A petition demanding Government take over the Board of Control for Cricket in India [ Images ] has been made to President A P J Abdul Kalam [ Images ].

The petition, filed by Bangalore-based advocate S Umesh, demanded that all Government privileges extended to the BCCI be withdrawn with immediate effect since the Board has taken a stand that it is a private club.

Umesh urged the President to withdraw the concessions because BCCI had claimed in the Supreme Court that cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar [ Images ], Rahul Dravid [ Images ] and Sourav Ganguly [ Images ] play for Team BCCI and not India.

He said all the recognition, including Padma Shri awards, given to these cricketers should be taken back.