Supreme Court Allows BCCI to Release Funds For India vs England Test In Rajkot

The Supreme Court has allowed the release of Rs 58.66 lakh for the first Test match to be played from tomorrow between India and England in Gujarat's Rajkot. Cricket board BCCI had said the match would be cancelled if funds were not released.

"If funds are not released there won't be a cricket match tomorrow, it may be cancelled," BCCI lawyer Kapil Sibal had told the Supreme Court this morning.
 
The first match in Rajkot and the rest of the five-Test and three ODI series with England would go on unhampered, the court said, but added that the expenditure would be made under the supervision of the Lodha Committee appointed by it.

The judges have also asked the Lodha panel to appoint administrative and secretarial staff to execute BCCI or Board of Control for Cricket contracts.  Media rights for the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League are to be awarded soon for the next 10 years, starting 2018, and the process has to begin for that.   

The court had last month given BCCI president Anurag Thakur and the 13 state associations in the country till December 3 to implement reforms proposed by the Lodha Committee, putting on hold disbursal of funds to state associations till they promised to do that.  
 
Today, counsel for the Lodha panel Gopal Subramaniam had argued that as per the court's order on October 21, funds can't be released till the BCCI and state boards comply with the changes proposed by the Lodha panel and endorsed by the top court.

Both the Indian and the English team are already in Rajkot for the first test.
 
The Lodha Committee headed by former Chief Justice RM Lodha was appointed by the Supreme Court after the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal surfaced, to suggest reforms in the way the BCCI, the world's richest cricket body, functions.

The Supreme Court has frequently rapped the BCCI for "not falling in line." The board says it will be impossible to implement all the panel's proposals, which include age and tenure caps for top officials and one-state-one-vote.

BCCI top brass relieved

The BCCI top brass is relieved that the Test series between England and India is starting at Rajkot as per schedule.

"BCCI is pleased and relieved with the order. We have the highest regard for the Supreme Court and we are extremely thankful that the Honourable Apex Court understood our position and granted a favourable relief," a very senior BCCI member in the know of things told PTI.

The BCCI's plea was that with funds being freezed till appointment of independent auditor, it was difficult to make financial transactions necessary for organization of a Test match.

"It's a great relief that Supreme Court has given a go-ahead for the series," the official said.

(With inputs from PTI)