Indian cricket leaders "are not convinced that a rival league could drive a wedge through the sport's global competition or threaten the power" of the Int'l Cricket Council, according to C. Rajshekhar Rao of the AP. After all, they said that "this has been tried before in India" -- and did not succeed. Recent reports that billionaire businessman Subhash Chandra is planning to set up a rival cricket system "seems far-fetched to most who follow cricket in India, largely because a Twenty20 league launched by his Essel Group several years ago collapsed with millions of dollars reportedly owed to players." Former Board of Control for Cricket in India Secretary Niranjan Shah said, "No one can stop someone from setting it up (a new system), but to dislodge what is established is very difficult." Former India cricketer Madan Lal believes that gaining players' confidence "will be the biggest challenge for anyone trying to form a breakaway competition." Lal: "A lot of players put their careers on the line, but the ICL did not care about them. Current players will think 10 times before signing up with a new league" (AP, 5/5). In Dubai, K.R. Nayar opined there are dangers the IPL is "likely to encounter due to its unruly administrators." It "is not surprising to hear that there is a move to create a rebel Twenty20 league to the IPL." Before analyzing whether this rebel league will be successful or not, "one should examine why such a move has been initiated." The power struggle within the BCCI, "mud-slinging at each other, court battles, devaluing a team’s price and spreading rumours about bookies on the move without providing any evidence, all these have created a negative image about the tournament." If Essel Group, as reported, is planning to create an alternative cricket structure, it is also due to the fact that the ICC "has also been hit by some dirty games a few countries have played" (GULF NEWS, 5/4).
