Kapil lashes out at BCB, asks ICC,BCCI to reconsider position

New Delhi, Oct 8 (UNI) ICL chairman Kapil Dev today lashed out at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for imposing a 10-year ban on the players who have joined the newly-formed Dhaka Warriors.

The legendary fast bowler critcised the BCB for bowing to the diktats of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

''If Bangladesh board does not support their players it's sad.

Those who banned them should go and check their heads,'' Kapil told mediapersons at the sidelines of a function here.

''I can only request the Bangladesh board to please allow their boys to play,'' he added.

The only World Cup winning captain for India did not spare the ICC and the BCCI also.

''The ICC is following a system of apartheid just like South Africa in the past. They are saying, either you play with us or you are banned,'' he rued.

''Their (BCCI) constitution says promote cricket. There should be no discrimination between sportsmen. I request the new BCCI management to please think of our boys.'' Asserting that the national duty should be the priority for any player, Kapil said the Indian Cricket League (ICL) will gladly realease its players for international duty if allowed back into the mainstream.

''You cannot ask boys not to play. We do not want to stop our players from playing for their country,'' he reiterated. ''If tomorrow Shane Bond tells us that he wants to play for New Zealand, we will say, take the first flight and go.'' He also appealed to the respective crickets boards to take care of the players after they retire.

''You have to look after your players once they retire. If tommorrow your players are in need of financial help, the board should bail them out,'' he stated.

Talking about the comparison between the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the ICL, Kapil said,''we take to reach IPL standards as far as marketing is concerned. But in terms of cricketing standards we are much better.'' UNI AB RKM HT1840