India to play in Champions Trophy, no legal notice to ICC

The BCCI officially announced India’s participation in the tournament after a Special General Meeting on Sunday, climbing down from its initial confrontational stance with the ICC.

The BCCI has authorised acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary to represent its interests at the ICC.

India will participate in the ICC Champions Trophy and the team for the same will be selected here on Monday.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officially announced this decision after a Special General Meeting (SGM) here on Sunday, climbing down from its initial confrontational stance with the world body - the International Cricket Council (ICC) - and falling in line with the diktats of the Committee of Administrators (CoA).

The BCCI also authorised acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary to represent its interests at the ICC, giving him a free hand to renegotiate the revenue model and address the Board's objections to the proposed governance models. It was also decided that no legal notice would be sent to the ICC nor any other legal recourse taken, at least for the time being.

CoA chairman Vinod Rai was relieved with the BCCI's decision. Rai, who was present to attend the IPL Governing Council meeting, said that he had already told players earlier that they were going (to play). “Of course I am relieved. But the players always knew they were going. I had spoken to Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli that you guys are playing the Champions Trophy. I have always said that USD 100 million more is okay, India can make up the money by playing a bilateral series,” Rai quipped.

Choudhary insisted that the BCCI's decisions were independent of its existing concerns vis-a-vis the ICC's reworking of the existing models. “BCCI reserves all legal options against the ICC. Playing in the Champions Trophy does not mean we agree with the ICC Revenue and governance model. Governance structure is also an issue,” he said.

“Negotiation process will continue before the ICC Annual Conference in June. The SGM is unanimous on one aspect. Our position as the predominant cricket country shouldn't be diminished,” Choudhary asserted. He, however, refused to say much about the two former BCCI presidents – N. Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar – who are now on either side of the divide.

IPL governing council member Rajeev Shukla added that the BCCI was looking to solve issues through dialogue. “The outcome of the meeting has been positive. Our approach should be that of trying to resolve through dialogue rather than confrontational. There are five-six issues regarding revenue and governance model which need to be sorted,” he said.