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.”

... contd.