New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming may abruptly end his international career to join the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), according to a media report in Melbourne.
Fleming has been approached by the ICL officials and the lucrative offer might prompt the Kiwi skipper to quit international cricket and join the league, according to 'The Australia' newspaper.
The report quoted unnamed sources as saying that Fleming had been offered a deal worth USD 440,000 a year to skipper any one of the six teams in the proposed league.
"Why is that awkward if you are planning retirement?" asked a source close to the ICL negotiations.
Fleming retired from one day cricket after leading the side to the semi-finals of the World Cup in the West Indies and is expected to lead New Zealand in the tour of South Africa which, incidentally, coincides with the first ICL Twenty20 league.
Though ICL staged a major coup of sort by roping in West Indies batting great Brian Lara while the likes of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath are also ready to jump on the bandwagon, getting a contemporary player of Fleming's stature would be a huge morale booster for the organisers.
Meanwhile, former Australian batsman Dean Jones, part of the ICL Executive Board, said that though Damien Martyn and Justin Langer had rejected similar offer, he was in touch with some other Australian players, who are all set to join the league.
"We've spoken to a lot of players around the world and haven't had too many knock-backs," Jones said.
"We're not asking any players to break any contracts with their board, far from it," he added.
Apart from Fleming, Kiwi spearhead Shane Bond and Sri Lanka's retired all-rounder Russel Arnold have also been approached to join the league.
Though organisers face a tough battle on home turf with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refusing to approve the league, Jones said ICL should be hailed for helping budding cricket talents.
"The term rebel has been used in an unfortunate way (to describe the new league). I think we're more like angels really," he said.
"Potentially what we're about is trying to find young Indian kids to represent India, as well as potential young players from Kenya and Zimbabwe and maybe some under-19 boys from Australia. They're better off playing in this sort of league than playing club cricket for a month," Jones said.
Meanwhile, in a significant development, Cricket Australia has decided that it would not allow any of its contracted players, at national and state levels, to take part in any tournament which does not enjoy official sanction by the International Cricket Council.
