India may have to pull out of next year's Champions Trophy in England if the BCCI implements Justice RM lodha Committee recommendations in toto, Board president Anurag Thakur warned on Monday.
As per the reforms suggested by the lodha Panel, there has to be a 15-day window before and after the IPl. The Champions Trophy is scheduled from June 1-18 while IPl is likely to end in last week of May.
"I don't know whether India will be able to play Champions Trophy or not. If you go by the lodha Committee report you have to play either the IPl or the Champions Trophy. So BCCI has to take a call on that," Thakur said.
"There is Australia series before IPl and Champions Trophy after it. So BCCI has to take a call whether they will play IPl or Champions Trophy — you have to pick one of the two if the lodha Committee recommendations are implemented in toto," he said to a query that India were insisting to be placed in different group than Pakistan amid rising political tensions. "The question of India-Pakistan arises only if India plays Champions Trophy."
On whether the IPl could be scheduled differently, he said: "You tell me how you can do it. I will give you the window. You have certain months to play in India. There is a window made available for IPl so you have to take a call whether the world's fastest growing league, which has showcased to the world how you can make domestic cricket more popular, and give birth to many other leagues like football, hockey, badminton, kabaddi and all that — whether that has to go."