ICC washes its hands of ICL, says let the boards decide

We can’t stop current foreign players from playing for breakaway league: world body

The Indian cricket board has suffered a minor setback in its tussle with the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has declared that it cannot stop current overseas players from joining the breakaway league, which will host a Twenty20 tournament in October.

“In terms of overseas players participating, that is an issue for individual boards and the contracts they have with their players,” said an ICC spokesman.

The BCCI was hoping to get the ICC’s help in its bid to stop the current overseas players from participating in the league.

“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 had told this newspaper on July 17.

With the ICC distancing itself from the ICL-BCCI stand-off as far as participation of foreign players is concerned, players like Daniel Vettori and Matthew Hayden are free to come under ICL’s fold unless they are stopped by their respective boards.

The Indian cricket board has, in fact, approached the ICC and briefed it about the matter and its stance on the issue.

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“The BCCI has drawn the attention of the ICC Board to this matter and we are aware of and support its stance,” said the ICC spokesman.

“This is a BCCI matter as it is a domestic competition that is being proposed and it is for the BCCI to deal with it as it sees fit. Whatever happens, the ICC’s desire is that the result is the best for the game as a whole,” the spokesman added.