Calcutta: Former New Zealand cricketer Craig McMillian believes that international cricket will be stronger if the International Cricket Council (ICC) removes the ban imposed on the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and allows the players back into the international circuit.

“I am hopeful that the ICL players will be allowed to play international cricket. I am quite positive about the meeting between ICL authorities and the ICC,” McMillan who is in the city to attend a welfare-society function told The Telegraph on Sunday afternoon.

The ICC, according to a release last week, confirmed meeting Subhash Chandra, owner of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited, regarding the ICL. “I think international cricket has declined and is very weak after players joined ICL… The game will definitely be more interesting if the ban is removed,” he added.

Asked to compare the Indian Premier League (IPL) with th ICL, the Royal Bengal Tigers captain said: “If you compare ICL with IPL then I should say we have done quite well…”

The SQUAD

Craig McMillan (captain), Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, Abu Nechim, Andre Adams, Deep Dasgupta (wk), Lance Klusener, Mihir Diwakar, Nantie Hayward, Pritam Das, Rajiv Kumar, Rohan Gavaskar, Sayed Akhlakh Ahmed, Shiv Sagar Singh, Subhomoy Das, Sujay Tarafder, Upul Chandana

Coach: Daryll Cullinan