4th India-SA Test in doubt as CBI begins enquiry against DDCA

BCCI may have to shift the venue for the 4th Test between India and South Africa.

New Delhi: With commencement of a preliminary enquiry by the CBI into the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) on Monday, doubts have begun to surface on whether Ferozeshah Kotla will host the fourth and final Test between India and South Africa from December 3-7.

The government agency launched an enquiry after former cricketer and BJP MP Kirti Azad filed several complaints against the state association, reported the DNA newspaper.

The Delhi cricket administrators are alleged to have illegally occupied government land without a proper lease.

Delhi government has also slapped a notice of Rs 24 crore for non-payment of entertainment tax in the last several years.

The DDCA is said to have undervalued ticket prices for the best stands.

Also earlier, the DDCA bar was sealed by the AAP government for serving liquor on Gandhi Jayanti in 2013.

In order for DDCA to host the 4th Test, the entertainment tax will have to be immediately deposited.

Considering the current financial status of the association, there is no possibility of it being able to do so.

BCCI had earlier informed the DDCA that “money will only be released after submission of balance sheet”.

With several corruption charges against senior members including president Sneh Bansal, the DDCA has failed to submit the balance sheet for the year 2013-14.

“Finally, my stand has been vindicated and all the political patronage that has helped DDCA to evade the consequences of their illegal actions has come to haunt them. The days of thuggery and loot of DDCA money are over. Law will take its course and I expect some of these office bearers, including the key management personnel, to be made accountable under the various provisions of Indian Penal Code,”Azad told DNA

“By just paying a few lakhs as compounding charges, DDCA office-bearers were trying to exploit the provisions of Companies Act and had quietly digested Rs400 crore over the last 15 years. It was shocking to see the manipulation of an august body, like Company Law Board, where an ex-DDCA council was drafted in as a member Lok Adalat who, in turn, compounded many applications of DDCA in just one day,” he further added.

Former India player Surinder Khanna said: “There is no system/ administration in Delhi cricket. It’s high time BCCI appointed a committee to run the affairs of cricket in DDCA in a transparent manner,” he added.