ICL Cricket Leauge - Big Money for Crickters

The ICL top brass finally disclosed Thursday they were spending up to $25 million for the inaugural Twenty20 championship to be played between six teams.

Bosses of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) are unwilling to disclose how much they are paying the big names of international cricket -- the likes of Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul-Haq -- despite their boast that the new body would be absolutely transparent.

"I cannot give you the break up of this," said Himanshu Modi, CEO of Zee Sports, a TV channel of Essel group -- the promoter of ICL. Before that, Essel group's executive vice president Ashish Kaul had refused to share the budget of the event, particularly the moolah offered to top players.

The ICL has announced total prize money of $4 million (Rs.150 million), with the winner's purse being $1 million (Rs.39 mn). while the runners-up will be richer by 1.9 crore. The remaining four teams will walk away with Rs 1.5 crore, Rs 1.25 crore, Rs 1 crore and Rs 85 lakh.