PULLING OUT OF CHAMPIONS TROPHY IS NOT AN OPTION, STATE ASSOCIATIONS TELL BCCI

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board is likely to name the team for the ICC Champions Trophy soon as its boycott threat has petered out.

Many BCCI members have expressed displeasure over the confrontational approach of the senior cricket officials who attended the ICC meetings in Dubai and suffered a loss of face.

Top BCCI officials had claimed on Wednesday they will invoke the Members Participation Agreement (MPA) and pull out of the Champions Trophy, starting in England on June 1. They had even threatened legal action after the ICC carried out a rollback of revenue and administrative proposals, leaving BCCI isolated.

“We will hold the SGM but the view of the members is that we should announce the team first. Anyway, there is bound to be opposition to the move to pull out. It will be a divided house,” a senior BCCI official told HT. “In fact, most want to avoid confrontation. We can’t afford to pull out, for the simple reason we will be penalised. The penalty will be to the tune of ~2,000 crore.

“And what if the board is suspended for this? Foreign boards can also threaten to pull players out of the IPL. And what if they don’t keep a window for IPL? It will totally be BCCI’s loss,” the BCCI functionary said.

The Committee of Administrators is not happy with the handling of the issue. The Supreme Court had authorised acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary to attend the ICC meeting and asked Board CEO, Rahul Johri, to accompany him. However, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry also went to Dubai after the Board’s SGM held in New Delhi authorised him to assist the two.

He was there to help safeguard BCCI’s interests as it had agreed to the taxing bilateral schedule only due to the 2014 Big Three model. “The CoA, and even board members, aren’t happy with the outcome. They will step in,” said another Board official. “The CoA felt a middle path should be taken, but the officials didn’t agree. We have been humiliated.”

A source told HT the Board members are irked with the lack of transparency in the approach. “Members were getting news only through the media where it was being portrayed that BCCI had rejected an additional $100 million (it would have taken its share to $390 million) offer by (ICC chairman) Shashank Manohar. But yesterday we got to know Manohar told BCCI clearly that they should take the $290 million or leave it. So, did Manohar actually make the offer? If he did, why didn’t they take it?”

BCCI acting president CK Khanna said, “We’ll speak to the three officials and other Board members on Friday. It’s a sensitive issue. We’ve to look at all angles and perspectives and then move forward. Everyone’s opinion will be taken into account, even to discuss at the Special General Meeting.”