NEW DELHI, Oct 17: Moves by the unauthorised Indian Cricket League (ICL) to gain recognition from the world governing body have been shot down by the Indian board, officials said on Friday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) had this month asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to hold talks with ICL officials before any decision on accepting the ‘rebel’ Twenty20 League was taken.

But talks between the BCCI and the ICL in New Delhi broke down late Thursday, with senior officials saying no further meetings were planned.

“There was a meeting at Delhi between officials of BCCI and ICL to see if there was any common ground,” BCCI Secretary N. Srinivasan said in a terse one-line statement. “The talks failed and there are no plans for any further meeting.”

The ICL, started by Indian media magnate Subhash Chandra last year, runs parallel to the commercially successful Indian Premier League, which is owned by the BCCI.

The ICL has not been sanctioned by the ICC, and most players participating in the tournament have been handed lengthy bans from international cricket by their respective boards, barring England.

ICL chairman Kapil Dev, who did not attend the meeting with the BCCI, said he was “unhappy” at the development.

“I don’t know all the specifics, but I understand the BCCI wants the ICL to be a closed chapter,” the legendary all-rounder told reporters. “That, let me reiterate, is not possible. Right now, I would not like to say anything more. Of course, I’m unhappy at what happened.”

The second edition of the ICL, featuring former Test captains like Inzamam-ul-Haq of Pakistan, Marvan Atapattu of Sri Lanka and Habibul Bashar of Bangladesh, is currently being played in four venues across India.

Among other international stars in the fray, along with Indian domestic players, are New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, Australian batsman Damien Martyn and Kiwi all-rounders Chris Cairns and Nathan Astle.

—AFP