No 50-50 on Twenty20: BCCI

“So we have decided to embrace this version of the game and are going to participate at the 2007 World Cup in South Africa,” said Niranjan Shah, the BCCI general-secretary, after the the working committee meeting here on Sunday. The BCCI will soon formulate a structure to introduce Twenty20 in domestic cricket by April 2007.

“Since we have in principle agreed to participate in Twenty20, we will soon finalise a domestic structure and schedule for this version of the game. We are going to have at least one tournament every year. Even the Indian team will have Twenty20 in its itinerary in future tours, as is the norm in other countries,” Shah added.

• Boost for women’s cricket

The BCCI also took another important decision relating to women’s cricket in the country. According to treasurer N Srinivasan, the board will provide the much-needed financial support, starting from their tour of England beginning next month.

‘‘As per ICC’s directions, we had earlier decided to merge women’s cricket administration with ours. That merger is on and, meanwhile, we have decided to provide complete support to the women’s team’s tour of England,” he said.

Women cricket also received a shot in the arm when the Indian Women’s Cricket Association secretary Subhangi Kulkarni was appointed as cricket coordinator of the Asian Cricket Council.

The team would be playing two Tests and five ODIs, besides a Twenty20 game on their visit to England from August 5 to September 1.

Among the other decisions, the working committee decided to rework the pension scheme for first-class players. ‘‘Under the new plan all those who have played 25-49 matches will get a pension of Rs 10,000 while cricketers with 49-75 matches under their belt will be eligible for a pension of Rs 15,000. And those who have played more than 75 games will receive Rs 20, 000 as pension money,” Srinivasan said.

The board officials, however, did not say much over the controversy surrounding Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Jagmohan Dalmiya. ‘‘We have not been receiving regular replies to our notices and the disciplinary committee will take appropriate action soon,” Srinivasan added.

The agreement with Investors in Cricket (IIC) to run a reality show ‘Cricket Star’ was approved, as also the finance committee’s decision to withhold the subsidy to CAB.

The working committee also discussed the pitiable state of umpiring in the country. ‘‘We are seriously concerned about it and the board will take every step to bolster the standard of the game.

“We will be conducting an exam in August and will procure all kinds of technological support to help the umpires, as well as judge them on the field,” he said.

The BCCI also decided to increase the subsidy to state associations to Rs. 25 crore, keeping in mind the infrastructure development that needed to be made in view ofthe 2011 World Cup, said the BCCI treasurer.