ICL welcomes Bangladesh players

Six cricketers from Bangladesh have joined our growing family and I think there is a message in it for the cricketing world. The Indian Cricket League (ICL) is a platform for cricketers who are looking for opportunities and more and more are welcome.

At the ICL we have always maintained that the intention has been to help needy cricketers, those cricketers who have not been given a proper stage for them to showcase their talent. We have never tried to prove any point to the International Cricket Council or the Board of Control for Cricket in India but have only extended a helping hand to cricketers in need.

Now, six cricketers from Bangladesh have decided to support our efforts. They are most welcome. I was also glad to read that the ICL managed an impressive viewership on television worldwide which means that the cricket fans do not discriminate as do the administrators.

The growing popularity of the ICL proves that it is not just a one-off thing. Doubts had been expressed when we launched the ICL that it would not last and would struggle to make a mark. We struggled only to find playing fields but the spirits always soared. And the packed house at the finals at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad went a long way in boosting the image of the ICL.

We lauded the Indian Premier League when it did well in its inaugural edition. After all, the IPL was also cricket but we have never sought any reactions from the IPL or the BCCI or the ICC. History, however, will document the fact that the IPL was born out of the immensely successful ICL. The initiative of launching this form of entertainment in cricket will always be credited to the ICL.