Loots Bosman, the South African opener, has rejected a deal with the Indian Cricket League (ICL), and instead signed with the Indian Premier League (IPL), the ICC-sanctioned Twenty20 tournament.

“It was a tough decision. I still have the ICL contract. It’s difficult having a contract in front of you. It makes it tough to say no,” Bosman told Die Volksblad, a Bloemfontein-based newspaper.

The ICL was reportedly prepared to increase their initial offering of 2.3 million rand (approx US $350,000) for a two-year commitment after they learned of Bosman’s negotiations with the IPL. “I could have delayed my decision and dragged out the process. At the end of the day it’s still my decision. I also decided what was in the best interests of my wife Mandisa and our four-year-old daughter, Khanyi.”

Bosman said wanting to return to the domestic fold influenced his decision - the South African board has imposed bans on players who signed with the ICL, a move which will affect Lance Klusener and Nicky Boje. He becomes the seventh South African to join the IPL, increasing the strength of foreign players to 44. The US$2 million tournament starts on April 2008.

He could make his comeback to domestic cricket for the Eagles’ four-day match against the Titans starting on November 8, after completing a one-match suspension for his outburst against Mickey Arthur, the national coach. Bosman missed out on the ICC World Twenty20, as Arthur wasn’t convinced about his fitness.

Lahore, Oct 29- Pakistani Test discard Taufiq Umar is to join the Indian Cricket League (ICL) even though other senior players who had earlier opted for the rebel league have returned to the fold.

‘Taufiq, an opening batsman, does not foresee any future prospects for himself in Pakistan cricket,’ Dawn reported Monday, quoting sources.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq and Imran Farhat had also opted for the ICL, but Yousuf then decided to disassociate himself from the league.

Razzaq, who announced his retirement from international cricket to join the ICL, backtracked Saturday and there are reports he is also thinking of saying goodbye to the ICL, the newspaper said.

Inzamam and Farhat are, however, firm on their commitment to the ICL.

Taufiq along with Farhat was involved in three opening century stands in the last home series against South Africa, and his decision to switch to the ICL ‘will definitely compound Pakistan’s problems in finding a reliable opening pair in the future’, Dawn said.

Calcutta: Former India batsman, one-time stand-in India coach and former national selector Ashok Malhotra has joined the rebel India Cricket League (ICL). Malhotra joined ICL a couple of days back, but it became public on Monday.

“I was left with no choice as it seemed I had to pay the price for calling a spade a spade…You could say I got hounded out (by the Establishment)…Today as I see it, I have much more respect in ICL,” Malhotra told The Telegraph.

At the moment, he is not sure of his designation as it has not been finalised yet. Malhotra was in the city for his wife’s operation.

The former middle-order batsman, who played seven Tests for India in the 1980s, scored 226 runs averaging 25.11 and 20 ODIs, scoring 457 runs at an average of 30.46.

Besides seven frontline Bengal players, one-time national selector Pranab Roy also took the ICL plunge a few months back.

JASON GILLESPIE is the latest Australian to join the Indian Champions League, which has signed up to 25 foreign players, including his former bowling partner Glenn McGrath.

The Twenty20 competition, made up of teams under the Board of Control for Cricket in India, will be held in April 2008 with prizemoney of $3million on offer. Gillespie, one of Cricket Australia’s 25 contracted players, was excited by the competition.

“I am at the stage of my career where I am looking forward to new challenges,’ Gillespie said.

“I think this competition will be a lot of fun.”

The 32-year-old says if he is to play for Australia again, it will be in the longer form of the game.

“I have played my last one-day game for Australia, that is for sure,” he said.

“But I believe I can offer something at the Test level if that opportunity arises.”

Gillespie, who has played 71 Tests and taken 259 wickets at an average of 26.13, thinks the selectors will look at younger bowlers for the summer.

“When I was a young fast bowler the Australian selectors persevered with me and I think they should do the same for whoever is picked,” he said. “It takes a while to find your feet at Test level and I was grateful for the opportunities and I hope selectors do the same now.”

The 20,000 capacity Tau Devi Lal stadium in Panchkula, which will host matches of the Indian Cricket League, will be given to the organisers on lease for 50 days annually for a period of 10 years.

Apart from the lease rent, the civic body will also get a share of revenue from sale of ticket, food and beverages and ground advertisement.

“They will pay us lease rent of Rs 6.75 lakh per month and install floodlights at their own expense. Plus, 15 per cent of revenue from ticket sales and food and beverages sale and a share of revenue from ground advertisement will also be paid to us by them,” Haryana Urban Development Authority Chief Administrator T C Gupta told reporters.

He said the stadium, which has mounds instead of stands or chairs, should offer a good experience to cricket lovers.

“The ICL tournament should do good to us. Our boys will get good exposure as earlier the stadium has not hosted any major tournament,” he added.

The ICL will be required to maintain the ground for as long as the matches are on while HUDA will maintain the field during the off-season.

Reetinder Singh Sodhi, one of the ICL recruits, said the venue had a good batting track and hoped some good cricket would be seen there when the inaugural edition of the Twenty20 competition is played there from November 30 to December 16.

“I and most of the Punjab players played there last year in the JP Atray Tournament, which we won by defeating ONGC. The cricket stadium is coming up well and offers a good batting track and has a fast outfield,” Sodhi said.