Rajasthan Cricket Association shuts door on Lalit Modi

Rajasthan Cricket Association on Saturday suspended Nagaur District Cricket Association and initiated the process of disaffiliating the unit. Modi is the president of Nagaur DCA and the BCCI had indicated in a recent letter to the RCA that the ban on the latter will be withdrawn only after the former IPL commissioner is removed from any position that he is holding in any of its affiliated units.

“The BCCI had written to us that the ban can be lifted only after a suspended person is removed from all posts,” RCA president CP Joshi said after chairing the new executive committee’s first meeting on Saturday. “By suspending Nagaur DCA, we have complied with their demand and now, we hope that the ban will be lifted.” A BCCI special general meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday and the RCA is likely to present its case on that day itself. In fact, the haste with which RCA acted could be due to its keenness to get the process rolling at the earliest. At the time of taking charge, Joshi had said that having the ban revoked would be his first job. After three years of wilderness, the RCA coffers are almost dry and frustration is mounting.

Incidentally, not everyone in the executive committee was on the same page regarding the suspension of Nagaur DCA. Secretary Rajendra Singh Nandu, who also holds the same position in the district body, and treasurer Pinkesh Jain, both of whom are from the Modi camp, were not in favour of the suspension. “This is illegal,” Nandu said. “Despite my requests to give me one month time to persuade Modi to step down, the executive committee went ahead with the suspension. I will speak to my lawyers and if required, I will move court.”