The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) today came up with a strong riposte to the Committee of Administrators' (CoA) threat of de-recognising the Tamil Nadu Premier League and slammed the Vinod Rai-led panel for "showing utter disregard for livelihood of players".
The CoA yesterday issued an advisory in which it warned TNCA from allowing players from other states to take part in the TNPL starting July 11, stating that it violates article 28 (b) of the existing constitution.
The TNCA, after its meeting today, sent a strongly-worded letter written by their joint secretary RI Palani.
"We had informed the acting president and the acting secretary of the BCCI about TNPL. Why is the CoA unnecessarily interfering, only they know. TNPL is being organised for three years now," a TNCA official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The rules for the Inter-State T20 leagues were passed on July 3 and TNCA's draft for outstation players was scheduled on July 4. Many believe that if the CoA had right intentions, it would have actually given enough time to TNCA to withdraw the draft process.
Instead, the committee chose to wait till the TNCA completed its draft process and then fired a salvo, threatening to disband the tournament.
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However, it is not known whether the CoA had kept Star Sports, who are the official broadcasters for the event in the loop. Star also holds the rights for India's international games at home.
The letter sent by Palani makes it clear that the TNCA is in no mood to bow down to the CoA's diktat.
Palani, in fact, made a valid point about how the likes of Unmukt Chand, Sheldon Jackson would be able to earn a livelihood. These are not sought-after players in the Indian Premier League.
"The advisory exhibit a complete and utter disregard of the interests of players who would be deprived of an opportunity to earn a living and would perhaps lose a valuable opportunity to showcase their talents to the world, Palani wrote in his letter.
The TNCA joint secretary also said that never has there been a precedence of seeking permission for a state level tournament. Having an outstation player to take part in various club leagues with the go-ahead from his home state, too, has never been an issue.
"The regulations of the BCCI provide that members of BCCI are not required to seek approval for conducting tournaments within its territorial jurisdiction unless the tournament involves players from outside such jurisdiction."
"We have indicated several instances, in our earlier letters, of players representing one member for BCCI Tournaments and the same players participating in tournaments organized by other members provided that the members inter se had no objection. BCCI's approval was never required or sought in any of those instances."
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