ICC unveils new rules on unauthorised cricket

The ICC has announced a new set of rules for authorised and unauthorised cricket that give its member boards the power to decide on granting recognition for competitions that take place on their home soil. However the status of the Indian Cricket League, which was started in September 2007, and the players associated with it will be decided after a meeting between the ICC, BCCI and ICL, likely to be on February 21.

The BCCI had initially adopted a hard-line approach against the ICL, barring Indian cricketers associated with the unofficial league from accessing even their local college grounds. It also used its significant influence within the ICC to ensure other national boards imposed similar bans on ICL cricketers and officials.

Debate over the ICL gathered pace last week after the Pakistan Cricket Board received a legal notice against a domestic ban it had imposed on players associated with the private league.

The ICL had asked for recognition last year under an ICC rule that allowed matches of an "exhibition/testimonial" nature to be granted approval directly by the world body. The ICC had then directed the BCCI to conduct discussions with the Indian board, since it considered the matter a domestic issue. However, there was no headway in the talks between the BCCI and ICL but a subsequent meeting between the ICC and the ICL in December indicated a compromise was on the cards.

The status of unofficial tournaments that are held outside the territory of member boards will be determined by the ICC. The rules, which will come into effect from June 2009, were drafted by a five-man panel consisting of consisting of the former Cricket South Africa president Norman Arendse, the ECB chairman Giles Clarke, the BCCI president Shashank Manohar, the BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi and the ICC's head of legal David Becker.