Damien Martyn looks set to become the first Australian to join the rebel Indian Cricket League.
Martyn announcemnent expected on Monday
Damien Martyn looks set to become the first Australian to join the rebel Indian Cricket League.
An announcement is expected on Monday regarding the former Test batsman's involvement in the controversial league.
The month long Twenty20 tournament, which is planned for October, is threatening to divide the game in India and wreak havoc on world cricket.
A number of international stars, including Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul-Haq have already been lured by the promise of big bucks
Martyn, who retired from International cricket during the Ashes series late last year, is expected to earn around £150,000 if he commits to play in the ICL for the next three years.
The revelation comes hot on the heels of Friday's news that Andrew Hall, South Africa's leading wicket taker at this year's World Cup, had also joined the ICL.
Hall, who made the decision after he was overlooked for the Twenty20 World Cup by hosts South Africa, will join compatriots Lance Klusener and Nicky Boje in the breakaway league
Backlash
The capture of 35-year-old Martyn will please ICL operations manager, former Test batsman Dean Jones, who has been actively pursuing a number of Aussie stars.
Justing Langer is known to have turned down an offer while Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are thought to be considering deals worth around £300,000 a year.
However Warne, it is understood, has backed away somewhat in the wake of a backlash by the ICC and the Indian cricket board (BCCI).
Other governing bodies including The Pakistan Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket, who have also seen a number of their star players targeted, have issued stark warnings against joining the league.
Both countries have threatened to ban any player who joins the ICL.
Absurd
The threat however, could cause a headache for the PCB after star batsman Mohammad Yousuf defied his country's cricket chiefs by signing up to the league.
Yousuf will join fellow Pakistan internationals Abdul Razzaq, who joined after he was left out of the Twenty20 World Cup squad, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Imran Farhat.
And though the PCB appear unconcerned at the decisions of the other three they are desperate to keep Yousuf in the international fold.
Local press has reported that the PCB is considering an attempt to lure Yousuf, currently ranked second best Test batsman in the world, back with the promise of more money.
But such a move is likely to cause unrest among other top players who rejected lucrative offers from the ICL to stay with Pakistan.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka's chief cricket selector has hit out at his country's decision to exclude players from international selection who take part in tournaments not sanctioned by the governing body.
Asantha de Mel said that such a ban would seriously hamper his ability to put together a top team.
He said: "This will leave us excluding players who might be playing in the league.
"I have no problem with the decision with regard to the contracted players because they have contractual obligations.
"But it sounds absurd for players who have no contracts. From a player's viewpoint, playing in the ICL may be just like playing in county cricket.
"So when we ban them, we will have fewer players to select from."
