Interim administrator fracas deepens

The crisis surrounding the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the interim administrator has taken more turns over the last two days than the Test match at Bangalore. When S Mohan, the former supreme court justice appointed as the interim administrator in charge of administration of the BCCI, went to the Mumbai office of the board on Saturday, he found it closed, and was unable to take charge.

Mohan is quoted by The Indian Express as saying, "Their intention seemed to be to keep me out." However, one key development is that the BCCI had already moved the Supreme Court against the Madras High Court. This prompted Mohan to fax a letter from Mumbai to Radha Rangaswamy, the BCCI's counsel in New Delhi, stating that she would have to take instructions from him, and not from any of the office-bearers who have been injuncted from functioning. Rangaswamy is not short of advisors - at least three former presidents of the board have been keenly involved in the developments of the last few days. Mohan is quoted as saying that the fax he sent should "put her on caution and as a responsible advocate she should act accordingly."

However, a point that may come into play in the fact that the BCCI has not actually received any official notice from the Madras High Court. When the BCCI filed their stay in the Supreme Court - sources indicate this happened approximately at 4pm on Friday - they had not received any communication from the Madras High Court.

Mohan asserted yesterday that he did not intend to deal with the main cricketing matters, but was there to handle administration. He also said he would be informing all state associations about his appointment as interim administrator.