The uncertainty over India’s participation in the Champions Trophy is expected to be put to rest on Sunday when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) holds its Special General Meeting (SGM).
In all likelihood, the team for the tournament, to be held in England from June 1 to 18, should be announced by Monday once acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary gives his nod to convene the selection committee meeting.
Choudhary, though, is among a select group within the BCCI that is in favour of taking a hard stand against the ICC, and is adamant on sending a legal notice to the world cricket body over the breach of Members’ Participation Agreement (MPA).
The Supreme-court appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), which has already issued a stern directive to hold the selection committee meeting for the Champions Trophy, met with the state associations on Saturday.
It also spoke to the state bodies about the implications of pulling out of MPA, as it would mean withdrawing out of the cycle which ends in 2023.
But Choudhary said he has not convened any selection meeting so far. He is believed to be peeved over the women’s team selection meeting being convened without his knowledge by BCCI CEO Rahul Johri.
In the scenario, if the BCCI does not convene the selection meeting, the CoA has made it clear it would step in. Though majority of the members within the Board do not favour a pullout or any extreme action, there is a section that wants India to withdraw from the Champions Trophy in protest.
The CoA, in its communications to the BCCI, has been stressing on the need to negotiate with the ICC rather than adopting an inflexible approach. On Saturday, too, the CoA advised the members to negotiate, and strike a good bargain. The idea reportedly got the approval of a majority members. The CoA also advised the BCCI members against sending a legal notice to the ICC.
The BCCI has been protesting against the ICC’s new financial and governance model which cuts its $570 million revenue to $293 million, to promote more equitable distribution of the share. The BCCI, which was offered an additional $100 million by the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, however, is far from amused.
The BCCI, however, has been warned from taking any “drastic step/ measure” by the CoA, which then would seek intervention from the Supreme Court. The BCCI SGM would be followed by a meeting of the IPL Governing Council on Sunday to take a decision on the media rights.