SC permits BCCI to spend 1.33 crore for two England Tests

The Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to spend a sum of Rs.2.83 crore for two Tests, three One-Days Internationals (ODIs) and three T20s against England.

The remaining two Tests of the five-match series will be played in Mumbai and Chennai. The fourth match begins on Thursday. The first match was played at Rajkot, and the following two at Visakhapatnam and Mohali.

The bench of Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud asked the apex cricketing board to submit the income-expenditure accounts of the Tests including those played at Rajkot, Visakhapatnam, Mohali, and to be played Mumbai and Chennai.

The BCCI has sought Rs.3.79 crore for the three ODIs and three Twenty20 matches but the court allowed only Rs.25 lakh for each of the six limited overs matches and sanctioned a sum of Rs.133 crore for the Mumbai and Chennai Tests.

While not opposing the BCCI plea for funds, advocate Gopal Shankarnarayan told the court that the BCCI was holding matches at the venues owned by its state affiliates which have refused to comply with the directions of Justice Lodha panel for effecting organisational reforms in the national cricketing body.

"These are the states which have not accepted your directions but matches are being played at their venues", Shankarnarayan told the court.

Seeking the income-expenditure account, Chief Justice Thakur said, "We want to know how much is being spent, and how much BCCI is getting."

"You are spending more than what you are earning. For each Test match there is a balance sheet," Chief Justice Thakur observed as counsel Kapil Sibal, standing for the BCCI, gave some figure.

The apex court on November 8 had allowed the BCCI to spend Rs.58.66 lakh for conducting the first Test match against England, starting at Rajkot on Wednesday.

The court on November 8 had also permitted the apex cricketing body to spend a similar amount for the other matches against England till December 3.

By its October 21 ruling, the Supreme Court had barred the BCCI from making any expenditure on its affiliates till they agreed to comply with the recommendations of the Lodha panel, which have been accepted by the court.

"BCCI shall forthwith cease and desist from making any disbursement of funds for any purpose whatsoever to any state association until and unless the state association concerned adopts a resolution undertaking to implement the recommendations of the committee as accepted by this court in its judgment dated 18 July 2016," the court had said.

--IANS

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