BCCI moves HC on RR reprieve

The High Court will fix a date of hearing of BCCI’s appeal on Friday. Justice BN Srikrishna, who was appointed arbitrator with the consent of both the parties, on November 30 stayed the termination saying that prima facie, it was ‘illegal’.

Meanwhile, in an other development, Kings XI Punjab alleged before the High Court on Thursday that the BCCI ‘deliberately’ kept silent on Justice Srikrishna’s disclosure that he might have to pull out of arbitration.

The BCCI terminated franchisee contract with Kings XI too and this dispute has also landed in the High Court as Justice Srikrishna on Wednesday recused himself from arbitration.

Kings XI lawyer and senior counsel Darius Khambata alleged that Justice Srikrishna had disclosed that he had represented Bombay Dyeing, whose owner Ness Wadia has a stake in Kings XI, on November 23, during arbitration proceedings between BCCI and Rajasthan Royals, but BCCI did not take exception to his acting as arbitrator in Kings XI dispute until Wednesday.

“BCCI kept silent deliberately... They strung us along for one week as the deadline for negotiating with ‘marquee players’ is to expire on December 6,” said advocate Khambata.

Justice SJ Vazifdar, who was hearing the case today, remarked: “The learned judge (Srikrishna) ought not to have recused.”

Kings XI said the BCCI should postpone the date by which IPL franchisees are to submit list of contracted ‘marquee players’ beyond Dec 6.