March 18, 2008
The ICC executive board has formalised its stand on the Indian Premier League (IPL), saying international cricket was its top priority and laying out guidelines to ensure it stayed that way. It also emerged from the meeting, in Dubai, that the ICC's Future Tours Programme will not be altered to suit the IPL as neither the league nor the Indian board, which runs it, made such a request.
Amid increasing uncertainty over the sanctity of the traditional format of the game, the ICC said 'nation-versus-nation' cricket will remain at the top of the pyramid and bilateral commitments between the boards will take precedence over IPL fixtures.
To underscore that the BCCI will, on behalf of the IPL, sign a standard-form contract with all ICC Members giving countries absolute discretion to lodge an objection to a player - anytime up to two years' of the player's retirement - from its country playing in the IPL. "This will be respected by the IPL, with the player in question not selected by his franchise," David Morgan, the ICC's president-elect, said.
The IPL, which begins on April 18, is a domestic Twenty20 competition in the sense that all teams - called franchises - are based in Indian cities and all matches will be played in India. However, much of its appeal lies in the fact that these franchises have signed up the world's leading players on contracts worth up to US$1.5 million a year.
This has sparked fears that players would prefer to play for the more lucrative IPL over their countries. New Zealand and West Indies are the major nations at particular risk of losing star names because they cannot come close to competing financially with the IPL.
It was also agreed that the IPL will introduce its own code of conduct regulations, draft an anti-corruption code and have an anti-doping policy in compliance with ICC regulations.
Tags : IPL Cricket News
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