Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) has confirmed that the first test against India and England which is scheduled to be played on November 9 will take place as planned amid doubts surrounding the future of the series.
The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) is currently in the process of the applying some of the recommendations made by Lodha committee. However, they have objected few recommendations which has made the committee freeze BCCI accounts from disbursing major amounts to state associations.
BCCI is currently in a legal battle with the Lodha committee over the freezing of funds as the board claims all he state associations are dependent on the BCCI for funds to host the matches. Similar doubts were raised when India took against New Zealand at Indore in the third test earlier this month. However, the secretary of SCA, Niranjan Shah has insisted there won’t be any negative impact on the match.
SCA Honorary Secretary Niranjan Shah insisted, “The apex’s court direction to BCCI to restrict funds to its affiliated state associations will have no negative impact on the first India-England Test match. The Test match or any international event cannot be cancelled or postponed for want of funds.”
Supreme Court has also backed Lodha Committee as the apex court has asked BCCI president Anurag Thakur and others to completely comply with Lodha panel’s recommendations. Niranjan Shah has said that the state association has enough fund to host its first ever test match as Rajkot is one of the six new venues that will be hosting a test match this season.
He reiterated, “Generally, BCCI’s affiliated associations do not depend on funds released from the board. They (associations) bear the expense and the reimbursement process is a day-to-day procedure. SCA would be able to bear the match expenses even if we do not receive the funds.”