Monday 28th July 2008
ECB setting own plans
The ECB are pressing ahead with their own plans to stage the Champions League this year in a clear disregard for India’s plans.
English cricket chiefs do not intend to attend Wednesday's meeting to discuss the Indian proposals for the tournament.
Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi claimed yesterday that England will be excluded from this year's competition over a series of issues surrounding the tournament.
Modi claimed the Indian version of the Champions League would be held in Jaipur, New Delhi and Mohali from September 29 to October 8 and details would be finalised at a meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday with officials from Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa, although neither of those boards have confirmed their attendance.
But the England and Wales Cricket Board are believed to have the finance in place for an alternative tournament, which would probably be staged in Abu Dhabi following talks with the Abu Dhabi Royal Family about them bankrolling the event.
"At the moment we are progressing with our plans and we have no plans to travel to Mumbai and attend Wednesday's meeting," confirmed an ECB spokesman.
After several weeks of talks between the ECB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the impasse has not been broken over the dispute over rights to the tournament and the availability of players who have played in the private Indian Cricket League.
Under the Indian proposal, the BCCI would retain 50% of the rights to the tournament and will not sanction any players from the ICL or teams who have used them to qualify.
The ECB are suggesting a more equal share of the tournament among the different boards and an amnesty over ICL players from last year, but are hopeful of a compromise with Modi to ensure Champions League tournament.
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