ICL not sustainable: Modi cautions Kiwis

Melbourne, Jan 20 (UNI) BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi has cautioned the Kiwis from joining the Indian Cricket League, saying the rebel league was not ''sustainable''.

''ICL is not sustainable and Kiwi cricketers should not succumb to the lure of the rebel league,'' Modi, also the chairman of the BCCI-backed Indian Premier League (IPL), said.

A number of former and present Kiwi players have signed contracts with ''better paying'' ICL, triggering a crisis in the New Zealand Cricket.

''To have a credible tournament one must not just look at the money but, more importantly, whether the competition is sanctioned, whether it's going to have the (necessary) infrastructure, whether it's going to be around for a while, and whether it's investing in the growth of the game-- or just profiting from it,'' Modi was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying.

He also questioned the authenticity of the league, saying ''Do ICL have enough safeguards to protect against match-fixing? Do they have the right officials-- such as match referees and umpires-- and do they have the appropriate rules involving anti-doping policies and playing guidelines?'' UNI XC CS MSJ AS1413