BCCI seeks clarity from TNPL over outstation players

The BCCI has sought clarity from the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) over the participation of outstation players, including Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan, in the upcoming season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League starting July 22.

The board's letter to the TNCA on Friday (June 16) came after 88 players, including international and IPL players like Sanju Samson, Manoj Tiwary, Yuzvendra Chahal, Pawan Negi, Piyush Chawla and Ashok Dinda registered for the TNPL draft to be held in Chennai on June 23.

Looking forward to play #TNPL at #Tamilnadu. Great memories of #chennai are always close to my heart! https://t.co/hJ35BWY5ao

— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) June 15, 2017

The bone of contention is if the registered players conform with the rules and regulations of the board. A TNCA official said all the players registered for the draft, including those from other states, were registered with TNCA's league teams. "It was the outstation players playing in the TNCA league who requested us to include them in the TNPL," the official told ESPNcricinfo.

A TNPL official said the board referred to a decision made in a working committee meeting last year that said that "only players registered with the TNCA" should take part in the tournament. The TNCA is likely to respond to the BCCI's letter in the next "two or three days."

"While having these outstation players participate in the league, are they within the ambit of the TNCA for the period of time they are participating in the league - that's the question the BCCI is asking," he said.

The issue of involving outstation players in the TNPL had come up during the inaugural edition of the tournament last year too. While the BCCI didn't allow outstation players to be involved then, the TNPL is confident of having a stronger case this time around.

The TNCA was also not perturbed by the possibility of the draft being postponed. "Even if there is a delay [because of the communication with the BCCI], we can always have it at a later date," the TNCA official said.