CoA, BCCI full members await clarity

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) is likely to seek clarity on some recommendations made by the Justice Lodha Committee before it starts the process of enforcing the July 18, 2016 order of the Supreme Court which validated the Lodha recommendations on reforms in cricket.

The Committee of Administrators (CoA) is likely to seek clarity on some recommendations made by the Justice Lodha Committee before it starts the process of enforcing the July 18, 2016 order of the Supreme Court which validated the Lodha recommendations on reforms in cricket.

A recent Supreme Court order said: "The Committee of Administrators shall also ensure that the directions contained in the judgment of this Court dated 18 July 2016 (which accepted the report of the Committee with modifications) are fulfilled and to adopt all necessary and consequential steps for that purpose."

Its order also explained that "The role of the Justice R. M. Lodha Committee shall hereafter be confined to overall policy and direction on such matters as may be referred by this Court."

The CoA will meet in Delhi next Friday (Feb. 17) to consider a number of matters and one probably weighing on its mind is whether it is the "Government minister/servant or publis servant" who is ineligible to be part of the BCCI Apex Council and the management committee of the full member associations. The CoA may consult the Lodha committee.

Most full members are not even sure if the 'BCCI Apex Council' recommendation applies to them also. The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) elected five office-bearers (as per Lodha Committee recommendations) and six more executive committee members. It also has a male and female representative from the players association. The State Accountant General’s office has not nominated its representative on the committee.

Following an order of the High Court the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) conducted its elections on January 17, but only as per the Lodha recommendations for five office-bearers and one executive committee member. "The matter is in court. The results have not been declared, many members have filed further petitions because the elections were held without amending the HCA constitution," said a former office-bearer of the association.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has also sought clarity from the CoA on (1) if it has to follow the BCCI Apex model (2) the status of the office-bearers who have completed eight years, if they are eligible to contest the next elections and should they win, do they have to demit office after the first year (because of the nine year cumulative rule) (3) the status of the managing committee members (who have never been office-bearers), who have completed nine years. Similary, Madhav Ranade, EC member of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) has also raised a number of queries.

The CoA took some decisions on matters related to the IPL-10 at a meeting in Delhi before the Chairman of CoA, Vinod Rai, left for USA. The CoA has to take a call as to whether the IPL Governing Council is required at all.