Players to take call on dual loyalties: Modi

Written By DNA Web Team | Updated:

Players caught in dual loyalties will take the final call and decide which team they want to represent in the Champions League

NEW DELHI: Players caught in dual loyalties will take the final call and decide which team they want to represent in the Champions League, its Commissioner Lalit Modi said here on Thursday.
    
Michael Hussey plays himself in a tricky situation with Chennai Super Kings and Western Australia Warriors - both teams have him in the ranks -- qualifying for the Champions League by virtue of their second place finish in league in India and Australia.
    
Modi said, in such cases the player concerned would have the final say.
    
"This issue has been addressed with the consent of all ICC members. There are so many leagues -- IPL, Big Bash, South Africa Twenty20 and then England have their own. Over the years, many more such league would come up. So we have finally
come to a solution which is fair and decided that both teams would stay back and the player concerned would decide which team he wants to play for," Modi said here.
    
"For instance, if Hussey plays for Chennai Super Kings, the Champions League Governing Council will pay USD 200,000 to his Australian club for releasing him," Modi explained.
    
"But suppose if the player is Morne Morkel who has not played the first IPL season for Rajasthan Royals, there would be no such options. He plays both for Rajasthan Royals and Titans but since he has not played for the Royals in the IPL first season, he has to play for Titans," Modi said.
    
Asked why Delhi and other north Indian venues were not consider to host Champions Trophy matches, scheduled from December 3-10, Modi said winter and dew factor were considered before deciding on venues.
    
"The dew factor prompted us not to consider any venue in northern India. The matches will run into late night and dew would be a factor. Had it been September/October, we could have held matches in north India but that was not possible," Modi said.
    
He also admitted that because of a crammed calendar, Champions League was limited to a week-long affair.
    
"Uncertainty over Champions League led to a delay and the Future Tours Programme didn't leave much time on the calendar. That's why we had to trim the tournament, otherwise we would have loved to have a longer Champions League.
    
"Anyway, the dates have been finalised for next year when it would run for 16 days," he added.
    
Talking about dilemma for the Sri Lankan players who will have to chose between next year's IPL and the tour of England, Modi squarely blamed the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for the imbroglio.
    
"There is lot of speculation on the issue. When we conceived IPL, we considered the FTP and NOC was given to all the players before they signed a contract. It was completely based on FTP, which has been the guiding principle for us.
    
"Now England refused to play Zimbabwe and invited Sri Lanka instead to play with them. England were unaware of the Lankan players' contract and suddenly it was claimed that players were preferring IPL franchise over national duty, Modi said.
    
Claiming ECB invited Sri Lanka to fulfill their commitment to broadcasters, Modi said, "They have a commitment to the broadcasters to play seven Test and seven one day matches in the season which they need to fulfill. But that's an outside-FTP commitment."