BCCI vs Lodha panel: SC to hear matter today

New Delhi [India], Dec. 9 (ANI): The Supreme Court will hear the Justice R M Lodha-led committee's recommendations for carrying out a revamp of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), even as the latter continues to be reluctant about accepting all of the recommendations. The Lodha Committee was appointed after the 'conflict of interest' issue sparked a controversy in Indian cricket. The Lodha Committee, in its first status report submitted to the apex court on September 28, had asked for the removal of the present set of BCCI office-bearers, and be replaced by a group of independent administrators. In its third status report submitted on November 14, the committee altered the demand a bit, asking for the disqualification of office-bearers of the BCCI and all state associations, who become ineligible as per the apex court's July 18 order, and the appointment of former Union home secretary G K Pillai as "observer". On October 21, the top court passed an interim order asking the BCCI to "cease and desist" from disbursing funds to state associations until the association gave a written resolution that it would adopt all the recommendations approved by the court. The court also asked BCCI president Anurag Thakur and secretary Ajay Shirke to meet the Lodha committee within two weeks from the date of that order and submit an "affidavit of compliance", elaborating on the recommendations already implemented by the BCCI and what it had done to persuade the state associations to adopt the remaining recommendations. On October 1, the board had accepted many of the "significant recommendations" of the Lodha Committee. However, it excluded the important ones which have been bone of contention between the cricket body and the Lodha Panel. The recommendations, which have still not been accepted by the 30-member committee, include one-state one-vote, age limit of 70 years, cooling-off period of three years which included the tenure of the administrators, continue with the five-selectors and keeping to retaining the powers of the president and secretary as per the earlier constitution of the board. The cricket board has consistently argued that they have implemented many of the Lodha panel's recommendations but their members have problems in implementing only some of them. (ANI)