Delhi court reinforces ICL decision

The Delhi High Court has reinforced its earlier decision of barring the ICL from suing the BCCI in British courts. However, the ICL has claimed that the courts have given them the go-ahead to initiate action against the ICC and the ECB in London Courts.

Essel Sports, the promoters of the ICL, had, in November, served a legal notice, seeking various reliefs including restraint orders and damages against the BCCI, the ECB and the ICC for boycotting the ICL. The notice said that if the league did not receive a "full and satisfactory substantive response" from the BCCI by December 7, it would file proceedings in the London court. The Delhi High Court, on December 8, disallowed the ICL from pursuing the case in London.

The BCCI, in response to the ICL's legal notice, had filed a plea for an anti-suit injunction against the league before the Delhi High Court, which retained its earlier decision.

"In a suit filed by the BCCI before the Delhi High Court for an anti-suit injunction against Essel Sports Pvt. Ltd. (Indian Cricket League), the Delhi High Court today held that the attempt of Essel Sports (ICL) to file a suit in the Courts of the UK against the BCCI, when a suit by Essel was already pending in the Delhi High Court based on similar causes of action, was 'unconscionable'", said the BCCI in a statement.

However, the ICL can initiate action against the English board and the ICC in UK courts. "An Order has been passed in the Delhi High court in the matter BCCI vs Essel Sports Pvt. Ltd. (Indian Cricket League) stating that ESPL is free to initiate action against ICC and ECB in London Courts," said the ICL in a statement.

The Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) - a players' lobby group - had questioned how the ICL could go ahead with the legal costs of suing the various boards while it owed the players "millions of dollars". Most recently, the Pakistan players who were involved in the ICL filed a legal notice against the league over payments due to them since December 2008.