BCCI ADJOURNS SGM, JOHRI SKIPS THE MEET

The Indian cricket Board’s Special General Meeting (SGM) in New Delhi was adjourned on Sunday after members felt any decision could run afoul of the Supreme Court, a day before it hears the matter.

The SGM has now been scheduled for Wednesday. The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has sought the Apex court’s opinion on eligibility norms to send a representative for this month’s crucial ICC meeting. A section of the BCCI wants to pick former president, N Srinivasan, who also came for the SGM. There was fresh controversy after BCCI CEO, Rahul Johri, skipped the SGM. Johri’s role is seen as crucial due to the tug-ofwar between the board members and the court-appointed Committee of Administrators. Johri’s absence reportedly irked BCCI members and the CoA, which has been tasked to implement the Lodha panel recommendations. Johri reportedly sent an e-mail saying he would not be at the SGM as he had to attend IPL matches in Bangalore and Mumbai.

An official at the SGM said some members didn’t back the move to choose Srinivasan for the world body’s meetings without a clarification from the court. “They did not want to annoy the court, so it was decided to adjourn the meeting,” the official said.“The meeting was adjourned as SC is hearing the matter and there are legal implications,” said former Saurashtra unit head, Niranjan Shah. CK Khanna, the acting Board president who chaired the meeting, said, “It was agreed we should wait for the SC order.”

The ICC meeting is due to ratify a rollback of the Big Three revenue model piloted by Srinivasan in 2014 that guaranteed India, England and Australia the lion’s share of the revenues. BCCI is opposing that.

The CoA had said Srinivasan didn’t meet the tenure or age criteria. However, a BCCI official said: “We can send anyone as a representative as the recommendations’ reference is only for office-bearers.