After the incredible popularity of Indian premier League, there were widespread talks in America of holding their own Twenty20 league namely the American Premier League Cricket. Eight teams from different countries were finalized with appropriate coaches. Richie Richardson was named the chief recruiter and it was all going smooth for inaugural audition to take place in late 2009. It was named American premier league (APL).

Trouble brewed when APL failed to get official sanction. There was a remarkable revolt from the International Cricket Committee (ICC), which has in its agenda to stop any rebel tournament to flourish. ICC sent its representative Farokh Engineer to convince them that the best way to mitigate rebels is to start own official enterprise.

The new system may retain the players that would have been part of APL. Now, however, it will be run by USA Cricket Association (USACA), a branch of ICC. Logistics are being finalized and stadiums are getting quality-checked for better capacity and facilities. Potential sponsors and backers have been intimated to send their proposals by August 7, 2009.

Recession and terrorism are holding many countries captive. Thus it may take a bit of time for USACA to realize their dreams and rake profits. Tentative date for the inaugural edition has been mooted sometimes in 2011.

Each team will boast a host of quality players and some new ones. With Richard Hadlee, John Emburey and Richie Richardson at the helm of cricketing affairs, one can expect livewire action. They say patience yields sweet fruits and so one should wait just a bit to be enthralled by this wonderful variant of cricket: Twenty20.

To gain some credibility, Jay Mir, CEO of American Sports and Entertainment Group. Inc. has appointed Richie Richardson as the chief recruiter and Sir Richard Hadlee as the Executive consultant. His designation as the board member might give a semblance of respectability to yet another rebel league but it would still have to fight many cases with the various country cricketing councils.

Jay Mir is ferociously recruiting ostracized players of the day and also those past their prime. The idea is to create another mega circus of cricket. Staten Island, NY, might not be abuzz yet but the South Asian contingent has certainly woken up to the game. Already, a 10000-seater baseball-converted stadium is being created.

NZC chief executive feels that a player and ambassador of Hadlee’s caliber should not have got aligned to a rebel outfit yet this is the way of the world and even Hadlee has a “ life to lead” he feels.

Despite what the cricket boards have to say, Jay Mir might be able to bring some sanity into the scene as the man is a talented entrepreneur and knows where he is investing his money. For the uninitiated, another rebel league, the ICL, has scrapped this year’s venture owing to paucity of funds.

Come October 6th and America will be ignited with the splinters of a new sport. Yes, the South Asian community is hooked to cricket but by and large, the sport that has caught the imagination of commonwealth countries since long will be running on a virgin territory here. Staten Island in New York is all decked up. Already, a minor-league baseball ground is being converted. 10000 seats have been arranged. If all goes according to the plan, Jay Mir, the man behind the show, would find the stadium packed on the inaugural day.

The stadium has a picturesque setting with the Statue of Liberty peeping over it and mighty Hudson flowing beneath it. It is a rare sight and something along the lines has hardly been witnessed even in countries where cricket is an extravaganza. Accelerated recruitment is underway and already many legends of the game have been hired in some capacity or another.

If there is Richard Hadlee as the executive consultant and Richie Richardson as chief recruiter, there is also a strong coach line-up boasting of former greats like John Emburey and Richardson once again. Players are being siphoned off from the ICL fold with lucrative offers. Many retirees are also going to make their presence felt. APL is brightening up with the presence of players like Martyn, Gillespie, Astle, Parore, Harris, Boje, Klusener, Hall, Hollioake, Hicks, Saqlain and Inzamam.

Here is wishing the American cricketing revolution all the success that it deserves.

Players have got to move though. If a deal is not lucrative and they deserve one, then they certainly look for greener pastures. This has made the latest turn of events quite in tune with the script.

News from the center is that most of ICL recruits are turning towards APL- another rebel league. American Premier League has been giving lucrative offers to the players and they are certainly looking for some security in these trying times. Also, most of them have either retired from international cricket or already banned from the international arena.

In such circumstances, it is only logical that they will look for their fodder elsewhere and APL has come as a timely savior. Players like Nicky Boje, Lance Klusener, Andrew Hall, Chris Harris, Adam Parore and Nathan Astle have been confirmed and reports suggest that England county stars like Graeme Hick and Adam Hollioake will cut the knife sometime soon too. This is quite in contrariety to the wish of ECB though.

John Emburey, an ICL coach is also being taken out of the ICL fold and served a lucrative contract. Jay Mir has clearly suggested that APL is a noble aim with an objective of revolutionizing cricket in America and it shall set on its task with or without the go-ahead of ICC.

APL is aiming to revolutionize cricket in America. Jay Mir, the man behind the show, is suggesting something along the lines. Jay feels that America certainly needs to get connected with the game and thus this period marks a crossroads in its sporting history.

Jay Mir is ferociously recruiting players, coaches, board members, consultants, panelists and others. Though ICC claims the tournament to be completely unsanctioned and has bestowed it the status of another Rebel League, it is still to dawn on Mir’s ambition. He is hunting for players from across the globe.

Already many from the ICL fold have capitulated to his lucrative deals. Also, retired players from the past are looking to make merry. Jason Gillespie and Damien Martyn are a couple of players who contributed a lot towards Aussie supremacy of late 1990’s and early 2000’s. Jason is being confirmed for the Premium World team.

He feels a little peeved at ICC trying to nip APL in its budding stage. He feels that the game will be the eventual winner and fetch greater glory through APL. Cricket in America is not being given a chance. Past ventures have failed and its only urgent that something along the lines of APL is given a stage.

Jason Gillespie does not have a vested interest. He is hardly bothered by the banned status he might fetch from ICC as he has already retired from international cricket and has had his fair share of cricketing glory. All he feels is that IPL is trying to sabotage any aspirant that is trying to spread cricket beyond the periphery of its monetary interest.