Franchises to decide on ICL players' return

The South African Cricketers Association (SACA) is planning to allow those who played in the unofficial Indian Cricket League a chance at domestic cricket, if the respective franchises consent.

"We're pushing to get them back into South African domestic cricket," SACA chief executive Tony Irish said. "We believe that as long as a cricketer is available, he should be allowed to be contracted or selected to play for a franchise."

South Africans who played in the ICL, said Irish, had not been officially barred from playing domestic cricket but that the franchises had reached a gentleman's agreement with Cricket South Africa that they would not be contracted or selected.

"There are six or seven very experienced players who would add immeasurable value to domestic cricket if they were allowed to play," he said. "It's up to the franchises - we believe that if they really want to select an ICL-contracted player, they should be allowed to. There would be a very good case to support them selecting these players."

Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp and Johan van der Wath, who had initially been refused registration to play in England this summer, last week won their appeals against an ECB block on them.