Former Supreme Court chief justice RM Lodha has confirmed that reports about the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) cancelling the ongoing New Zealand series due to the frozen bank account is completely incorrect.
“This is wrong that we have frozen accounts of BCCI. We have just written that decisions are taken in the EGM (Emergent General Meeting) on September 30 regarding payments to state associations and any other financial matter should be on hold”, Justice RM Lodha told ANI.
Earlier in the day, there was a report in Indian Express as they revealed that the board is planning to call off the series against New Zealand as the banks have decided to freeze the accounts of the BCCI as part of the Lodha committee recommendations.
“We have no option other than to call off the India-New Zealand series as our banks have decided to freeze BCCI accounts,” the paper quoted an unnamed official as saying.
“We don’t want India to be humiliated in front of the world. How can we function, how can we hold any games now? Who will make the payment? Freezing a bank account is no joke. An international team is here, and there is so much at stake.
The BCCI have planned the New Zealand series along back ago and will not have any effect because of Lodha committee recommendations, said a source. “BCCI is using media to solve its purpose. One should read our mail carefully what we have instructed to BCCI and its bank,” a source told Hindustan Times.
However, most of the BCCI officials did not know about the cancellation of the series as they come to know about the matter though new papers only.
“I don’t know where it has come from. We have a TV rights deal and there are terms that a series can be cancelled only in extraordinary situations” said the official. “But nobody told us till yesterday (Monday)”.
BCCI have opted for some of the recommendations made by the Lodha committee while they rejected few others as they feel such are out of their hands. It remains to be seen how long BCCI will fight against Supreme Court to do the reforms suggested by Lodha committee.
Even the New Zealand cricket team were also not aware of the cancellation of the series as one of the New Zealand cricket spokesperson has confirmed.
“It’s the first time we’ve heard of it,” the spokesperson told local media. “At the moment we are preparing to play the third test at Indore as scheduled.”
Game must go on. Matches which are already scheduled must be held as per their schedule, says Justice Lodha to @TimesNow #CricketCleanUp pic.twitter.com/to0zicfhy3
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 4, 2016