The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has written to the England and Wales Cricket Board informing them that the Indian board won't be able to execute the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two boards due to the financial restrictions levied on it by the Supreme Court. (England tour put in jeopardy by BCCI president and secretary)



BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke has written a letter to England team manager Phil Neal and informed him that the board won't be able to pay the hotel and travelling bills of the visiting England team. (Exclusive: Shashank Manohar confirms Anurag Thakur had asked for a letter from ICC)



Shirke's letter to the ECB reads:

"Dear Phil, I warmly welcome you for the upcoming cricket series. I am however at great pains to inform you that the BCCI is at present not in a position to execute the MoU between the Indian Cricket Board and the ECB. This is due to restrictions on execution of contracts imposed on the BCCI by a Court order.

"A Committee has been appointed that is also to oversee financial transactions of the BCCI. The BCCI has referred this issue to the Committee appointed by the Supreme Court (Lodha Committee) on 28.10.2016 itself and sought urgent permission for execution of the MoU. Thereafter I have also sent the hon'ble Committee a request again today. However, the Committee while seeking further details a short while ago earlier today, has not yet granted us this permission.

"Certain courtesies such as hotel, travel and various other arrangements have been extended to you on arrival of the team in India. However, till the MoU is executed, the BCCI is not in a position to commit to paying for the same. Please make arrangements to remit such payments. The BCCI will inform you as and when further instructions are received by the BCCI from the Lodha Committee.

"I apologise on behalf of the BCCI for inconvenience that is being caused."

However, an ECB spokesman has said that since the England team is already in India, there won't be any changes made to the existing itinerary and the series will go ahead as planned. (England tour not our mandate, need payment details: Lodha committee to BCCI)

"We are already in India, there is no change to any plans and we are looking forward to the series against India," said the ECB spokesman.

Team manager Neal has written back to Shirke, telling him the BCCI letter has been forwarded to the ECB office in London. The English board will now mull over options.



The BCCI had earlier written to the Supreme Court-appointed Lodha committee to guide on the terms and conditions and manner of execution of the agreement with the ECB as it "entails an commitment on behalf of the board for incurring expenses for the English team."

The Lodha committee made it clear to the BCCI in an communication earlier in the day that "the proposed MoU between BCCI and ECB concerns bilateral cricketing policy, the formulation of which is not a part of the mandate of the Committee".

BCCI has been barred by the Supreme Court interim order to enter into any fresh contracts without the consent of the Lodha committee who are to appoint an auditor who would set a threshold limit for spending.

But the order does not bar the BCCI from executing a cricket tour and paying for the visiting team from its rich reserves.

This is how it stands on the series so far:

1. BCCI Secretary has written to England manager they can't foot the hospitality bills of tour as per court order as no directions on MOU from Lodha committee.

2. ECB has officially reacted saying they have no change in plans and are going ahead with the tour.

3. The England team is having an optional training session at CCI today.