Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President, Anurag Thakur, said on Tuesday that the freezing of BCCI’s back accounts ruined its reputation after a Supreme Court appointed panel blocked it from making two payment to its state units.
The panel had asked two banks, Bank of Maharashtra and Yes Bank, to halt the disbursements after BCCI, world’s richest cricket board, had ignored some of the reforms recommended by the Lodha panel related to its lack of transparency.
Sources in Bank of Maharashtra and Yes Bank, had confirmed that the accounts were frozen on Monday night as they waited for more clarity from the panel formed by supreme court last year to keep a check and suggest reforms on the BCCI operations.
Anurag Thakur, talking to media about the fate of the on going home series with New Zealand, said, “Without the funds how do we play?How can we function, how can we make payments to the players and the various stakeholders? Our accounts have been frozen without even communicating with us. Is this how you treat the world’s richest cricket body which has run the sport so efficiently? It has completely destroyed our hard-earned reputation.”
He even said, “We don’t even take money from the government and it’s our own funds.”
On the other hand, RM Lodha, head of the committee formed by the supreme court, said that the accounts were never frozen and cricket must go on.
In an interview to media, Justice Lodha said, “God help them if BCCI twists panel’s report. Game bigger than BCCI officials. There is no restraint on India vs New Zealand matches.”
He added, “Dictators do good work, but they are not good for democracy. Once Supreme Court approves something, it is binding. Let’s wait and see how BCCI responds to our report on Thursday.”
In fact Justice Lodha said on Tuesday that his panel had only directed the banks not to disburse “large” funds to the state associations.
The banks lifted the freeze on the acccounts after Lodha clarified that the BCCI is free to use funds for routine expenditure.
The BCCI on Saturday said it would incorporate some of the Lodha panel’s recommendations but ignored several key measures aimed at reforming the board.
When asked The new Zealand team if they know about any of the developments, they denied.
India is leading 2-0 in the test match series and New Zealand prepares for the third test match which is scheduled to start from Saturday.