PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC)

Former West Indies fast bowler Mervyn Dillon has followed the lead of his countryman Brian Lara and signed up with the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The lanky Trinidad and Tobago pacer, currently in training with the Trinidad and Tobago squad preparing for the KFC Cup, is expected to be in India by November to take up his three-year contract.

It is understood that the Toco-born player signed on the dotted line last week and is now the second West Indies player - after Lara - to sign up for the lucrative Twenty20 cricket tournament.

There are also reports of another former West Indies player from Trinidad and Tobago, Lincoln Roberts, doing likewise.

The hard-hitting Tobagonian is currently in negotiations with the Essel Group - the Indian Media Magnate, who owns the league.

looking for two more players

The ICL is also reported to be looking to snap up another two players from the West Indies.

Meanwhile, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is yet to indicate a clear position stance on its players joining the cash-rich league.

Earlier this week, WICB president Julian Hunte warned regional players to seek legal advice before signing up for the controversial Indian Cricket League.

Hunte said: "I have heard rumours of players been made substantial offers. Nothing has come to me formally.

"I only hope that those players who have been made offers, get legal advice and our advice as to how they need to go about this."

While some national cricket boards have expressed their reluctance to sanction their players competing in the ICL, Hunte said the WICB was yet to develop a policy but would do so shortly.

"It would be wrong for me to make any statement, except to say, most of the other Test match playing countries, have in fact, "banned" their players, who have publicly accepted contracts for the ICL," Hunte said.

"We have not made any decision on it as yet, this is a matter which we will determine our own position on when we meet on October 20 in Barbados," he said.

It is understood that players are being offered between US$450,000 and US$550,000 to join the league.

On Tuesday this week, West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul signed up for the multimillion-dollar Twenty20 Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 33-year old left-hander, who has played 104 Tests and 222 One-Day Internationals, was the only West Indies player named along with a string of current world stars including South African captain Graeme Smith, Pakistan's Mohammed Yousuf and New Zealand's Scott Styris.

The Indian board conceptualised the IPL to rival the ICL. Set to be launched next year, the IPL will comprise eight franchises in the first season, with each team playing seven home and away games against each other.