Activities in non-compliant states like TN will not be affected: COA

The Supreme Court-appointed Committeeof Administrators (COA), which last week extended the deadline of holding state elections by two weeks to September 28, had issued an ultimatum to state bodies to put their house in order by September 12.

Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh came on board in the 11th hour and decided to comply with the COA’s directive on constitutional amendments, leaving only four out of 38 associations non-compliant ahead of the state elections.

Besides Tamil Nadu and Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand remain non-compliant. The state elections will be followed by the BCCI elections on October 22.

“It is up to them (if they don’t want to be part of the BCCI AGM). The deadline is already over. We are going ahead with the elections on September 28 and October 22. Whichever association has not complied, we will ensure their cricketing activities are not affected,” said Rai after the COA meeting here.

If Tamil Nadu and Haryana end losing their voting rights, BCCI will most likely form an ad-hoc body to run the cricketing affairs in the two states.The constitutional amendments are with regards to administrative reforms recommended by the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Committee.

Tamil Nadu has already gone to court, saying BCCI elections can’t be held unless its plea is heard. Asked if the BCCI election process can be delayed with state units approaching the court, Rai said: “Once the election process begins, the court doesn’t intervene. Elections will be held on time, there is no doubt about that.”

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The BCCI on Monday accepted Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik’s unconditional apology for violating a clause of his central contract by watching a Caribbean Premier League match from a participating team’s dressing room.

India discard Karthik tendered an “unconditional apology” for violating BCCI’s central contract clause by watching a Caribbean Premier League game from the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned Trinbago Knight Riders’ dressing room.

“The BCCI has accepted Dinesh Karthik’s apology and the matter is now a closed chapter,” a Board official said.

As per the central contract, Karthik, who has played 26 Tests and 94 ODIs for India, should have taken permission from the BCCI before attending the match. His contract bars him from being associated with any private league.

Karthik is the captain of IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders but being seen in a Trinbago Jersey, while watching the match from the dressing room, prompted the BCCI to issue a show cause notice, asking why his central contract should not be cancelled.

Karthik, in his reply, submitted that he went to Port of Spain on KKR coach Brendon McCullum’s request and watched the match wearing the TKR jersey on the New Zealander’s insistence.