Pic by – Johann Jayasinha (SNNI)

New Delhi, July 24: Cricket stars Brian Lara and Shane Warne are set to play in a multi-million dollar rebel series in India later this year, it was revealed on Tuesday.

West Indian Lara, 38, who retired in April as the highest run-getter in Tests, confirmed he will take part in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) being promoted by the country`s largest listed media group Zee Telefilms.

"It gives me great pleasure to join the ICL," Lara said in a statement released by the organisers.

"I look forward to playing with promising youngsters from India and elsewhere along with some of my illustrious international counterparts who I`ve shared many an exciting moment with on the field."

Lara is the first foreign player to be officially confirmed for the ICL, but sources close to the organisers said Australian Warne and a host of other international players were on the verge of signing up.

Warne, 37, Test cricket`s leading bowler who retired earlier this year, has been linked to the series ever since it was officially unveiled by Zee supremo Subhash Chandra in May.

The ICL features six teams, each featuring four international players, two Indian stars and eight upcoming cricketers playing Twenty20 matches across India.

The dates and venues for the series, which has not been recognised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) or the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), have yet to be announced.

The ICL, which carries a winner`s purse of one million dollars, is reminiscent of the late Australian TV mogul Kerry Packer`s World Cricket Series that took on the establishment in 1977.

Packer roped in the world`s top players for the rebel series after being denied official TV rights by the Australian Cricket Board for matches played in the country. AGENCIES

Similarly, Zee Telefilms was rebuffed by the BCCI in 2004 despite being the highest bidder of 308 million dollars for Indian rights for a four-year period.

Indian great Kapil Dev, who captained India to its only World Cup title in 1983, is the ICL`s chief executive with former England skipper Tony Greig, Dean Jones of Australia and ex-India wicket-keeper Kiran More on the organising committee.

Dev has already signed up World Cup winning team-mates, Sandeep Patil, Madan Lal and Balwinder Sandhu, as coaches for three of the six proposed teams.

The BCCI has barred current India players and former players on its payroll from associating with the ICL, but media reports said secret talks were taking place with many active national cricketers.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah remained defiant as the ICL spread its wings. "We don`t want to promote anybody who wants to be a parallel body. We have a policy and there will not be any re-think on this."

Joining ICL is a professional move: Madan Lal

Former national coach, Madan Lal, who has aligned with the rebel Indian Cricket League, says he is not against the BCCI and his joining the ICL is purely a professional decision.

"I am a professional coach. For me it is question of a job. They (ICL) offered it to me and I accepted. If BCCI had offered me something like this, I would have accepted. It is just a matter of doing a job. I have nothing against BCCI," Lal, who has been offered the job of coaching Delhi team in the ICL, told PTI.

Lal hoped his move would not strain his relations with the BCCI.

"On my part, the relation stands the same. Cricket is my passion and I love coaching. I am happy that the ICL approached me. It is a very simple thing that somebody approaches you for a job and you decide to accept that," he said.

Madan Lal said his job profile was not ready yet, but he would perform the role he was expected to do.

"I have just consented to the offer. They had been in touch with me for the last three-four days. I don't know what they have in mind, but I am ready to contribute," he said.

When asked how he expects the ICL to be a successful venture since BCCI controls much of the infrastructure in the country, Lal said it would be the ICL's concern.

"They (ICL) must have thought about this before launching such a big plan. They must have something in their mind. But this effort will help Indian cricket," he said.