Board of Control for Cricket in India President Anurag Thakur warned that India "may have to pull out of next year's Champions Trophy in England if the BCCI implements Justice RM Lodha Committee recommendations," according to the PTI. As per the reforms suggested by the Lodha Panel, "there has to be a 15-day window before and after" the Indian Premier League. The Champions Trophy is scheduled from June 1-18 "while IPL is likely to end in last week of May." Thakur: "I don’t know whether India will be able to play Champions Trophy or not. If you go by the Lodha Committee report you have to play either the IPL or the Champions Trophy. So BCCI has to take a call on that. There is Australia series before IPL and Champions Trophy after it. So BCCI has to take a call whether they will play IPL or Champions Trophy -- you have to pick one of the two if the Lodha Committee recommendations are implemented in toto." On whether the IPL could be scheduled differently, he said, "You tell me how you can do it. I will give you the window." Insisting that "it would be a problem" every year, he said, "You have certain months to play in India. There is a window made available for IPL so you have to take a call whether the world’s fastest growing league, which has showcased to the world how you can make domestic cricket more popular, and give birth to many other leagues like football, hockey, badminton, kabaddi and all that -- whether that has to go" (PTI, 10/3). The AFP reported Thakur also "dismissed any chance of a first bilateral series with Pakistan" since '12 and said that the BCCI was "open to the use of the much-debated Decision Review System" in the future. Thakur: "Forget about playing Pakistan, first let's see whether we are able to play Champions Trophy or not. The chance of playing Pakistan only arises if we participate in Champions Trophy" (AFP, 10/3).
