ICL's strong message: It's alive and kicking

New Delhi: The Indian Cricket League seems to be getting a lot of good news these days. Even as the second season of the ICL is set to start later this week, the players involved are increasingly hopeful of ridding themselves of the tag of "rebels."

Marvan Atapattu, the former Sri Lankan captain, is also the senior statesman and captain of ICL team, Delhi Giants. The new season starts in a couple of days and he's even more relaxed after the ICL's Sri Lankan cricketers were allowed to play domestic cricket back home.

"You have to be fair to everybody that plays cricket. All of us have chosen this as our profession and not all will get a chance to play for their respective countries but there are good enough cricketers to play in leagues like this," said Atapattu.

Many in the ICL say that the keeping away talent from official cricket is harming only the establishment. It’s also a known fact now that the threat of expulsion isn’t bothering cricketers; the ICL is alive and kicking despite the 5-star ratings that went the IPL way.

"It's been an excellent competition with great guys and Marvan Attapattu talked about being a family and that's what it is when you eating and living together for a month of and a half," said former England wicketkeeper and now Delhi Giants player, Paul Nixon.

And in Pakistan, the Lahore Badshahs have found a sympathetic ear. In an interview to a website, Pakistan law mister Farooq Naik said: "I have asked the ICL players through Inzamam-ul-Haq to show me their contracts with ICL so that we can formulate a new policy about them and solve the problems of both sitting and retired cricketers. I promise that justice will be done."

With the action set to begin later this week, the ICL is clearly sending out a strong message -- it is alive and well.