ICL targetting former England players

The Indian Cricket League is targetting over-the-hill England cricketers for an unofficial mini World Cup to be held in India later this year, according to media reports in London.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash are among those being courted by ICL. The 42-year-old Hick announced his retirement last week after 25 seasons with Worcestershire while Ramprakash completed 100 first-class hundreds last month.

The move comes in the wake of the England and Wales Cricket Board's (ECB) ruling that those signing contracts with the ICL would be barred from county cricket.

Besides Hick and Ramprakash, Darren Gough, who is in his last season as Yorkshire captain, is also being targetted. 

Others on the ICL radar include Surrey and England one-day opener Ali Brown, Dominic Cork currently out of contract with Lancashire  Glamorgan off-spinner Robert Croft, Sussex skipper Chris Adams and former England all-rounder Mark Ealham.

The ICL mini World Cup featuring teams from England, Africa, India, Pakistan and New Zealand is supposed to be held towards the end of the year.