Indian board takes tough stand against ICL

A speedy resolution of Indian cricket's latest controversy appeared remote today with the Indian board issuing an ultimatum to those considering joining the Indian Cricket League (ICL), effectively asking them to choose between one or the other.

"Every individual has a right to choose whether he wishes to associate himself with the BCCI or any other organisation", a statement issued by the Indian board said. "However, if he associates himself with any other organisation, he will not derive any benefit or be connected to any of our activities in any way." .

"Such players should not have any expectations from us," Rajiv Shukla, the board vice-president, said after a meeting in New Delhi of the board's top officials.

Today's statement appears to be yet another about-turn by the Indian board. On Tuesday, board president Sharad Pawar had sought to downplay the impression of a tussle between the BCCI and the ICL."There is no confrontation between the BCCI and ICL, it is a media creation," Pawar said. "We did not issue any statement on banning anybody for life if he joins another organisation."

That statement was a direct contradiction of what board secretary Niranjan Shah had said last week and what its chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty had said regarding pensions in June - that retired players joining the ICL would not receive the board's pension.

Kapil Dev, Kiran More, Sandeep Patil, Madan Lal and Balwinder Singh Sandhu are among the former players to have signed up with the ICL. However, it has not been able to get on board any international cricketer of repute, apart from Brian Lara, to play in its Twenty20 tournament. The league is scheduled to begin in October.

The board also indicated a decision on Kapil Dev, who is the chairman of the National Cricket Academy, will be taken at a meeting in Mumbai on August 21.