No clarity over India-West Indies Mumbai ODI yet

The MCA officials met the senior BCCI officials, informing them about the inability to operate the bank account and the non-issuance of tender notice for in-stadia advertising.

Wankhede Stadium under lights.

Will the Wankhede Stadium finally host the fourth ODI between India and the West Indies? There is still not much clarity on that.

While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is optimistic of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) hosting the fixture, the association officials are still not sure how they can come out of the problems.

As the MCA officials met senior Board officials to inform them about the challenges, the BCCI bosses believe that reaching a solution is possible. “They (the MCA) officials apprised us about their inability to operate the bank account. They still haven’t issued tender notice for in-stadia advertising rights. These are problems for sure, but we can come up with a solution hopefully,” a BCCI official told  Sportstar .

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At present, there is no one in the MCA to operate the bank account and to invite tenders for the day-night fixture.

However, COA chief Vinod Rai told  PTI  that a feasible solution would soon be worked out. “I am not at all saying that Mumbai ODI will be shifted. Yes, they have raised some issues and I am confident that we will have a feasible solution,” Rai said.

It has been learnt that the MCA secretary Unmesh Khanwilkar and another member had approached the Bombay High Court through a notice of motion for appointment for an ad-hoc committee for the India-West Indies One-Day International.

However, the High Court has asked them to approach the Supreme Court. The applicants — Unmesh Khanwilkar and Ganesh Iyer — are yet to decide whether they will be going to the Supreme Court or not, it has been understood.

The Bombay High Court, earlier this year, appointed a Committee of Administrators (CoA) for the MCA comprising two retired judges, who relinquished their charge on September 14.

The association had earlier made it clear that it would not be possible for it to host the matches, complying with BCCI’s policy over issuance of complimentary passes. But that issue is settled now, after it was decided that membership tickets won’t be counted inside the 10 per cent complimentary passes as per the new constitution.