BCCI can't act against ICL players: HC

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has passed an interim order that no affiliated team of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can take any disciplinary action against its player or terminate his services just because he has decided to play in the Indian Cricket League.

The High Court order could be a big blow to the BCCI as the Board has been instructed not to deny services to former players who have joined the Essel group-promoted ICL.

The BCCI has no right to deny grounds to ICL and cannot prevent the League from using the Indian flag, the Court ruled.

BCCI-affiliated public corporations like Air India and Indian Oil Corporation have been specifically asked not to take any action against players who are their employees and have decided to join the ICL.

A few days back Air India had sacked opening batsman Dheeraj Jadhav while Indian Oil did the same to all-rounder Syed Abbas Ali and the ICL lawyers brought it to the notice of the Court asking it to restrain the employers from taking action against the players.

Notices have also been issued to 22 associations affiliated to the BCCI including the Karnataka Cricket Association and they have been asked to file their reply within one week.

Reacting to the interim order former India all-rounder Madan Lal, a member of the ICL Executive Board, said that it is a big relief and now the players can join the ICL without any fear.

"It is not about victory but a relief for players who have been working somewhere and want to play for us," Madan Lal said.

BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said that the legal team of the BCCI will study the order and decide on the action to be taken.

“I have not seen the order and cannot comment on it right now,” Shah added.

The next hearing in the case will be on September 28.

On August 24, the ICL had filed a suit in the High Court after the BCCI decided to ban all the players joining the ICL for life. The BCCI also sacked former India skipper Kapil Dev as the chairman of the Bangalore-based National Cricket Academy after he had joined the ICL as the chairman of its Executive Board.