Date:28/07/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/07/28/stories/2007072863162400.htm

Sport - Cricket

‘We’ll play anywhere’

Principal Correspondent

KOCHI: Some of the country’s big cricket grounds may be closing their doors to the Indian Cricket League but its chairman Kapil Dev is unperturbed.

“We’ll play in the villages, in schools, colleges, anywhere,” said the former Indian captain about the ICL’s inaugural Twenty20 tournament which will be held in October. “If I have to go to the extent to play in parks, I will do so.”

With the BCCI virtually applying pressure on owners of stadiums to close their doors to the new league, promoted by Zee TV’s Subhash Chandra, or risk losing India matches, finding a venue now appears to be Kapil’s big problem. The other day, Chandigarh refused to offer its Sector 16 Stadium to the ICL.

Some big names, like Brian Lara, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Stephen Fleming, have already joined the ICL or are on the verge of doing so. “I’m grateful to the seniors who have joined, grateful that they believed that we can do something for the game,” said Kapil who was in Kochi.