The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Wednesday has lifted the ban on players from the Indian Cricket League.

The decision was taken at a working committee meeting of the BCCI in Mumbai.

The BCCI said players from the ICL will now be available for selection to the Indian team within a year, if they sever ties with the ICL.

"The working committee of the BCCI has taken a decision to grant amnesty to players of the ICL," he said.

"We have given them time till May 31, by which they can sever all their ties with ICL and return to the BCCI fold.

"We have taken a further decision that those players, as well as support staff associated with the ICL who return to the BCCI, will not be allowed to play international cricket nor will be given an international assignment for a period of one year."

Burning issue

The ICL has been a burning issue since it involves players from several boards affiliated to the International Cricket Council.

But at the executive board meeting earlier this month, the ICC refused to recognise the Twenty20 league bankrolled by Subash Chandra's Zee Group.

The ICC says any tournament such as the ICL first needs to be recognised by the home board, the BCCI in this case.

But the BCCI has refused to make the league legal because it rivals its own Indian Premier League.

Manohar said the reason the amnesty offer was made was because the board had received several indications from players suggesting they want to return to the BCCI.

ICL shunned by ICC

"The decision was taken because many cricketers and support staff had informed us that their decision to join the ICL was a mistake committed by them," Manohar said.

"They said they wanted to return to the BCCI and that is what has prompted this decision."

The ICL had threatened to take legal action if the ICC turned down their application for legal status.

Earlier this year, the Pakistan Cricket Board lifted the ban of ICL players participating in domestic competitions and had earlier this month even named two players in the squad of 30 for the Twenty20 World Cup in England before hastily scratching them from the list.