India's cricket chiefs on Wednesday said players signed up with an unauthorized Twenty20 league would be allowed to play in official matches if they severed links with the rebel body. Local players with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) can play domestic first-class matches if they end their rebel contracts by May 31, but must wait for a year to be eligible for international cricket, officials said. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar said the decision was taken after some ICL players “admitted they made a mistake in joining the rebel league.” “We have decided to grant amnesty to ICL players and welcome them to return to the BCCI fold,” Manohar told reporters after a meeting of the BCCI's working committee here. “The players will not be given any international assignment for one year as a punishment. But they can play in domestic competitions with immediate effect. “They have been given amnesty time till May 31.” An ICL official, reacting to the BCCI's offer, said some players and support staff like coaches had already been released from the league following a “sports performance evaluation (SPE) process.” “Taking forward the SPE process, the ICL management has decided not to renew the contracts of some of the ICL players and support staff that have expired,” ICL business head Himanshu Mody said in a statement. There are at least 85 Indian and 60 foreign players aligned with the ICL, which is bankrolled by India's largest listed media company, Zee Telefilms and headed by the country's lone World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev. England ignores Vaughan England named uncapped pace bowlers Tim Bresnan and Graham Onions on Wednesday in a 12-man squad for the first Test against West Indies starting at Lord's in a week's time. Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara has been recalled after hitting a century in his only test in the Caribbean this year and is likely to fill the problematic number three spot. Former captain Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell and Owais Shah, the other candidates to bat at number three, have all been omitted.
