ICL players get go ahead for county cricket
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was forced to climb down from its earlier stand of not allowing Wavell Hinds, Johannes van der Wath, Andrew Hall and Justin Kemp from playing for their respective counties. The ECB had taken this stand after the four concerned players decided to participate in the Essel Group backed Indian Cricket League.
However, on Wednesday, a three-man appellate tribunal set up to hear the pleas of the respective counties of the concerned players, ruled in favour of the players. The cricketers can now take up their original contracts, Hall and Van Der Wath with Northamptonshire and Kemp with Kent.
Van der Wath, Andrew Hall and Justin Kemp were cleared under the Kolpak ruling, whereby they can play as local players and not overseas players. However, Jamaican Wavell Hinds, who was also banned by the ECB but did not appeal, has subsequently been signed by Derbyshire as an overseas player for the Twenty20 Cup.
The ruling, though, does not mention Kiwi players Hamish Marshall and Shane Bond. While Marshall has signed up for Gloucestershire and Bond, who had penned the deal with Hampshire, were not in the list of players whose registrations were rejected by the ECB owing to their association with the ICL.
Things, however, would not be so easy for Bond as he would have to procure a No Objection Certificate (NoC) from New Zealand Cricket (NZC), before being able to play a county match. But with this ruling, chances are that he and Marshall might just be able wriggle out of darkness.
ICC which currently does not recognise ICL, is also reviewing the latter`s position, as disclosed by the outgoing ICC CEO Malcom Speed.
Source: http://cricket.zeenews.com
However, on Wednesday, a three-man appellate tribunal set up to hear the pleas of the respective counties of the concerned players, ruled in favour of the players. The cricketers can now take up their original contracts, Hall and Van Der Wath with Northamptonshire and Kemp with Kent.
Van der Wath, Andrew Hall and Justin Kemp were cleared under the Kolpak ruling, whereby they can play as local players and not overseas players. However, Jamaican Wavell Hinds, who was also banned by the ECB but did not appeal, has subsequently been signed by Derbyshire as an overseas player for the Twenty20 Cup.
The ruling, though, does not mention Kiwi players Hamish Marshall and Shane Bond. While Marshall has signed up for Gloucestershire and Bond, who had penned the deal with Hampshire, were not in the list of players whose registrations were rejected by the ECB owing to their association with the ICL.
Things, however, would not be so easy for Bond as he would have to procure a No Objection Certificate (NoC) from New Zealand Cricket (NZC), before being able to play a county match. But with this ruling, chances are that he and Marshall might just be able wriggle out of darkness.
ICC which currently does not recognise ICL, is also reviewing the latter`s position, as disclosed by the outgoing ICC CEO Malcom Speed.
Source: http://cricket.zeenews.com
