BCCI slaps show cause notice on Mumbai Cricket Association

The notice is for allegedly “allowing” an English Performance Squad to train and play matches in Mumbai.

New Delhi: The Indian cricket Board on Friday slapped a show cause notice on the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) for allegedly “allowing” an English Performance Squad to train and play matches in Mumbai even as it permitted the visiting side to continue its tour.

“All outstanding matters with the BCCI have now been resolved and the matches will be proceeding as planned. There will be no further comment on the matter from either the KNCB Board [Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond] or its officers at this time,” KNCB CEO Richard Cox told MAIL TODAY via email.

Cox, however, didn’t say when the matter was resolved.

BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale couldn’t be reached, but a top BCCI official said: “The English tour is going ahead and they’ll play matches against the Dutch side in Pune.” The English squad, comprising promising youngsters, will play against the Dutch side at the Poona Club on December 13, 14 and 16, Pune District Cricket Association secretary Yashwant Bhujbal said.

The BCCI and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had earlier patched up when the latter tendered an apology.

But there is more to the controversy than meets the eye, say those who are aware of the simmering tussle between the BCCI and MCA, both of which are incidentally housed in the same building. BCCI has taken space on lease/rent in the MCA building at the Wankhede Stadium.

The BCCI initially sent a letter seeking an explanation from the MCA, which forwarded it to the DY Patil Academy in Navi Mumbai, where the English team is training. “But the BCCI is apparently not satisfied with the explanation and today (Friday) sent a show cause notice to the MCA. We’ll discuss the issue in our executive committee meeting on Tuesday,” an MCA official told MAIL TODAY. The English side has been training under BCCI’s nose in Mumbai since November 20, but it kept on ignoring it. The Dutch landed on Friday.

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