India should quit ACC, say BCCI members

Irked by the pressure tactics of the two continental cricket bodies regarding participation in the Asian Test Championship, some senior Board of Control for Cricket in India members demanded that the country pull out of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).

Taking exception to the recent statements of the ACC and Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) that if the Indian government failed to clear its team, the championship would be held without India, senior BCCI members said the Board should not hesitate to withdraw from the ACC itself.

Putting pressure on the government or blaming it for non-clearance would be detrimental to the game in the country, senior board members told PTI in New Delhi.

According to them, the government is in the process of clearing the team but ACF's threats that the tournament would be held without India, could not be tolerated, they said adding "if it comes to that, the BCCI should withdraw from the ACC itself".

Maintaining that the country's pride and prestige should take precedence over matters of playing cricket against any country, they questioned ACF's decision to go ahead with the tournament without India.

"We are at a loss to understand as to how ACF could take a decision without involving BCCI" they said adding "the venues for the Championship have not yet been finalised at all nor (has) the ACF responded to BCCI's letter of objection that Bangladesh should not be the venue for the final of ATC".

They said BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele had written to ACF as early as June 20 and so far the ACF has not responded with its decision in writing. Lele has objected to Dhaka being the venue for the final and stated that it should be played in either of the countries figuring in the final match.

The ACF has given time to the BCCI till Monday afternoon to get the government's clearance for India's participation in the Championship.

The Board members expressed optimistic that the government was likely to clear the Indian team's participation in the ATC but said such pressure tactics by the ACF would mean that the Asian body has no respect for the BCCI, one of the founder members of the ACC and also a long term full member of the International Cricket Council.

Based on these credentials of BCCI, the Indian cricket administration should not hesitate to withdraw from the Asian Cricket Council, they said.