BCCI formally recognises Indian Cricketers' Association

24th July. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday formally recognised the Indian Cricketers' Association (ICA) and clarified that until further notice, no entity other than the ICA will be accorded recognition by the board as an association of ex-cricketers.

"The Indian Cricketers' Association, a non-profit company, has been granted recognition by the Board of Control for Cricket in India as the official association for ex-cricketers in India," the BCCI said in a notice.

In four pointers, the BCCI enlisted the criteria for the association, which are as follows: 

1) Male and female ex-cricketers, who have played at least one international match in any format of the game at the senior level.
2) Male ex-cricketers, who have played at least 10 first class matches in any format of the game at the senior level.
3) Female ex-cricketers, who have played at least five first class matches in any format of the game at the senior level.
4) Differently-abled ex-cricketers, who have played either international cricket or first class cricket, where such cricket is recognised as such by the ICC or the BCCI and is organised by the BCCI or a body recognised by the ICC or the BCCI, in any format of the game at the senior level. 

Going by the board's constitution, one male and one female ICA representative will be part of the BCCI's nine-member Apex Council. There will be one other ICA representative who will be the part of the seven-member IPL Governing Council, the BCCI said in the notice that has been put up on its website.

As per the notice, two members of the Apex Council of each state association are to be nominated by the respective state chapter of the association from amongst themselves, one male and one female. 

Currently, the ICA has three initial directors: Former India captain Kapil Dev, former pacer Ajit Agarkar and former India women's team captain Shanta Rangaswamy.