BCCI Says IPL Captains Will Be Bound By "Spirit of Cricket" Pledge Mumbai, India, March 27, 2008

In an emphatic "no" to offensive language and vulgar gestures on the cricket field, the Board of Cricket Control in India has decided that Indian Premier League (IPL) captains will abide by the spirit of cricket pledge.

The "spirit" question rose on the recently concluded acrimonious Indian tour to Australia where events in the infamous Sydney Test prompted India Test skipper Anil Kumble to say that only India was playing in the spirit of cricket.

With more bad blood during the rest of the series, the BCCI wants to ensure that the multi-national and star-studded Indian Premier League (IPL) is not crippled by individual skirmishes on the cricket field.

IPL governing council member Inderjit Bindra told Hindustan Times today that the captains of all eight City teams will take a pledge "to play by the spirit of the game before the tournament gets rolling."

However, following India's acrimonious tour of Australia, the ICC announced this week a "zero tolerance" crackdown on offensive language and gestures in the sport as part of its drive to eradicate "sledging".

During the tour, India's Harbhajan Singh was accused of racially abusing Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds, while Matthew Hayden was reprimanded for calling the Indian spinner an "obnoxious weed".

The ICC said while verbal exchanges could not be eliminated entirely, so umpires had to decide what they felt were acceptable levels.

The IPL kicks off on April 18 with a grand ceremony planned at the Chinaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. The BCCI has decided to bear 50 percent of the cost of this ceremony along with Bangalore franchise owner United Breweries Group, which is headed by Vijay Mallya.

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