Thakur: Board not looking for escape route

When asked whether the BCCI was paying the price for past decisions, and if the Board regretted not taking corrective measures in time, Thakur said: "I think, owing to the mistakes committed during that time, the Board is paying for it."

"We have to debate and, after deliberations, come to a consensus on implementing the Lodha report," says Anurag Thakur.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, while assuring it would soon respond to the recommendations made by the Lodha Committee for reforms in the cricket administration, admitted that it was paying the price for “mistakes” made in the past.

On Friday, Board secretary Anurag Thakur said: “A special general body meeting has been called for the third week of February. We have requested our State associations to come out with their recommendations and suggestions. As far as the details of the recommendations of Lodha Committee are concerned, during the next hearing of the Supreme Court, we’ll definitely go and give our views on that.”

Justifying the time sought for the response, Thakur said: “It is a detailed report which will have a lot of consequences on the working and the functioning of the BCCI. We have to debate and, after deliberations, come to a consensus on implementing the report. We are not slow. We are not shying away. We are not looking for an escape route.”

When asked whether the BCCI was paying the price for past decisions, and if the Board regretted not taking corrective measures in time, Thakur said: “I think, owing to the mistakes committed during that time, the Board is paying for it.”

Thakur added: “In the last nine months, the Board has built a new image. We have managed to win back the faith of the people. We had set goals to make India the best team in all three formats, and we have succeeded to an extent. In certain areas, we did well and in the rest, we did not. But we need continuity in our efforts to bring about a change for the better.”

On the state of affairs in the Delhi and District Cricket Association, which is still unsure of hosting the World T20 matches, Thakur said: “On the eighth of February, we will make a final call on the DDCA.”