BCCI - Board of Control for Cricket in India

latest cricket

World T20, 2nd Semi-Final

India vs West Indies

at Mumbai, Mar 31, 2016
West Indies 196/3 beat India 192/2 by 7 wickets

Board of Control for Cricket in India

BCCI, India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, or BCCI, is the governing body for cricket in India. This is India's richest sporting body. The President of BCCI is Sharad Pawar (elected 29 November, 2005). Niranjan Shah is the secretary.
All the office-bearers for the year 2004-05, were elected at the annual general meeting of the Board held in Kolkata.
On January 10, 2005, the Supreme Court of India ordered the removal of Jagmohan Dalmiya from the post of patron-in-chief of BCCI and also asked the board to complete its annual general meeting (AGM) which had been adjourned on September 30, 2004.
The legality of the office-bearer's election at the board's annual general meeting (AGM) held on September 29, 2004 is subjudice.

BCCI Cricket News October 2006

ICC President to decide on attending BCCI function

Oct 22, 2006
The International Cricket Council would rethink on accepting the Indian Cricket Board's invite to attend a function on November 4 in which it will honour all former captains, including banned batsman Mohd Azharuddin.
"We have an issue with the BCCI. Our president Percy Sonn is here and he would decide on it," said ICC's Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed here today. The world governing body for the game and BCCI have been at loggerheads on the Azhar issue over the last several days with the BCCI saying it was strictly the board's prerogative to honour the players and the ICC had no role to play. Ironically, the life ban on Azhar had been imposed by the BCCI for his alleged involvement in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the game six years ago and the ex-player has dragged the board to the court against its decision. "We have put a system in place in 2004, by which a banned player or official can appeal to the ICC directly or through his country's board against the ban," Speed explained. Speed's assertion today on the burning issue has again queered the pitch as the ICC's own annual awards function is scheduled one day before the BCCI's, also in Mumbai.
The Indian Board has even issued a veiled warning that if matters came to such a pass on the Azhar issue, it may give the ICC function a skip. The ICC CEO said the world governing body was ready to co-operate with the Delhi Police or any other authority probing the match-fixing scandal, specifically some South Africa's matches in the 1999 World Cup. "The ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit has conducted probes about the 1999 World Cup and we would be more than happy to co-operate with the Indian Police or any other police force." The 1999 World Cup has once again come under the scanner following the Indian authorities' request to the British Home Office to help investigate whether gambling syndicates fixed matches in the 1999 World Cup held in England, according to a report in the British media.
"So far we have not been approached (by the police)," Speed said. Speed also categorically ruled out shifting of the ICC Champions Trophy final out of Mumbai, insisting it was pure media speculation and nothing else. "The final would be held in Mumbai on November 5. It's pure speculation by the media (on the shifting of the match out of Mumbai)," he said. Speed said though the turnout so far for the Champions Trophy matches in Mumbai's Brabourne Stadium had been disappointing, he expected better attendence for the remainder of the tournament, including the final. "I attended two ties in Jaipur - England vs India and Sri Lanka vs Pakistan - and there was excellent attendace, full houses. Matches here have drawn less than expected crowds, but I am sure the attendance would be excellent from now on," the ICC official said.

BCCI, ICC fight over revenue

Oct 11, 2006
The BCCI will move the ICCs Disputes Redressal Committee over the compensation claims made against the world body by some staging associations of the Champions Trophy.
The associations have complained of revenue losses after being forced to cut down on the crowd capacity to accommodate tournament sponsors. "We are with the associations on this issue. We will take the matter to the Disputes Redressal Committee of the ICC," the BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said on Wednesday. Three of the staging associations the Gujarat Cricket Association, the Cricket Club of India and PCA Stadium, Mohali have claimed compensation from ICC for having to set up plush air-conditioned cabins providing vantage viewing to house the sponsors as per a directive from the games apex ruling body.
The associations have claimed that the spectator capacity at all the three venues had to be reduced to construct the cabin. As per tournament rules, the staging associations are entitled to the entire gate receipts and do not have access to any other sources of revenue from the event which is organised by the ICC every two years. The GCA had complained that it had to curtail the crowd capacity by 750 to construct 12 deluxe cabins that could sit 200 representatives of sponsors and other guests of the ICC and claimed a compensation of Rs 1 crore from the ICC for organising five matches of the Champions Trophy.

Azharuddin invited for BCCI function

Oct 11, 2006
Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin, who has been banned for life by the Indian cricket Board for his alleged role in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the game in 2000, has been sent an invitation by the BCCI for a function to inaugurate its new headquarters here on November 4.
Azhar, who is fighting a legal battle with the BCCI for overturning the life ban, was seen sitting in the same row as BCCI President Sharad Pawar in the VVIP section just below the media enclusure when India played against England in the third and final Test of the last home rubber at the Wankhede Stadium here in March. Azhar was given a life ban on the basis of a CBI report on the match-fixing saga that blighted the fair name of the game while Ajay Jadeja, his former teammate, was given a five-year ban. Jadeja played first class cricket after serving out his ban. The match-fixing episode, largely forgotten by the cricket world, has again got into focus with the decision of the Delhi police, which cracked it, deciding to grill South African opener Herschelle Gibbs tomorrow in order to get as yet unknown details of the scandal.

Contracts for players in November : BCCI

Oct 10, 2006
The Indian players' annual contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would be finalised and signed before the team departs for South Africa, to play three Tests and five ODIs, next month.
"The contracts would be ready (for signing by the players) before the team leaves for South Africa," said BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah here on Monday. There has been much speculation whether former captain Sourav Ganguly, who has not played in an ODI since September 2005 and in Tests since returning from Pakistan in January this year, would retain his Grade A annual contract worth Rs 50 lakh Queried over a report in a cricket portal that some top Indian cricketers were not too happy with the BCCI's deal with a leading global sports goods brand for the team's apparel as it clashed with the brands some players were endorsing, Shah said the players were getting a good share of the spoils and should be happy.
"They are getting a share of the money. Anyway only four or five players may not be satisfied (with the agreement). We have to look at the broader picture," said Shah, adding no player has raised the issue so far with the board's bigwigs. Asked about the stand-off with the International Cricket Council over the BCCI's refusal to sign the Members' Participation Agreement for ICC events to be held from 2007-2015, the board official said the Indian board has already sent a reply to the world governing council The BCCI is objecting to quite a few clauses dealing with the marketing of the events and has clearly told the ICC that it cannot sign the document in its present form and that it wanted changes to be made in the MPA. The ICC has threatened the BCCI that the latter would lose the right to host the 2011 World Cup, jointly with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, unless it signs the MPA.

Jagmohan Dalmiya replies to BCCIs show cause

Oct 3, 2006
Former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya on Tuesday sent a 29-page reply to the show cause notice issued to him by the cricket board for alleged misappropriation of the 1996 World Cup funds.
"He sent a 29-page reply, along with around 500 page of annexures," sources close to Dalmiya said, while refusing to divulge the contents. "The matter is sub-judice. And, we cannot give you any more details about the contents," the sources said. The cricket board had show caused the former president on April 15 asking him to explain the abnormally high expenses under several heads in connection with the 1996 World Cup.
Though the board had asked him to furnish his reply within 21 days, the senior cricket administrator moved court and got a respite when the Calcutta high court extended the time for submitting his reply. The high court had directed Dalmiya to submit his reply by Tuesday. Dalmiya had claimed that several copies of documents supplied to him by the BCCI were illegible, and moved a revision application before the high court against a city court order that rejected his application seeking fresh copies of documents and extension of time to reply to the present BCCI management over the aligations. The board has already suspended Dalmiya, pending inquiry by the disciplinary committee into the allegations of financial irregularities.

BCCI to give Rs 25 cr for building stadiums

Oct 2, 2006
Being a co-host for the 2011 World Cup cricket, the BCCI has adopted a scheme under which any state association building an international stadium will get financial support of Rs 25 crore from the cash-rich Board.
The Cricket Board has also announced a pension scheme for former Ranji players under which those who played 25 matches will get Rs 35,000 every month. The schemes were announced by BCCI President Sharad Pawar, who was here today to inaugurate a newly-laid indoor pitch and a conference hall at Margao Cricket Club premises. The international stadium in Goa under the scheme will come up at Tivim.
Acquisition of land and other proceedings for the 50,000-crowd capacity staduim will begin by December and Pawar will lay the foundation stone on February 11, next year. Pawar also said under the pension scheme for former Ranji players the survivor of the player would get the amount every month after his death. Pawar, who is also the Union Agriculture minister, said that the yearly grant for state associations has been increased to Rs 8 crore. Pawar, who praised Goan youngester Saurab Bandekar for his superb performance for Indian U-19 team, said BCCI would provide all support to develop cricket in Goa.

BCCI to bid for ICC's global rights

Oct 1, 2006
After deciding to turn producer for all cricket domestic and international in India, the BCCI is getting ready for a new role marketing agency.
The Indian board (BCCI) now wants to buy ICC's global rights for all its events from 2007-2015 and market it on its own. BCCI has asked for a copy of the bid document from the ICC. The ICC's current global rights (2000-2007), worth $550 million, are with Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) and expires at the end of the 2007 World Cup. According to estimates the ICC's global rights for 2007-2015, which also includes two World Cups, will be worth around $1 billion.
The thinking in BCCI is that with the subcontinent hosting the 2011 World Cup, marketing the rights on their own is the best way forward. The opinions now appear to be divided in the ICC over BCCI's proposal since they are a member board and not an agency. The matter is likely to be up for discussion at the ICC's board meeting in Mumbai on November 4. Meanwhile, the BCCI's objections to 2007-2015 Members' Participating Agreement (MPA) will be up for discussion on October 3. Modi is heading a panel to record the board's objections to MPA. Board president Sharad Pawar has called for a meeting of office-bearers in Mumbai where Modi's panel is expected to put forth its views.

Cricket in India

Cricket is the unofficial national sport of India, and its development has been closely tied up with the history of the country, mirroring many of the political and cultural developments around issues such as race, caste, religion and nationality. Though cricket is indubitably the most popular sport in India, it is not the nation's national sport (a distinction held by field hockey).
Cricket, like field hockey, was first introduced to India by the British. The earliest recorded match was played in 17211 by British sailors on shore leave. With the expansion of British rule throughout the subcontinent, the British took the game with them wherever they went. However, the early history of the game was focused largely on the large cities, particularly Bombay (now Mumbai).
The first Indians to play the game at a high level were the Parsi minority in Bombay. Beginning in 1892, an annual match was played between the Parsis and the Europeans. In 1907, this became a triangular tournament with the Hindus fielding a team, and in 1912 a Muslim team entered what was for twenty years the biggest tournament in Indiathe Bombay Quadrangular.
Among the biggest stars in the early years of Indian cricket were the four Palwankar brothers, Shivram, Ganpat and Vithal but particularly the slow left-arm bowler, Palwankar Baloo. This was particularly noteworthy as the Palwankars were from one of the untouchable castes. Treated as equals on the cricket field, off-field they often faced discrimination. This changed slowly; however, Palwankar Vithal did eventually captain the Hindu team in the quadrangular.
The formation of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 1929 led to a first Test match with England three years later. In 1935, the Ranji Trophy began; it continues to the present as the leading regional tournament in India, with each state fielding a team. The trophy was a deliberate attempt to avoid the communalism of the quadrangular tournament.
The Indian cricket team has won one Cricket World Cup, in 1983. India also reached the finals in 2003, but lost to Australia. In recent years, Indian cricket has been marked by the intense and occasionally violent rivalry with Pakistan. Furthermore, there were several scandals related to match fixing and gambling, but these were not restricted to India; they plagued several different teams.
International cricket in India generally does not follow a fixed pattern like, for example, the English schedule under which the nation tours other countries during winter and plays at home during the summer. Generally, there has recently been a tendency to play more one-day matches than Test matches.

Ranji Trophy

Founded as 'The Cricket Championship of India' at a meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India in July 1934. The first Ranji Trophy fixtures took place in the 1934-35 season. Syed Mohammed Hadi of Hyderabad was the first batsman to score a century in the tournament. The Trophy was donated by H.H. Sir Bhupendra Singh Mahinder Baha-dur, Maharajah of Patiala in memory of His late Highness Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji of Nawanagar. In the main, the Ranji Trophy is composed of teams representing the states that make up India. As the political states have multiplied, so have cricket teams, but not every state has a team. Some states have more than one cricket team, e.g. Maharashtra and Gujarat. There are also 'odd' teams like Railways, and Services representing the armed forces. The various teams used to be grouped into zones - North, West, East, Central and South - and the initial matches are played on a league basis within the zones. The top two (till 1991-92), top three teams from each zone then play in a national knock-out competition. Starting with the 2002-03 season, the zonal system has been abandoned and a two-division structure has been adopted with two teams being promoted from the plate league and two relegated from the elite league. If the knockout matches are not finished they are decided on the first-innings lead.

Irani Trophy

The Irani Trophy tournament was conceived during the 1959-60 season to mark the completion of 25 years of the Ranji Trophy championship and was named after the late Z.R. Irani, who was associated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from its inception in 1928, till his death in 1970. The first match, played between the Ranji Trophy champions and the Rest of India was played in 1959-60 with the trophy being instituted in the name of Zal Irani, long time treasurer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and a keen patron of the game. For the first few years, it was played at the fag end of the season. Realising the importance of the fixture, the BCCI moved it to the beginning of the season. Since 1965-66, it has traditionally heralded the start of the new domestic season. The Irani Trophy game ranks very high in popularity and importance. It is one of the few domestic matches that is followed with keen interest by cricket lovers in the country. Leading players take part in the game which has often been a sort of selection trial to pick the Indian team for foreign tours.

Duleep Trophy

The Duleep Trophy competition was started by the Board of Control for Cricket in India in 1961-62 with the aim of providing a greater competitive edge in domestic cricket - because, apart from the knock-out stages of the Ranji Trophy, that competition proved predictable, with Bombay winning for fifteen consecutive years. The Duleep was also meant to help the selectors in assessing form. The original format was that five teams, drawn from the five zones, play each other on a knock-out basis. From the 1993-94 season, the competition has been converted to a league format.

Harbhajan Singh Memorabilia

Singh's Magnificent Hat Trick

Own a piece of Indian Cricket History

On the 1st Day of the 2nd Test, India versus Australia, in March 2001, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Harbhajan Singh achieved what no other Indian cricketer had ever done - he snared a magnificent Hat Trick.
Limited Edition Magnificent photographic collage of the three dismissals with the hat trick at Calcutta capturing photograph in each piece being personally signed by Harbhajan Singh. Each piece .encased in a timber frame with Perspex glazing and is supported by A-Tag microchip authentication technology, and comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity.
Buy now / Read more / Other cricket memorabilia

Editor: Nishanth Gopinathan.