TNCA at odds with BCCI over outstation players in TNPL

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) is on a collision course with the BCCI after it reaffirmed its ambition to sign up 'outstation' players for the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).

Responding to a BCCI query about a large number of non-Tamil Nadu players, including some big names like Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan and Manoj Tiwary, on the draft list for TNPL, the TNCA has reiterated that these players are eligible having been registered with the local leagues in the state.

This is a not position the BCCI seems inclined to accept. In 2009, it had rejected a request from the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) to allow outstation players to participate in the Karnataka Premier League.

N Srinivasan, who was at the time both BCCI secretary and TNCA president, had said the board would have no problem with the league "as long as they do not include players from outside Karnataka". The TNPL is Srinivasan's brainchild.

The question of allowing outstation players in the TNPL had first cropped up during its inaugural edition last year. The BCCI had in a working committee meeting last year ruled that no player outside the jurisdiction of a state would be allowed to take part in such leagues. Now, the TNCA in its letter to the board on Tuesday has claimed the outstation players, by virtue of registering with the TNCA, are under its jurisdiction for the purposes of the TNPL.

"We have taken a stand that we are going by BCCI rules," a TNPL official told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday. "The BCCI Executive Committee last year said that only players who have registered with the state [association] can play. They further added that the players should come under the state association's jurisdiction. Now, all these players have registered with the TNCA to play league cricket, and therefore they are under our jurisdiction.

"If an outstation player can play in the TNCA's first-division league and its 50-overs competition, how is TNPL any different? It is a tournament conducted by the TNCA; it is not that we have outsourced this to somebody else. For instance, Piyush Chawla, employed by Chemplast, can play in the final of the TNCA first-division league, so what is the logic in not allowing him to play in the TNPL?

"[As far as jurisdiction is concerned] if an outstation player playing in the TNCA league gets embroiled in a disciplinary issue, doesn't the TNCA have the right to take disciplinary action? We exercise jurisdiction over the players when they are registered with us."

Questioning the BCCI's interpretation of the rule, the official said the board didn't have a case to prevent the participation of these players. He didn't rule out the possibility of exploring legal options as well. "This year, we are not going to take it lying down. We will ask them under which authority they are asking us [to not include these players]," he said. "The Lodha Committee puts players' rights first, but the BCCI is imposing restrictions."

The official called for free movement of players and said there should be no restriction on where they play so long as their commitment to their state teams isn't affected. "The only restriction should be when those players are called up for Ranji camps or state matches," he said. "That's player is coming here because he is free now. Obviously, their first priority is towards their state teams. But when they are free, they are entitled to play whatever tournament they want."