Court seeks BCCI reply over any government relationship

An Indian court hearing a case alleging lack of transparency in the national cricket board's activities has asked the body to state whether it has any relationship with the Indian government.

The court asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday to deliver its answer by July 25, said the lawyer who filed the case last year with another cricket fan.

The court also asked the board to state its relationship with the British-based International Cricket Council (ICC), lawyer Rahul Mehra said.

Mehra and businessman Shantanu Sharma have named the Indian government, the BCCI and the Delhi and District Cricket Association in their public interest petition before the Delhi High Court.

The two have asked for greater openness in the board's election procedures and financial accounts.

The Indian board had argued that only government bodies had to respond to public interest petitions and it was not obliged to answer the petition because it was an independent body.

BCCI lawyers were unavailable for comment on Wednesday.

"The court asked the BCCI if it received any special grants from the government and to explain in detail if it had any links with the government of India," Mehra told Reuters.

Mail Cricket Editor