Cricket: Hadlee approached by US cricket promoters

Richard Hadlee has been asked to join the board of a yet-unapproved American Twenty20 tournament. Photo / Mark Mitchell

New Zealand cricket legend Sir Richard Hadlee has been approached to be an executive board member of an American Premier League (APL) cricket tournament, but is waiting on formal approval before accepting.

Players from the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and some big names from the sport's past have been invited to take part in an as-yet unauthorised Twenty20 tournament in New York in October, the event organiser told Reuters on Thursday.

Jay Mir, president and CEO of American Sports And Entertainment Group, said the tournament, to be called the American Premier League, had signed up players from the major cricket nations with the majority coming from the ICL.

Mir said Hadlee had signed up as an executive board member.

But Hadlee would not confirm that this morning.

He said he was waiting to see whether the APL tournament received official blessing before making a final decision.

Mir said former England spin bowler John Emburey, a coach in the ICL, had agreed to be coach of a "Premium World" team in the competition with ex-West Indies captain Richie Richardson coaching a Caribbean XI.

The "Premium World" team would be made up of players from England, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, said Mir, declining to name any of those contracted.

But the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), which had not recognised the ICL, warned its members against taking part in an event which had not yet received endorsement from the USA Cricket Association.

The ICC issued a memo to members last week, saying players were not to be released until the event was confirmed.

A spokesman for the USA Cricket Association (USACA) said Mir had last contacted the body on the phone a month ago but had yet to make a formal application for authorisation.

- NZPA