four of them will be part of each of the six teams in the league. However, no Indian player has been named yet. “We have approached a few India stars too (current players),” says a senior ICL official. He refuses to spell out any names, however.

Further he adds: “Senior Ranji and Duleep cricketers will also be considered.” This is where the likes of Jadhav come into the picture. Frustrated with the inability over the years to make it to the Indian team and tired of mundane domestic matches, such players could be lured into the big open ICL market.

There is also a plan in place to find venues. Other than grounds like the Brabourne Stadium at Cricket Club of India (CCI), Mumbai and the Sector-16 Stadium in Chandigargh, Zee Telefilms is eyeing various venues across the country that aren’t under the BCCI’s control.

“The ICL is also talking about acquiring grounds owned by the Sports Authority of India (SAI),” says an official.
But as a senior BCCI official says, it is easier said than done. “It is not an easy venture if you’re planning to hold an event of such magnitude. First, you have to convince a player that he can forget his dreams about playing for India and join ICL. That aside, if good stadiums aren’t available, where will the crowd sit and watch the matches? If there is no star attraction, there won’t be any advertisers and therefore no television revenue. Zee may have its own channel but to sustain it is still a far-fetched idea,” he adds.

The ICL, nevertheless, has a counter argument. “The BCCI took 25 to 30 years to come where it has. What’s the rush even if it takes us five years,” says the ICL insider.
Chances are the ICL may fizzle out. The much-hyped Premier Hockey League (PHL) launched by ESPN met a similar fate. On the other hand though, it may survive. Comparing cricket and hockey in India is like equating apples with oranges.

But as an avid Indian cricket watcher points out, anything is possible. “See, at the end of the day, one body is headed by a media magnate and the other by an astute politician. History tells us that they both are capable of finding a negotiated settlement,” he says. Float this argument to Zee officials and all they are ready to reveal is, “Just wait and watch.”

There has been a precedent to the present scenario. In the 70s, Kerry Packer, an Aussie media magnet, floated a rebel league after confrontation with the Australian Cricket Board over a telecast deal. The success of the World Series didn’t just break the ACB resistance but it revolutionised one-day cricket forever. Can ICL do the same for Twenty20? Cricket, they say, is a game of glorious uncertainties.