The BCCI-backed Indian Premier League may have the best of current players
on its roster but the Indian Cricket League recruit Chris Cairns feels
the so-called rebel venture would be a bigger hit with the fans as it has more
local youngsters.
"The IPL will have a lot of current players and all of them are
huge stars. But ICL has an edge because we have a local flavour to our
sides, which makes it easier for the fans to connect with us," the former
New Zealand all-rounder said in an interview.
"We have a nice mix of youth and experience in all our
teams. On one hand we have recently-retired megastars like (Brian) Lara and
Inzamam-ul Haq, who can pull in crowds on any given day. And on the other, there
are youngsters from within India, who will get an opportunity to showcase
their talent," he added.
Cairns said another factor which makes ICL more appealing to
fans is that it would be the first of the two Twenty20 leagues to take
off.
"IPL hasn't even started and it will be some time before
it happens. But we are getting started right away and being the first has its
advantages because if everything goes off well and spectators enjoy our product,
it will raise the bar for IPL. So as I see it, ICL is certainly bigger at the
moment," he explained.
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