Waiting for tonight: ICL, season II

Fasten your seat belts as the Indian Cricket League’s Season II kicks off on Friday with Hyderabad Heroes taking on the Lahore Badshahs

HYDERABAD: In the season of festival, a new one was added last year with the advent of the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

And the debut edition’s resounding success has propelled the Essel Group to give it a new dimension this year. It was evident on Thursday evening when the dress rehearsals for the beginning of Season II were performed at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium here.
Pakistan-based Lahore Badshahs, led by the redoubtable Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Chris Harris’s Hyderabad Heroes will kick off the proceedings. What will add to the dimension is that these two teams were involved in bitterly-contested best-of-three finals in the Edelweiss 20s Challenge last year, and will be desperate to seize the early initiative. Both captains sounded optimistic when quizzed about their D-Day plans.

Both also expressed similar views about the league, a first of its kind. “ICL was the first such venture in the world… It is the best Twenty20 league of the world at the moment,” they felt.

On the inaugural match of the second season, Inzamam and Harris sounded positive.
“We were desperate to win last year… Our failure made us do the hard rounds at home… We have come even better prepared this year,” Inzamam said in his casual style. Harris was quick to add: “It will be a tough match on Friday as both teams have worked on their weaknesses to come back hard this time.” Harris also praised his opponents. “They are a fantastic side and we will have to grab every opportunity to come out with flying colours.”

The former Pakistan captain was a picture of grit and determination. “If you have to win the tournament you will have to be at your best,” Inzamam said while Harris, taking a cue from Inzy’s statement, said that this time the players will be much more organised as they already had a decent run in the last season.

“Our team comprises talented youngsters and so is the opposition… Any one player can the take the match away in this format,” Harris felt. With Chennai Superstars having the last laugh in the domestic T20 championship, it’s for the other teams to push hard for the title and bag the whopping Rs 2 crore-prize money after a six-week period.

“Last year, we had some decent matches and big wins, this we will have to put up a better show,” Harris said, who had four ducks in the first edition.

Both the teams were however lucky as they had their practice sessions in the initial hours of the day otherwise rain god would have dashed their hopes just before the start.