MCA president Ravi Savant slams board for ‘misguiding’ state associations

On one hand are the Lodha Committee’s clear directives to the state units about the implementation process and on the other is the BCCI’s defiance.

As the pressure mounts on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to implement the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, the state cricket associations find themselves in a catch-22 situation.

Ravi Savant said that Anurag Thakur led BCCI never guided the state associations on what points they should raise in the Supreme Court. The state associations kept repeating what the BCCI has been arguing regarding the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.(HT Photo)

On one hand are the Lodha Committee’s clear directives to the state units about the implementation process and on the other is the BCCI’s defiance.

Ravi Savant, the former BCCI treasurer and ex-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), slammed the Indian cricket board’s office-bearers for ‘misguiding’ the state associations.

“The BCCI never guided the state associations on what points they should raise in the Supreme Court. They (state associations) merely repeated what the BCCI has been arguing regarding the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.

“Ideally, the state associations should have pointed out to the court that the BCCI and its affiliated units function in different manner. BCCI does not own a property whereas the state units have their own grounds and properties. BCCI does not hold or organises a match, it directs the state association to do the same.

“The BCCI does not maintain the grounds and stadiums; it is the state associations who have to look after their properties. Therefore, we cannot categorise BCCI and state units as one entity. The recommendations that will work for the BCCI, may not be practical for the state association to implement,” Savant told Hindustan Times on Wednesday.

The MCA has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, stating that the Lodha Committee’s recommendations do not affect them. Savant said filing any petition in in the high courts won’t help the state units. “Everybody just focused on the age limit, tenure and other recommendations. Nobody has pointed this different nature of work undertaken by the BCCI and its state units. This direction should have ideally come from the BCCI. The state association should approach the Lodha Committee and make them understand these differences. They can think of approaching the Supreme Court if the Lodha panel pays no heed,” said Savant, who has already given his suggestion to the MCA.