Reports | BCCI to discuss revised FTP and domestic cricket season during Apex Council meet on July 17

07/05/2020

According to a report, the BCCI has its fourth Apex Council meet scheduled on July 17 wherein the board will finalise India's revised Future Tours Program and the domestic season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the said meeting will be held online just like the last emergent meeting on May 6.

The nine-member Apex Council of BCCI in its fourth meet, on July 7, was scheduled to discuss the exigent issue of Chinese sponsorship in the IPL. In that same meeting, reportedly, the board will also finalise India's revised Future Tours Program and the domestic season. India’s previous season ended with the Ranji Trophy final in March before the nationwide lockdown was implemented, leading to the indefinite postponement of the Irani Cup.

Given the current scenario, a curtailed domestic season is expected given the IPL is played in the September-October window. However, the BCCI are still forced to wait on the fate of the IPL since the ICC has made no final announcement of the T20 World Cup, scheduled in October-November.

"That issue [domestic season] will also come up for discussion," a BCCI official told PTI.

Further on, the Council was also expected to have a discussion on "issues concerning Bihar Cricket Association". The CAG nominees in the council Alka Rehani Bhardwaj also warned the board on assuring that only the eligible office-bearers attend the meeting.

"The President/Joint Secretary BCCI (who would be presumably officiating as Secretary after vacation of Secretary BCCI post) need to also ensure that fourth Apex Council meeting is attended by only members, eligible as per the Constitution. Any decision on this matter may please be backed by facts and endorsed legally. This is being reiterated only to ensure compliance with Honourable Supreme Court approved Constitution," she wrote in an e-mail to the council members, according to TOI.

The BCCI also sought a term extension for its president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah until 2025 from the Apex Court.