No cancellation of India-New Zealand series: Justice RM Lodha

New Delhi, Oct 4: After the BCCI threatened that it might cancel the series, justice RM Lodha on Tuesday (Oct 4) cleared the air over ongoing India-New Zealand series saying the matches will be going on as scheduled.

India-New Zealand series under cloud after banks freeze BCCI accounts

A disgruntled board threatened of suspending the series due to shortage of fund after the Justice RM Lodha committee's direction to banks to freeze BCCI's accounts miffed the board.

"There is no question of any cancellations of game or series. Accounts of BCCI have not been frozen. This isn't correct reading of our email, rather this is misinterpreting it," justice RM Lodha told ANI.

There is no question of any cancellations of game or series: Justice RM Lodha (Chief, Lodha Panel) on India-New Zealand series under cloud pic.twitter.com/QOlxop5cCw

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 4, 2016

"Routine expenses for matches, games, cricketing activities & other administrative matters are not at all restrained," said the former Chief Justice of India.

Large disbursement for state associations (decision taken by BCCI on 30th Sep) that has been put on hold, nothing beyond that: Justice Lodha pic.twitter.com/UTFWiS9XtJ

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 4, 2016

"Directives which we issued to BCCI yesterday (Oct 3) in our e-mail is confined to disbursement of large funds to State Associations. Banks directed to ensure compliance of that,routine expenses for matches,cricket activities and administrative matters aren't restraint," he added.

Accounts of BCCI have not been frozen. This isn't correct reading of our email, rather this is misinterpreting it: Justice RM Lodha pic.twitter.com/h6taCwHoeA

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 4, 2016

If Champions Trophy calendar was already settled a year back, our recommendations won't affect that: Justice RM Lodha pic.twitter.com/MlOdwiXYBC

— ANI (@ANI_news) October 4, 2016

Earlier in the day, a top BCCI official was quoted by Indian Express report as saying, "We have no option other than to call off the India-New Zealand series as our banks have decided to freeze BCCI accounts. We don't want India to be humiliated in front of the world. How can we function, how can we hold any games now? Who will make the payment? Freezing a bank account is no joke. An international team is here, and there is so much at stake."

Justice Lodha and the BCCI are at loggerheads with each other eversince the Supreme Court appointed him to head the panel to clean cricket off corruption.

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