Martyn and Kasprowicz join ICL

See you in the ICL: Michael Kasprowicz has signed with the unofficial league..

Three former Australian Test players, Damien Martyn, Michael Kasprowicz and Matthew Elliott, have signed up with the Indian Cricket League (ICL), the unofficial tournament that does not have the sanction of the Indian board.

While Kasprowicz, the fast bowler, and Elliott, the opening batsman, retired from first-class cricket in Australia earlier this month, middle-order batsman Damien Martyn surprised all when he walked away from both international and domestic cricket in December 2006, mid-way during the Ashes.

Martyn had reportedly joined the ICL ahead of its inaugural tournament, but didn't take when it was held late last year.

"These high stature Australian cricketers will definitely boost the quality of cricket, strengthen the teams, making the league showcase competitive cricket," Kapil Dev, the chairman of the ICL, said. "It will provide our young domestic players, the challenge to test their skills with some of the best exponents of the game, thus fulfilling one of the key objectives of ICL."

Elliott had indicated that he would join ICL while announcing his retirement from first-class cricket. "I'm thinking about it," Elliott had said. "It's more about what's best for me after my cricket career."

The three will join fellow Australians Stuart Law and Ian Harvey in the league, while Michael Bevan and Steve Rixon are in charge of the Chennai and Hyderabad teams.