CoA struggling to implement Lodha reforms after SC delay

The Supreme Court has not responded to the three Status Reports submitted to it by the Committee of Administrators (CoA), which mostly deals with Justice Lodha Committee’s reforms in cricket report. It has largely impeded implementation of the Lodha recommendations.

The Supreme Court has not responded to the three Status Reports submitted to it by the Committee of Administrators (CoA), which mostly deals with Justice Lodha Committee’s reforms in cricket report. It has largely impeded implementation of the Lodha recommendations by CoA’s Vinod Rai (chairman), Vikram Limaye, Ramchandra Guha and Diana Edulji.

In fact, in the third Status Report, the CoA had asked the Supreme Court to give directions on: the application of the age cap of 70; the relevance of the two sets of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) posted by the Lodha Committee on its website; and if the disqualified BCCI and State office-bearers (by the SC order of January 2, 2017) can attend general body meetings as “representatives/nominees of the State Associations.”

The Supreme Court has stated that it will look at all these matters only in mid July.

In spite of these “disappointing developments”, the CoA has convened a meeting here on Friday to deliberate on legal matters and the tendering process related to the IPL media rights from season 11. The CoA has also invited the BCCI office-bearers at 10.30am at a venue near the international airport and it looks as though only the BCCI Jt, Secretary, Amitabh Choudhary, already in the city, will be able to attend the meeting and discuss ICC issues with the Supreme Court-appointed administrators.

The BCCI is happy with the 11-page response Limaye wrote to the ICC on the proposed changes to its Constitution and Revenue model (for 2016-23). A large portion of Limaye’s report was read at the SGM in New Delhi on Tuesday and a member said “everybody was pleased with it.’’

The BCCI’s full members have decided to take a particular line of action with regard to ICC matters and its representative Choudhary has the onerous task of convincing the world body to “give India its due” because the ICC earns 70 per cent plus of its annual revenue from India. Choudhary is scheduled to leave for Dubai on Friday evening and he knows he has to probably get an additional $150 million more to the $290 million allocated by the ICC’s Special Working Group. He will get an opportunity to hear out from the CoA on what could be a a reasonable demand.