BCCI to examine Supreme Court order

Full members of the BCCI were far from enthusiastic to implement the Supreme Court order of July 18, 2016 with regard to the Justice Lodha Committee cricket reforms. In fact, the Special General Meeting, convened to consider a seven-item agenda, including the implementation of the apex court order, ended in disappointment for the acting BCCI Secretary Amitabh Choudhary and the Maharashrtra Cricket Association (President) Abhay Apte.

These two were in the vanguard of the initiative to take forward the implementation of the Supreme Court order. However, they were under pressure to not bypass the decision taken by a BCCI SGM on October 1, 2016 wherein the full members had taken a call on every recommendation made by the Lodha Committee and that was validated by the Supreme Court. The outcome of that SGM has been submitted to the apex court.

Eventually, the SGM decided to appoint a seven-member committee to examine some recommendations that majority of the members find galling and unacceptable. Listed first on the agenda, the implementation of the Supreme Court order of July 18, 2016 was taken up last. A visibly downcast Choudhary said: “The house deliberated in every detail the principal order of the Supreme Court and with a view to complete the implementation process, it constituted a committee which will examine how best it can quickly implement. The committee will be constituted tomorrow and it should have its first recommendations in a fortnight’s time.

On playing blilateral cricket against Pakistan:
The house was informed that the BCCI has conveyed to the PCB that both nations can play only after the Board gets the permission from the government.
On India's international programme for the tour to South Africa:
Owing to the Global T20 League being planned by Cricket South Africa, the tour may start with the Boxing Day Test and could see a few games from the limited overs' leg chopped off
On accepting ICC's finance model
According to the BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Chaudhary, the members were "satisfied" with BCCI's revised share of $405m. However, N. Srinivasan expressed his displeasure over the BCCI backing down from model he devised which would have seen India earn $570mn.
On revoking Rajasthan CA's suspension:
The SGM decided to seek a detailed response from RCA, which has conducted an election to replace Lalit Modi as its chief.
On Assam CA and Jammu & Kashmir CA requests:
Both the associations have requested for disbursement of additional funds for completing their respective international stadiums. The request was put on hold.

“The office bearers will constitute the committee which will go into each and every action point necessitated by the principal judgement, then only go into those exceptional and extremely limited areas of difficulty and bring it to the notice of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), which will thereafter decide the course of action.’’

Choudhary and Apte, who were hopeful of getting through the resolution adopted on Tuesday itself, with a rider of seeking relief from a handful of recommendations, were let down by a large group that had assured it support in the last 48 hours, including N. Srinivasan. Things changed dramatically overnight, and the moment it was conveyed to Choudhary and Apte that Srinivasan and those who have demonstrated unflinching loyalty to him for a long time were in no mood to budge away from the decisions taken on October 1, 2016, it became evident well before noon on Tuesday that the bold move from Choudhary and Apte would face resistance.

The seven-member committee may look into issues such as (1) One state, one member, one vote rule (2) cooling off period of three years after every term (3) age cap of 70 for officer bearers and councillors (4) nine-year tenure restriction rule and (5) restoring the selection committee to five members.

At the outset, some members felt the particular item on the agenda need not be considered at all because, the Supreme Court is all set to resume hearing the petitions filed by 19 full member units in mid July. Representing the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, Jyotiraditya Scindia told the house that the BCCI has the option of implementing or rejecting the Supreme Court order in full or implement it bringing before the court the difficulties in enforcing some.

It was also pointed out that Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke were the President and Secretary at the SGM of October 1, 2016 and it would be unfair on them should the SGM proceed to implement it after they have been removed from their posts. It’s revealed that Thakur and Shirke spoke to some members to stick to the decision taken last year. Word was also going around that the BJP President Amit Shah, who is also President of the Gujarat Cricket Association, suggested to the SGM to form a committee to examine the Lodha recommendations members would find difficult to implement.

BCCI to examine Supreme Court order

The SGM decided to appoint a seven-member special committee to examine some recommendations that majority of the members find galling and unacceptable.

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