Nathan Astle to sign with American league

Wellington:

New Zealander Nathan Astle is negotiating a contract to play in an unsanctioned Twenty20 cricket competition in the United States.

Astle, who retired from international cricket in 2007 after playing 81 tests and 223 one-day internationals, said in a radio inteview Tuesday that he expected to sign "within days" to play in the American Premier League.

"It is very, very close. Within the next few days, I will put pen to paper," Astle said. "There is still some to-ing and fro-ing but ... it's just a matter of getting things sorted."

Astle is one of a number of former internationals linked to the league, which is expected to be held for the first time in New York in October. Organizers expect the league to comprise teams from Pakistan, India, the West Indies, Bangladesh and the United States and a World XI.

The International Cricket Council has refused to sanction the league and has encouraged member nations to discourage their players from taking part. League organizers have targeted players whose participation in the rebel Indian Cricket League has already earned ICC disapproval.

Astle would become the second New Zealander to take a role in the APL, joining the great all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee who has signed as an executive consultant.