Official India league bags Murali!

Official India league bags Murali
Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan
Jayawardene (left) and Muralitharan will join a host of Indian stars
Muttiah Muralitharan is one of eight Sri Lanka players to have signed up for the newly launched Indian Premier League (IPL) next season.

Off-spinner Muralitharan will be joined by veteran Sanath Jayasuriya and Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene.

"We are all thrilled to be joining the IPL," Jayawardene said in a statement.

The IPL is a Twenty20 tournament endorsed by India's cricket board and will operate in direct competition with the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Kumar Sangakkara, Farveez Maharoof, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Zoysa and Dilhara Fernando are the other Sri Lanka players to have signed up to the league, which will launch in April next year.


606: DEBATE
Personally I can't see the ICL working, they've tried to bring in the big names but all the players are either retiring, retired or out of form

uzair543

Recently retired Australian stars Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, as well as former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, are among the other big names signed by the IPL.

The league will feature eight teams competing for $3m (1.468m) in prize money.

The controversial ICL has also been drawing big-name internationals.

England batsman Darren Maddy became the most recent signing for the rebel league, which also has former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and Test cricket's highest run scorer Brian Lara on board.

Several national boards have threatened to ban anyone who joins the ICL.