The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has called its annual general body meeting on September 28 in Mumbai and one of the major topics for discussion will be whether to grant associate membership to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

The meeting is going to discuss granting associate membership to Cricket Association Andaman & Nicobar, which is the regional body promoting the game in the union territory, but it’s not yet affiliated to the BCCI. This is the first time the board will discuss the possibility of having control over cricket in the archipelago of more than 800 islands located more than 1,000 kilometres from the Indian mainland, at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

In a notice sent to all its members, the Indian board will seek the opinion of its member associations in this matter. ‘Grant of Associate Membership to Cricket Association Andaman & Nicobar Island for the Union Territory of Andaman & Nicobar Islands,’ the agenda for the meeting reads.

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If the request for membership is accepted, the BCCI will start hosting cricket matches on the islands and will provide all possible facilities for the development of the sport there. The board will not rush to include a team representing the islands on the domestic circuit but it is learnt that they will be gradually groomed before being included in tournaments. Currently, 38 teams take part in the annual domestic cricket competitions organised by the Indian board.

Another subject on the agenda is the appointment of BCCI’s representative(s) at the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The meeting will also witness an election for two representatives of the General Body in the Governing Council of the Indian Premier League. The board will also induct one representative of the Indian Cricketers’ Association in the IPL Governing Council.