Among the controversial aims of the Bill is to limit the length of terms officials can serve and also what age they can stay in their positions until.

The Bill had already attracted the attention of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who feared that it imposed too much Governmental control on sports governing bodies, which is against the Olympic Charter, and threatened India with suspension from London 2012.

But now it has run into an even more powerful opponent in India -The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Originally the Bill did not affect the BCCI, one of the richest national governing bodies in the world with an annual turnover of £1.3 billion ($2.1 billion/€1.4 billion), but under the latest proposals it would make them more financially accountable, including being subject to India's Right to Information (RTI) Act, which allows the public to request financial and other details.

After it was presented to Cabinent, however, Sports Minister Ajay Maken has been asked to go away and come back with a revised proposal, ending his hopes that he would be able to introduce it before the end of the current Parliament on September 8.

India's Cabinet includes five of the country's most senior cricket administrators, including Sharad Pawar, the Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Pawar (pictured right with Sachin Tendulkar) is also the former President of the BCCI and currently leads the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

Farooq Abdullah, the Minister of New and Renewable Energy and President of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association, objected to the age-limit.

"By this yardstick, I shouldn't be a Cabinet Minister," said the 74-year-old.

In addition, Praful Patel, the Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, who is the President of the All Indian Football Federation, opposed the Bill. 

Maken was hopeful that the Cabinet would back the Bill following the scandal and allegations of corruption surrounding last year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, when the Organising Committee was headed by Suresh Kalmadi, one of India's most senior politicians who has been head of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) since 1996.

It did receive the support of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram.

But that was still not enough and Maken must now come back with new proposals.

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