India in a spin over Lorgat

Uncertainty over India's tour to SA next season and Cricket SA's future as shareholders of the Champions League could be the consequences of Haroon Lorgat being appointed to a new job on Saturday.

That's according to yesterday's Indian newspapers, which reported CSA's naming of Lorgat as its chief executive.

The Hindustan Times wrote that the move had "put India's tour of SA in limbo. The BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India] has been averse to Lorgat's appointment since the beginning and things could take a turn for the worse ..."

Lorgat had several run-ins with the BCCI while International Cricket Council chief executive.

The BCCI's vast wealth buys it inordinate influence and, for months it has made loud, unhappy noises about the possibility of having to deal with Lorgat again.

"This may trigger a new controversy as [the] BCCI's stand on the issue is pretty clear," the paper quoted an unnamed BCCI source as saying.

The Indian board, the HT wrote, had "red-flagged the itinerary announced by SA [three Tests, seven one-day internationals and two T20s]. The BCCI expressed concern over the schedule and Lorgat's appointment may further strain the situation."

The Mumbai Mirror said: "CSA has decided to bite the bullet. Despite strong resistance from the BCCI ..."

Narayanaswami Srinivasan's decision last month to temporarily relinquish his position as BCCI president had been central to CSA's discussion on the scheduling, the Mirror stated.

"The current uncertainty in the BCCI, with Srinivasan in self-imposed hibernation, has convinced the SA board that it can do business with the BCCI."

The Mirror added: "Another point to ponder could be CSA's status as a member of the Champions League governing council."

Cricket Australia, CSA and the BCCI are shareholders in the annual tournament, which involves domestic T20 teams from several countries and Indian Premier League sides.

CSA took an earlier threat by the BCCI to cancel next season's lucrative tour seriously enough to send a delegation to India to discuss the issue.

But last week a former BCCI president, Inderjit Singh Bindra, wrote a letter of recommendation for Lorgat.

However, Bindra, despite having been president of the Punjab Cricket Association since 1978, and the rest of the BCCI hierarchy are not on good terms.

"How much of Bindra's letter helped Lorgat's cause is a matter of conjecture but it surely exposed the chinks in the BCCI's armoury and showed that the Indian board is not a united body," the Mirror wrote.

The Times of India described Lorgat's candidacy for CSA chief executive as "highly controversial" but conceded that Bindra's letter, "coupled with a change of guard at BCCI, including the departure of fierce Lorgat critic Srinivasan, are believed to have eased tensions at CSA about the influence of the BCCI".

The BCCI did not respond to a request for comment.