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COA members decide to discuss BCCI's agreement with ICC AsianVoiceNews
For the first time since they came on board following the Supreme Court orders, the Committee of Administrators (COA) appointed to supervise BCCI administration called for the Indian cricket board's member participation agreement (MPA) with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to be viewed in detail. The decision to study the MPA has been taken in the backdrop of ICC board's February 4 meeting, which called for a flurry of policy changes in finance and governance. The MPA, drafted by the BCCI when N Srinivasan was at the helm of affairs, protects India's rights in ICC related to the 2014 resolution over terms of revenue distribution. It is learned that COA member Vikram Limaye encouraged the rest of the administrators to look into the agreement. In a meeting held in New Delhi, the COA also invited Gopal Sankaranarayanan, secretary to the Lodha Committee, to attend. BCCI CEO Rahul Johri and his colleague RP Shah were
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Members of the Supreme Court appointed three-member panel of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) former CAG India Vinod Rai (C), IDFC Managing Director and CEO Vikram Limaye and sportsperson Diana Edulji (R)
also present. Apart from the MPA, a few other topics also came up for a detailed discussion in the COA meeting that lasted close to six hours. The administrators agreed to approve the pending amount of Rs 240,000 due to the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) for the National Cricket Academy (NCA) land. Among other important issues discussed, the COA decided to bring in law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas as the Advocate
on Record (AoR) for all court matters going forward. Alongside that, the administrators also discussed the matter of conflict of interest in cricket in detail. BCCI's office-bearers, who were not invited to this meeting, were left fuming that the AoR has been replaced. “It is a very wrong decision because it stops the BCCI from even standing in front of the court and presenting its case. The constitution of the BCCI is absolutely clear that the board can and will be sued
in the name of the secretary. The SC order for the administrators is to supervise the administration of BCCI, not to supervise the BCCI. The constitution of the BCCI has not been suspended by the court, it is still very much in place,” an office bearer said. Meanwhile, audit and tax consulting company Deloitte was also called at the meeting to give a presentation of their report on state associations, which the COA went through in minute detail.
Pak cricket board charge-sheets Sharjeel, Latif The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) charge-sheeted national team batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif under its anti-corruption code and gave them 14 days to respond to the charges. The charge sheet was issued to both players after they pleaded not guilty and denied any role in spotfixing during the Pakistan Super League. PCB’s media manager Amjad Hussain Bhatti said the players have to submit their final stance within 14 days. “If they plead not guilty the board will form a three member tribunal under a Judge to hold proceedings. But if they accept charges a disciplinary commission will be formed to
Strong contenders Cleethorpes has ended Southall's FA Vase dream by defeating them 5-2. After a lacklustre opening 15 minutes, Southall suffered a blow when striker Wayne Harvey had to leave the ground following an injury. Five minutes later, Cleethorpes move caught the Southall defence completely napping, Liam Davis giving the Lincolnshire side the lead. Southall pressed forward in response, winning a corner, only to lose the chance and prompting a blistering Cleethorpes counter-attack, resulting in Jon Oglesby slotting into an empty net. A com-
Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif
decide on their future,” he said. He said the charge sheet issued to them related to offences under the anti-corruption code. Bhatti confirmed that the players had the right to appeal in any court of law. The players have been in Lahore since the last three days, meeting with the PCB’s Anti-
Corruption head, Colonel (retd) Azam and the board’s legal head and have been questioned after they were sent back home from Dubai on the second day of the PSL. They were sent home after being suspended under the PCB’s anti-corruption code. “The players have been given 14 days to
submit their response. All the things have been written in the charge sheet and will be revealed once the process is complete. We can’t reveal the details at the moment,” Bhatti said. But sources confirmed that Sharjeel and Khalid have been issued notice under the PCB’s anti-corruption code for violation of clauses. Both the players have been in touch with legal advisers. Bhatti said the PCB had a zero tolerance policy towards corrupt practices, which it believes, is a cancer eating at the heart of the game. He said the ACU is continuing investigations into any questionable activity by any player or support staff.
SPORT Shahid Afridi retires from international cricket Asian Voice | 25th February 2017
Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi has announced his retirement from international cricket, but said he wants to play in his country's domestic league for two more years. The flamboyant all-rounder, who played the last of his 27 tests in 2010 and retired from one-day internationals in 2015, quit as Pakistan's 20-overs captain after the team's poor World Twenty20 campaign in India last year. "I have said goodbye to international cricket," Afridi, who turns 37 next month, said in Sharjah after smashing a 28-ball 54 for Peshawar Zalmi against Karachi Kings in the ongoing Pakistan Super League. I am playing for my fans and will continue to play this league for another two years but it's goodbye from international cricket. Now my foundation is important for me. I have played with seriousness and in a professional way for my country."Known for his swashbuckling batting and tricky leg-spin, Afridi's last match for Pakistan was the defeat by Australia in the World Twenty20 in Mohali in March 2016. Despite his intention to continue in the game's shortest format, he has not been selected since that defeat.
Sandeep sets national record in race walk
Sandeep Kumar, who hails from a farmer family in Haryana and was ranked 35th in the Rio Olympics 2016, won the 50 km men's race walk event in a time of three hours 55 minutes and 59.05 seconds in the Max Bupa National Race Walking Championship. This helped Sandeep smash his own national record and also qualify for the London World Championships to be held in August. His earlier record of 3:56:22 was set at the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Taicang, China in 2014. Speaking about his victory, Sandeep said, “I come from a humble background and never thought I will be a National Race Walker and represent the country globally. “I'm very happy to have won the race by smashing my own national record and to have qualified for World Championships in London. My target is to win a medal in the Commonwealth and Asian Games next year and then to do even better in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.” Jitender Singh of Services (4:02:11.58) and Chandan Singh (4:04:18.41) won the silver and bronze respectively, and also booked their berths for the World meet whose qualification mark is 4:06:00. In the men's 20 km section, national record holder K T Irfan of the Services, who had finished 10th in Rio, won in a time of one hour 22 minutes and 43.48 seconds. His Services teammates Devender and K Ganapati won silver and bronze respectively. “This is just a start for us, I hope to perform even better in the future. This is my first national level gold medal after 2014. I have not won an international medal till now and I hope I can do it at the Asian Championships in Japan next month,” Irfan said later. In the women's 20 km walk, Priyanka took the first place in a time of 1:37:58.32. Shanti Kumari won the silver and Rani Yadav bronze.
Cleethorpes end Southall's Wembley dream edy of errors in the Southall defence gifted Oglesby his second and Cleethorpes' third goal. With a big deficit to neutralise, the home side began the second half brightly, and started to create chances, but in the 55th minute the need to attack resulted in an undermanned defence, another Cleethorpes breakaway, and an easy finish for Brody Robertson in front of the large and colourful contingent of away supporters behind the goal. To Southall's credit, they didn't lie down, and indeed pulled a goal back straight away through Liam Hind. In fact, Cleethorpes were
forced onto the back foot for long periods before an error by Southall keeper Michael Power-Simpson gifted Davis his second and Cleethorpes' fifth, with
seven minutes of normal time remaining. There was still time for Southall's impressive Rowan Vine to snatch another consolation straight from the restart,
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and with three minutes plus plenty of injury time left on the clock, Liam Highton in the Cleethorpes goal had to make a blinding save to deny Southall a third goal, which on the balance of second half play might just have made things interesting! Southall, which has been acquired by local Sikh businessman Chana Singh Gill, take pride in their second half display, which gave a definite glimpse of what might have been. However, it was all too little too late, and it was Cleethorpes who sent their lively contingent of supporters home with
their own Wembley dreams firmly intact. Southall's ability to rebound will now be tested, with a difficult fixture against in-form Broadfields Utd, and an even tougher looking Saturday visit to high flying Baldock Town. Although due to Southall's slow start to the season promotion looks too tall an order, a top four finish is achievable, which would secure a place in next season's FA Cup qualifiers. This would be a significant landmark for the club, so there's still plenty to play for in what has been Southall's best season for decades.