The common excuse now, which is allowing them to use their luxury office spaces in Mumbai and Delhi, is that the “matter is being heard in SC and they don’t want to invite any more wrath of the Court”.
By this time last year enthusiastic Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials held their first AGM post Supreme Court orders to show that “no one can stop them from conducting routine business”. Justice Lodha Committee termed it null and void and asked the board officials to first accept the reforms put forth by the panel and the new constitution.
A year later, no such effort has been made and even the SC-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) has not stopped anyone from going ahead and conduct the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The top three officials — acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary — have given affidavits in the SC to abide by Justice Lodha reforms and so, holding any AGM would mean losing their positions as three-year term is already exhausted and time has come to go into cooling off period.
The common excuse now, which is allowing them to use their luxury office spaces in Mumbai and Delhi, is that the “matter is being heard in SC and they don’t want to invite any more wrath of the Court”.
The bigger question being asked by the same BCCI officials. “If COA can’t ensure compliance after 281 days then why blame us?”, a former office bearer asked.
A veteran official compared two historic moments in Indian cricket to drive home his point. He said, “Go back in the history and see how 281-run innings by VVS Laxman in Kolkata changed the complexion of the series against Australia. However here, nothing has changed in these 281 days and there is more confusion now in the BCCI corridors.”
The COA has submitted draft constitution before the SC bench during the last hearing and it is expected that the same would be debated during the next on November 29.
“Once the draft constitution is accepted, things will start rolling for the AGM,” a board official said.
The bigger issue which is being ignored by both BCCI and COA is that there are issues that need to be addressed without any delay.
“The accounts have not been passed for two years now and as you are aware, many of the revised hikes are still waiting for the approval, including the Ranji players pay hike,” reminded a source in the COA.
“If the AGM is called for, then a completely different set up will take over and all these officials have to go for cooling off. The COA’s job is to assist BCCI in the transformation. But if we are forced to take the decisions, then even a decision to hold the AGM might be taken by the COA,” a highly-placed official told DNA on Tuesday.
When the Vinod Rai-led team was taking over the COA, he made it clear that “his job would be that of a night-watchman”.
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