MUMBAI, DECEMBER 22: In what could be seen as a calm before the storm situation, the Board of Control for Cricket in India fixtures, finance and marketing committees met at the Cricket Club of India here on Friday afternoon to discuss and draft the fixtures for forthcoming tour of Australia to India as also other international and domestic meet schedule.According to reliable sources the itenerary of the Aussies' visit to India has already been chalked out but will be presented before the Core Committee that meets on Saturday, at the same venue, for its approval. Since most of the Working Committee members are expected to attend the meet, it is also planned to set new rules for the rotation system that came up for discussion this afternoon. The allotment of India vs Zimbabwe matches to Kanpur and Delhi out of turn is believed to raised some dust at the meeting and it has been decided to frame a new format where none of the 10 Test centres or 22 one-day venues would get matches out of rotation.There has, however, been no fuss in planning the programme for the Australians who will play three Tests - at Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai - besides five one-dayers.A lot of fireworks are expected on Saturday, when the Core Committee takes up the issues that have been rocking the cricket board's boat since the breaking of the match-fixing episode early this year.For the rotation system, Karnataka secretary Brijesh Patel has already questioned the arbitrary allotments despite the agreement made at the annual general meeting in Chennai in September.In all likeliness the rotation system would be given a go by with a new set of rules with other volatile issues taking centrestage. The BCCI chief AC Muthiah may be in for a torrid time with vice-president Kamal Morarka's difference of views over the ban on ``tainted'' players. Morarka has questioned the action of the board with the government expressing doubts over credibility of the CBI enquiry.On the other front Muthiah will also have to deal with the Punjab Cricket Association issue where the board denied international matches serving a show cause notice to the PCA president Inderjit Singh Bindra.These topics may also find queering Muthiah's pitch where he has plans to table new style of functioning reforms. A few in the board see Muthiah's call for executive methods as attempts to take sole control.There is a clear cut divide and those with good knowledge of the board's methods over the years are once again intent on counter-attacking the policies and actions.Meanwhile, former BCCI president and National Cricket Academy Chairman Raj Singh Dungarpur has once again come out with guns blazing setting the tone for the meeting.Terming the meet as a battle between `reformists and road-blockers' the veteran of many such meets said, ``the reformists must have their say and if someone blocks the progress then he is an enemy of Indian cricket.''Appearing cheerful as ever the golden man of Indian cricket who turned 65 recently added, ``I am positive about the outcome. The board is mature enough to take the right decision.''The Core Group that takes to the board room comprises Muthiah, Kamal Morarka, former ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya, Jyoti Bajpai, BCCI treasurer Kishore Rungta, Board secretary and meeting convenor Jaywant Lele and Dungarpur.Special invitees include N K P Salve, C K Khanna, PM Rungta, Ram Prasad, Ranbir Singh, S K Nair, Prof Ratnakar Shetty, Shashank Manohar, former Test star Brijesh Patel, Narhari Amin and P K Mishra.
