Intertops.com Cricket Bat Company, a diversified sports and leisure marketing company, yesterday received the approval of the International Cricket Council (ICC), for players to continue using its bats during the current Test series, while awaiting consent to become a fully licensed and regulated cricket bat manufacturer.

The approval arrives after conctroversy arose at last week's Test in Barbados, when international star Brian Lara and other West Indian players were barred from using Intertops.com bats by ICC referee Mike Denness. Following a week of challenges by Intertops.com's legal team, the ICC has retracted its stance and sanctioned Intertops.com and its bats, which meet all ICC specifications and regualtions.

"When Intertops.com decided to manufacture cricket bats, we had taken all the necessary steps and strictly followed all ICC rules and regulations. So when the ICC banned players from using our bats, it totally shocked and surprised us," said David Folb, Marketing Director of Intertops.com Cricket Bat Company. "We were completley prepared and confident that the ICC would realize Intertops.com Cricket Bat Company was a legitimate and legal cricket bat manufacturer. We did everything in our power to show that our intentions were to manufacture cricket bats that met international governing bodies' specifications."

In line with their use of their new bats, Intertops.com Cricket Bat Company has agreed to terms with [Brian] Lara, West Indies captain Carl Hooper, Courtney Walsh and Mervyn Dillon to product endorsement contracts.

To commemorate this occasion, Intertops.com Cricket Bat Company will donate $100 to the West Indies Cricket Board Development Fund for every run scored by a player using an Intertops.com bat in the Fourth Test versus South Africa in St. John's, Antigua.

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