BCCI's Working Committee to decide on Sahara dispute

The BCCI on Sunday decided to take all the "outstanding issues" concerning the aggrieved Sahara Group to its Working Committee meeting on Monday which is expected to give finishing touches to a compromise formula aimed at breaking the week-long stalemate.

The top brass of BCCI and Sahara, which had severed ties with the Board and had pulled out of the IPL, met in Mumbai on Sunday, to discuss the contentious issues amid indications that a breakthrough has been achieved.

Both parties have agreed to discuss the matter further in Monday's BCCI Working Committee meeting in Chennai but did not disclose what transpired in Sunday's crucial meeting.

The meeting, it is learnt, was held in a cordial atmosphere and both parties have made significant headway in breaking the stalemate which prompted the corporate giant to withdraw sponsorship of the Indian cricket team and also pull out of the IPL.

"Sahara and BCCI met today and discussed all the outstanding issues, and it was agreed that the subject will be further discussed in the BCCI Working Committee meeting tomorrow," a joint statement issued after the meeting said.

"The interaction was focused on the interest of Indian cricket, including the IPL," it added.

Sahara Group was headed by its supremo Subroto Roy while the BCCI President N Srinivasan, secretary Sanjay Jagdale, treasurer Ajay Shirke and IPL chief Rajiv Shukla represented the Board in the meeting which lasted almost one and a half hours.

A top source said that some of the decisions have to be now ratified by the Working Committee which meets in Chennai on Monday.

It is also learnt that Sahara's request to get fringe players from other franchises on loan could be considered after discussion with other teams and stakeholders.

The BCCI, as part of a compromise formula, has also shown a lot more flexibility in accommodating some of the genuine grievances but has requested Sahara to continue sponsoring the Indian cricket team till the end of its contract.

After the meeting, both the camps had internal meetings to chalk out the future course of action.