By IANS
Dubai : The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially recognized the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played in the Twenty20 format, saying it is being organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“The ICC executive board has officially agreed that the IPL is a good concept and could bring possible benefits to the game,” ICC president-elect David Morgan said here Tuesday after the conclusion of the two-day meeting of the ICC executive board.
He said the ICC and the BCCI have formally agreed that the latter, as IPL host, would sign a standard contract form with all members of the ICC to ensure that the concept of nation-versus-nation cricket was accorded top priority.
“We believe that nation-versus-nation cricket should be given highest priority,” he said, adding that bilateral commitments between boards would get precedence over IPL events.
According to the ICC, the IPL would have to have its own anti-corruption policy, code of conduct and anti-doping policy, which would comply with the world body’s regulations.
“Each ICC member will have an unfettered right in its absolute discretion to lodge an objection to a player from its country playing in the IPL, and this objection can be lodged up to two years after that player’s retirement,” Morgan said quoting from the ICC statement.
He also said the ICC’s future tours programme was unlikely to be affected by the IPL.
“No request has been received from either the ICC or BCCI to adjust ICC futures matches,” he said, adding that the ICC would closely monitor the ICC tournament.
Asked as to why the ICC was not giving similar recognition to the Indian Cricket League promoted by Zee TV’s Shubhash Chandra, he said, “The answer to that is simple. The IPL is an official domestic tournament recognized by the BCCI, similar to county cricket in England.”