Hurt BCCI keeps all its options open

Having suffered twin blows at the ICC Board meeting on Wednesday, a hurt BCCI said it had all options open before it, including pulling out of Champions Trophy to be held in June in England and Wales.

Asked about whether India would now withdraw from the Champions Trophy, a BCCI official said, “All options are open. They (ICC full members) have basically disrespected the Members’ Participation Agreement that was earlier signed.

“As of now the joint secretary (Amitabh Choudhary) will go back and an emergent SGM will be called. He will then appraise the General Body about the developments and an appropriate decision will be taken.”

The BCCI was humbled 1-9 when nine other full member nations voted in favour of a change in the financial structure while they lost 2-8 on the governance structure with Indian Board only finding the support from Sri Lanka Cricket's Thilanga Sumathipala.

Outsmarted

India seem to have been outsmarted by former BCCI boss Shashank Manohar, who only recently had resigned as ICC’s independent chairman before agreeing to continue in his position till his replacement is found.

“At the SGM (held earlier this month), there were only two resolutions passed,” said the BCCI official. “Our representative had two mandates -- propose for deferment of the decision which was rejected. And the next option was voting against them during a floor Test.

“Our aim was to protect India’s interest. Our tone was extremely conciliatory at the meeting for the best interest of the game. But what was shocking was Mr Manohar’s stance,” the official claimed.

The head of COA Vinod Rai, however, refused to comment on whether India will pull out of Champions Trophy. “I would not like to comment on a hypothetical situation as none of the BCCI officials have spoken to me,” Rai said on Wednesday.

The BCCI were opposing changes on two counts — ICC’s Governance model, which required a change in its constitution with review of full membership, and a two-tier Test structure.

“Zimbabwe have been promised USD 19 million by the ICC. On what grounds has Manohar made this promise? But strangely Bangladesh also went the other way. Today at the meeting, Manohar, in fact, said that the USD 290 million is a ‘take it or leave it’ offer,” the fuming BCCI official said.

The official said that BCCI still does not consider it as a setback as it is “the vendetta of one man (Manohar)”. It is expected that majority of BCCI SGM will vote in favour of a pull-out from Champions Trophy but it will be easier said than done.