New Delhi: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the sports ministry Thursday got into a spat over official forms for nominating cricketers for the Arjuna and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards this year.

"We wish to clarify that unlike every year, the BCCI has not received any forms for nominating cricketers for the Arjuna and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards of the Government of India," said BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale.

"It has been the practice of the sports ministry to send the forms well in advance to the BCCI to nominate in the given format, which includes the players' acceptance and the BCCI's recommendation," he added.

The sports ministry, however, said that the BCCI and all other sports federations were informed over telephone in mid-April that they have to send the nominations by April 30.

"The ministry issued a circular on Jan 28 by post inviting nominations for Arjuna and other awards to all national sports federations and the BCCI. In addition, ministry officials also got in touch with all the sports federations by mid-April that they have to send the nominations by April 30. The nomination forms were also available on the website of the ministry," the sports ministry said. (IANS)