Board throws book at current foreigners too

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has put another spanner in the works of the Essel Group-promoted Indian Cricket League.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has put another spanner in the works of the Essel Group-promoted Indian Cricket League. After the BCCI warned cricketers in its fold that association with the ICL would mean cutting ties with the Board, they have now thrown the book at the active ‘imported players’ that they plan to sign for the parallel Twenty20 tournament.

“No present player from any country can be part of the ICL since it is a tournament that is not recognised by the BCCI. That is what the International Cricket Council rules say, so I don’t think any present day international cricketer can join the league. We will approach their respective boards in case they plan to play the ICL,” BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah told The Indian Express.

But Essel Group spokesman Ashish Kaul countered that argument by saying that “there is no rule that can stop a player, present or past, from playing in the ICL in case he has signed a contract with us.” Kaul added, “In a couple of weeks we will come out with a list of players who are in the ICC fold.”

Story continues below this ad

These contrasting views on the status of the present day stars in ICL can lead to legal complications, but the path for the retired players or those who have contract with their country’s is clear. “There are no restrictions on retired cricketers or players who are not contracted with their boards, they have no obligations. We cannot stop them,” said Shah.

So that in way a clears the likes of Glenn McGrath, Brian Lara, Inzamam-ul Haq, Chris Crains, but it puts a question mark over the likes of Daniel Vettori or Matthew Hayden.

The names of the above-mentioned players have cropped up in the media over their association with the ICL recently.

Someone who is aware about the players’ rights and their legal obligations is of the view that the cricket body doesn’t exactly have a water-tight case. “In case we take the Indian players, they have an employment contract with their employers and not with the BCCI. As I see it they just have an endorsement contract with the Indian board where they endorsing the brand BCCI. So I don’t think the BCCI can stop a player from signing for say something like ICL. On the face of it their employees have a stronger case than the BCCI,” said a regular on the cricket circuit on the condition of anonymity.

Story continues below this ad

It’s not just the BCCI, even Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has hinted that they can get tough on players who intend to join the ICL. Shafqat Naghmi, PCB’s chief operating officer, too spoke Shah’s tune. “If some former cricketer or a player who doesn’t have a contract with the PCB decides to play in the series then we have no way to legally bound him against going to India. However, if any player contracted by us wants to go there then that would be a different case,” he has reportedly said.

From the look of things this is shaping up as an ICL vs Rest of the Boards tag of war.