Reports | BCCI board members frustrated with Vinod Rai's efforts to delay elections

Amid all the confusion over the Supreme Court’s order interpreting disqualification rules, one subject that the majority in the Indian cricket ecosystem agree with is that it is time for the board to conduct its Annual General Meeting (AGM). Rai clarified to reporters on Tuesday that the elections would be deferred by one day — from October 22 to 23 — owing to state elections, agreeing that it cannot put off any further. 

However, several other members on the board are not buying the CoA head’s explanations, especially in the context of his visit to the board’s headquarters to spend a better part of the day with CEO Rahul Johri and the legal team.

“There’s an effort being made for the SC to hear the COA first. But as far as most individuals (outside of COA) see, the court very clearly spelt out what it wanted to in the September 20 hearing. There’s no need to further complicate matters,” sources told TOI.

“All I know is that it wasn’t an official COA meeting because the other members (of COA) weren’t there. I don’t think Rai even informed his colleagues that he was going to visit,” they added.

However, it is understood that none of the board members or Rai’s co-members in the committee can put a finger on the reasons for his visit. But those working closely with him agree that elections need to happen at the earliest because “a closure in this matter is what BCCI needs now”. Those who’ve seen BCCI’s functioning from close say “the battle between COA and the members has.... harmed the game’s administration”.