CHANDIGARH: The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) came out with a fresh proposal to break the stalemate in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding the disputed North Zone Ranji Trophy match between Punjab and Delhi. Letters to this effect have already been sent to the President and Secretary of the board.

The “Administrative committee” of the PCA consisting of the President the Secretary The Treasurer and the cricket captain and cricket manager which met recently agreed that the matter should be referred by the BCCI to three immediate past presidents of the board and their decision on the issue would be accepted by the PCA “without any reservation”. The three immediate past presidents of the BCCI are Mr B.N. Dutta Mr R. Sriraman and Mr N.K.P.Salve. Such a solution the PCA feels will be “expeditious much less expensive permissible under the rules and one which will inspire confidence in all concerned”

The PCA has agreed to withdraw its request for a general body meeting provided the board president Mr Madhavrao Scindia and the parties to the dispute accept the offer. The : officials of the PCA have also requested various other associations that in the  interest of completion of the Ranji ‘Trophy Cricket Championship before March 31 (as stipulated in the rules of the tournament) all associations which have filed protests should voluntarily agree by the verdict of the three past presidents of the board.

Besides the protest by Punjab the Working Committee of the board is scheduled to consider the protest made by Rajasthan against Uttar Pradesh. The Joint Secretary of the board has to yet procure and make ‘available the report of the standby umpire who officiated in the Uttar Pradesh versus Rajasthan match. Until this issue is solved the quarterfinals of the tournament cannot be played. Even Kamataka’s protest about the award of bonus runs to Bengal in their quarterfinal tie at the Eden Garden is’ scheduled to be taken up by the Ranji Trophy Committee on March 10. PCA officials are pained to point out that it is the board’s president who opened the Pandora’s box on the issue. In fact Mr Scindia might find it more and more difficult to wriggle out of the situation he has landed the BCCI in.

Reacting to the offer made by the Haryana Cricket Association to with-draw from the knockouts of the Ranji Trophy “in the best interest of Indian cricket” and allow Delhi and Punjab to move up instead Mr Inderjit Singh and Mr M.P.Pandove President and Secretary respectively of the PCA is second to none so far as safeguarding the interest of Indian cricket is concerned.

“Even during the past four months when no association in the zone was willing to host a Test match between India and Sri Lanka and a one-day match between Indian and Bangladesh on the ground that these were financially non-viable it was only Punjab which came forward to host these matches in the overall interest of Indian cricket and to uphold the image of the Indian board” the two PCA functionaries said.

The two pointed out that the question “is not merely of playing i in the knock-out but is one concerning principles laws of cricket justice and fair play. Sweeping these issues’ under the carpet will neither be in the interest of the board nor Indian cricket”.

“The completion of the Ranji Trophy has not been jeopardised by Punjab’s protest but it is threatened on account of flagrant abuse of laws of cricket deviation from board rules and regulations and time-honored conventions”

It was later in the day that the news came from New Delhi that the President of the BCCI had turned down Punjab’s request to convene a special general body meeting to discuss the issue when contacted Mr Bindra said that the “administrative committee” of the PCA would meet to take stock of the situation. In the meanwhile Bindra wanted Mr Scindia to give a serious thought to the proposals made by the PCA.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 22, 1991