BCCI asks players, officials to stay away from ICL

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Looks like Indian Cricket Board is not happy about Indian Cricket League.

BCCI asks players, officials to stay away from ICL

Dropping an oblique hint to the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that no player registered with any of its affiliated units should participate in any tournament or match which does not have BCCI approval.

BCCI has issued a circular to state units, which said a decision to this effect had been taken at the Working Committee meeting in Delhi on June 12.

In the same meeting, BCCI also shot down the Essel-group backed ICL, denying them approval.

No office bearer or member of any affiliated unit, member of the board, member of any committee or sub-committee of the board should associate in any manner with the individuals or organisations conducting or planning to conduct such tournaments or matches, the circular said.

It also debarred member associations, present or former players deriving monetary or other benefits from the board including the welfare schemes from associating themselves in any manner with the organisation and conduct of such unapproved tournaments/matches.

Any infringement of the aforesaid decisions should be deemed to be a misconduct in terms of articles of memorandum and rules and regulations of the BCCI, it said.

Former captain Kapil Dev and ex-stumper Kiran More have joined the ICL board, while Sandeep Patil was recently roped in as a coach for the league.

Though organisers are yet to confirm, the likes of Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Glenn McGrath, Nathan Astle and Chris Cairns are expected to take part in the event.

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Re: BCCI asks players, officials to stay away from ICL

2 Questions:

1) Will Indian public go to grounds if there is no big name in ICL from India but big stars from overseas like Warne, Lara, Inzi, Chris Canes, Flintoff etc

2) What can BCCI do if lets say Dravid, Tendulkar, Gnaguly, Dhoni and Zaheer Khan decided to play ICL all together? will they kick all of these players out of Indian TEam?

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Re: BCCI asks players, officials to stay away from ICL

1) I doubt it; it is not an International game.

2) I doubt Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Sehwag and Dhoni who are all but full control of the team would be going to ICL. I think ICL is more apealing to people who are fed up with current system in BCCI.

BCCI knows that ICL is a legitimate challenge to their structure so they are doing their best to shoot down the idea. That's just my assesment, I could be wrong.

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Re: BCCI asks players, officials to stay away from ICL

ICL was a fool's dream and it will die as one!

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Re: BCCI asks players, officials to stay away from ICL

ICL to bring innovations in Cricket

Subhash Chandra, the head of the Essel Group, intends to make India “the laboratory to innovate new methods of cricket” through the Indian Cricket League (ICL), a report in Khaleej Times said.

“The idea is also to develop India, a leading cricketing nation, as the laboratory to innovate new models of cricket so that we set the agenda for innovation for others to follow,” Chandra wrote in a three-page etter faxed to Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, on April 3, the day he announced the formation of the ICL.

The ICL, Chandra said, would take a “meticulous and out-of-the-box approach to the game to raise its standards, which involves creation of international standard infrastructure”. It will tap talent “with the aid of modern technological and communication tools” and provide them financial assistance.

The ICL, which has signed up Kapil Dev, Kiran More, Sandeep Patil, Tony Greig and Dean Jones in various capacities, will have matches of 20 overs a side. Each side will have two top Indian and four foreign players.

The prize money for the tournament, which will be telecast on Zee Sports, includes $1 million for the winners.

While conceding that the national board “is the only way to make cricket competition between national teams work”, Chandra said the history of modern cricket shows that innovation has largely taken place outside the establishment. “In my understanding, their constraints rob the cricket establishments of the flexibility needed to adopt a new vision-cum-action model like the 3-D approach.”

The BCCI, in its response to the ICL’s proposal, has ruled out any cooperation and has revoked the pensions of players who have joined the ICL.

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Re: BCCI asks players, officials to stay away from ICL

Defiant Kapil stands up to BCCI

After the BCCI decided to punish all the former players associated with the proposed Indian Cricket League, it was Kapil Dev’s turn to bowl another set of yorkers on Wednesday.

“BCCI has taken a decision that no player and official can associate themselves with any unauthorised, unapproved tournament. They have to decide whether to stay with us or join them” said Niranjan Shah, Secretary, BCCI.

The Indian Cricket Board’s stand on Zee’s Indian Cricket League can’t get any clearer than that. However, Kapil Dev, who had dared BCCI to sack him from the National Cricket Academy for being associated with the ICL is no mood to bow down. The Haryana Hurricane is upset with the board’s diktat but did not reveal his further course of action.

**“I have nothing to send as a message to the BCCI through media, is that clear? If I have to say something in my capacity as a cricketer I can say it myself. I not interested in sending a message through media, its unethical,” he said.

Kapil, along with Sandeep Patil and Kiran More, is one of the three former Indian cricketers to have joined the ICL. With more players voicing their concern over the BCCI attitude, it seems that India’s lone world cup winning skipper may soon find more support from the players’ fraternity.

“Have I ever said no to teaching cricket? If I have to coach some Indian players tomorrow will I take permission from ICL first? I will not! Ethically, I will go and teach them. If someone wants to throw me out of the job then so be it.”**

Kapil’s anger stems from the fact that most of the former players like him are working with the BCCI on honorary positions. They say the board should not object if they find new employment opportunities like the ICL.

“I have got a job after playing cricket and I am doing that job just like all of you. I’ve got this job and the big debate is whether I should do this job or not.”

So, even as they await a reply from Kapil, the BCCI bosses are making sure the situation doesn’t get out of control. After the World Cup debacle and the Graham Ford fiasco, they want no further dent in board’s image.

Pakistan duo to scout for ICL

Karachi: Two Pakistani cricketers have reportedly been entrusted with the job of roping in players for the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), however, said it was not worried about any possible exodus of players signing up for the league which is not approved by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“Any possible move towards the ICL by players who will be awarded central contracts and those who are getting retainerships will be dealt on a case-to-case basis,” Shafqat Nagmi, the CEO of the PCB said on Sunday.

Meanwhile, after insisting the Australian security delegation’s visit was a routine affair, the PCB now admits that it would be hard to convince them to play here in the wake of the ‘Red Mosque’ operation in Islamabad. A four-member Aussie security delegation will arrive in Pakistan on Monday. (PTI)

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Re: BCCI asks players, officials to stay away from ICL

Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy competition. Domestic scene is dead, this might revive it in the long run.