Madan Lal applies for ICL release

Madan Lal, the former India allrounder and coach, has applied for a release from the ICL in what is the first officially known response from the unauthorised league's players and support staff to the BCCI's recent amnesty offer. Lal, who was coach of ICL's Delhi Giants, said he expected more cricketers and some support staff to follow suit and hoped the BCCI would utilise his services appropriately.

"I have applied for a release from the ICL contract," Lal told Cricinfo. "I am thankful to the BCCI for allowing an opportunity for those with the ICL to return to the official fold. I have coached various Indian teams at different levels before and I hope the BCCI will utilise my services and experience in the best manner possible."

Lal's request followed an ICL communication to its players and support staff last week to send in their requests for a release, if needed, before May 15. The ICL will then hold a management meeting, possibly on May 18, to decide on these requests and the future course of action.

Sandeep Patil, Balwinder Sandhu and Karsan Ghavri, three former India players, and Ajit Wadekar, a former India captain, had approached the ICL for a release before the BCCI's offer because of a "lack of adequate cricket".

"Days before the BCCI decision, three of us coaches - Sandeep Patil, Balwinder Singh Sandhu (Dhaka Warriors coach) and myself - had a meeting with Himanshu Mody [ICL business head] and Kiran More [ICL board member]," Ghavri told Cricinfo. "We told them about our issues including no cricket being played from November 2007 and also about the salaries not being paid after that. Keeping in the prevailing conditions, we asked them to release us. We then got a call saying we were free to leave and would get our release letter by May 20. On April 30, Ajit Wadekar and I submitted the application for a release."

Patil, who had coached ICL's Mumbai Champs, had stood down from active duty by the end of the last season due to "personal reasons". "At the meeting with the ICL, they gave the coaches the option to continue or step down," Patil told Cricinfo. "In any case I had resigned even before the BCCI decision to grant amnesty to the ICL players, coaches and backroom staff. I have no complaints and no regrets."

ICL officials, however, refused to confirm whether they had received any official requests from players or support staff for a release. "We remain confident about our future plans, especially the October programme," an official said. The ICL had cancelled its March tournament due to the deepening economic recession and the non-availability of Lahore Badshahs, the Pakistan team, due to cross-border political tensions following the Mumbai attacks.

"I have had an excellent relationship with the ICL over the last two years and I have no complaints at all about that association," Lal, a member of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad, said. "But now I feel it's the right time to move on professionally. There are many other ICL players and support staff who think similarly." Apart from his ICL commitments, Lal runs a coaching academy in Delhi and has a media contract with a television channel.

The BCCI had announced on April 30 that ICL players and support staff who wished to return to the official fold should do so by May 31. These players would be immediately allowed to play domestic cricket, including the IPL, and will become eligible for international cricket after a 'cooling period' of one year. Significantly, the ICC's new rules for official and unofficial cricket, which aims to plug existing loopholes, will come into force from June 1.

BCCI officials were not available for comment but it's understood that the board has written to various state associations to confirm the amnesty offer and stipulate the norms that needed to be followed while readmitting such players. "We have been told that we would either have to produce an NOC from ICL or hand over a copy of the contract termination letter that has been sent by us to ICL," a senior ICL player told Cricinfo. "We might then have to sign an official undertaking with the BCCI, which would bar us from participating in leagues or tournaments not authorised by the Indian board."

Indian Cricket Board lifts ban on ICL players

After maintaining a tough stand for close to two years, the Cricket Board on Wednesday lifted the ban on players aligned with the rebel ICL by offering a surprise "amnesty" which will make them eligible to play for the country again after a cooling period of one year.

The Indian Cricket League players have been given time till May 31 to severe ties with the Subhash Chandra-owned League, which was launched in 2007 but was not recognised by the ICC or the BCCI.

"The BCCI has decided to grant amnesty to all players, support staff and anyone else connected with ICL provided they cancel all their existing contracts with the ICL by May 31," BCCI President Shashank Manohar told a media conference here.

"But they will not be considered for international cricket for one year though they can play domestic cricket," he said.

The BCCI Chief said the Board took the decision after "a lot many players and support staff had approached us and admitted they had made a mistake and wanted to come back into the BCCI fold".

The BCCI's surprise move has paved the way for active ex-internationals like Dinesh Mongia, Hemang Badani and Rohan Gavaskar, coaches such as Sandeep Patil, Balwinder Sandhu and others on administrative side of the ICL like ex-captain Kapil Dev and Kiran More to return to the official body.

Manohar pointed out that the International Cricket Council had earlier this month rejected an ICL application to give it recognition, indirectly hinting this could be the reason for the players and others connected with ICL wishing to return to the official fold.

"They have admitted they made a mistake and we have decided to give them a chance," the Nagpur-based lawyer said.

But he also made it clear that as a measure of punishment for associating themselves with the rebel body those ex-players, whose monthly gratis was not remitted to them during their association with the ICL, would not be paid this amount even after they sever the ties.

"They will not be compensated. They will have to face some punishment and will not get the unpaid amount," he said.

The list of ex-players whose monthly gratis was stoppped by the BCCI includes current ICL Executive Director Kapil Dev and the amount works to Rs 35,000 per month.

The rebel ICL series was announced by Essel Group Chairman Subash Chandra soon after India's dismal performance in the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies with the first edition of the event held in October that year.

The BCCI, which shortly after came up with the Indian Premier League, refused to recognise the ICL and announced a ban on players associated with the 'rebel' League.

The BCCI had also advised the other national boards to have a similar approach to the ICL, which had become a home for many disgruntled players from across the world.

The Cricket Board-promoted Indian Premier League, also based on the widely popular Twenty20 format, stole the thunder less than six months later with the highly successful first edition held in India last year.

The ICL decided not to stage its 2009 edition after last year's Mumbai terror attacks, citing security reasons.

Razzaq blames PCB for ICL players' mess-up

Karachi: Experienced all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, who has expressed his desire to return to the national team, is aghast with the step-motherly attitude of the PCB towards the Indian Cricket League players and feels the board had complicated matters by consulting the ICC on the issue.

"There was no need to consult the International Cricket Council because I have ended my contract with the ICL so I don't see any problem if I want to play for my country again," Razzaq, who recently ended his contract with ICL to play for Pakistan, said.

"I just feel that the Pakistan Cricket Board has complicated matters by approaching the ICC for advise," he added.

He said it was not an easy decision for him to end his contract with the ICL but he did it on the advise of Pakistan captain Younis Khan.

"And also because I am very keen to represent my country once again," he added.

However, the ICL organisers are yet to confirm about the termination of Pakistani players' contracts.

ICL launches Season III, seeks recognition

Mumbai: Just two days before the ICC executive board meets in Dubai to discuss Indian Cricket League's fate, chairman of the Essel Group that bankrolls ICL, Subhash Chandra, on Wednesday threatened to take legal action against the ICC if official recognition was not awarded to the T20 league.

The ICL is fighting a lone battle to get official status since its launch two years back after the International Cricket Council, on Indian Cricket Board's pressure, deemed the Twenty20 league as unofficial.

"ICL has emerged as a true global sports brand. We have successfully conducted seven tournaments through our pioneering league. Every edition has seen new innovations, additional sports facilities and a larger talent base to entertain the sports consumer," Chandra said.

Lahore attack tops ICC agenda

Calcutta: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will consider the security implications of last month’s terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Pakistan on the 2011 World Cup that is due to take place in the subcontinent, when it meets at a two-day meeting in Dubai.

The ICC board, its top decision-making body, will receive a report on the attack at the meeting, which starts on Friday.

Pakistan skipper Younis Khan will also attend the meeting while Mahela Jayawardene, the captain during the Sri Lanka tour, will join via telephone to give his version of the attack.

The ICC board is also expected to decide on an application by the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL), who are seeking approval for their Twenty20 League. The ICL players from many countries are barred from official cricket under pressure from the influential Indian board.

The other items on the agenda are:

The board will receive a report on cricket in Zimbabwe from a task team headed by Julian Hunte, the president of the West Indies Cricket Board.

The board will consider a replacement for Michael Holding, who resigned last year, as the media representative on the ICC Cricket Committee.

The board will consider means of further promoting Test cricket, the pinnacle of the game.