Muthiah pleased with Bharti's clarification

Onkar Singh

Board of Control for Cricket in India president A C Muthiah on Friday expressed happiness with Sports Minister Uma Bharti's clarification on the Indian cricket team's participation in triangular and multilateral tournaments.

"I have seen the clarification give by the honourable minister regarding our participation in triangular and multilateral matches. She has said that if India plays against the Pakistan cricket team in these matches the Government of India has no objection. This is the precise clarification we needed from the Union Government, and I am glad that it has come at the right time," Muthiah told rediff.com.

Asked if he would still go ahead with his threat of boycotting the Asia Cup, ICC knock-out and World Cup tournaments, Muthiah said he will be issuing a statement later in the day to clarify the position of the board.

He said he is in touch with Ms Bharti following reports that she has held back her letter to the Union finance minister sanctioning the necessary tax exemption requested by the board for staging of the ICC knockout tournament in 2002.

"I am in touch with the minister and she has told me that she has not withdrawn the letter but is only holding it back. I am sure once the board issues the clarification the minister will send it to the finance minister for further action," he said.

International Cricket Council chairman Malcolm Gray had during his visit to India last month told the BCCI that if the necessary tax exemption does not come by April 30 he would consider staging the knockout tournament in either Pakistan or Australia.

Insiders in the BCCI told rediff.com that some elements in the board are deliberately provoking the sports minister so that she adopts a confrontationist approach. They say there are some members who are trying to isolate the board president, but so far both Ms Bharti and Muthiah have not fallen into their trap.

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