September 12, 2007	Wednesday	Sha'aban 29, 1428

JOHANNESBURG, Sept 11: Australia’s wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist has supported the Indian Cricket League (ICL), saying it could help end the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) monopoly over the game by bringing in more opportunities for the players.

“I think the ICC does have a monopoly on the game, and it’s nice for the players to have more opportunities and more control of their futures,” Gilchrist was quoted as saying in South African media. “It’s quite a good thing for guys like me who are at back end of their careers. I’m 10 years older than guys like Graeme (Smith), and about eight years older than Daniel (Vettori), so it’s a great opportunity,” he said during Captain’s Breakfast at Sandton Sun on eve of the Twenty20 World Championship.

Gilchrist, who substituted captain Ricky Ponting at function, however, did not say whether he would sign up with the ICL.

Meanwhile, West Indian legend Brian Lara has also come out in support of the ICL, which may become a rival to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“I think the most important thing is that their (ICL’s) motives are very clean and clear – they want to improve cricket and standards of professional cricket in India, and that’s good enough for me,” Lara said about the ICL. So far, Lara is the most prominent international name to have signed up for the ICL.

“I think there’s room for a lot of players in the market and I’ll be there to support them.”

Lara was in Johannesburg to present the ICC Captain of Year Award to Australian captain Ricky Ponting at the council’s annual awards ceremony, hosted a day before start of the global ICC Twenty20 event.

Conceding the West Indies had largely not had a good innings in recent years, Lara said there were some great changes on cards for the team, and that they could spring a few surprises in the Twenty20 games.—Agencies