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AGM agenda spells trouble for cricket board
MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finds itself on a sticky wicket in the decision to hold its 87th Annual General Meeting at the Cricket Centre
MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finds itself on a sticky wicket in the decision to hold its 87th Annual General Meeting at the Cricket Centre on Wednesday.
On one hand are the Lodha Committee’s guidelines which they are expected to adhere while on the other is the BCCI’s keenness to go about their routine business.
The Lodha Committee on August 31 had directed the BCCI to limit its AGM to “routine business concerning the past year (2015-2016), and that any business or matters relating to the next year (2016-2017) be dealt with only after the adoption of the MoA and Rules as per the recommendations of the Committee in accordance with the same.”
However, the BCCI in its response to the Lodha Committee has assured the three-member panel of retired Supreme Court judges that the Board will not do anything which “does not have the sanction of law”.
“The Board is not likely to transact any other business in its AGM which is unauthorised except which they are legally bound to do so,” a BCCI source said.
The BCCI in its agenda for the AGM has stated election of secretary, to appoint the Working Committee, Standing Committee and Special Committee for the 2016-17, appointment of the ombudsman and appoint Board’s representative for the ICC conference, Asian Cricket Council’s conference.
Current BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke is set to be elected unopposed for the same post after the Maharashtra Cricket Association chief was appointed as secretary once Anurag Thakur took over as president of the Indian cricket board earlier this year.
It is learnt that the BCCI is also keen to appoint the selectors for the senior, junior and women’s teams at the AGM. The last set of interviews for selectors took place on Tuesday in Mumbai. Ninety four people applied for the selectors post out of which 70-odd were called for a personal interview.
However, the BCCI is going to take the clearance from the AGM before making any appointments. “We will ask the members. If they feel we should go ahead with the appointments then we shall do it,” said a senior BCCI member.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has expressed their displeasure known to the Lodha Committee over media reports which quoted sources close to the Supreme Court-appointed panel where intimidating comments have appeared in the press. The BCCI has urged the Lodha panel to investigate the source of the informal media briefings and initiate necessary actions.
On the eve of the AGM, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) president Sharad Pawar hosted a dinner at the Wankhede Stadium lounge for the BCCI members and office-bearers.
The BCCI later in its press release stated that Goa Cricket Association (GCA) has proposed Dr Venkatesh Prabhu Dessai as its nominee to attend the AGM.
