The Supreme Court-appointed committee of administrators (CoA) will not shy away from intervening if it feels any decision taken by the BCCI at this weekend’s special general body meeting (SGM) hurts the interests of Indian cricket. In an e-mail sent out to the attending state associations, the CoA issued a thinly-veiled warning that they would take the matter to the Supreme Court should the BCCI decide to take any “drastic step/measure” at the May 7 SGM, which could “jeopardise” ongoing negotiations with the ICC.
Last week the BCCI called the SGM to update the state associations on the discussions and decisions emanating from the April round of ICC Board meetings – this will be the second SGM called by the BCCI in less than a month. At the previous one on April 18 the BCCI had authorized Amitabh Choudhary, the acting BCCI secretary, to ask the ICC Board to defer any decision on the new constitution, governance structure as well as the new finance model. Choudhary did so and also argued that the BCCI should get $570 million as its share from ICC tournaments in the 2015-23 right cycle.
But his request was rejected, the BCCI was outvoted and the ICC passed the new constitution and the finance model. Under the new finance model, the BCCI will get $293 million as its share (the amount is based on the ICC earning a projected revenue of $2.7 billion in that period). Disgruntled, some BCCI office bearers and state associations want to take an aggressive stance and have threatened to revoke the Members Partnership Agreement (MPA) signed by the Indian board and ICC in 2014. A dozen state associations including two BCCI office bearers – Choudhary and board treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry – wanted to send the ICC a legal notice challenging the decisions taken last week, though that was thwarted when the CoA stepped in.
If the BCCI were to revoke the MPA, then India will pull out of the Champions Trophy, which starts on June 1 in England. Seemingly pre-empting such a decision, the CoA is seeking a more collaborative approach between the BCCI and the ICC and other members, believing that it will help especially in negotiations on the financial model. “It is in the interests of Indian cricket for the BCCI to continue negotiations with the ICC and other cricket boards to arrive at an amount/ share that is somewhere between that envisaged under the financial model that was put in place in 2014 and that which is envisaged under the revised financial model,” the CoA said in a comprehensive e-mail, sent to the state associations on Wednesday morning.
Being bullish, the CoA pointed out to the BCCI, would only harm its own cause. “It is not in the interests of Indian cricket for the BCCI to take any drastic step/ measure which may result in breakdown of negotiations between the BCCI, ICC and other cricket boards, especially since there is sufficient time between now and the ICC Conference to be held in June 2017 for a negotiated outcome to be arrived at.”
Instead, the SGM ought to take a “mature and well-considered” approach. The CoA will, the email said, support any decision taken by the BCCI as long as it was unanimous and protected the interests of Indian cricket.
“In the extremely unlikely event that the decision of the Members of BCCI at the SGM is one which, in our view, is against the interests of Indian cricket, we would be duty bound to bring such decision to the attention of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, communicate our views to the Hon’ble Supreme Court and seek its intervention in the matter as also to take such other steps that we consider necessary to protect the interests of Indian cricket.”
More to follow…
Nagraj Gollapudi is a senior assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo