BHUBANESWAR 21-Sep-2016
In a positive development for cricket in Odisha, Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, regained its status as a Test venue after 21 years. A decision in this regard was taken at the 87th Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai today, informed Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) Hony secretary Ashirbad Behera.
Barabati stadium has already hosted two Test matches way back in 1987 and 1995. The first Test match at the stadium was played between India and Sri Lanka in 1987. India had won that match by an innings and 67 runs. The second match at the venue was played between India and New Zealand in 1995 which ended in a draw. Barabati Stadium has also staged 19 One-Day Internationals and one Twenty20 International so far.
The following other important decisions were taken in the AGM:
* Ajay Shirke was unanimously elected as the Hony Secretary of the BCCI for the remaining part of the term.
* The following All-India Selection Committees were formed.
Senior Selection Committee: MSK Prasad (Chairman), Gagan Khoda, Sarandeep Singh, Jatin Paranjpe, Devang Gandhi.
Junior Selection Committee: Venkatesh Prasad (Chairman), Rakesh Parikh, Aashish Kapoor, Amit Sharma, Gyanendra Pandey.
Women Selection Committee: Hemlata Kala (Chairperson), Shashi Gupta, Anjali Pendharkar, Lopamudra Banerjee, Sudha Shah.
* The Working Committee, Standing Committee and Special Committees elected in 2015-16 were continued with vacancies being filled where necessary.
* As the term of Justice AP Shah, Ombudsman, appointed at the last AGM has come to an end, the House authorized the President and Hony. Secretary to appoint Ombudsman for the year 2016-17.
* BCCI president Anurag Singh Thakur would represent BCCI in the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Sharad Pawar was nominated as the alternate director for ICC meetings. BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke will represent BCCI in the CEC meeting of the ICC.
* The House approved the proposal to take possession of alternate land offered by the Karnataka Government in lieu of the earlier land, which was allotted but not handed over at Bengaluru. The House also accepted the proposal of land being offered by the government of Himachal Pradesh in Dharamsala for the development of facilities for NCA.
* The emergent Special General Meeting of the BCCI will be held on 30th September 2016 at the BCCI headquarters, Mumbai to consider the amendments to the rules and regulations of BCCI as recommended by Honble Justice Lodha Committee.
