NEW DELHI, Aug 5: Indian cricket was rocked by an acrimonious slanging match on Sunday as the game's powerful establishment moved to crush a breakaway multi-million dollar series.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is determined to ensure the failure of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) which is bankrolled by the country's largest listed media house, Zee Telefilms.

The BCCI has not only refused to let out stadia for the ICL's inaugural Twenty20 competition later this year, but also threatened to bar rebel players from representing India in official tournaments.

“In a democratic country, anyone is free to play anywhere, but those players who join the ICL will not be considered for selection for India,” said the BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah. “They could even face life bans from official cricket.”

But ICL chairman Kapil Dev said Shah's comments were “malicious and uncalled for.”

Kapil said the line-up and dates for the first Twenty20 competition between six city teams are expected to be unveiled in the next few days. Each team is supposed to comprise four international players, two Indian stars and eight upcoming cricketers, according to an ICL announcement in May.

But the BCCI's hardening stance has made it difficult for the rival series to recruit current cricketers from both within and outside the country. No Indian star currently touring England has been linked to the rebel series, prompting BCCI chief Sharad Pawar to dismiss the ICL as a “veterans series no one will want to watch.”

Kapil refused to reveal the big names the ICL has signed.—AFP