Backroom parleys, initiated by a some full members of the BCCI on Saturday and well into the wee hours of Sunday, facilitated a decision in favour of India’s participation in the Champions Trophy.
More importantly, the BCCI Special General Meeting (SGM) did not go into a serious debate on the matter of sending a notice to the ICC to set right the alleged breach caused to the Members Participation Agreement (MPA) the BCCI had signed with the ICC in 2014.
The general mood on the eve of the SGM — when the Committee of Administrators (CoA) deliberated with full members on the implementation of the Justice Lodha Committee recommendations about reforms — was not to precipitate matters and the positive and mature disposition on the issue of the Champions Trophy participation was evident at the SGM.
Former BCCI president and ICC chairman, N. Srinivasan (representative of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) took part in the SGM by ‘Skype.’ A member from Central Zone said: “Srinivasan said India should take part in the Champions Trophy, but the BCCI can still send the notice to the ICC.
“Seniors administrators Rajeev Shukla, Abhay Apte (president, Maharashtra Cricket Association) and Kapil Malhotra (Cricket Club of India) spoke at length about the need to continue negotiations with the ICC on both the revenue and governance model issues and that Amitabh Choudhary should be given the full authority to take the matter forward and close it.”
Apte told The Hindu, “We said that the BCCI position should not be compromised and at the same time it should not take an extreme decision, but take the middle path of keeping the dialogue process on. The CoA had also spoken to the members about taking a cautious decision on the matter Champions Trophy issue.”
It’s learnt that Shukla conveyed his feelings to a large group of members that the BCCI is seen as a body at loggerheads with the Lodha Commitee, Supreme Court, CoA and the ICC and that no way can the BCCI think in terms of not participating in the Champions Trophy.
“Shukla has been quite vocal at meetings and he did the right thing by speaking up against negative thoughts,” said a member.
Another member said Malhotra hit the nail on its head saying Amitabh (Choudhary) was not given the option to negotiate at the ICC meeting and that he (Choudhary) should be given the bandwidth to negotiate and settle the governance and revenue part of the dispute with the ICC.
Talking to The Hindu , Niranjan Shah said: “I wanted a resolution to be passed that the ICC has breached the MPA, but I could not have taken a decision against Indian cricket and the Champions Trophy.”
