The BCCI won’t be able to hold its 85th AGM by September-end, according to a senior board official. This is because interim president, Shivlal Yadav — in this case — is not empowered by the BCCI constitution to clear accounts or endorse the annual report. The Supreme Court refused to reinstate N Srinivasan as the BCCI president till the probe committee investigating the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal gives him a clean chit.

Ravi Savant, the BCCI’s senior vice-president said that only the president, and not the interim president, is empowered to approve annual accounts. “It’s not a question of whether we want to go ahead with our AGM or adjourn it. Under the present circumstances we simply can’t call an AGM. Who will approve the accounts? Who will sign the annual report? Only the president is empowered to do that and even if we’ve an interim president at the moment, he doesn’t have the authority. The BCCI never had an interim president before and nothing has been mentioned in our constitution about his role. If the situation doesn’t change in the next couple of weeks, we’ve to seek an extension of the present managing committee through adjournment,” Savant said.

There has been a precedent in the BCCI and it occurred when the AGM was adjourned for about a month in 2004 under Jagmohan Dalmiya’s stewardship.

Savant didn’t see any reason for the functioning of the BCCI to be affected by the adjournment of the AGM.

“The Board will function as normal. It’s the working committee that takes the decisions, not the AGM. We appointed Ravi Shastri as the team director for the limited-overs leg in England and it’s the working committee members who took the decision. I don’t think anything will be disrupted.”

Most of the members of the BCCI wants to wait till the court proceedings are over. The fact of the matter is that the president-in-exile, Srinivasan, continues to enjoy overwhelming support from his fellow board members. “Yes, we are with Srinivasan because nothing has been proved against him yet. He’s innocent until proven guilty. As for the AGM, we can’t have it by September-end unless the situation changes. How can you have an AGM with the president staying away from discharging his duties,” said Ashirwad Behera, senior board member and secretary of the Orissa Cricket Association.

There, however, is an odd dissenting voice. “Srinivasan’s absence shouldn’t be an issue. The whole process shouldn’t be stalled for one individual. We’ve an interim president and if the members are willing, he can be empowered (through working committee meeting/general body) to conduct the proceedings and sign annual reports. Whether the members are willing for that is the question,” said the senior vice-president of Goa Cricket Association (GCA) Dr Shekhar Salkar.

Former president Shashank Manohar, said, “In 2004, the AGM was convened before it was adjourned. I think a similar process has to be followed this time if they want to adjourn it.”

The Supreme Court has given the Mudgal Committee the liberty to file an interim report pertaining to its findings about the office bearers whose names figured in the sealed envelope. If the (interim) report is submitted and the office bearers in question become eligible (to contest), only then the BCCI can go ahead with its AGM.