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Court-room battle for BCCI reforms set for climax
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the suggestions it had sought from cricket officials before it ratifies the draft statute that will take on board the Justice RM Lodha panel report.
The long-drawn court battle over an overhaul of the Indian cricket system, in Board of Control for Cricket in India and its state associations, is set for the climax, though it remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court gives a final order on Friday.
Asking the protesting officials of the Board and its units to submit suggestions for changes in the draft constitution is seen as the last step before the court gives its final verdict on implementing the Justice RM Lodha Committee report on administrative reform.
The matter is up for hearing on Friday when the amicus curiae will present the suggestions and comments of the Committee of Administrators against it. In its order at the last hearing this month, the SC had said it will not entertain any further submissions.
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The main resistance of the BCCI members has been to one state, one vote, tenure restrictions and age cap and cooling-off period.
Given that the Vinod Rai-led CoA has said issues like one state, one vote and full membership of institutions like Railways, Services and Indian Universities should be considered, there’s a chance of the court might reverse the Lodha Committee recommendations on it. However, the state unit officials getting any respite on tenure, age and cooling-off will be up to the Supreme Court.
Veteran BCCI members are pushing for dropping the three-year cooling-off period.
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The need for the selection committee to revert to five members -- it was crunched to three as per the Lodha report -- is also identified for consideration.
The North East state units, who are hoping to be made full members with voting rights as per the Lodha recommendations, have jointly submitted a suggestion that the tenure of their office-bearers be counted afresh, from the day the order is passed.
Most of these state units have long-serving office-bearers, but there is a lack of experienced administrative hands in the North East given a lack of development in the game.
In what will come as huge relief to the three associations in Maharashtra (Mumbai, Vidarbha and Maharashtra) and Gujarat (Baroda, Gujarat and Saurashtra), the CoA has given a positive feedback on the suggestion that all units should retain full membership.
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“The recommendation pertaining to the existing Full Members from Maharashtra and Gujarat (as modified by the judgement dated 18 July 2016) viz. annual rotation of Full Membership between the three associations from said states is one of the issues identified by this Hon’ble Court for consideration,” CoA has said in its response published on BCCI website in a tabulated form.
The CoA has also recommended that the membership of Services, Indian Railways and Universities be treated separately from that of NCC (National Cricket Club, Kolkata) and CCI (Cricket Club of India, Mumbai) considering the role played by the three institutions in Indian cricket.
