US cricket: BCCI backs down on punishing players

Ajay Jadeja, Rahul Sanghvi and Nikhil Chopra may just get lucky. The trio had, earlier this month, 8216;defied8217; orders from the Board...

Ajay Jadeja, Rahul Sanghvi and Nikhil Chopra may just get lucky. The trio had, earlier this month, 8216;defied8217; orders from the Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI to play the American ProCricket APC league in the US. Now, though, it seems their foray may go unpunished, following an apparent about-turn in stand by the BCCI.

Less than two weeks after warning Indian cricketers to stay away from the APC, Board secretary SK Nair told The Indian Express on Wednesday that the 8216;advice8217; was limited only to those players 8216;who sought permission8217;.

8216;8216;We advised only those players who came to us for permission since it was not an ICC-approved event,8217;8217; said Nair.

So will there be any action against Jadeja 038; Co? Nair was typically vague: 8216;8216;I don8217;t know about Jadeja and Chopra. But for Sanghvi I will have to talk to officials.8217;8217;

Nair8217;s statement on June 17 advised 8216;8216;all players that permission would not be granted to participate in the event, since it did not have the ICC approval8217;8217;.

Curiously, that very day BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya too had told this paper that he 8216;had no knowledge8217; of any cricket or league in the USA. The ICC though in its advisory only asked boards not to release 8216;contracted players8217; for the League.

Meanwhile Jagmohan Dalmiya was on Tuesday night 8216;unanimously8217; elected president of the Asian Cricket Council ACC. Cricket Association of Nepal CAN8217;s Jai Kumar Shah was elected the vice-president. Both elections will be valid for a period of two years.

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Interestingly even after the election of Dalmiya there is still no clarity on what happens once he demits the BCCI office in September. 8216;8216;That we will decide at an appropriate forum at the BCCI. There is still two more months left,8217;8217; said Nair.