BCCI to wait for Supreme Court clarification on Modi ban

The BCCI has decided to seek clarification from the Supreme Court regarding its resolution to ban former IPL chairman Lalit Modi for life. The decision was taken at a working committee meeting on Saturday, in the wake of Modi's expected return to cricket administration as the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) president.

"The members decided that the BCCI must intervene in the SLP (special leave petition) filed by Mr. Rungta in the Supreme Court challenging the Rajasthan Sports Act and get clarified the position of BCCI to enable the enforcement of its resolution passed on September 25, 2013 expelling Mr. Lalit Modi," BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.

While expelling Modi on multiple charges of misconduct, the BCCI had said, "he shall not in future be entitled to hold any position or office, or be admitted in any Committee or any member or associate member of the Board". Modi, however, got his candidature for the RCA presidency approved by the Supreme Court by exploiting a technicality that the RCA was governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act. The BCCI is likely to file an application in the ongoing case, filed by former RCA chief Kishore Rungta, in the Supreme Court before the next hearing on January 6.

In the lead-up to the RCA election on December 19, the BCCI had warned its affiliate of severe consequences if they allowed Modi to return as an administrator. At Saturday's meeting the working committee decided to take severe action against the RCA, pending the Supreme Court's decision, but in a manner that would not harm the state association's cricketers.

"It was further decided that subject to the decision of the Supreme Court, strict disciplinary action should be taken against the delinquent member while protecting the interest of the game in the state of Rajasthan," Patel said. According to a member who attended the meeting, while it was agreed the association had to be "taught a lesson", the board also agreed that it "shouldn't harm the players who are at no fault".

Minutes before the working committee meeting was about to begin, Mehmood Abdi, Modi's attorney and RCA's deputy president-in-waiting, was prevented from attending. Following an RCA executive committee's decision to make a case before the BCCI, Abdi had flown to Chennai for the meeting. However, because the RCA isn't a member of the working committee and Abdi was not a special invitee, his request to attend was refused.