Mumbai: Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA) is contemplating legal action over Masters Champions League (MCL) for non-payment of dues. MCL is a T20 league designed for players who have retired from International cricket.
On behalf of the players, FICA questioned the integrity of the tournament run by GM Sports, who are the organisers. It was the brainchild of Zafar Shah. The tournament was played earlier during the year.
“It’s pretty obvious the organisers of the MCL have lost credibility. The failure to honour contracts sends a strong message. It is not a straightforward process to bring legal action, but we ensured there were proper player contracts in place and we are looking to coordinate a class action on behalf of 40 or 50 players,” said Tony Irish, executive chairman of FICA.
He further added that,” We have given the organisers several deadlines and these have not been met. If they want to hold an event next year, they have a lot of ground to make up. I think players will look at what happened in the first year and draw their own conclusions.
MCL has been facing problems since the league was announced over various issues. Players retiring early to participate, difficulty in getting NOCs from their respective boards and now the non-payment of dues.
The inaugural winners of the MCL were Virender Sehwag’s Gemini Arabians.