Shadow of ICL looms over champions league

Further doubt has been cast on the proposed Twenty20 Champions League after Indian Premier League supremo Lalit Modi insisted English counties would not be welcome in the competition if they insisted on fielding players with Indian Cricket League contracts.

The multi-million dollar IPL is the officially-sanctioned Twenty20 tournament on the sub-continent and has enjoyed a frosty relationship with the ICL, a rival competition.

A total of 15 of the 18 first-class counties have registered ICL players, both foreign and homegrown, on their books and have taken a decision en masse to field them in this year's competition because the eligibility rules of the Champions League are yet to be formalised.

Only Middlesex, Essex and Somerset are able to boast squads free of any ICL players, meaning the likelihood of one or both of England's potential representatives in the lucrative four-nation event is extremely high.

Now Modi has insisted he will continue to maintain a hardline stance on the unsanctioned competition, even suggesting the ECB will no longer be invited to provide their quota of two teams in October if the counties continue to select the supposed 'rebel' cricketers.

Pakistan or West Indies, neither of whom have been invited to take part in the inaugural tournament, could be called on to provide teams in England's absence, although the ECB could also call on the unaffected counties to participate.

"India will not host or participate in any event featuring players from the ICL," Modi told BBC Sport.

"England Cricket Board's officials told us that laws in Britain do not permit them to restrict participation of players.

"(If) that be the case, England's teams will not be able to play in the Champions League staged in India. It'll be very sad, but we have our own rule."

Cricket Australia, who will also provide two domestic teams along with South Africa, has been charged drawing up the rules and conditions of the Champions League and will present their suggestions to the International Cricket council in Dubai next week.

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