BCCI officials, Justice Lodha spar over frozen bank accounts

NEW DELHI: India’s cricket board said it will decide on Wednesday whether to continue with the Test series against New Zealand, citing its inability to pay state

NEW DELHI: India’s cricket board said it will decide on Wednesday whether to continue with the Test series against New Zealand, citing its inability to pay state associations after a Supreme Court-appointed panel ordered the freezing of two bank accounts of the sports body.

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The third and final India-New Zealand Test is scheduled to be held in Indore from Saturday before the two sides head into a five-match ODI series.

The panel, led by retired judge RM Lodha, had directed banks to stop payments to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which was allegedly refraining from implementing the suggested reforms.

Justice Lodha said on Tuesday that the panel had directed banks where BCCI holds accounts not to disburse “large” funds to the state associations. He said the BCCI was asked to stick to routine business ahead of the next hearing in the Supreme Court on Thursday.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur, however, said the board “needs some clarity first”. “We need to know where we can spend our money and where we cannot. If we are stopped from paying state associations for hosting matches then cricket can’t go on.” He said the panel’s decision “has completely destroyed our hard-earned reputation”. A New Zealand Cricket spokesperson said they had heard nothing from the BCCI and were preparing to play the third Test. India sealed the 3-Test series 2-0 on Monday with a 178-run win in Kolkata.