Stuart Binny's the latest catch

CHENNAI, August 30: It's no more a Ripley's believe it or not as it continues to give the Indian cricket board some reason to worry. Karnataka all-rounder and former under-19 player Stuart Binny has now shifted his alliance to the Indian Cricket League (ICL).
Not just junior Stuart, son of 1983 World Cup squad member Roger Binny, four others — Punjab's Amit Uniyal, Luv Ablish, Karamvir Singh and Vipul Sharma — have decided to severe ties with the Board of Control for Cricket in India.All players are expected to join the first ICL camp in progress here by Sunday.
Speaking of his decision to join the "unofficial" league, Stuart said, "As a player I have been looking to play professional cricket in the last decade or so. I have always wanted to play with top players and ICL has some of the best domestic players and the competition should be exciting."
Dwelling further, the 24-year athletic all-rounder said, "It took me some time. Me and my father went through the details and in the end he left it to me and the decision to play the league was all mine."
Asked whether his move will affect his father's career as a coach with the Asian Cricket Council, Stuart said, "I don't think so. I have decided for myself and professionally things shouldn't be mixed."
Assam cricketers cry foul
Assam youngsters Abu Naschim Ahmed, Parvez Aziz and Sujoy Tarafdar, who bid their Ranji team goodbye soon after the Buchi Babu tournament in Hyderabad to join ICL, cried foul saying that their decision to join ICL is being flashed as a defection by cheating.
"In fact, we were told that a police complaint was to be filed against us after we left the team," lamented the trio soon their fitness tests at the ICL camp on Thursday. "We informed Assam Cricket Association joint secretary Umamada Bora and team manager Rajesh Bora of our decision to join ICL, we never ran away," asserts Abu Ahmed.
Trainees undergo fitness tests
Heavy overnight rains failed to dampen the spirits of the organisers and ICL players as coaches Balwinder Sandhu, Pranob Roy and Rajesh Kamath (ex-NCA) alongwith a physio put the players through a series of fitness tests and physical programmes.
The players were also made to make a self-assessment of what they thought were their cricketing pluses and minuses on paper.
Kiwi board bans players from rebel league
Wellington: New Zealand Cricket on Thursday said it would not allow any of its contracted players to take part in the rebel ICL series. It said the Twenty20 tournament would clash with New Zealand's tour of South Africa and the opening of the domestic first class season.
"We have considered this issue carefully and have concluded that New Zealand Cricket cannot agree to release our contracted players to participate in the ICL," said chief executive Justin Vaughan.
Ponting has growing concerns
Melbourne: Australian captain Ricky Ponting has warned cricket boards from showing leniency towards players joining the ICL or they might run the risk of losing a lot of international players.
"The concern I have is how lenient the boards are with the players. I heard a whisper the other day that the New Zealanders might be going with the board's blessing because they have no cricket at that time of the year."