BCCI to hold important AGM on Saturday: IPL mega auction date, fate of SA tour to be decided

In
BCCI’s
24
point
agenda,
point
(T)
pertains
to
“Update
on
Future
Tours
Programme’ and
under
this
provision
the
discussion
can
happen.

The
emergence
of
Omicron,
which
is
said
to
spread
faster
than
the
earlier
Delta
variant,
in
multiple
countries
including
India
has
triggered
widespread
alarm
all
over
the
world.
India
are
engaging
travel
ban
and
high
alert
situation
in
the
wake
of
the
new
virus
variant.

The
variant
was
detected
and
flagged
to
the
world
by
South
Africa
and
as
things
stand
now,
there
have
been
multiple
hospitalisations
in
the
Gauteng
province,
where
Johannesburg,
the
venue
of
the
first
two
Tests
beginning
December
17,
is
located.

Team
India
are
slated
to
leave
for
Johannesburg
early
on
December
9
but
as
of
now,
there’s
lack
of
clarity
on
whether
the
tour
is
on,
shelved
or
curtailed.

India
are
slated
for
a
full
tour
comprising
three
Tests,
three
ODIs
and
four
T20Is.

Although
the
series
is
not
part
of
the
meeting’s
official
agenda,
it
can
be
brought
up
during
the
Future
Tours
Program
discussion.

During
their
last
tour
to
England
in
September,
India,
leading
2-1
going
into
the
final
Test
in
Old
Trafford,
could
not
field
a
side
following
a
COVID
outbreak
inside
the
team
bubble
and
the
match
had
to
be
rescheduled
to
July
2022.

Taking
that
into
account,
the
Board
members
would
certainly
deliberate
long
on
the
issue
which
has
now
emerged
as
the
priority
with
less
than
a
week
left
for
the
team’s
departure.

At
present,
the
India
A
team
is
in
South
Africa
and
the
Board
is
still
continuing
with
that
assignment.

Skipper
Virat
Kohli,
who
is
due
for
his
milestone
100th
Test
in
Cape
Town,
sought
further
clarity
on
the
tour
on
the
eve
of
the
second
and
final
Test
against
New
Zealand
in
Mumbai
on
Thursday.

“…you
want
to
have
clarity
and
you
want
to
be
in
a
situation
where
you
know
exactly
what
is
going
on.
We
have
to
be
realistic
as
well.

“We
cannot
just
ignore
the
things
that
potentially
could
put
you
in
a
confusing
place.
And
no
one
wants
to
be
there,”
he
had
said.

“We
have
been
talking
to
the
Board,
and
we
are
pretty
confident
that
within
a
day
or
two
or
pretty
soon
we
will
have
absolute
clarity
as
to
what
is
going
on,”
Kohli
said.

Apart
from
this,
the
eight
Indian
Premier
League
franchises
have
already
released
their
players’ retention
list
and
all
eyes
will
now
be
on
the
2022
mega
auction,
the
date
of
which
could
be
announced
during
the
AGM.

Lucknow
and
Ahmedabad
are
the
two
new
teams
for
IPL
2022
and
they
can
now
pick
three
target
players
ahead
of
the
auction.

There
could
also
be
a
discussion
on
the
approval
status
of
the
CVC
Capital
Partners
who
courted
controversy
after
buying
the
Ahmedabad
franchise.

The
CVC
Capital
made
the
second
largest
bid
of
Rs
5600
crores
to
pip
the
Adani
Group
for
the
Ahmedabad
franchise
but
they
soon
came
under
the
Board
scanner
for
their
alleged
links
with
betting
companies.

The
24-point
agenda
in
the
AGM
also
includes
the
team’s
poor
showing
in
the
recently-concluded
T20
World
Cup
in
the
UAE,
matters
related
to
the
National
Cricket
Academy,
and
renewal
of
selectors’
contract
among
others.

India
made
a
group
stage
exit
to
cap
a
poor
show
in
the
T20
World
Cup.

The
Board
is
set
to
discuss
the
way
forward
given
there
are
back-to-back
World
Cups
in
2022
and
2023.

Following
the
debacle
in
the
UAE,
India
have
a
new
coaching
set
up
in
head
coach
Rahul
Dravid
who
has
been
appointed
at
the
helm
till
the
2023
ODI
World
Cup
in
India.
Dravid
and
the
new
support
staff
took
charge
in
the
ongoing
home
series
against
New
Zealand
and
team
building
would
be
a
key
focus
area.

Dravid’s
appointment
as
chief
coach
meant
that
the
BCCI
will
need
someone
to
head
the
National
Cricket
Academy.

Dravid’s
former
teammate
VVS
Laxman
is
the
new
National
Cricket
Academy
head
and
his
appointment
with
that
of
other
NCA
staff,
notable
among
them
being
former
Australia
and
England
bowling
coach
Troy
Cooley’s
appointment
will
be
ratified.

Also,
two
representatives
of
the
general
body
and
one
representative
of
the
Indian
Cricketers
Association
in
the
IPL
Governing
Council
would
be
appointed.

Brijesh
Patel,
the
chairman
of
IPL
and
Khairul
Jamal
(Mamon)
Majumdar
are
set
to
be
re-elected
while
Pragyan
Ojha
will
continue
as
player’s
representative.
Various
standing
committees
to
be
elected

The
appointment
of
Cricket
and
Standing
Committees
will
also
happen
as
it
has
not
been
in
existence
for
the
longest
time.
One
can
expect
a
big
name
to
head
the
cricket
committee.