Navigating through turbulent times — a timeline of CoA's bumpy ride

The tenure of the Committee of Administrators comes to an end with the BCCI elections on October 23. Here's a look at its journey.

Published : Oct 22, 2019 15:14 IST , Mumbai

Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji worked through plenty of hiccups to see the CoA through to its objective. Photo: PTI
Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji worked through plenty of hiccups to see the CoA through to its objective. Photo: PTI
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Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji worked through plenty of hiccups to see the CoA through to its objective. Photo: PTI

The Supreme Court nominated a four-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) on January 30, 2017, to look after the administrative operations of the BCCI and implement the recommendations made by the Lodha Committee.

Vinod Rai, the former Comptroller and Auditor General of India, was the chief, and Ramachandra Guha, Vikaram Limaye and Diana Edulji were the other members. The idea was to implement the proposed reforms and conduct the BCCI elections at the earliest.

However, in a bumpy ride, it took the CoA more than two and a half years to conduct the Board General Body meeting and the elections, which are scheduled for Wednesday.

Here’s a look at the CoA’s journey.

January 30, 2017: With Rai as the chief, the panel was quite star-studded. It had Vikram Limaye, MD and CEO, IDFC Ltd.; historian Ramachandra Guha; and Diana Edulji, the former India women’s team captain.

March 27, 2017: CoA bars BCCI office bearers from decision-making. Says it looks forward to working with C. K. Khanna, Amitabh Choudhary and Anirudh Chaudhary but makes it clear that the ultimate control and power will still wrest with the committee.

March 28, 2017: Committee of Administrators calls the shots, BCCI office bearers postpone meet. CoA turns down a plan by acting president C. K. Khanna, secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary to stage a National Cricket Academy meet and an IPL Governing Council meet.

June 1, 2017: Historian Ramachandra Guha quits the panel citing personal reasons. But his email to Vinod Rai shows his discontentment about the functioning of the CoA.

June 22, 2017: The International Cricket Council announce that the BCCI will be receiving USD 405 million as per the ICC revenue sharing model. Originally, the ICC had agreed to give USD 293 million but after hectic negotiations, its chairman Shashank Manohar agrees to increase it by USD 100 million. Finally, it is decided that USD 112 million more will be given to BCCI from the previously agreed amount. But the old guards at the BCCI aren’t too pleased with the way CoA handles things.

Read | Meet the three men set to run Indian cricket

July 12, 2017: CoA complains to the Supreme Court, in its fourth status report, that N. Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah made numerous attempts to stall the implementation of Lodha reforms.

July 13, 2017: Ousted BCCI president Anurag Thakur issues an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court with regards to the perjury case against him.

July 14, 2017: Limaye quits the committee, too, citing personal reasons. Now, the committee is reduced to a two-member panel.

July 14: Supreme Court issues notices to Srinivasan and Shah based on CoA's fourth status report. SC accepts Thakur's apology and drops the perjury charges against him.

July 24, 2017: Srinivasan and Shah are barred by the Supreme Court from attending the BCCI SGM scheduled for July 26.

August 16, 2017: CoA submits its fifth status report in which they urge the Supreme Court to remove the current BCCI top brass for not implementing Lodha reforms.

September 11, 2017: CoA submits draft of BCCI constitution to the Supreme Court.

September 21, 2017: Supreme Court orders BCCI to make suggestion on the draft constitution.

October 30, 2017: A draft constitution of the BCCI is submitted in the Supreme Court, incorporating suggestions of the Lodha panel on reforms.

Read | BCCI elections: What happens, who votes

November 29, 2017: SC gives the BCCI and its honorary treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry two weeks' time to submit their response to the allegations of a threat being made to the Board's Chief Financial Officer Santosh Rangnekar. The court also adjourns the hearing of the BCCI's suggestion on the draft constitution submitted by the CoA to the second week of January, 2018.

August 9, 2018: The Supreme Court accepts the draft constitution prepared by the Justice Lodha panel, with certain modifications. In what comes as a relief to the BCCI, the Supreme Court alters the recommendations regarding the 'One State, One Vote' policy and the cooling off period for the office bearers.

August 21, 2018: The BCCI confirms the registration of the new Supreme Court-approved constitution. Its member associations now have 30 days to conform with the Supreme Court ruling and comply with the Lodha recommendations.

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In a letter to the BCCI in November, 2018, Mithali Raj accused Diana Edulji and Ramesh Powar of bias. Photo: PTI
 

November 28, 2018: After being excluded from India’s playing XI during the ICC Women’s World T20 semifinal, Mithali Raj writes a letter to the BCCI saying, “Few people in power are out to destroy me.”

She further accuses CoA member Diana Edulji and the Indian women's team coach Ramesh Powar of bias. She said he “humiliated” her.

November 11, 2018: BCCI asks for fresh application for the job of head coach for the Indian women’s national team. Edulji seeks re-appointment of Ramesh Powar, Rai turns it down.

Read | Justice Lodha talks BCCI elections amid 'tinkered' reforms

December 8, 2018: Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and V. V. S. Laxman stay away from choosing women’s head coach. The CoA forms an ad-hoc committee, comprising Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy to conduct the process. Edulji gets into a war of words with Rai over the decision.

December 20, 2018: Former India cricketer, W. V. Raman, is named the head coach of the Indian women’s national team. But Edulji stands against the decision.

February 21, 2019: Supreme Court appoints Lt. Gen Ravindra Thodge as the third member of the CoA.

March 18, 2019: BCCI plans to work with the National Anti-Doping Agency on a trial basis. The decision comes after CoA’s meeting with International Cricket Council chairman, Shashank Manohar.

May 21, 2019: CoA announces that the BCCI election will be held on October 22 in Mumbai.

June 7, 2019: Former Chief Election Commissioner, N. Gopalaswami, takes charge as the electoral officer for the BCCI election.

September 6, 2019: The CoA extends the deadline for completing BCCI State association elections to September 28. Earlier, the CoA had announced September 14 as the deadline.

October 9, 2019: Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, Haryana Cricket Association and Maharashtra Cricket Association are barred from attending the BCCI Annual General Meeting in Mumbai.

October 14, 2019: Sourav Ganguly files nomination for the BCCI president’s post. He is set to be elected unopposed.

October 21, 2019: The Supreme Court passes an order bringing an end to the CoA tenure at the helm of Indian cricket administration. The Apex court also says that the committee would be immune from action in respect of any act performed by them as CoA in good faith and that no proceedings could be initiated against the member individually or jointly.

October 22, 2019: The CoA meets for one last time in Mumbai.

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