Multi-million dollar pay days a lure for rebel cricket tournament

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke. Photo / Getty Images

Leading cricketers could be offered multi-million dollar contracts to be involved in a proposed global T20 tournament.

In moves akin to the launch of World Series Cricket by Australian Kerry Packer in the late 1970s, Indian conglomerate Essel Group, which owns satellite broadcaster Zee TV, is behind the scheme for a franchise-based world league, pushing into fresh markets such as the United States and China.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Australian skipper Michael Clarke and opener David Warner are among players who could be in line for a substantial fee to be part of an organisation taking on the International Cricket Council.

Essel owner, billionaire Subhash Chandra has confirmed intentions to start the league and a website domain, globalt20.com, was registered by the group this month, among 249 domains registered around countries that could be tied into the league.

The last time Essel were involved in cricket it was running the disastrous Indian Cricket League, set up in competition to the established Indian Premier League.

That league, which included former New Zealand players Shane Bond, Nathan Astle, Daryl Tuffey, Chris Cairns, Lou Vincent and current national batting coach Craig McMillan, was rife with rumours of match fixing and attracted players near, or in international retirement. Players are still owed salaries totalling around $2 million from that venture, which folded in 2009.

The move is seen as a direct challenge to the ICC, whose handing power to the so-called Big Three, India, England and Australia, angered the other full member nations, including New Zealand, whose players may be viewed as being vulnerable to significant financial inducements.

"There is general dissatisfaction with the game's governance, how it's run and the inequity of the games' finances and there are other bodies around that would believe they can globalise the game in a more equitable fashion than the current administration," former world players union boss Tim May said.

The boss of the ICL, Lalit Modi, was linked initially with the Essel plan. However he has denied involvement, as does his associate, Dean Kino, a former Cricket Australia lawyer and key figure in the Champions League launch.

NZC are waiting to see what unfolds. A board meeting yesterday received a report from its ICC representative Greg Barclay on developments.

"Yes absolutely we see it as a potential threat and are watching it closely," Barclay said today.

"We have been for a number of months since we became aware of these registrations. We're working closely with the ICC to see what they might be doing around finding out what Essel might be up to.

"At the moment this is all speculation and hype, and until such time as something tangible starts to manifest, it's very hard to react to it."

Barclay said the country's best players are contracted, have a full body of work ahead of them and are committed to New Zealand.

"Until such time as any of them get approached and something starts to happen it's business as usual," he added.