Daryl Tuffey is poised to join India’s rebel Twenty20 cricket ranks but hopes it will not stop him playing first-class cricket for Auckland later this season.

The former New Zealand test pace spearhead said he was ready to put pen to paper in the coming days and sign an “attractive offer” to join the Indian Cricket League (ICL) which starts next month.

He will join former New Zealand team-mates Chris Cairns, Nathan Astle, Chris Harris and Hamish Marshall, while current one-day international Craig McMillan will continue talks with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) chief executive Justin Vaughan this week over his potential involvement.

“I’m leaning towards (signing). It’s the money and a bit of security. Nothing’s guaranteed with New Zealand Cricket, even the money you get playing domestic cricket back home,” Tuffey said.

“You’ve got to start looking after No. 1 at some point.”

Tuffey, 29, is not contracted by NZC and last week turned down the offer of a provincial contract with Auckland.

But he had spoken regularly with Auckland coach Mark O’Donnell, who indicated there would be a place for Tuffey when his ICL commitments finish at the end of next month.

“Not signing with Auckland has just made me a free agent. I can play for match fees if Auckland choose to do that. It’s a bit more relaxed for me now.

“I’m pretty keen to come back and play for Auckland and see what happens from there, if I’m bowling well.”

Tuffey bowled a wicketless six overs for his Sutherland team in Sydney grade cricket yesterday but has made a good start to the season, taking eight wickets at 15.25 in the opening three rounds.

He said Sutherland, coached by former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon, were keen for him to return later in the season if he was not required by Auckland.

Tuffey’s main aim is to get through his six-week Sydney stint injury-free. His right bicep injury has caused him ongoing grief since 2005, and restricted him to just one first-class match in the past two seasons.

He made a surprise return to the Black Caps at this year’s World Cup, playing one match before returning home.

He felt he had “four or five” good cricketing years left and had not given up hope of adding to his 22 tests and 80 one-day internationals for New Zealand.

“Who knows what happens if I go to India, but if the chance arose again that would be great.

“But I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket and hoping to play for New Zealand any more.

“I’ve had a great time playing international cricket but there’s other opportunities outside of cricket that I’m putting first at the moment.”

Among his other business interests is a potential investment in a vineyard in Marlborough. –NZPA

Arnald Konwar, the Assam offspinner who had signed up for the Indian Cricket League (ICL), has announced his return to the fold of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“I had signed up for Rs 60 lakh for two years with the ICL hoping to get a chance to play alongside greats like Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath,” Konwar told reporters in Guwahati. “But since they had not joined, I decided to return.”

Konwar and five other players from the state had joined the ICL alleging that they were not given a chance by the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) to play at the national level. Konwar claimed that it was not the money that had lured him into the league, but a genuine intention of playing alongside cricketing greats. Both Warne and McGrath have instead signed up for the Indian Premier League (IPL), launched by the BCCI.

Konwar alleged that the ICL itinerary was yet to be fixed and even the grounds had not been finalised. “One cannot continue in such uncertainty,” he said.

Bikash Baruah, ACA secretary, denied the allegations of the other five players that they were patronised by the body when it came to selection for national-level tournaments. He said they were denied opportunities due to below-par performances.

FORMER West Indies fast bowler Mervyn Dillon has followed the lead of his countryman Brian Lara and signed up with the Indian Cricket League (ICL).The lanky pacer currently in training with the T&T senior cricket team preparing for the KFC Cup, is expected to be in India by November to take up his three-year contract.

It is understood that the Toco-born player signed on the dotted line last week and is now officially the second player from the West Indies to have signed on to play in the lucrative Twenty20 cricket tournament.There is also talk of another former West Indies player from Trinidad, Lincoln Roberts doing likewise. The hard-hitting Tobagonian is currently in negotiations with the Essel Group—the Indian Media Magnate who owns the league.

Information coming to hand is that the ICL is looking to snap up another two players from the West Indies. It is understood that offers have been made to Jamaican hard hitting batsman Chris Gayle and his fellow all rounder Marlon Samuels.If the players join Lara and sign on, then the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will have to come into the picture to indicate what is their stance on players from the West Indies joining the league.

Earlier this week, WICB president Julian Hunte warned regional players to seek legal advice before signing up for the controversial Indian Cricket League.Hunte said: “I have heard rumours of players being made substantial offers. Nothing has come to me formally.”

“I only hope that those players who have been made offers, get legal advice and our advice as to how they need to go about this.”

While some national cricket boards have expressed their reluctance to sanction their players competing in the ICL, Hunte said the WICB were yet to develop a policy but would do so shortly.

“It would be wrong for me to make any statement, except to say, most of the other Test match playing countries, have in fact, ‘banned’ their players, who have publicly accepted contracts for the ICL,” Hunte said.“We have not made any decision on it as yet…this is a matter which we will determine our own position on when we meet on the October 20 in Barbados.”

It is understood that players are being offered between US$450,000 to US$550,000 to join the league.

Assam spinner Arlan Konwar, who had signed for rebel Indian Cricket League, on Thursday announced his return to the fold of BCCI.

“I had signed up for Rs 60 lakh for two years with the ICL with a hope that I will get a chance to play alongside greats such as Shane Warne and Glen Mcgrath, but since they have not joined I decided to return,” Konwar told reporters here.

Konwar and five other players from the state had signed for the ICL alleging that they were not given a chance by the Assam Cricket Association to play at national level.

Konwar claimed that it was not money that had lured him into the rebel league, but a ‘genuine intention’ of playing alongside cricketing greats.

The player alleged that the ICL itinerary was yet to be fixed and even the grounds had not been finalised.

“One cannot continue in such uncertainty,” he said.

ACA secretary, Bikash Baruah, denied the allegations of the five top players, saying that the body had patronised them to play in national level tournaments but due to their poor performance they were denied chance.

West Indies Cricket Board president, Julian Hunte, has warned regional players to seek legal advice before signing up for the controversial Indian Cricket League.

It has been rumoured that five West Indies cricketers have been offered contracts to play in the ICL, a league which the Indian Cricket Board has refused to sanction.

“I have heard rumours of players being made substantial offers. Nothing has come to me formally,” said Hunte speaking on KLAS Sports Radio evening programme, Scoreboard, here this week.

“I only hope that those players who have been made offers, get legal advice and our advice as to how they need to go about this.”

The ICL, funded by Indian media giants, the Essel Group, is set to bowl off later this year and will feature several big names in the sport, including West Indies batting great, Brian Lara.

He is expected to be joined by Pakistani batsman, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and former Australian batsman, Damien Martyn, as the big names among several international players down to participate.

While some national cricket boards have expressed their reluctance to sanction their players competing in the ICL, Hunte said the WICB were yet to develop a policy, but would do so shortly.

“It would be wrong for me to make any statement, except to say, most of the other Test match playing countries, have in fact, ‘banned’ their players, who have publicly accepted contracts for the ICL,”
Hunte said.

“We have not made any decision on it as yet. this is a matter which we will determine our own position on when we meet on the October 20 in Barbados.”