BCCI to cancel ongoing India-New Zealand series: Official

TIL Desk Sports/ Reacting to Justice LM Lodha committee’s direction to banks to freeze its accounts, a disgruntled BCCI has decided to cancel the ongoing New Zealand series, which has a Test and five ODIs remaining. According to a senior board official, the board was forced to take this step as its hands were tied.

“We have no option other than to call off the India-New Zealand series as our banks have decided to freeze BCCI accounts. We don’t want India to be humiliated in front of the world. How can we function, how can we hold any games now? Who will make the payment? Freezing a bank account is no joke. An international team is here, and there is so much at stake,” a top BCCI official said.

The board decided to take this drastic measure on the day the Lodha panel issued a letter to the banks, urging them to not give BCCI access to funds.  “It has come to the notice of this Committee that certain decisions have been taken at the ‘Emergent Working Committee’ meeting of the BCCI on 30th September 2016 to disburse large funds to the various member associations,” the letter stated.