India vs England first Test under threat cast into doubt due to Supreme Court dispute over money

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is prepared to cancel the first Test if the Supreme Court does not release the money to stage the match

England's first Test against India in Rajkot is in danger of being cancelled (Getty)

England's first Test against India has been cast into some doubt following the financial constraints facing the home board.

The Rajkot Test is due to begin on Wednesday but reports in India have suggested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is prepared to cancel the match if the country's Supreme Court does not release money to allow the game to be staged.

"If funds are not released there won't be a cricket match tomorrow and it may be cancelled," BCCI lawyer Kapil Sibal is reported by NDTV to have told the court.

The Supreme Court was reportedly set to make a decision on Tuesday afternoon.

Similar reports surfaced ahead of New Zealand's tour of India last month, when it was claimed that the BCCI was prepared to call off a tour that eventually went ahead as planned.

Last week the BCCI wrote to the England team management to reveal that the governing body was not in a position to commit to paying for the tourists' "hotel, travel and various other arrangements".

The BCCI is the richest cricket governing body in the world, but its financial position has been complicated by the ongoing Supreme Court enquiry into the way it runs the sport.

The Lodha Committee was appointed in the wake of the Indian Premier League spot-fixing and betting scandals and has made recommendations for the BCCI to adopt.

Justice Lodha has previously denied the court has frozen BCCI accounts.

After receiving last week's letter from the BCCI, an England and Wales Cricket Board spokesman described the team's situation ahead of the Test series as "business as usual".

England's tour management were also reassured by the ECB in London that they should not worry themselves about those matters.

PA