Selectors, BCCI officials get 2-year extension

MUMBAI: The tenure of national selectors and office bearers of the Cricket Board (BCCI) has been extended to two years from September, when its annual elections are held with the provision they can be re-elected for an additional year.

The Board's special general meeting on Thursday also decided that each one of its affiliated unit would start a women's wing to take care of women's cricket while deferring a decision on the Jharkhand-Bihar controversy by appointing a three-member committee to go into the issue.

It also authorised President Sharad Pawar, who chaired the meeting, to decide on the formation of various committees for holding the 2011 World Cup jointly with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"All these decisions were taken unanimously and no voting took place," BCCI vice president Shashank Manohar said.

Explaining the decisions taken on Thursday, Manohar said the term of office bearers and selectors, which were for one year till now, would be for two years henceforth with the provision they can be re-elected for an additional year depending on their performance.

"It has also been decided that the candidate standing for presidentship and vice presidentship should be proposed by a member from the same zone which he represents though the person seconding could be from outside the zone," Manohar said.

"There's no provision to remove an office bearer at present through a no-confidence motion and that's the reason for opting for an extension of their term to the third year through re-elections," he explained.

"If their performance is not satisfactory another person from the same zone can be elected for the third year," Manohar said.

"It has also been decided by the special GM that the chairman would have an additional vote during elections as at present. This has been mired in controversy over the last four or five years", the board vice president pointed out.

The meeting also decided to change the provisions of its constitution to give effect to its working committee's decision to help talented young sportspersons in sports disciplines other than cricket to train overseas.

"We have not decided upon the amount to be earmarked for the purpose though the last working committee had fixed it at Rs 50 crore. It can be even 100 crore, but first we had to make suitable amendments to our consitition to make this possible which we did today," he said.

"We will give it to the concerned sportspersons directly and not through the particular sports federation as we don't yet know how they function," he added.

Manohar made it clear that the BCCI would not have a women's wing but the units affiliated to it will have one each to run women's cricket after one year's time.

"We will allow the existing women's cricket associations to conduct their affairs for the next year and would give them financial and other assistance. After that period they will have to wind up. It's upto them whether to accept our decision or not," Manohar said.