BCCI to pull out of major tournaments

Onkar Singh in New Delhi

Taking a cue from the tough posture adopted by Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi with respect to the staging of the Afro Asian Games, the Board for Control of Cricket in India working committee Tuesday decided to pull out of the Asia Cup, ICC knock-out tournament and the World Cup, till the Government of India spells out guidelines on playing cricket against Pakistan.

Briefing newsmen after a marathon meeting, which began at 10:30 hours IST, and was on till media persons forced entry into the meeting room, BCCI president A C Muthiah said the board will write to the government, to seek clarifications on its stand on playing Pakistan and at non-regular venues.

"Pending clarifications about playing cricket at non-regular venues, we have decided that we would play cricket only in Test-playing nations, and this will be restricted to bilateral and triangular tournaments. We have decided that in the absence of a government clarification, the BCCI will not send the Indian team to the Asia Cup, ICC knock-out tournament and World Cup," he told newsmen.

What would be the fate of the ICC tournament in India in September 2002?

"When the ICC president Malcolm Gray visited India early this month he made it clear that if the Finance Ministry does not take a decision on concessions sought to stage the ICC tournament by April 30, they [the ICC] would think in terms of an alternative venue. We hope that the Finance Ministry will take a decision very soon," he said.

Muthiah said a three-member committee would be set up under his chairmanship to sort out the controversial issues with the sports and finance ministries.

According to sources, former BCCI presidents Jagmohan Dalmiya and Raj Singh Dungarpur advocated that the BCCI adopt a strong posture, like the IOA did to force the government to have a rethink on hosting the Afro-Asian Games, and build pressure on the government.

"How long will the government keep dictating to the BCCI what to do?" asked a working committee member.

But Rajiv Shukla, another board member, suggested that instead of adopting a confrontationist attitude with the government, the BCCI should set up a three-member committee to sort out matters, like playing cricket with Pakistan.

Muthiah admitted that the income tax authorities slapped a Rs 100 million notice on the board for 1997-98.

"We are appealing against the government order," he said.

The board also discussed the fake tickets scandal in the One-Day International between India and Australia, at Goa, on April 6.

"The board denies that the sale of tickets had been done at the directive of the board. To prevent unpleasant situations taking place at any centre in the country, the board has decided to step in. We have told the police that claims of some Goa Cricket Association officials are incorrect. We are also issuing a show-cause notice to the Goa Cricket Association and appropriate action will be taken against the guilty," Muthiah said.

He also said that the board had decided to start zonal cricket academies at Delhi, Kanpur, Mumbai, Madras and Calcutta on the lines of the National Cricket Academy at Bangalore.

"Cricket associations wanting to start academies for under-14 and under-16 would get assistance," he said.

The working committee said it received sponsorship bids from four companies. "We cannot disclose the bids, but we reserve the right to call for fresh bids should we find them inadequate," he said.

He also disclosed that matters relating to affiliation of Chandigarh, Pondicherry, Chattisgarh, Uttranchal and Jharkhand would be taken up at the board general body meeting.

He denied that the board was not spending money on promotion of cricket.

Muthiah informed that the board will stage four triangular matches to raise funds for the Gujarat earthquake victims. He said he does not know how it was reported that Dalmiya had said that the board would give 10 per cent from the proceeds of those matches to the Indian Olympic Association, adding Dalmiya denied making any such commitment.

He also said the board has shortlisted four persons for the media manager's job, and a decision on the same will be made shortly.

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