There were reports earlier in the day that the Lodha Committee had frozen the bank accounts of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), resulting in the possibility of the series between India and New Zealand being cancelled.

Justice Lodha has now denied those reports, stating that the committee’s directive to the BCCI was confined to disbursement of large funds to state associations and that the BCCI’s accounts haven’t been frozen.

Speaking to ANI about the matter, Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha said: “There is no question of any cancellations of a game or series. The directives which we issued to BCCI yesterday in our e-mail is confined to disbursement of large funds to state associations.

“The accounts of BCCI have not been frozen. This isn’t correct reading of our e-mail, rather this is misinterpreting it. The routine expenses for matches, games, cricketing activities and other administrative matters are not at all restrained.”

Earlier, the Indian Express had reported that a BCCI source had told them: “We have no option other than to call off the India-New Zealand series as our banks have decided to freeze BCCI accounts.”

LODHA CLEARS IPL-CHAMPIONS TROPHY CONFUSION

On Monday, BCCI President Anurag Thakur had warned that India might not take part in the ICC Champions Trophy next year if the board decides to implement the recommendations put forward by the Lodha Committee.

The Lodha Committee had proposed that there should be a window of 15 days where no international matches are played by the Indian team before and after the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Justice Lodha clarified the matter, stating that if the 2017 IPL and Champions Trophy were planned a year ago, then there is no need to follow his recommendations for the two tournaments.

“If the Champions Trophy calendar was already settled a year back, our recommendations won’t affect that,” he added.