BCCI scraps pensions of players joining rival league

The empire strikes back: The BCCI has reportedly revoked Kapil Dev's pension for associating with a rival league © Getty Images

After Kapil Dev and Kiran More it may now be the turn of Sandeep Patil to lose his pension from the Indian board (BCCI). Patil is the latest among former Test cricketers to join the Indian Cricket League, a potential rival to the Indian board, and the BCCI is contemplating strict action, including the withdrawal of monthly pensions, on players associated with cricketing activity not recognised by it.

"We have written to all associations and specifically informed that former and current players involving themselves in any tournament or body that does not have the approval of the BCCI should be stopped from getting any benefits," Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's chief administrative officer, was quoted in the Indian Express.

The monthly pension of approximately Rs 35,000 (approx $ 900) is reportedly no longer available to Kapil and More, who have been removed from the BCCI's pension list, and More indeed confirmed that the Baroda Cricket Association, whose secretary he is, had communicated with him in this regard.

The formation of the Indian Cricket League was announced by Subhash Chandra of the Essel Group in April. The Essel Group-owned Zee Television has earlier been involved in disputes over television rights with the BCCI. The league is rumoured to begin in October, and according to the May issue of Spin magazine, big names such as Shane Warne, Brian Lara and Glenn McGrath have been approached.