Speed: BCCI the only body

The Board of Control for Cricket in India have received backing from the International Cricket Council that the rebel Indian Cricket League is not an official body.

The ICC insist the BCCI is the only recognised body to govern the sport in India, but concede they would consider an application from the ICL.

ICC chief executive officer Malcolm Speed said: "The BCCI is the only body recognised by the ICC to run official cricket in India.

"We have not got any application from the ICL as yet, but we have already set a five-step process to decide on such issues."

These steps are: "Whether it is run for the development of the game or for charitable purposes; who are all playing in it and whether the players are all contracted to their parent boards; when and where they are to be played; and whether anti-corruption measures were put in place to run the event.

“In the last stage we will be asking the applicants whether the member board of the country has approved it. If the answer is no we would not give it our recognition.”

The CEO also passed on the comments of former Australia batsman Dean Jones, one of ICL’s talent scouts.

"From what I gather they are seeking to run what I can call unofficial cricket,” said Speed.

"Dean Jones was criticised in Australia for joining the ICL and his reply was that it was only glorified exhibition matches.

"I have come to understand through media reports and after talking to people in India, that what the ICL has planned is two to three weeks of Twenty20 cricket with six teams having three or four retired or retiring international cricketers and domestic cricketers.

"We keep getting requests from private organisations to allow them to organise events.

“The ICC traditionally allows its members to run cricket and does not interfere if a member board disciplines or does not discipline its players.

"At this stage all I can say is we have not been approached.”

Asked about Pakistan banning any players who joined the ICL from international cricket, Speed said that he would be disappointed if Mohammad Yousuf was out of action in the forthcoming India-Pakistan series.

"Mohammad Yousuf is at the peak of his career," he said.

"My personal view is it will be extremely disappointing if he does not play in the series between India and Pakistan."