The Board of Control of Cricket, optimistic to dismiss the $70 million (₹ 477 crore) law suit by the Pakistan Cricket Board, has strongly raised the cross-border terrorism and terror threat issues during the International Cricket Council ‘s Dispute Resolution Committee hearing.
The PCB is demanding a $70 million (₹ 447 crore) compensation for India’s refusal to play bilateral series with Pakistan.
Former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, appearing before the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee for BCCI has justified BCCI’s refusal to play bilateral cricket with Pakistan, which PCB has claimed as a breach of the memorandum of understanding signed between the two boards in 2014. There was an understanding to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023.
“During the cross-examination Khurshid told the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Forum that the erstwhile UPA government acted on various world intelligence agencies’ reports on threat perception of playing cricket in Pakistan. He explained why it was impossible to send Indian cricket team to Pakistan after terror attacks,” a BCCI official has told PTI.
The official also claimed that Khurshid stuck to the oft-stated government stand that bilateral engagements with Pakistan cannot resume without an end to cross-border terrorism. “Khurshid also clearly said that time and again the Indian government had made it clear that unless cross-border terrorism stopped, it would be difficult to resume bilateral cricketing ties.”
The BCCI has also reiterated its stand that the MoU is not legally binding. The MoU was executed on April 9, 2014, and signed by Sanjay Patel for the BCCI and Najam Sethi for the PCB.
The hearing, which began on Monday, will decide whether BCCI is to pay the ₹447 crore damages sought by the PCB for not honouring an alleged MoU to play six bilateral series between 2015 and 2023.
IPL CEO Sundar Raman, former BCCI GM (Game development) Prof Ratnakar Shetty, current ICC chairman Shashank Manohar and former BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel will be cross-examined during the hearing.
The official has further asserted that the BCCI will the case on merit validity of the MoU. “We are confident that we will win the case. PCB’s bone of contention is a one-page email which doesn’t count as MoU. It was an email sent by Patel as a part of quid pro quo deal with PCB. They didn’t support our revenue model and the deal to play six bilaterals fell through,” the official has stated.
BCCI has also maintained that the contract is no longer legally binding as PCB didn’t support BCCI’s ‘Big Three’ revenue sharing model where India, Australia and England would have got bigger share of the profit pie.
The three-member ICC panel headed by Michael Beloff, along with Jan Paulsson and Dr Annabelle Bennett is hearing the proceedings.
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