One year on, BCCI still dragging its heels on Lodha recommendations

July 18, 2017 would mark the anniversary of the landmark order by the Supreme Court, but the BCCI has defied all of it.

Justice Lodha Committee’s recommendations have not been incorporated despite the appointment of the Committee of Administrators.

It was almost a year ago that the Supreme Court validated Justice Lodha Committee’s ‘Reforms in Cricket’ report; in fact, July 18, 2017 would mark the anniversary of the landmark order, but the Board of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI) has defied all of it, filing review and curative petitions and its full members filing intervention applications on several counts.

First, the Justice Lodha Committee, nominated by the Supreme Court to implement the order, served deadlines, but did not find positive responses from either the BCCI or the State associations. Thereafter, the Supreme Court appointed a four-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) to enforce its order, and the outcome has been the same with the BCCI and its members not ready to accept some recommendations that once complied with would throw them out of administration for ever. The Supreme Court order of January 2, 2017 disqualified a big group, but many of them have violated it, saying the order applies only to the office bearers.

Thereafter, the CoA has held meetings with the BCCI and state representatives and discussed the way forward to implement the Supreme Court order. It has scheduled another such a meeting on June 25, a day before the BCCI's SGM here.

Some members feel that there should not be any discussion on the matter because the Supreme Court is going to resume hearing cases filed by State associations in mid-July. While one of the associations wishes to recall the July 18, 2016 order, a major group is ready to implement the Lodha recommendations, but with some recommendations altogether removed.

The group will tell the BCCI that it wants the present full membership to be maintained with all the three full members in the States of Maharashtra (Bombay, Vidarbha and Maharashtra) and Gujarat (Gujarat, Baroda and Saurashtra). It will be in favour of Railways, Services, All India Universities (AIU), Cricket Club of India and National Cricket Club (NCC), Kolkata allowed to keep their voting rights. It will also express its opposition to the three-year cooling period restrictions and suggest that the selection committee should consist of five members, not three.

“These are the three major points. A few members may object to the age cap of 70 for elected office bearers and councillors, but that's not an issue with us,” said a State representative.

While the outcome of the meeting between CoA and State associations is likely to be mentioned in another Status report that will be submitted to the Supreme Court, the CoA will meet here on Saturday to consider a number of items on the agenda. They include Anil Kumble's report on the working and salary structure for the Indian team, domestic cricket, National Cricket Academy and responses from the members on the Deloitte report.