Punjab Cricket Association blacklisted?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India general body, at a meeting last month-end, is believed to have unanimously decided not to allot any international match during the forthcoming season to the Punjab Cricket Association.

"It was unanimously decided by the general body at Madras on September 29. PCA officials have given a 99-page chargesheet to the Central Bureau of Investigation about the board and other units, even as they are part of us and participate in meetings. It has angered everyone in the board," a BCCI member said.

PCA president Inderjit Singh Bindra, a former BCCI chief, had hit out at some top board officials at the height of the match-fixing scandal in April and May. In an interview to CNN, he revealed that Kapil Dev had offered Rs 2.5 million to Manoj Prabhakar to Under-perform in a Singer Cup match in 1994, in Sri Lanka.

PCA's modern stadium at Mohali is, thus, unlikely to host any match against Zimbabwe or Australia, which will visit India this season.

Zimbabwe are to come in November-December and Australia are scheduled to be here for a Test and one-day international series in February-March.

The board will finalise Zimbabwe's itinerary next week in Bombay.

Mail Cricket Editor