Supreme Court rips apart BCCI for objecting to Lodha committee recommendations
The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the BCCI for objecting to the Lodha Committee recommendations and said that it will not allow the delay of the much-needed reforms in cricket. BCCI had raised difficulties in implementing the recommendation in the 60-page affidavit filed in the court.
After receiving an ultimatum from the Supreme Court last month “to fall in line”, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) received another blow on Thursday with the Apex Court making it clear that they would not allow the cricketing body or the state associations to dilly-dally with the Lodha committee report.
"It was international news that we had formed the Justice Lodha Committee to suggest reforms in cricket. The whole world knew it. Now you come to us and say the recommendations were a bolt from the blue for you and you were not consulted... What were you doing? Waiting at the fence for a written invitation?" Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur countered in a tone laced with sarcasm, reported the Hindu.
The bench comprising of Chief Justice of India T S Thakur and Justice F M I Kalifulla was responding to BCCI’s and various state associations’ affidavits, which claimed that they were not consulted by the Lodha committee.
“We want to go back to the Lodha Committee with our views for certain amendments
However, Supreme Court ripped apart the BCCI and state associations for proposing amendments in the report and said that the Supreme Court will decide on whether to send any proposals to the committee.
"There is no question of you wanting it. We, the Supreme Court, will decide whether we are inclined to send some restricted issues back to the committee for its decision, that too within a limited span of time. Lodha Committee costs a lot of money for BCCI. It is not an easy committee," Chief Justice Thakur said.
The Court also questioned BCCI’s stand of allowing ministers in the cricketing body in the two-hour long hearing. BCCI answered by citing the example of former minister and cricket administrator NKP Salve, but the Court asked why the BCCI is opposed to a nominee by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
"So just because N.K.P. Salve was there, you want every other minister also to be there? You are finding fault with having a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General on your governing council, but you don't mind a minister?," the Chief Justice asked senior advocate K.K. Venugopal, who was fielded by the BCCI, reported the Hindu.
The bench also asked the BCCI to submit details of the amount given to state cricket associations and the expenditure for the last five years. The next hearing of the case will take place on March 18 with the Court allowing various state associations and former players like Bishan Singh Bedi and Kirti Azad to intervene in the case.