Affiliation of bifurcated units soon

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has decided to amend its Memorandum of Rules and Regulations and grant expeditious affiliation to bifurcated state units so that they can play in the 2002-2003 domestic season.

Briefing newspersons after the two-day Working Committee meeting in Kolkata on Thursday, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said a Special General Meeting would be convened sometime in the second week of July to take necessary action on the issue.

"The Working Committee has recommended that a Special General Meeting be convened so that the relevant rules can be amended to facilitate participation of as many teams as possible," Dalmiya said.

He said the BCCI has already received applications from several associations, including the newly-formed states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal, for affiliation.

"The present rules are such that there is no provision for affiliation of bifurcated states. The present rules lay down a rather lengthy procedure for affiliation, and if the same were followed, these states will be deprived of playing in the ensuing season," he said.

Dalmiya, however, clarified that granting full membership to the new entrants would depend purely on the cricketing standard of a particular unit.

He said the special committee, formed by the board to assess the credentials and cricketing ability of the applicants, had already visited the various centres and inspected the prevalent conditions. The committee comprised former Test cricketer Shivlal Yadav and R S Shetty, and executive secretary Sharad Diwadkar, as convenor.

"If necessary they will again go to the centres," Dalmiya said.

The BCCI also decided to hold new tournaments at the junior (under-15, under-17 and under-19) level for its associate members to help them improve their standard.

Besides the new associate entrants, the tournament will feature existing associate members Sikkim and Manipur.

"We will work out the details only after a decision is taken on the categories of membership granted to the bifurcated units," Dalmiya said.

The board said it would extend all infrastructural facilities to organise the tournament.

The Working Committee also approved in principle the introduction of a new summer (day/night) tournament featuring the corporate sector in centres having floodlight arragements.

"We will try to hold the tournament this year itself. But if that is not possible, we will definitely organise it from next year," he added.

Mail Cricket Editor