The International Cricket Council on Tuesday threw its weight behind the Board of Control for Cricket in India in the latter's stand-off with the Indian Cricket League, saying the BCCI is its "only recognised body" to administer the sport in India.
"BCCI is the only recognised body by the ICC to run official cricket in India. We have not got any application from the ICL [for recognition] yet, but we have already set a five-step process to decide on such issues," said ICC CEO Malcolm Speed at a media conference in Mumbai on Tuesday.
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Describing the first four stages of the process, Speed finally said: "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," Speed said at the news conference to announce the first list of ICC's 2007 annual awardees.
Speed said the first four steps in the process of approving a tournament by a private body were -- whether it's run for the development of the game or for charitable purpose; who were all playing in it and whether the players were all contracted to their parent boards; when and where they are to be played and whether anti-corruption measures are put in place to run the event.
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After all these steps only "we will find out whether it has the approval of the member board," he emphasised.
He cited the example of a tournament planned last year in the US which was shot down by the ICC for not fulfilling the criteria he had mentioned.
Speed also referred to what one of ICL's talent scouts, former Australian batsman Dean Jones, thought about the matches the ICL plans to organise.
"From what I gather they are seeking to run what I can call within quotes unofficial cricket. Dean Jones was criticised in Australia for joining the ICL and his reply was that it was only glorified exhibition matches," Speed said.
"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," the ICC CEO said.
"We keep getting requests from private organisations for allowing them to organise events. ICC traditionally allows its members to run cricket. ICC 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 [by the ICL]," he concluded on the issue.
Speed, however, said he would personally be extremely disappointed if Pakistan's middle-order mainstay Mohammad Yousuf, who has joined the ICL, is not seen in action in the forthcoming India-Pakistan series in this country.
"Mohammad Yousuf is at the peak of his career. My personal view is it will be extremely disappointing if he does not play in the series between India and Pakistan," he said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has already decided not to consider those who join the ICL for official cricket matches.
Yousuf, among the list of nominees for ICC's 2007 Test Player of the Year award, former captain Inzamam-Ul Haq, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and batsman Imran Farhat are the Pakistani players who have linked up with ICL.
Speed also expressed happiness that the Twenty20 format of the game is fast gaining popularity around the world.
"Eighteen months ago I had said Twenty20 cricket will be a phenomenon. There was a stage when the BCCI was apprehensive about Twenty20 cricket. I am pleased now about the growing popularity of this form of the game," he said.
Speed added that next month's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa would be shown on television in China and expressed the hope that this will make the game catch up in popularity in the world's most populous country.
"My dream is that before my lifetime I will be able to see India and China playing against each other in Test cricket," he said.
Speed also dismissed concerns expressed in some quarters over the health of the game.
"I don't agree that cricket is not healthy. In fact it's in excellent health, contrary to what the critics say," he declared.
He also dismissed notions that the standard of ICC's Elite panel of umpires is not as good as can be expected when queried about the decisions that had been given in the three-Test series between India and hosts England.
"ICC's Elite Panel of umpires and referees are under constant scrutiny. Each one of their decisions is recorded and feedback given to them. We should not under-estimate them. In fact it has been found they have given correct decisions in 95 to 97 per cent cases," he said.
