BCCI bares its teeth, says will only take suggestions from the Govt

the media. No, we have no intentions to gag the skipper,” Muthiah told reporters here after he discussed the crucial Code with secretary Jaywant Lele, treasurer Kishore Rungta and special committee members Shashank Manohar and V Subbarao.

Muthiah said BCCI will present only its `vision report’ at its much-publicised meeting with Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa to be held here on August 1.

“We will give the `vision report’ to the government and only take suggestions from the Minister for incorporation in the Code, which will later be ratified by BCCI Working Committee Meeting on August 19 in Bangalore,” he said.

There have been reports that the new Code intended to bar the captain from talking to the media.

On Dhindsa’s comments that government was planning to take back awards given to the cricketers if they were found guilty of match-fixing, Muthiah said the Code in fact suggests erasing all the records of guilty players.

“We have decided, as a penalty for the guilty, we’ll erase all records and revoke the awards,” Muthiah said.

On whether there was any confrontation between government and the board over the framing of new Code, Muthiah denied having any such problems.

“I don’t think government wants to interfere in our framing of the Code. We will take their suggestions and include it, but it is for the BCCI Working Committee to ratify it,” Muthiah said.

“There will be no sanctity to the Code unless the Working Committee gives its approval,” he said.

The Board’s bigwigs were here to discuss the `vision report’ which throws light on what BCCI was planning for Indian cricket for next five years.

“We have discussed the vision report here and we will finalise it on Monday before giving it to the Minister on Tuesday,” the Board president said.

He was not forthcoming about the reports which detailed what the Board proposed in the new Code, saying: “We have made many changes during special committee meeting in Mumbai and only after August 19 Bangalore meeting everything will be finalised.”

When it was pointed out that the Board was to present new Code along with `vision report’ to Dhindsa, Muthiah said the Code will not be ready by then.

On being told that Dhindsa had repeatedly said he was expecting to receive new Code from BCCI, Muthiah said he never announced that draft Code will be given to government before the Working Committee approved it.

With BCCI formulating new Code of Conduct, which will have all the clauses of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code, Muthiah said he was not in favour of having a `watchdog’ on Indian team’s foreign tours like the one recently announced by Pakistan Cricket Board.

“No there is no such proposal. The administrative manager will be responsible to guide the boys on their tours,” Muthiah said.

On BCCI issuing show cause notice to former Board chief IS Bindra on his going public with his allegations against cricketer Kapil Dev and Board officials, Muthiah said he has not received any reply as yet.

The Board president also announced that BCCI would soon appoint a media manager who would deal with the press in furture to avoid any “misunderstanding.”

NO DROPPING OF PLAYERS: The Board also ruled out excluding from National team the players against whom allegations of match-fixing are being probed.

“No. On what grounds can a player be dropped? If on merit they are selected, how can I stop them from playing for the country,” Board president AC Muthiah told reporters here.

He, however, said if players are found guilty “then we will not allow them to play.”

The Board president said CBI had called the BCCI for a meeting. “They (CBI) are finalising the report and after that only we can see what measures are required to be taken,” he said.

Sports Minister Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had last month suggested that Board should not pick those players against whom CBI was investigating the match-fixing allegations for the upcoming Sahara Cricket series against Pakistan.

“As things stand today, on what grounds can I tell them not to play? They have not been proven guilty,” Muthiah said and pointed out that one of the players in question was in fact the leading scorer for Asia XI in the Oval Charity match against Rest of the World XI in London on Sunday.

SAHARA CUP CLEARANCE: Meanwhile the cricket Board is yet to get Union Government’s clearance for the forthcoming Sahara Cup series against Pakistan in Toronto in September.

“We have already applied for the government sanction last month. But clearance has not yet come,” Muthiah told reporters.

“I expect the go-ahead will come in time,” Muthiah said adding it was not for the first time that the Board has sought government permission.

“On every foreign tour in the past we had taken government clearance,” he said.