Disciplinary hearing on RCA postponed again

The BCCI disciplinary committee meeting has been deferred, once again, with none of the three stakeholders of the Rajasthan Cricket Association turning up for the hearing today at the BCCI headquarters. The BCCI had asked the Lalit Modi group, the opposing Amin Pathan faction and the Rajasthan State Sports Council to appear before its disciplinary committee today to discuss the RCA's suspension.

"None of the three parties turned up, so no proceedings could be held. But we will give them another chance to present their side," Shivlal Yadav, the BCCI interim president who is also a member of the disciplinary committee, told ESPNcricinfo. He said the date of the next meeting is yet to be decided.

While the Lalit Modi faction is the elected set of RCA office-bearers, the Pathan group had claimed to have overthrown it by moving a no-confidence motion last month. Since the Modi faction challenged the move in the Rajasthan High Court, the court handed over the administration of the association to the state sports council.

It was Modi's election as the RCA president in May that had forced the BCCI to suspend the RCA and forward the matter to the disciplinary committee. In its last hearing, on September 20, Mehmood Abdi, the RCA deputy president on the Modi side, had raised objections against the institution and composition of the committee, thus forcing the first adjournment of the hearing.

In his reply to the notice announcing the meeting on Saturday, Abdi continued to protest against Yadav and BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla's appointment. He cited a clause in the BCCI rulebook stating Yadav and Shukla were appointed "only for a year", and thus are ineligible to continue working as disciplinary committee members.

The BCCI, meanwhile, is considering continuing proceedings beyond the specified six-month deadline; according to its rulebook, suspension of a member association or individual ceases to exist if the disciplinary committee doesn't decide on the matter in six months. It is understood that, considering the complex and sensitive nature of the matter, the disciplinary committee will be asked to continue its proceedings beyond the six-month window though.

"The office-bearers can decide on it. Since there have been so many litigations about the RCA and the BCCI annual general meeting is scheduled for the next month, there won't be a problem if an extension is to be granted to the disciplinary committee," said a BCCI insider.