ICPA to be launched tomorrow

Former India skipper Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi will head the Indian Cricket Players' Association, the much-awaited representative body of Indian cricketers, which will be launched in Kolkata on Tuesday.

India skipper Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and former all-rounder-turned television commentator Ravi Shastri are the founding members of the new body.

Former Test opener Arun Lal, the moving spirit behind the new body, will be the secretary.

Lal informed that the formal launch of the ICPA would take place on Tuesday and its first major venture would be a gala fund-raising dinner, for the benefit of first class cricketers, on October 31.

Apart from the entire Indian and West Indian squads some of the special invitees expected to be present at the dinner are former captains Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Bishen Singh Bedi, he said.

Lal said all first class cricketers, both present and past, will be eligible for membership.

The formation of a representative body of Indian players was on the cards following last month's stand-off between the top cricketers and the BCCI over the sponsorship issue, which cropped up just before the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka.

The Indian cricketers had then felt the need for a platform of their own as the BCCI refused to accept Ravi Shastri as the representative of the players.

The row had even raised the possibility of the board sending a second string side to the island nation, ignoring the top cricketers who had refused to sign the International Cricket Council's players' terms for the tournament.

Lal, who had earlier advocated the revival of the now-defunct Association for Indian Cricketers which was launched 13 years ago, said the decision to form a new body is in deference to the wishes of the present Indian cricketers.

He said the ICPA will "aid and assist the Board of Control for Cricket in India in whatever way possible to compliment their efforts in promoting the sport further".

"We are in the process of finalising all aspects of the association, required to form a legal entity, with the mandatory requirements of a democratically elected managing committee as well as independently audited annual reports," he added.

Mail Cricket Editor