End of BCCI as we know it? Lodha panel has suggested so

The New Year is expected to ring in sweeping changes in the structure, management and functioning of the world's richest cricket body — Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) — as the committee headed by former CJI R M Lodha is set to give its report to the Supreme Court on January 4.

The committee's recommendations being readied are exhaustive and touch upon almost every aspect of BCCI's functioning. They are bound to create "ripples" in the cricketing circles, especially in the management of the Board, sources in know of the finalizing of the report told TOI.

The very basis of BCCI's existence — it's registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975 — could be under test. The SC-appointed panel is likely to recommend changing the Board's character from a society to a public trust or a company to allow more transparency in its functioning through public scrutiny. The BCCI came into existence in 1928 as an unregistered association of persons.

The committee interacted extensively with cricketers, former captains, advocates and eminent persons on a whole range of issues, including BCCI's organizational structure and relationship of the parent body with its affiliate bodies in states. Sources said during the interaction, majority favoured entrusting core management of the BCCI to professionals, mostly cricketers.

"The recommendation of the committee will reflect the majority view. The recommendation on this score could spell doom for most non-cricketers, especially politicians, who routinely get themselves elected as heads of the state affiliates and have a say in the allotment of matches to venues. If the politician is powerful, his state affiliate invariably got prime matches in a tournament conducted by the BCCI," a source quoted them as having said.


The structural revamp of the BCCI recommended by Justice Lodha Committee, also comprising former SC Judges R V Raveendran and Ashok Bhan and assisted by advocate Gopal Shankarnarayanan, could bar the entry of industrialists and politicians into the management of the Board unless they have had a career in cricket prior to entering politics and business, sources said.

At present, most of the affiliate members are headed by non-cricketers and politicians and the committee's recommendations, if carried to its logical conclusion by the Supreme Court as it had done by disqualifying N Srinivasan from contesting this year's election because of conflict of interest, would end the long reign of politicians and businessmen in the affairs of cricket in India.

BCCI's money-spinning and glamour event - Indian Premier League - too underwent the legal scanner of the Justice Lodha Committee, which has examined the basis of selection of IPL franchises. The committee also examined the Board's revenue-sharing mechanism with the affiliate associations.


The recommendations may change the present revenue-sharing model of rich state affiliates getting better payments from the BCCI and warrant more grants to smaller cricket affiliates to help them nurture talent in the hinterland by taking cricket in a big way to smaller cities.



source:timesofindia

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