IANS

New Delhi, Feb 13: Legendary cricketer Kapil Dev on Tuesday challenged in court the "monopolistic position" of the Indian cricket board after it stopped his pension and other benefits he got as a former India player.

The "Haryana hurricane", as Kapil Dev is popularly known, alleged in the Delhi High Court that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which he said he served for 30 years, stopped his post-retirement benefits by "deliberately amending the rules" after he joined the Indian Cricket League (ICL).

Since the time the BCCI had announced a pension scheme for retired cricketers in 2000, Kapil Dev had been receiving pension and other benefits.

In his affidavit, Kapil said: "The only way of earning a livelihood for us retired cricketers is through the game and the Board cannot, by illegally changing its rules and regulations, deprive us of the benefits."

He said the Board had also stopped his complimentary passes he was entitled to as a former international cricketer.

Kapil has represented India in 131 Test matches and 225 One-Day Internationals (ODI). Under his captaincy India lifted the 1983 World Cup.

In the affidavit, Kapil Dev, who was chairman of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), said: "As soon as I joined the Indian Cricket League, the BCCI sacked me as NCA chairman."

India's first bowler to cross the 400-wicket mark claimed that the Board did not even have the "courtesy to communicate or contact me".

The rift between the BCCI and Kapil erupted after the all-rounder joined ICL.

The only World Cup-winning India captain also dismissed the perception that the ICL was a competitor to BCCI, saying the League was only promoting cricket among youngsters.

Kapil has also charged the BCCI with putting pressure on public corporations and public sector undertakings not to grant leave to players joining the ICL.