Chandigarh, Mar 1 BCCI was trying to create a monopoly in the sports but the Indian Cricket League "will fight them even if it means waging a long battle," former captain Kapil Dev said today.

"They (the Board) are trying to create monopoly by trying to have everything under their control while we are trying to break their control," Kapil, ICL's Executive Board Chairman, told reporters here.

He said it was beyond anybody's comprehension why BCCI was seeing ICL as a rebel venture "while our aim is to promote cricket at grassroot level and give chances to many of those youngsters to play side-by-side international cricketers, which otherwise they cannot dream of." "Don't we have freedom to promote our cricketers, who are equally talented, but do not find a place in the national team. Who is going to benefit, we ask, the sportspersons or just the ICL alone. Does our Government not encourage private players in a particular field so that people get better service and the competition improves," he said.

Kapil said BCCI should stop wielding its stick by trying to "pressurise" others boards/bodies to debar the ICL signatories from their events.

"It's unfortunate that such things are happening. But we will fight them, even if it means a longer battle than the one our country fought to win Independence," Kapil said when told that England and Wales Cricket Board had reportedly decided to bar players appearing in the ICL from taking on contracts as overseas players in county cricket. (Agencies)