Kolkata's Eden Gardens may get the nod for Tendulkar's 200th Test

The Indian team's year-end tour of South Africa remains in limbo as BCCI members didn't have any discussion on the series during its annual general meeting in Chennai on Sunday while Eden Gardens in Kolkata is likely to get the honour of hosting Sachin Tendulkar's 200th Test.

According to a BCCI official, who attended the meeting, the South Africa series was not even in the agenda of the AGM and only after Supreme Court allows president N Srinivasan to officially assume charge can the matter be sorted out.

"There has been no discussion on the South Africa series. It was not in the agenda but obviously any discussion can take place with the permission from the floor of the house. But since our secretary (Sanjay Patel) has informed CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat that our president will take call, it all depends on whatever Mr Srinivasan decides," a senior office-bearer said.

BCCI and Cricket South Africa has been at loggerheads since the latter appointed Lorgat as its CEO. Lorgat's differences with BCCI were well known since the time the South African was the CEO of ICC when he locked horns with Srinivasan on a number of issues, including the use of controversial Decision Review System.

CSA had announced an itinerary of three Test matches, seven ODIs and two T20 Internationals which was shot down by the BCCI who want a much shorter series.

The BCCI snubbed back CSA by hastily arranging a two Test, five ODI series against the West Indies while they have already confirmed the schedule for their series against New Zealand starting in January.

However, there might be some good news for Cricket Association of Bengal president Jagmohan Dalmiya who had earlier been pipped to the post of IPL chairman by Odisha's
Ranjib Biswal.

The Tours and Fixtures committee of the BCCI, which will meet under chairmanship of Rajeev Shukla on October 3, is likely to award Tendulkar's historic 200th Test match against West Indies to Eden Gardens, Kolkata, while the 199th Test is likely to be awarded to Ahmedabad's Motera.

"Awarding Eden to host a high-profile match involving Sachin Tendulkar's milestone will be Srinivasan's consolation to Dalmiya for helping him out during troubled times. Also with chances of Sharad Pawar coming back at the helm in MCA [Mumbai Cricket Association] will be another reason that Tendulkar might miss out on playing that match in front of his home crowd," a BCCI official in the know of things informed.

Image: Sachin Tendulkar

Photograph: Reuters