Rayudu, six others join ICL

But still it comes as a surprise to hear that the boy with a lost look and a leg injury took the dangerous jump across the fence. Rayudu happens to be one of seven Hyderabad players who have reportedly aligned with the breakaway Indian Cricket League, and as threatened by the BCCI 8212; though the final decision will be taken at the BCCI AGM on Tuesday 8212; face a life ban.

This new ICL signing is significant, considering Rayudu8217;s age and his prodigious past. Senior ICL officials say 8220;just wait and watch there are more surprises in store, we will show that ours isn8217;t merely a league of retired players.8221;

Suddenly, BCCI president Sharad Pawar8217;s past statement about the ICL not attracting youngsters sounds hollow.

Rayudu, who has been a forgotten star for some years now, is suddenly in the news, but ironically he isn8217;t allowed to speak. 8220;I have been getting calls since morning, but sorry I have been asked to keep my mouth shut,8221; he says.

But in Hyderabad there are many ready to narrate the story of the boy wonder who has left them wondering. Vivek Jaisimha, the Hyderabad coach, is hit by a bolt from the blue as he contemplates the void left by the mass exodus, but it is Rayudu8217;s decision that baffles. 8220;It will be tough for us. As for Rayudu I don8217;t know what went through his mind when he took this decision. He was a gifted batsman but I know his career hasn8217;t gone by the script,8221; he says.

After excelling at every age level internationally 8212; from under-15 to 19 8212; the senior Indian cap seemed a like a formality. He happens to be the first Indian cricketer to spend a season playing the Australian domestic circuit. Rayudu was also a regular at the National Cricket Academy and also got the Border-Gavaskar scholarship.

Former junior coach Roger Binny remembers Rayudu as a man for whom cricket mattered a lot. 8220;In a match in England in 2000, we were chasing a modest target. But it rained and because of Duckworth Lewis revised target we lost the match. He started crying in the dressing room. He didn8217;t want to lose, he was very committed,8221; he says.

So what went wrong? 8220;They national selectors should have picked him right after his under-19 stint. He needed to be guided properly,8221; he says as he tries to understand Rayudu8217;s decision to join ICL.

With the highly lucrative ICL option around 8212; it is said Rayudu will be getting Rs 90 lakh for three years 8212; young cricketers face a confusing dilemma that even the matured minds are finding tough to handle.

Hyderabad coach Jaisimha, who agrees with Binny that guidance is needed, but puts the blame on NCA. 8220;When Rayudu was at the NCA, at that time there was no one there who looked at the mental aspect of young cricketers,8221; he says. But Amre counters the argument by saying, 8220;it is the association who has seen the cricketer from an early age so they should develop a rapport with the players.8221;

The last time Rayudu made news was when he and Hyderabad player Arjun Yadav had a brawl onfield. Jaisimha says it was his competitiveness that saw him cross the line but others say it8217;s an attitude problem.

With inputs from Swarup Kar Purkayastha.