Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has written to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), requesting them to pay for their own hotel, travel and other arrangements.
The board also informed ECB that it won't be able to execute the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two boards due to the financial restrictions put in place by the Supreme Court.
The letter has been written by BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke.
The Indian Express quoted a BCCI letter to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) saying:
"Dear Phil, I warmly welcome you for the upcoming cricket series. I am however at great pains to inform you that the BCCI is at present not in a position to execute the MoU between the Indian Cricket Board and the ECB. This is due to restrictions on execution of contracts imposed on the BCCI by a Court order.
"A Committee has been appointed that is also to oversee financial transactions of the BCCI. The BCCI has referred this issue to the Committee appointed by the Supreme Court (Lodha Committee) on 28.10.2016 itself and sought urgent permission for execution of the MoU. Thereafter I have also sent the hon'ble Committee a request again today. However, the Committee while seeking further details a short while ago earlier today, has not yet granted us this permission.
"Certain courtesies such as hotel, travel and various other arrangements have been extended to you on arrival of the team in India. However, till the MoU is executed, the BCCI is not in a position to commit to paying for the same. Please make arrangements to remit such payments. The BCCI will inform you as and when further instructions are received by the BCCI from the Lodha Committee.
"I apologise on behalf of the BCCI for inconvenience that is being caused."
Shirke’s letters comes a day after BCCI was informed by the Lodha Panel that no directions can be issued on payments unless relevant details are furnished.
"The proposed MoU between BCCI and ECB concerns bilateral cricketing policy, the formulation of which is not a part of the mandate of the Committee. As far as payments are concerned, if they are to be made directly by the BCCI, no directions can be given by this Committee until relevant details are furnished by the BCCI," the Lodha Panel letter said.
"To avoid any hindrance to the cricketing calendar and to ensure the continued enjoyment of the sport by its aficionados, the BCCI would be well advised to comply with the directions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in its orders dated 18th July 2016, 7th October 2016 and 21st October 2016."
