Kapil Dev back in BCCI fold after sorting out differences

NEW DELHI: Former India captain Kapil Dev and the Indian cricket board buried the hatchet following their differences over the cricketer joining rebel ICL and welcomed him back with immediate effect disbursing his one-time benefit payment of Rs 1.5 crore.

The BCCI issued a media release, moments after the 1983 World Cup winning captain met president N Srinivasan at the board’s headquarters on Wednesday.

“The BCCI has received a letter from Mr. Kapil Dev, former India captain. Mr. Kapil Dev has informed the Board that he has resigned from the Essel Sports Private Limited / ICL. He has also stated in the letter that he has always supported the BCCI, and will continue to do so in the future. The BCCI acknowledges Mr Kapil Dev’s immense contribution to Indian cricket and looks forward to a fruitful association with him in the years to come,” Srinivasan was quoted as saying by the release.

“The BCCI will now release the one-time benefit of Rs 1.5 crore for Kapil (for playing more than 100 Tests) and he will again be eligible for monthly gratis of Rs 35,000 from the board. His gratis arrears for the last five years will also be cleared with immediate effect,” a senior BCCI official said.

Kapil, who tried to avoid the waiting media persons, however seemed happy to be back in the official fold.

“BCCI is like a parent and we are like its children. Even during my earlier association, I have contributed for welfare of cricket and cricketers and even now I aim to do so,” Kapil told the media persons.

The legendary all-rounder, who joined the now defunct Indian Cricket League (ICL) back in 2007, was banned by the BCCI for being a part of unsanctioned league.

While the other cricketers and officials who were a part of the league had gone back to the official fold much earlier, Kapil had said that he will never seek amnesty from the parent body unlike others.

But recently, during BCCI working committee which was held in New Delhi, Kapil dropped in to meet Srinivasan and handed him a copy of his resignation letter from ICL to the president and it was then matter of time before the parent body would welcome him back in its fold.

Even after that working committee meeting, a senior official had said that format of Kapil’s letter will be such that “it doesn’t hurt the dignity of a player of his stature and at the same time restores BCCI’s position as the guardian of the game in the country.”