The Indian team maybe in a joyous mood having reclaimed the top spot in Tests wi

th thumping performances against a fighting New Zealand side in Kanpur and Kolka
ta, but the rest of their series against New Zealand, and perhaps their entire h
ome season which includes playing England, Bangladesh and Australia at home, has
come under a cloud. This comes after the Lodha Panel wrote to Board of Control
for Cricket in India, lashing out at their decision to disburse large funds to t
he various member associations.
In the email that was sent to BCCI, Yes Bank and Bank of Maharastra (the two Ban
ks that operate BCCI's accounts), the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha Panel direct
ed the banks not to disburse any funds for the financial decisions taken by the
board at its Special General Meeting on September 30.
Times of India reported that Bank of Maharashtra chose to freeze the BCCI accoun
t on Monday (October 3) itself while Yes Bank was considering what action to tak
e. The report added that the banks will be reluctant to upset the Lodha Committe
e, which is acting on behalf of the Supreme Court.
This move has left the BCCI fuming and unable to pay the member boards for hosti
ng an international game.
The Indian Express reported on Tuesday that the Board was forced to take this st
ep as its hands were tied. The report said that the BCCI has decided to cancel t
he rest of the New Zealand series, as a result. New Zealand are still to play on
e Test and five ODIs against India.
"We have no option other than to call off the India-New Zealand series as our ba
nks have decided to freeze BCCI accounts. We dont want India to be humiliated in
front of the world. How can we function, how can we hold any games now? Who wil
l make the payment? Freezing a bank account is no joke. An international team is
here, and there is so much at stake," the Indian Express quoted a BCCI official
as saying.
Times of India, too, reported BCCI's disenchantment at Lodha's directive. They r
eported a senior BCCI functionary as saying, "How can we play the Test against N
ew Zealand when we won't have the money to pay their board for the tour? They (L
odha panel) are raising questions over money that belongs to the BCCI and is bei
ng distributed to its member associations under its rules and regulations. The m
atch cannot go ahead."
"In fact,
ey (Lodha
it is the
ructure,"

the entire home season may now be in doubt after what is happening. Th
panel) are only interested in doing what they think is right. Whereas
BCCI's money which the BCCI is distributing for improvement of infrast
another official was quoted as saying.

The Lodha Committee on Monday had sent emails to the secretary, treasurer and ch
ief executive officer of the BCCI, informing them that the cricket board was in
violation of the Supreme Court judgment for disbursing large funds to state asso
ciations in an emergency working committee meeting on September 30.