BCCI could shift headquarters

A move has been initiated to shift the Indian cricket board's headquarters from Mumbai to Delhi and, more significantly, change the place of its registration from Chennai to the national capital. The proposal has come from Jagmohan Dalmiya, former board president, and has the support of many BCCI members.

According to the plan, the BCCI is not just keen to shift the headquarters to Delhi but also construct its own state-of-the-art offices, a stark contrast from the decrepit headquarters at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

According to the Indo-Asian News Service, Dalmiya raised the issue on behalf of the CAB at the emergent working committee meeting in June and the matter again came up at the August 15 meeting in New Delhi.

"The two proposals were raised by Dalmiya and have been duly listed in the minutes, just in case someone wants to see them as a proof," said an official. "It was also agreed at Kovalam that legal opinion would be obtained to have the registration changed and that the process should be initiated."

The BCCI was registered as a society under Act XXI of 1860 at Chennai, November 28, 1940.

But while many would like the headquarters to be shifted, the Mumbai Cricket Association's Lalchand Rajput, a former Test player, registered his opposition. Apart form Rajput, Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) President Inderjit Singh Bindra is also opposed to the idea of the change.

"Shifting of the headquarters would need an amendment in the BCCI Constitution, which requires two-third of the members of the general body supporting the move," said Bindra. "And so far as changing the board's registration is concerned, I'm not sure if it is legally possible - because then the board (as it is known) will cease to exist."