PTI

Kolkata, Mar 28: Lashing out at the BCCI, India's World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev on Thursday described as "traitor" anybody who said that cricketers playing in the Indian Cricket League (ICL) were not eligible to turn out for the country.

"If anybody, be it any person or any organisation, says these boys cannot play for India and constantly opposes ICL, I'll consider him as traitor," Kapil Dev, chairman of the ICL, said lashing out at the board.

"I would like to send a message to the BCCI. Please answer one question. Am I doing something wrong? Are these cricketers who play in ICL not Indians? They all want to play for the country. Why shouldn't you allow them?," Kapil asked.

The legendary cricketer was addressing an ICL media conference in the presence of Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty, West Bengal Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty and a large number of film personalities and cultural bigwigs of Bengal.

Kapil said he and others involved with the ICL were 'not at all afraid' of the BCCI. "Had we been afraid, then we would not have come this far.... It is not that we abhor fights. If a fight is based on ethics it is welcome but let it not be a boxing match," he said.

Turning emotional, the great all rounder of yesteryears said he wanted the BCCI to be the father figure and the IPL the 'elder brother' to ICL.

"Ideally IPL should be the elder brother to ICL and BCCI should be a father figure. You know if a younger son does anything wrong, the father does not throw him out," he said.