Former England batsman Mark Butcher has been offered a lucrative
deal to captain a side in the Indian Cricket League, while Ireland wicketkeeper
Niall O'Brien and Warwickshire all-rounder Neil Carter also confirmed receiving
offers to play in the rebel league.
According to a report in 'The Times', 35-year-old Butcher, who played 71 Test
matches for England, have been offered to captain one of the six sides in the
rebel Twenty20 league.
Former England captain Tony Greig, part of ICL's Executive
Board, identified Butcher, the daily claimed.
Though cricket boards in India and Pakistan have decided to
ban players defecting to the rebel league, the England and Wales Cricket Board
(ECB) is yet to take a similar stance and David Ligertwood, who represents Butcher,
O'Brien and Carter, did not foresee any problem for the trio to join the league.
"I don't know why the ECB would want to stop them playing
unless they think it would annoy the Indian board. It sounds like this is going
to be a big thing now and a great experience for the players," he said.
In case O'Brien joins ICL, he would be the second Northamptonshire
player to take the plunge, after South African Lance Klusener.
Northamptonshire chief executive Mark Tagg , meanwhile, was
surprised at Klusener's decision and said the county would discuss the implications
at its next meeting in September.
"If he (Klusener) does not play in this, I assume he will
play in South Africa. I don't know if there is any difference," Tagg said.
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