The controversy arises as BCA performs a T20 League auction before receiving BCCI approval

The controversy-ridden Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) has created a new controversy by conducting auctions for the unrecognized Bihar Cricket League T20 tournament even before getting approval from the Cricket Board of India (BCCI).

The BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has already recommended that the BCCI should give strict guidelines before giving a go-ahead to a state T20 league and the BCA held the players’ auction on Saturday without prior approval.

 The tournament is said to be held in Patna from 21 to 27 March as scheduled, with five franchise teams participating in Angika Avengers, DarbhangaDiamonds, Bhagalpur Bulls, Gaya Gladiators, and Patna Pilots.

The tournament matches will be broadcasted on a private sports channel and the bid was set at Rs 50,000 per player.

A senior official associated with the approval of the BCCI state-level league told PTI on the condition of confidentiality, “As far as I know no approval has been given to the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) to organize any T20 league till the evening of 28 February.

When BCA President Rakesh Tiwari was asked about this, he tried to dodge the question. Tiwari said, “We had sought permission from the BCCI, but we have not received any reply yet.

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But the BCA could not wait for the permission because after the controversies related to the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Premier League, the BCCI has spent more than a month in it. Tiwari said, ‘I will talk to you tomorrow.’

Nishant Dayal of Elite Sports, who assisted the BCA in organizing the tournament, said he was told that the state association had asked the BCCI to approve it on 22 January.

He said, ‘According to the BCCI rules, the Bihar Cricket Association sent a letter on 22 January. We also wrote a letter to the BCCI, ACU to help in the smooth conduct of the tournament.

Former Karnataka and India A wicketkeeper-batsman CM Gautam and former IPL player Abrar Kazi were arrested for their involvement in fixing in the Karnataka Premier League, following which special monitoring is being done on the state-level league.

 Former Indian players Madan Lal and Saba Karim also took part in the auction on Saturday. Karim was also the Director-General of Cricket Operations of BCCI till recently.

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