By IANS
Dubai : The International Cricket Council (ICC) Saturday rejected Indian Cricket League’s (ICL) request for an official status.
“The ICC Board went through the ICL’s application carefully, including assessing it against the criteria within the ICC regulations for approving such events,” ICC said in a statement.
After due consideration, the board resolved that the application should be rejected.
ICC also made it clear that players have to chose between either official or unofficial cricket.
“In relation to the possibility of players returning to official cricket from the ICL, the board reiterated to members the importance of protecting the fabric of the game. A clear message needed to be sent that players could not swap between official and unofficial cricket,” ICC said at the conclusion of its two day board meeting.
The ICL has already threatened to take ICC to court if it doesn’t get recognition.
Subhash Chandra, the chairman of Essel Group that runs ICL, said Thursday: “We are hopeful of receiving official recognition at the ICC executive board meeting scheduled for April 17 and 18 in Dubai, failing which we will pursue legal options.”
Meanwhile, the ICC board invited former England women’s captain Clare Connor to join the ICC Cricket Committee as a representative of women’s cricket.
Connor is the head of the women’s game for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and is also a non-executive director of Sussex County Cricket Club.
The next meeting of the ICC Cricket Committee, chaired by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, will take place in London May 11-12.