E-Paper
BCCI rejects key reforms
MUMBAI: It seems that even the Supreme Court’s warning of “either fall in line or we will make you fall in line” is not enough to convince the Board of Control for
MUMBAI: It seems that even the Supreme Court’s warning of “either fall in line or we will make you fall in line” is not enough to convince the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The Indian cricket board discussed the implementation of the Lodha Committee’s first set of recommendations during a marathon Special General Meeting here at the Cricket Centre on Saturday. The meeting had been reconvened after it was adjourned on Friday.
The outcome of over six-hour-long confabulation might not impress the Supreme Court.
Though the BCCI, which has to respond to Lodha Committee’s status report by October 6, in its press release stated that the Board has unanimously adopted “important recommendations”, they have conveniently rejected some major reforms which could change the cricket landscape in India.
Key recommendations like 70-year age cap on administrators, nine-year tenure with cooling-off period after every term and the one-state one-vote policy have been rejected. Even the recommendations that have been accepted (see box) are with “certain modifications”. It has been learnt that the BCCI is willing to form the Apex Council which will replace the allpowerful working committee, but it does not want the representatives (one male cricketer and one female) of the Players Association on the Apex Council.
“The members were also unanimous in giving voting rights to the Associate members as per the ICC guidelines,” the BCCI release stated. The ICC guidelines are that the votes have to be divided in 3:1 ratio. Three Associate and Affiliate members form one vote in the ICC.
Vidarbha Cricket Association, which on Saturday unanimously adopted the new Memorandum of Association and Constitution as per the Lodha recommendations, asked for leave from the SGM which was granted by the BCCI.
‘CAN’T IMPLEMENT’
BCCI president Anurag Thakur said, “Some recommendations which they (members) felt would not be possible to implement due to legal challenges or practical difficulties were not accepted. A detailed report will be submitted in the SC and sent to Lodha Committee on what the members felt and (highlight the) difficulties on why some recommendations were not accepted. As per the BCCI structure, it is the members who form the board. It is up to the members to accept or reject. We just invited them to discuss the recommendations,” said Thakur.
The BCCI was supposed to adopt the new draft memorandum as proposed by the Lodha Committee by September 30. Thakur, however, said that that the BCCI has not missed any deadline. “We have adhered to the deadline,” he said before dashing off.
Secretary Ajay Shirke said the BCCI has done its best to implement the reforms. “We tried to take the horse to the water. We have accepted unanimously a number of recommendations.If the panel or the apex court deems it as contempt or anything else, we are open to their judgment. If they want to remove us from our posts, we will do so happily with our heads held high, knowing well that we tried our best to get the recommendations implemented,” Shirke told Hindustan Times.
The BCCI in its release stated that the “effort to ensure a 15-day gap between the national calendar and the IPL – the same will not be possible in the year 2017 because of the ICC’s Champions Trophy being scheduled in England at around the same time.”
