KEY POINTS:
Having not visited India for about six years, I've found the country has come a long way. The change in the quality of the infrastructure and the general development of the place is astounding and testament to a powerhouse economy that is changing the way Indians live.
One thing that hasn't changed, however, is how much they love their cricket. We think we love our rugby but these guys are on a completely different level. The game is everywhere.
News coverage of the Tri-Series win in Australia is at saturation point
and the Indian Cricket League competition, where I will be playing for Chennai, is serious business and similarly resourced.
The quality of the international players and the young Indians is a pleasant surprise. The list reads like a who's who of international cricket _ Brian Lara, Inzamam ul-Haq, Shane Bond, Michael Bevan, Mohammad Sami, Damien Martyn, Mustaq Ahmed _ the list goes on.
Our practice match against Lahore _ packed with current and former Pakistani test players _ was played at a standard not too far below ODI level.
The young Indian guys are phenomenally talented and two of our side have already played for India. The quality of the striking is at a level beyond anything seen in New Zealand and serves to enforce that with our wickets and conditions we are never going to produce world-class batsmen.
Throw in a full quota of support and coaching staff for each side and you have a set-up that compares favourably to any sporting franchise.
My brief is clear _ develop the young Indian players and pass on to them my experience on and off the field.
The vision of ICL is a compelling one. It's an opportunity for us to play in an elite environment with the best young talent available and to help them develop to test quality.
It is completely different from the Indian Premier League, in fact, the only thing the two competitions have in common is that they both play Twenty20.
The ICL sides look reasonably evenly matched, although Lahore with its full quota of internationals probably has the strongest line-up. The fact that this tournament will be played in three stadiums in Hyderabad, Delhi and Chandigarh will mean a variety of wicket conditions and this, with the Twenty20 format, should keep things interesting right through to the finals.
