Banned Rajasthan Cricket Association Upbeat With Restoration of Lalit Modi's Passport

The officials of the banned Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) are now upbeat with the news that former Indian Premier League commissioner Lalit Modi's passport was restored and he is expected to come in soon at the Pink City. (Also read: Modi return likely to spice up BCCI elections)

There was an air of optimism in the RCA office situated in the north wing of the Sawai Man Singh Stadium and sweets were distributed among the office bearers and employees.

It was felt that with restoration of Modi's passport, RCA would be able to carry on its fight against BCCI with more determination.

Mehmood Abdi, the General Counsel and Constituted Attorney of Lalit Modi and Deputy President of RCA said that the restoration of Modi's passport vindicates state association's stand.

"Our stand that his passport was revoked essentially on erroneous and legally unsustainable grounds has been vindicated by this order."

"The court has found that there was no case at all for revocation of his passport and the passport authorities were not justified in revoking his passport as there was no element public interest involved," said Abdi.

He said,"We are very delighted with this development and now like any Indian passport holder Modi can freely travel on his passport. His personal presence at RCA will enhance the image and working of the association from strength to strength and Modi will now actually lead us from the front."

"The return of Modi is going to impact the cricket scene hugely, particularly the internal dynamics of BCCI  where all those feeling suffocated with the autocratic style of N. Srinivasan will now have a rallying point to take on Srinivasan and his coterie," added Abdi.

His physical presence back in India will surely remove all the canards and misgivings spread against him by his detractors.

It might be recalled that the BCCI has suspended RCA after Modi was elected president. Later, it had formed a special committee to look after the cricket affairs of the disputed state cricket associations like RCA.

Despite that RCA had declared that it will go ahead with the selection of its team for domestic tournaments although its name was not included by the BCCI for the domestic cricket season.

The RCA executive in its meeting on Sunday at Dholpur had decided that it would hold agitations against the unjust decisions of BCCI.