Decision on Bindra deferred

Onkar Singh

The working committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, which met on Monday morning, has decided to convene a special general body meeting in Madras on February 23, to take a final decision on matters relating to the Punjab Cricket Association and former BCCI president I S Bindra.

Disclosing this, BCCI president Dr A C Muthiah told newsmen at the end of Monday's five-hour meeting, "The disciplinary committee is not authorised to take any action against any state cricket association or its administrators. The decision of the disciplinary committee has to be placed before the special general body meeting. So it has been decided to hold a special general meeting of the board on February 23, to take a decision on this issue," Muthiah said.

I S Bindra did not attend the working committee meeting. Punjab Cricket Association was represented by its secretary, M C Pandove.

"The board has approved a Rs 1.74 crore [17.4 million] budget for the National Cricket Academy for the year 2001-2002. It has also been decided that all the Test match centres would also get one-day matches by rotation, and the same also applies for the one-day match centres.

"The board has taken a serious view of the fact that some of the players have not been participating in domestic cricket. Now it has been made mandatory for them to take part in Ranji, Duleep and Deodhar trophies. Any player not doing so would have to take the permission of the secretary of the board," he said.

Muthiah disclosed that from the Sharjah tour, the Indian board would receive Rs 26.9 million and would spend Rs 16.9 million. The tour, he said, will take place in April this year.

Asked if the board has -- besides John Wright -- hired former Australian captain and coach Geoff Marsh and Rodney Marsh, another Aussie, Muthiah informed that while Rodney would help in imparting coaching at the National Cricket Academy, Geoff would prepare a paper on Indian cricket.

"We want an outsider's view of Indian cricket. Geoff Marsh is well-suited for this job as the Australian cricket team is now the best in the world. And he, being a former captain and coach of the Australian side, would be able to give us a better view. He will prepare a paper on this.

"Yes, it is true that Gavaskar has written to me regarding this aspect. I have assured him that Marsh's sphere of work would not interfere with the technical committee of the board. Though Gavaskar has tendered his resignation from the National Cricket Academy, we have not accepted the resignation," he clarified.

The working committee also approved the schedule for Australia's forthcoming tour of India.

Later, talking to rediff.com, Muthiah said it is a good idea for the board to enter into contracts with the top 22 players of the country. He, however, added that for some reason the players are not comfortable about it.

"The last time we introduced the contract system, the players went to the Supreme Court and the court scrapped the whole thing. I know that instead of working for different organizations the players should work only for the board as it happens in other countries like Australia. I hope we would soon be able to implement such a plan.

"One of the schemes that the board has been implementing is paying for the treatment of the cricketers. We did that in the case of Srinath and now the board is bearing all the expenses of Anil Kumble, who is undergoing treatment in South Africa," Muthiah said.

Would the board defend itself if former captain Mohammad Azharuddin goes to the court to seek redressal?

Muthiah said the former India captain cannot sue the board because it is a private body.

"But in case he does go to court and challenges the ban, then we will defend our action," he added.

He dismissed the allegation that since Madhavan is his personal lawyer he obliged him by appointing him BCCI's anti-corruption chief.

"I can tell you that Madhavan is not my lawyer in the Spic case, nor is he working under the board. He is independent of the board. Otherwise, he could not give a view on what the board does; otherwise, it would be like tell Madhavan to do such and such thing and he would do so. No, this is definitely not the situation; I can assure you that," he said.

Newly-elected Mumbai Cricket Association president Sharad Pawar and Minister for Law and Justice Arun Jaitley, who is also the president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association, also attended the meeting, though briefly. While Pawar came just in time for a group photograph and lunch, Jaitley stayed longer and participated in the deliberations.

Related reports:

Bindra says he'll accept disciplinary committee decision
Bindra submits 360-page report to CBI
Bindra lashes out at Rungta, Morarka

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