Manohar's annual report talks about Mumbai terror strike

Cricket Board president Shashank Manohar and secretary N Srinivasan have highlighted their annual reports for 2008-09 with the terror strike in Mumbai and its fall-out in the international cricketing schedule.

While Manohar describes his first year at the helm of the Board as "challenging in more ways than one", Srinivasan has praised the president for his leadership qualities.

Talking about the Mumbai terror attack on November 26, 2008, Manohar said the immediate fallout was the cancellation of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 and the last two ODIs against England who were touring India then.

"Our efforts to ensure that the England team came back to play the Tests was to prove to the world that India was a safe destination," he said in his report.

He also pointed out the BCCI's noble gesture of presenting cheques to the next of kin of "the martyrs who laid down their lives fighting the terrorists as also to the security personnel who were injured in the attack."

On the issue of the 'rebel' Indian Cricket League, Manohar said that the ICC Executive Board "unanimously rejected the application from the rebel ICL for recognition" and the BCCI later took a decision to grant amnesty to all those who joined ICL.

The names of those players and others who were granted amnesty by the BCCI have been published in the 2008-09 annual report.

Manohar touched upon the shifting of the IPL II to South Africa due to the government's "reluctance to provide security" and complimented IPL chairman Lalit Modi and his team for making the tournament, organised at a short notice, "a resounding success".

The BCCI chief also noted the Indian players' concern over signing the ICC's WADA-compliant Anti-Doping Code and in particular its "whereabouts" clause.

"The players concerns were genuine and the Board stood behind the players and challenged the said clause in the WADA Code," he said, adding the BCCI expected the ICC to address the concerns of the players.

Praising Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team for doing well throughout the year barring the World Twenty20, he expressed confidence that "they will come back with a vengeance in the season ahead".

He complimented the women's national team for finishing third in the women's World Cup in Australia and explained the reason on the Board introducing the Corporate tournament.

"Another landmark has been the introduction of the Corporate Tournament which was born out of necessity to generate employment for cricketers as the same was not forthcoming for the last few years."

In his report, BCCI secretary Srinivasan noted the quick response of the Board in the wake of the terror strike in Mumbai and the departure of the England squad midway before it was persuaded to return and complete the troubled tour.

"The Board's concerted efforts and persuasive skills ensured the return of the English team to India to complete the tour. Cricket emerged the clear winner thanks to the commitment and initiatives of the BCCI as also the gracious acceptance by the tourists on the assurance of the foolproof security," Srinivasan said.

Calling the successful staging of IPL II, shifted out of India and played in South Africa as a feather in the BCCI cap, Srinivasan said it was "mainly due to the relentless efforts of Lalit Modi (IPL chairman) and his team."

He focused on the Indian team's performance during the concerned period in the rest of his report and said it "had a fantastic run of success during 2008-09".

He mentioned the women's team's display in the World Cup in Australia too.