'Tough for BCCI to host AGM this month'

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may find it tough to host the Annual General Meeting (AGM) as scheduled by the end of September after the Supreme Court Monday ignored pleas to reinstate N. Srinivasan as its president.

What has struck the BCCI hard is also the fact that the apex court gave two more months to the Mukul Mudgal Committee to submit the final report in the spot-fixing and betting scandal in the 2013 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) that involved 13 people, including some prominent cricketers. The court has set Nov 10 as the next date of hearing.

A top BCCI official told IANS that it would be extremely difficult for the board to host the AGM as Srinivasan was seeking re-election for a third term. Srinivasan has been removed as the BCCI president by the Supreme Court pending investigating in the spot-fixing and the betting scandal in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL).

"As of Monday we haven't sent any notice for the working committee meeting (which would actually call the AGM). But it seems it would extremely tough for us to host the AGM this month," the top official told IANS.

The BCCI elections are slated by the end of this month since Srinivasan, who has also been elected as the International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman, was elected unopposed for a third year in office Sep 29 last year. As per the rotation policy of the BCCI, it is east zone's term to nominate a candidate and Srinivasan reportedly is looking to get himself nominated by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).

For the AGM and subsequent elections, the BCCI first will have to call a working committee meeting by giving a notice of seven days. The working committee will have to convene the AGM giving another notice of 14 days.

The top official told IANS that BCCI doesn't want to antagonise the Supreme Court by calling the AGM and get into more legal trouble.

"We have to take every step cautiously. We will be taking legal advice and will also go through the court order carefully before taking a final call," he said.

Petitioner Aditya Verma said he was happy with court's decision and said he will oppose BCCI's move to postpone the AGM.

"The BCCI plea had only one motive - to get Srinivasan back into the board by hook or crook and make him eligible for the post of president another three-year term in the next AGM later this month. What is going on in the BCCI is highly undemocratic. The BCCI has one-point programme - to look after the interest of one man and not the game. I am happy that the Honourable Court has not reinstated Srinivasan. The BCCI might try it again but we are going to oppose it," said Verma.