BCCI Working Committee meeting reconvened on Oct 18

Mumbai, October 9

The BCCI’s Working Committee will hold its previously adjourned meeting on October 18.

The meeting is likely to witness two particularly significant discussions: one, on whether to allow former BCCI president N Srinivasan to attend meetings and the other about PepsiCo’s possible pullout from the Indian Premier League.

The previous working committee meeting held on August 28 adjourned inconclusively after Srinivasan insisted on attending meetings as head of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association.

Srinivasan was forced to step down as president of the world’s richest cricket body after the Supreme Court struck down an amendment to BCCI rules that allowed officials of board to have an interest in the Indian Premier League and Champions’ League tournaments. Srinivasan is Managing Director of India Cements, the company that owned IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings.

Supreme Court recently refused to interfere with the tussle saying the BCCI was entitled to take a decision, which Srinivasan could challenge in a lower court if he wished. 

This will be BCCI President Shashank Manohar’s first working committee meeting since his election last Sunday. Manohar is likely to apprise members of the committee of the reforms he introduced since his election, among them an Ombudsman for the board to ensure its transparence. 

Discussions on plans for the Indian Premier League for the next edition after two teams — Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals — faced a two-year suspension are also likely at the meeting. The two teams were suspended by the Justice Lodha Commission after it found key people of the two franchises — CSK principal Gurunath Meiyappan and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra — guilty of betting in the 2013 edition. Meiyappan and Kundra have been banned from commercial cricketing activities for life.  

The Working committee will also fix dates for its Annual General Meeting.

Unruly mob behaviour at a recent Twenty20 International match with South Africa in Cuttack, Orissa, will also feature in the discussions.

A section of spectators began to hurl bottles at the field after India’s performed poorly in the match. Play had to be halted twice to rein in the crowd, leading to a delay of at least an hour.  Manohar has demanded a report explaining the incident from the Odisha Cricket Association. — PTI