India's "cash-rich cricket board on Tuesday lifted a threat to cancel the start of its Test series against England after judges eased banking restrictions which had triggered a funding crisis," according to the AFP. Less than 24 hours before the high-profile series was due to begin in Rajkot, the Board of Control for Cricket in India "dropped a bombshell by telling the Supreme Court it would not be able to cover the running costs of the first match." The Indian Supreme Court last month ruled that the board "would have to seek prior approval from a special panel investigating its governance in order to release funds to state associations which host Test matches." The petition said, "Unless money is disbursed to the board, the match between India and England can't take place." After considering the petition for several hours, the court "set aside its previous order and gave the board immediate access" to the $90,000 the BCCI said that it needed to host the match in Rajkot. It further allowed the board to "incur expenses for hosting the remaining four Tests in the series against England but asked it to maintain accounts for scrutiny by the panel" (AFP, 11/8).
