Cricket's world governing body Saturday rejected an application by a rebel Indian league for “authorized unofficial” status, saying it did not meet its criteria. The application was filed last year by the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which is bankrolled by India's largest media group, the Zee Telefilms, and is recognized by neither the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nor the International Cricket Council (ICC). “Authorized unofficial” status would have allowed the ICC to sanction ICL matches, but ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said after careful consideration by the ICC's executive board it had been decided to reject the application. After “looking at the criteria for approving any cricket as unofficial, the majority of the members supported its rejection,” said Lorgat. Top players from 10 ICC member countries took part in the two editions of the ICL, in 2007 and 2008. Former Pakistan captain Inzamamul Haq led a strong 21-man squad, which weakened the selection available for national selection after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) barred the players from domestic and international cricket. The Indian Cricket League last week hit out at the ICC, saying it was frustrated at the ICC's delay in granting it recognition, and threatened to take the matter to the court if its application was rejected. The International Cricket Council has made several attempts to broker a deal between the BCCI and the ICL but none was successful. Asked about the legal implications of the decision, Lorgat said: “If it becomes a legal action we will take it as it comes and will not make any comments on that. In Saturday's decision, the ICC stressed the “importance of protecting the fabric of the game” and added that it hoped to send a message to players that they “could not swap between official and unofficial cricket at will.” However, the International Cricket Council left it up to the individual boards to determine the sanction for any player returning from the ICL. “Banning players is not the role of the ICC. That is the jurisdiction of the individual boards, who are responsible about issuing the playing contracts to them,” Lorgat said. The PCB, meanwhile, said in Karachi on Saturday it estimated financial losses of $10.5 million following the ICC decision to shift the 2011 World Cup matches from the country.
