BCCI vs Lodha panel: Supreme Court defers hearing for Friday, demands board implement reforms

The Supreme Court of India has come down hard on the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), saying the board’s defiant attitude will not lead anywhere and only create a new set of problems. The SC asked the board to submit an undertaking on Thursday saying it will not disburse grants to state bodies and will abide by the directions of the Lodha Committee.

But with the board not agreeing to submit the undertaking, the court adjourned Thursday’s hearing. The matter will be taken up on Friday. But before calling off the hearing, the court reminded the BCCI once again of the recommendations made by the high-powered Lodha panel, urging it to implement all planned reforms.

The court took a dim view of the manner in which the board was distributing compensation funds among all its member associations, the state cricket bodies. Chief Justice of India (CJI) TS Thakur observed that BCCI should have exercised transparency in funding state associations, saying Rs 400 crores can’t be disbursed overnight.

In response, the BCCI told the court that the matter dates back to 2015-16 when Star and Sony had given compensation which was to be given to associations.

Supreme Court gives directions to BCCI to stop all disbursements to state associations.

— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2016

SC to BCCI: Don't pay money to associations that don't fall in line and are not accepting the reforms. They have no right to demand money.

— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2016

If the BCCI fails to submit the undertaking by Friday, the court will pronounce its verdict. And considering how the court has systematically lambasted the BCCI thus far, the verdict is unlikely to go in the board’s favour. The apex court also took objections to the board’s inability to consider the supremacy of the SC-appointed Lodha Committee.

CJI to BCCI: Lodha panel is not an ordinary panel, it is headed by a former CJI. If you have any outstanding issues, go to the panel.

— ANI (@ANI) October 6, 2016

The court had come down hard on the BCCI last week , telling the board that it cannot keep defying the Lodha Committee’s recommendations for the overhaul of the sport in India. The CJI, who also heads the Supreme Court bench that appointed the Lodha Committee, had given the BCCI one week to get its house in order. But the BCCI still held in SGM three days after the court’s order, and flouted all the key Lodha panel regulations.

BCCI president Anurag Thakur remained defiant on Saturday following the SGM, saying it was “up to members of the board to accept or reject the Lodha Committee’s suggestions”.

“Many significant recommendations of Lodha Committee were accepted by BCCI members,” said Thakur , but those which the members felt there would be legal challenges or practical difficulties have not been accepted. “We have invited the members to adopt the Lodha Committee recommendations and the members have given their viewpoints and what they feel of the recommendations. A detailed report will be submitted to the Supreme Court and will be sent to the Lodha Committee, also what the members felt and why they have accepted (some recommendations) and not accepted (some others),” he added.