Vinod Rai, the head of Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators, has sent an instruction to the today the BCCI office-bearers that they don’t have the freedom to take any decisive step on India’s Champions Trophy participation without the COA’s approval.
The COA was forced to issue the directive after it found out that 10 loyalists of former BCCI president N Srinivasan held discussion over a teleconference about pulling out and taking legal action against the global body.
The BCCI board members are currently in a tiff with the ICC over the revamped revenue and governance model that has cut the annual revenues of the cricket board into less than half from the 2014 model that was in effect in the past. After the ICC meet in Dubai, the BCCI announced an SGM to be held on May 7 to discuss their final call on the participation.
BCCI, as a form of protest, has used the upcoming champions Trophy as the means for making ICC bend to its demands. It has already broken the deadline to announce the squad for the multi-nation tournament.
“Yes, we have issued an instruction that no decision should be taken regarding the ICC Revenue Model at the Special General Meeting (SGM). But the BCCI units have been told that they cannot issue any legal notice to the ICC with regards to Champions Trophy pull-out without our prior approval,” Rai told PTI.
BCCI’s share from ICC revenue was reduced to USD 293 million from USD 570 million. Later, it was offered an additional USD 100 million to settle down the matter by Manohar. The offer was rejected straightaway. ICC has kept the proposal open.
“It was brought to our knowledge that some of the officials were engaged in a teleconference and wanted to take a decision on the said matter. One needs to understand that this kind of a decision cannot be taken in haste. A Champions Trophy pullout will lead to India not playing in ICC tournaments for the next eight years. It cannot be decided by a few members,” Rai said.
Rai said if a situation arises that India needs to pull- out of the Champions Trophy, it has to be a unanimous decision of all the 30 voter members at the BCCI SGM.
“There can’t be a fractured mandate where some are in favour of a pull-out and quite a few against the motion. If you ask me, the extreme step should only be taken if all the 30 members decide unanimously that a pull-out is necessary,” Rai said.
A section of BCCI officials is eager to pass a resolution in favour of taking legal action against the global body headed by former BCCI chief Shashank Manohar.
In case the BCCI SGM decides on a pull-out, there is every possibility that COA will seek a directive from the Supreme Court.