No cancellation of game or series: Justice RM Lodha

Justice RM Lodha has cleared the air over ongoing India – New Zealand series saying the matches will be going on as scheduled. The clarification comes after the BCCI threatened that it might cancel the series due to a shortage of fund after the Justice RM Lodha committee’s directed the banks to freeze BCCI’s accounts miffed the board.

“There is no question of any cancellations of game or series. Accounts of BCCI have not been frozen. This isn’t correct reading of our email, rather this is misinterpreting it. Routine expenses for matches, games, cricketing activities & other administrative matters are not at all restrained,” said the former Chief Justice of India,” justice RM Lodha told ANI.

“Directives which we issued to BCCI yesterday (Oct 3) in our e-mail is confined to disbursement of large funds to State Associations. Banks directed to ensure compliance of that,routine expenses for matches, cricket activities and administrative matters aren’t restraint,” he added.

There is no question of any cancellations of game or series: Justice RM Lodha (Chief, Lodha Panel) on India-New Zealand series under cloud pic.twitter.com/QOlxop5cCw

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 4, 2016

Large disbursement for state associations (decision taken by BCCI on 30th Sep) that has been put on hold, nothing beyond that: Justice Lodha pic.twitter.com/UTFWiS9XtJ

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 4, 2016

Accounts of BCCI have not been frozen. This isn't correct reading of our email, rather this is misinterpreting it: Justice RM Lodha pic.twitter.com/h6taCwHoeA

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 4, 2016

If Champions Trophy calendar was already settled a year back, our recommendations won't affect that: Justice RM Lodha pic.twitter.com/MlOdwiXYBC

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 4, 2016

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New Zealand, however, is continuing its preparation for the third Test against India regardless of what media reports suggest.

“It’s the first time we’ve heard of it,” the spokesman told local media. “At the moment we are preparing to play the third test at Indore as scheduled,” a New Zealand Cricket spokesman said they had heard nothing from the BCCI.

Earlier, reacting to Justice RM Lodha committee’s direction to banks to freeze its accounts, a disgruntled BCCI has decided to cancel the ongoing New Zealand series, which has a Test and five ODIs remaining.

The Indian Express newspaper quoted an unnamed official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as saying the board’s bank accounts had been frozen after a recommendation by the Lodha Committee, a court-appointed panel set up to look into its operations.

Also, read – India v New Zealand series in jeopardy following Lodha Panel crackdown on BCCI banks

“We have no option other than to call off the India-New Zealand series as our banks have decided to freeze BCCI accounts. We don’t want India to be humiliated in front of the world,” the paper quoted the official as saying.

“How can we function, how can we hold any games now? Who will make the payment? Freezing a bank account is no joke. An international team is here, and there is so much at stake.”