The BCCI CEO Rahul Johri will meet Sports Ministry officials on Friday, seeking clearance for South Africa A and women's teams' tours of India amid speculation that the go-ahead has been held back to pressurise the cricket board into accepting national anti-doping norms.
Johri has sought an appointment with Sports Secretary Radhey Shyam Jhulaniya after the ministry kept on hold, clearances for the two series to be held in late August and September respectively.
South Africa A and women's teams' tours to India have hit a roadblock as the BCCI is yet to get the mandatory clearance letter from the sports ministry required for visiting sides.
As per procedure, whenever a country tours India, the BCCI intimates the Sports Ministry about the itinerary and gets a routine clearance which helps the visiting sides to carry out their visa formalities smoothly. The clearance letter normally comes between 30 to 45 days.
But despite sending ab application in March, as claimed by the BCCI, the Sports Ministry is yet to give the approval with sources hinting that the delay is meant to force the country's richest sports body to completely come under the ambit of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
"The BCCI CEO will meet the Sports Secretary tomorrow. He has sought time from the Sports Secretary to sort out some pending issues," a Sports Ministry official told PTI.
"We were always clear that if the BCCI has any pending work with us they should get in touch with us. It is never the other way round."