With the BCCI not recommending Sachin Tendulkar's name, there is intense speculation whether the batting maestro could miss out on the prestigious Bharat Ratna award this year.
The Sports ministry today forwarded hockey legend Dhyanchand, Olympic gold-medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra and mountaineer Tenzing Norgay for the award, but Tendulkar's name was missing from the list as no recommendation had come from the BCCI.
"Whatever number of recommendations the Sports Ministry has received for the Bharat Ratna, we have forwarded them to the Home Ministry and the Prime Minister," Sports Minister Ajay Maken said.
"To my knowledge, we have received recommendations from hockey and shooting federations so far," he informed.
The BCCI, on its part, maintained that no recommendation from the Board was required for Tendulkar's name to be considered for the honour.
"I don't know whether the BCCI had to recommend his name. I thought it is the prerogative of the government," said BCCI President N. Srinivasan in Mumbai.
"But if you ask me whether he deserves it, it is an altogether different question. He certainly deserves it," he added.