| MUMBAI:
The governing council of the Indian Premier League met for the first time here
today to discuss the operational dynamics of the domestic Twenty20 League being
promoted by the Indian cricket board. The
meeting was chaired by Lalit Modi, IPL chairman and Board of Control for cricket
in India (BCCI) vice president. BCCI chief Sharad Pawar, IS Bindra, Chirayu Amin,
Rajeev Shukla, Arun Jaitely, and former India captains Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi
Shastri were there as part of the governing council. Andrew Wildblood, senior
V-P, IMG, which is assisting the board in conceptualising and setting up the IPL,
was also present. Modi
used the occasion to announce that Pakistani captain Shoaib Malik, Younus Khan
and Mohammed Asif, as well as Brendon McCullum of New Zealand had joined the IPL.
"We are happy to announce the fresh inductions of four outstanding new talents
taking the total foreign player signings to 29," Modi said.
All IPL matches will
be played under lights at BCCI designated stadia across the country between 7
pm and 10 pm in the evening. The
council also decided on each of the eight franchises having a playing squad of
16 players comprising four internationally contracted ones. The squad would also
include BCCI registered players drawn from a central contract pool of Indian players.
Giving impetus to the development of cricket in India, each Indian Premier League
team will also feature both under 21 players and designated players per team.
The designated players could well be contracted from the Indian National Team
or overseas contracted players, marking the entry of these professionals into
Indian domestic cricket for the first time. The
IPL also announced it would begin the franchise tender marketing process to secure
a media partner agreement by end November and complete it by December. The franchises
will be declared in January 2008 and the IPL plans to have its first player auction
by January 2008. The league is scheduled to be launched by mid-April 2008.
The IPL has
already announced the signing on of the likes of Shane Warne, Glen McGrath, Stephen
Fleming, Jacob Oram, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya, Graeme Smith, Daniel
Vettori, Herschelle Gibbs, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammed Yousuf, Shivnarine Chanderpaul,
Chaminda Vaas, Justin Langer, Shaun Pollock, AB de Villiers, Ashwell Prince, Albie
Morkel and Scott Styris. | 
