Date:08/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/08/stories/2008100860842200.htm

Sport - Cricket

Martyn to lead Ahmedabad Rockets

Mumbai: Retired Australian Test batsman Damien Martyn will lead the newly-formed Ahmedabad Rockets in the Indian Cricket League (ICL)’s second season that kicks off on October 10.

The Twenty20 event would see nine City-based teams, including one from Lahore in Pakistan and the other from Dhaka in Bangladesh, vie for honours. The 41 matches would be played in Hyderabad, Panchkula, Gurgaon and Ahmedabad.

The other eight teams in fray would be led by Chris Cairns (Chandigarh Lions), Stuart Law (Chennai Superstars), Marvan Atapattu (Delhi Giants), Habibul Bashar (Dhaka Warriors), Chris Harris (Hyderabad Heroes), Inzamam-ul-Haq (Lahore Badshahs), Nathan Astle (Mumbai Champs) and Craig McMillan (Royal Bengal Tigers).

New players who have been inducted this season are Hafiz Khaleel, Shahid Yousaf, Tahir Mahmood Mughal (all Lahore Badshahs), Ryan Campbell and Kunal Lal (both Ahmedabad Rockets). Nantie Hayward (from Royal Bengal Tigers) has been transferred to Chennai Superstars and Hasan Raza and Taufeeq Umer (both from Lahore Badshahs) have been transferred to Mumbai Champs, the release said. These additions and transfers were done with the primary objective of optimum utilisation of ICL’s talent pool, said ICL’s Executive Board Chairman, Kapil Dev, in the release.— PTI