KEY POINTS:
What is the Indian Cricket League?
A Twenty20 competition set up by Zee Telefilms, bitter at being overlooked by the Board of Control for Cricket in India for the lucrative broadcasting rights until 2011. So in response it set up a league of six teams, each including
four internationals - mostly either retired or long past their best - and several up-and-coming Indian players.
Its first competition finished last month, running for 17 days, with prizemoney of about US$1 million ($1.3 million). Several competitions are in the pipeline for this year, with expansion to eight teams, and a target of 16 teams in three years' time. Six New Zealanders took part - Chris Cairns, Darryl Tuffey and Hamish Marshall, who played for beaten finalists Chandigarh Lions, and Chris Harris, Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan. It is not sanctioned by the International Cricket Council. Players who join the ICL are being ruled ineligible to play for their countries.
What is the Indian Premier League?
An ICC-backed Twenty20 competition, announced with indecent haste as a response to the ICL and designed to offer a "legitimate" alternative to the rebel competition, whereby players would not be shunned by their boards and can continue their international careers. It is being organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, but a mountain of detail is still to be revealed, including dates, venues and squad makeups.
Prizemoney is put at about US$3million but no dates or venues have been revealed. It is due to start in April, will run 44 days, involve 59 games with eight squads of 16 players. It claims to have a raft of current internationals lined up, but no Australians or Indians have officially been confirmed. About 40 players have been named to play in it, including five current New Zealand internationals, captain Daniel Vettori, Stephen Fleming, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum and Scott Styris.
Why is Shane Bond heading to the ICL?
Money, family security. He's been guaranteed US$800,000 for three years of games in which he will be required to bowl no more than four overs each time. The money is assured even if he doesn't play. This dwarfs what he's being paid courtesy of his New Zealand Cricket contract, which expires in May. His body has been fragile even before he made the New Zealand team in 2001-02.
What is the International Cricket Council's position?
Officially it supports the IPL, as it's being organised by one of its member boards, India's BCCI. It is unhappy at the setting up of the ICL outside its auspices, preferring to keep cricket under the parent body.
Why can Bond not keep playing for New Zealand, and play in the ICL when it does not conflict with his national commitments?
After all, the ICL has stated as recently as yesterday it does not want players to break contracts. The big question. NZC is part of the ICC. It has not sanctioned the ICL, regarding it as a rebel operation set up by a third party piqued by not getting its way on broadcasting rights. It will not let players take up a contract with an unrecognised competition then return to "official" cricket.
The national selectors have been encouraged to pick players other than the rebel six who played in the inaugural ICL last month and anyone else who joins the ICL. In effect, this relates only to Tuffey, Marshall having left New Zealand to play for English county Gloucestershire, Harris being too old and the other four having retired. And Tuffey is well down the pecking order of fast-medium bowlers anyway.
How do the players' associations view the situation?
They won't condone players breaking national contracts. But they believe players, as independent contractors, should be able to take up offers from third parties. Players get releases to play English county cricket, charity games, events like the Hong Kong Sixes or double wicket tournaments.
The view is it is better to embrace and manage third party organisations wanting to invest in the game. Shut the door and inevitably they will do their own thing.
The wording in players' contracts with NZC includes that those seeking a release to take up another opportunity "cannot be unreasonably withheld".
What happens next?
Bond will meet NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan in a final attempt to keep Bond within New Zealand cricket. If he chooses the ICL, at the age of 32 and with a history of injury problems, he has played his last game for his country.
