February 05, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 26, 1429

LONDON, Feb 4: Geoff Miller, England’s newly-installed chief selector, has hinted that any England player who signs up for the rebel Indian Cricket League could go the same way as New Zealand’s Shane Bond, who last month had his national contract terminated and now faces being cast into the international wilderness.

So far only four England players – Chris Read, Vikram Solanki, Darren Maddy and Paul Nixon – have taken the lucrative offer from the ICL and, of those, only Read had realistic prospects of resuming his international career.

But Miller, in New Zealand with the one-day squad, suggested that the ECB would be making an example of them to prevent others from following the same path.

Contracts for the ICL are worth between £200,000 and £500,000, but the tournament is not sanctioned by the ICC – unlike the forthcoming Indian Premier League, which takes place in April. Miller stopped short of saying that legal issues were behind his comments, but instead questioned the motivation of players who sign for the ICL.

“There are lots of factors to consider but if they have chosen to do that [join the ICL], what is the reason to do that?” he told The Guardian.

“What’s wrong with the England side? It is something you would need to discuss with the player but I would like to feel the players would not want to make that decision.

“I would like to feel those players would want to be with the England side,” said Miller. “If it is detrimental to what happens in the changing-room that is paramount to me. I am big on atmosphere in the changing-room and creating a good spirit.”—Agencies