Brian Lara 038; Co set to arrive for ICL

The Indian Cricket League is round the corner. Trouble with the BCCI apart, its team international composition...

The Indian Cricket League ICL is round the corner. Trouble with the BCCI apart, its team international composition has attracted immediate controversy with the official announcement of the team lists. Even as the likes of Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul Haq get prepared for practice, the inclusion of the name Sri Lanka8217;s Marvan Atapattu has ruffled many feathers, it seems.

Atapattu8217;s name, despite the fact that the ICL hasn8217;t signed him, figured in the 26 overseas cricketers mentioned in the team lists issued. Atapattu, the ICL list claimed, had signed up and was now scheduled to play for Delhi Jets, one of the six teams.

However, Ashish Kaul vice-president, communications, clarified that 8220;Atapattu8217;s name featuring in the list was a mistake. We have not signed him.8221;

Meanwhile, secretary of Cricket Sri Lanka, Kangadaran Mathivanan, denied having any knowledge of Atapattu8217;s name figuring on the list. 8220;I don8217;t know what you8217;re talking about. Atapattu is in Australia,8221; is all he had to tell this paper.

Kaul, however, confirmed that the other cricketers 8212; including ex-West Indies captain Lara 8212; will feature in the ICL and 8220;should be arriving any time in the coming days to join his team Mumbai Champs for the practice games.8221;

Kaul informed that 8220;all the overseas cricketers 8212; Chris Cairns, Inzamam, Craig McMillan and Stuart Law among others 8212; would be available for practice games.8221;

The other overseas players signed are Ian Harvey, Russel Arnold, Chris Read, Shabir Ahmed, Chris Harris, Nicky Boje, Lance Klusener, Upul Chandana, Darren Maddy, Boyd Rankin, Niall O8217;Brien, Taufeeq Umer, Paul Nixon, Dale Benkenstein, Vikram Solanki, Nathan Astle, J van der Wath, Nantie Hayward, Hamish Marshal, Daryl Tuffey and Imran Farhat.

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The ICL, on Wednesday, also listed the players in six teams who will assemble at six different venues across the country 8212;Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai 8212; for practice from November 16.